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Chapter 4: Night

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It was late night, the ride back home was far from being uncomfortable. It was calming to know what was going to happen once they got home. They didn't have too much time to think either, they wanted to get distracted by anything else around them. The horses taking them home, the moon and starry night, or the tweets of the nocturnal birds.

Maria could feel it. The tension, the excitement that builds up with each passing second. She stole glances his way, trying to see if there was any reaction at the heavy airs around them. Could he see it? Her trembling hands? Could he hear her heartbeat going fast? Could he smell the fear and the thrill radiating off her body?

The house attendant couldn't read him completely, his face rarely showed emotion, but even right now, she didn't know what it was. Confusion? Excitement? Could it be that his heart was beating as fast as hers?

She thought she was over this phase, she was a grown woman after all. Maria was sure of her feelings and the reason why she wanted to do it ... So, why is it that she was acting like a 15-year-old in love? Love? Of course it wasn't.

But she was scared that it may lead to that.

When they got home, Maria could tell a difference in Levi's mannerisms. He was being a .... gentleman. He opened the door for her, no words were being exchanged. Softly, Maria took the lead to her room which surprised Levi. He had thought that a woman like her would want to share his room which was nicer than the storage room she sleeps in.

But he followed her lead, doing whatever made her feel more comfortable.

The house was completely quiet and for the first time, Levi was thankful that his Squad had stayed at the town. When they entered Maria's room, Levi closed the door behind them as he locked it. The sound made Maria flinch a bit, but she still managed to turn on the candle from her desk.

One single candle, that was all they needed.

When Levi turned to face her, he found Maria placing a candle on top of her desk. She left it there and without knowing, her attention focused completely on the candle. How the red flame dances through the wind and how it would be the only thing alive to present their act of indifference.

Suddenly, Maria felt her right hand being held by Levi's long fingers. He was getting her attention and in his eyes there was confusion and she could tell that he was scared not for him, but because of her.

She had said yes to the question that was hard for him to ask.

Maria stared at Levi's black pearl eyes and until now she hadn't noticed how beautiful they looked against the candlelight. His eyes could tell so much and that was the first time Maria felt something more than attraction.

She couldn't regret this decision, nor did she want him to regret it.

The brunette turned her back to him, "Would you take off my dress?"

There were a few seconds of silence in which it seemed like an eternity to Maria. She wanted to hide her evident blush as she moved her long brown hair to the side, inviting Levi to undress her.

She heard him take a few steps closer and soon enough, she could hear him undressing her. He took off the lace cords that tightened her dress, Maria could feel his fingers touching her back from time to time until her bare back was completely showing.

The house attendant turned around, finally facing Levi. She placed her hands across her chest as she stopped her top from falling down, still a bit embarrassed about their situation. Levi only focused on her and he was admiring her, he got closer as he delicately took off Maria's hair bandana, making her hair move freely. From the top of her head, his hands moved towards her back. There was one more thing that needed to be undone and that was her skirt. As he untied the knot, Maria could feel his chest being pressed against her body, he was warm and his hair smelled like beer, not the best of smells but it was understandable.

He might be a few inches shorter than her but that didn't stop him from being any less attractive. The brown skirt came down on its own as Levi had finished untying it.

The brunette made her way to the bed and sat down, she was looking for comfort as she didn't like to be this exposed but Levi saw this as an invitation to continue and he wasn't wrong. He sat next to her on the bed and it made a shrinking sound, making Maria's heartbeat increase. She was looking down at her chest, still being covered by her hands. Levi suddenly places his cold hand on her shoulder, getting her attention and their eyes meet.

Caramel eyes and charcoal ones. Mixed emotions between the two but they didn't want to stop. Their bodies were far too frazzled to stop and if it wasn't because they were distracted with each other's eyes, they would have heard their heartbeats fill the room.

Although Levi had been with many beautiful women before, this must be the first time he felt somewhat worried. He wonders why ... Why did his heart beat faster? Wasn't it because she wasn't a prostitute? Or because she wasn't a one night stand? Many questions lured inside his head but they couldn't be answered.

      He got closer to her neck and inhaled her scent. Lavender but this time it was sweeter like vanilla or even roses.

Maria felt Levi's breath against her neck as a shiver ran down her spine. It's been a long time since she had been intimate with a man. Nicholas was the first and this will be her second. She was nervous, more than that ... She could feel like her heart would explode at any second but the moment Levi pressed his lips against her neck, everything changed.

