He ended up keeping one of Furlan's frayed ties and Isabel's delicate ribbons. They joined his mother's old white dress in the shadowy corner of his cupboard, a collection of relics from lives that had slipped through his fingers. He didn't know what else to take, but each piece was a reminder of the past, of people he had lost.
Their faces were now a permanent fixture in his nightmares.
The infirmary nurse had watched him with wary eyes, allowing him to leave. Once he walked through the barracks, the soldiers there stiffened, pressing themselves against the walls. They watched him with wide, uneasy eyes, like he was some freak of nature among them.
Erwin's words hung in the air, thick with a sense of foreboding. The way Erwin had looked at him reminded him of their first encounter in the Underground— those sharp blue eyes glinting like polished steel. The bastard had seen something in him. A potential, atool,something to be molded and used. That same gleam was there again, only sharper, more focused.
Shithead.
Levi's anger flared, hot and consuming.
"You can't leave the Corps,"Erwin had said, as if the mere act of joining the Scout Regiment sealed his fate. He didn't give a rat's ass about their rules, their promises, or their oaths. Isabel and Furlan were gone—no, they were dead, brutally taken from him—and without them, the Corps meant nothing.
He would find a way out, and when he did, he would hunt down Lovof. He'd make that bastard suffer, draw out every breath until the fat pig was choking on the life that Levi would slowly, painfully strangle out of him.
Even his room was cold and empty.
The absence of familiar sounds felt deafening—no creak of the top bunk as Furlan shifted restlessly in his sleep, no teasing laughter echoing in through the door.
The dead silence pressed down on him heavily.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Whenever he would close his eyes, the memories played before him shutter by shutter. Their faces would appear, covered in blood and death, haunting him with gnawing guilt and nightmares.
Morning finally broke, the dim light of dawn filtering through the small window, casting long shadows across the room.
The day rolled on like any other. He dressed mechanically, donning his uniform with practiced ease, the cravat now a familiar weight around his neck. In the bathroom, he washed away the night's sweat and grime, his reflection in the mirror a stranger's face. The bandages around his hands were tight, hiding the raw skin beneath as he unfurled them gradually.
He curled and uncurled his fingers, testing his strength before he made his way outside the room.
The barracks seemingly held its breath once he stepped into view.
Soldiers stared at him openly. Their eyes were wide with something that wasn't quite fear but wasn't far from it either, watching him like he was some showpiece amongst them.
His heated glare swept over them. A few of them flinched, glancing away quickly.
Levi set his jaw and lumbered down the corridors.
He needed to break free from the suffocating grip of the Scout Regiment. Orders meant nothing to him anymore. He'd break every rule, push every boundary, until they had no choice but to release him. He briefly entertained the idea of picking a fight—beating someone senseless just to get thrown out. On the streets, the Survey Corps were known as nothing more than a bunch of suicidal maniacs, throwing themselves into Titan maws with reckless abandon. If it came to it, he'd slip back into the shadows of the Underground, where no one would dare follow.
No one,his fingers clenched into tight fists.Except for that one bastard.
The day rolled on steadily.
He tried not to think about the funeral, about the pointless speeches and the empty gestures offered to the dead. He hadn't lifted the black shrouds that covered the corpses of his friends—what was left of them was too mangled, only a grotesque image The Corps funding had dried up so much that they couldn't even afford proper caskets for the fallen, themartyrswho died for a cause no one seemed to care about.
Not many outside the Corps saw them as heroes, only a waste of their tax money.
Near noon, he found himself in a familiar classroom.
The last time he was here, the room had been alive with energy. Isabel had been bouncing in her seat while Furlan sat beside her, muttering under his breath, clearly irritated by how they were being treated like children. The room had buzzed with nervous anticipation as new cadets eyed each other.
After the expedition, only five recruits remained in the classroom with him.
They all sat in eerie silence, staring ahead blankly. The trauma of what they had witnessed—the brutal slaughter of their comrades under the relentless rain—hung over them like a dark cloud. The Corps was fucked up to shove them back into the room as if nothing had happened, as if the horrors they'd endured were nothing more than a bad dream.
Anger surged through him.
He kept it tightly controlled, sitting silently near a window where the sunlight struggled to seep through the grime.
Silver eyes sharpened when the door creaked open, familiar boots stepping into the room.
There she stood, surveying the room with a steady gaze. Her eyes lingered momentarily on the rows of several empty seats, and he caught the brief flicker of confliction across her face, the hint of wariness before it ultimately settled for something resolute.
With a swift motion, she picked up a piece of chalk between delicate fingers.
"My name is Amelia," she said, her voice clear and composed.
The room remained silent as the recruits sat in their seats, their minds still trapped on the battlefield.
Levi's eyes narrowed as he watched her closely. She hadn't given her full name. He knew why—she was connected to that bastard, the man who had pulled him out from one hellhole and into another. She didn't want to bring attention to herself. He filed this information for later, a piece for his developing plan to leave this damned place.
His fingers tightened around the brass pen on his desk, the cold metal digging into his palm as his intense gaze remained on her as she droned on about the center of gravity and how it related to the use of their gears.
He couldn't care less about it.
