It's past midnight and Mikasa moves to blow out the lamp of her room for the night when she notices something shining from the crack of her closet. Curious, she opens to investigate and notices something faintly glowing on her Scouts cape. When she inspects it closer, small flakes of crystals glowing blue like ice come into view, similar to what had encrusted Annie the week prior. When she fully pulls it out, she realizes the blue crystals had spread to the other contents of her closet. She decides it's best not to touch it and she backs away, bumping into the desk slightly. A strange but concerning phenomena, she knew the only person who would be awake at this hour who could help her.

At the dim light under the crack of the door, she knocks. There's no immediate answer, but the clank of a teacup against a dish proves he was awake as she assumed. Another knock. This time, she calls out. "Captain."

The door squeaks as it swings open, revealing Captain Levi who looks irritated and puzzled. "Brat… What are you doing here?"

"Captain. I've discovered something strange that might need your attention. It may require a full investigation in the morning."

"Something strange?"

She nods and gives her report. "I believe it could be Female Titan blood leftover on my uniform after engaging in combat. I noticed the blood didn't disappear immediately like the non-shifting Titans. I, umm, haven't washed that uniform set yet," she hesitantly admits, sure that he would scold her. "…But it's still a cause for concern. This blood is… strange. It seems to be crystallizing."

Levi squints, processing the information cautiously. He decides this was more urgent than the steaming cup of tea on his desk. "Show me."

Without another word, Mikasa escorts the Captain to her room to investigate. In the few minutes she had been gone, Mikasa swears from the entrance that the glow had grown brighter, seeping into the outer wood of her closet. She moves in to investigate further, but Levi holds her back, keeping her at at the doorway.

"Stay away from it," he warns, making sure to not get too close to it himself. "We'll keep out of its reach until the morning when Hange can safely sample and properly clear it. I'd guess it'll just take until the end of tomorrow." He turns to her. "Until then, I cannot permit you to stay in this room tonight."

"Yes, sir." Mikasa answers as she attempts to go in and quickly gather clothing from the other side of the room.

Levi stops her and shakes his head. "Leave it for now. We'll get you clean clothes in the morning." She nods.

Levi glances into the dimly glowing room, then at Mikasa in her nightgown. "It's late. You'll stay in my quarters for the night." Captain Levi speaks casually as he closes the door shut, heading down the hallway again. The tilt of his head gestured for her to follow along.

Mikasa doesn't think much at the invitation, but her face still turns warm. He senses her questions and clears his throat when he realizes her silence. "I have an unused bed," Levi clarifies, "Understood?"

"Of course." Mikasa quietly nods, remembering the old squadron sharing about how Captain Levi doesn't sleep in his own bed. She shakes off the red of her face and trails behind Levi.

When they get back to Levi's room, suddenly the large room seemed much smaller than she could remember from moments ago. Usually comfortable with her captain, Mikasa felt a strange shyness overcome her. Staying overnight in the captain's quarters unannounced felt inappropriate. And as they headed down the hallway just now, Mikasa caught herself stepping as quietly as possible, careful not to wake anyone and let them see her stepping into the Captain's room this late. She couldn't dare imagine what Eren would think. But she knew she was safe with Captain Levi—he was a dignified and respectful man, and she appreciated his kind offer to help her for the night. Mikasa knew he wouldn't do something inappropriate, yet she stood awkwardly in the middle of his room waiting for direction.

"Oi. Make yourself comfortable. It'll only be for a night. We'll have Hange take a look at things first thing in the morning," Levi says as he pulls at the neck of his gray shirt, making his way back to the armchair by the window to finish his cold tea. He speaks without looking at her. "Those linens and pillows are clean, by the way. Even to my standard."