His lips were soft and strong at the same time. He wanted to take the lead as if he knew she was inexperienced. She couldn't stop concentrating on his lips, kissing every single part of her neck.

Slowly, Levi began to push her against the bed, not separating his lips from her neck. Without knowing, he began to pull off Maria's top and she let go as she finally felt comfortable with the man on top of her.

Her breath became more agitated as he moved down to kiss her collarbones. He began to feel a little bit of pleasure as he heard her let out soft moans with every kiss he delivered in her skin.

It was unfair, that she was almost completely naked and he still had clothes on. He took a moment to take off his white shirt and he let out a cocky smirk as he noticed that the woman under him was completely losing her composure over his well-built body.

He bent down his body again, his face completely in front of hers. This was the moment he was waiting for the most. He looked down to her lips, her pink lips that looked soft to the touch. Unconsciously he wondered what flavor they would be. Maybe something sweet, like fruit or maybe like tea leaves. Whatever it was, he knew he would love it.

Maria began to slowly close her eyes as she could feel Levi's breath against her lips. She was close to touching his lips, he probably tastes like beer. Maybe one day she will be able to know how normally his lips taste, without the alcohol behind it.

But for now, this would do.

It was strange but for a moment, her heart-felt content. That even when she was 24 and was already late to marry, someone handsome like the Captain still found her desirable. She knew that she wasn't bad looking but she didn't think she was worth having a romance with. And maybe, she wasn't. At the end of the day, this is what Levi was looking into. No, love ... just lust.

But just for tonight, she wanted to believe ... That their action was that of mutual love.

I've had feelings for him for quite some time now ... but no matter what I do, I don't think he'll ever notice me.

"I can't do this."

Maria's voice made Levi stop right instantly. He pulled his face away from her, but his body was still on top of hers.

How could she be so stupid? How could she forget? That the man on top of her was the same man her friend was in love with.

She felt like trash, worse than that. Her heart broke into pieces just thinking about what Petra would say when she found out.

A tear rolled down her cheeks and Levi suddenly began to panic.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm sorry. Was I going too fast?"

But Levi didn't get an answer. Instead, he received more crying from the brunette. He moved away from her and grabbed the first thing he saw on the floor. His white shirt.

He gave it to Maria as she began to sit on the bed as she wiped away her tears. Without thinking too much about it, she put the white shirt on and felt instant warmth. She felt better just with the thought that her body was covered.

   Meanwhile, Levi sat on the desk's chair. He thought that giving her space was the best thing he could do at the moment. He didn't know what he did wrong but he felt guilty about it. He tried to be as delicate as possible but it seemed like he lacked in that field.

"Did I hurt you?"

His voice was delicate and for a moment, Maria got lost again in his eyes. His eyes were gentle and filled with preoccupation. Levi had shown another side of him that Maria had never seen.

"You didn't do anything wrong ... It's me, I remembered ..." There was a pause and she didn't know whether she should continue or not. But Levi deserved an explanation as well. "I remembered-"

"Nicholas?" Levi cut her off, she was surprised that his name was still engraved in his mind.

"Not only him ... Petra too."

"Petra?"

She knew that what she was about to say was risky but whatever his response was, she trusted him. Levi had proven himself to be trustworthy, he wouldn't speak too much but his actions spoke louder.

"She likes you very much ... romantically, I mean," Maria said, she looked down for a bit, feeling embarrassed. "So can you please forget about tonight ... and please invite Petra to dinner sometime?"

Levi knew that he had a strange power over the girl, he could make her blush instantly. But the power she had over him, of leaving him speechless and surprised, just couldn't compare. At first, he thought that she was joking but the longer he stared at her eyes, he knew that she meant serious business.

"You don't want to sleep with me ... because you think it'll hurt Petra's feelings?"

Levi asked and noticed that Maria was nodding to his question.

He let out a small laugh, he was relieved that he didn't hurt her and that he didn't do anything that made her feel uncomfortable.

Of course, this was very much like her. Putting others' needs before hers. Levi knew at the beginning that Petra had a small crush on him since they met. She was pretty obvious, just like Maria, he would make her blush easily and made her nervous. Nonetheless, he thought that those feelings were gone and that now they only had a coworker friendship.