Near the end of the monotonous lecture, she lifted a stack of thin sheets, distributing them to the handful of Scouts seated in the room. She adjusted the hourglass on the corner of her desk, the sand beginning to trickle down in measured silence.
A few moments later, one of the pale faced cadets let out an audible whimper and Levi reluctantly glanced his way.
The young man trembled, a faint sniffle escaping him once more before he broke down into loud, gut-wrenching sobs that echoed off the stone walls.
Levi looked down at the sheet of paper before him. In the background, the sobbing continued unabated, a raw, unfiltered pain that filled the room. He listened to the soft creak of her chair as she shifted slightly, resettling herself with a quiet sigh. Her eyes returned to the open book on her desk, her expression impassive as she resumed her reading, seemingly oblivious to the desperate weeping.
Minutes ticked by, and the recruit's sobs gradually faded into quiet, sporadic whimpers.
Once the bottom half of the hour glass filled, she straightened in her seat. Her elbows rested on the table as she surveyed the classroom coolly.
She pressed her hands down on the table. "Time's up."
Chairs scraped loudly against the flagstone flooring as the recruits rose to their feet. They slowly scuffled towards her desk, handing over their quizzes. Some of the parchments were crumpled, others soaked with tears, the ink smeared and blurred across the pale surface. She accepted them silently, her expressions flat as the last of the recruits filed out of the room, leaving behind a heavy, suffocating silence.
His footsteps echoed loudly as he lumbered towards her desk.
She looked up at him expectantly, a slow smile curving her lips once he stood before the table.
Levi's expressions were stoic, his eyes narrowing with intent as he tossed a sheet of paper onto her desk. The flimsy parchment fluttered pathetically in the air before landing atop her neatly organized notes.
Amelia reached forward, casually smoothing out creases of the parchment with her fingertips.
She snorted, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "Hope it wasn't too difficult."
Levi remained silent, his gaze never wavering as she glanced at the empty sheet. Her amusement quickly faded, replaced by a flat, unimpressed stare.
She lifted the empty paper in her hands. "You didn't write anything."
"Cut the crap."
Blue eyes flickered back to him, and Levi scowled, nearing the desk. His fingers twitched with restrained anger as he narrowed his eyes. "I want out."
She blinked."Out?"
"Out of this shithole!" Levi snapped, his voice reverberating in the quiet classroom.
The late afternoon sun casted long shadows across the room, the light filtering through the arched window in a soft, fading glow that did little to warm the chill in the air.
Amelia paused, considering his words.
She smoothed his paper once more, her fingers lingering on the edges. There was an amused glint in her eyes. "I've told you before, there's no leaving once you join the Scout Regiment."
"But if you're feeling lucky, you might want to take it up with your Commander or Captain," she shrugged. "They're far more equipped to deal with your requests than a substitute instructor like me."
His hands slammed down onto the desk with a resoundingthud,the impact rattling the scattered papers. Blue eyes snapped back up to him and he sneered down at her, his eyes narrowed into slits.
"I'm pretty sure if that shitty bastard's little sister begged for my mercy," he scowled, each word dripping with menace. "I could get them to change their minds pretty damn quick."
For a long moment, Amelia simply stared at him. Her eyes briefly flitted down to his hands, where his bony fingers were splayed across the table. A faint, amused smile curled her lips, and she tilted her head, considering his words with a playful hum.
"… little?"she repeated, looking bemused as she settled back into her chair.
"Well," she curled a hand around her chin, and Levi's scowl deepened as she offered him a smug look. "There are a couple of flaws in your plan."
His eyes narrowed further as she raised a single finger, her smile widening slightly.
"First of all," Amelia said playfully, her tone light. "I'm actually older than Erwin."
His teeth clenched in frustration.
"And as much as I appreciate the compliment," she said breezily, "I'm afraid most Scouts end up looking older than they are because watching your comrades get eaten by giant monsters tends to age you pretty quickly."
The abrupt images of a mangled corpse and a severed head flashed through his mind, and his fingers curled tighter around the wood of the desk.
"And even if you do take me hostage and demand to be released from your pledge to humanity," she said calmly, holding up a second finger as she held his gaze. "He still won't let you leave."
The faint sunlight filtering through the narrow window slanted across her face, catching her eyes in a sharp, calculating glint— it was the same predatory shine he had seen lurking behind the cloak of the bastard who had dragged him into this mess, back during that frantic Underground chase.
Levi clenched his jaw."Hah?"
"He's like a dog with a bone." Amelia elaborated, folding her arms on the desk and leaning on them. Her gaze was sharp and unwavering, pinning him in place. "You're new here so take my advice."
Levi stared at her as she inclined her head, her eyes boring into him.
"After what you pulled in the field, you could take the King himself hostage, threaten all the Nobles if you want but Erwin willnot,"she paused, allowing the weight of her words to sink into him. "Let. You. Go."
He gripped the edge of the desk tighter, his fingers forcibly digging into the creaking wood.
Amelia glanced down at his white-knuckled grip, her eyes flicking back up to the grim set of his jaw and the shadows in his eyes. A small, apologetic smile curved her lips. "He'd rather die than let someone as strong as you slip from his fingers."
"Then I should just fucking kill him."
He spat out, the words tumbling from his mouth in sheer disdain.
