I know my story has been one cliff-hanger after another, or seemingly all angst. But I did want to write a chapter that solely focuses on Levi and Bláithín bonding so I hope you guys like it. I might do a few more over the course of this fanfiction, but that all depends on you guys - let me know!

Levi turns 25 here in my fanfiction, Bláithín is 20 - just thought I'd clear that up. This is also an AU, so some characters are going to be added - my own characters - and some will be taken out/replaced with my own characters (not until around the Marley Arc.) I will also be changing the plot around and fiddling around with some attack on titan trivia. Some rules can be broken in my opinion!

[This takes place a few months after the fall of 845, specifically Levi's birthday.]

The passing of time ever since the fall of Wall Maria didn't seem real. Everyone was always on high alert, particularly the Scout Regiment knowing they'd be called in at a moment's notice to help with refugees or the expeditions beyond Wall Rose. Security around the Walls tightened and the Garrison patrolled the Wall every day; no longer were they standing idly by. Days rolled into one another and weeks drifted by and morale was low. Humanity was done for and no one had the heart to anything. As if they could do anything. Humanity had once again lost to the Titans and this time, it was a fatal blow.

It was the Garrison and the Scouts (with the Military Police occasionally involved) who were tasked by the Inner Wall to embark on these 'different' types of expeditions to 'reclaim' Wall Maria. As time went on, food was running scarce and a national famine was declared. The food was typically divided up between the Walls equally but now with a large chunk of Wall Maria's citizens cramped inside of Wall Rose, there wasn't enough food to go around. Those not fit to fight would go to the wastelands and plough what they could. Though the military brigades were never allowed to say it, the big mission to reclaim Wall Maria was little more than population control.

By now, a fierce winter had come around and the crops had failed. People were starving and food was already limited, nevermind the refugees still looking for shelter and food. The reclamation of Wall Maria consisted mostly of citizens that the government couldn't afford to feed and as such, lots of soldiers stayed back at their barracks. Humanity couldn't afford to sacrifice it's few remaining, capable soldiers.

As such, soldiers took turns - according to a rota - to divvy up food into paper bags and boxes and distributed them out amongst the populace. Today, on Christmas Day of all days, it was Bláithín's turn.

The budget for the military was never impressive and most of it went to the Military Police and even though it was freezing outside and even on the verge of snow, the knee-length jackets provided hardly did anything. The weather was cold enough to make your atoms shiver. Bláithín had the warmth of a scarf but it didn't provide much more warmth than those without one.

She stood at the top of one of the podiums and people were forming a line, though it wasn't long before people started arguing on who should go first. Some women claimed they had children and thus they needed to step to the front of the line, some husbands were there one behalf of their family who may have been too sick to come out. Bláithín wasn't responsible for keeping them civil and she had no intention of intervening. She was more preoccupied with the snow that had started to fall.

Snow often only fell in the Inner Walls where it was colder and it took her back to her earlier, happier childhood memories. She had spent so much of her time locking away all memories related to her youth, though, that she could hardly remember.

The snow danced in the light, a choreographed ballet conducted by the gentle wind that blew. She smiled to herself upon feeling the snowflakes land on her nose and her now rosy cheeks. She just couldn't wait to get inside.

She looked ahead and noticed the line had eventually assembled in front of her and she bent down to pick up the boxes and began distributing them. Each box seemed to contain the same things each time: two medium sized baguettes of mouldy bread, some rotting vegetables and fruit, a bag of oats or flour, a small glass bottle of milk and some other grains. This bag was to last a week though and sometimes, you would come across people looking for more by dressing up. It was very hard to pull the wool over Bláithín's eyes though.

A young boy with brown hair walked up to her meekly. His teal eyes shone a little bit in the morning light but there was a heaviness to them that she was all-too familiar with and this same heaviness was to be seen in most orphans.

"Can I have a ration please?" he asked. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the soldier before him and he noticed the Wings of Freedom insignia. "Y-You're part of the Scouts?"

