Levi knew she was lying.

Or at the very least, she was willfully ignorant of the suspicious behavior of those around her.

Which instead of making her a liar, made her stupid.

That didn 't seem right, though. He had this feeling, somewhere in him, that told him she wasn 't stupid.

That she knew exactly what she was doing.

Liar it was, then.

And so as Levi walked through the lantern-lit corridors, boots echoing against stone, he thought of all the different ways he could extract the truth from her.

He decided on the simplest of options.

Time.

And patience.

Levi trusted Erwin implicitly. And if Erwin wanted Helfen or his prot 'g ' to be a part of whatever scheme he had in mind, then Levi would go along with it for now. He knew he would find out the truth, eventually.

She would begin working with Eren and Hange soon. He would observe how she behaved around them, what information she shared with his team.

And if that failed, if too much time was being taken, if his patience began running low, then he 'd force it out of her. For the greater good.

Levi stepped into his quarters, closing the door behind him quietly.

But first, he had a more pressing issue to resolve. He needed to figure out the most effective way to incapacitate the brat in the cellar.

Levi sat in the armchair placed by the fire, legs crossed and chin propped onto his hand. He turned his thoughts towards Eren.

~~~~~

You wished you could open the few windows of the infirmary. But, of course, the damn things wouldn 't budge despite your attempts. The early morning air had felt wonderful when you were outside earlier gathering from an old stockpile of chopped wood, and having a breeze blow through would have helped dissipate some of the dank, stale air that had been trapped in this place for years.

You dropped your small pile of wood into the iron log holder by the hearth.

You swept out the soot that had accumulated at the bottom of the hearth and then carefully stacked the wood and kindling inside it. You lit a match and tossed it onto the kindling. Taking the bellow that hung beside the hearth, you puffed air into the meager flames until you got a healthy roar. You hooked a kettle of water onto the iron bar and swung it over the flames to boil.

A voice cleared itself by the threshold of the surgery.

'Is now a good time? ' said Oluo, nervously peering in. He gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. 'I can always come back at a later time if you 'd prefer '? '

'No, please, now is fine. I 'll take a look at those sores, ' you said, dusting your hands together as you stood.

Oluo swallowed and nodded, then came in.

'You can just go to that table, ' you said as you went over to the deep washing basin, jerking your chin towards the main operating table. You scrubbed your hands clean with the bar of soap you had stolen from one of the bathing rooms.

Oluo stopped by the table which was still covered by the sheet you had placed there earlier.

You shook your hands dry as you joined him. 'Alright, let me see. '

He just stood there, staring at the table.

'It 's not like it 's surgery, no need to be nervous, ' you reassured him. 'It 'll just make it easier for me to see. '

He just nodded in response.

You raised a brow. 'You 're going to need to drop your trousers, soldier. '

'Right, right. Of course. ' He didn 't move.

You realized his hesitance. You spun around, putting your back to him. The sound of unbuckling and the rustling of clothing filled the air. You heard him clamber up onto the table.

'Am I good to look now? ' you asked.

'No! Not yet! ' he said quickly. He adjusted himself on the table, getting comfortable, you assumed. 'Okay. Go ahead. '

You approached the table and looked down at the bare hindquarters before you. Oluo 's chin rested behind his folded arms, covering most of his face. Red bloomed across his forehead and the tops of his cheeks. You noticed his embarrassment.

'Saddle sores are very common, ' you reassured him, examining the site. Most of it was minor damage, but one area in particular had chafed so badly that the damage had led to an abscess. You gently poked it and Oluo winced in pain. 'This giving you the most trouble? ' you asked.

'It makes me feel like a kid again after my father gave me a strappin ', ' mumbled Oluo into his arms.

Having assessed the area, you then gathered what you needed. 'You get into trouble often as a child? ' You took the kettle that hung above the small fire and carefully filled a hot water bottle. You pushed the stopper into its top as you returned to the table. You wrapped a clean cloth around it and placed it over Oluo 's backside.

'Oh, I was a little fiend for my parents, ' he said. He sighed at the warmth.

'What sorts of things would you do? ' You pulled out your small box of instruments and pushed back the cover. You selected one of the scalpels and refined the blade 's edge with a whetstone.

Oluo looked over at hearing the sound, apprehension stamped on his face. He quickly hid his face again behind his arms. 'Well, there was the time when a group of scouts had returned from an expedition. That was back when Keith Shadis was still commander, long before Erwin. I ditched my lessons to be a part of the crowd on the streets to greet them from their return. '

'That doesn 't sound so bad, ' you said as you brought the blade over a candle 's flame.

'Well, it wasn 't until I threw stale bread at them and yelled that they had killed my sister, ' he replied.

'Ah, well, that would certainly do it, then. ' You slid the hot water bottle down to reveal the abscess. You sterilized the area with the solution of antiseptic betadine you had brought. It was the only bottle you had brought and you realized you were likely to need much, much more in the coming days.

