Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

THUMP

That sound gave Levi a shock. Usually he was not easily shaken, especially by a noise, but he had just moved in this quarters and this place is quite, unsettling. He sat up straight from the chair he was slouching on and listen intently to the sound at the other side of the door. All the while, his mind is filled with imaginations of ghosts. Again, this very unusual of Levi. He's never been afraid of any supernatural being but he is in a new element.

THUMP

That's it. Levi stood up and opened the door slowly but wide enough for him to take a peek. And then he saw it, the being. Facing the door opposite of his own room with their forehead against the door.

THUMP

This was where the noise come from. An idiot banging their head on the door.

“Oi! Take your shit somewhere else. I'm trying to sleep here.”

THUMP

Levi walked towards this idiot and grabbed their shoulder to turn them around.

“I said..”

When he realized who that person he was manhandling, he let go of his hand and took a step back. He didn't do it out of respect for this person but rather surprised at her chaotic state. Her bloodshot eyes, her messy hair, her cracked glasses.

“Four Eyes! What the f*ck?”

“Oh, hi!” Hanji rubbed her eye and yawn at the same time much to Levi's distaste. “I was trying to get into my room, but the door won't open.”

“It's lock, Four Eyes. Do you need another set of eyes to replace your shitty eyes?”

“Of course.” she let out a hefty laugh as if laughing at her own silliness. Her right hand wonders to her right trousers then to the left. Then to the back.

“Uh oh.” she looked up to Levi with a stupid grin on her face. “I left my keys in the lab.”

Levi stared at her so hard, he wished his stare would burn a hole on her head.

“It's fine. I'll go and get it. Let's hope Moblit hasn't lock that door too. Haha.” Hanji gave a dismissal wave and turned to leave the corridor. Her hand was on the wall for support and after a few steps, she crouched on the floor.

“Oi! What are you doing?!” Levi knew she didn't fainted. He could have just walked away. Go into his room and lock the door.

“It's fine. I think, I'll just sleep here. Don't worry. Bye.”

Levi tapped his foot, contemplating his options. He could proceed with his original plan and leave her here. She seemed comfortable. On the other hand, the bed in his new room is empty. Too cosy for him, it will give him nightmares. He could just dump her there.

He grabbed her arm to raise her from the floor and dragged her into his room. Once they were in his room, he shut the door and guided Hanji to his bed. He let her sit on his bed without removing anything except for her cracked glasses.

“Thank you, Flagon. You're a good friend.” and she flopped to the bed.

Levi froze in his place, unexpected to hear Flagon's name. That name opened a can of worms he never ever wanted to remember again.

“Idiot glasses.”

He folded Hanji's glasses and sat again in the chair he left. He spent the rest of the night trying to forget the name and everything associated with it.

The bright sunlight through the window woke Hanji from her slumber. Her first thought was her failed experiment she worked so hard on. She raised an arm to her face, feeling dejected. Then only she noticed that she was still wearing her jacket.

“I thought you were dead.” an unknown voice startled her to sit up. She can't see well without her glasses but she can see that person handed her something shaped like her glasses. She took it and wore it.

“Oh, it's you.”

“Disappointed that I'm not Flagon?”

Hanji tilted her head in confusion. What an odd thing to say. And then she remembered.

“I called you Flagon, didn't I? I'm sorry, I was too sleepy to think straight.” She shifted in the bed and let her legs, still in her boots, hang by the bed. “This was Flagon's room, you see. He was usually the one who found me wandering the corridor. Although, he would take off my boots before letting me sleep.”

“Tch. They put me in his room.” she heard him muttered under his breathe. She felt uncomfortable sitting in a stranger's bed so she stood up and started to make his bed.

“Don't bother. I'm going to wash them anyway.” he interrupted her.

“Wait, why didn't you put me in my room? It is just acr..”

“You left your key in the lab.” he interrupted her again. This man is short tempered, Hanji thinks. Maybe she can test his threshold.

“Did I?” then she reached for the breast pocket of her jacket and took out a key. “It's right here.”

“Tch. You have your shitty key. Now leave me alone.”

“Right on it, sir!” she mocked a salute. “Or should I say, Captain Levi? You're a captain now, right? That's why they put you in officer's quarters now? Good job, captain! You're moving up the ranks! Now you have to choose your squad members. I wonder if you work well with other people. I've seen you hung out with your old friends. Speaking of which, I promised you food. Or was it drinks? It is my day off, Erwin made me take it. How about we go today?”

