Part 45
Enlightenment

-2 months post Eren's recovery-


"Hange…" Came the tired voice of Levi, sitting beside the bed of Erwin; still recovering from the loss of his arm. Though alive he was. On the other side of the Commander's bed sat Commander Pyxis of the Garrison Regiment and Fury, of course, who had found herself staying beside Erwin often as he recovered. The Scout Commander himself had lost a little bit of his light. Shown through the growing stubble of hair upon his masculine face, as well his unattended hair in itself. "Come in!" Levi then insisted, after the knock, of course.

The door, with its usual creak, had opened. "Pardon the intrusion, Erwin." Hange apologised. With her was Connie Springer. The young man's face stoic and distant. It harboured a haunted look. "Commander Pyxis." Hange then saluted the elder man, as he himself nodded off the unneeded formality at this given time. "State your name." Hange then ordered, looking over her shoulder at the bald male as she pushed up her goggles.

"Connie Springer, Sir!" He saluted, doing his best to hold back the panic. "4th Cadet Corp."

"Connie here is originally from Ragako." Hange stated, gaining minor gasps from within the room.

"Ah… Yes." Pyxis mumbled, stroking his grey moustache. For once, the Commander was not accommodated with his flask of alcohol. "That was where the invasion of the Titans seemed to have begun, correct?"

"Yes, Sir." Hange acknowledged. Her own overly hyperactive behaviour had diminished in this moment. "In fact, he's collaborated a valuable piece of evidence in that regard. I think you'll find the story supports my hypothesis.

"Let me guess…" Fury interrupted. "You're about to suggest that the Titans responsible for all of this were the citizens of Ragako."

"Come again?" Pyxis coughed.

And yet, for a brief moment, there was nothing but silence until it was Erwin himself who decided to break it, his fashioned eyebrows narrowed. "I see. So, in actuality… Titans are human beings."

"Well it's not like we have actual proof yet." Fury muttered, once her eyes were finished widening.

"Great…" Came the sarcastic sigh of Levi, who was evidently just as disturbed by such a possibility. "How perfect… I've spent all this time, all my energy… And the things I've been carving my blades against like a knife through butter… Were people?"

"We don't know that with certainty…" Hange tried to reassure, but it was difficult to do when her own mind was already made up.

"On that revelation…" Pyxis sighed as he stood from his chair. "Suppose more work is on its way." He then looked down at a thinking Erwin. "I shall leave you to rest, Commander." And yet on his way out, both Hange and Connie followed suit. All they needed to report was spoken of and Connie himself needed to come to terms with all of these possible facts, for that day in Ragako, he saw a Titan who looked very much like his mother once did as it stared at him, begging for help almost. And to think that Reiner was the one to console him at the time. He couldn't help but wonder if Reiner knew the truth.

"Now what?" Levi asked, it now only being himself, Fury and Erwin in the room. Yet as he looked at Fury, who was looking at Erwin with confusion, he soon came to see why. The Commander was smiling. Like he was all too pleased with this potential discovery. Like it was all part of his grand plan. His gamble. "Excuse me... What's with that smile?" Levi then asked him, in his own shock, as Erwin pulled himself out if his daydream.

"Oh… Nothing…" Was Erwin's lie of a response. "Just… Seems to me, we've taken one more step towards the truth."

"Yay… A whole step…" Fury muttered with ultimate sarcasm, even giving Levi a reason to agree with her attitude.

"At this pace, we'll run out of people before we actually reach it." Levi surmised, clenching his fist as he began to solemnly limp towards the door.

"Everything comes at a price." Erwin spoke loud enough to make it obvious it was aimed towards Levi himself. "One day, we'll all get close enough to break through. And the walls guarding us from the truth… will tumble."

"Yeah… But until then, there's still the real enemy out there. And I'm not so sure if it's just Titans anymore." Levi replied, slamming the door behind him, leaving Fury to sigh. Seeing Erwin so… Elated from all of this only brought reasons for concern to her. And for once, she couldn't find the words to speak.

"I sense your disapproval." Erwin spoke softly to her, eyeing her from the side as he still remained sat upright in his bed.

"I'm disapproving of a lot of things lately…" Fury admitted, frowning. Nothing new there for her to do that.
And yet, Erwin's only hand had placed itself on top of hers as they both rested on her slim thighs.

"Handicapped I may now be I cannot give up this fight." He whispered, smiling softly.

"Yet when we were retrieving Eren, you told me you were replaceable." Fury reminded. Clearly, such words have not left her over his weeks in recovery.

"I was facing the prospect of death." Erwin admitted, yet not being afraid to do so. "And yet, there you were, refusing to give up. The one person who has always fought against helping people I then witnessed helping me and other soldiers around her."

"Your honeyed words won't get anywhere this time, Erwin." Fury sighed. "Everyone was faced with the prospect of death out there that day. Yet… I gave all I could to keep you alive. And I didn't even care about myself…"

"You think I have forgotten, don't you?" He then asked her, taking his hand up to cup her pale cheek, causing Fury to flinch slightly. "Your words of endearment. Tell me, were they said out of fear or did they contain truth?"

"… I don't know what you're talking about…" She lied. Even after saying what she did out there, when surrounded by silence, she just couldn't repeat them again. Always in fear of rejection over and over.

"Do you need reminding?" The Commander asked, stroking her cupped cheek, his small smile still remaining. "Better yet, would you prefer reassurance?"

"Reassurance? On what? Why would I…-"

"Reciprocation." Erwin quickly interrupted, still stroking Fury's cheek as now, well, they couldn't help but gaze upon one another. And goodness, Fury couldn't help but find his rugged look oddly attractive. "I love you too. Believe me, I have done for so long. But… My duties have always been the foremost of my attention."

"N-Nani?!" Fury cleared her throat. "I mean… What?"

She definitely heard the man. But it was actually hearing the words. Fury's cold, little heart began to beat rapidly. Her head was being brought closer to the Commander's and their lips finally locked. A moment like this had not been revisited since their first night together when she had come back to the walls. Her deep blue hues shook for a moment, fighting against wanting to give in to her defences and pull away, but alas, Fury remained kissing Erwin.
Both of her hands cupped his prominent cheeks as she climbed onto his bed with him, mounting on top of him as they continued into the long night.


Disclaimer: the next part will have heavy sexual content among it for Fury and Erwin. Read on at your own discretion.