It was a good thing you had put it on the list given to Eld, but you didn 't know how easy it would be to get with the current supply shortages across the districts. You were glad you had written distilled alcohol right below it, just in case. You figured you were much more likely to get that than the betadine. But who knew, maybe luck just might favor your cause.

Once properly prepped and with a steady hand, you made a small incision on the top of the raised bit of skin with your scalpel. Oluo sucked in a breath.

'Your sister was a part of the Regiment? ' you said, continuing with your conversation to distract him. You took a pair of hemostats and broke apart the small pockets of pus inside. You carefully expressed the exudate, draining the abscess of its contents.

Oluo grunted. 'For a few years. That is until she never returned. We never discovered how it was she went. Whether she was eaten or smashed or lost. No one knows. '

'It sounds to me you were completely justified in your anger, then. '

'I wish my parents felt the same. First my mam walloped me behind the ear for wasting food, then pops got the belt for being disrespectful. I screamed at them for not being more upset with the whole thing. I realized years later my father had put all of his grief into every snap of that belt, while my mother put hers into the pillow with tears. '

'So what made you want to join the Scouts? ' You filled a syringe with the sterile solution and cleaned out the tiny crater that now graced Oluo 's ass.

'I guess it was the same anger and hatred for them that pushed me to join, if that makes sense. I suppose I enlisted in the beginning to prove a point, to make a difference where they failed to. I did it for my sister, striving to be the best fighter they 've ever had. ' He lifted his head and gloated, 'I 've got the best numbers here, you know. '

'Even better than Levi? '

'Well 'no. '

'So you don 't have the best numbers. '

He sulked, grumbling incoherently into the table. You caught Levi 's name mentioned somewhere in there.

'I 'm only teasing, ' you said with a small smile. 'Your numbers are indeed quite impressive. What was it again I heard, thirty kills? '

'Thirty-nine, ' he corrected.

'Ah, that 's right. Impressive, indeed, Mr. Bozado. The work you and your team accomplish is truly admirable and humbling. You put all others above yourselves, sacrificing your own humanity so others may keep theirs. It takes a special kind of soul to take on that kind of work. So thank you. '

'Oh 'well, you 're welcome, ' Oluo said, his face turning red again, but this time for a different reason. After a moment of silence he spoke again. 'I, uh, wish to apologize for the way I spoke to you that first night. Petra was right. I hadn 't gone about it the right way. '

You packed the emptied pocket with a tiny piece of gauze from your personal supplies. You applied a bandage over it. 'Apology accepted. If it makes you feel any better, your captain seemed to agree with your thinking. '

'He did? '

You nodded. 'Last night he visited me and picked up right where you left off. '

'He didn 't tell us that, ' Oluo said.

'Probably because there was nothing to tell, ' you replied. 'So I hope that helps reassure you that there isn 't any conspiracy to my joining. ' You cleaned up your mess of supplies. 'The abscess wasn 't that deep. You 're good to remove the packing tomorrow. Everything will heal on its own in a few days. I suggest placing a new bandage over it until it 's closed, to help protect it when you 're back in the saddle. As for the remainder of your sores ' '

You gently smeared a soothing salve over the broken bits of skin. The smell of mint filled the air as it provided a cooling relief for his tender skin.

'You have a nice touch, ' he mumbled, his face aflame.

You grinned. 'Not saying that because I 'm touching your rear now, are you? '

' 'No. '

You laughed. 'You 're free to go, soldier. Try not to ride too hard. '

You moved so your back faced him again, giving him privacy to get up. You wiped your hands on your smock and grabbed the black book Dr. Helfen had given to you. You flipped it open to the very first blank page.

You put pen to paper, pausing. Your very first case to record working for the Scouts '

'And it was saddle sores on Oluo 's ass.

Exciting and rewarding, indeed. You sighed and began to write.

The doors to the surgery suddenly slammed open. A scout stood at its threshold, panting as he attempted to catch his breath. 'We 've got urgent new- Oh, God, put it away, Bozado! '

Oluo jumped up and down as he hurriedly pulled his white trousers back up, quickly buckling the leather straps around his legs and waist. 'What 's the news? ' he asked, fingers working at the buckles.

'Sawney and Bean have been killed. You 're to join Levi and the others to investigate immediately. They 're waiting below. Hange has already left. '

'Who 's Sawney and Bean? ' you asked curiously.

'Hange 's babies, ' Oluo answered unhelpfully as he rushed out the door.

'Remember not to ride too hard! ' you called after him. You had no idea if he heard you.

The scout looked between you and where Oluo was just a moment before. 'So, what were you two, uh '?

You raised a brow at him. 'Don 't you have murders to attend to? ' you said.

'Right, right, ' he said, shaking his head as if to clear it. He ran off.

You looked out one of the narrow windows down at the bailey below and watched as the squad mounted their horses, Eren included, and rode off.

You finished writing your entry.

