Well, I'm back here again. XD

I am having trouble getting this one going, I am well outta my comfort zone and I am not in an inspired mood at the moment. That's why I'm so damn late to update. Still, here is something, and I am formulating the plot as we speak.

ENJOY PPL.

LEVI

My eyes sprung open. I blinked, trying to recall how I had ended up falling asleep in the first place. I had been sitting next to Novalie on her bed, and she was high. She was high.

…And then she had fallen asleep on me, and I disliked the idea of her waking up so much that I just fell backwards and let her stay there. I had stared at the ceiling listening to her quiet breathing until I found myself slipping. Why was it so damn easy to fall asleep with her there? It was like a viel of permanent stress was just let go like a balloon into the air whenever she was around. Eventually, I had just plain given in and closed my eyes.

I was uncomfortable, and Novalie was tucked under my arm, her head on my shoulder. She was still out of it. Kicking my boots off, I drew one knee up and raked a hand through my hair. I was pinned under her and, glancing at her peaceful face that made my stomach tighten, I couldn't bear the thought of waking her up. I just stared at her, drinking in her features. I couldn't find an imperfection if I tried. There was something about her face – about HER – that transfixed me.

Her hair framed her face, spread out behind her. Her eyes glittered hazel-

Her eyes are open.

Her pupils appeared to get a little larger when she met my gaze. I froze. Her piercing gaze was back – no longer dazed and delirious.

NOVALIE

'Hello,' I said pathetically. How had I ended up HERE? If I was being honest with myself, I didn't want to move, but I forced myself upright and let Levi go from under me.

'How long was I out?' I frowned. I felt absolutely fine, but couldn't remember much. 'And why was I out?'

Levi sat up and stretched. He looked weary. 'About three hours, and you were drugged up to your eyeballs.'

'Drugged?' I stiffened, pausing in my tracks.

'Yeah… Someone found drugs in your draw…' Levi's look was ever-so-slightly accusatory, his eyebrows sliding into a frown. Wait, he hadn't been frowning until now. That's new.

Details were slowly being drip-fed into my mind as I recalled fragments of seeing Elias and being dragged under the water and then seeing Grace being eaten again and some woman came in and…

My shoulders sagged. It was all so overwhelming. 'Did someone come in?'

'Yeah, a girl. She found the drugs.'

'What drugs Levi?!' I exclaimed, throwing my hand up. Even I was caught off-guard at my outburst. I hated the idea of being intoxicated – let alone them being in my possession. I don't even know what most drugs look like!

'I don't know, why don't you tell me?' Levi growled, his eyes going cold as he stood.

I started pacing, fidgeting, my eyes darting everywhere. I didn't like this one bit. I didn't like not knowing. 'I don't understand…'

'Shitty Glasses is testing the pills she found. Do you keep any in here?'

I yanked my desk draw open and pulled out a bottle of painkillers. 'This is all,' I assured him. He put his hand out and I handed it to him. Our fingers brushed, and a tingling electricity went through me.

A tense silence fell over us as he tipped a couple of pills into his hand. They were oblong, and yellow. 'Let's go and see Hanji,' I urged, raring to find out what this was all about. Without waiting for Levi, I marched out, my strides purposeful. I didn't even look back to see if Levi was following me – I was on a mission.

Knocking on her lab door, It was opened to steely eyes only slightly above my own eye-level. How did he get here so fast?!

He wordlessly stepped aside. Hanji was leaning against a counter, her goggles pushed up onto her forehead and making her hair stick up wildly.

'Hello Novalie,' she said cheerily. There was a gleam of curiosity in her eye as she looked me up and down.

'Do you have the results?'

'Yup!' She went cross-eyed as she peered at the test tube she was holding up to her face. It was filled with a cloudy, frothing liquid.

'It is tryoximobutaine,' she said, her manner more serious now.

'Speak English,' Levi snapped.

She put the test tube down. 'I am afraid it is an illegal drug.' She looked as confused as I felt.

'This is bad…' I muttered to myself. I didn't want to look at Levi, and I didn't know why. I could almost feel his composure slipping. Moments later, he grabbed my arm and steered me outside, kicking the lab door shut behind him.

'What the fuck is going on?' He implored. I dared meet his gaze – he was angry, but trying to hide it. And failing.

'I have no clue Levi.' My voice wavered. I wanted to cringe away – I hated it when he was angry with me.

