Chapter 9

Crystal stirred until she awoke, sunlight beaming in through her window, she sat up in a hurry. Levi wasn't beside her.

Looking around she couldn't see his clothes nor the basin of water she left on her desk, they were both completely gone. Getting up, she slipped into a cotton dress and stepped out of her room. The cottage was quiet. There was no one in the cottage besides her.

Did everyone leave for town? Or were they outside? Crystal shook her head as she walked up to her door and opened it, suddenly the creepy scenary of her empty cottage shifted and melted into the battlefield in Marley. With Crystal looking right at Levi who was ordering her to retreat when a dead body fell between them.

It was Levi. He was bleeding badly, and Crystal felt all her breath snap out of her lungs as she screamed for him to wake up. Punching his chest, begging him to take her with him. Before pulling one of her guns out and pointing it at herself, before firing.

Sitting up from her bed with a gasp, she breathed heavily as she looked to her side to find Levi still sleeping soundly next to her, and she clutched her chest as her heart pounded against her ribcage.

"Fuck... Nightmare." She mumbled as she held her head in her hands, that is when she felt tears on her face, she was crying. Cursing under her breathe she felt someone's hand on her shoulder.

"Crystal...? Are you okay?" Levi's deep husky voice spoke up, "Did you have a nightmare...?"

"... Yes..." Crystal mutters, and she felt his grip tighten before she realized she was falling towards him. Laying down on his back he brought her down onto his chest.

"Calm down... Its alright now. I'm here."

"... You were dead in my dream..." Crystal mutters, reaching her arm across his torso,"We were back on the battlefield and you died in front of me..."

"I heard you crying out my name..." Levi started to rub circles on her back, "But personally I was afraid to wake you up in fear that you'd punch me..."

"That makes sense... I probably would've." Crystal laughed and heard him chuckle which made her freeze up, "Y-Your chuckle is so handsome..."

"I don't usually..." Levi scratched his nose as he looked over at her, "Do that..."

"I like it..." Crystal held onto him tightly and felt herself slipping under again, "I'm.. Tired."

"Sleep. I'll hold you all night.." Levi says softly, and Crystal fell asleep moments after. Now free of nasty nightmares.

Levi smiled down at her, now comfortable with letting down his guard a little. He felt horrible for her, even if the sight of her filled him with joy.

She seemed to still mentally be back on the battlefield. Her body still hadn't relaxed, her mind still active. Levi wasn't better off, but he didn't feel as affected as she looked.

It wasn't long after that the sun began to rise and Levi dozed off again, his face buried in her hair. The two slept for a few more hours after that.

Crystal opened her eyes to the sight of Levi's chest, and felt her cheeks burning. They made love again, in her bed. In her house.

This time ending with him telling her to marry him, and at the time she had brushed it off as the alcohol messing with his head. But she now blushed at the thought of being Mrs. Ackerman, being his wife would bring her a joy she could never describe.

Sitting up she looked down at his messy raven hair, his peaceful face as he breathed in. She felt her body blooming with soft heat before planting a kiss on his lips.

Getting up she walked over to her closet and opened the door, pulling out a cotton dress, she froze. This was the same cotton dress from her nightmare, would she be repeating her nightmare?

No, that was foolish. Pulling it over onto her desk, she slipped on some simple underwear and then put on the dress. Walking over she looked at her dresser drawers and then looked at Levi. How awkward would it be to have a fresh set of clothes for him?

Shrugging she set the new t shirt and pants on the nightstand next to him before walking over to grab the basin of water. Stepping out of her room, she noticed that Armin and Mikasa were already awake snacking on some apples.

"Oh hey Crystal." Armin said happily, "Your beds are so comfortable."

"I'm glad you liked them." Crystal carried the basin to the sink and dumped the slightly spoiled water, "Want to help me get the eggs from the cart and I'll cook some breakfast?" Crystal asked as she walked back over to the two.

"You look really pretty in a dress." Mikasa said before standing up, "I'll help get the eggs."

"Thanks." Crystal started to head outside and the two worked on opening multiple crates. Pulling out salted meats, eggs, and bread. The two got to work cooking up vegetables and Crystal fried the eggs.

"That smells so good..." Hanji stretched as she walked out of her room that she shared with Mikasa, "You're so dutiful even in retirement."

"Well it would be rude not to feed my visitors." Crystal said softly, before her ears picked up on the shower running, "Sounds like Levi is awake now too."