She pressed her fingertips lightly to her lips, stifling the amused laughter nearly leaving her. Those pale blue eyes lingered on him, taking in the hard lines on his face and the barely contained fury that radiated from him like a live wire.
His fingers dug deeper into the wood as he bristled, his whole form buzzing with the sheer force of his anger.
"Y'know," she started, eyes all playful now and he faintly realized that she usually looked quite serious, all decorum and poised. Much like those who had been raised within the inner walls of Sina. Her façade slipped away quickly around him, the reason for which he wasn't voice was light as she continued.
"When we were kids, he brought a cat home once."
Levi momentarily loosened his grip on the desk, brows scrunching together as he stared at her.
"It was a really small thing," she cupped her hands together in demonstration. His eyes immediately drew to the tips of her stained fingers. "It was a kitten, to be exact. Black furred, nothing but skin and bones."
"It was left nearly drowned by the river," she added, her voice softening slightly as she dropped her hands in her lap. "As a stray, it didn't like being put into such a confined space."
His patience was wearing dangerously thin. He glared at her, his mind racing with irritation.What the hell is she getting at?The thought pounded in his mind, and his fingers twitched with the urge to kick the table, to force her to get to the damn point.
"Even though he was the one trying to help it out, the kitten really hated him," her voice was tinged with amusement. "Would bite him and scratch him till he bled."
A knowing smile curled her lips, and Amelia leaned back in her seat, reminding him of that damn library with its endless bookshelves.
"But you know what the most interesting thing is?" She grinned faintly, savoring the moment. "Soon enough, the little thing grew fond of him and was eating right out of his hand."
"Oi," Levi frowned, his voice low and dangerous. "The fuck you tryna say here?"
Amelia met his gaze calmly, infuriating him further.
"He's just always been good at taking in strays," she deduced, her voice brimming with barely concealed amusement. "So I'm sure you'll be eating out of his hand in no time too."
The crack of wood echoed loudly through the room as Levi slammed his hands down on the table, the force of the impact splintering the surface. His lips pulled back into a furious snarl."I'm not some shitty animal—"
"It doesn't matterwhatyou are," Amelia said coolly.
She rose from her seat and he glared up at her, hating the several inches she had over him, hating the luck she was born with— what all these upsiders were born with.
"As long as you're an important piece in the cause we strive for," she continued, casually gathering the books and notes to her chest. The corner of her lips curled into a cool, calculated smile once she looked at him, holding his gaze firmly. "He'll have you collared in no time."
His fingers dug into the wood, the table groaning loudly as it cracked into half.
He could kill her, tear her head clean off her neck with his bare hands. Her corpse would be left bleeding on the floor, and then maybe that bastard could feel what he'd endured outside the Walls, cradling a bloodied head to his chest. Isabel was his sister too, not by blood but something that was far deeper than that. But this was the curse he was always to live with— to be blessed with loved ones, only for them to be torn away.
His gaze snapped down to the side of her hip, where her long skirt flowed gracefully down to her ankles.
Whether she was armed or not, it didn't matter. His rough, callused hands would be around her throat before she could eventhinkto reach for a weapon. He could almost feel it— the way her slender neck would fit easily between his hands, his thumbs pressing into the soft hollow of her throat until her pulse fluttered and faltered, and her eyes glazed over, lifeless—
Her flat voice abruptly cut through his murderous thoughts.
"That's coming out of your paycheck."
Silver eyes snapped sideways, his glare boring into her as she cradled the notes to her chest and easily reached for the door. He seethed as she nudged the door open with her foot and stepped out of the classroom, the heavy door creaking on its hinges.
The door slowly swung shut, leaving him alone in the room with his raging ire.
Levi lifted his hands from the wrecked table, staring down at the sizeable dent left behind. The wood was split down the middle, splintered and stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides as the silence of the room pressed in on him.
With a harsh shove, he pushed the door open and stepped into the corridor. The sound of the heavy door slamming shut behind him echoed noisily through the empty distant clack of her parting footsteps tauntingly filled his ears and he gritted his teeth.
An unfamiliar face cautiously peeked from around the corner, the cadet's trembling voice barely louder than a whisper.
"Th-the Captain's calling for you," he stammered.
Without a word, Levi shoved past the startled cadet.
His boots thudded against the stone floor as he came to a halt before a wooden door, his scowl deepening. He grabbed the doorknob, twisting it roughly, and stepped inside without hesitation.
Behind the desk, a head of blond locks lifted from a pile of stacked papers. Sharp cerulean eyes met his heated glare with a calm, steady gaze. The torches in the dim office flickered when the soft breeze slipped through the open door, casting wavering shadows along the stone walls.
"Levi," Erwin said, his lips thinning into a grimace. "Next time, knock."
Levi swallowed down a string of expletives. He grunted and kicked the door shut behind him, his voice dangerously calm.
"What the hell do you want?" he groused, folding his arms over his chest.
Erwin's expression remained unreadable as he leaned back in his chair and pushed a hefty pile of papers across the desk.
"You're being assigned critical paperwork."
Levi's gaze flicked to the stack, clear irritation on his face as Erwin nodded towards the parchment. "You'll need to write a report on the recent expedition. These letters are to address your actions in the field."
