Broken Bodies, Severed Feelings (Erwin x OC)

|4| Attention

"...and then, she... uh... took? T- The n-narrow??? Path to... uh... g- granny's ...house???"

Nathalie laughed and ruffled Isabel's hair. She was such a kind girl. She was young and kind and sweet, and confident, and skilled. She had asked Nathalie to teach her how to read, and it didn't take much for Furlan to join in on the lessons that they carried out in the evenings, in the barracks, after dinner. Nathalie had made sure to prepare all three of them for the upcoming Expedition. It was only two days ahead. It was their first time outside the walls. Nathalie had made sure the other two members of her squad welcomed them. She had led a squad two more times before. Only two were left and she had stopped leading for a few months.

She was nervous to start leading again. Admittedly, she preferred taking Erwin's orders and being in his own squad, but no one was going to treat those three, better than she did. Still, there wasn't really something new that she could teach them on ODM or combat. They were almost better than she was, especially Levi. He was impressive. She could hardly take her eyes off of him when he maneuvered in the drills that they ran. He was silent, and always sitting on a corner, sipping on his tea. He was skinny – all three of them were, and she expected nothing from people who grew up in poverty in the Underground. She only hoped they'd change that now aboveground.

"You're learning so fast, darling! Somebody's so very smart!" Nathalie continued ruffling Isabel's ginger hair as she giggled and pressed her cheek down on Nathalie's shoulder whilst Nathalie wrapped an arm around her. The both of them, sitting side by side on Isabel's bed, legs spread in front of them and their backs against the wall.

"Of course, she's smart," Furlan smiled proudly as he settled down on his bed and grabbed the book that Nathalie had gifted him. "You should've seen how easily she picked up ODM,"

"I did, didn't I?" Isabel's bright green eyes lightened up in excitement and her cheeks got a bright red from all those compliments.

"No, she didn't," Levi clicked his tongue and sipped on his tea with a small smile on his lips that he made sure to hide behind his tea cup.

"Heyyy!!" Isabel frowned and Furlan chuckled.

"Well, it did take me two months to get the hang of it," Nathalie confessed as she tucked her glasses back in place with her finger.

Isabel gasped. "Me too!" She looked excitedly at Nathalie with huge green eyes.

Nathalie chuckled. She stood up and caught the sheets and waited for Isabel to lie down comfortably before bringing them up her body, much like every other day ever since they started their lessons. She couldn't help mothering that girl. Nathalie snuck out food from the kitchen more than a few times for her. Furlan was quietly reading his book, practicing, but Levi – Levi was trying to sip on his tea and stare anywhere but her.

But she was so perfect as she tucked Isabel to bed. She was wearing that dark blue, ankle-length skirt that he had seen her wear before over the last few months that they had been there. She had that white, buttoned up shirt on top, that she had stuffed beneath her skirt. Her pale-brown hair were a mess and her bright blue eyes stared in adoration down at Isabel behind the lenses of her circular, nerdy glasses.

"You know what? Keep this," Nathalie handed Isabel the book that she had given her. Nathalie had once read it to her, and she liked the plot. It was a bedtime story.

Isabel took it and stared at the book in adoration. It was the first time anybody had gifted her anything. She gasped. "Reallyyyy?"

"Sure!" Nathalie giggled. "Goodnight, Issy," Nathalie planted a kiss on Isabel's forehead and Isabel giggled.

"Goodnight, Nat!"

"Goodnight, boys," Nathalie smiled at the other two, before she turned and walked out of their shared room. The three of them wanted to stay together. Levi said he needed to have his eyes on them both at all times and Nathalie understood and indulged him with his request. It made sense they would have trouble trusting anyone. They were raised not to trust anybody.