Two days. It had been two days since Levi had departed with the rest of the regiment. Two days, and Rosa was already ready to lose it: The time seemed to pass so slowly, and she was constantly worrying about Levi and the others. She couldn't focus on her tasks, and everything around her just felt so empty... empty without him.

"The next time… next time I'll be ready." She thought to herself, preparing her 3dmg for another long training session. Her cuts were good as ever, her form was better... There was no more reason for Erwin to refuse her participation. She'd just have to prove herself to him.

Rosa had just made it to the training grounds, when a sound of hooves caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw a rider coming her way.

"What on earth..?" She muttered. Then, she realized he was a scout messenger; That wasn't a good sign. She waited as the rider stopped his horse, and hopped down.

"Rosa Walch?" He asked, offering her a sealed envelope when she nodded.

She quickly read the note, and her heart sank.

"Commander Erwin requests an emergency supply run." He explained. "He has asked you to organize it as soon as possible."

"Okay." Rosa nodded. She didn't have time to process what had happened; Her first priority was to follow orders.

"I… I'll send someone else to take care of it. Thank you."

While preparing the supplies, Rosa had a word with the Garrison lookouts, and found that there had been a lot of activity outside the walls; The constant sightings of emergency flares in the horizon told that the scouts were struggling, and the fact that many of the requested items were medical supplies also told a grim story of their situation.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Rosa muttered under her breath, staring at the crates packed and ready for transport. The cadets who were making the delivery were green as they could be, and she doubted they would make it in one piece. But, there were no men to spare… except…

The situation was bad. Real bad. Just when the scouts had finished setting up a new outpost, a massive horde of titans had appeared almost out of nowhere. Retreat wasn't an option, and the casualties were devastating. Their supplies were diminishing, and if they didn't get more medical supplies soon, they'd be unable to treat the wounded.

"Shortyy~!"

Hearing a familiar voice calling for him, Levi turned his attention to Hange, who had just landed next to him on a tree branch.

"How are you guys holding up here?" She asked, sheathing her blades. She had come to check if Levi's squad needed any help, but most of the titans in that area had already been dealt with.

"As well as you can imagine." Levi muttered, his voice weary. The sun was beginning to set, and the whole squad was exhausted. "This whole mission has been a real shit-show…"

"But hey, I have some good news~!" Hange smirked. "The supplies arrived!"

"Oh?" Levi couldn't hide his surprise when hearing the news. "They actually made it here?" He had suggested that they would've sent some more experienced scouts to retrieve the supplies, but since the situation was what it was, they had no men to spare.

"You know, there was a surprise delivery for you as well."

Levi just gave Hange a vexed glare— He wasn't in a mood for guessing what she possibly could be talking about.

"What?" Hange raised her brow. "Don't tell me you thought she'd even consider sending those youngsters out here alone?" She smirked.

He felt all the blood drain from his face when the realization hit him. "Where is she?"

"Believe me, I was surprised to-"

"Damn it, Hange! Where is she?!" Levi almost shouted, his patience running thin. What was she doing there? He had to find her; His heart was racing in his chest, and the anxiety he was feeling was almost overwhelming. He could hear the blood rushing through his veins as his pulse sped up, his whole body almost shaking.

"Geez, alright!" Hange furrowed her brow, unsure what to think of Levi's furious reaction. "She's fine, Erwin sent her to the northern part of the forest-"

Hange couldn't finish her sentence when Levi was gone. He dashed past her, his movements swift and nimble, as he rushed forward, heading towards the north.

Levi scanned the area around him, looking for her. The trees were thick and tall, and the setting sun made it difficult to see anything… But he wasn't going to stop until he'd find her.

"For fuck's sake..!"

Rosa cursed as she pulled her blade out of the 15-meter titan, its steaming body falling onto the forest floor with a thud.

Her muscles were aching, and her breathing was ragged. She was exhausted, but she had no time to rest. The last attack had taken her by surprise, and her gas canister was almost empty.

"Hey, Sasha!" She called out to her friend. "I gotta resupply, will you be alright? I won't be long, I promise."

Sasha was on a tree branch close to her, and the moment she heard her name, she glanced over her shoulder, meeting Rosa's gaze. "Yeah, sure! Be careful!"

Rosa was just about to turn around, when a 10-meter class titan suddenly came into her view, its attention turning to Sasha.

"Shit..!" She yelped in surprise. "No, no, no, not now! You've got to be kidding me..!" Rosa cursed under her breath, already preparing her blades... but then, a figure flashed by her, and the creature fell to the ground. "What the..." Rosa breathed, unable to believe her eyes. "Was that...?"

She was still staring at the fallen titan when a familiar figure appeared in front of her. "Levi?!" Rosa blinked, her eye widening in disbelief. She didn't understand how it was even possible, but there he was, standing in front of her, his breathing heavy, his cape fluttering in the wind.

"Are you okay?" Levi's voice was husky, and he sounded concerned.

"Am I-? What are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be leading your squad?!"

"Rosa, please. Answer my question." He tried again, but Rosa wasn't ready to answer him.

"Why are you even here?!"

"I asked you a question." Levi narrowed his eyes, his expression hardening.

"Yes, Levi! I'm okay, are you?!"

"Good." He didn't bother to respond to her second question. He had to make sure that she was alright. "I need you to listen to me. You're gonna take one of those horses, and head back to the walls. Now."

"What? No!" Rosa stared at him, mouth agape, unable to believe her ears. "Why would I-"

She was silenced when Levi grabbed her arm, and pulled her closer, his hands squeezing her shoulders. "What the hell are you doing here?!" He growled, his eyes boring into hers. "Why did you come?! Do you have a fucking death wish?!"

"What the hell is your problem, Levi?! Let go of me!" She hissed at him, her cheeks heating up when his fingers tightened around her.

"This is not the place for you— Do you even realize how reckless this is?!"

"This exactly IS my place!" Rosa snapped. She had expected him to be mad at her, but it still stung to see him looking at her with such disdain in his eyes. "I spoke with Erwin; HE pointed me here, so stop telling me what I can or can't do, alright?! I'm not a damn child!"

Levi's jaw clenched. His grip loosened, and his shoulders slumped as he exhaled sharply.

Rosa looked down at her arm, her eye still wide with shock. "What the heck, Levi..? What the hell was that for?!"

"I'm sorry..." Levi sighed. He had let his emotions get the best of him, and now he was feeling extremely guilty. "I... I was just worried." He admitted, his voice low. "I didn't expect to find you here, and... I'm glad you're safe."

Rosa was staring at him in disbelief. Her lips parted, but no words came out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry." Levi repeated. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Rosa didn't know how to respond, and the two of them just stood there, silence hanging between them. She had never seen him like this before, and she could tell he was worried about her. It was touching, really, but the fact that she was so surprised was rather telling: Rosa didn't believe he cared this much for her.

"It's okay." Rosa said after a moment, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I guess I deserved it."

Levi frowned, his expression pained. "No. I should've trusted you. I should've trusted Erwin. I'm sorry, Rosa."

"Levi, it's fine." Rosa reassured him, her voice soft. She didn't want him to blame himself; She could sense the guilt and self-loathing oozing out of him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't have time to, and then-"

"Uhm... Guys, if you don't mind..?" Sasha interrupted their conversation, pointing at a 15-meter class titan that was approaching the group.

"Ah, shit!" Rosa cursed. "Sorry, we're coming! I gotta refill my gas, too!"

Levi's eyes met Rosa's again. He had no intention of leaving her side, not when there were so many titans roaming around. "Go ahead, I'll cover you."

Rosa nodded. This time, they'd be fighting side by side.