She glances at the bed in the corner and takes a moment to admire its pristine state. "…Right. Thank you, Captain." Mikasa slowly walks to the bed and sits atop the quality mattress. The higher-ups really do have better rooms than us, she thinks. The unused linens feel soft against her palms, the down blanket is almost luxe, and it is proof enough that the rumors were indeed true. She watches the way his dimly lit silhouette sips whatever was last left in his teacup before she interrupted his peaceful night. She sighs. "…Captain?"

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you're comfortable sleeping there? I didn't mean to intrude your space tonight," Mikasa says, feeling like a burden. The window rattling with the flurry of night rain becomes a cause for concern. "Are you warm enough?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." He tries not to shiver at the draft. Levi sinks further into the arm chair and crosses his arms.

She catches his slight shiver then glances down at the spacious bed. "There's, um…" Mikasa gulps when Levi turns his head and meets her eyes from across the room. "There's more than enough space here. I wouldn't mind. Truly." She couldn't read his expression in the dark, but his silence made her rethink her words.

"Oi…"

The wave of caution in his voice embarrasses her. "No—I—It's just… not worth the Captain getting sick from this cold." She stammers like a fool, but holds onto her honesty. "And I don't intend to be the reason for him being missing from combat again." Her regrets over that fateful day in the forest never left her. Images of Levi in pain after saving her from the Female Titan haunted her, but at the very least she knew it gave her agency to work harder in lieu of him.

Levi twists his body her direction when he catches her regret. "I've told you. What's done is done. I don't hold that against you."

"….I know." She falls silent and clutches the blanket to herself, letting a quiet moment pass, then breathes easy. "That's why the least I can do is share the space you're graciously sharing with me. I'll keep my distance and turn the other way. But I'm not going to be able to rest tonight unless I know you'll be warm enough." She insists, confident in herself. "And I assure you this won't be awkward for me."

"Look, that's…"

Drawing a line, she knows he was about to say. "It really isn't a big deal to me, sir." She makes it a point to emphasize the level of profession. "I won't take no for an answer," Mikasa demands, her fiery side bubbling under her tone. Frustrated at his stillness, she scoots on the bed, opening up more than enough space for him. "Captain?"

Levi contemplates, then sighs, knowing she wasn't going to budge. "Fine. But for formalities' sake..." He looks away at the window, embarrassed to speak the following formalities. "…In this situation… There are certain rules I must communicate." He scratches the back of his head nervously, loathing having to awkwardly state the obvious. "We stay on opposite sides. We are to not touch. Understood?"

Mikasa blushes but understands why it needs to be said. "Of course…!" I could never think that about us, she almost says, but something holds her tongue back. "…Understood."

"Very well."

It was an obvious answer. They are comrades. Levi is her captain, she is his subordinate, and it has been this way for some years now. It was fairly common for comrades of all genders to share a common space or tent on missions—this is nothing new, though she supposes it's unheard of for a night that they weren't on mission. She had also never once thought of Captain Levi in such a way that should make this even remotely inappropriate, and she was more than certain he stood on the same page.

Levi may sometimes be a talk amongst the women in the Scouts, but Mikasa never went out of her way to participate in those discussions. She respected him too much to even think whatever thoughts they would think in this situation. That many Scouts would instantly take advantage of the situation of the night. But not them. Surely not herself.

But as Levi stands from his armchair, rolling his sleeves while slowly approaching her in bed, Mikasa becomes curious. She observes him too closely—the way he walks and holds himself. Something warm flutters in her gut when he slowly rolls into the empty space beside her, pulling himself under the covers. And just as he leans over to blow out the lamplight by the bedside, Mikasa catches a forbidden glimpse of the outline of his muscled back beneath his shirt and the twist of the veins along his forearms. The room turns to darkness, and the wind howls against the window.

"Goodnight, Captain."

"Night."

She rolls over on her side, her back towards the man, then begins to count sheep.

But something begins to tickle the woman's mind. The relaxing sound of rain pattering against the window, the clean tea scent he always smelled of lingering even stronger in these soft sheets and filling her lungs in a pleasant way, the warmth of the bed under the biting cold night. As if something unfamiliar was unfurling within her, she grew more and more awake and aware at the thought of Levi being mere inches from her. Being in bed together made her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time. It all seemed to mix together like a dangerous potion.

