The tavern 's main room had filled quickly with more people than Levi would have preferred. With each person that entered the establishment, his tension grew.

He had his full trust in Gunther to keep a close eye on the Titan boy for now. Though despite the reassurance of his squad member watching him, Levi felt wary. God forbid Eren transformed while they stayed here, destroying the place and everyone inside. Perhaps they should have ridden straight to headquarters after the trial instead of stopping here for the night. But riding that distance at night, with the unpredictability of Eren, had more variables than traveling at first light after the boy had rest. He sighed. Yes, he would feel more at ease once they departed the following day. Then once there, Eren would be more easily contained should he switch into his Titan form unexpectedly.

The aroma from his cup that wafted up soothed any nerves he was feeling. He took a sip from his tea. It had a dark and smoky flavor with faint notes of rose, cinnamon, and at the very end some sweet fruit 'cherry? It was a good blend. Unexpected for a place like this.

Eld sat down adjacent to him with a heavy sigh. 'The boy is settled in with Gunther below. '

'We just need to make it through the night then, ' replied Levi, briefly scanning the faces of a new group of Garrison soldiers who entered. He immediately deemed them to be of no consequence. He returned to his tea.

'I thought you told Oluo to find a quiet place, ' said Eld gruffly, ruefully looking around the increasingly packed room. He poured himself a cup of tea.

'I did, ' said Levi, closing his eyes. His arm rested behind his chair.

Eld grunted. 'Well, I suppose there 's nothing to be done about it now. As long as things stay quiet, there shouldn 't be any issues. '

'You should know better than to put that out into the universe, Eld, ' said Petra, joining the table alongside Oluo.

Oluo threw himself into the chair beside Eld with a huff. 'I thought I picked quite the perfect place. ' He leaned forward and lowered his voice. 'The cellar below is quite expansive. Smuggled alcohol needs a good hiding place with plenty of locks and security. It 'll be the best place for him tonight until we leave tomorrow. And it meets the conditions the higher ups set. I even checked it over myself before everyone arrived. That little brat down there has nowhere to go. '

That hardly provided reassurance to Levi. The boy was his responsibility. If something were to happen on the first night '

It was giving Levi a headache already.

'You do realize that could also be a detriment, right? ' retorted Petra. 'You know, considering that above him is still a large group of people. ' She brought a cup of the tea to her mouth and sipped. She wrinkled her nose. 'I don 't know how you drink this black, Levi. '

Levi ignored her comment, favoring instead to take another sip.

When the others later parted for bed he would go to the cellar himself, he decided. He would relieve Gunther of his post and take over the watch for the remainder of the night. Allow Gunther to get the sleep that he knew wouldn 't come for himself tonight.

'No physician? ' asked Eld, leaning back in his chair.

'She said she 'd be coming down shortly. She needed a moment to herself, ' replied Petra.

Ah, yes, the physician. Levi tapped his fingers on the table, looking down at the bronzed tea in his cup. He wondered what she thought about this whole situation, about his team. Considering her raised voice the other day at that Dr. Helfen 's practice, he knew she hadn 't been happy about it. But then earlier today '

An image of vibrant eyes appeared in his head. He thought of the way they had lit up - just like Hange 's had - at discovering Eren 's tooth had grown back. He quickly pushed the image out of his mind.

She had to be just as loose in the head as Hange, willingly dealing with the filth of people all day. Considering how partial Hange was towards the young doctor already, he had a feeling they would get along just fine. He didn 't know if that was a good thing. He could barely tolerate one Hange and to now possibly have two '

Hopefully they were level-headed enough to keep Hange in check when he wasn 't there to reel them back in. Not to mention Eren will need someone to keep him patched up after Hange has had their way with him.

'So what exactly are we even supposed to be doing with this Eren, hm? Train him like a dog? ' drawled Oluo, tipping his chair onto its back legs.

'Not here, ' said Eld sternly. 'Too many open ears. People are already staring at us as it is. '

'I say let them. A little recognition for our work is always appreciated, ' said Oluo, sniffing importantly.

'Ah,

there 's

the reason why you chose this tavern instead of something quieter, ' said Petra.

Oluo shrugged. 'Two birds. What 's the harm in enjoying ourselves for one night before having the constant dreary work of babysitting some brat? We deserve to take a moment and enjoy what we ourselves are constantly trying to protect. '

Petra looked at him in surprise.

Oluo returned the look. 'What? '

'That was 'very poetic of you, Oluo. I have to say I agree with you," she said.