He didn't think that Petra's feelings towards him were still strong.

"I'll do it ... but I want something in exchange," seeing that Maria had calmed down, he stood up and sat on her bed next to her.

"Tell me ... Who's this Nicholas?"

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"Maria, your performance was exquisite! I am sure there will be a good tip for you by the end of tonight!"

Maria looked over at her friend Lisa who was finishing retouching her makeup. It was a Friday night and although she had done this job for the past five years, she hated how her sleeping schedule was upside down from time to time.

"It's 3 a.m. and I want to sleep," Maria said as she let out a small yawn. They were on the tavern's backstage where they could change and get ready for their performances. "Sometimes I hate this job."

"If you hate it, then why don't you quit?" Lisa sat down on her chair, facing the brunette. They had a 15-minute break before their last performance of the night. "Won't your brother graduate soon from the training academy? If he is in the top ten he should go serve the military police and take you with him inside wall Sina."

"No, he'll be joining the Survey Corps," Maria replied. "Also, what am I going to be doing inside wall Sina? Not to be pessimistic, but nobody will take me seriously for a job once they find out I used to be a tavern dancer ... Besides, I can't read nor write ... This is the only thing I know what to do."

"Well, you were fifteen when you came here for the job ... five years have passed and now look at us," Lisa turned back to look at the mirror behind her, appreciating how much the two of them have grown. "I am 21 and you are 20 ... We need to hurry and get married."

"As if any man would take a tavern dancer seriously. You may have not opened your legs yet, but for sure you have shown it to many men already."

Leah came inside the room interrupting the two talking friends. She rolled her green eyes in annoyance at the naiveness of the girls. Out of the three, she was the oldest, 23. "They may fuck a whore and won't care if she's a virgin or not but when it comes to their wives ... they want them pure."

"But, we're virgins-" Maria said in a low voice but as soon as she spoke, Leah interrupted her again.

"I know you are and in all honesty, I think it's better if you get rid of the idea of ever getting a good husband," Leah said. "If you do, it will be easier for you to let go of your virginity and start working as a prostitute ... Our boss is kind enough to not pressure us into doing that but still ..."

Leah took a step closer to the brunette, the woman's emerald eyes glared at her caramel ones. "You never know what may happen ... one day you are here, the next you may be in another tavern, men all over you ... So, you should start accepting the offers of the rich gentlemen that have come by."

After her words were said, silence passed until Leah spoke again. "You all know I have your best of interest at hand. It's nice to dream but keep in mind that we live in a cruel world ... We have five minutes left, get ready."

And with that, the beautiful woman with green eyes left the room, leaving Lisa and Maria alone with their thoughts.

"Hey, Maria ..." Lisa's voice was low and it broke the brunette's heart to listen to her cheerful voice become so dull. "We're tavern dancers, even when we go outside, men recognize us ... It's true that we are still virgins but we have shown our skin to many men already ...But do you think ... We are still worthy of love?"

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It was now past 4 a.m. and Maria had finished her performance. She walked outside Golden Tavern, the place she worked at and headed towards the streets. It was a cold night and Maria regretted not bringing her long coat.

Suddenly, she heard steps coming closer to her. At first, she thought that it was a random person who was going the same way as her but as she made different turns in different streets, she realized that she was being followed.

She began to panic, what should she do? Run? But what if the person runs faster than her? Scream? But what if nobody hears her? Attack? But what if the person is stronger than her?

"Excuse me!"

This was unexpected, Maria turned slowly to face the person who was behind her. 

    It was a young man around her age. His dark orange hair was long to a length that touched his earlobes and although there was not enough moonlight, she could tell that his eyes were a deep blue.

And he was incredibly tall.

"Sorry to scare you I just ..." The redhead mumbled a little to himself as he looked down to the ground. "I just wanted to tell you .. that I think you are beautiful."

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"His name is Nicholas Flaherty and we've been seeing each other for 6 months now!"

Maria made a small twirl around her room as she came to a stop and faced her guest.

"Honestly, I thought that I would never be able to experience romance ... but Nicholas just makes me really happy!" Maria said as she sat down in front of her friend, Elena. "He promised me that we are going to get married."

The brunette woman lived in a small house which she rented. She had everything she needed there, a bed, a kitchen, a dining table, and a place to make her necessities.