Mikasa always thought herself to be quite innocent. Only once did she agree to make out with Jean at night out of sheer curiosity, but it didn't do much for her—in fact, it left her less attracted in the end. She loved Eren, but she could never see herself engaging with him physically in such a way.

Sex was a whole different conversation. Mikasa liked to believe she holds herself in a high regard, saving herself for whoever she married, whether Eren or someone else. But she wasn't a prude, either. Pleasing herself at night whenever her body needed the extra relief was necessary and good for her. Mikasa had learned her body well enough, but there were always areas and sensations unknown to her. And she certainly has never been in bed with a man before—and with Captain Levi, at that.

It was only normal for the touch-starved woman let her imagination run lightly, to wonder what caving in would even look like.

Her face turns hot when it began to turn vivid. …What if he turned over? What would it feel like to look at each other so intimately like that? What if Captain made a move on her; would she reciprocate? What if she made the move…? What if they kissed—would it lead to something more? She would enjoy watching him peel off his shirt as he hovers above her, his dark fringe falling across his forehead, pulling her face gently to his and—

Stop it, Mikasa.

Tempted to slip further into her imagination, she slams her eyes shut and attempts to relax her body and breaths. Mikasa can hear him breathing slowly and quietly, too. He must already be asleep, she thinks quietly to herself, both relieved and impressed that he had fallen asleep so quickly in these circumstances. It convinced and assured her that this was indeed normal and comfortable for him, after all, that he wasn't getting so bothered over something so pathetic. Unlike her. Just sleep it off.

Relax.

Relax.

Relax.

She shuts her eyes even tighter, trying to shake off the images that kept returning to her mind uninvited—of Captain Levi's stronghold wrapping around her in these sheets, his hands clutching at the edge of her nightgown and guiding it slowly up to her waist. He wouldn't hesitate, she thinks. Levi would move confidently, and she was just as certain he was quite… experienced. She bit her top lip at the thought of him being a great lover.

She wonders what Levi would do to her if given the chance; what could he do if he wasn't Captain and she wasn't under his wing, if they forego the formalities for one night. Mikasa's skin begins to sweat, her heartbeat races. Without realizing, her thighs turn damp as she squeezes them tight together, attempting to counter the budding tension rising in her lower body. How badly she wanted to touch herself.

Mikasa knows it's a lost cause when she feels zero relief, just a deepening longing. There is no way she could ward off these images, these thoughts, these desires, and it might be better to just let it run its course—then, and maybe only then, would she at the very least finally find resolve and get some actual sleep.

…Just this once.

She caves in. The scene plays out again, continuing from where things left off; of the strong Captain Levi's rough hands trailing up her smooth legs, toying with her beneath her nightgown. She could almost hear him now. Levi's voice was just as low and gruff and coarse as she always knew it to be.

Mikasa…

Like a chant, her body tingles when she hears imaginary-Levi groan her name over and over, touching her passionately, lips and tongue dragging languidly along the length of her neck. Fingers she had once gripped in their sparring now slide up into her underwear, as he grins with a low brow.

You've always wanted me to fuck you, haven't you?

The sound of her heavy breathing and the squirm of her body snaps her out of her made-up scene as she realizes the reality of being within ear's distance to Levi. Carefully, Mikasa slowly looks over her shoulder at him in the dark and holds her breath. He was still completely still, facing away, breathing normally just as he was earlier. She bites her lip, turning back away as she continues pacing her breaths.

She feels ridiculous being excited to return to her fantasy.