A faint pink spread across his cheeks. 'You do? '

She smiled and nodded. 'I think it 's very easy to get caught up in the work that we do. I think taking time to slow down life and appreciate what we have around us can only serve to benefit us. After all, as a team it 's important to enjoy what time we do have together. ' She looked towards Levi as she said this, eyes shining.

Oluo noticed and deflated, the front legs of his chair slamming back down to the floor. Levi merely refilled his teacup from the pot that had been left on the table.

Eld observed the scene in front of him. He cleared his throat. 'It 's equally important to remember the reality of our situation. We 've no room in our lives for such distractions. Let 's not get too caught up in sentiments that will only burden us in the end when we ultimately must abandon them. '

'Always the realist, Eld, ' said Petra with an affectionate smile. Oluo grumbled something under his breath.

Levi thought of what they said. Appreciate what was around them? Appreciate the shit end of the stick life consistently shoved up their asses? Eld was right. Life always knew when things got too good, when emotions became unfurled and guards were lowered. Vulnerability wasn 't an option for them. Even if it meant just a single night in a tavern to enjoy company; it will always be just life teasing in front of your face what you can never have permanently. The moment you entertained the thought is the moment you damn yourself and those around you.

'Ah, there they are, ' Oluo suddenly commented. Everyone followed his gaze to where their new physician descended down the stairs. 'I 'm surprised she 's decided to join us. I was nervous for a moment there that I might have been too intimidating. Might have scared her away from us. '

Levi watched as she came down the steps. He found her expression to be guarded and difficult to read. Without thinking, he glanced down at the dress that fit snug around her figure. Others in the tavern noticed her as well as she passed. Heads turned and mouths smirked. She ignored them all as she weaved through the tables - or was she merely oblivious to all the attention? He decided he didn 't care and took another sip of his tea.

'You really know how to pick 'em, Levi, ' said Oluo with a low whistle, his swagger from before all but diminished.

'We chose her because of her ability and at another 's recommendation, ' replied Levi evenly.

Oluo 's eyes briefly flickered towards Petra before saying wistfully, 'Oh! She looked this way. Eld, how do I look? ' Oluo smoothed down his hair and fidgeted in his seat.

'Like a jackass, ' said Eld lamely. 'You will treat her with respect. She is our colleague now. She 's here for Eren and the wounded, not your entertainment. '

'Well, if I become wounded out there,

then

she 'll be here for me. '

'Do not try and get wounded, ' replied Eld with slight exasperation.

'I would never! Besides, I just wanted to make sure we put up a good front! ' Oluo protested. 'We need to instill confidence that we 're the best for this job. And that starts by looking well put together. Isn 't that right, Captain? '

'You do put up some very compelling arguments, Bozado, ' replied Levi into his cup.

'Ha! See?! ' said Oluo smugly, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair with an air of superiority.

'He was being facetious, ' Petra mumbled, hand on chin.

Oluo deflated. Again.

Levi glanced back over at the physician who was passing by the main bar. It seemed she caught the attention of one of the drunks sitting there.

The man put his hand on her. Levi tensed. He sensed Eld and Oluo do the same. When the innkeep shooed the man away, they all relaxed.

Petra snorted. 'I 've never seen something like that before. '

'We hardly can have an altercation in this room, ' said Eld, pouring himself another cup. 'We need her. We can 't have something happen to either her or Eren before we 've even departed for headquarters. '

'Yeah, what he said, ' chirped in Oluo, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat.

Levi looked back over and saw the physician now stayed at the bar, conversing with the innkeep. The woman handed her a bottle and she drank deeply from it. His gaze went from her to those at the tables near the bar.

With all the wayward eyes hungrily glancing over at her from those in the tavern, he would feel better with her at their table. Eld was right, they could not afford to have something happen to her the first night in their care. He pondered if he should just get up and bring her over here himself. No, he could send Oluo to do that. The man would be eager for the job, anyways.

'Now what is she doing? ' asked Oluo.

Everyone at the table looked over.

The physician was now on the other side of the bar mixing something together. She then started to massage whatever it was onto the innkeep 's hands.

'Her job, ' said Eld. He let out a small sigh. 'Oluo, you aren 't going to constantly keep updating us on every little thing she does, are you? '

Oluo lifted his hands in defense. 'I 'm only looking after her. Isn 't that what we 're supposed to be doing? '

'She isn 't a child who needs constant supervision, either, ' said Petra. 'If there 's anyone we need to be keeping close tabs on it 's Eren, not his doctor. '

'Gunther is already doing that right now! ' replied Oluo. 'And there 's plenty of eyes between us that we can split the job between the two for right now. We don 't know anything about this physician. Why was Hange so adamant they get this one 's boss, hm? That Helfen fellow? ' Oluo leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, 'There 's only one thing Hange loves in this world to the point of obsession. I bet you that Helfen knows things about Titans and that 's why they wanted him so bad. I say we interrogate her. Find out what she knows. Being the man 's study, she has to know something! '

'One problem. You have to be intimidating for interrogation, ' said Petra. 'You can try to be Levi all you want, but you 're as threatening as a barn kitten compared to him. '

Oluo sputtered. 'I 'll have you know that I have interrogated many people! And all of them have yielded to me with trembling legs and soiled pants! '

'Oh yeah? Who? ' Petra retorted in amusement, narrowing her eyes.