"Indeed, I am," she answered, bending down to sort out the necessary items. "You thinking of joining? I can't say it's a lot of fun. What's your name?"

"Eren, Eren Jaeger," he replied and took his ration box. "My friends don't want me to, though."

"They only have the best intentions in mind," she said, smiling at him. "Well, Eren, if you make it that far, I may see you in a few years."

The heaviness that once hung on his features lifted and he mustered the energy within him to flash her a toothy grin. She knew it was, in a way, wrong to recommend someone going into the Scouts given the nightmares she faces and the fiendish devils she must kill. It wasn't her job to dissuade him though, hopefully he'd come to that conclusion himself after the Cadet Corps.

It wasn't long before she was finished and she walked back to the barracks. She didn't feel much warmer inside than outside so she decided to warm herself up with some tea. Today she was finally meeting Levi's Squad; she had been so busy doing the paperwork as Vice Captain of the squad and also tending to Eden who was placed in the care of a nanny (which was generously paid for by Elise's money) when Bláithín didn't have the time. A new soldier had been placed in the squad for now and she was expected to sort out uniforms, assign a dorm room, explain rules and be occasionally responsible for training.

Levi was currently training with them out in the barracks so once she finished drinking her tea and with a folder in hand of the new soldier to read over, she headed out to the training yard.

Levi saw her step out into the yard and gestured for them all to land and make their way over to her. The five soldiers trailed behind Levi, almost as though they were terrified to pass him out. Hopefully he wasn't being too strict on them…

Bláithín glanced over at Levi and for some reason he looked extra annoyed today. She flashed him a smile and he wouldn't normally reciprocate it but he'd acknowledge it. This time, he just flat-out scoffed, clicked his tongue and looked back at the squad.

What's his deal?

"Alright, introduce yourselves." He said. They all saluted in unison.

"Oi, Captain, who's this new blood? Looking all cocky, aren't ya?" one of the men cried, gesturing to Bláithín to which she scowled at.. He had curly brown hair styled into an undercut and crows feet pressed by his eyes. He seemed way too haughty for his own good. He also had a cravat which was folded poorly.

"Hey, watch your tongue. She's not new at all, she's just been away," he admonished with a bite in his tone. "This is Bláithín Hahn, your Vice Captain for when I'm not around and who does paperwork for the squad from time to time and you will treat her with respect." He ordered. Levi turned around to face her again. "That is Oluo Bozado and he will learn to hold his tongue."

Bláithín tried to ignore and move past that attack by Oluo and stepped forward to introduce herself, and she made sure she did a better job than Oluo. "Hi, my name is Bláithín Hahn but you can just call me Bláithín; first-name basis is fine with me. I hope you all work hard when I'm training you and that you are comfortable enough to approach me if you need help. I've just turned twenty so I'm not much older than you five."

Bláithín was given descriptions of everyone except for this new girl. She heard of the strawberry blonde named Petra, the tall blond with tied hair named Eld and the dark-skinned Gunther. This new soldier, Levi never described her before so she must be new enough to Levi also.

Bláithín looked down at her file and then up at the brown-haired girl with olive-like complexion and deep yet emotionless eyes. "You're Ioana Meyer, yes?"

Ioana saluted and looked up at her. "Yes." She replied curtly.

She didn't seem to want to talk and no one seemed to want to make her, but for whatever reason, she didn't take her eyes off her vice captain as if she was trying to look in and peer at her very soul. It was really… off putting. Levi noticed this stare but didn't think it was anything important.

Levi quickly dismissed everyone on the account of it being Christmas and told them to go home to their families and that they have earned a few days off. He walked off and again, he didn't acknowledge Bláithín. This wasn't like him. What happened to them getting closer as of late? She pivoted on her heel and this got his attention.

"What's your deal? Why are you so moody today? I mean, you're moody all the time but today is different." She pointed out.

He sighed, heavily. "Bláithín, not now, I-"

"No, yes now." she interjected and she pulled at him to stop walking.

