Warning: While I've written sex scenes before, the one below is a bit more smutty than previous chapters. If that's not your vibe, no worries, just skip over the middle section. There's a line on either side to make it easy for you!

Saph's PoV

"You should've just listened to me in the first place," Levi huffed. His back continuously bumped into my chest with the rocking of his horse. "Now you don't have shoes on, and your feet are absolutely disgusting.

I wiggled my naked toes, grass and dirt stuck in between them. "l prefer to be barefoot most of the time anyway, especially when I'm running. That's why I was able to keep up with everyone for a while."

"You mean ahead," Levi chided, "until you started to lose your breath."

Staring at the back of his neck in frustration, I tickled the little hairs by blowing out some cold air. "It's still impressive," I argued. "Apparently, I'm a faster horse, but they have more stamina. That's why I don't need another one."

"Don't be stupid. You didn't even like Lucifer."

"He grew on me! Besides, I'll just turn into a Titan to get around from now on. It's not like we'll be sneaking up to the village again. We just didn't want to alert them to our arrival this time."

"You still need a horse."

Squeezing the arms wrapped around his waist, I burrowed my nose into his shoulder. "No. I can just ride with you again if it's that necessary." With his scent soothing the anxiety running through my veins, I felt a sense of calmness wash over me. I'd been so nervous to travel outside of Wall Maria towards the ocean and village. Recollections of being held prisoner kept popping into my frame of mind, and I grew more concerned with the passing of each new day. What new dangers and enemies would be awaiting us outside the familiar obscurement?

The ever-present trickling of time is what made me decide to tell him my idea once everything settled slightly. It'd continued to circle in my mind endlessnessly ever since that day I arrived at the conclusion of having a kid. To stop the grinding repetition, I just needed to express to him my wish. That he'd allow me to give him this one gift before I'm gone forever. While it seemed uncertain that Titan Shifters are able to get pregnant, the fantasy still played itself after our shared moments of intimacy. When darkness painted every expression like a secret.

Levi's baby. Maybe with his black hair or grey eyes. Hopefully, there's a little bit of me too. Just enough to remind him how much I loved him when I'm not here anymore to do it myself. A hint in the form of my child's laugh or smile, bringing him a bit of happiness that I used to. Just enough so that he can see me in them.

Recalling that he'd never answered my question about wanting kids or not, I decided to test out my idea that way. Hopefully, it'd be the safest way to gauge the reception to such a notion. Filled with both dread and curiosity, I opened my mouth to let the inquiry rip from my teeth. Before I spoke, Levi pulled down on the reins, elbowing me in the stomach.

"Ouch!"

"There's the village," he pointed. "It looks...empty?"

Steering the horse, he guided the animal down the road, surveying every structure. Each one appeared dark and bare. The whole place consisted of nothing else but houses. No stores. No hospital. No school. Just a large neighborhood. Due to the small size of the place, it didn't take long to explore the entirety of it. We reached the end of the street with still no other souls in sight.

I hopped off the saddle, curious about what laid inside. "They must've left for some reason," I said as I entered. "There's a large amount of dust, but it seems like they left in a hurry. Furniture, clothes, and other household items are here."

Levi followed me in. "We should just set up here. They won't be able to land anywhere else on the island because it has the only port."

A ripple of joyful screams pierced the air, startling us both at the sound. Levi and I ran up the hill to find everyone playing in the sea. "Let's go join them!" I shouted as I grabbed Levi's hand. I tugged him down with me as I skipped to the beach. My foot hesitated over the sand, unsure how it'd feel.

"It's just dirt," Levi scoffed, letting go of the shared hold to remove his shoes. His feet dipped, almost submerging completely into the material. "Really warm dirt."

I hopped onto the soft ground. "That feels so nice."

"Come on," Levi began walking towards everyone else.

I didn't follow, instead, I drank in the sight of him. Dressed down with his black hair mussed by the cool breeze. Beautiful. The relaxed posture and easygoing tone might not be his normal, but they looked good on him. He paused, realizing that I'm not right behind him. Turning, Levi seemed prepared to speak with his mouth slightly parted, but something stopped him. Eyes widening a little, he stood as still as a stone. Everything stopped. It seemed as if the wind died down suddenly along with the shouts of the other Scouts. As if a special moment in time had just been created for us, untouched by everyone else.