Levi closed his eyes in irritation. 'That 's enough. '

Petra and Oluo 's bickering immediately ceased.

Despite everything, however, Oluo did have a point. When Hange had approached him and Erwin about recruiting the Sina surgeon, the look in their eyes took on that feral quality they always got whenever they were about to discover something new about Titans. While he knew Hange wanted Helfen to aid in Titan research, Levi had assumed it was due merely because of his qualifications 'as a physician; that somehow his practice of medicine could be applied to Titans. Could it be that old man had other secret interests besides human patients?

He thought back to the nervous, guilty look the man had when they first entered his back room. Levi sighed inwardly. He should have known better, considering it was Hange.

It certainly wouldn 't hurt to question this new surgeon of theirs. If Hange thinks them capable of aiding them in their research, then perhaps they do know something about Eren and his ability.

'It has been brought to my attention that I have been the most neglectful host towards Captain Levi and his team! ' The innkeep came barreling over to their table, a giant pot of stew in her hands and bowls tucked under her arm. She slammed the pot down in the middle of their table. 'I thank you all for your incredible bravery, doing what you all do. It 's truly appreciated, your service. And so I bring to you free supper as a thank you! A hot meal to fill your bellies. Please, take as much as you want. ' She turned towards Levi and pointed to him. 'Especially you. Make sure you take seconds. There 's hope for you yet, I know it. Eat a few servings of my food and you 'll shoot right up! '

Eld choked on his tea. Levi glared up at her, unamused.

Petra awkwardly laughed. 'Thank you! A hot meal sounds good right now. And it smells delicious! '

The innkeep beamed in reply.

'Amelie! ' someone called from a nearby table.

'Excuse me, dears, ' she said, patting Petra 's shoulder before hurrying off to tend to the patron.

Everyone hungrily ladled stew into the bowls. Petra pushed one in front of Levi and smiled. 'You do need to eat, Levi. '

'Tch, ' was all he replied, but still he picked up the bowl and sipped at the broth. They ate in silence.

'You scouts look so dour in here, ' the physician said as she approached. She placed a bottle down onto the table with a muted thunk. 'You 're in a tavern but you all look like you 're at a funeral. '

Levi noticed she now smelled of tea leaves and lavender oil, likely from whatever she was doing from behind the counter. He was surprised to find he didn 't mind it.

She introduced herself to Eld and Oluo. The former merely nodded in greeting, while the later looked down his nose at her. 'Look who finally decided to join us. '

She took the open seat beside Petra. 'Apologies. I just needed a moment to collect myself. '

'Got scared working with us, eh? ' drawled Oluo.

'Yes, in fact, ' she answered, her face open and honest, its expression no longer difficult to read. The table became quiet. What made her guard lower from before, Levi wondered.

'Frightened of us or Titans? ' asked Petra with an anxious laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

'Both, ' she replied, taking a sip from her drink.

Oluo leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at her. 'I know we can be quite intimidating, but why of us? Are you perhaps hiding something? '

'Pardon? ' Bewilderment creased her features.

'Why is it that Hange wanted that surgeon you work with so badly, hm? '

'Oluo, ' Eld interjected, warning in his tone. 'That 's enough. She 's only just joined us. Not here. '

She looked around the table at his team. 'What do you mean not here? What is it you think I 'm hiding? '

Levi noticed panic replacing her confusion. He propped his cheek onto his fist. Interesting. He decided to merely watch this one play out instead of interfering. The music and raucous laughter of the drunks around them caused him no concern for curious ears.

'I just wonder why you 're truly here, that 's all, ' said Oluo with a nonchalant shrug as he flourished his hand about.

She huffed out a disbelieving laugh. 'You think I have ulterior motives for being here? ' She shook her head. 'I am here because I was offered the position. Although now I 'm starting to doubt if that was a good decision of mine. '

'Don 't take personal offense. It 's our job to be overly cautious of who we trust, ' said Eld.

'Well, you 're certainly doing a tremendous job of trying to gain mine, ' she retorted coldly.

'Oluo just lacks the tact required to handle a new person, ' said Petra, shooting Oluo a glare.