'It was in your goddamn room!' I was already pressed into the wall and he slammed his hand on it by my ear, caging me.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My heart throbbed a little harder. Surely I wasn't scared of him?

'Do you trust me?' I murmured. He deadpanned.

'Obviously.' He seemed to realise how close we were, and straightened up, giving me some space.

'Then trust me when I say, I did not own those.'

He said nothing, but his face softened into what was almost regret. 'Yeah… I know you wouldn't…'

'But that woman that came in thinks I own them?'

'She threatened to report you.'

I sighed heavily. I could lose my JOB over this. Someone must have planted them on me… But why? Who would do that?

'You think it's a frame job?' Levi asked, as if reading my mind.

'Mm,' I nodded.

'Ma'am?'

I snapped my attention to Ferris, who was waiting patiently for me to answer. I was so distracted by the whole drug ordeal that my focus was all over the place.

'Sorry Ferris, what was that?'

'I- I was wondering… If the rumours were true…' He looked partly embarrassed and partly curious. I didn't even need to ask what the rumours were.

'No, they aren't true,' I confirmed. His face fell a little.

'O- oh right…'

'Who did you find out from?'

The boy frowned and shrugged. 'I don't remember…'

The boy was right. People gave me shifty glances in the corridors, looking shocked that someone like me would be a "drugee". Even Eren came up to me in the communal room and decided to have his say.

'I can't believe you!' He yelled, throwing his hands up in fury. He was a little too close for comfort so I backed up. 'I can't believe I respected you! I even did after what you did to the Captain!' His little rant was cut short when Levi put a hand on his shoulder and yanked him away from me. I was speechless – just trying to remain calm.

'Shut up Eren, and mind your own business,' he growled.

'H- How can you DEFEND her?!' Eren's green eyes flared with the outrage he was being put through.

Levi said stonily, 'I'm not. I'm telling you to mind your own business.'

'But she isn't being PUNISHED! Hey, you trusted her too!'

'Jaeger, cut the attitude,' he raised his voice. Eren shot me an icy look and Mikasa pulled him away gently by the arm.

'Brat…' Levi snarled under his breath.

I said nothing. I couldn't think of anything to say.

I vowed to myself that I would solve this mystery. This strange situation wasn't going to lose me my job, my home. The thought of having to leave sickened me. I would be leaving Levi…

As much as I hated to admit it, I needed him. I didn't plan on needing anyone… I used to see it as a hindrance… But I wanted to need him. I WANTED him. God, I sound possessive.

LEVI

There was a tiny part of me that, right now, I hated. Fuck off, I told it. It nagged at me that there was a possibility Novalie was lying to me. Then, to heighten its credibility, it brought up the "betrayl" from two years ago.

FUCK OFF!

It was the tiniest thought in my head, but it drove me crazy.

I plunged my gaze into the gloom of my room. Moonlight illuminated the edges of my chair behind me. I leant back into it, the back and arms were curled inwards to take the shape of my back. I closed my eyes. I can't be bothered to move… Hopefully I will just fall asleep…

It was dark… Really dark… Damp clung to my skin. As I sat up, I felt weight around my wrists. My lips parted in horror and I realised I was shackled.

How the f-

There was a shadow over me. Looking up, I felt awash with relief. Novalie's here… It's OK…

The longer I stared at her, the more unnerved I got. She just pierced me with her stare, trying to grind me into the floor with her eyes alone.

There is something wrong here.

She raised her arm – the first movement she had made yet – a whip was coiled around her hand and caressed the floor.

There was nothing but emptiness in her eyes. I shrunk back instinctively. The fight instinct that had been drummed into me all my life was missing. She had that blank expression on… The one I met at the gate four years ago.

As she moved her arm up, the whip lifted from the stone floor, and my breath hitched. It cracked down hard, and I could almost HEAR skin ripping.

I felt no pain.

The whip dropped to the ground. Across Novalie's neck was a bright red streak, and way more blood was pouring out of it than should have. She fell like a rag doll. Struggling to reach her against my shackles, I shook her. I started shouting. I couldn't hear what I was saying to her, but I knew they were the kind of words you only admitted to someone when they were dying. She stared at me in her completely empty way, as if the warm blood coating my hands and pooling in the crook of her neck didn't bother her one bit. My face was wet. She blinked and said nothing. She blinked again.

Then she stopped blinking, but her expression did not change.