Here we are, on the precipice of something. Standing on the edge of our former world. Danger lived just across the sea, seeking our death, but also, possibilities that never existed before. Maybe we'll reach the end of this journey, and not have it be our complete self-destruction. That hope offered an extra bit of light within each of us.

"I'm in love with you," I stated out of nowhere, a slight difference in the phrase I've said only a handful of times.

His cheeks turned pink as my blunt confession made its way to his ears. At first, he peeked downwards while shaking his head, as if disappointed, but then, without glancing at me, he held his hand out behind his back. Overwhelmed with a sweet sort of joy that tasted like candy and made me feel as vulnerable but safe as a baby, I cupped his fingers into my palm. Giving them a light squeeze, we made our way down towards the delighted overgrown kids playing in the water. Before we reached their line of sight, I let go, knowing that displays of affection in front of others was something Levi detested.

"Where have you guys been?" Eren and Hanji asked once we paused, just out of reach of the creeping waves. The sand under our feet now much colder and darker than before. The whole environment fascinated me. Green stands of plant life were strewed up and down the bank, combined with the numerous bugs, the whole area felt alive.

I dipped my toe in as a clear blue sheet of water glided towards us. "Oh, you know. Looking for enemies. Don't want the Beast Titan and Cart Titan attacking us out of nowhere or other Titan Shifters."

"Thanks for holding the fort down," Hanji laughed. It felt like an air of sparkles just surrounded everyone at the moment. To be free of the walls and the Titans. Leading even cautious individuals like Haji to relax for a second because everything isn't closing in like it usually is.

Feeling the swirl of cool water building around my ankles, I picked up my foot since it began to be buried. It felt so nice. Reminiscent of a bath but in a much more freeing atmosphere. Moving deeper into the ocean, I kicked up to splash Eren with some water. "What does it taste like?"

Spitting it out, he glared at me in annoyance. "Really?" As I watched him wipe off the remnants, the hint of a fierce grin began to appear causing me to tense. Preparing for an attack, I stood on my tiptoes to prepare for what I knew would arrive. With a feral smile, he jumped forward in a blur of motion. Both of us were completely surprised when Levi grabbed him by the collar in midair.

"Hic," Eren gasped as he flew backward quite a ways.

Shocked, I stared at an irritated Levi. Even with his pants legs rolled up quite a ways, the rushing waves still almost reached the article of clothing because of his height. "That was rude!"

"Shut up."

I couldn't tell where this sudden anger came from for a moment before I recalled that he'd been envious of Eren previously. Really? Maybe I had moments of jealous outbursts dealing in the past, but he knows how dedicated I am to him. Nothing like I experienced. Wading towards him, I struggled to hide the growing smirk on my face. "I think you need to… cool off!" I shouted as I lept on top of him. Levi's strength did little to help him as my larger body overwhelmed him with sheer enthusiasm alone. He fell backward into the sea. Water rushed up into every available cavity of mine, and my nose began to burn. I was surprised by the saltiness of it all. Armin said that it contained more salt than a merchant could ever mine, but I'd expected it to at least be palatable. Like salty soup. This shit stung because of how much it contained.

Pushing myself up on all fours, I found myself hovering over a dripping wet Levi. I realized that I needed to extract myself from this situation immediately. Both before I did something inappropriate in front of everyone, and to get away from the revenge about to be wrought upon me. I stood up, shrieking with panic and glee, to move further inwards, hoping that since neither of us could swim, he wouldn't follow me where he couldn't touch.

I'd never realized that being in deep water slowed my speed down to almost a halt. No matter how hard I pushed my legs, Levi only had to reach out and grab my ankle to tug me back down to topple on top of him again. Before I reacted, he ducked my head under the surface. Submerged, I once again sucked in an immense amount of water. It didn't feel any better the second time. Coughing hard, I playfully glared at him with a smile on my face.

