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Description
A crash rang out through the lofty corridors, followed by a familiar roar of rage and indignation. You let out a victory cry and whooped, enjoying the momentary silence from down the hallway. You could practically feel the seething waves of hate radiating through the door. Chuckling madly, you legged it.

"[Lastname]!" A voice hollered, and somewhere behind you heard a door fly open, rapid footsteps behind you.

Twisting quickly you saw Levi half marching half sprinting after you, covered from head to toe in green paint. The sight made you cackle louder and double your speed through the halls, the terrifying thrill of having Levi chasing you sending adrenaline pumping through your veins.

Oh how you loved to wind him up.

Having trained alongside him in your days as cadets you'd known him for years, yet whilst he'd risen to the rank of Captain you'd barely scraped above the role of squad leader. Not that you were bothered. You were still alive. Not many others who had been in the survey corps for as long as you had could say the same.

It was when you and Hanji had been looking for equipment, for a new titan experiment you had theorised, that she had come across an ancient vat of paint. The moment she'd pointed it out, eyes bright with mischief, you had known exactly what she was thinking-

"I can't believe you'd fucking leave that over my door," Levi was yelling now, and closer than you'd thought. Your cheeks hurt from smiling, and your hysterical laughter finally overcame you at the mental image of the bucket of paint splatting on him from above. Wheezing like an asthmatic you leant against a wall.

Levi stormed up to you and grabbed the front of your shirt, pulling you close to his face and scowling. You smiled at him happily, biting back another onslaught of giggles as a large clump of paint dropped off his nose.

"I'm fucking sick of this [Name]," he spat, voice frigid. You raised your hands placatingly, before dabbing your finger in the paint on his face and drawing war stripes on your own cheeks.

"Don't hate the player Levi, hate the game," you said calmly, and he let you go with clear disdain, stalking back in the direction of his office. He didn't have the authority to punish you, and besides, somewhere under the many many many layers of seriousness you were certain he found your game amusing. If only slightly.

"Oh come on," you cried, hurrying after him. "That was a pretty good one, you did not see that coming!" He spun round in a flash, grey eyes burning with anger.

"I'm going to get you [Name]," he murmured quietly, voice returned to its regular calmness, which you honestly found more intimidating. "You're going to regret this."

"Is the cheese slipping off your cracker shortness, I've been at this for years now and never have you managed to get me back," you teased softly, stepping towards him challengingly. He regarded in a condescending manner, which he managed to pull off despite being bright green. It was impressive.

"I'd be careful if I were you," he breathed softly, dangerously. "This was the final straw." And with that he prowled off down the corridor. Your mouth quirked up into a cheeky smile.

Life was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

***************************

The next day you were training with your squad, a fairly new special division formed by Erwin and overseen by Hanji. It was your team's objective to record any information about aberrant titans encountered. This meant when a deviant class was spotted, and the flares went up, it was your squads job to get to it as fast as possible and observe.

Or that's how it was meant to go. In reality most expeditions saw your squad having to engage at least half the aberrants spotted before they wreaked havoc on the rest of the corps. It had gained you all a reputation as the 'deviant killers', a group of suicidal nutjobs specialised in killing only the most dangerous titans.

So you drove your squad hard in training, making sure their individual techniques were flawless. Currently you were trying to teach them Levi's most infamous move, his spinning top like swirl of doom (which, though you'd never admit it to his face, was extremely effective). Unsuccessfully for the most part, though the younger members seemed to be picking it up better.

After three gruelling hours you called time, and they milled off across the training yard towards the canteen. Completely unaware of striking sunset above.

After taking a moment to appreciate the explosion of orange and magenta overhead, you wandered slowly towards the equipment sheds to put away your gear.

The sheds were deserted. You frowned, usually they were buzzing with cadets at this time. Something was not quite right. Slipping into stealth mode you crept to the side of the first building, listening intently. It was entirely silent inside.

Sighing at your paranoia and shaking your head, you walked over to the shed's wooden door and stepped inside.

That's when everything went wrong.

The ground was suddenly very much not under your feet, and you were tumbling upwards, and you were head over heels, and there was rope everywhere.