Hanji can see the regret on his face for letting her spend the night in his room. Before he throw her out of his room, Hanji walked towards the door and left. But before she shut the door, she turned to face Levi.

“See you at the stables, noon-ish. I remember the deal I made a year ago.” She said, calmly this time. She gave him a smile and closed the door.

Levi gazed at the door, expecting her to burst in again but she didn't.

“I have to get a different room.” Levi muttered determinedly.

Chapter Text

Their bodies were stiff from sitting too long. After 3 full days of tedious meeting, Levi were glad that it was over. He was ready to return to his temporary barrack and rest. Too bad his companions didn’t think the same.

“I honestly thought Nile won’t stop talking.” Hanji said quietly but loud enough for her fellow corps to hear. They were the only ones left in the room, rearranging papers into files.

“You talk more than he ever would.” Mike quipped as he smirked. Hanji found that to be rude, elbowed his abdomen playfully.

Every year, the commander-in-chief, Darius Zackly would summon heads of each division to report on their expenditures and activities as a good practice on transparency. These meetings were usually held inside Wall Sina. The safest and most comfortable region among all regions.

“How about we visit one of their pubs tonight? Give their finest beer a try?” Hanji suggested as they stepped out of the room.

“Sounds good to me.” Mike agreed to Hanji’s suggestion. “People staying within Wall Sina always get the best alcohol, it will be a sin not to have a few rounds before we leave.”

“You behave yourselves. I’m afraid I won’t be joining in the fun. All commanders were invited to a private dinner at Zackly’s mansion.” Erwin informed them.

“Oooh. That’s fancy. You don’t want Mike to go with you?” A hint of concern in her voice. “Just to be safe?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m leaving in a carriage with Nile. See you tomorrow.” Erwin sped up his pace when he saw Nile at the foyer. Before he left, he turned to give his last advice, “Don’t get too drunk. You’re still on the clock.”

“Yes, father!” Hanji and Mike salute their commander in jest. Then Erwin left the building.

Levi scoffed at them which startled Hanji. He was silent the entire time, she forgot that he was here all along.

“Scoff all you want but you’re joining us too.”

“I didn’t agree to this shit.”

“You don’t have to. I’m dragging you along.” Hanji hooked Levi’s and Mike’s neck with each of her arms, which required quite an effort because of the substantial height differences.

By the time they reached a pub, Hanji had one arm hooked on Levi’s neck and the other arm, linked to Mike’s arm. He was too tall, her arm was aching, so she settled with his arm. Plus, he was not struggling.

“You can let go of me now, Four Eyes.” Levi warned her but she pretended not to hear. Finally, he grabbed her wrist and pushed her forward in annoyance. Hanji let out a raucous laugh as she stumbled into the pub.

When they entered the pub, the noisy pub went completely still and every eyes in the pub were on them. Most of the patrons there were in their Military Police uniform. After a few seconds, someone dropped a spoon to the floor and the pub returned to its rowdy ambience.

“Should we find another pub?” Mike whispered to Hanji. “I can smell the tension here.”

“Can you smell the sweet smell of beer too?” Hanji retorted joyfully. “Let’s find a table!”

Levi felt the tension too. The scowl on his face was replaced with another expression usually seen during expeditions. He was alert. Even though the pub was back to being merry, he can tell the people at the back of the bar were not so merry. They have been eyeing the trio ever since they entered the pub.

Hanji walked to the bar ahead the men and ordered three beers for them. While the bartender were making their drinks, Levi noticed that Hanji was not smiling but rather looked serious. She felt Levi was staring at her and as if she could read his mind, she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. We’re here to have a good time.” She gave him a reassuring smile.

“Tch. It’s not me you have to worry about.” He said as he shrugged away her hand. “The first sign of trouble, I’ll leave this shit hole in a heartbeat.” Hanji’s smile grew a few centimeters.

Levi took a mug from the counter and walked towards Mike who found an empty table across the room, away from the rowdy crowd. His messy comrade followed behind him carrying two mugs in each hands.

“Finally! Time to let loose!” Hanji said excitedly as she passed a mug to Mike.

“For humanity!” Hanji raised her mug.

“Together we give our hearts!” Mike played along.

“Tch. Please, it’s like Eyebrows never left our side.” Levi sneered and took a sip of his beer. He watched Hanji and Mike chugged the whole mug in one go and beer was dripping to the sides of their mouth. When they were done, they slammed the mugs on the table and wiped off their mouths with the back of their hands.