"Brat," he said, flicking my forehead.

Realizing our position, I glanced up to find everyone staring at us with raised brows. A sense of discomfort made me acutely aware of the heaviness of each gaze. Laughing with the anxiety in a half-hazard beat, I awkwardly stood up. I only had to see Levi's softened expression before melting back into an easy mood. "I guess that's a better reaction than when I threw dirt at you," I chuckled, hacking a little bit still. I shivered as I watched him get up. The white, now transparent, top continued to poke at the simmering embers at the bottom of my belly. The beginnings of a fire I'd be able to tend to once we're alone.

After a few hours on the beach, the arriving evening sent us all into the town for the night. Since the furniture lay untouched. Allowing us all to find beds to sleep in. Knowing that Levi would want the cleanest one, I scoured for quite a while before finding a small home close to his standards.

"Do you want to stay with us? Have all the veterans in one place?" I asked Hanji.

She slapped my shoulder, chuckling. "Thanks for the offer, but no. Go have more fun you two!" Dodging Levi's kick, she skipped off, proud of herself for making us uncomfortable.

"Ridiculous," Levi muttered by my side as we headed to the place. "She's enjoying this too much."

I shrugged. "She's always enjoyed teasing people too much. At least she's supportive and not disapproving of our antics." Looping my pointer into one of his belt loops, I tugged him closer to sling an arm over his shoulders. "It's not like she's wrong," I murmured in his ear as I nuzzled his nape. "You've been a tease all day. Getting tired of holding myself back."

Levi snorted, "Guess you won't have too much longer."

Our feet reached the entrance and I opened the door for us both. "You don't think so?" a husky whisper carried my words in a tone only meant for him. "I'm sure even you couldn't handle me going all out," I said as I kicked the door closed with my foot. "I just might devour you."

"Don't underestimate me," he grabbed my wrists, pinning them above my head against the wall. Eyes almost black.

I debated letting him have control once again, but the temptation to completely dominate him continued to gnaw me. Allowing him to take charge had been easy in part because it's our usual dynamic. I'm the one taking orders, not giving them out. That's not what I wanted though. Using my hips to bump him backward, I took him by complete surprise. Quickly using that momentum, I moved forward to push him against the smooth surface instead. With one hand on his chest and the other placed next to his head to prop me up as I leaned over him. "I don't," I started to say, tugging at his earlobe with my teeth, "but this isn't a battle you're going to win. There's going to be evidence of that." I nipped at his jugular. "If you want to escape, tell me now." The sound of his erratic heartbeat still clearly reached my ears even as I drew back to view his countenance, but Levi seemed determined to remain somewhat composed, despite the heavy-lidded eyes betraying his desire.

"Is that all you got?" he huffed, his chest rapidly rising and falling, eyes seemingly closing on their own volition.

Feeling his fingers begging to skate across my hips, I instantly swiped his touch away. "No," I both commanded and answered, stilling Levi completely. Cupping his jaw and entangling my digits into the ends of his hair, I angled his head backward as I seared my lips into his. He tasted delicious, and I drank in the opportunity to run my tongue over his teeth. The tension in his body began to dissipate as he became slack in my strong grip.

Is that all it took to take control? Our mouths moved together, bumping and grinding as I refused to ease up on my passionate assault. I swallowed each moan of his that attempted to escape into the open air. Easing away allowed for a groan, deep from Levi's throat to escape. His efforts to grab my waist were once again thwarted with a smack. Begrudgingly, he placed his open palms on the wall on either side of him. Good.

I nibbled on his bottom lip while lightly pulling on his thick black tendrils. Smalls gasps kept unintentionally bursting out, echoing in the empty hallway. Music to my ears as I sucked on the apex of skin just under his chin. As I roamed his neck with my lips, I roughly began to open the shirt, not caring if some of the fabric ripped in the process. Some buttons flew off due to my careless and desperate attention, but neither of us cared as I yanked it open to expose the smooth muscles underneath. The sight that I'd gotten a hint of with the wet transparent garments earlier today. Scraping my nails up and down his ribs, goosebumps quickly followed the red scratch marks. Before I began licking the sensitive skin directly on top of his pulse, I shoved him flat against the wall, digging my nails in just below the collarbone to create small marks in two half-circles.

