Curled up under a thin blanket, you shrank against the wide tree roots that hid you. Your gnarled fingers trembled painfully as you pulled the covers tightly in an attempt to hide yourself. A crackling fire danced in front of you a few meters away, and on the other side, laid the head of a titan, their large green eyes staringly numbly at the space above your head. You didn't want to blink, lest it move. You didn't want to move, lest it see you. You didn't want to breath, lest it hear.
With a sharp knock, its eyes found you, terrifyingly large orbs dilating as a grin stretched over its cheeks. It opened its mouth, creaking like a wooden door, before launching towards you. A scream ripped your throat as you threw the covers over your eyes. You flailed wildly, clawing at the space around you so you wouldn't be swallowed.
You could feel clamping tightly around your biceps, pressing you downward to ground. You only thrashed around more, more screaming echoing from your throat.
"(Y/N)... (Y/N) stop!"
"Wake up!" Your head snapped to the side sharply, light burning growing in your cheek. Cool tears cut through that pain as you opened your eyes. At first, only rough smears of color greeted you. You blinked rapidly, clearing away the fuzziness as you looked up. Blue eyes broke the fog, followed by a ridiculous set of eyebrows. His large hands clasped your arms on each side, only loosening as your screaming silenced. "E-Erwin?" You stuttered, confused.
Flashes of memories flickered behind your eyes, remembering where you were and what happened the last few days. "Oh, Erwin... good morning bushy brows."
Your ribcage hurt as you sat up. You slid your palm up against your forehead, pushing back your chaotic hair. You turned your head and looked around you as though to solidify your safety. Gingerly touching your face, you winced. "Did you slap me? How rude." You teased, smiling as your wiped your tears clean.
"That honor actually went to me." A blunt tone grunted, forcing you to look past Erwin at his raven-haired subordinate.
"Oh. Then really... how rude." You muttered.
"You were screaming and sobbing in your sleep (Y/N). I couldn't wake you up either. At least he got you awake." Erwin sighed, finally releasing his grip. Moving closer, he sat next to you as he knit his face caterpillars together.
"Are you alright? What was that all about?" He asked.
"It was just a nightmare." You said. Your tone didn't waiver as you spoke, allowing the illusion you were speaking the truth. "Or more close to a memory. It's not problem."
"But what was it? We can't have you screaming yourself awake every morning. You'll hurt yourself and-"
"Relax eyebrows, I promise it's not a common occurance." You cut him off skillfully, forcing your tone as to cut off any further discussion. Turning your gaze towards Levi, you smiled bitterly and eyed with a annoyed, cocky stare. "As for you, are you happy you finally got the chance to smack me? I promise you it won't happen again, so I hope you enjoyed the opportunity."
Levi only grimaced at you, turning pointedly and grumbled as he stamped away. You laughed quietly, the image of a child invading your mind with his behavior. You sat in silence for a moment before Erwin stood, walking to your door and closing it gently.
You didn't question his actions, instead opting to swing your legs around the cot so your two feet were firmly planted on the floorboards. "I really do think he just slapped me because he could. Ha! It's so easy to get under his skin." The way you spoke was too quiet, turning your intention of jeering and funny to an attentive and sad observation.
Erwin leaned his back against the door as he looked at you. He pursed his lips like a mother might whom was punishing their wayward child, but his usually intense eyes were tender with concern. You retracted your jovial tune and sighed, shoulders sagging. "I dreamt about the forests." You said quietly. "When I was still recovering from escaping the titan's mouth."
"I assume it's safe to say you escaped them fine. You're here obviously. But are you sure you're alright? How often are you having dreams like this? Should I be doing something to help you?"
You bleated a small laugh. As you stood your spine rippled with loud pops, a chorus of vertebrae twisting and aligning themselves. You walked to Erwin, offering a small smile as you hugged him. He stiffened with your touch, making you hesitate, but slowly he enveloped you in a hug as well. The past year must have been rough if he'd already become foreign to your affection.
"You can't do anything, no, but I appreciate the thought." Your voice was muffled against his chest, but still he offered you a squeeze before releasing you.
"Well, whatever the case, let's go get some breakfast. It seems like you need it." He seemed to be trying to tease you, but he seemed to straight laced to get the tone. It came more across as though he was making a bad dad joke. Still, you chuckled.
"What, you saying I look thin? Be careful eyebrows, I can still take you if I wanted to!" You boasted loudly, flexing your muscles so your small frame grew just slightly.