“Disgusting.” he said as he took another sip.

“The next round is on me!” Hanji stood and strutted to the bar cheerfully.

From the corner of his eyes, Levi saw a tall man from the back of the bar stood up and walked towards where Hanji was waiting for the drinks. Without realizing this, he sat up straight and grasped his knife he concealed in his jacket.

“She can take care of herself. Relax.” Mike noticed the agitated Levi, tried to calm him down.

“Do I look like I give a shit?”

“No. You don’t look like you give a shit.” Mike replied with a smirk.

Levi looked away but turned his head to Hanji’s direction to check on her. She’s still there but another man joined her at the bar. Hanji was visibly uncomfortable as she kept motioning the bartender to hurry up. Finally, she got her drinks and hurriedly walked to their table.

“Everything alright?” Mike asked as she handed him his drink.

She gave Mike a shrug. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“He is coming.” Mike warned her. Hanji didn’t even turn to look. She casually took a sip from her mug. Levi mirrored her actions and smirked as well because he found this whole scenario to be amusing. They were too calm for a chaos that was about to happen.

The tall guy walked around their table while checking out Hanji’s companions. He was wearing his standard issue uniform without the jacket. Eventually, he sat opposite Hanji with a smug.

“Look, I know you’re not shy. The way you laughed when you bursts through that door. It excites us.” Then he glanced condescendingly to Mike and Levi but didn’t acknowledged them. He set his eyes on Hanji, “Let’s move to the fun table.”

Hanji took another sip and put down the mug calmly. “Thank you for your offer but I can’t leave my friends here. I’d appreciate it if you leave us alone.”

That tall bastard slammed his palms on the table but the three of them were unfazed at all. His friend at the bar took that as a sign and walked towards their table to stand beside Hanji, to intimidate her.

By then, the tall guy was standing and leaned towards Hanji with both of his hands on the table. “You think you’re too good for us, huh? You Survey Corps people days are numbered. Didn’t you hear? Your good-for-nothing commander is leading all of you to your deaths.”

Levi was about to introduce this tall bastard to his boots but Hanji moved suddenly, so he remained seated. She swiftly turned in her seat and punched the man standing next to her in his groin. Once she handled that piece of shit, she returned to her previous position and tilted her chair forward a little to reach the man in front of her. She grabbed his right wrist to make him lose his balance and she used another hand to grip his hair. Then she slammed his forehead on the table so hard, the mugs shifted.

He had the nerve to wiggle his way out of Hanji’s grip so she gave him another slam to the table. Then she whispered something to his ear. Too close to his ear, Levi had the urge to pull them apart. Not that he was jealous or anything but the incident that transpired right in front of him, excites him?

“Nod if you understand.” She said loud enough for everyone to hear. That bastard nodded.

“Good. Now get out of my face.” she finally let go of his hair and sat back comfortably in her chair. The tall bastard scurried to his friends at the back of the pub.

“Told ya she can take care of herself.” Mike said to Levi.

“What are you talking about?” Hanji asked directly, evidently she was still in her defensive mode.

“Levi were worried about you.” Mike spilled the beans to Hanji. At this moment Levi had the urge to introduce his boots to Mike too but instead, he gave Mike a deathly glare. Hanji just smiled as she took a sip.

“What did you say to that bastard?” Levi asked curiously.

“Oh, nothing!” She laughed. “I warned him not to talk shit about our commander or I’m going to cut his balls off. It’s an empty threat, but hey, it worked.” she said as Levi noticed that her usual spark is back.

“Not bad.” he muttered as he continued his drink

Chapter Text

Levi tried everything in his power to avoid Four Eyes daily. It's not that he dislike her – he dislike every human being equally – but she was a force to be reckoned with. The more he made an effort to get away from her, the quicker she would find him. It's like she owned Mike's ability to smell shit. Maybe that's why she didn't bother Mike. He must have sniffed her miles away and make a run for it.

Lucky bastard.

Today Levi put in an extra effort to avoid Four Eyes because it's payday. This is usually when she'd make Levi spend his hard earned money on her – well, not on her but her precious experiments. He have no idea where all her money went. He stopped asking a long time ago because the answer he ever get was 'for the sake of humanity'. So today, Levi was going to lay low.

“Levi! I've been looking everywhere for you!”

Too late. He kept on walking as if he can't hear her. He was wearing his gear, he could zip off somewhere away from her. But from the rattle she made as she tried to catch up with him, she was wearing her gear too.

“Levi! Can you..”

