Due to suffocation Elsie had no choice but to lull her head upwards, gasping as she drowsily appraised the dark room. Her nose ached from being pressed into Levi's shoulder for the last however many hours and she rolled to her side, dragging a pillow to her chest as she got comfortable once more.
"Go back to sleep." Levi's husky mutter tickled her ear as he fell onto his back, allowing her to keep his arm hostage for pillow support.
She hummed, sleep's sultry tendrils reaching for her, eyelids batting in and out of consciousness. Discerning bright eyes peered over the edge of the comforter, shaggy black hair appearing to be devil horns in the moonlight sneaking through the window. Elsie stiffened, instantly wide awake upon realizing that Eren Jeager crawled into their room during the middle of the night.
If Levi saw him she could only assume she'd see the reason for having a dagger under his pillow.
"What now?" He sensed her tension, head lolling to meet her when she sat up.
Elsie swung her legs off the bed, the sneak scooting silently backwards to avoid being kicked. He sat on his butt, ready to crawl away if she tattled. Figuring he either wanted to speak about Annie or her time traveling, Levi didn't need to be roused for it.
"Bathroom."
By the time Elsie reached the foot of the bed he soundly continued his snoring. She decided shoes weren't necessary and took a moment to appreciate the hilarity of Eren spider crawling across her floor, anxiously glancing at the snoozing tiger. She slowly pulled the door shut, not closing it entirely in fear of waking him.
Eren stood, blushing with embarrassment, "Listen, before you call me a creep-"
"I wasn't going to use that word but continue."
She could tell that the last thing he'd wanted to do was army crawl into her room in the middle of the night. The mere luck this kid had not waking Levi dumbfounded yet impressed her. His eyes crinkled shrewdly as he muttered, "Fumio didn't give Annie the shirt. Connie found it on duty, he's waiting for us."
Sweet boys didn't want to take anymore of Annie's dignity that had already been stolen. Her heart softened, less irritated with being awoken at such a late hour. She nodded, wordlessly tip toeing behind Eren down the three stair cases. The windowless stairwell proved to be dangerous, Elsie wobbling after nearly twisting her ankle over a misstep.
"Jeez man, what took you so long?" Connie called tiredly from down the hall, shoulder resting on the wall near the door to the dungeon.
Eren bashfully admitted, "It took me thirty minutes to crawl to the bed without waking the captain."
"Thirty? What did you do?" Elsie reeled back in disgust, seeing the titan in a new light. Had he stared at them?
"The captain? So it is true! Damnit, I owe Ymir ten coins." Connie cursed under his breath, snapping his fingers with discontent.
Elsie clenched her jaw, "You owe me ten coins for betting about my personal life." A scathing conversation needed to be held with the Jaw titan as well.
"In your dreams," Connie scoffed, widely swinging his arm to hustle her out of his financial situations. "Go do your womanly duties and change Annie for us, will ya'?"
"Why didn't you get Mikasa?"
Eren exhaled loudly, head rolling back in annoyance at her bothering to ask, "You're the only one who supports Annie. I told Connie I'd give Sasha half my bacon tomorrow so she wouldn't steal his. Can you go already?"
"Sheesh, who put a stick up your ass?" Elsie grumbled, wanting to snap that she should be the one upset as he broke into her room and rudely stared at her sleeping. Unlike Bella Swan she didn't find it charming to be gazed upon while dead asleep.
Eren clicked his tongue, indicating that talking to Elsie tired him emotionally, so she had no choice but to walk down the dark staircase. Her eyes adjusted to the stark black cell block, cautiously toeing for objects as she walked to Annie's cell.
Someone had encouraged her to kick her way to the bars. The one legged titan leaned against it, panting and exhausted, blinking one wide blue eye as hello when Elsie crouched at her level. She glanced to the floor, her nightdress left folded with the hardened bread on it. Bits had been torn to feed however Elsie knew from her own experience that it would take her stomach a while to adjust.
"Here, I'll lift the old shirt to your neck and then put the other on before taking it off." Elsie softly whispered, nurturing movements as she slid her arms through the bars to gather the torn and yellowed material off of Annie. She left it as she said, hanging over her neck so that it covered her breasts, and slid the new white gown before removing the barely sewn shirt.