"I like to see you happy, but don't get too excited," Elena, the tavern's waitress, smiled at her friend. She was a bit worried about her situation. "I'm glad that you found someone ... but don't you think this is too good to be true?"

"No, Nicholas is smart, gentle ... He doesn't have a lot of money nor a good last name, but he is a kind man and ..." Maria made a pause, she was sitting in the dining room with her trusted friend but still, she was a bit embarrassed. "And I love him."

Elena knew that there was a sudden change in her friend in the past six months. She would smile more, be more active, and altogether, she looked happier. Maria had asked her as a favor to keep the romance she had with Nicholas a secret.

"Well, what does he do for a living?"

Elena asked this time she didn't care anymore. She was happy that her friend was happy.

"He's a military man, he is working under the Garrisons! He is telling me that there has being some turmoil lately but-"

The expression on her face, the small blush on her cheeks, her caramel eyes shining. Elena was at awe at how beautiful Maria looked at the moment.

And all because of love.

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"I was very in love with him ... But one day before our wedding day, he left me," Maria said as she finished telling her story. "No, letter, no reason ... He just disappeared... I was surprised when Elena told me he's now part of the Survey Corps ... It makes me wonder if something happened while he was part of the Garrisons."

Levi was quiet and he could see it all. The betrayal, the pain in her eyes. The only person she had loved had betrayed her and for a moment, Levi couldn't think of anything but to beat up the guy who gave her so much pain.

"All the promises, the caresses ... everything was a lie," Maria wasn't looking at Levi, instead it seemed like she was lost in thought. "And to be honest with you ... I have the hope that he left me for a reason ... but I don't want to be betrayed anymore."

"I'll be honest with you," Levi's voice broke the trance that Maria was in. And she couldn't believe that just a few minutes ago, they were about to-

"If he is looking for you, you will see him eventually," Levi said. "Maybe he's the son of a bitch that left you ... but you may be right as well, maybe there was a reason he left without saying anything."

Maria took a moment to appreciate the man sitting next to her. He was shirtless since he had given her his white shirt. The candlelight from her desk was reflecting against his skin, there was no doubt that he was a strong man. There were some scars on his body which made his manly side stand out even more. But even with his strong stance, his eyes show pain.

What did he go through so his eyes could express such painful sentiment?

"In the end, it's up to you whether you want to talk to him again or not, but ... I just would like for you to make the decision that you will regret the least."

There were many things that Maria had thought of Levi that were completely wrong. In the few days that she had got to know him, she had learned a couple of things about him. Although he could be scary, he had his vulnerable side. He cares for others even when he doesn't show it. He was like any other man, with desires and longing of touches and caresses even if there was no romance involved. He would never offend anyone unless that person was worthy of that. He had known pain and didn't wish to imply that to anyone.

Levi was worthy of everything good in this world, a good life filled with love ... even when he didn't know that.

"Levi, let's make a promise,"

Chairs so close and room so small

You and I talk all night long

Maria's word surprised him, especially since she had dropped the honorific one again.

"You told me to live a life with no regrets ... I also want you to live a life in which you have no regrets," Maria got closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, their eyes met.

Meagre this space but serves us so well

We comrades have stories to tell

"I think that what happened tonight was a result of our past regrets coming back to us," She held his hand so tightly that for a moment Levi thought of never letting go. "So, please promise me that you won't be afraid to experience love and I promise you that I won't be afraid of accepting love again." 

And it's always like that in the evening time 

We drink and we sing when our fighting is done

But Levi had already made a mistake. It was right at this moment. This precise moment in which he stared at those caramel eyes. She was still sweating from their previous act , her hair was messy and it covered her shoulders. The white shirt he lent her allowed him to see just enough. Her collarbones and even some parts of her breasts. Her face had a slight blush and her lips were wet ... Levi had never craved someone so much.

He didn't know what it meant, the way his hands would get sweaty, the way his left leg began to tremble nor the way his heart began to beat faster.

And it's always so we live under the burnt clouds

Ease our burden, long is the night

He didn't know now ... but this was his mistake.

"It's a deal."

Their night didn't end there. Levi and Maria laid next to each other on the bed, no touching was involved just their voices filling their room. Talking about life and their past experiences. Maria's life at the tavern and Levi's adventures outside the walls. That night Levi learned about Maria's love for dresses, for her yearning to learn how to read and write. Maria learned about Levi's love for tea and that he hoped to one day open up a tea shop.