Satisfied with the resulting hickey from my heated efforts, I began to lower myself to the ground, kissing as my way down. After I'd placed one just under his belly button, I brought my gaze upwards to his tormented expression. Now on the floor with my knees, I curled my thumbs in to the waistband of Levi's pants. Noticing the deep scratch marks carved into the wood due to Levi's desperation, I smirked. He must've g his nails in to make those marks, and it pleased me to know I had that power. Oh how I love making him come undone, the reward for my efforts is always an expression reserved only for me. Looking up at him, I gave a devilish grin. "Looks like these are getting a little tight," I said as I lightly rubbed the building tent in his pants. "Need some help?"

He finally opened his eyes only to glare at me, smoldering depravity of need reflected ack. I'd never seen him so utterly desperate but unwilling to speak. Levi shook his head no, his muscles trembling with temptation, betraying his restraint.

Undeterred, I glided back up until the tip of our noses almost touched. "Glad to hear it," I giggled, tugging him forward, dragging him into the bedroom with me. "Time for bed then," I stated as I shoved him away from me. Levi almost bounced as his back smacked the mattress. Leaving no room for him to gain his bearings, I straddled his waist as I cleanly removed his belt. It easily looped through the headboard. Gently, I wrapped the leather snugly around Levi's wrist, not wanting to pinch the delicate skin. "Is this okay?" I asked to ensure I'm not making him uncomfortable. I doubted he ever experienced this with anyone else.

As if to confirm my unasked question, he glimpsed at the bonds, testing their strength before responding, "You seem to know what you're doing."

"I've tied people up before. For various reasons," I said as I winked at him. I opened my mouth to ask again, but I then realized that a simple yes would still be a confession of want. A betrayal. An admittance that the fight's over. Not that he seemed keen on struggling anytime soon. Just stubborn silence on the matter. In the middle of admiring my exquisite view, a wave of appreciation gripped my heart. Tears almost crested my cheeks as I realized I never believed I'd have the chance to be close to him like this. Stretching over to cover the entirety of his body with my own, I buried my face in the crook of his neck to obscure them.

"Why are you hiding?"

I left a trail of kisses up the side of his adam's apple before giving a quick peck on the lips. Knowing that the rim of my eyes was red, I felt a little embarrassed to reveal my face to him. "I may have done this before, but it's never been with someone so special to me." Releasing a long exhale allowed me to relax a little as I sat back up while yanking down his pants and underwear. After I discarded them onto the floor, I turned my focus to where it was wanted most, his cock. "That's why I don't want you to look away," I whispered, tauntingly teasing the tip of my finger just above his pubic hairs, "and I want to hear you say my name." I'd have preferred to say scream, but I doubted that it'd ever been possible. Fixated on the steely grey swallowing my vision, I slipped him into my mouth. Bobbing my head back and forth, I concentrated on running my tongue over every crevice of his shaft, paying special attention to the spots that caused him to shiver. The intimate flavor and texture of him always made the process enjoyable for me. To explore the speed and pressure that allows me to unravel him into a divine mess. However, he seemed set on not giving in to the oblivion I offered by gritting his teeth together. I didn't want control. I didn't want calm. Irritated, I let up with a pop to pout at him. "Do you want me to stop?"

"...No."

After spitting into my palms, I wrapped them around his now incredibly hard cock to continue delivering friction. His hips moved with each motion to elongate the purposeful strokes. "What do you want?" He grimaced at me so I paused my motions. "Tell me, Levi," I ordered in an uncharacteristically husky tone.

"You," he finally gasped, headboard creaking as he pulled at the restraints in frustration, "I want you, Saph." His lids closed as if it'd taken all the fight out of him to express that.