You groaned as your brain began to catch up, cottoning on to the reality that you were in a net and hanging high in the barn like building's high rafters. Levi had got you. Writhing round with some difficulty you peered down, and saw a figure step out of a shadow.

"Not so smart now are we," Levi's expression was the ultimate picture of smugness. You stuck out your tongue and smiled winningly, certain this would piss him off most. On cue he bristled menacingly.

"Think it's so funny? You can stay up there then," he said flatly, and calmly headed to the door. Your eyes widened and you wiggled in the net.

"Wait!" You cried, "wait Levi you can't just leave me here!" Levi turned in the doorway and glanced up coolly.

"And why not?"

"Because I'll miss dinner!" You wailed dramatically. Rolling his eyes and huffing he left, shutting the door behind him. For about a minute you tried to squirm out, before realising the more you moved the more entwined you became in the net. Sighing angrily you let loose a volley of swears.

Well shit.

*************************

"Wait wait, so you were stuck in the net for the entire night eh?" Hanji asked, laughing till tears ran down her face when you confirmed the story. The dining hall was loud with chatter, but her quaking hysterics drew the attention of the other seniors at the table. Levi was not amongst them.

"Wasn't till that kid Armin came in to the clean the kit a few hours ago that I got out," you explained, cramming your face with food. Everything ached and you were starving. Yet strangely not annoyed- you were the one who'd challenged Levi after all.

"Quite impressive of Shorty though," Hanji mused, sombre all of a sudden. "Did not think he had that kind of conniving capability."

"No me neither," you admitted through a mouthful of toast. "Makes it more exciting," you mumbled.

"This is true," the scientist allowed, brown eyes clouded with thought. "How are you going to counter attack?" You thought silently for a moment, chewing and swallowing a huge mouthful of porridge before opening your mouth to talk.

"I think I have the perfect plan..."

***********************

Levi sat in the dining hall, eating his evening meal communally for the first time in a long while, watching [firstname] [Lastname] sit and chatter with Petra, Hanji and Mike. Lord how that girl frustrated him.

From the moment he'd met her, she had acted different to the rest. Whilst every other cadets avoided him, Farlan and Isabel like the plague, she had treated them all as she did everyone else, and managed to become fast friends with both his brother and sister.

He'd always been more wary of her chirpy smiles, incessant jokes, and disliked her constant endeavour to treat him like a friend. Yet she was one of the only people who was neither frightened, intimidated, nor in awe of him. And it was a fact he liked more than he would ever admit to himself.

Sighing in frustration he broke his gaze away from her stupid bright grin and wandered off to his room. She now had big bruises crisscrossed along the smooth [s/c] skin of her arms from sleeping in the net, and presumably everywhere else. A small portion of him felt bad, but he quashed that quickly. Served her right after all the pranks she'd played on him.

But what if [Name] was annoyed? He certainly would be beyond fuming if he'd been in her place. Perhaps he should apologise? He scowled to himself and shook the thoughts from his mind. Why was he getting so worked up, she was nothing.

He was abruptly ripped from his thoughts as he walked into his office, frozen for a second as he tried to understand what had happened to his room.

Absolutely everything was stuck to the ceiling.

The furniture was in its respective place, but flipped upside down and stuck to the ceiling with what looked like duct tape. Astounded he noticed even his ink pot and pens were fixed to the desk, exactly where he'd left them.

"Thought I'd let the furniture see things from my perspective," a voice behind him made him swivel in shock, though he kept his emotionless mask well. [Name] stood there, biting her lip as she did when she was trying not to laugh.

"How the fuck did you do this?" He growled, feeling anger and admiration swirling in an uncomfortable mix inside him.

"Oh I had some help," came her nonchalant reply, and she bounced into the room to view her handiwork. Scowl etched deep into his brow as he remembered to be annoyed, Levi grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Her expression fell immediately and she yelled indignantly. He blinked, baffled at her pained reaction- he hadn't grabbed her hard.

Till he remembered the bruises, pulling back his hand as if scalded. The guilt was rising again. Schooling his expression so as to give no hint of this inner turmoil away, he spoke.

"And how the Hell am I meant to get my shit down?" He grumbled, moving away from her fast and avoiding her hurt [e/c] eyes. She cleared her throat.