"Thank you," Annie murmured, her voice raspy but stronger than the last Elsie had heard. "I remember you."
"You do?"
"From the ball. You looked like a lady on the arm of one of the Mahil's."
The truth could do wonders, "I went with him so that I could see you."
"Ah. It was a good plan. I'm a sucker for Eren," Annie laughed coarsely, phlegm in her throat making it sickly and reminding Elsie of smoker's cough. "Still am. Trying to teach him how to be a titan to save myself, what a joke."
"It's more than teaching him. It's a shot at having another life."
The prisoner refused to look at Elsie, facing forward their entire discussion. She cocked her head to the side, her eye closing as she thought. Elsie wondered if she had two eyes, thought it rude if she asked, wanted to move and check, but Annie turned and met her gaze with two perfectly round blue eyes and said, "As if it's a choice, lady."
"You can choose to continue the path you're on. Stay in this cellar with Hange and Levi cutting you up every night," Her voice stayed steady and cold, shocking herself at the honesty of her words. "Or you can start again with Eren. If you really feel like the life you've lived is how you want to end then I won't do anything to help you. Don't bother trying to get out and have him fed to the Beast titan, we both know you can't do anything while wounded."
She jerked at the words, gasping in shock, "Y-Beast titan? You've seen him?"
"We've known all along about you, Reiner, and Bierthodlt," Elsie couldn't stop admitting her worst guilt to the friend of her victim. "You killed my squad and I killed Reiner. How do you think this next fight will pan out?"
Her mad laugh came like a bolt out of the blue, ricocheting off the walls and echoing in Elsie's ears. She leaned back at the sudden change in attitude, humor in the apple of Annie's cheeks as she smiled and shook her head, wispy hair falling over her shoulder to block her face. A brief second all Elsie could see was the girl she'd seen Annie and in the blink of the eye she returned to the stone faced prisoner.
"I told them we were fucked the moment we stepped through the walls, those frog for brains." She giggled brokenly.
"Commander Erwin returns today. Hange will no doubt mention you teaching the hardening technique to Eren. This is your chance, Annie, to define who you want to be."
Her dirty head banged against the cell as she said, "Lady, whenever I need words of wisdom I'll find you."
"I really hope there comes a day you can."
Annie showed a small part of herself by sadly murmuring, "I cried for them, you know? I didn't want to hurt anybody."
"I cried for Reiner too."
Not a second passed before her once friend bolted past to check on Annie. If she only knew what he was mad about. Her first suggestion would be the attack on Trost, her lack in stopping his digestion by titan, or just the fact that she had such a background and never told him. Things had been fine between them on the staircase when she mentioned it, he shouldn't have taken it so hard.
Damn brat.
"What time is it?" Elsie grouched, Connie the only person in the area to take her frustration.
Connie yawned, "Almost four. The next shift should be arriving, thank God. I need a nap before breakfast."
"I'll make sure to save you a plate." Elsie dejectedly made her way to the kitchen. There was no point in trying to fall back asleep, Levi normally woke around four thirty and Elsie wasn't one to take a twenty minute nap.
Expecting the snarky quips on her lack of craft in brewing tea, Elsie still committed to brewing a pot of black tea and grabbing two mugs. She held the handles in her hand, the boiling pot taken hostage for a morning of tea in bed. After all she'd put up with, she thought she deserved a treat.
Elsie stalled at the door, realizing it was closed and locked. She kicked the door, shrilling a warning when Levi stepped out of doorway suddenly.
"Where the fuck did you go?" He growled, fists clenched and shoulders stiffened to fight. She feared that he would throw a punch, flinching under his withering glare.
She'd forgotten about her tendency to disappear in her sleep.
"I made you tea," The ancient grey tea pot did little to soothe the scrunch of his slim eyebrows, jaw defined with restrained words. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you up. You barely sleep as it is."
"Lately it feels like I've been sleeping too much," He stepped aside to let Elsie put the hot pot on her wooden side table. She curled into the blankets, pulling them tightly to her chest before pouring herself a cup. "Is my toilet not worthy of your shit all the sudden?"
She held her cup out, "We have a while, come back."