“What do you want Four Eyes?!” He turned abruptly, they almost bumped into each other.

Hanji fished something from her back pocket and showed him her tattered money bag.

“It's payday!” She replied excitedly.

Levi scoffed and continued walking.

“I finally have enough money to buy a microscope.” Hanji said while keeping up with him. “I broke the last one and Erwin refused to use corp's money to buy me another. Slow down, will ya?”

When Levi showed no sign of slowing down, Hanji stopped catching up to him and folded her arms. To gain Levi's attention, one must approach him with tact.

“You know,” she said loud enough for Levi to hear. “if I finally buy this thing, I won't be bothering you much.” It must be working because he stopped walking. “At least for a few weeks, maybe months.”

“Is that so?” Levi asked over his shoulder.

“Yeah. I'll be cooped in my lab for so long, you'll miss me.” Hanji reassured him with a smirk.

“Fine. Let's go to the town and get that shitty thing you want.” Levi said miserably.

The town was unusually busy that evening. There was a flea market in the middle of the street, so they can't ride their horses directly to the shop. This goes without saying, but Levi hated this. Mostly because he kept bumping into people. Hanji was not being helpful as she casually browsed everything without a sign of worry at all. Now she was looking at a stall selling homemade items.

They may be away from where they were supposed to be but Levi let her do whatever she want for now. It's rare to see Hanji gleamed over something that was not titan. He was about to take a look at what Hanji ogling on but he was interrupted by a few brats running between him and Hanji. Feeling annoyed, he glared at the kids until they disappeared at an alley. Levi ran out of patience, tapped Hanji at her shoulder.

“Oi, Four Eyes. Don't forget why you dragged me here.”

“Levi, look.” she grabbed his arm and pointed to the table. “I want to buy that. I will not have enough money to buy food later, but I can eat at the barracks right?”

She flashed a smile, excited with her own plan. She moved her hand to take out her money bag and then her expression turned dark. She searched the other pocket then she started to grope every pocket on her.

“What the f*ck?” Levi felt the sudden tension.

“It's gone!” she finally looked him in the eyes, her voice high pitched and in distressed. “My money bag is gone!”

Levi spontaneously searched for it on the ground too incase she dropped it somewhere near where they were standing.

“It was with me the whole time. I made sure of it!” she was at the verge of crying already. “Ah! It has my three month worth of pay too.”

“Oi, Four Eyes.” Levi tried to pull her attention away from the current situation but to no avail. “Oi!” this time louder with a wave right in front of Hanji's face. He pulled her aside, away from the crowd. She could use a fresh air.

“Hanji, calm down.” At this point, Levi was grabbing Hanji's shoulders while trying to shake her off her thoughts.

“You know what, I'm going to find the bastard and I'm going to kick his ass.” she said angrily while totally ignoring Levi. That was when he remembered the brats earlier. He looked back at the alley the brats ran to.

“Stay here.” he told Hanji and walked towards the alley.

“I'm not going to JUST stay here.” she followed him, nonetheless. “Wait, where are you going?”

“I'm going to get back your shitty money bag. What else?” he said over his shoulder. When he got into the alley, he scanned the area. It's empty except for a few stacked boxes. He took a closer look at the boxes, even rattled them a bit. He can hear little gasps coming from the boxes.

“I give you brats ten seconds to get out of that shitty place.” he threatened as he kicked the boxes. Before Levi started counting, the boxes toppled and two boys crawled out from under it. He picked up both of them by the collar and raised them to his eye level.

“Give back the money bag before I break your necks, brats.”

“O..okay..okay. Put us down.” Levi put them down because he felt sorry for them. They were little kids after all.

“Wow, mister. You are really strong!” said the blonde boy.

“Yeah. Stop kissing my ass. Where is it?” The other boy with red hair took it out of his pocket and hand it to Levi. He gaped at it like he wouldn't want to let it go. Levi snatched it from him and threw the bag to Hanji. She immediately check the contents to make sure it has all her money. Satisfied, she nodded to Levi.

He turned back to the brats in front of him to teach them a lesson. Maybe a smack or two to their heads. But when he saw them with their heads down and a hand to their stomach, he noticed the sorry state they're in. Their dirty clothes, their unruly hair and their boney frames. It reminded him of someone he used to know.

“Four Eyes, keep an eye on them. I'll be back.” he rushed out of the alley and lost into the crowd.

After a few minutes, he came back carrying something in both of his hands. By this time, Hanji and the kids were sitting on the boxes. They became friendly with each other after they apologized to her and she was cool with it.