This time, it was the sight of Levi tearing her nightgown off of her body with his teeth, his ravished lips and tongue claiming his place across her flesh and leaving goosebumps everywhere he'd touch. He would grip her hips to his and she would gladly let him, dragging the shaft of his cock along her wet folds before slamming into her. Mikasa wondered if the way Captain Levi sounded during their sparring sessions would be the same as if he was fucking her right here, right now. Her senses grew alight, throbbing and aching for any bit of relief she would've easily gotten in the comfort of her own bed.

Mikasa imagines what the slapping sounds of flesh against flesh would sound like, if the taste of his lips would be like honey, if the grip of his hands around her ankles on his shoulders as he demands himself into her would be similar to how he fights—relentless and powerful—or passionate and gentle as he is in quiet.

She was doomed, unable to control it any longer. But Levi was asleep, anyway, so she bites her lip harder almost tasting blood and convinces herself it's well worth the risk. With unhurried and quiet motions, Mikasa tugs at her nightgown up to her thighs, sliding a hand into her damp panties and caressing the part of her that enjoyed these thoughts of the man beside her the most. She's wet—more than she'd ever been on a good night, and the circumstances made it even morethrilling. Mulling fingers over herself in circles, she turns feverish, seeking even a bit of fleeting relief—as much as she possibly could in the total quiet so as not to wake him with her filthy actions.

Fuck me, Captain…!

It was as if she could hear her own broken voice begging for him through sloven kisses. She licks her lips at her dry mouth, grinning to herself and finally sliding two fingers inside. It was amusing to think of Captain Levi in such a desirable way; it felt so new. But she knew it wasn't a good idea, especially not right now. She would never see him the same way from here on, nor could she get any sleep in her own bed for awhile—and worse, she could never make this a reality, anyway. How her body ached for it to come true.

She abandons the weight of reality and retreats behind closed eyelids, seeing it again: Levi atop of her, fucking her slow, matching the languid speed of her slick fingers now inside of herself as her walls clench tight. She wished it was Levi. Her heavy breaths hissed quietly through her nose as she drifts away to her soaked hands.

In the heat of her arousal and in the safety of her thoughts, she realizes she can imagine anything she wants—Captain Levi tying her hands behind her, spanking her as he thrust into her from behind, disciplining her on the edge of his office desk or in his tent, his face between her thighs in the mess hall, standing in front of his balcony window. In an ideal world, Mikasa knew she would let him fuck her anywhere.

She's getting closer now, just as she is in her each of her running daydreams. Her palm presses flat against her flesh as she works herself rapidly; the sticky sounds of her juices are loud, and Mikasa knows she needs to stop now, or there was no talking herself out of this one if he woke. She imagines the worst case scenario—that Levi would wake, turn around with widened eyes and kick her out the room, and then out of his squadron…

…Or the best scenario: that Levi would like it, and join her. It turns her on even more.

Shit…!

Mikasa needs to stop. She should stop thinking of Levi doing ungodly things to her, fucking her with abandon, the thrill of making her scream into the thin air. She didn't want to stop, and her trembling, cum-slick fingers circling desperately at her sensitive nub betrayed any sense of control she thought she could regain. She knew at the clench of her body that this was going to be a good one. In desperation, Mikasa throws her face into the pillow, biting it to mute herself as she readies coming undone. Shit, shit, shit…!

"…Levi…!"

Fucking hell.

Levi's eyes remained tightly shut. He could feel his own claw marks in his palms as he clenched his fists, making every desperate effort to not move, not make a sound, not let Mikasa know that he was very well awake hearing every motion and breath as she torturously touched herself next to him. Doesn't she know I have insomnia? Fuck.

He didn't know how long it had been since joining her in bed. Must not have been thirty minutes since, but it might as well have been hours. He should've slept in his office, he regretted. But it wasn't his fault—he wouldn't have known that the night would involve Mikasa doing something like this.

Adamant about keeping boundaries earlier, Levi took refuge at his armchair. But it was at Mikasa's invitation and command to bed that Levi realized he was truly weak to this woman. He was well aware she didn't mean anything by it, but he should've been stronger.