"The hell I will," Levi shot back, his voice laced with venom.
"Your performance outside the Walls has garnered attention," Erwin responded calmly, his tone leveled. "People are curious and the brass wants details. They're afraid of you, Levi."
"Oi," Levi's glare darkened, his mind drifting back to memories he'd rather forget. His jaw clenched as old wounds reopened, memories of betrayal and blood rushing to the forefront.
"I'm not some freak for them to study—"
"We need to assure them that you're under control," Erwin laced his fingers together and set his hands on the desk, gaze unwavering. "The pardon the Survey Corps offered you only stands if they believe you're compliant."
Levi's fists clenched at his sides. His gaze hardened as he considered what it would take to kill the man sitting before him. He'd fought Erwin before, in the darkness of the Underground, where survival was a blood soaked gamble. The only reason Erwin had won back then was because of his filthy tactics—using Isabel and Furlan as leverage.
Levi had let him win.
He was haunted by the graves of his comrades, their disassembled bodies burned into his memory, the scent of Titan blood still thick in the back of his throat.
"And if I decide not to play nice?" Levi sneered, stepping closer. "You gonna put me down like a stray dog?"
Erwin's calm demeanor remained intact as Levi leaned in, his shadow looming over the desk. He stared down at the man across from him.
"What will you do then, Erwin Smith?"
That's how it always was. Once someone had no more value, they were discarded. It didn't matter if it was here, in the clean halls of the Scout Headquarters, or in the grime of the Underground. The streets or the brothels—it made no difference.
The memories clung to him like old scars; the sound of those sick, wracking coughs, and the hollow, pleading eyes that barely glanced his way before drifting to the door. He could still feel the rough texture of those filthy bed sheets beneath his small hands, the stench of sickness heavy in the air, mingling with the sound of drunken laughter and the distant, shrill giggles of women in the next room. His mother had been no different. When she was no longer useful, she was left to die.Forgotten.Just like all the others.
"Make sure you answer each query appropriately."
Erwin's deep voice cut through the silence, dragging Levi back to the present.
"Submit it to me once you're done," Erwin seemingly ignored the question directed at him as he gestured toward the quill and ink pot sitting on the desk, his voice calm. "I'll revise it in case we need to twist and bend some things to appease their mounting concerns against you."
Levi stared at him, taking in the words before he quietly reached for the stack of papers.
Erwin motioned to the chair across from him. "You may sit here—"
"Fuck, no." Levi grabbed the ink pot, carefully holding it away from the papers clutched in his other hand.
A faint smile threatened to break across Erwin's stoic expression, a slight twitch of amusement at the corner of his bushy brows.
"There's always the staff room," he suggested mildly. "If that's more to your liking. Though, it's usually occupied by the instructors—"
The door already slammed shut before him.
Her arms clutched the stack of papers tightly against her chest, her lips pressed into a thin frown as she briskly strode down the dimly lit corridor. The soft echo of her footsteps filled the hall, accompanied by the distant sounds of cadets shouting outside. Amelia exhaled sharply through her nose, her eyes dropping to the sheaves of paper in her grip. Her brows knitted together in frustration.
"Maybe I was too harsh," she muttered under her breath.
She halted beside one of the tall, arched windows. Her eyes boredly took in the scene of two, young boys struggling to rein in a group of impatient, skittish horses when hurried footsteps approached her from afar.
A flash of sandy brown hair entered her line of sight. She turned her head, pausing as a familiar figure jogged towards her in a crisp uniform.
"Moblit," she greeted, a faint smile touching her face.
Moblit smiled back, fatigue clear in his eyes.
She noticed the silver tray he carried, balancing it carefully as he approached her. Her gaze briefly flickered to the pocket watch hanging from her hip, and she reflexively shifted the papers in her arms, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"I thought we still had time before dinner," she said, perplexed.
"It's not dinner," Moblit deadpanned.
Metal clanged against stone when he set the tray on the windowsill beside her. Amelia's eyes wandered over the neatly arranged dishes atop the tray, a covered plate, two delicate teacups, and a teapot perched on the side.
An amused smile curled her lips, and she glanced at his grimacing face.
"Let me guess," Amelia snorted softly, "she hasn't eaten anything since the expedition?"
"Hasn't even slept," Moblit sighed heavily. He dragged a hand down his face, looking utterly exhausted. "Or even bathed but at least she caneat!"
"Have you tried locking her out of the lab?" She suggested, shifting near the window and setting the stack of notes beside the tray.
"She'd go berserk, you know that." Moblit pinched the bridge of nose in exasperation. "The Captain tried doing that last time and she ended up wrecking his office."
"Oh, right." Amelia grinned faintly. "Shame I wasn't here to witness that."
Moblit shook his head, closing his eyes as he leaned beside the windowsill. "She'll get sick if she keeps this up. Her body needs to rest."
Amelia moved for the tray, curling her hands around the handles.
Moblit shifted sideways, glancing at her worriedly. "Miss Amelia, you don't have to—"
"Can you grab my notes, please?" She asked politely, her smile calm as she walked forward. The teapot rattled softly on the tray as she steadily trudged down the hallway. "Leave the rest to me."