~~~~~

'I wish you could have met them, ' Hange said sadly later that night at tea. They sniffled, wiping their nose on their sleeve. 'I was so excited to share with you my methods and what I had planned. It was something we were supposed to collaborate on together. I had high hopes that you would be able to see a piece of the puzzle I was missing. But now they 're gone! Murdered in cold blood! ' Tears filled the brim of their eyes.

When Oluo had mentioned that Sawney and Bean were Hange 's babies, Titans were not what you had envisioned. You supposed it made some sense, considering Hange 's personality. You patted their shoulder in sympathy, unsure of how to console someone over the death of a Titan.

'It 'll be okay. There 's plenty of Titans out there. I 'm sure the captain can go out and catch you another one, right? ' you said, looking over at said captain who sat at the head of the table.

'I will not, ' Levi said, not even bothering to look up from his tea.

'Well, then, why don 't you tell me about them? ' you said to Hange with a friendly smile. 'I find keeping someone 's memory alive helps with grief. '

'You don 't want to do that, ' warned Oluo.

Gunther and Eld merely sighed and stood from the table. 'Second night in a row, ' Gunther grumbled to his friend as they left.

All the others filed out of the room after them. You watched them go in confusion.

'Did you know that Titans have vocal cords? ' asked Hange, pulling your attention back to them. 'And yet they don 't use them? At least not for complex speech. They can make sounds. But whether or not those sounds have significant meaning has yet to be studied. ' They looked down at their hands. 'I wonder if they cried out when they were murdered. '

'I didn 't know that, ' you said. 'Then again, I 've never heard a Titan before. I haven 't even seen one. '

Hange looked up in surprise and confusion. 'You haven 't? '

'I 've been tucked away in the interior all these years. Sheltered from the horror, you could say, ' you said. 'I 've heard stories, seen drawings, but that 's about it. '

Hange 's eyes scanned your face as if studying you. 'You 've aided Dr. Helfen in his research, correct? ' they said. 'Your name is on the published papers, are they not? '

You struggled to understand the sudden change in subject. 'It is on a few of them, ' you replied, curious where they were going with this. 'He 's published quite a bit on a wide range of subjects. I 've only helped with a few. '

They continued to study you intently for a hushed moment. This quiet, subdued version of Hange made you uneasy. What happened to the jovial person from the other day?

