One Last Time: One More Time

To you 2,000 years from now

"Your ears are red, so I know you are hiding something," Maria took a quick look at Levi and when their eyes met she knew that it was better to not pick on the matter. "But I assume it must be a secret between you and the Captain, I won't ask anything more."

"Don't call me Captain, you know I hate it," Levi grabs Maria's broom from her hands and walks away nonchalantly. It was another thing that worried the brunette but she didn't want to ask anything, at least not right now. "Now let's get back to cleaning."

"Fine, whatever you say ... Captain Levi."

"Maria ..."

And most definitely, Eren just couldn't see it.

Just how in the world did Ms. Maria and Captain Levi ... How were they even a thing?

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The Survey Corps had a little less than a month to organize everything for the upcoming outside the wall expedition. They needed to set up a logistics base beyond Wall Rose with the hope that with Eren's titan ability, they will be able to take back Wall Maria. On the bad side, they only had newbies to back them up in case things get ugly. Although they weren't the most capable, the Scout Regiment was surprised to even get new recruits at all.

Maria was enjoying her day with her beautiful brown horse. If there was anything that she appreciated about being part of the Survey Corps was that she got assigned a horse just for her. Whenever she had the time she would come to the stables to give him some apples and talk to him.

Now Maria was watching her horse running around freely on the flower fields, smelling the flowers and not completely alone. A black horse that she knew very well gave him company.

"Please make your horse stay away from my girl."

Maria looks to her side and up to find Levi standing next to her as he took a look at his horse interact with Maria's horse. It was a nice scene, watching both horses play around as the sun sets down.

"She doesn't need any boys after her."

"Let them have some fun," Maria says as she noticed that Levi had taken a seat next to her on the grass. "Who knows, maybe even a couple of months we will have a new baby horse."

"Yeah, the idea doesn't sound too good to me."

"Lately any idea doesn't sound good to you."

Levi knew that Maria meant other things. Like how he disagreed with the idea of having Eren walking around so freely or meeting with his friends. And of course how he still thinks that Maria is not ready to be part of the exploration team of the Survey Corps.

"So, you are still angry that I am not accepting your request to join the Scouts as a soldier?" Levi didn't dare to make eye contact with her but instead, he watched with a bit of jealousy the romantic interactions their horses were having. At least someone was lucky in the love department.

"When the titans breached Trost, I think I proved to be more than capable to take care of myself," Maria says as she enjoyed the grass underneath her. It was strangely peaceful and somehow it felt wrong. "I don't know what else I have to do to prove to you that I am ready to go outside."

Five years passed since Maria came back from the underground city. Many things changed and the one that had to change the most was her dreams and ambitions. She was no longer the same and even now Levi didn't know exactly why she even wanted to join the Scout Regiment.

"Why do you want to join? I want an honest answer."

He had asked this many times before with the hope to get an answer strong enough to let her join. Nonetheless, he realized that no matter the answer, he was selfish.