'I 'm merely questioning why

you

, out of

all

other possibilities, were the one offered this new position, ' said Oluo calmly, tipping his chair back.

The physician narrowed her eyes. 'That would be a question for your captain, not me. '

Petra looked over at him. 'Captain? '

'Erwin and Hange, ' was all he said in explanation. It was true. He had no part in this idea of theirs. He had accompanied Erwin the other day per his request, that was it. Everything else was merely orders from Erwin.

'It is curious, ' noted Petra delicately, 'how you two caught the attention of Commander Erwin and Section Commander Hange. '

'We 've treated many of your wounded, ' she answered simply. 'We 've noticed oftentimes you scouts frequently run out of available hands to doctor your wounded, especially when an expedition results in absurdly high casualties. You don 't have enough medics, so your comrades are then referred to us. '

'So it is

only

because of your doctoring they want you? ' Oluo said suspiciously.

She raised a brow. 'Considering that 's the only thing I have trained for, yes. '

'No prior military training? ' Eld asked curiously.

'None, ' she replied. 'Where your commander got the belief that I could keep up with you is beyond me, seeing as I have a very apparent lack of scouting experience. '

'Hmph. Eren, although a snot-nosed kid, is an important case, ' began Oluo. 'Entrusted wholly to us to keep watch of him. We have the experience to handle him. ' He looked towards his team members. 'So why sign on a physician who has zero experience when it comes to not only scouting, but also someone like Eren? That is unless they actually do and they 're hiding it from us. '

'I

am

still sitting here, you know, ' she said, her temper began to rise just as it had in the practice the previous day. It didn 't take much to provoke it, Levi noticed. This woman wore more emotions on her face than anyone he knew. 'You may question my military experience, Oluo, but do not doubt my abilities as a doctor. '

'So you 're saying you

do

have experience doctoring those who can turn into Titans, ' replied Oluo. 'How many have you worked on then? Are there many? '

'None! ' she said hotly. 'Why is this such a point of contention with you? '

He threw up his hands in defense. 'I just find the whole thing suspicious, that 's all. '

Petra interjected, 'Oluo, I think that 's quite enough for tonight. '

'Oh, sure, take her side. I see, Petra. '

'Take

my

side? ' the physician said in disbelief. She suddenly stood, pushing her chair back. 'Putting a stop to your barrage of questions since the moment I joined is hardly taking my side in all of this. '

'Sit down, ' ordered Levi. 'You 're causing a scene now. ' Indeed those at the surrounding tables were starting to glance over.

Her hands balled into fists. 'I will not. '

'Sit or leave, but do not continue on with this, ' he said sharply.

'I am not a

dog

, Captain. Do not speak to me as such, ' she replied indignantly.

'That 's where you 're wrong. You are very much someone I can command, seeing as Erwin has put you in my charge, ' said Levi. He kept his tone firm, hoping it put an end to this ridiculous behavior of hers.

Instead of sobering up as most did, she met his challenge.

His team sucked in a collective, quiet breath.

She leaned forward towards him, placing her hands on the table and bringing with them that smell of tea leaves and lavender. Her narrowed eyes burned with a fierce conviction. Levi met her gaze straight on.

His heart lurched.

She was utterly beautiful.

No.

Shit.

Shit shit shit.

That thought needed to go at once. He promptly shoved it far, far away. He refocused on his current objective.

'You were the one who agreed to join, ' Levi reminded her. 'It 's time you understand the conditions that come with it. My team 's suspicions of you are only natural. '

'Well, then, let me make something perfectly clear now, Captain, ' she began. 'While I may be in collaboration with you and your team, I am

not

a scout. While I may be under your protection, I will not follow every order thrown my way like a mutt. ' She gestured towards the door. 'When we get out there, in your territory with those bastard Titans, then I will take your opinion into consideration. But when it comes to

my

work, the only order I follow is my own. ' She straightened and addressed the whole table now. 'And I will not just sit here and be interrogated as if I am some criminal rather than a professional. I

will

demonstrate to you that I am perfectly capable of handling my job. '

She pushed off the table and stalked off, heading back to the stairs to the rooms above. Levi drummed a finger against the table as he watched her leave.

Eld shook his head. 'Insolent. '

Oluo frowned. He picked up the bottle of mead she had left for them, examining it curiously. He sniffed it, shrugged, then took a drink.

Levi finished off his own drink for the night, tilting his head back as the last of the dregs slipped from the cup. He placed it carefully next to his finished bowl of stew. He thought over what she said.

We 'll see if that talk keeps up once they depart at first light.

For now, he had a post to relieve Gunther from.