Hange hummed once, then leaned forward, placing their elbows on the table. 'Tell me about Dr. Helfen. What 's it like working with him? The man publishes so much, he must constantly be working. '

You nodded, a soft smile on your lips. 'Constantly. And even when I got him to rest, his mind always seemed to be whirring away in that brain of his. His whole life has been devoted to medicine. I don 't even think he has a family, as far as I 'm aware. It 's just been me. '

'So you 've spent quite a bit of time with him, then? ' they asked.

'Practically my whole life, ' you answered. 'He took me in when I was younger. He 's taught me everything he knows. '

Hange lifted a brow above their thick frames. 'Everything? '

'Most things, ' you corrected. 'I admit there 's still quite a bit left I have to learn. '

'Indeed? ' said Hange, silence drifting down onto the conversation.

You weren 't quite sure how to reply. You fidgeted uncomfortably in your seat. Was Hange hinting at the same suspicions everyone else seemed to have about you and your mentor? Where were these suspicions even coming from?

'What 's your current research with Dr. Helfen? ' Hange asked, breaking the silence.

'We 're studying the response of common bacterial strains to different treatments, ' you answered. 'We 're attempting to create a more effective antibiotic than what 's currently available. '

'Are current treatments not effective then? ' Hange asked, propping their cheek on their fist.

'No, they are. It 's just that they 're entirely dependent on the ailment, ' you replied. 'Not to mention, we find that once a person is given an antibiotic, the less effective it becomes should they be given it again. So we need a wider variety of options. '

'Truly amazing, ' Hange commented sincerely. 'Tell me more about his work. How did you even get to such a point in research? '

You pulled over Gunther 's cup of abandoned tea, porcelain scraping against wood. 'Well, Dr. Helfen discovered that everyone has their own personalized defense against sicknesses. He called it the immune system, ' you said. 'And what your immune system is like is based on a plethora of factors: family, location, health issues. In the very first paper he published, he studied that those from Wall Maria contracted certain diseases that those in Wall Rose do not - and vice versa. '

'Yes! I remember reading that paper! ' interrupted Hange. 'The first of its kind! '

You smiled in response. 'In his next paper, he sought to figure out how such illness spread. He dubbed whatever caused these infectious diseases pathogens. These tiny little things you can 't see with the naked eye, but incredibly powerful. He concluded that contact with someone 's bodily fluids that had these pathogens is what caused illness. Years later, he would add airborne pathogens and contaminated water to the list. Hence why he encourages coughs to be covered up and water to be boiled for sterility. ' You picked up Gunther 's teacup as you paused in speech.

'Dr. Helfen traveled frequently across the walls for his research, treating the injured and ill to pay for his expenses. Along the way, he came across another physician who taught him how to culture what she discovered as bacteria. Naturally, Dr. Helfen was ecstatic about finally being able to see the pathogens he had been studying blindly for so many years. What 's strange though, is that the physician who had taught him about bacteria disappeared just a few days after he had met her. Helfen never heard from her again and he suspects the name that she had given was a fake. He had asked around and no one had even heard of her. Didn 't matter much though, as he now had a new, revolutionary tool in his kit.

