After I had been unceremoniously brought back to my room, and thrown inside, my maids came in and got me ready for dinner. The meal was loud with the visiting democrats, and my ears grated with the voices of their daughter's about me, Damon on my other side, him next to the king. Damon had spent the majority of the meal laughing at the bad jokes told and drinking copious amounts of alcohol clearly not effected quite yet. His hand was on top of mine in a gesture that was supposed to look loving. I'd caught the kings stare, clearly telling me to add too, so I'd leaned up and whispered something about the fat democrat to make him laugh.

After everything was cleared and I was released, I waited impatiently on my bed for Julian to show up. What seemed like hours later, I heard a tap on my door, and I stood. "Come in."

The door pushed open just enough for a figure to slip inside, and I saw Julian. I held my hands over my mouth as I saw his bruised face, his lip red and puffy, and a dark ring around his eye the most prominent. He was wearing his uniform, and I saw the faint stains of blood on it, so I figured he must've washed it, or at least tried to. "H-hello, your majesty." He said, bowing a little. When he straightened, I saw a pained look in his eyes as he flinched, letting me know that the guards had done much worse than it appeared.

"Sit here." I ordered, and the small blonde complied, walking to me and sitting down on the edge of my bed. I sat in front of him and began to inspect his face. They hadn't done much to it, save for his eye and lip which would be healed soon enough, an obvious place that may have been noticed more than if they had hurt his ribs. "Show me your ribs." I said, taking the hem of his jacket in my hands.

He looked a little uncomfortable. "Leo already..." he started, but I gave him a look. He slowly took his jacket off, as if resenting the fact that he had to do so. I wondered what was wrong, because I knew that he knew I wouldn't hurt or criticize him.

"(Y/n), I..." he said as he undid the top button on his shirt and then stopped. "Your Majesty..."

"What is it?" I asked with concern, but he shook his head.

"N-never mind." He whispered, and then began undoing more of his buttons. I watched as he pulled his shirt down so I could see him, and I felt a pang in my stomach as I looked at the crisp white bandages around his body. There was one that looked much older, more worn than the others, and I questioned it. It wrapped around his chest tightly, encircling him with a tight grip. My eyebrows scrunched together as I looked at it, and he closed his shirt, his eyes looking down.

"What were those ones...?" I asked little hesitantly, reaching forward and touching his shoulder gently.

His cheeks grew a little pinker. "They're... um..." he said. "To bind my chest." He said, quietly. It took me a moment to realize what he'd said, and then my eyes widened. Julian was actually a girl. That's why he'd been so familiar. He'd been in my training corps. She...?

After a moment to process this, everything seemed to be clearer. I nodded. "Julian." I said, sternness in my voice. He looked up, seeming to gulp a little. "Having bandages on your ribs for long periods of time can hurt your ribs." I said.

He nodded, looking down. "I know." He said, trailing off. "But... there's nothing else I can wear." He said.

I looked into his eyes, nodding. "I'll have the seamstress figure something else out, okay?" I asked. He nodded, his eyes on the floor. "Julian..." I said, and he looked up at me. "Why..." I said, not really knowing how to ask the question in my mind.

"I feel better in my body as a boy." He said, looking up at me with his tender blue eyes. "I don't know." He said, rubbing his forehead.

I reached out and placed a hand on his back. "I understand." I said, not wanting to have to make him explain. We were silent, my hand moving up and down the small boy's back as there was the sound of the wind outside. I looked out the window, my hands trembling a little as I thought about Levi. When was he going to come?

"(Y/n)." Julian said, and I looked at him. "What was the Underground like?" he asked.

I was a little taken aback by the question at first. "It's rather bleak." I said, looking at the floor. "There's not a lot of light, natural light, so everyone is quite pale down there." I said.

"And your family?" he said.

I let out a low chuckle. "Let's just say that they weren't quite the best parents." I said. "Mostly my father." I said. We fell back into silence, my unsaid words clear. I didn't like my past. I wanted to forget all of it, if I could. The few happy memories weren't enough to block out all of the bad.

A few minutes later, Julian left, mumbling a thank you when I told him to go to the seamstress the next day and give him the note I scrolled out, explaining Julian a little. I thought, since I was almost powerless in here, the least I could do was this simple thing for him.

I sat at the edge of my bed, sliding out of my long dress and changing into night clothes and going to the desk in my room. I could hear the faint sounds of Damon moving around in his room, our rooms adjoined by a door hidden by a curtain, normal for a married couple, apparently. I sighed, laying back on my bed. I closed my eyes, letting my legs dangle off the side of the bed.