I quickly discarded my own bottoms. Teasing him to this point only deepened the budding ache I'd felt since the beginning of the afternoon. Struggling to not let my own cravings take over, my knuckles turned white on their position gripping the splintering wood. Using both my Titan strength and speed, I angled downward and joined our bodies as one. A roar ripped from both of our souls at the same time, and it took me a second to set a rhythm because of how overwhelming the urge to consume him rushed over me. It's a hunger that's not vicious but rooted in my unconditional love. That need to keep him with me forever, to never lose him. Instead, I broke the headboard as I rolled my hips backward and forwards. Up and down.

The bed creaked and thumped against the wall each time I plunged downwards. Skin slapping together, I enjoyed the sensations our conjoined movement flared up inside of me. Driven to reach the whispered promise of satisfaction, I didn't let up

Struggling to get a coherent sentence out, Levi panted and moaned words instead. "Fuck, Saph." His back arched to meet each one of my thrusts. "Dammit," he scowled in frustration, straining the leather with his efforts. "Saph," he practically whined.

"Look at me," I sternly murmured in his ear, "and I'll take it off."

He gulped but complied with the demand. With my attention on the straps, I didn't notice the glean of mischief shadowing his desire until he snapped the material and flipped me onto my back. One hand pinned my wrist above my head, the hold grated my bones together, while the other captured my curls into a fist. It all happened so fast that I found myself gaping up at him in shock. "You're done making demands. It's my turn," he growled out. Elbows holding his upper body over me, Levi pulled my head back leaving my throat exposed as he pushed further inside me.

"Oh, Levi," I whimpered as the thrill of him engulfed him. He gently bit the spot where my pulse throbbed, the exact same place I'd marked him. Intricate patterns were carved into the area with his tongue. Licking that small portion, Levi didn't let up until he'd satisfied himself with the sweet taste before releasing my brown locks. Looking up at Levi, I gasped seeing him engrossed in complete concentration. A furrowed brow paired with his bottom lip pressed between his teeth, all of his attention rested on me. Tremors of both pleasure and joy tickled my nerves as I brandished two pursed lips. "Let me hold you."

"Say please," Levi said with the beginnings of a smug grin.

With my toes curled in anticipation for the high, the one I'm about to reach, the one I've been climbing for, I felt little patience for any games. If I'm not the one holding the cards, then let me fold. I've always struggled to be faultless in front of him anyways. "Please, Levi." The plea felt hot, as if a hot smooth liquid poured out instead, running between my gums and almost burning the pink flesh.

Levi didn't even pause as he released his grip, slipping his fingers under my knee to hoist it upwards. The angle allowed him to move deeper into me, and I took the opportunity to wrap my other three appendages around him. I was trying to hug him close, but he tilted away from me, tauntingly out of my grasp. "I'm going to watch you cum for me," he stated as he shifted to sit on top of his heels. He raised my leg higher in the air with one grasp while the other digits found the bundle of nerves already tender from the rough pounding I'm in the middle of experiencing. He pressed down hard, "Now."

I would've screamed if he hadn't captured my lips with his own, silencing them instantly. He struggled not to collapse with the pace as it dissolved into a hectic mess. Our movements stuttered together as we reached the peak as one. Sharing breathes between the two of us, I felt on the verge of death. A euphoria so strong, after it faded away nothing could be left. Only an abyss on the other side. That's how strong it felt, that life would only pale in comparison afterward this orgasm.

He collapsed next to me, beads of sweat trailing down the ripples of muscle.

Lazily extending an arm over me, it only hovered for a moment before capturing my waist and dragging me over to his chest. Despite my larger size, he protectively curled over me in a way that I felt cocooned in loving warmth. A certain giddiness underlined each action, making each move slightly exaggerated by the consistent glee. Which surprised me. It's the first time such a reaction had been stirred from him after sex.

"Did you enjoy being tied up that much?" I teased, seriously wanting to know what's up with him though.

He grunted, and for a brief period of time, I thought I ruined the moment. Then, out of nowhere, his nose pressed into the back of my head. "I've always held myself back before, with previous partners. It's…" I tried to turn to face him when he trailed off, but Levi tightened the hold to ensure I'd not decipher what's he's holding right now. "Nevermind."