Footsteps ushered swiftly behind her. Moblit carried the stack of heavy books and notes in his arms, trailing after her as they reached the double doors.
"Ah."Moblit searched for a place to put the books down. "Let me open it."
"It's fine," Amelie shrugged.
She turned around and pressed her back to the door, grinning faintly as she nudged the doorknob open with her elbow. Moblit stared at her owlishly, raising a brow when she steadied herself on her feet and balanced her footing. She faced the door again and nudged the dark oak with the press of her tall, wooden door slowly creaked open.
Amelia peeked inside the lab, stepping in the doorway with Moblit close behind her.
At the far end of the long wooden table, someone sat hunched over a pile of muddled books.
"For the last time, Moblit." The head of auburn locks leaning atop the table shifted slightly, followed by a low, irritated grumble. "I don't need a bathroom break."
Amelia stifled a snort, the corners of her eyes crinkling with amusement as Moblit let out a heavy sigh behind her. She trudged into the spacious room, the clatter of her heels echoing off the stone floor. With a soft thud, she set the tray of food on the edge of the long wooden desk, glancing down at the hunched figure before her.
She stood behind the occupied chair, squinting at the unruly auburn hair as she patiently waited for any acknowledgment.
The only response from the figure in the chair was the occasional flicker of a quill moving across the parchments.
Her eyes softened as she lifted her hands and gently rested her fingers on taut, bony shoulders. She gave a soft, reassuring squeeze, leaning in slightly.
The head finally tilted back, revealing soft brown eyes blinking up at her from behind oval glasses.
"Ho?" Hange squinted. "I must be really out of it if you're starting to look like Amy, Moblit."
"Hange," Amelia said simply. Her blond braid slipped past her shoulder as she leaned in closer. Her fingers tightened briefly on Hange's shoulders as she frowned down at her.
"Damn," Hange shifted back in her seat, arms sliding into a cross over her chest. "You're even starting to sound like her."
"Hange."Amelia narrowed her eyes, her fingers squeezing down firmly this time. "You need to eat something. You're worrying Moblit."
Realization finally dawned on Hange's face. A wide grin tugged her lips and she beamed up at her. "So it really is you!"
She sat up straighter in the chair, hands lifting to press down on the petite fingers squeezing her shoulders. "What're you still doing here, Amy? I thought your contract ended ages ago."
"I got it extended," Amelia said casually, her hand moving deftly between them.
Hazel eyes watched curiously as those dainty fingers flitted across her face before curling around the bridge of her glasses. Hange blinked when Amelia easily plucked the glasses off her face.
"Oi?!"Hange yelped in protest, "my glasses—"
"Eat something, please," Amelia said firmly, standing tall again. She folded the glasses neatly in her hand and slipped them under her neckline, securing them between her chest. "And maybe we can get you to take a bath afterward."
Hange's gaze flickered down to where her glasses now rested, a deep frown curling her lips.
"I'm not finished!" She grumbled, sinking back into her chair. "I've still got so much data to work with from the expedition!"
"Squad Leader, please," Moblit interjected softly, standing beside the pile of books and notes he'd earlier placed on the table. His expression was etched with concern, his fingers fiddling nervously. "You'll collapse if you keep pushing yourself like this."
Hange argued back. "We don't have time for stuff like this—"
The sound of a chair scraping against the floor cut her off. She halted, eyes narrowing as Amelia calmly slid the tray in front of her and took a seat beside her, nudging the tray closer.
"The faster you eat, the faster you can get back to work," Amelia suggested lightly.
Hange huffed, crossing her arms petulantly over her chest.
Amelia reached forward and uncovered the dish, revealing three large wheat biscuits set on the plate. She blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the simple offering as Hange snorted, clearly amused. From across the table, Moblit offered them a sheepish smile, already beginning to tidy the scattered notes.
"There wasn't much left in the kitchen," Moblit said gently, "this was the only thing I could grab before they started preparing dinner. I hope it's alright."
"It's more than alright, Moblit." Amelia assured as she picked up a biscuit, realising it was hard and dry from being left out too long. She handed one to Hange before reaching for the teapot.
Hange accepted it begrudgingly, her eyes glued to the scattered notes on the table as Amelia dragged the teacups closer. "I'm sure some tea will make it go down easier."
Moblit let out a long sigh. "I have a feeling we won't be seeing much funding this time."
"With Shadis calling the shots?" Hange muttered bitterly, snapping off a chunk of the biscuit with a forceful bite. "I'm nawth fuckhing shuprised."
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Amelia chided, her hand steady as she poured tea into the cups. "You'll choke."
"Heh," Hange swallowed down the bite, leaning forward slightly and glancing at the neckline of her dress. Her lips curled up in mischief. "What if I choke on something else~?"
"Squad Leader Hange!" Moblit sputtered, fumbling with the parchments in his hands. "That was highly inappropriate!"
Amelia snorted, barely containing her amusement as she finished pouring the tea. Hange leaned back, lazily draping her arm over the back of her chair as she waved the half-eaten biscuit around. Crumbs scattered over the table as she shrugged.
"Inappropriate?" Hange's grin widened, her tone playful. "Moblit, nothing is inappropriate in my lab. We're all just curious minds, eager to uncover the world's secrets. Isn't that what we're here for?"