He rolled his eyes and opened the door, releasing you into the hallway. "I'm glad your so jazzed to fight. It'll be useful in training today." He smirked at you, watching you quizzically as you laughed, processed his words, then turned your offended expression on him.
"Wuh wuh wait, what?! Training?? No, nuhno. No way. I am not training. I'm almost a year out of practice! And I'm not staying here anyway!" You complained, still following him as he didn't wait for you.
You followed him quickly, looking at the back of his head in annoyed awe. "Are you kidding me?!" You barked.
"We both know I'm not apt to kid." He said bluntly, though smirking to your annoyance. "You'll be training with Levi and his squad, acting as a part of it, until Hanji is able to squeeze as much information out of you as possible. After that you'll be free to go."
"With that twerp?!" This exclamation came out as a scream, announcing your entrance as Erwin threw open the door to the dining hall. Many of the soldiers there halted, both in respect for their commander and awe at the small angry baked bean yelling at him.
You ignored them happily, focused completely on the betrayal of the man you dared to call your honorary brother. "Oh come on! Just stick me with this Hanjo or whoever and get it over with! Theres no reason I have to be with that bowl-cutted brickhead!" You whined.
"There's already too many people on Hanji's team as she works with titans daily. For one I'm not sure that'd be a good fit for you. For another, we need you acting as a solider so no one is suspicious of a random person returning from outside the walls. People are already rioting about food and shelter with Wall Maria down, but seeing people survive out there would jar the citizens. The safest place is to keep you with Levi so you're close but not suspicious to the public." Erwin explained.
"So what?! Just say I'm on his squad and then let me stay in my room!" You pled.
"That's not an option." Interrupted the comical man of the hour. You turned to look at Levi, his beady dark eyes exuding distaste already. Erwin seemed unfazed. "What makes you so entitled you shouldn't have to work while you're here?" He grunted bitterly.
"Maybe it's the fact I never asked to be here in the first place." You hissed back, crossing your arms. "But some undercut with a stick up his ass decided I wasn't allowed to be outside the walls alone and dragged me here!"
"It's against the law you idiot!" He barked.
"The law doesn't apply to corpses!" You rebutted, smiling deviously.
In your hands suddenly slammed a tray, taking you by surprise. You looked up to see Erwin placing a tray of rations in your arms with a neutral expression painted over his face. At first you were confused, but then you remembered he was still a commander, and the dining hall was chalk full of his subordinates. Professional was the only way to be.
He cleared his voice and looked at you, speaking in a tone like a disciplining father. "Cadet (L/N), I understand your situation is unique but my orders are final. Despite your debate, you'll be meeting Captain Levi and his squad after breakfast and will begin training with them. No further arguments will be heard from you, understood?"
Your mouth gaped. In your head you had hundreds of witty responses, but looking at him, then seeing the hundreds of eyes watching you three, you knew that undermining him would only hurt both him and you. The chance to undermine Levi alone wasn't enough to offset that.
You deflated stubbornly and bowed towards Erwin. With your shoulders slouched, you grit your teeth before uttering a defeated "I understand Commander. I'll follow your orders without fault."
The eyes of those eating seemed wide, as thought amazed that the feral spitfire was so easily subdued by the strong leadership of the one and only Erwin. But you all but knew that not a single one even knew that you and Erwin were long time family.
Levi smirking, and Erwin satisfied, you took your tray and stubbornly turned to find an empty table at which to eat your meal. However, you were only stopped by Levi, whom grabbed your tray roughly. You scrambled to balance it so nothing spilled, glaring at him bitterly as he pulled on the tray to direct you. Pointing to a partially populated table against the wall, he merely said, "Levi squad eats there. Go and eat while theres still time today."
Your nose bunched up as you bit back the urge to snap, but you resisted. Erwin took his leave with grace, having eaten already you assumed, but still you obeyed. You yanked your tray away from his hands and didn't pay mind to the threat of your tea staining his uniform should it splash. Stamping your feet just a little too hard, you found the table and flopped down angrily.
You kept your eyes downcast, not grumbling but definitely sour with your public defeat. As you bit aggressively into your breakfast, pointedly ignoring your company, a gentle hand met your shoulder. You didn't jump, but you snapped your head up to find a lightly startled Petra. She smiled sweetly, laughing in a nervous way.