Levi handed the brats a paper bag each and then sat next to Hanji. He opened his own paper bag and Hanji tried to peek to see what's inside.

“Fried chicken!” the kids yell happily and started to gorge on it.

“Wait, where's mine?” Hanji elbowed Levi.

“Get your own food, Four Eyes.” he said indifferently. From the corner of his eye, he could tell Hanji was disappointed. He took the chance to toss something to her lap. She seized it before it fall to the ground and when she examined it, she smiled from ear to ear. After that, she looked at him intently making sure that he really meant it.

“The one you have right now is shitty and you can't stop gawking at that one from the stall.” he felt stupid explaining it to her, he took a bite from his own chicken to stop talking. He kept in mind that he have to try harder to avoid her in the future or else he'll risk exposing himself and his ruin reputation.

Chapter Text

The air was filled with strong scent of Levi's annoyance as Mike breathed in. He didn't have to sniff it to tell Levi was annoyed, that was written all over Levi's face. Mike knew exactly why Levi was acting that way. Both of them were awkward in their formal evening clothes with their hair slicked back and shiny shoes, waiting for their commander to arrive.

“This is your first military ball?” Mike asked. Actually he was trying to get Levi's attention away from his own thoughts. He looked like he was ready to kick someone.

“Hmm.”

“They always had these before the fall of Wall Maria.” Mike dropped a trivia but Levi was still uninterested. They remained silent after that.

“Where are those two shit heads anyway?” Levi asked, eventually.

“Well, it takes longer for Hanji to get ready.” Mike informed him as he smirked. Levi will have a shock of his life when he finally see Hanji and Mike can't wait to witness it.

Carriages after carriages went past them but still no sign of Erwin and Hanji.

“Patience, my friend.” Mike tried to calm Levi. “They have to make a grand entrance in order to attract possible investors.”

Finally, a carriage arrived with the wings of freedom emblem at the door. A footman opened the door of the carriage and Erwin emerged from the inside. He looked dapper in his suit. Then, he extended his hand to assist the other person out of the carriage. Someone took Erwin's hand and it was Hanji. After she exited the carriage, she immediately smoothed her dark red gown. Nothing scandalous about her dress; it was long sleeved, the skirt was a little puffy and it was embellished with little golden floral pattern. But seeing Hanji out of her regular uniform was a sight to behold.

Mike looked down at Levi to see his reaction but it was not as he expected it to be. Levi was staring at his shoes. Mike elbowed him to signal Erwin's arrival and Levi looked at him with the darkest scowl. This was definitely not how Mike thought Levi would react.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Hanji said excitedly to Mike and Levi when they got closer. “They put things on my face to make me presentable, whatever that means. But hey, as long as it brings in the money. Right?”

Mike nodded. Usually he wouldn't even bother responding to what Hanji said but she maintained a steady eye contact with him, he felt obligated to nod. It's like she was trying to avoid looking elsewhere. Mike took another sniff. Something was definitely brewing.

“Shall we?” Erwin asked as he offered his arm to Hanji. She smiled and hooked her arms with him. They entered the already crowded ballroom followed by Mike and Levi right behind them. Erwin scanned the room to look for familiar faces and headed towards Commander Pixis when he spotted him.

“Ah! The cavalry is here!” Pixis exclaimed, a little too loud. Everybody within proximity turned to look. “Look at all of you! You guys cleaned up well!”

“Commander Pixis,” Erwin nodded to him, “I see that you have started the evening.”

“Of course! A man can't pass a good drink.” he said as he winked at Hanji. “I knew there's a woman under all that uniform. You look like you worth a hundred carriages.”

Hanji giggled at the compliment. “Sweet talk all you want, Commander. I know too many of your former conquests to fall into that honey pot.*”

“Ah! Beauty and brains.” he turned to one his female exasperated officers. “You can learn a lot from her.”

“Commander, if we can find somewhere private to talk about it?” Erwin interrupted Pixis before he could say anything else.

“Of course! Of course! Right to the point eh, Smith?” Pixis raised his glass to Erwin and chugged it. He tossed the glass to one of his officers and walked away, presumably to a more private area.

Erwin turned to his own officers before he went away with Pixis.

“If you want to leave early, you better start working soon.” he nodded to Hanji and Mike. “And if you do leave early, leave the carriage for the commander please. We don't want what happened last time to happen again.”

“I thought you like getting into a noblewoman's carriage?” Hanji quipped while suppressing her laugh.