"With all due respect, Squad Leader. That's reserved for Titans and not your comrades—"
"And anyway," Hange shoved the rest of the biscuit into her mouth and chewed noisily. She grinned, stretching her arms across the backs of the chairs "I bet Amy would love to hear whatelseis considered inappropriate at HQ."
"Sure," Amelia hummed nonchalantly, stirring sugar into the teacups. Moblit choked on the air behind them, his face flushing. Hange grinned widely, her eyes gleaming in mischief as she inched closer."Really, Amy—"
A teacup was thrust into her hands.
"Maybe after you've eatenandtaken a bath," Amelia said dryly, pressing the saucer into Hange's reluctant grip.
Hange blinked down at the tea in surprise before letting out a snort, accepting the cup.
"Alright, alright," she grumbled, blowing at the rising steam.
Moblit sighed, a tired smile tugging his lips as he straightened the parchments scattered on the table. The room fell into a brief, comfortable silence, the only sound being the quiet clink of teacups and the soft rustle of documents.
Amelia shuffled around the plate, her voice casual as she asked. "How were the new recruits?"
The rustling of papers paused. Moblit halted, his hands slowing as he tucked away the rest of the scrolls.
"We lost more soldiers this time than expected," he said quietly.
"And there's one man to blame for that," Hange muttered, staring down into her tea.
"What about the ones from the Underground?" Amelia continued, pouring the last cup of tea and placing it atop a saucer. She glanced over her shoulder, meeting Moblit's questioning look. "I heard one of them took down a lot of Titans single-handedly."
Amelia held out the teacup, her hand steady, and Moblit hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. Hange peered at her curiously from the side as Amelia continued, her tone casual. "Is that true?"
"I think," Moblit moved closer and reached for the teacup, "she's talking about that short man, Squad Leader."
Amelia snorted, glancing sideways as Hange nodded in approval. "That's Levi, alright."
"Yes, him." Amelia smiled as Moblit muttered a polite thank you, taking the tea from her hands. "Even the stable boys were starry-eyed over him."
"Oh, yeah. He's hella good!" Hange slurped her tea loudly before grabbing another biscuit. "Crazy good with the gear too. I even asked him and his friends to teach me their maneuvering techniques."
"You did what?" Moblit looked horrified, nearly spilling his tea. "They're ex-criminals, Squad Leader. You should be more careful—"
"Two of them are already dead, Moblit." Hange deadpanned. Amelia glanced at her, noting the subtle shift in her expression as Hange bit into the hard biscuit, chewing thoughtfully before frowning. "I saw Levi in the hallway last time but I guess he didn't hear me when I told him to wait."
Moblit sighed deeply, rubbing a hand down his face. "He still tried to attack the Captain."
Amelia's hand halted midway over the tray, her fingers hovering above the last biscuit. The room abruptly fell silent, and she could feel Hange's sharp gaze snap in her direction. Moblit clamped his mouth shut, realizing his mistake as his face tightened.
"It was only a scratch," Hange said aloud, feigning nonchalance as Amelia gently pushed herself to take the hardened biscuit between her fingers, posing carelessness. Hange shared a glance with Moblit who offered a weak, apologetic look. "Nothing Erwin can't handle."
Amelia leaned back in her chair, pretending she hadn't heard a word of Moblit's slip.
Her mind drifted back to another moment—a large, callused hand wrapped around a delicate teacup. She hadn't noticed at the time that the palm had been thickly bandaged. Maybe that was why Erwin had hesitated, switching the cup to his uninjured hand before finishing his tea.
She forced herself to push the memory aside.
"Did he really kill that many?" she asked instead, her voice steady.
Moblit pressed his lips into a thin line. Hange nodded enthusiastically, dunking a biscuit into her tea. "Oh, yeah. Shorty's a Titan-killing machine!"
"You saw him in action?" Amelia raised a brow, casually splitting her biscuit in half.
Hange nodded again, her expressions twisting in frustration as half of her biscuit sank into the tea. She muttered a curse and plunged her fingers into the hot liquid without hesitation, fishing around as she babbled. "He was so fast, I couldn't even keep up with his maneuvers."
Amelia looked thoughtful for a moment.
Moblit glanced at Hange worriedly as she swirled her fingers searchingly into the tea, tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth.
"You'll burn your fingers—"
"Aha!" Hange triumphantly pulled out the soggy biscuit from the cup, sending tea splattering across the desk. "Got it—oh, shit. My research!"
She hastily set the cup aside and scrambled to save the tea-stained notes, mumbling frantically under her breath as she dabbed at the papers with the corner of her sleeve.
Moblit let out another heavy sigh. He blinked in surprise when a halved biscuit was held his way. He glanced down, meeting Amelia's warm smile. The weariness in his eyes seemed to soften as he took the biscuit with a polite thank you.
"Just make sure to get her to the showers after dinner," Amelia shrugged casually, biting into her own biscuit.
Behind them, Hange continued muttering, now on all fours as she crawled across the table, frantically collecting her scattered paperwork.
Moblit nibbled at the half biscuit, glancing at his superior with a weak smile. "I take it that means you won't be helping with that task either?"