"Well," she begun sincerely. It threw him off, [name] was never serious. Shit, had he hurt her? "I'm going to recommend you use a step ladder, cos your itty bitty legs ain't gonna cut it."

He narrowed his eyes, sympathy entirely evaporated and ordered her out. She smiled widely back, and drifted out the room giggling lightly. Watching her go he was struck by a thought.

He knew [Name]'s weaknesses. And now he was going to exploit them.

***********************************

Your horse galloped beneath you, the rhythm of the thundering hooves ringing through your body. Heart beating like a drum in your ears, your body filled with adrenaline, racing towards the aberrant flare signal with your squad, desperate to get there in time.

It was the return journey on the mission, and so far, not one abnormal titan had been spotted. Until now, within sight of the walls, the flare for a deviant class had sprung up on the left side of the formation, followed by distress flares in rapid succession. Something was wreaking ruin.

You got to the clearing quicker than you'd hoped, raising your hand to signal your squad to surround the 15 metre class titan that squatted in the centre. It's body and head were huge, with small spindly legs and a grin stained with blood from the soldier it was eating. You barely batted an eyelid. Raising your hand, you signalled for the first manoeuvre.

Half of your squad galloped in closer to the abnormal, and began firing flares at it in an attempt to draw it's attention. Deviant class were difficult to engage because they were unpredictable. The flares normally set them off so you knew what you were dealing with. As before, this was the case with this titan.

A flare hit its face, and it jumped twenty feet to the left. You swore quietly- hoppers were sheer agony to take down on flat ground. Yelling a battle cry you charged towards it.

"In the air, first volley," you hollered, and the most nimble of your squad, including yourself, shot off their horses, 3D manoeuvre gear grappling to the side of the titan. Dancing across its vision in whirring flash you avoided its gaping maw with a grace you lacked entirely on the ground, stabbing your blades deep into its eyes.

The titan screeched and leapt again, taking everyone attached to it with it. Flung into the air you twisted in free fall, the world becoming a spinning mess of up and down, ground and sky.

"Second volley," you roared, shooting your hooks and just grappling on to the titans body, halting your fall, as the final members of your squad left their saddles. Jumping titans were indeed one of the most dangerous, however in the air they were entirely helpless, unable to change their course once they had left the ground.

The second volley, in the seconds it was airborne, dashed across it's nape, reducing the back of its neck to ribbons. The titan hit the ground with an earth shaking thud, and you shot your hooks out quickly, eager to slow what was going to be a painful landing.

"Brace and tumble!" You cried, crumbling your legs and rolling as you met the ground with a thwack that sent agony shooting through you. Ignoring the pain completely you stumbled to standing, making a mental tally of your group, and sighing in earnest relief. They were all alive, though the ones flung into the air with the titan when it jumped had landed less well.

Whistling between your teeth your horse trotted over obediently and you swung yourself atop it's broad back, cantering over to where one of your men lay, both legs badly broken. He screamed as you pulled him up and over your horse, murmuring reassurances as best you could.

Nodding your second in command, Asha, sent up a flare indicating your squad had wounded soldiers, and the return plume of smoke was sent up in reply a second later indicating the medics carriage had already passed into the walls. They were just a minutes ride away, looming above you reassuringly.

You reached their safety faster than expected, breath bated as you passed through the gates. All your squad would survive today. It was a first.

The streets were filled with the regular crowds, both welcoming you home with equal parts pride and disgust. Sweeping your eyes over the formation already returned your heart went cold and your stomach churned. So few had made it back.

"[Name]!" A voice cried and your eyes quickly found Hanji, horse swimming against the tide of the survey corps returning, magnified eyes huge and terrified.

"Hanji, what is it?" You spurred your horse towards her, weaving through the sea of people and horses.

"It's Levi, he's wounded..." the woman murmured, but any words after faded out beneath the ringing in your ears as you realised what she had said. Levi... Levi was hurt?

Suddenly you had kicked your boots into the side of your horse, and was shooting through the procession, standing in your saddle to try and spot the medic cart. You saw it ahead through the densely packed crowd and sprung down from your horse so as to get through quicker. Your heart beat like a war drum and your hands shook, all pain in your legs gone as you shoved your way through the crowd like a woman possessed.