I bolted straight up as the adjoined door slammed open and in a fit of swears and curtains moving, a very wasted Damon stumbled into my room. I stared at him, standing in the middle of room, a bottle of something in his hand. "(Y/n)!" he said, hiccupping once as he raised his arms. I covered my face as he laughed and spun in a circle, his button up shirt undone all the way and flapping about him. "My love!" he said sarcastically and stumble over to me.

I gasped a little in surprise as he fell on me, pushing me down onto the bed. He looked down at me, and I looked back at him with annoyance in my eyes. In his drunken state I could've probably taken him in a fight and almost kill him. "Damon... get off me. And fix your shirt for Christ's sake." I hissed at him.

He smiled at me, sitting on top of me, trapping me, as he took a swig from the bottle of whatever he had. He swallowed and then leaned down, grinning at me. "But I got lonely, my loving wife." He said.

I pushed him off me onto the side of the bed and stood, walking to my changing curtain and pulling on a thin robe to cover myself. I spun back around to see him sitting up on the bed, grinning stupidly at me. "Damon. You're drunk." I said, walking to the adjoining door and holding it open. "Go back to your room and get some sleep." I said.

He pouted, taking another drink. He seemed to think for a moment, and then looked at me. "How about," he said, his words starting to slur, "you and I make a little deal." He said, drinking more.

I raised my eyebrows at him, letting the door shut. "Yes?" I asked.

He grinned, seemingly pleased he had my attention. "Now, you think I absolutely despise you," he said.

"It's mutual." I replied, and he chuckled.

"But," he said, standing and walking to me slowly. I took steps back as he took steps forward until my back hit the wall and he got awfully close. I didn't let my deadpan face falter. "But we are stuck with each other for a very," he said, taking my chin in his hand, "very," he grinned, "very long time." He said.

"Damon get your hands off me and go back to your room." I said, beginning to get angry in my tired state.

He held up his hand that still held the bottle an tapped my lips with a free finger. "Shh..." he slurred. "Let me finished, my love." He said. The "my love" was starting to piss me off. "I was going to say that we may as make the most of our situation, and enjoy ourselves." I said.

My face got hot as I became angry. "I'm not going to sleep with you." I said.

He rolled his eyes. "I know that." He said, running a hand through his short black hair. It was rather nice. "How about, I take you outside of the Inner Wall for a little trip with me, and you let me sleep in here sometimes?" he asked.

I gave him an odd look. "You want to sleep in here?" I asked. He nodded. "Why?" I asked, honestly wondering and plain confused.

He shrugged, a sigh escaping his lips. "I can get lonely too, you know." He said, and I found that his voice had changed. "I'm only human." It was almost melancholy, sad, and I felt something twist in me. Pity.

"You promise to take me outside of the Inner Wall sometimes if I let you sleep in here sometimes?" I confirmed, and he nodded.

"Wherever you want to go." He said, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

I thought for a moment. Levi...

"Okay." I said.

His drooping eyes lit up a little. "Honestly?" he asked.

I nodded. "But if you get all grope-y with me, I will hurt you, next king or not." I said as he moved away from me.

He grinned, setting his bottle down on my desk. "We'll get to that when you warm up to me." He said.

I laughed coldly. "No. No we won't." I said. I thought of Levi. I really could see him again. Damon got into my bed, singing something off-key as he laid down, holding his arms out to me. I raised my eyebrows as he grinned at me stupidly. "I want you to write a letter to Commander Erwin of the Survey Corps tomorrow and inform him that we'll be taking a visit to see the country and we'd like to see him and Captain Levi." I said, my voice catching a little on Levi's name.

Damon nodded, his head lolling a little to the side. "Yes, yes. Consider it done, my love." He said. He looked at me. "Now, you have to let me hold you, though." I opened my mouth to protest, but he grinned. "That was apart of the deal." My face grew hot and I took my robe off and stalked over to him.

I slid under the covers, laying on the edge of the bed as far away from him, blowing out the candle still lit in my room. "(Y/n)," he said, drawing my name out, and felt his hands snake around my waist as he pressed his face again my shoulder. I jumped a little, and tried to struggle free, and then realized that he's already passed out.

I managed to turn around to face, his slightly difficult because he was holding me so tight, and looked at him, his face looking younger in sleep. I sighed a little, finding myself smile a little. He actual was an idiot. I shifted myself to the side and let his head rest on my shoulder where there was a little dip, stroking his hair once, more motherly if anything.

Levi...

guess who's back

back again

Writer-chann's back

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Finally actually can work on this story again bless

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