Just as no stars can be seen

We are stars and we'll beam on our town

They talked for hours, their eyes focused on each other. The candlelight in the room slowly died down but something else was growing bigger with each passing second, with each word shared ... It was an unknown feeling for Levi and to Maria a feeling she had forgotten.

And without knowing, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Their heartbeats were in sync and for the first time in years, Levi slept in total peace.

We must all gather as one

Sing with hope and the fear will be gone

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The next morning, Maria barely knew that it was time to wake up. It's not like she didn't want to wake up, the problem was how comfortable she felt at the moment. Her head laid against something warm and she felt strong arms wrapped around her.

It smelled like beer and although it wasn't a smell that bothered her, it still wasn't something she liked to smell first thing in the morning.

She slowly opened her eyes and found that she had indeed been sleeping on humanity's strongest soldier's chest. The brunette panicked for a little until she noticed Levi's resting face.

It was strange to see him like this but the sight was pleasant. His strong features had softened and she could feel his chest going up and down as delicate breaths left his nostrils. His heartbeat was at a normal rate and he just looked so peaceful that it seemed like a sin to wake him up.

Maria couldn't help but wonder ... Why hasn't anyone tried to get close to him? In a romantic sense, as far as Maria knows, only Petra has those feelings for him. But with his looks and mysterious personality, she knew for sure that Levi must have had his fair share of broken hearts. Why hasn't the Captain opened up? Wasn't it because no woman met his standards? Was it because he hadn't met the one? Or was it because no girl was brave enough to get to know him?

Or maybe ... it was because he wouldn't let them get close to him.

"I feel like throwing up,"

"If you're going to do that, then stay outside!"

"This is the first time but ... we should have listened to Captain."

This is just what she needed, hangover soldiers coming to interrupt her almost perfect morning.

Maria needed to get ready for the day. She looked down at her body and noticed that she was still wearing Levi's shirt and her underwear. Great, this looks wrong on so many levels.

She broke free from his embrace and took a sitting position at the edge of her bed. The house attendant was about to stand up to pick up her dress but she felt a strong hand grab her by the arm.

"Stay, I want to sleep more."

Maria cursed underneath her breath, his voice came out louder than she expected and she began to panic again at the thought that the Special Operation Squad might hear them.

"Did you all hear that?"

God, why me?

"Shh, keep it down ... they're outside," Maria whispered and Levi rolled his eyes in annoyance. He was having such a nice time sleeping and now it was interrupted by his stupid team that were too smart and hangover at the moment.

He looked like a little kid, letting out a small pout in anger and he looked to be back to himself. Of course, everything was too good to be true.

"Well, shit."

Levi stood up from the bed and noticed that he was shirtless. For a moment he had forgotten that he had lent it to Maria, and that yesterday night actually happened.

"Just give me my shirt and I'll walk out," he said.

"Well, just turn around while I change,"

Maria picks up her dress from the floor and in all honesty, she really needed to make more dresses. She only had three and the one on the floor was already way too dirty.

"What are you embarrassed about? I saw almost everything yesterday."

Ah, so this is probably why the ladies won't get near him. He was scary at how straight forward he was and his ability to make her blush was also something that shouldn't be taken lightly.

"Just turn around!"

Her voice came out louder than she expected and quickly she covered her mouth with her hand.

The Captain just lets out a small sigh as he turns around and shows her his back. He didn't see anything but could hear her undressing, the fabrics moving as they touched each other. Levi heard a cabinet being open, he guessed that Maria was going to use another dress, which seemed reasonable since yesterday's dress must be dirty.

"Here, just take your stupid shirt and leave."

"It wasn't a stupid shirt last night," Levi had a small smirk on his face as he accepted it back.

These were the moments in which Maria wondered just what was going through her head when she decided that sleeping with him was a good idea.

"We're never talking about what happened last night, remember? Just our promise," the brunette said.

Levi noticed that Maria was wearing the same dress she wore the day she first came into the house. A simple white top blouse that accentuated her curves and a light green skirt that touched her ankles.

"Don't you have any other dresses?" Levi asked out of pure curiosity.

"I only have three, one to work, one to go out to town, and another for special occasions," Maria worked on her hair next, she grabbed a ribbon from her desk and quickly made a ponytail, only leaving her bangs on her face. "But you could care less about that, so please Mr. Levi ... leave already."