He sighed, again, and without facing her he said, "It's my birthday, I have never been fond of celebrating it and it brings up bad memories. Is that okay?" he asked, and stormed off in the direction of the

Bláithín rooted herself to the ground and she twiddled her thumbs before revealing a huge grin and dashed into the Mess Hall, where she hoped to meet Hange or even Mike.

He heard Bláithín scamper off excitedly but it didn't matter.

He laid down on his bed and closed his eyes, not to sleep but just to put his mind at ease. Sleep never came easy to him after all. He was a bit worn out from training those five and now he felt like he had earned some down time.

He only hoped Bláithín wasn't planning anything crazy. She wasn't like Hange in that way but he had never seen her run off so merrily before, he couldn't help but ponder…

No, he was dead-set on never enjoying a birthday. It only reminded him that he was getting older and it was one more year without his cherished people who had long since passed.

His mother; Isabelle and Farlan, even.

In the Underground, birthdays weren't really a thing for him, or anyone. Living in the Underground, it was all about survival. If you made it through the year, fantastic, but it wasn't something you celebrated. It was almost like culture shock for him when Levi came above ground and realized people here celebrated getting older. They'd drink and sing and eat cake, and this was all so foreign to him. Hell, they'd even exchange gifts. The sentiment seemed fun but he always found himself baffled to be there and just sitting silently.

He laid on his bed for who knows how long before there was a knock on his door. The knock was to his office which was separate from his bedroom. He groaned before willing himself to get up. He chewed on his bottom lip, debating on whether or not it was worth being dragged out for celebrations (they did have the day off, so it's unlikely to be anything else.)

He turned the knob and opened the door. It was Hange. "There's no time to explain, put these on underneath your trousers, and grab another change of clothes to sleep in and to change into for tomorrow… and a coat!" She ordered. There was a hint of mystery to her voice as if he was to be dragged on some expedition beyond the Walls.

He might as well be dragged beyond the Walls with the amount of stuff he had to bring.

He looked down at what he was just handed. "Shorts?" he inquired, holding them up.

Hange snickered. "They're not just shorts, they're swimming shorts!" she exclaimed with glee. Levi pouted. Swimming, in this weather? It was snowing only an hour ago and last night there was a freeze! She noticed his apprehension and spoke again. "Don't worry, where we're swimming, it won't be cold."

It seemed like he had no choice, Hange wasn't going to budge or leave him alone until he got changed. He groaned audibly and went back inside to change. He came out a few seconds later looking exceedingly annoyed already.

Hange sighed and forced a grin before grabbing him by the arm. As if Levi's mood could plummet any more.

Once outside, he saw Miche and Bláithín both with large rucksacks on their back and one on the floor, which was presumably Hange's. Wherever they were going, it was going to be a long trip. Did he not need one?

"Come on, Levi, turn that frown upside down!" Bláithín insisted.

Crap, she's in on it too, he said to himself. And just in case he had any intention of escaping, Bláithín grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along.

It took around twenty minutes of walking through the bitterly cold weather before they reached their destination… and Levi was confused.

"A cave?" he asked, confused. Hange beckoned them all to come inside.

"Not just any cave, Levi. This cave is quite… special." Bláithín smiled.

Despite being a gaping hole in a mountain, there was something inviting about it. The insides were dotted with crystals that weren't unlike the night sky when a myriad of stars twinkled above you also. But this was much more mysterious. Finally, Levi seemed intrigued. You'd assume that inside a cave, the darkness would be eternal. But the crystals, though small, kept everything lit ever so slightly. That, but there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel they were walking in.

"This used to be a popular spot for miners," Bláithín explained. "Unfortunately for them, all these gems and crystals are seemingly forgotten, like they stopped mining once they found what they were looking for, which I always found strange until we discovered why."

They continued to walk for no more than a kilometre and then it unexpectedly got a lot warmer than Levi anticipated. He even removed his winter coat.

