Part 75
What Comes Next?

"Levi?" Fury sheepishly called out, only earning a loud shush from Hange from within her tent.

Fury sighed as Levi looked over his shoulder to her way, the female deciding to brave it and go to him. The walk to him felt like it took hours. One, two, three, four steps, was all it really was, and it seemed like an eternity as Fury came to stand next to him, and Levi himself was leaned against the bark of a tree, gazing off towards the delicate resting of the sound of water reaching the sand, timid waves behind what already reached the bank.

"Did you hear everything Eren just had to say?" She would ask, hoping to end the awkward silence, and yet Levi took his time to show a response, though readying it by folding his arms.

"Yeah…" He muttered, clearing his throat, which earned a tilted head from Fury. "Back when we first became a part of the Scouts… To think the world is bigger than within those Walls… Seems like a big joke, really. Not a funny one, either."
Fury could not find the words to reply with. Instead, she looked up. "When was the last time we looked up?"

"… Way back then… Like you said. It's been a few years since we all sat on top of the wall that night, admiring the stars, still thinking we were safe."

"I'd almost forgotten." Levi admitted, though in an uncharacteristic manner of softness. "Isabel would never have let me live that down."

"What are you so focused on now, Levi?" Fury then suddenly blurted out. As much as she missed Isabel and Farlan, she still struggled to openly talk about the memories. "You've disconnected yourself from m- … us all."

Levi kept his gaze up a the stars. "I promised him. Erwin. That I'd kill that bearded ape. I have to keep that." Fury's eyes widened slightly. "And to make sure you're kept safe too. I promised him that. And before you start spouting that you don't need it, this isn't a choice. Something's coming. And I'll be dammed if I let anyone else die because I falter."

"You're so focused on this promise though, Levi. Keep it, yes, but… Don't allow it to blind you. Please?" And here Fury wondered why her foremost thought wasn't Erwin all of a sudden, after all this time grieving over him, even wearing his Bolo Tie.

Levi shifted his grey orbs her way, offering an almost unnoticeable nod at her request. "You're one to talk though. What about your brat?" He'd ask. "You've gotten oddly motherly with him."

"Isaah?" Fury flustered. "No… I'm no replacement for his parents, despite him losing them because of Rod's transformation. He knows that, but he's hell bent on thinking he owes me. Owe me for what? Getting there too late? I've… done my best with him. He's gone from being a cadet to a Scout in my own Squad quicker than he should've. Maybe I do just want to make sure he's safe. Maybe I'm using that as an excuse for something."

Levi unfolded his arms. "You already know you are. You just fear that admitting it will make you be seen as weak."

"You always were blatantly honest." She chuckled, though only slightly. "If Hange wants to go ahead with us going to Marley in disguise, then, yeah…I guess even I can still get scared."

"The more we know, the less we are in the dark about things, the easier the fight." Levi suddenly grasped his head, hissing as if he was in pain.

"Levi?" Fury asked out of worry, shifting quickly and even held out her arm to comfort him, though Levi raised his own hand to stop the gesture.

"Damn headaches. Getting worse lately. But they're nothing, don't shit yourself over it."

Fury huffed, straightening herself out. "Why do I bother with you sometimes?"

There was silence. Fury's shoulders lifted slightly. As if she had any true right to say that, when she had kept so much from Levi. If anything, why did he bother with her?

"… sorry…" Came the next word from Levi, truly shocking Fury that her next words stuttered.

"N-No… Don't say that." What did he have to ever be sorry for? To even hear him say the word ached her heart, that was already still in a grief stricken state. "If anyone should be, Levi, it's me…
Everything I kept from you… Kenny, the Underground… I-…"

"-I've been thinking about that." Levi interrupted, looking at her fully now. "As someone who spent their younger days with him, I know how Kenny could be. I can't imagine he was all that fatherly.
You still let his shadow follow you. He gave us both the skills to survive, but he doesn't tell us how to do so. You told me you struggled to tell me back then because you feared losing us. I accept that now. I don't think I would've done the same thing, but we are different, even if we can be the same."

Her hues shook. Levi's words hit deep into her chest, daring to reach the Aya that lay dormant within. "Thank you…" Fury mumbled, even now, still forcing herself to hold things back. "Please… Believe me. It's a real relief to hear such words. From you."

"Whatever comes next, Fury, we both have things to focus on. I'd rather face them with a friend, an ally, than with someone I can't look in the eye anymore. People may continue to hate on you, but you need to stop worrying, because you're strong enough now."

Pushing himself away from the tree, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Fury, him facing the camp, her facing the edge of the ocean. They almost touched. "Stop being such a little shithead and do what the brat used to tell us all to do; fight." Levi then retreated to his tent for the night, leaving Fury to shakily look back at his direction, absorbing the words he spoke. Levi, of all people. He never directly spoke the words, but she knew he had given her his forgiveness.

"Levi?" Fury then called out again, before he closed his tent behind him. "When we were on the roof… And I accused you of choosing Armin over Erwin in order to spite me… I was wrong, and… Know that I'm sorry for the words I said to you, along with the attack. I… I know that day was difficult for you too."

Levi's gaze remained on her for a moment, both at each other, before he tutted. "Get some sleep." Fury smiled. He accepted it, she knew, as he closed up his tent.

"Shush you two!" Hange then barked aloud, banging at her tent, earning rolled eyes from Fury. "Keep it for behind locked doors, will ya? We got big plans to make tomorrow!"

"You're the one who needs to shut up now, four-eyes." Levi called out, earning a disgruntled sigh from Hange, silencing her.

Despite the reddened cheeks, and though she wasn't sure why, Fury also took a small glance over at the tent Isaah slept in. She was sure his snores were among Jean's and Sasha's. Though she couldn't offer the motherly praise he still needed at his young age of 16, Fury took it upon herself to make her own promise; to keep him as alive as long as she could, along with Levi.

Though the animosity had lessened with the others, Eren especially, Isaah and Levi were those who knew her, and she felt obliged to make sure they survived. Things were all going to slowly change now. And a bigger fight may be approaching. Fury looked down at her hands. Even with what she could do, was she yet strong enough to keep them both safe?

With a new renowned focus to set upon, she knew she had to. They all deserved that future. And so, Fury now wondered, is a future actually worth fighting for, along with the people within it?