"No! I want to know what you were about to say." I waited for him to continue, but silence spilled between us instead. "Levi?"

Hushed snores were the response. Guessing that I wore him out, I burrowed in the secure peace only he could offer me, I lazily followed him off into unconsciousness, a smile on my face.

"Could we make this our home?" I asked Levi after we'd woken. The light from the sunrise drizzled in through the window, signaling that it was much too early for anyone else to be up. In the hazy afterglow of our feverish activities, I felt emboldened to talk about what's been on my mind. "It's not like we'd have to pay."

He wiggled slightly to sit up against the now broken headboard. "I'm sure Hanji wouldn't object. Stay here to make sure no ships land."

I leaned my head onto his shoulder, "Not just to prepare for the next battle, but to live, Levi. Retire here, and maybe have a family," I cautiously propositioned, caught up in the dream-like quality of the atmosphere.

He froze. "Saph," his words hoarse, "is that something you want?"

Hearing the concern in his voice, a pit began to expand in the bottom of my stomach. "It was just… an idea," I hurriedly waved off the suggestion. "Not like I'll live long enough to see the end of this war." I sat up, stretching the space between us an even greater distance to twist around. It worried me to see that despair now painted over the contentment that had originally been there.

"I can't give you that."

I nodded. "No worries," I said with a smile even as grief ripened in my heart. "You're all I need. You're enough. All five feet off you," I teased, despite the surprising amount of sadness I felt. Levi smacked my butt as payback before falling back asleep after a few moments.

My whirring thoughts continued to plague me though. I'd never expected to feel disappointed by his response. Maybe I'd grown more attached to the notion than I originally intended. Stirring, I removed the blankets intending to get out of bed. "Bathroom," I whispered to Levi as his hold reflexively tightened when I began to move away, unaware if he was awake or not. Levi gave a small sigh before loosening the grip.

My feet softly padded on the wooden floor as I made my way to the nearest sink. After I splashed some cold water on my face, I stared at the mirror. Why oh why am I so hurt by what he said? I'd intended the idea to be a gift. Levi enjoys children, but he doesn't want a child with me. That doesn't mean anything. He just can't give that to me. Whatever that means. Made it sound like he's sterile with the way he phrased it. I might be since we don't even know if Titan Shifters can become pregnant. It's a question I never proposed to Hanji because I wanted to know Levi's reaction first. Obviously, it's a no-go. Fine. I'll get the cat instead.

Besides, if Levi was sterile, he'd inform me so I wouldn't have to take precautions, such as birth control medicine. Keep track of my per-. Wait. Legs wobbling too hard for me to stand, I sat down on top of the toilet seat. When did… when did I have my period last? Scratching the top of my head, I struggled to recall when that familiar annoying red stain graced my presence. There'd been so much going on that I lost track of the number of days. Almost 2 months sounds about right. Shit.

Quaking, I hugged my knees to my chest, horror dawning upon me. That's too long. It's never been that long. I've been taking the medication, but what other explanation could there be? Entering a panicked state, I felt my heart constrict as reality collapsed in front of me.

Fuck. It'd have been better if I never proposed the damn idea. Now I knew the answer, and it pierced my being as I sobbed. Would he think I tricked him? Asked but took without permission anyways? No matter if he believes the potential existence of a baby was an accident or purposeful, Levi will want me to get rid of it. Maybe even rid of me if I don't comply. That wouldn't have been a concern before. Without a doubt., if I'd gotten by someone else I'd have just done away with it. Not informed anybody of my decision or concern myself with another's opinion. But it's Levi's. That always changes everything.

Realizing that he's going to come looking for me soon if I don't return, I splashed some more cold water on my face to cool down. Upset, I knew Before wiggling back under the covers with him, I just took a second to admire the sight I'm blessed to see next to me. I'll figure it out. Who knows? I might wake up tomorrow with a welcome sight in my underwear, and just laugh about how worked up with worry I got. Hopefully.

I hope everyone enjoyed this month of updates! Thank you for your continuous support. I appreciate all of you so much, and I'd love to hear any comments about this latest chapter!