"I'm not craving poison this morning."
"It's not that awful, Levi." Elsie pointedly sipped out of her chipped mug.
The grouch shuffled to cutely grab the usual black one he picked. She patted the spot beside her, hoping her smile appeared darling and innocent. He stared blankly, taking a judging sip before wincing and sitting at the edge.
"You left to make this shit?"
Since he didn't want to sit beside her, she stretched her leg across his lap, "Don't get mad."
"Cause that means you did something good."
"Eren asked me to put a shirt on Annie."
Levi clenched her ankle, nodding his head as he took another drink, "When?"
"That's the thing... He crawled in."
He kept nodding making her think that he'd broken, "Alright, we're going to the fucking market."
"I completely agree," Where did she go about buying locks? The simple task made her eager to start, excited to be out and about with Levi. "You're not going to beat him up, are you?"
"He needs his arms to sweep the roof later. Don't worry about it," He said at her concerned pout, sweeping his thumb over her ankle as his grip relaxed. "Did you feed her?"
"No." A little white lie didn't hurt anybody. She sipped her tea and Eren earned one less punishment.
It didn't stun her when he looked handsome suddenly anymore. He bowed his head and it dawned on her how blessed she'd came to be. Laying in bed with Levi, appreciating the little yawn that escaped and the way he scratched at his cheek distractedly. Still upset judging by the tension around his eyes, the scrunch of his nose as he thought about how to hurt Eren.
Elsie leaned forward, running her thumb over his right eyebrow, "You look good."
Immediately he loosened at her touch, smooth skin and the hairs of his eyebrow pricking her finger. His eyes weren't so black today, a shimmer of light grey near the pupil. He gave her a perfect view when he turned his head, watching as she rested her chin on her kneecap to stare at him.
"Coaxing my ego won't get you out of trouble."
"I'm just stating facts."
Levi smirked, his tussled hair escaping for her to gleefully fix later, "Kiss ass."
Kiss me, "Only for you."
He shifted and the lightness faded in his eyes, "I'm sure that's not true. You're a daddy's girl, right?"
"I don't want to talk about my dad." Elsie whispered, scooting closer so that she practically sat in his lap.
"For thirty more days you have to."
Levi fell pliant while she made herself comfortable, swinging a leg over so that she straddled him with her half drank mug of tea steaming between them. His lovely features glimmered behind the steam as she said, "Let's talk about your family instead. I'll do it before bed."
"Try again-"
"We have to, Levi," She insisted. "Come on, tell me about Kenny."
"I don't want to talk about Kenny."
"Thirty more days." She mocked childishly, the furrow returning between his brows.
With no care for the hot drinks they held, he pushed her with force that sent her to the end of the bed in exile. She held her cup, wincing at the droplets that had gotten on her lap, and spun to kick at him, "What the fuck is your problem?"
"I said I didn't want to talk about it."
"And I'm sick of you pushing me to go home but I'm trying, aren't I? What are you gonna do if you meet Kenny one day? Just walk away?" Elsie barked, sitting at the edge of the bed while the older man casually picked his uniform for the day.
He closed the drawer, meeting his eyes steadily with a slowly pronounced, "Exactly. It's no matter to me if the fucker is alive or dead, if I see him it changes nothing. He doesn't mean shit to me and I didn't mean jack shit to him. It's a waste of time to spend on."
"Fine, if you see it that way. At least you talked about it." Elsie clipped, turning her back to finish the leftover portion of her tea.
"You already knew how I felt about Kenny," Levi said after hand, stepping out of the bathroom to point accusingly at her. "I don't know why you're bringing up old shit."
He dressed behind the door and Elsie called, "Knowing and hearing it are completely different things."
"They're not," Levi crossed the room for his belt, Elsie suddenly turning to catch her favorite show. He held her gaze, stopping before buckling it and saying, "You're staring."
Elsie bravely snapped, "Why change the subject if it always comes back to where we started?"
"That's how we work, shithead." He clipped his belt and Elsie rolled her eyes.
"Dick."
"Can I sit with you guys?"
Reminiscent of high school, Elsie stood nervously behind the two people who would hopefully speak up for her. Ymir and Connie glanced welcoming back, parting to give her space, while Eren's chicken and rice seemed to suddenly taste awful.