Reaching the cart you hurled yourself on board, eyes quickly spotting a pale figure under a blanket drenched in red, black hair sprawled messily across his face. Your breath caught in your throat and you stumbled forward, falling to your knees beside Levi, who lay unmoving.

Hanji had finally caught up with you now, and swung herself on to the cart, gripping your shoulder.

"He's going to be okay." You demanded in a strained high pitched voice. "Tell me he's going to be okay?" The question slipped out, and your voice cracked.

The thought of Levi gone was one you'd never considered before. If there was anyone who would outlive you, you'd been certain it'd be him. You couldn't lose him. It just could not happen. How would you go on?

"The doctors have done everything they can," Hanji said carefully, and a sob shattered your last semblance of calm, wracking your body. Breathing in judderingly you stroked his cheek, hand freezing when his eyes opened, hazy with pain.

"[Name]," he moaned, and you leant in close, tears spilling down your cheeks.

"No, Levi, you can't die. You can't," you muttered, voice cracking, chest constricted so tight you could barely breath. Your heart, it hurt so bad. "Listen to me, you cannot leave me," you choked out, your next words surprising you entirely.

"I love you," you choked out, knowing the moment they passed your lips they were true.

Levi suddenly sat bolt right and stared at you slack jawed, while Hanji squealed behind you. You blinked, mind fumbling and utterly stumped.

"Y-you're not, you're-" you stuttered, taking in his very much alive and uninjured appearance. Under the blanket he was entirely blood stain free, and for a second you were about to fling your arms around him in pure ecstatic joy.

Till you realised it had been a prank. It felt like being shoved into ice cold water and punched in the gut, all the air left your lungs at once.

Levi was not dying.

He had tricked you.

You had just admitted you loved him.

"[Name]-" Levi begun.

You slapped him savagely across the face and raced away, eyes dry but heart lying shattered on the wooden decks of the medics cart, leaving Levi entirely stunned and Hanji babbling incoherently.

Levi sat quietly, hand touching his reddening cheek frozen in place, unable to shake the sinking realisation he'd just made an enormous mistake.

Description
A crash rang out through the lofty corridors, followed by a familiar roar of rage and indignation. You let out a victory cry and whooped, enjoying the momentary silence from down the hallway. You could practically feel the seething waves of hate radiating through the door. Chuckling madly, you legged it.

"[Lastname]!" A voice hollered, and somewhere behind you heard a door fly open, rapid footsteps behind you.

Twisting quickly you saw Levi half marching half sprinting after you, covered from head to toe in green paint. The sight made you cackle louder and double your speed through the halls, the terrifying thrill of having Levi chasing you sending adrenaline pumping through your veins.

Oh how you loved to wind him up.

Having trained alongside him in your days as cadets you'd known him for years, yet whilst he'd risen to the rank of Captain you'd barely scraped above the role of squad leader. Not that you were bothered. You were still alive. Not many others who had been in the survey corps for as long as you had could say the same.

It was when you and Hanji had been looking for equipment, for a new titan experiment you had theorised, that she had come across an ancient vat of paint. The moment she'd pointed it out, eyes bright with mischief, you had known exactly what she was thinking-

"I can't believe you'd fucking leave that over my door," Levi was yelling now, and closer than you'd thought. Your cheeks hurt from smiling, and your hysterical laughter finally overcame you at the mental image of the bucket of paint splatting on him from above. Wheezing like an asthmatic you leant against a wall.

Levi stormed up to you and grabbed the front of your shirt, pulling you close to his face and scowling. You smiled at him happily, biting back another onslaught of giggles as a large clump of paint dropped off his nose.

"I'm fucking sick of this [Name]," he spat, voice frigid. You raised your hands placatingly, before dabbing your finger in the paint on his face and drawing war stripes on your own cheeks.

"Don't hate the player Levi, hate the game," you said calmly, and he let you go with clear disdain, stalking back in the direction of his office. He didn't have the authority to punish you, and besides, somewhere under the many many many layers of seriousness you were certain he found your game amusing. If only slightly.

"Oh come on," you cried, hurrying after him. "That was a pretty good one, you did not see that coming!" He spun round in a flash, grey eyes burning with anger.