"Fine," the Captain was quick to put on his shirt and a thought crossed his mind. Why was she in a hurry to kick him out of her room? He would have understood if his squad were in the dining room or wanted to go inside her room. Nonetheless, the voices had quieted down. They were most likely resting already in their rooms. No one would see them.

Alright, maybe his pride was a bit hurt.

It's alright, it's understandable ... It's obvious she wouldn't want to be seen with me, after all, I'm just an old man.

Levi would never admit it out loud but whenever he remembers he was a 28-year-old man, he recalls Erwin's voice telling him:

"If you ever want to have a family, I suggest you hurry up ... You're getting older and unless you possess riches, a lady won't marry an older man."

He never cared about those kinds of things ... So, why was he thinking about that right now?

"Whatever, but just one more thing," Levi opened the wooden door which led to the dining room. Maria looked at him with puzzlement in her eyes.

"Stop calling me 'Mr. Levi.'"

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If Maria was being completely honest, she wanted to go back to sleep. But she couldn't afford to stay asleep, she had to keep up with her duties as house attendant.

She still wonders what to do for dinner and that's if the Special Operations Squad wakes up at all today. Since there wasn't much to do at the house, Maria decided that going to the well to get some water was the best idea.

She already had a bucket full of water and she placed it down on the grass to take a small break and to catch her breath. It was a beautiful morning and for a strange reason, Maria felt positive about the future.

The wind danced through the miles of grass. The grass fields were extensive to the point where Maria couldn't see her home any longer, but she wasn't scared, the smell of grass, the sound of the wind moving across the fields. It was comforting, like a distant memory. It reminded her of simpler times where she could play all day long with her little brother ... What a life.

"Maria?"

A female voice interrupted the brunette's thoughts. It was a voice she recognized and a friendly one nonetheless.

She turned around to face a blond girl with brown eyes, she knew her very well.

"Lisa!" Maria exclaimed in excitement as she ran to meet her friend. "I haven't seen you in days!"

Only a week has passed but before, there hasn't been a day in which they didn't see each other at the tavern. For them, it was as if months had passed.

They both shared a hug and separated to look at each other's faces.

"Look at you, you look like a housewife!" Maria let out a small laugh as she and Lisa took a seat on top of the well. Her friend indeed looked like a housewife, she wore a light blue dress with a white apron tied around her waist. Her hair in a low ponytail.

"I could say the same about you," Lisa said as she smiled at her brunette friend. "Afterall, it is different from the extravagant dresses we used to wear but to be honest with you I miss them ... they were so beautiful ... But tell me, where and to whom have you been relocated?"

"I am in the south section of the Survey Corps house dorms, I was assigned to Levi's Squad's house."

"Levi? Shouldn't you address him as Mr. Levi?" Lisa asked. "I heard that he is really scary, is it true?"

"Yes, and well, I can't either deny that or confirm that."

"What do you mean?"

"He can be scary and rude but," without noticing it, Maria's thoughts drifted into Captain Levi and how he acted the night before. "He's also delicate, gentle and he cares about others and he-"

"Stop it right there!" Lisa placed a hand on Maria's shoulder, making her stop mid-sentence. "Don't tell me you've fallen in love with him?"

Suddenly, the brunette's face turned red at just the mere thought of it. "Of course not! I just respect him a lot."

Maria thought that this was just going to be one of those moments in which Lisa would make her feel embarrassed but the moment changed suddenly. Lisa had always been known to be a cheerful girl, but when she was serious, it could be to the point to scare anyone.

"I wasn't going to say anything because I made a promise I wasn't going to," Lisa's voice had lowered, her soft eyes had hardened and she looked at Maria with such an intensity that it made her shiver. "I'm the house attendant for Hange Zoe's squad ... Nicholas is now part of her squad."

Lisa was expecting a different reaction, but instead, her friend was quiet, waiting for more information.

"The first day that I saw him, he wouldn't stop with all the questions about you. I told him that I didn't know which squad you were relocated," Lisa looked down to feet as she remembered that night.

"I was falsely accused of treason! The day before I was going to marry Maria, I was put in prison for 4 years. Until I was finally able to prove my innocence and the only thing that kept me sane was writing letters to her ... letters that she was never going to receive."

"At first I didn't believe him ... but I was cleaning his room one day and I saw them ... A small box full of love letters ... all of them dedicated to you."