"Of course, you don't have to ask! We were just talking about Shiganshina, have you taken the route before?" Historia became a true friend by supplying conversation. Eren sulked at her intrusion, suddenly Mikasa being the friendliest out of the three across from her.
Elsie dished her own bowl, "I've heard it's long. We'll probably be doing night riding a majority of it."
"Great, imagine trying to sleep in broad daylight." Jean groaned.
Ymir snickered, "Rather have a mission like the last, glory boy?"
"Do you know what's in my dad's basement, Elsie?" Eren suddenly asked, silencing the table.
She swallowed, "I-I don't really remember. I know you reach it, I think there's mainly documents and mementos."
"So you knew all along what we've been trying to do? And the King hasn't done anything to help us?" Eren's voice raised with his injustice.
Elsie hurriedly shook her head, "You saw how the court treated you, no way was I going to tell them about me. Erwin said if I could give information I could live peacefully in Trost-"
"Fat load of help that did! What did you tell him, the forecast?" Eren mocked.
"It's not like I came here able to spout off all the solutions, I can't say some things! You saw what happened the other week, I threw up blood and went into a coma for answering three little questions. I'm trying my damn best, I'm sorry you aren't seeing the instant gratification of it!"
Elsie pushed out of her chair, shaking her head on her way out of the dining hall. Everyone expected the end result, they didn't want to do the dirty work in the middle. This was more than a war, it's meant to be character growth for Eren - she's understood that since the day he entered their squad. It's a pain in the ass that she can't say the origin story to avoid Rod Reiss and Kenny, Yuri, the army of titans dozing beneath the cemented walls. Marley and Historia Reiss haven't been revealed yet (a work well fucking done on her part, if Elsie would like to stroke her ego), and there Eren sat grumpy over the fact that she hadn't told the King. That she hadn't taken his route - which clearly was working fantastic!
She sighed, no where to go as her favorite person still continued to eat his share of meat through their bickering, and turned in the empty hallway. Hange left her door cracked open, weird whispers drawing Elsie irresistibly towards the end of the hall. Katoka guarded Annie, charmingly waving a tanned hand at her approach.
"Don't go in there, she'll keep you in her clutches."
Levi's sudden proximity made her heart skip a beat and her feet loose balance. She stumbled forward in her flurry to spin, "What's she doing?"
"Eren experiments. Go start saddling your horse, we're doing a perimeter check where Eren and Hange changed yesterday."
"Why?" Perimeter checks were done to find a spot for experiments or if they were on alert for a trespasser. She faintly remembered someone watching Eren transform after Historia's discovery before the Interior Police raided.
"Miche had a feeling so we're checking it out."
"Right away, captain." She saluted, distracted with the threat of them attacking earlier than planned. Was Erwin returning or had he been taken prisoner? Shit, she hadn't thought about his jailing since it came after loosing his arm. After the beast titan.
Levi caught her arm, "Tsk, what do you say?"
"Right away, Levi." Elsie leaned close, dragging the 'i' before breaking his hold to dash out the front door.
"All I'm saying is how do people like Sasha and Miche have impossibly strong noses?" Jean nagged, his body swaying to the hips of his painted mare.
"Perhaps it could be humans evolving to their habitats. Is Squad leader Miche from a hunting village like Sasha?" Armin questioningly called ahead to Levi.
A bored, "Don't know." rang from ahead.
Connie eagerly inputed, "Or you could be half dog. It would explain the never ending pit you call a stomach."
"Oi, when did this become pick on Sasha hour? Captain, make them stop!" Sasha wailed.
Levi hunched further into his saddle, twisting the leather reign as he turned Noir in the direction following the tree line, "Don't be a pussy."
Elsie glanced back, "Guys, stop bullying Sasha for having a weird nose."
"See, even Elsie admits it's weird." Jean cackled at the back of the group.
Eren huffed and avoided meeting Elsie's eyes. She sighed and turned back around, grazing over the empty meadow. She could see the indents where Eren had stood in titan form, the grass dead and filled with exposed wet soil. Like she expected nothing had come about hardening training. Eren lacked the mindset to conjure the technique at will, let alone the patience to sit for hours in his head to Hange's constant complaint.