“No, Hanji.” Erwin said calmly, then he left to follow Pixis.

“Well, I guess it is time to work.” Hanji turned to face Mike and Levi. Mike took this as a sign to walk away. He grabbed Levi too and they settled by the wall where there were fewer people.

“What the hell is Four Eyes up to?” Levi asked Mike.

“It's time to work.” he answered nonchalantly while taking a sip. Although it seemed like they were brooding by the wall, they were actually observing Hanji. When she was left alone, she strut her way to a well-dressed gentleman and accidentally spilled her drink on him. She apologized profusely by wiping it off of him. A little too touchy, Mike thought. Obviously, he was not alone in that thought. He can hear the man beside him sigh.

“Are you Captain Levi?” their observation were interrupted by a woman. She had her eyes set on Levi but Levi didn't even bother to entertain her.

“Yes. He is Captain Levi.” Mike immediately took her hand and kissed it. The woman was taken aback by Mike's charm. “I'm Squad Leader Mike of the Scouting Legion.”

“Ye.. yes. Nice to meet you.” she replied with a blush.

“Would you dance with me, miss?” Mike didn't even wait for her answer but he dragged her to the dance floor smoothly. He turned to Levi and raised his eyebrows to him signaling his departure. Levi scoffed. He got the hint, alright.

---

He watched the crowd on the dance floor spin and twirl according to the music. His comrades were in the mix too. Big ass Mike was with the same woman earlier being very amiable for the first time he had known him. Erwin finally joined in the fun but he seemed distracted. He kept looking at Nile's direction. Or rather the woman Nile was dancing with. That must be Marie. Then he heard an irritating laugh. The laugh that always piqued his interest, for reasons unknown to him. And that person was in the arms of another man on the dance floor. Of course, only Four Eyes would dance with a man with stained suit.

“Disgusting.”

He might as well get something to eat than watch these people dance. There was a big spread in the other room which to Levi's relieve, not as crowded as the ballroom. He took a plateful of food and settled at a secluded balcony to avoid any human interactions. To his surprise, he ate quite a lot. He kept going back to the spread to get more.

“No wonder these pigs are so fat. They get the best food.”

“Are you having a good time?” With that, his moment of solitude ended. “I've been looking for you. The food are amazing, right?”

Without any consideration, Hanji took a piece of meat from Levi's plate- with her fingers. He pushed the plate to her direction. His appetite, gone.

“Nope. I can't eat that much.” she put a hand on her stomach. “This corset is killing me as it is.”

“Tch.”

“Do you want to leave?” Hanji asked him.

“Aren't you working? Whatever that shit means.”

“Yeah. It's done.” Hanji fidgeted in her shoes. “Let's go back to the inn. I want to get out of these.”

In a normal circumstances, he would question every Hanji's suggestions but not this time. He was uncomfortable in his clothes too. Levi finished the rest of the food on the plate because he didn't have the heart to let it go to waste and walked out of the mansion with Hanji by his side.

“You don't mind walking, right?” Hanji asked when they got out of the mansion. “Erwin told us to leave the carriage. So, we have to walk all the way.”

“I'm fine as long as you keep your mouth shut.” Levi said offhandedly. Hanji snickered at his remark. Nevertheless, Hanji do as he said and they walked in silence after that. Levi found it to be weird that she was not spewing stuff from her mouth but he played along. Then, he heard a tune out of nowhere. She was humming! Hanji was a lot of things. She can be dirty, she can be loud, she can be nosy but she never hummed. Well, not to his knowledge anyway.

“Ballroom music.” Levi suddenly said.

“What?”

“You were humming.”

“Owh, sorry.” Hanji thought Levi was telling her to shut up, which he didn't. He was just talking.

“You must have really liked that man.” Levi tried again.

“What man?” This was hopeless. Hanji in love was an idiot Hanji. Levi didn't bother explaining his question anymore.

“Owh! You mean the Duke I was dancing with?!” Hanji shrieked. Then she laughed so loud, she had to bend a little bit because the corset was restricting her. Levi looked at her, concerned at first but then he looked away because her chest was... showing.

“I was working.” Hanji started to explain once she regained her composure. “We were all working. Erwin might not have explain this to you, yet, but we were raising money for the corps.”

“Mike was dancing with the daughter of our gracious host. I bet he got more than I did. That dog.” Hanji continued. “It might seemed silly, but that is how it goes. We researched a bit about our target, their interest or their hobby and we approached them at events like this. Then we talk to them about our work and how it will preserve their way of life. If we pushed the right buttons, they will give all the money we need.”