'Years later, he came to conclude that you can improve your own immune defense by exposing yourself to illness, to these bacteria. In small doses, of course. ' You took a sip from Gunther 's tea in demonstration. Hange watched you with rapt attention. 'You wouldn 't want to catch a life-threatening disease on purpose just to improve your chances should you get it again. Regardless, he observed that the body learned to recognize past illnesses and such recognition could even be passed onto someone 's child. But there were still two issues he needed to work on: The first was preventing the spreading of pathogens in the first place, and the second, helping to cure someone of a disease should they get it.

'For the first, he discovered several different ways to prevent the spread of pathogens: boiling water, exposing instruments to high temperatures before using them, and using either distilled alcohol or betadine on surgery sites or wounds. He adopted such methods into his practice of medicine when treating his patients. He noticed a significant decrease in those who ended up succumbing to fever due to his surgeries. Because of this, many other physicians have now adopted his techniques. Medicine because of him has gotten much safer.

'As for the second issue, that one he resolved with Grisha Jaeger. ' You sighed. 'As much as I didn 't like that man, Dr. Jaeger was a genius in his field. He brought along the concept of antibodies, tiny little things in your blood that recognize pathogens. It was a beautiful fit to Helfen 's theory of pathogens and immunization. And so between him and Helfen, they developed antibiotics that were able to fight against basic diseases, paving the way in medicine inside the Walls in the 30s. Their work in both antibodies and antibiotics was truly revolutionary.

'And so, ever since their collaboration, Dr. Helfen has been trying to develop better antibiotics so we may have more varied options of treatment. As time goes on, the antibiotics we do have are less and less effective. ' You finished off the rest of Gunther 's tea.

Hange 's face held a wicked grin. 'The wee buggers are learning aren 't they? '

You couldn 't help but return the smile. 'That 's what our current research suggests, yes. '

Hange leaned forward. 'And where do you get the bacteria for your testing? '

'A variety of sources, ' you said. 'The best samples have come from our patients. But when we experience a lack of sick or wounded, then we visit the Underground. The place is ripe with samples. We scrape infected wounds, we swab it from the noses of people with fever, we ask people to spit into jars. We then culture it back in our little lab of the practice. '

You leaned forward closer to Hange, nose inches from theirs, your excitement growing. 'However, the absolute best sources are from the miniature outbreaks that occur all the time throughout the districts. There have been numerous cases of unknown pathogens that seemingly appear in random locations. Before it fell, most of these small outbreaks occurred in the outer wall. But now, they all occur within Wall Rose or the Underground of Sina. All established treatments - herbal, surgical, medicinal, you name it - are completely ineffective against such small outbreaks. Even our very few antibiotic treatments, useless. All except for one. '

Hange 's eyes sparkled behind their frames.

'The Shiganshina cure has been the best at reducing such cases, ' you said excitedly. 'It 's not the most effective, but it 's the best we 've got and it 's what we 're using as a basis for the development of our newest treatments. '

'That 's the sickness Dr. Jaeger cured, is it not? '

You nodded. 'Dr. Jaeger had always been strangely possessive over that cure. Perhaps it was because it was his home district, but he had taken all the credit for himself when really it was Dr. Helfen who did most of the tedious research for that cure. '

'Helfen aided Jaeger in that development? ' Hange asked, surprised. 'I don 't remember reading any published work by Helfen on the Shiganshina epidemic. '

'Because there isn 't any, ' you said. 'It was one of the many arguments I 'd overheard in my mentor 's practice. Grisha Jaeger forbade Dr. Helfen to submit our findings to the university in Mitras for publishing. '

'Why is that? '

You shrugged. 'Who knows for certain. I was too young at the time to really understand what I was doing in that research. Helfen just instructed me to mix certain things together and record numbers. I 've thought about it over the years, though. My best guess is that the source of the cure is something illegal, maybe even from outside of the Walls. It had to have been something only he had access to, seeing as when he disappeared so did our supply of the antibodies. Helfen and I must be careful with how much we use. We 've only so much left. '

'Helfen must know what that main source is, otherwise he wouldn 't have been able to develop the cure 's serum, ' said Hange thoughtfully.