"I'm going to get you [Name]," he murmured quietly, voice returned to its regular calmness, which you honestly found more intimidating. "You're going to regret this."

"Is the cheese slipping off your cracker shortness, I've been at this for years now and never have you managed to get me back," you teased softly, stepping towards him challengingly. He regarded in a condescending manner, which he managed to pull off despite being bright green. It was impressive.

"I'd be careful if I were you," he breathed softly, dangerously. "This was the final straw." And with that he prowled off down the corridor. Your mouth quirked up into a cheeky smile.

Life was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

***************************

The next day you were training with your squad, a fairly new special division formed by Erwin and overseen by Hanji. It was your team's objective to record any information about aberrant titans encountered. This meant when a deviant class was spotted, and the flares went up, it was your squads job to get to it as fast as possible and observe.

Or that's how it was meant to go. In reality most expeditions saw your squad having to engage at least half the aberrants spotted before they wreaked havoc on the rest of the corps. It had gained you all a reputation as the 'deviant killers', a group of suicidal nutjobs specialised in killing only the most dangerous titans.

So you drove your squad hard in training, making sure their individual techniques were flawless. Currently you were trying to teach them Levi's most infamous move, his spinning top like swirl of doom (which, though you'd never admit it to his face, was extremely effective). Unsuccessfully for the most part, though the younger members seemed to be picking it up better.

After three gruelling hours you called time, and they milled off across the training yard towards the canteen. Completely unaware of striking sunset above.

After taking a moment to appreciate the explosion of orange and magenta overhead, you wandered slowly towards the equipment sheds to put away your gear.

The sheds were deserted. You frowned, usually they were buzzing with cadets at this time. Something was not quite right. Slipping into stealth mode you crept to the side of the first building, listening intently. It was entirely silent inside.

Sighing at your paranoia and shaking your head, you walked over to the shed's wooden door and stepped inside.

That's when everything went wrong.

The ground was suddenly very much not under your feet, and you were tumbling upwards, and you were head over heels, and there was rope everywhere.

You groaned as your brain began to catch up, cottoning on to the reality that you were in a net and hanging high in the barn like building's high rafters. Levi had got you. Writhing round with some difficulty you peered down, and saw a figure step out of a shadow.

"Not so smart now are we," Levi's expression was the ultimate picture of smugness. You stuck out your tongue and smiled winningly, certain this would piss him off most. On cue he bristled menacingly.

"Think it's so funny? You can stay up there then," he said flatly, and calmly headed to the door. Your eyes widened and you wiggled in the net.

"Wait!" You cried, "wait Levi you can't just leave me here!" Levi turned in the doorway and glanced up coolly.

"And why not?"

"Because I'll miss dinner!" You wailed dramatically. Rolling his eyes and huffing he left, shutting the door behind him. For about a minute you tried to squirm out, before realising the more you moved the more entwined you became in the net. Sighing angrily you let loose a volley of swears.

Well shit.

*************************

"Wait wait, so you were stuck in the net for the entire night eh?" Hanji asked, laughing till tears ran down her face when you confirmed the story. The dining hall was loud with chatter, but her quaking hysterics drew the attention of the other seniors at the table. Levi was not amongst them.

"Wasn't till that kid Armin came in to the clean the kit a few hours ago that I got out," you explained, cramming your face with food. Everything ached and you were starving. Yet strangely not annoyed- you were the one who'd challenged Levi after all.

"Quite impressive of Shorty though," Hanji mused, sombre all of a sudden. "Did not think he had that kind of conniving capability."

"No me neither," you admitted through a mouthful of toast. "Makes it more exciting," you mumbled.

"This is true," the scientist allowed, brown eyes clouded with thought. "How are you going to counter attack?" You thought silently for a moment, chewing and swallowing a huge mouthful of porridge before opening your mouth to talk.

"I think I have the perfect plan..."

***********************

Levi sat in the dining hall, eating his evening meal communally for the first time in a long while, watching [firstname] [Lastname] sit and chatter with Petra, Hanji and Mike. Lord how that girl frustrated him.

From the moment he'd met her, she had acted different to the rest. Whilst every other cadets avoided him, Farlan and Isabel like the plague, she had treated them all as she did everyone else, and managed to become fast friends with both his brother and sister.