“You shit heads could have told me sooner.” Levi said as he felt betrayed.

“If I don't know you any better, I would have thought you were jealous.” Hanji said teasingly. Levi scoffed at that. “Plus, do you really think I would have fallen for that Duke? Men like that only want women they can control. A trophy wife. Something they could show off. Pretty and stupid. I'm none of those.”

They were about to reach the inn at that time but they had to pass a group of drunken men loitering by a bench. Levi kept his head down to avoid any confrontations.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” One of the men called out. “You can't just walk by without paying us anything.” The rest of the men laughed.

“Look at them, all dressed up. We should charge more.” Another guy chipped in.

“Guys, we just want to go to the inn without any trouble.” Hanji tried to negotiate. “And we don't have any money, I'm afraid we are not the right person to extort.”

“Extort? Big words for a woman like you.” The first man, probably the leader, eyed Hanji from top to bottom. “We also accept all kinds of payment.”

“Ehehe.” Hanji gave a nervous laugh and stood behind Levi.

“Aren't you going to kick their ass?” Levi asked over his shoulder.

“Umm. I'm wearing this expensive dress. Erwin will kill me if I ruin it.” She said with a sheepish grin. “Can you handle it, Humanity's Strongest? There are only three of them.”

“Tch.” he can't believe what he just heard. “You're acting like one, right now.”

“Like what?”

“A f*cking trophy wife. You sure you ain't one?” He turned to face the thugs again with a smirk. Nobody must know he was capable of such expression.

Levi took them down without breaking a sweat. He was fighting drunk men after all, not his finest moment. Despite that, he secretly hoped that Hanji was impressed. However, after he was done with the thugs, her back was facing him.She was focusing on another man. He must have been hiding and snuck behind her. Levi watched her kicked his groin, deliver a punch across his face and jumped on him which caused the both of them fall to the ground. The man's head hit the ground and passed out.

Hanji made sure that he really fainted before getting up. When she noticed that Levi was watching her, she immediately changed her serious expression to a sheepish grin. Both of them stood at their ground without exchanging words for a few seconds before Hanji break their eye contact. It was getting too awkward.

“Shit. There's a tear!” Hanji yelled. She must have tore it when she jumped on that thug. “I'm going to get an earful from Erwin.”

Levi turned and walked towards the inn, leaving her alone. Then he mumbled something.

“What?!” Hanji said as she tried to catch up with him.

“I said keep the dress!” he said louder this time. “I'll handle Erwin.”

Chapter Text

Here's a secret to Levi's sanity; he always find something to keep himself busy. He trains, he cleans and he barks orders to his subordinates all with the sole purpose to stay in the present. Not a moment in the day he'll allow himself to think of what ifs. At night, he works on the mountain of paperworks. If he falls asleep, he sleeps in his chair. He never had a proper sleep. Not since his friends died anyway. So he keeps himself busy.

Not today.

It had been a year since Levi was promoted as a captain. He was not surprised when Erwin called him into his office, probably to tell him that Levi had done a good job as a captain. Well, he was not wrong. Erwin did shower him with praises and encouragements but what came next was unexpected.

“I want you to take the day off. In fact, take two.” Erwin said calmly. Erwin had never ordered anyone to take a break, except for Hanji because a tired Hanji was a hazardous Hanji, but Levi deserved it. “I don't want to see your face on the training grounds or anywhere within the headquarters area for two days.”

Levi squirmed in his seat. This was not how he imagined it to be. “Did Four Eyes suggested it? It must be her. It reeks of her idea.”

“Actually, Mike did. He pointed out that you never took a day off except for the compulsory off days and he is in your office right now, collecting your paperworks.” Erwin gave himself a small smile.

“Tch.” Levi recognized that smile, alright. The smile of victory. “How about my squad? I can't leave them for two days without...”

Erwin raised his arm to silence him. “Hanji needs a few extra hands to assist her in her project. She said the special operation squad would be perfect.” Another smug from Erwin.

“What the f*ck should I do for two days?”

“Go to the town or go fishing. Do whatever you want to do.” Erwin tried to help the clueless Levi. “I heard the flowers in the park are in bloom. Have a picnic.”

“By myself?” Levi raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I even approved Hanji new projects to keep her busy. ” Erwin confessed as he stood up. “Captain Levi, I order you to recuperate peacefully. Do not think of the corps while you're at it.”