It was the moment he began walking to the bed that he noticed her taut breasts pressing against the thin fabric of her nightgown as she leaned on an elbow on his bed, looking effortlessly seductive. When he invited her to sleep in his room, he had zero intention of anything going anywhere—not that she'd be interested, he thought. He was her captain, after all. But he would be a fool if he denied the images of making love right there to Mikasa Ackerman fluttered in his mind like a teenage boy.

But he took his defeat at Mikasa's bratty persistence as she begged him next to her. Just survive one night, he thought. He meant to lay down quietly in the warm of his bed on this cold night, enjoying the luck of her warmth beside him. He knew nothing would happen, and thank the Walls she seemed to understand that much and not be awkward about it. At the very least, he knew the moment Mikasa would leave his room in the morning, he would reward his struggle by relieving himself to these enticing thoughts of her. He'd never been so fucking excited to touch himself.

His mind was well awake, he knew he wouldn't get a drop of sleep tonight, but he slowed his breaths down to at least trick his body into resting. Sleep it off.

But Levi's ears twitch when he hears something peculiar from within the room.

No, it's much closer than that. He quickly makes out the sound of Mikasa panting quietly, and the slight whimper that leaves her throat. Muted and hushed like awake in secret, unaware that he is awake, too. Is she crying? He worries, until the breaths turn into muffled whimpers and moans.

What is she—

And then he hears it so clearly—the slick and rhythmic sounds of Mikasa, wet and wanting. She was touching herself, and she must've been so uncontrollably aroused to not even give a damn that her commanding Captain was laying right there beside her. But fuck, he doesn't even have to look at her to know the woman was pushing her fingers inside of herself; he can hear it in full detail the way she plays with her wet cunt like a tease. Did she do this often? Was she that kind of girl? Right here and right now? He certainly had no ill thoughts of her—he was actually quite impressed—but he didn't think she was the type to be so comfortable.

Nevermind that. He grits his teeth, wanting to writhe at the throbbing of the painful erection he couldn't tend to yet. Levi is desperate to turn around, throw off the covers to take in the delicious sight. He wanted to command Mikasa not to hold back, to demand her sweet voice to moan without restraint as he pleases her in whatever way she is fantasizing now.

But he stands his ground.

Instead, like a perverted fool, Levi lay awake, agonizingly listening to the tantalizing sounds of Mikasa's sex dripping against herself like music, memorizing every cadence of her breath that he was looking forward to stroking himself to in the morning when she'd leave. But shit, he can't take it. He needs something.

As Mikasa works herself faster, her body begins to shake in the mattress. Levi could feel her hips bucking back and forth at the slightest restrained movements. Clumsy brat, she's more loud than she realizes, he thinks before taking the liberty to slowly reach a hand to the outline of his hardness in his trousers, knowing she wouldn't notice. With a slow wrist, Levi rubs friction against himself, his mouth opening agape as he closed his eyes to her sounds.

Levi can feel her about explode, and as her hips jerk back and forth in jolting motions, she accidentally shifts, brushing her back against Levi's and instantly burning him as if his entire body could explode at just the slightest touch. He had no clue what she was thinking of, but whatever it was, he was about to experience Mikasa Ackerman orgasming in his bed.

His eyes widen as she mutters something in her whispering breaths, audibly catching in her dry throat.

"…Levi…!"

"Fuck, Mikasa… You're killing me here."

It takes a second before Mikasa realizes she didn't hear it in her thoughts. Her eyes dart open, snapping out of her fantasy as she throws her head back to find he was now facing her, totally awake—she was a fool to not have noticed. In an instant, she's embarrassed, pulling her hands from her damp flesh and depriving herself of her finish to bolt out of the room.

"Captain—I'm so sorry… I—"

"You don't have to stop." In the darkness, she sees the glazed glint in Levi's eyes, the mix of lust and longing in the faint red of his lips.