He'd always been more wary of her chirpy smiles, incessant jokes, and disliked her constant endeavour to treat him like a friend. Yet she was one of the only people who was neither frightened, intimidated, nor in awe of him. And it was a fact he liked more than he would ever admit to himself.

Sighing in frustration he broke his gaze away from her stupid bright grin and wandered off to his room. She now had big bruises crisscrossed along the smooth [s/c] skin of her arms from sleeping in the net, and presumably everywhere else. A small portion of him felt bad, but he quashed that quickly. Served her right after all the pranks she'd played on him.

But what if [Name] was annoyed? He certainly would be beyond fuming if he'd been in her place. Perhaps he should apologise? He scowled to himself and shook the thoughts from his mind. Why was he getting so worked up, she was nothing.

He was abruptly ripped from his thoughts as he walked into his office, frozen for a second as he tried to understand what had happened to his room.

Absolutely everything was stuck to the ceiling.

The furniture was in its respective place, but flipped upside down and stuck to the ceiling with what looked like duct tape. Astounded he noticed even his ink pot and pens were fixed to the desk, exactly where he'd left them.

"Thought I'd let the furniture see things from my perspective," a voice behind him made him swivel in shock, though he kept his emotionless mask well. [Name] stood there, biting her lip as she did when she was trying not to laugh.

"How the fuck did you do this?" He growled, feeling anger and admiration swirling in an uncomfortable mix inside him.

"Oh I had some help," came her nonchalant reply, and she bounced into the room to view her handiwork. Scowl etched deep into his brow as he remembered to be annoyed, Levi grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Her expression fell immediately and she yelled indignantly. He blinked, baffled at her pained reaction- he hadn't grabbed her hard.

Till he remembered the bruises, pulling back his hand as if scalded. The guilt was rising again. Schooling his expression so as to give no hint of this inner turmoil away, he spoke.

"And how the Hell am I meant to get my shit down?" He grumbled, moving away from her fast and avoiding her hurt [e/c] eyes. She cleared her throat.

"Well," she begun sincerely. It threw him off, [name] was never serious. Shit, had he hurt her? "I'm going to recommend you use a step ladder, cos your itty bitty legs ain't gonna cut it."

He narrowed his eyes, sympathy entirely evaporated and ordered her out. She smiled widely back, and drifted out the room giggling lightly. Watching her go he was struck by a thought.

He knew [Name]'s weaknesses. And now he was going to exploit them.

***********************************

Your horse galloped beneath you, the rhythm of the thundering hooves ringing through your body. Heart beating like a drum in your ears, your body filled with adrenaline, racing towards the aberrant flare signal with your squad, desperate to get there in time.

It was the return journey on the mission, and so far, not one abnormal titan had been spotted. Until now, within sight of the walls, the flare for a deviant class had sprung up on the left side of the formation, followed by distress flares in rapid succession. Something was wreaking ruin.

You got to the clearing quicker than you'd hoped, raising your hand to signal your squad to surround the 15 metre class titan that squatted in the centre. It's body and head were huge, with small spindly legs and a grin stained with blood from the soldier it was eating. You barely batted an eyelid. Raising your hand, you signalled for the first manoeuvre.

Half of your squad galloped in closer to the abnormal, and began firing flares at it in an attempt to draw it's attention. Deviant class were difficult to engage because they were unpredictable. The flares normally set them off so you knew what you were dealing with. As before, this was the case with this titan.

A flare hit its face, and it jumped twenty feet to the left. You swore quietly- hoppers were sheer agony to take down on flat ground. Yelling a battle cry you charged towards it.

"In the air, first volley," you hollered, and the most nimble of your squad, including yourself, shot off their horses, 3D manoeuvre gear grappling to the side of the titan. Dancing across its vision in whirring flash you avoided its gaping maw with a grace you lacked entirely on the ground, stabbing your blades deep into its eyes.

The titan screeched and leapt again, taking everyone attached to it with it. Flung into the air you twisted in free fall, the world becoming a spinning mess of up and down, ground and sky.