'He likely does, but he refuses to tell me, ' you replied. 'Believe me, I 've tried to pry it out of him over the years. His tight lips just further add to my suspicion that it 's something illegal."

'But it 's something he does not have access to, is it? Otherwise, you 'd be able to simply make more, ' said Hange.

You nodded. 'That or he fears being caught. ' You paused briefly before adding, 'I would like to reiterate that Dr. Helfen and I have done nothing illegal. I understand how this all sounds and I 'm well aware you must have the ear of Commander Erwin. '

Hange lifted their right hand. 'On my honor. ' They then gestured their hand towards you. 'Please continue. '

You took a breath. 'That serum is such a valuable contribution to our field. All I know of its composition is that it 's an antibody-antibiotic conjugate. Dr. Helfen always explained it as arming a trained soldier with the sharpest sword. ' You looked down into your empty cup. 'We desperately need more. We cannot replicate the cure in our little lab, but I suspect a body could do it for us. We need a body whose own immune system can still recognize the Shiganshina strain on its own, replicating the antibodies and their effect over the years in those who recovered. Hence why we would like the blood of someone from Shiganshina, preferably if they had caught the disease and then been treated with the cure. Dr. Helfen and I believe this is our best source to develop more effective treatments before we run out of our current supply. It 's just been difficult finding authentic sources seeing as, well ' '

'Most people died that day, ' finished Hange.

You nodded. 'And those that

did

manage to escape are very difficult to find. Nearly impossible. '

A smile tugged on the corner of Hange 's lips. 'I know of one who just might have what you need. And he 's already here. '

Realization flooded you. 'Eren! ' you exclaimed. Hange grinned.

You scolded yourself for not seeing it at first. It was so obvious! Your eyes alighted with excitement as all the possibilities came rushing in. You quickly did some simple math in your head. 'He wouldn 't have been alive during the epidemic, ' you thought aloud, 'But he likely would have given the serum to his wife before she became pregnant with him. '

'Helfen said immunity can be passed down to progeny, right? ' Hange pointed out.

You nodded. 'Even if he doesn 't have the same antibodies used in the Shiganshina cure, they

must

still be different regardless due to his Titan ability! It 'll still be a great first step in studying his rapid wound regeneration! At the very least we might be able to learn something studying how his blood differs from normal humans. '

Hange 's hands snatched out and grabbed yours in excitement, squeezing tight. 'There would be a connection with the immune response and wound regeneration, then? ' they said, practically vibrating in delight.

You grinned at their reaction. 'Likely. Dr. Helfen believes your immune system is activated every time you 're injured, to prevent any kind of infection occurring through the wound itself. Kinda like a shield wall in battle. '

'Ohhh! This could also be the next step in figuring out why they can only be killed by the nape of their neck! ' Hange exclaimed. They squeezed your hands even tighter. 'What will you need from him for your experiment?! We 'll get started right away! '

'Blood, preferably, ' you answered. 'I can easily draw a sample of blood from him. '

Hange shook their head, releasing your hands. 'It might be too risky. We might set him off to transform and it wouldn 't be good if you were so close to him. The only thing he knows is that it 's set off by injury. ' They drummed a finger against the table.

'Injury, really? ' What an interesting trigger, you thought. You would think over the implications later. 'Even by just a needle? Such a tiny poke? '

Hange shrugged. 'Anything 's possible when it comes to Eren. A needle piercing his skin might just set him off, no matter how big it is. '

You leaned back in your chair, biting your lip. You thought it over. 'Saliva might work just as well, I suppose. ' You shook your head. 'If we are to extend this to your Titan research, we 're going to need normal Titan samples as well. In which case, blood is going to be our best bet. We 'll need it for our sample size. Eren against human against Titans. '

Hange sucked on a tooth in thought. 'Don 't forget there are different sized Titans as well. '