"You might want to ask Nanaba for help," Amelia swallowed the biscuit down a dry throat. She offered an apologetic smile. "I'm needed elsewhere tonight."
Moblit arched a brow. "I thought your classes were only in the afternoon?"
The table rattled violently as Hange swiped at a parchment hanging precariously off the edge. Her foot knocked into her neglected teacup, sending tea splashing across the mess of notes.
Amelia blinked in wide-eyed disbelief as the liquid spread, soaking the papers.
Moblit barely batted an eye, sipping his tea with furrowed brows as Hange screeched in panic, scrambling to salvage her research from the spreading puddle.
The room was eerily quiet, far quieter than he had anticipated.
Tucked away in the farthest corner of the castle, the staff room was large and spacious. Long rows of cabinets lined the walls, their doors slightly ajar, revealing glimpses of crumpled parchments stuffed inside. Dried ink pots lay abandoned atop the counters, their lids caked with residue, all of it buried beneath a thick layer of dust that hadn't been disturbed in years.
Levi scrunched his nose in distaste as he scanned the neglected room. His gaze eventually landed on the large table in the center of the room, the only surface that appeared clean.
The wood looked polished, untouched by the filth that covered the rest of the space.
He moved near the table, his boots barely making a sound on the stone floor. Setting his stack of parchments down, he watched the surface carefully. Fortunately no dust clouds rose to meet him.
He lingered there for a moment, surveying the room in contemplation.
The thought of cleaning the place sounded tempting. It would feel good to scrub the grime away before he started working. The floors needed a good mopping, the cabinets a thorough dusting. But that meant heading down to the storeroom for supplies—and worse, running into the anxious bastards in this place. He didn't give a single damn about them, but since the last expedition stray eyes would linger on him longer than necessary before followed by hushed words.
He hated the weight of eyes on him.
"Damn it all," he muttered, lightly kicking the chair set near him.
The sudden creak of the doorknob turning caught his attention, and he glanced over his echoed softly against the stone floor as someone stepped inside.
Amelia stood in the doorway, framed by the dim light spilling in from the hallway. Sky blue eyes blinked slowly, meeting his gaze in slight surprise. One of her hands clutched the doorknob, her other arm curled around a stack of parchments and books, the edges of which were frayed and worn from use.
Levi shifted his stance, turning to face her fully.
His scowl deepened, lips pressing into a thin line as he noted the brief flicker of surprise on her face. Two faces peeked out from behind her, their curious eyes wide as they surveyed the room.
He stared flatly, brows raising at the two brats that stood peering from behind the woman.
Ragged clothes covered their bodies, dirt smudged against their skin and neither of them wore shoes, standing barefooted in the doorframe.
Recognition slowly dawned on him.
He'd seen those kids before— down at the stables, mucking out stalls and watching the soldiers with wide-eyed awe. His gaze landed on the boy with dark brown hair and bright green eyes. He remembered him vividly. That kid had always been lingering at the edge of the stable, flushed with embarrassment whenever Isabel had waved at him.
"Guess he's got a crush on you," Furlan used to say, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. Levi would snort, a rare flicker of amusement passing over him as Isabel would roll her eyes and pull at the horse's reins."Oh, please. He's just a kid."
But that was a different time. His friends were long gone, now residing like ghosts in the corners of his mind.
His lips curled into a deep frown. "The hell do you want now?"
Amelia inclined her head slightly and stepped further into the room. She walked to the table, setting down the stack of notes and gesturing for the children to follow. They obeyed, shuffling in with silent, uncertain steps.
"This is the staff room," she explained.
Levi crossed his arms over his chest, his glower deepening. The presence of those brats only irritated him more.
Amelia's lips curled into an amused smile.
"This is where I do most of my grading and work," she added, glancing at the children as they settled awkwardly beside the table.
"Who the fuck is this guy?"
Levi's sharp gaze snapped down to the boy standing beside her. The kid barely reached her waist, glaring up at him with hard eyes. Boldness oozed from the brat, a kind of audacity he didn't see often in kids.
"Simon," Amelia's voice was firm, her frown disapproving as she looked down at the boy. "That's not how we talk to people."
He immediately muttered an apology under his breath. The boy beside him shifted nervously, his timid gaze glancing around the room.
"Is it really okay for us to be in 'ere, miss?" He asked meekly, his hands fidgeting at his sides.
"Yes, of course. The Commander gave me permission," she reassured, reaching out to pat his head softly. "Just make sure you don't wander near the barracks or into any of the offices, alright?"
The boy nodded quickly, fisting the side of her long skirt in a nervous grip.
"Tch." Levi clicked his tongue in clear annoyance. "Great. Now we've got brats running around in here too."
The boy flushed, shrinking further into himself under Levi's piercing glare as his nervous eyes dropped to the floor. Simon stepped forward slightly, his shoulders squared as if to shield the other boy.
Amelia remained calm, seemingly oblivious to the tension building in the room.
"We're here to study," she explained smoothly, her tone light and unbothered. She gestured toward the boys with a slight wave of her hand. "This is Simon and Theodore. They help out in the stables."
Levi's eyes flickered over the two again, taking in their dirt-smeared faces and ragged clothes. Theodore had practically disappeared behind Simon, his small frame trembling slightly. Simon stood glowering, attempting to size him up.