"Second volley," you roared, shooting your hooks and just grappling on to the titans body, halting your fall, as the final members of your squad left their saddles. Jumping titans were indeed one of the most dangerous, however in the air they were entirely helpless, unable to change their course once they had left the ground.

The second volley, in the seconds it was airborne, dashed across it's nape, reducing the back of its neck to ribbons. The titan hit the ground with an earth shaking thud, and you shot your hooks out quickly, eager to slow what was going to be a painful landing.

"Brace and tumble!" You cried, crumbling your legs and rolling as you met the ground with a thwack that sent agony shooting through you. Ignoring the pain completely you stumbled to standing, making a mental tally of your group, and sighing in earnest relief. They were all alive, though the ones flung into the air with the titan when it jumped had landed less well.

Whistling between your teeth your horse trotted over obediently and you swung yourself atop it's broad back, cantering over to where one of your men lay, both legs badly broken. He screamed as you pulled him up and over your horse, murmuring reassurances as best you could.

Nodding your second in command, Asha, sent up a flare indicating your squad had wounded soldiers, and the return plume of smoke was sent up in reply a second later indicating the medics carriage had already passed into the walls. They were just a minutes ride away, looming above you reassuringly.

You reached their safety faster than expected, breath bated as you passed through the gates. All your squad would survive today. It was a first.

The streets were filled with the regular crowds, both welcoming you home with equal parts pride and disgust. Sweeping your eyes over the formation already returned your heart went cold and your stomach churned. So few had made it back.

"[Name]!" A voice cried and your eyes quickly found Hanji, horse swimming against the tide of the survey corps returning, magnified eyes huge and terrified.

"Hanji, what is it?" You spurred your horse towards her, weaving through the sea of people and horses.

"It's Levi, he's wounded..." the woman murmured, but any words after faded out beneath the ringing in your ears as you realised what she had said. Levi... Levi was hurt?

Suddenly you had kicked your boots into the side of your horse, and was shooting through the procession, standing in your saddle to try and spot the medic cart. You saw it ahead through the densely packed crowd and sprung down from your horse so as to get through quicker. Your heart beat like a war drum and your hands shook, all pain in your legs gone as you shoved your way through the crowd like a woman possessed.

Reaching the cart you hurled yourself on board, eyes quickly spotting a pale figure under a blanket drenched in red, black hair sprawled messily across his face. Your breath caught in your throat and you stumbled forward, falling to your knees beside Levi, who lay unmoving.

Hanji had finally caught up with you now, and swung herself on to the cart, gripping your shoulder.

"He's going to be okay." You demanded in a strained high pitched voice. "Tell me he's going to be okay?" The question slipped out, and your voice cracked.

The thought of Levi gone was one you'd never considered before. If there was anyone who would outlive you, you'd been certain it'd be him. You couldn't lose him. It just could not happen. How would you go on?

"The doctors have done everything they can," Hanji said carefully, and a sob shattered your last semblance of calm, wracking your body. Breathing in judderingly you stroked his cheek, hand freezing when his eyes opened, hazy with pain.

"[Name]," he moaned, and you leant in close, tears spilling down your cheeks.

"No, Levi, you can't die. You can't," you muttered, voice cracking, chest constricted so tight you could barely breath. Your heart, it hurt so bad. "Listen to me, you cannot leave me," you choked out, your next words surprising you entirely.

"I love you," you choked out, knowing the moment they passed your lips they were true.

Levi suddenly sat bolt right and stared at you slack jawed, while Hanji squealed behind you. You blinked, mind fumbling and utterly stumped.

"Y-you're not, you're-" you stuttered, taking in his very much alive and uninjured appearance. Under the blanket he was entirely blood stain free, and for a second you were about to fling your arms around him in pure ecstatic joy.

Till you realised it had been a prank. It felt like being shoved into ice cold water and punched in the gut, all the air left your lungs at once.

Levi was not dying.

He had tricked you.

You had just admitted you loved him.

"[Name]-" Levi begun.

You slapped him savagely across the face and raced away, eyes dry but heart lying shattered on the wooden decks of the medics cart, leaving Levi entirely stunned and Hanji babbling incoherently.

Levi sat quietly, hand touching his reddening cheek frozen in place, unable to shake the sinking realisation he'd just made an enormous mistake.