'We 'll just have to take what we can get then, ' you said simply. You gave them a small smile. 'I suppose it 's now your turn. Tell me about your research. Tell me everything you know about Titans. '

The blinding grin that graced Hange 's face rivaled that of the sun on a beautiful day.

~~~~~

It was quite late by the time you and Hange separated for the evening. Much too late to try and find Eren to talk to him and possibly get a sample. Considering everything Hange had told you, the boy deserved as much rest as he could get. Any kind of experimentation could wait. His health came first.

You walked through the maze of halls, trying your best to remember how to get back to the quarters that were attached to the infirmary. It certainly didn 't help that your head was quite full of all the information Hange had unloaded into it. Your brain worked frantically to sort through all of it.

How fascinating those foul Titans were! Considering their significant impact, you were surprised that more people hadn 't researched them as extensively as Hange has. Was fear more potent than curiosity when it came to Titans then? Considering all the terrible stories you had heard about them, that was more than likely the case. Or perhaps Titans were just that much of a greater force when matched against humans. It just seemed curious to you that it had taken this long to finally get someone like Hange around to study them.

After all, they had taken the time to develop their ODM gear to fight them, but nothing to study their existence? Wasn 't it always best to know thy enemy?

You shook your head. Something wasn 't adding up right here. The lack of progress learning about Titans concerned you and it hinted at something more. Something was certainly amiss, especially with the murder of the two Titans Hange had been studying. You just had no idea what.

As you walked by one of the rooms, you noticed a light flickering from underneath the crack of the door. You paused.

Who would be up at such an absurd hour?

You stood there, debating whether or not you should knock and disturb whoever was inside. If they were up so late, perhaps they needed aid in something. Or maybe they struggled to sleep. You could always mix something up to help with fitfulness.

But if they were in a bad state of mind, perhaps being disturbed at such a late hour would only serve to make things worse.

You raised your fist to knock, then lowered it.

Best not to disturb. If they wished for help, then they would approach you, especially if it was a matter of their health.

The door suddenly swung open, startling you.

You gasped, jumping back. You placed a hand on your chest, feeling the guilty, rapid beats thundering beneath. Levi stood on the other side, hand still on the door 's handle.

'Can I help you? ' he asked. He didn 't sound the least bit interested in helping.

'That 's the second time you 've done that to me now, Captain. Quit it, ' you said, narrowing your eyes and willing that damn heart to slow down. It only picked up in speed.

He barely raised a brow. 'You were the one hanging around outside my door, being a creep. '

'I didn 't know it was you in there, ' you said hotly, straightening out your clothes as something to do with your hands.

'Does that make a difference? Is this something you do with other people? '

'No! ' You felt your cheeks warm. Damn this man!

He crossed his arms, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. You couldn 't tell if he was irritated or bored. 'Well? Is there something I can help you with? '

'No, ' you said, calmer this time. 'I simply noticed that there was a light still burning and I wondered whether someone needed help. It 's just unusual for someone to be awake at this time. I was concerned, that 's all. '

'You 're awake at this hour, ' he noted lamely.

Touch '. 'Yes, well, I 've just finished up with Hange. I was returning to my quarters. '

Levi glanced down the hall. 'You 're going the wrong way. '

You huffed once. 'Then be helpful and point me in the right direction. '

He jerked his chin back the way you had come. 'Take the stairs at the end and go down two flights. That 'll take you to the courtyard. You 'll find your way from there. '

'Thank you, ' you said ruefully. As you turned to leave, you hesitated. 'Are you always up this late? ' you asked. You noticed he was still in his uniform, boots and jacket and all. The only thing missing was his ODM gear.

'Yes. Goodnight, ' was all he said in reply, closing the door.

'I can mix you something to help with sleeplessness! ' you called from the other side of the door. There was no response.

You sighed. That was the last time you were going to offer to do something nice for him, you thought sourly as you doubled back the way you came.