"Are any of you lousy idiots looking?" Levi drawled, not bothering to watch his squad scramble to take in their surroundings. Only Mikasa kept her calm, dark eyes sweeping the forest floor.
"Yes, captain!" Sasha and Historia hurriedly called up to make up for their slipping.
The Special Operations Squad fell silent among the hooves of their horses slow walk. Elsie didn't know what she should be looking for. A broken bush meaning someone had stood by it? Foot steps? The woods foliage made it impossible to see by horse back, she would have to get off and sweep the fallen leaves for a hint at a trail.
Levi glanced over his shoulder frequently to a spot over Elsie's head. He drew Noir to a stop and stared, cocking his head, "Would you think is the best spot to watch him transform?"
Without realizing it they had ascended the slope of the hill to its peak. At horseback Elsie could see the direction Eren had been standing in titan form, back facing where they had stopped. He would've hidden whoever had been watching, no doubt Hange's squad bellow or at the hill slightly fifteen feet ahead of Elsie. The jagged rocks that suddenly sprouted into a cliff would make it impossible to reach the other hill on foot but strapped in trusty ODM gear it would be a better option for attacking an enraged titan.
Elsie slid off of her horse, Mikasa at her side as they walked towards the tree line. Levi gestured and Connie and Jean flanked him, pushing further right than where the others headed for. Silent for the rest of their walk, they spaced in the thick trees and pushed asides bushes, toeing leaves for a trace of someone being there. Frequently Elsie lost sight of Mikasa and Sasha, green cloaks flashing evasively through the already green location. At some point, when the cold began to bite at her fingers painfully and she could see her breath as she bent to scuffle the broken branches, she heard a sharp whistle from behind.
Quicker than they entered the squad regrouped at the snacking horses. Levi brushed his hood off when he broke through the trees, checking to make sure Eren and Jean made it amicably to the others.
"Anything?" He asked, not expecting an answer.
Historia shrugged, "I mean, I can't say I saw a foot print or if it was a mountain lion. If someone came they didn't stay long enough to leave a trace."
"Tsk, annoying."
"Did they come horse back?" Armin suggested, referencing the way they'd came. "The tracks would probably be hidden by the wind."
"That means they would've been waiting hours to avoid being seen," Elsie grimaced, worriedly meeting Levi's blank stare. "Or they've been around a while and saw Miche check this place out the first time."
No one wanted to suggest a spy being in the corp. Neither scenario sat well with the soldiers and Levi silently mounted his black horse, lost in thought as he turned them back towards the castle. Elsie bit her lip, aware that the Interior Police had decided to watch the Scouts. Fuck. Was Erwin already taken?
She kicked her horse, galloping past the others to steady at his side, "Levi, when will Erwin be back?"
"Miss your best friend?" Levi taunted coldly. "No later than lunch."
At least three hours, "Oh. What are we doing today?" Better to distract herself before impending anger rained down on her. Elsie dreaded the seething squad leaders she'd have to fend off for not warning them on Erwin's arrest.
"ODM. I'd rather not come home with a wagon of dead kids."
Elsie grinned, "You don't have to worry about it with this group."
"Not even your all knowing can promise that."
"We'll see."
Noon came and went. Elsie bit through her finger nails instead of eating pork chops, raptly awaiting the commanders return. Their quirky scientist joined them for lunch, wild pony tail crooked as she hunched earnestly over her notes. Elsie couldn't tell what they were about, and rather preferred to not sit through a dull speech, so didn't ask what was keeping her from talking.
Conversation flowed smoothly between Miche and Levi. Concern over who Miche had smelled, the consideration of who it could possibly be drawing Elsie's attention and swiveling herself in the chair.
"I know who it is."
Miche stalled mid swig of his ale while Levi instantly shot off, "Interior Police."
She nodded, knowing her safety zone, and returned to staring at the door. Levi rattled theories for their sudden inquiry on Scouts, never going near the real reason, and Elsie worried whether Erwin was sitting in a dungeon somewhere waiting for Hange and Levi to rescue him.
Erwin did not make it to lunch.