It had to be done—you'll see.

IV fluid dripped from a hanger. Captain Levi was barely visible beneath layers of bandages. Karma was hunched over with her elbows on her knees in the bedside chair, watching his steady breaths.

"He's still out cold?" Hange said, closing the white curtain behind her. She took the chair next to Karma, propping her elbow on the arm rest.

"Yeah. He lost a lot of blood." Karma swore to herself that she wouldn't get emotional, but her throat tightened. She coughed, feigning as though that was the reason her voice broke, but then her eyes started to water.

"Woah, hey, you alright?"

Karma shook her head, palm pressed to her mouth to catch the sobs.

"Hey, hey, shh." Hange wrapped an arm around her, an invitation for Karma to lean in and soak her shoulder with her tears. "It's not your fault. You had no control over yourself. I'm sure Levi doesn't blame you either."

"Hange, he's blind and wheel-chair bound because of me."

"Don't say that—you know it's Eren's fault. Besides, Levi wouldn't even be breathing if you hadn't broken free of the Founding Titan." Hange swiped a tear off Karma's cheekbone. "You still don't know how you did it?"

"No idea."

"I have some theories."

Karma snorted and sat up, wiping her water line with the sides of her fingers. "Of course you do. Let's hear them."

"Well the simplest answer is that Eren set you free."

"No, I was definitely fighting against him the whole time."

"Thought so." Hange straightened her glasses. "My next guess is that you were surged with anger or some other emotion that eclipsed Eren's hold on you."

"Eh. I mean, I was definitely angry, but I doubt anger alone could stand a chance against the Founding Titan."

"Maybe not anger then. Something more powerful." Hange leaned her head towards Levi's sleeping figure. "Like love?"

"Oh, please. That's so corny."

"It's definitely corny. But it might also be true." Hange shifted in her seat and folded her arms. "Guess there's no way to know for sure, but I wouldn't completely discount the possibility."

"Sure." Karma smiled to herself. "So is there any news from the outside? What's Zeke planning now that Eren's gone?"

"Oh my God, Karma. How the hell do you not know?"

"Not know what? You're freaking me out. We stopped The Rumbling, right?"

"Even better—the Titans are gone. Completely eradicated."

"What?"

"The moment you killed Eren they just…vanished."

"That's impossible. Are you sure the powers weren't just transferred? Isn't that what happens when one of the nine dies?"
"We're positive—Armin and the others confirmed that they lost their abilities at the exact same moment. And now that Zeke doesn't have the Beast to bail him out, he and the Yeagerists are on trial for plotting against Paradis."

"That's…" The words stirred through Karma's mind again in a dreamlike voice: It had to be done—you'll see. "I think that's what Eren meant…"

"Huh?"

"If overcoming and destroying the Founding Titan did the trick, that could've been Eren's real plan to free us from the beginning. Before he died he said it 'had to be done.' My God…he knew all along I was going to kill him…"

"Are you saying Eren's the good guy? Did you forget about Zachary and all the other people he killed?"

"I don't know. I guess it's just a theory." Karma gave a weak smile. "But regardless we should give him a proper funeral."

"You just let me worry about that, alright?" Hange squeezed Karma's shoulder.

A quiet groan drew their attention to the bed. Levi stirred with a sharp breath. He sat up with a shaky arm, grimacing.

"Well if it isn't our favorite cripple finally waking his lazy ass up," Hange said, standing from her seat and giving Karma a smirk. "I'll go grab us some tea."

Before Karma could protest that Levi was in no shape to be drinking hot beverages and she herself was feeling too nauseated to stomach anything, the curtain swished behind Hange.

"Fuck…" Levi hissed and clenched his knee. He smacked the IV bag hanging beside him. "These pain meds are dog shit."

"It's just saline," Karma said, steadying the swinging bag. "And what are you doing sitting up? You need to rest."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine—I almost killed you."

"No you didn't. It's Eren's ass I'd be haunting if I died, not yours."

"Would you at least visit me?"

"No, you hate ghosts."

"Well, actually, after living in a cursed fortress and turning someone into a ghost, they don't scare me anymore."

"That was a weird way of saying you killed Eren."

"Is there a not weird way to say you murdered someone?"

"No." Levi scoffed a laugh, resting his arm on his leg. "Sucks that you had to kill your boyfriend to save the world, though. Hate when that happens."

"Stockholm syndrome isn't the same thing as a boyfriend."

"Whatever. I saw that love letter."

"It wasn't about Eren." Karma glanced up to see his reaction. Levi's good eye was narrowed. "I love him, but…not in a love letter kind of way. I found inspiration elsewhere."

"That so?"

"Yeah."

Karma's eyes fell to her lap. She scratched at the crusted blood on her bandaged hands.

"Seemed like you were getting a kick out of stabbing me. What made you stop?" Levi said, flicking a cautious glance in her direction before turning back to study the ruffles on the curtain.

"I saw the steak knife," Karma said. "I realized you could've fought back. But you didn't. I guess that snapped something in my system. Hange called it 'love' or whatever."

"Psh, that's bullshit." Another cautious glance.

"Yeah, definitely." Karma tapped her fingers in time with the IV drips.

Levi rubbed his jaw. Karma heard him take a deep sigh before his heavy words cut the silence. "But…do you love me?"

"If you read that note you'd know that I always have." With knitted brows, she pressed him. "Do you love me?"

"Well I didn't use that steak knife, did I?"

"Is that a yes?"

"Yeah. It's always been a yes."

Karma seated herself at the edge of his bed. She clasped his hand, skimming her thumb across his knuckles. "I can write you a real love letter, if you want?"

Levi turned to face her. He cupped her cheek. "I'd much rather you just kiss me."

"Wait. Isn't Hange coming back with tea? I don't want to make a habit of kissing you with her spectating."

"Four eyes is long gone—it's just us."

"Oh, good."

Levi bent closer, tilting her chin up. His lips tickled hers as he spoke. "Can I kiss you now?"

This moment was a precious little bubble. She never wanted to leave. Inside this rainbow-tinged world, the gore and horrors couldn't touch her. Here, there existed nothing but the two of them and this long-awaited kiss.

Karma slid her arms around Levi's waist, securing him in their private bubble.

"Just promise to never stop."