And as if her body was eager for him to say so, Mikasa complies without hesitation, her body so desperate to get back to action—she can't believe how quickly her hand slips back into herself in front of him, how loud she is when she gasps in pure relief. Levi's words and the dark of his eyes watching her gives her even more freedom to let loose for him. She rolls on her back, lifting her hips in the air as she rubbed relentlessly at her dripping cunt.

"Keep thinking about me fucking you."

He spoke as if he could see right through her. The sweet tension returns in full force in her core as she takes in this sight of Levi enjoying her, watching her, hungry for more. Mikasa moans softly as his gaze lingers down her body to her sex, then back up to her eyes.

"You're holding back, brat," Levi's handsome face smiled sadistically at her as he began to stroke the outside of his pants. In a choked breath, he spoke, "Keep going."

"I need you," Mikasa rasps, throwing away all intuition as she continued rocking her hips against herself. It wasn't enough. Nothing was. "Please…! Touch me, Captain…!"

Damn his conscience. "Fuck… I want to…" Levi growls, throwing his head back into his pillow. He imagines standing over her, touching her—tasting her—as he strokes himself even harder, more freely, his hips twitching as he grasps his free hand to the bed. He needs more, and he knows she needs it, too. His hand betrays him as he reaches for her. "We… We can't touch."

She's frustrated. She's impatient. She was ready to abandon all rules. But even in the heat of it she knew it was important. "F-fine… No touch means no skin," Mikasa pants, reassuring him in such simple words as she crawls over him, throwing a leg over his waist with only their clothes between them. She leans down, almost kissing him and her fingers graze over the fabric of his chest, then stops like a tease. "…No sex."

Mesmerized by this glorious view of Mikasa Ackerman atop of him, Levi nods and grins at this mutual loophole. "Cheeky brat," Levi snaps, tugging at her nightgown and accepting his downfall. "Come here."

Mikasa couldn't believe this was happening. Her entire daydream, now playing out beneath her even better than she'd imagined. She followed the lead, her pussy throbbing with excitement as as she crawls and centers herself on the fabric of Levi's cock, barely brushing her soaked cotton atop the length of his shaft under the blanket. He groans at her motion, and instantly she's addicted. They hiss together when Mikasa sinks heavily against his hardness; she clutches at his gray shirt at this new sensation.

Mikasa was in full control now, the friction against her core hit at all the right angles, his solidness ravaging against her clit as she bucks her hips against him. This was much better than what her fingers cold ever do for her.

"Mikasa…" Levi groans beneath her, aiding the dance of her hips atop of him. "Is this okay for you…?"

Another heavy breath leaves her. "More than," she manages to say while teasingly lifting her nightgown just beneath her breasts, rewarding Levi a full view of her lower body and the damp black underwear rocking against his pants. His dilating eyes were a treat.

Mikasa pauses with gasping breaths to reach for the hem of his pants. He lifts his hips and lets her drag it down just barely, leaving his lower half with no defense but his gray boxers against her, a wet spot already marking him. Mikasa ignites at this view of his cock outlined in the thin fabric as he twitches. Curiously, she draws a hand to him. She had never touched a man like this before, and she loved how Levi felt in her hands. Testing the waters, she strokes again, and again, and again, captivated by each hiss in between. "Is this okay for you?"

"Fuck, yes," he grunts through his teeth, feeling wrong for enjoying this so much. "That feels so good, Mikasa."

Her eyes dilate as she moves herself up again, pressing her sweetness against his cock once more; this time with one less layer, allowing her to feel how he swells for her.

"Shit…!" The captain grows dizzy at the sensation; he could feel her warmth and wetness through the fabric as Mikasa grinds against him. It's so good. It's too much. And it's a losing battle. "We're pushing it," he breathes as his hands almost trail up the skin of her waist. Instead, he holds back, anchoring himself to the bed and pushes up against her, making her gasp.

"We're still not touching, Captain," Mikasa grins as she feeds herself the convincing lie. She clutches the pillow behind his head and rocks her hips steady against him, faster.