"And this," Amelia nodded his way, her lips curling into a faint smile, "is Levi. He's a Scout."
"Huh," Simon grunted, wrinkling his nose as his gaze raked over Levi's figure with blatant disinterest. "When the hell did Scouts get so short?"
Levi's scowl deepened, his jaw tightening as he momentarily considered kicking the brat across the face.
"S-Simon," Theodore grabbed Simon's arm, tugging it anxiously. "D-Don't say that!"
"The hell not—"
Amelia swiftly cut him off.
She smiled down at the two boys, her tone light as she glanced at him. "Levi is also the Scout who took down twenty Titans on his own during the last expedition."
Levi shot her an irritated glare. She ignored him, her focus on the two boys.
Simon visibly faltered, his eyes widening in stunned realization while Theodore's mouth fell open, awestruck. The disbelief on their faces mirrored the expressions Levi had seen from the other soldiers after the expedition—wide-eyed, stunned, and almost fearful.
"If you work hard and join the Corps," she smiled encouragely, her seemingly gentle words tugging at a heavy weight in Levi's chest. "Maybe one day you'll be a strong Scout like him too."
Levi dug his fingers into his crossed arm, gritting his teeth together when the brats stared at him with newfound admiration.
He stared at her, his expressions flat and unreadable. A thousand thoughts crossed his mind, but the one that stood out most wasno. No child should ever have to become like him, to go through the things he'd been gaze drifted from her to the boys once more, their wide, innocent eyes gazing up at him like he was something to be admired. That look—they had no idea what they were looking at, what they thought they saw. The knot of unease in his stomach tightened, twisting uncomfortably. That admiration, that naïve awe—it reminded him too much of Isabel.
Amelia's gentle voice cut through his swirling thoughts. "I hope we can all be respectful from now on."
She placed a reassuring hand on the boys' shoulders, guiding them toward the chairs beside the table.
Levi watched as she helped them into their seat. Simon shrugged off her hands roughly, clambering into the chair on his own while Theodore smiled shyly as he was settled into his 's gaze drifted to the stack of papers Levi had left on the counter.
When those pale blue eyes met him, they were different now— softer, the hard edge he'd seen in the classroom replaced with something calm, almost kind.
His grip on his arms loosened slightly.
"We just need an hour," she promised, her voice soothing as she reached for the quill and ink. "I assure you won't even notice we're here."
Levi glanced from her to the boys.
Simon was still throwing him quick, sharp glances. Theodore fumbled nervously with the books on the table, unsure of what to do with himself. His gaze fell to their bare feet dangling from the chairs, dirty and scuffed from the stables.
He finally grunted in resignation and gathered his stack of parchments, shifting to the far side of the table, away from them all.
Amelia smiled appreciatively. She took her seat between the boys, tugging a piece of parchment closer.
"Alright," she hummed, dipping her quill into a pot of ink. "Are you ready for your first lesson?"
Levi sat down, plucking out a parchment from the stack in front of him. He flattened it against the table, the rough texture under his fingertips grounding him as he heard the boys across from him give an eager, enthusiastic"yes!".
"Good," her voice carried a smile. "Let's start by learning how to write our names."
The sound of quills scratching against parchments filled the quiet room.
For a moment, his mind wandered back to when he was a boy—small, scrappy, barely skin and bones—sitting on a rickety kitchen table with Kenny's tall frame looming beside him. The man had droned on about reading, writing, and all the things he thought were important to teach Levi, as if they could somehow compete with the cleaner, more efficient lessons in how to slice a man's neck.
Back then, Levi's eyes would drift across the scuffed table, barely paying attention. His fingers would itch for the hilt of a knife instead of the pages Kenny had thrust at him.
Now he sat staring at the inked text before him.
This shouldn't be this hard.The flowery script blurred as he tried to focus, the elegant words slipping out of his grasp. He blinked once, then twice, his brows scrunching together in frustration.What the hell does this even say?
His focus wavered, the smooth curves of the letters blending into one another until they stopped meaning anything at hand moved instinctively, dipping the quill into the ink pot. The thick liquid clung to the nib as his hand hovered over the empty space of the parchment, uncertain.
A fat drop of ink fell, splattering onto the page.
His frown deepened, irritation slowly creeping in as the stain spread across the clean surface like an ugly blot. Levi stared at the blank, ink-stained parchment when a cold realization began to settle into him. His grip around the quill tightened instantly.
Shit.
A/N:I think I opened a whole can of worms when I wrote the starting of this fic in Levi's POV orz. This fic is pre-canon and would slowly continue into canon with its own plot and such but I've always wanted to know how did Levi achieve that level of camaraderie with Erwin ("I'll break your legs.") and Hange ("I see an abnormal right here.") and I think I've somehow let that trickle into this fic?! like this is Amelia's fic but oh well I want to see the characters expand and everything but I'll try to keep it more focused on Amelia bc I write fics on my characters to relax and have fun, there's a lot to go around for the canon characters but this is the food only I can make and I wanna have fun doing that but then *makes wild hand gestures* I'm also trying my hand at new themes in this fic that I haven't done in a long while so hopefully things will go smoothly !
I hope everyone's enjoying the fic at least
Thank you for reading!