"Yeah, he always showers in the morning." Hanji giggles as she sits down at the dining table, "I'm surprised you didn't join him." She teased.

"Well, I don't think there would be much cleaning being done if I joined him." Crystal replied nonchalantly, a little too dazed to feel embarrassed. Moving over she began to boil a teapot of Black Tea for him throughout the day, she started to prepare the plates for the table.

Filling each plate with each their own portions, Crystal scraped out the last onto hers and grabbed one of the jugs of milk from her icebox. Pouring a mug of milk for everyone except for Levi, she put the milk back before grabbing the steaming hot teapot she starts to pour the black liquid into a teacup. Carrying it over to Levi's seat, she places it down when his voice spoke up.

"Wow, already got breakfast ready?" Levi sat down in his seat and Crystal looked at him with a smile.

"Mikasa helped." Going to her seat she sat down and the 6 of them started to eat. Sounds of enjoyment escaped the younger ones, and Crystal couldn't help but notice the enjoyment on Levi's and Hanji's faces. Eating hers, she found herself getting twisted into a day nightmare as her fork clinked against her plate.

She could hear the bombs and gunshots echoing around, and suddenly her appetite disappeared as quickly as the imagery filled her head, putting down her fork she stood up, snapping her head out of its stupor.

"Crystal? You barely ate anything." Hanji said softly, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I guess I'm just not hungry enough yet. I'll put my leftovers in the composter and start work on plowing up a field."

"A field? Are you going to become a farmer?" Armin asks curiously.

"I already know how to farm, it helps with money. I bought all the tools and seeds yesterday." Crystal pat Armin on the head as she took her plate outside and dumped the food into the composter before bringing her plate back in. Cleaning it off in the sink, she tensed up as her mind started to play tricks on her, like the water she was cleaning the plate off with was blood instead of water. Suddenly a calloused hand took her plate from her.

"Let me get it." Levi said sternly, "Start on your work outside." Crystal looked up at him and nodded before going outside. Grabbing the new hoe, she began to plow up the land she used to farm years ago, making it slightly bigger to accomodate more plants.

"Hey Crystal." Hanji said as she approached the farmland, "I'm going to leave today for my family's estate near Sina."

"Oh..." Crystal mutters, stabbing the hoe into the ground so it wouldn't fall over as she walked over to Hanji, "Alright. Remember that you're always welcome here."

"I appreciate it... Actually, can we talk?"

"Sure." Crystal wiped her hands off on her dress, before following Hanji over to a tree for some shade, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I just thought you were overdue for a thank you from me..." Hanji looked over at Crystal, "The day you joined the scouts was so eye opening for me... It encouraged me for the next years recruitment. It reminded me of the fact that you were not the exception but the example... If it wasn't for you a lot of Scouts wouldn't be here today." Hanji started to shake as tears welled up in her eye, "If it wasn't for you, none of us scouts would be able to retire and enjoy a bit of a regular life... So thank you. Thank you for being crazy enough to join the scouts, thank you for not being scared..." Crystal pulled Hanji close, hugging her tightly.

"Hanji, I'm glad I got to meet you. You crazy woman, your obsession with the titans never ceased to amaze me. You are a great commander. I'm sure that Erwin is very proud of where you've come."

"Crystal..." Hanji began to sob against her head, Crystal just sighed softly and rubbed her back, trying to calm down the older woman.

"You were like the family I never had..." Crystal mutters, "I know I never talked too much about my family, but they... They abandoned me when Wall Maria fell. They chose my little sister over me because... She was prettier than me." Crystal explains softly, "They live in Sina now, but I haven't bothered finding them. For me... The Scouts are and will always be my family."

"Crystal... You were like the cutest little sister. Crushing on Levi, learning how to talk to people, even getting into a phase of wanting to act like Levi but failing miserably... You saving my life multiple times... I always hated sending you out onto the battlefield, but every time you came back alive, I kept being reminded that you were crazy enough to fight all of them by yourself."

"I was crazy... Wasn't I?" Crystal mutters against Hanji before the two pulled apart, and Hanji smiles at her.

"Invite me to the wedding, yeah?" Hanji teases and Crystal giggles.

"Most definitely." Crystal smiles up at her and before she knew it, Hanji said her goodbyes to the others and was trotting down the dirt path towards the city.