He accepts this broken logic without question when his needy hands fondle the fabric of her nightgown that covered her breasts. Mikasa yelps when he pinches her nipples and causing her to fall forward—the perfect opportunity for Levi to lick and suck at her breasts through the fabric. "You like this?"

The way she squirms answers everything. He smiles as he gently bites again. "Captain Levi…!" She flings her head back again, anchoring her hands against his legs as her nightgown falls over her thighs again.

"Let me see you, brat," Levi demanded.

Like instinct, her body straightens up, complying as she lifts her dress for his foggy gaze again. Writhing against his cock even faster, Mikasa can feel her underwear slowly begins to shift, sliding off of her and exposing the glistening flesh moving against him, controlling him, leaving visible traces of her pleasure against his boxers. It feels so good, she can't even feel embarrassed.

Levi looks down, his eyes widening as he finally sees Mikasa's bare flesh, the way her lips push and part around his cock. "Holy shit, Mikasa… That's so fucking sexy. Keep going. Do not fucking stop." Levi took over holding her gown open as Mikasa anchors herself and goes at full speed, her whimpers and desperate sounds turning unbridled and higher in tone as the euphoric pressure builds in her. He can feel every bit of himself ready to come undone and he knows by the desperation on her face that she is, too. "Mikasa, come for me… Fucking come on me, dirty brat!"

"C-CAPTAIN…! I'm... I'm gonna…!" Mikasa shakily cries out, knees buckling out beneath her as she convulsed through crashing waves rocking her body. It was an intensity she'd never experienced before, a pleasure she didn't think she'd be lucky enough to know. She spasms over him, rocking at swelling length in broken thrusts and hitched breaths. Mikasa grew weak but she did not dare to stop for a second as Levi begs for her.

"FUCK!" Levi could feel her pulsating against him as he explodes, groaning more expletives into the air. He releases her dress to clutch at this pillow, writhing in pleasure as Mikasa continues stroking him slowly.

She oozes her arousal on him and feels cock throbbing under her, delighting herself in the way he gasps for air. She lifts her dress once more to watch Levi's finish slowly seep through his boxers, pooling at the tip of the outline of his length. Biting her lip at the scent of him filling the air around her, her arousal already begins to bud again. If it weren't for how tired she was already, Mikasa would wish to start again.

Levi's body goes limp and she falls to his side, both catching their breaths in the lingering silence. The reality of what just happened began to weigh on them.

"Mikasa…"

"Hey, we're following the rules," Mikasa says under a blush.

"That's not what I was going to say." Levi chuckles and corrects her, pulling his pants back up his waist while ignoring the mess they've created. He turns and lifts the corner of his lips at Mikasa, beads of sweat falling from his forehead. "Could take longer than tomorrow for your room to get back up to standards."

She catches his playful tone and nudges him. "I think you're right. Things like that could take a few more nights."

"I'll see to it that they take the extra time testing the samples, and to get the room back up to compliance and to my approval. Just to make sure everything's okay and safe." Levi softly places the blanket over Mikasa, letting her tired body settle back under the warmth of the covers. "Under no circumstances can you stay in that room until I deem it safe. Understood?"

"Understood." A knowing smile rises on Mikasa's lips. "...I wouldn't break a rule."

"Tch. Right. Just like tonight."

"You only said we couldn't touch."

"I also said stay on opposite sides of the bed, which very clearly wasn't the case. ...But I'll permit rules to be bent sometimes."

Mikasa peeks over the edge of the blanket. "...Are you saying this would be permitted to happen again?"

"Go to sleep, damn brat. That's what you were supposed to do." Levi wraps an arm over the blanket as she laughs an apology, holding her closely through the night.

Hange's experiments on the crystallized Titan blood found in Mikasa Ackerman's quarters lasted six nights, and soldiers noticed that their two strongest seemed unusually tired that week.