"So its official huh? Welcome to the crew! I promise Levi isn't all that bad once you've been around him for awhile." She comforted your bruised ego, allowing you a smile as you sighed. However, you couldn't help your smile.
"Ha! It serves her right for even daring to talk back to her superiors. They've earned their positions via carefully cultivated leadership and skill. You finally learned your place between Erwin and our captain, huh?!"
You stiffened dangerously, blood filling your cheeks as you struggled not snap. "Excuse me?" You said sweetly, locking eyes with your verbal assailant.
As you scanned him over with a quick glance, an eyeroll overtook your better judgement. The man that spoke looked to be older, his blonde hair looking more like a serrated mushroom cap with hair gel. His face seemed tight with an inherently infuriating smugness and that made you truly itched to invert his kneecaps. He adjusted his collar cockily and smirked, leaning closer to you.
"Lay off of her Oluo. Don't be so annoying." Another one of the men interrupted. He seemed mildly amused, but him taking your side was still nice. He had clean looking blonde hair, inmaniculately groomed. He was the only of the three men to have any facial hair, a small soul patch over his chin. He was much taller, towering over you easily.
The asshole scoffed, crossing his arms stubbornly. You looked down the table, seeing that aside from the two men and your familiar Petra, the only other person was a man yet to talk. The quiet man, his personality odd to place, seemed mildly annoyed but smiled towards you politely. He eyed the one deemed Oluo with an irritation that seemed to intensify.
"Gunther's right. Get the stick out of your ass before you start another fight." He said in a tone a scolding father might use.
Looking to you, he extended an open palm. "My names Eld. Eld Jinn. I'm Levi's second in command. This is Gunther, as I said. I see you already know Petra. And the asshat brownnoser's name is Olou. You'll have to get used to him acting like a puppy to the Captain. It's nice having you on the team."
You glanced at his hand, hesitating to lifted your own gloved mit. However, putting on a grin for him, you took his hand and shook it. "Thanks. My name's (Y/N)."
"Oh, we know. You're lucky the captain didn't assign you stables and cleaning duty for the next two weeks! You really pissed him off behaving so childishly when you arrived here. We saved you from titan territory and you-"
"Yeah you can shut the fuck up." You interrupted him boldly, lifted your hand delicately and holding a finger up as though to silence him. "Let's get things straight. I didn't ask nor want to join this little party of yours. Corporal Stubs over there simply is too afraid of me running to let me be alone, so he got Erwin to back him up. Secondly, you didn't 'save' me from titan territory. I didn't need to be saved, period. You idiots here in the wall simply have such a hardon for being the hero you brought me in."
He stammered slightly, quickly recovering and sticking his nose in the air in a condescending way. "You really must be an idiot if you-"
He didn't have the chance to finish his statement before you threw a tray into his face, the remains of your rations going skyward and tableware clattering around him. The room grew silent, Oluo silent and gusping got a response as you stood. "I think I'll be going. I don't think I'm all that hungry after all."
As you stepped from the table, an irritatingly familiar grip ensnared your wrist and yanked you backwards. "Cadet, I don't recall dismissing you. Clean up your mess." Levi snarled menacingly.
Your senses felt raw and your muscles were tense with growing anger. You swiveled slowly, lifting your arm with his hand still attached to your wrist. As your gaze angrily snapped to his, you could only feel your blood boil over. His cool grey eyes gave away no emotion, just a level lack of anything. You wanted to collapse his nose in and it took all of your control to keep from swinging at him.
"Do not make me repeat myself Cadet." Levi warned.
"Fucking make me Undercut." You said coolly. "I might respect Erwin, but I don't owe you fucking shit."
His face didn't twist with anger. He didn't even flinch. Not a single cadet in the room seemed to breathe. In a swift movement, Levi swept your legs from beneath you and you found yourself laying on your stomach, his heeled boot pushed into between your shoulders. He leaned down, his tone low so only you could hear him.
"I don't give a flying fuck what you think you know. You're my subordinate now and you're going to behave as such." His warning seemed to enrage you more, but as you turned your head to look him in the eyes as best as you could, you couldn't help the chilling fear at settled into your spine. His gaze was severe and engulfing.
With a rough push he removed his boot and stood back. "You're going to be responsible for Oluo's chores for the next 3 days to make up for your behaviour. Am I understood or need I make your sentence more severe?"
"Crystal..." you growled.