"Miners abandoned it once they came to this spot. Not too far in but you can feel the heat, right?" She asked rhetorically. "The miners thought this was an active volcano and quickly shut down all projects but one winter, the cadet corps had some outrageously long obstacle course to do in the middle of the blizzard. When it was getting too dangerous to stay out, some of us started to seek shelter and found this cave and were marvelled by its warmth. It's not an active volcano at all but actually…" She said, as she started digging away at the rocks that were in their way.

The rocks were gone and they were met with a wave of heat.

"They're pools of water. Hydrothermal springs, according to Hange."

They walked over to the ledge. The water was unlike anything Levi had ever seen before. It was crystal clear and almost fluorescent. The water's blue hue was concentrated, it looked alien-like. As Levi knelt down to dip his fingers into the water, he gasped upon feeling warm water. He just wasn't expecting a marvel like this to exist. As he continued to wet his hands, everyone else started to strip into their swimming togs. He turned around and saw Bláithín wearing a navy swim suit and hair tied back into a messy bun.

"Come on, Levi, you gotta change." Hange insisted.

Something about stripping down in front of people didn't seem right. Something about even being here didn't seem right, even though they had all earned a few days off. It wasn't long before both Hange and Bláithín were insisting he changed and again, he realized he was out of his depth; he had no way of escaping this.

Hange went into the water alongside Mike. He sniffed the air first and shrugged and then proceeded to float on his back. Hange began cheering and splashing, giggling at the sensation. Mike submerged himself under the water to seek shelter from them. The water didn't seem that deep, a few feet is all.

Finally, after much persuasion, Levi went in and insisted on just standing. No relaxing, no splashing - nothing. He stood there like a child who had just been scolded, arms crossed and pouty. But even he realized how childish he was being and eventually allowed the water to do the work for him and he began to swim here and there.

"The miners thought this was an active volcano and while yes, there is probably volcanic activity in this mountain, it has yet to erupt. The lava and molten and all that stuff beneath the crust heats up the water." She explained.

Levi floated on his back and that's when he realized Bláithín hadn't entered.

"Oi, what's the holdup?" he asked. "You dragged me all the way here and now you won't get in?"

"I can't swim." She stated.

Levi stood up. "What?" he asked, confused. "Everyone can swim, your body just does it."

Her bottom lip protrudes. "Well, mine doesn't." She answered, shrugging.

"Did you know she couldn't swim?" Levi asked them.

Hange shook her head. "She'd want to learn, there are rapids here that take you all around the cave. Just in a loop but I mean, it'll be a lot of fun!"

Levi looked back at her and Mike swim away as he turned to face Bláithín. "The absolute nerve of you to drag me out here when I was more than content on being in my room and you can't even swim?"

Bláithín buried her face in her hands out of shame. He did sort of have a point. "It was so you wouldn't be alone and depressed on your birthday."

"I am more than used to that - I was more than happy to be alone - this didn't need to happen!" he rebuked, now pointing a finger.

She looked up and stared at him. "Alright, jeez. No need to yell, I only wanted to be nice."

Levi saw that she seemed genuinely disappointed at herself for bringing him there. He did feel a tinge of guilt for not being appreciative though. She was right, she did only do it to be nice. There was no harm in getting up to shenanigans like this on days off.

"Look, Bláithín…" he spoke as he walked over to her. He sounded... apologetic? "I didn't mean to-" he said. He then stopped speaking, grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her in.

She shrieked as she fell in before thrashing about in the water. There was no need to panic though, and she realized this as she could feel her feet reach the bottom. "Oh… It's not too deep." She murmured.

"You mean you couldn't tell?" He asked. Did he just make a dig at himself over his height? "Swimming should be as natural as breathing."

He was right. Again. But as a child hailing from the Inner Walls, she never had a reason to swim. All she ever had to do was be well-spoken, look prim and proper, focus on her studies and languages, play music and just... be a lady. Swimming never came into it. If she were to marry and have kids, her spouse would be the one who'd do sporty things like this with her sons, not her daughters. Boys were the ones who swam, learned how to fight and did archery. Bláithín was in the fortunate position to have a mother from nobility who was also a soldier and learned how to shoot and defend herself, but swimming never came up.