The blonde woman had a different look on her face now. She couldn't help but fondly remember the letters. His love confessions, his passion towards her... It was something to envy but she was truly happy that someone loved Maria the way Nicholas does.

"He changed from the Garrisons to the Survey Corps a few weeks ago. Since he has been out of prison, all he has been doing is looking for you," Lisa finally turned her attention back to her brunette friend. "It's just a matter of time before he finds out where you are ... I hope you are willing to listen to him when you see him."

For a moment time had stopped and Maria's thoughts were filled with Nicholas. It made sense, everything that Lisa was saying. The Survey Corps dorms were extended on a large piece of land. Small houses were built for each squad. This was only done with the most important squads for them to build a bond and trust. All other members who weren't part of a squad lived in bigger dorm buildings, almost as big as castles.

So, it only made sense that it has taken him a while to check out all the house buildings and dorms.

But eventually ... very soon ... he will find her.

   Lisa has a basic education and unlike Maria, she knew how to read and write. She remembers Lisa being the one who read out loud Nicholas's love letters to her when they were dating.

    But the fact that he wrote her love letters, even when he knew she couldn't read nor write ... her heart shrunk at the thought.

"Why are you telling me this?" Maria asks, finally mustering the courage to speak up. "You said you promised him not to say anything."

"... I got scared," Lisa said, as she grabbed Maria's hands to get her full attention. "When you talked about Captain Levi, your voice, your eyes ... You used to talk about Nicholas like that."

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    Levi tried to fall asleep, but wasn't able to get any of it. It was strange because his body was tired and he really thought that he could fall asleep any second. But he found himself in his room, laying on his bed and with his thoughts filled with images of Maria.

He tried to get rid of them by thinking of something else. The Captain tried to think of black tea, but a memory of Maria serving him a cup of tea popped in his mind. He tried again and thought of titans, that should make him stop thinking right?

I should be careful about this upcoming expedition, I always tend to jump into action to fight titans. I need to come back safely to Maria, I don't want to worry her.

Wait a moment, stop it right there.

Levi shook his head and tried to go back to thinking about the upcoming expedition.

It's been a while since the last expedition, I wonder what new things I'll see. Maybe I should bring Maria that strange flower that I saw on the last expedition, she'll probably like it.

"Fuck."

He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. Whether it was because of his insomnia or because of Maria, he was annoyed that he had another reason he couldn't sleep at night.

Maybe seeing her would cease his thoughts about her. He stood up from his bed and without thinking too much about it, he walked around the house in hopes to see her. But she wasn't in the kitchen, nor the dining room, nor her room. His team must still be asleep, all of them hung over from last night.

"Where the fuck is she?"

"Are you looking for Maria, Captain?"

Levi's attention was drawn back to the female voice behind him, he recognized it clearly. It was Petra who seemed sleepy enough, dark circles under her eyes and messy hair. They were in the kitchen and it was a bit strange for them to be alone.

"Yes, she's not here ... and I want my cup of black tea," Levi responded. For a second he remembers Maria's words from last night.

About Petra having strong feelings for him. He would be lying if he says he didn't think of Petra as an attractive woman and that she has qualities to be a long life partner. But those thoughts drifted away the more he worked with her, he saw her as a soldier now and never really like a woman.

But of course, that could change.

"I can make it for you!" Petra said excitedly and for a moment her eyes shone across the room.

"No, I'll wait till she comes back," Levi gave one look at the woman in front of him. She was strong, beautiful, and kind. Maybe Maria was right, it was time to live a life without regrets. And Petra was the perfect candidate to start this new journey with.

"You told me to live a life with no regrets ... I also want you to live a life in which you have no regrets ... Please promise me that you won't be afraid to experience love and I promise you that I won't be afraid of accepting love again."

"I was going to ask you," Levi made a pause, not used to doing this kind of thing. "Do you want to have dinner with me next weekend?"

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A/n: More interesting things happening for the next chapter!
For the next chapter we will see:
Levi and Petra's date
Nicholas meets Levi
Levi getting a bit tiny jealous
Maria slowly realizing she feels something for the Captain.

Things might change, but I'll already 3500 word done for the next chapter! Do you all want to see a preview?

If you like my story, don't forget to comment! It helps a lot ♥️

Again, thank you for reading and see you next week!