"Just lie back," he said, wading over to her. He held her by the shoulders and helped her lie down. "Relax."

Her face tightened up and wrinkled like a raisin. Her eyes and mouth clamped shut and she began to thrash around. His face did get slapped and punched a few times, but what did he expect? He groaned and pulled her down onto her back completely flat.

"Do NOT let go of me." She ordered, her tone serious similar to when she was his superior. Oh, how the tables have since turned.

"And get punched in the face again? Tch."

He didn't, in fact, keep a hold of her at all. His hands were eventually only skimming the surface underneath her shoulder blades until eventually, he was able to let go completely and take a few paces back.

"Don't let go of me." She repeated.

"Yeah, I have you." He lied.

It took a few seconds for it to click with her that Levi wasn't actually holding her anymore. In fact, he was standing a good five feet away from her. Realizing this, she panicked and stood up again. She turned back to him. "How could you do that? I trusted you!"

"No," he corrected as he made his way over to her again, "you started to trust yourself. Your body does tons for you. Trust it."

He paused for a bit as she looked at him and smiled. But the smile vanished as instantly as it came.

This all felt so, so wrong. Or at the very least, strange. She looked at him and she no longer saw him as a colleague or a friend, even. She saw someone she had an interest in, someone she was attracted to physically and mentally and she cursed herself for it. How dare she develop feelings for someone when they could be dead within a moment's notice? She so desperately wanted to distance herself from him but she knew that he was one of the fleeting sources of happiness in her life.

There was nothing wrong with dreaming though. Every soldier dreamed of a normal life; a home, a relationship or marriage, a family. It was okay to dream of these things as long as they had accepted that these things weren't meant to be. In this life, at least.

As a young child, Bláithín always dreamed of becoming a mother. Being a mother would give her a role, and identity, a means to escape the Hahn name and have a purpose. But throughout her childhood, she was alone. She had Elise, but all she ever wanted as a child was to feel loved and obviously, Elise wasn't able to provide that kind of love for her. No, Bláithín wanted a guardian. Someone to appreciate her.

Bláithín wanted her parents around more, but they were never there. Instead, she was surrounded by an overbearing, cruel uncle who had ulterior motives and never wanted her around. To cast her off at such a young age, never to be seen again… why would he do such a thing.

Bláithín Hahn was never wanted.

Bláithín Hahn was a hindrance and was never needed. That if she died, no one would care.

And as a result, neither did she. She yearned and craved death, in fact.

If she was cast off so early as a child, surely no one would miss her… right?

It was only when Levi yelled at her in the hospital when she realized she had an impact on people's lives. She wasn't just floating through life, not making a difference. No one else scolded her for being so reckless and selfish and maybe she needed that scolding. Hange, Erwin, Mike and the others never did; probably to avoid upsetting her.

There was nothing wrong with wanting to be appreciated.

And for so long, Bláithín was so disconnected from the people who loved her, disconnected from the people who appreciated her being alive and disconnected from herself for not realising this. What was causing this disconnection?

Right now, she didn't have the answer. But she knew that right now, in this moment, she felt appreciated.

These days, she feels needed, and that's more than enough to make her happy. It's all she has ever wanted.

Levi Ackerman did that. He was breaking that disconnection whilst bringing out the good in her - the girl she used to be before her world flipped on its head - and hopefully, no one would ever challenge her or her sense of self worth for a while.

For her heart would not be able to take it.

Levi interrupted her introspection and took her by the hand.

Oh, no, what's he doing now? Bláithín dreaded to think what was going to happen.

With no time to process her surroundings, Levi pulled her a bit closer and looked deeply into her eyes, she could see years of pain and anguish and exhaustion, all in those obsidian orbs. It looked like he was going to say something. He said nothing…

.

.

.

And pushed her down rapids.

Bláithín shrieked again and he smirked to himself. "Stop screaming! I'm right-" he began but realized, she was just going to scream the whole way down, "I'm right behind you."

Please favourite and review, let me know what you think!

Sorry about how OOC Levi was here :(