Levi sighed loudly and stood up as well.

“You're dismissed.” Erwin saluted Levi which he didn't return. He turned away from Erwin and left his office.

----

Erwin's exact order was to stay out of the headquarters area for two days, which meant Levi had to spend the night in an inn as his sleeping quarters was in the headquarter. He packed enough civilian clothes for two days and took a horse to the town. Erwin was right, the flowers were in bloom. The entire journey to the town, Levi was greeted by colorful flowers. He knew who would appreciate this more than him; a certain four eyed self proclaimed humanity's smartest*.

“Turn the frown upside down and bask in the pretty view, Captain Grumpy.”

Great. Even though she was not physically near him, he can still hear her.

“How could I enjoy it. The flowers are wilting and soon it will die.” he can imagine himself say that to Hanji.

“It's a circle of life. Everything that lives, dies. Even you, Humanity's Strongest. Might as well relish it while we still can. Don't you agree?”

“Tch. Smart ass.” he muttered to himself.

Levi finally settled in the cleanest inn he could find. He placed his bag in his designated room and went out again because he was hungry. It was late but he didn't have his lunch and it was time for dinner.

“Do you have extra money?”

“I'm not buying you food Four Eyes.”

“But I spent all my money on..”

“Unnecessary shit again?”

She was not even there but Levi can sense her death glare.

“They're not shit. I need them for my experiments. Do you know how much they cost these days? An arm and a leg. LITERALLY. Don't believe me? Ask Moblit. His assistant broke an arm and a leg running from an exploding barrel. Funny isn't it? My assistant has an assistant? Well, not anymore because she's in the infirmary. I know what you're thinking. I didn't caused the explosion. I wasn't even there...”.

“Two plates of grilled chicken” Levi said to a waitress.

“Two plates? Are you sure?” she asked to confirm as she stifled her laugh.

When Levi realized his mistake, he corrected himself and ordered one plate instead and a pot of hot tea.

“Recuperate peacefully, my ass.” Levi murmured to himself. He can't have a moment to himself without thinking about the messy being who like to bother him. When his food arrived, he focused entirely on eating. That would take his mind off of her. He can't help but to notice every patrons in the diner have company unlike his lonely self.

He tried to remember the last time he had a good company. Farlan and Isabel were there. If his memory served him right, there was this one time after they finished a job during his thug days. They finally had enough money to pay for a decent lunch. That little brat Isabel even ordered seconds and made Farlan paid for it. The mood in the shop was jovial as there was a game going on. The shopkeeper was bored, Levi thought. He challenged everyone in the shop for an arm wrestling. The winner may choose anything from the shop, including his wife. The three of them left the shop with a full tummy and a can of rare tea leaves. Indeed, a day well spent in Levi's mind.

He left the diner and walked back to the inn to rest. It was already dark when he returned, so he decided to call it a night. He stared at the bed after he changed, still uncertain to lie in it or not. The dead silence and darkness made him anxious. If he was in his quarters he would wander around to the building. Sometimes he would look for Hanji to see if she's sleeping or not. Her quarters were opposite his own, anyway**. It's not like he would go out of the way to look for her. Alas, he was not in his own room. He settled in the only chair in the room and continue to stare at the bed.

Levi opened his eyes and he was back in the diner again.

“Big bro! What are we going to eat?” a little girl shrieked into his ear. Levi glared at that girl. Isabel? “I'm so hungry, I can eat a skunk's bottom.”

“A skunk's bottom? Really?” Levi turned to face the man at his other side. It was Farlan. “Are you telling me, you're going to spend our hard earned money on a smelly butt?”

“I was not talking to you. I was talking to big bro!” Isabel answered back to Farlan.

“He's not going to give you any attention, brat. His mind is somewhere else.” Farlan smiled teasingly.

“Really big bro? What are you thinking?” Isabel clapped her hands to show her excitement.

“Let me take a guess. Is it about food?” Farlan was testing Levi's expression. Obviously Farlan got it wrong because Levi gave him a deadpan expression.

He tried again. “Is it about a bespectacled person?” Levi's eyebrow twitched. “Isabel, we're getting close.”

“Is she blonde?” Isabel tried to take a stab in the dark.

Levi and Farlan looked at her like she had just said something awful. “You really have no idea, do you?” Farlan asked irritatingly.

“All the guys like blondes. You like them too. Right, big bro?” Isabel said.

“No. Think Isabel. Who are the people we know that wears a spectacle?” Farlan looked at her intensely as if he was sending her a mental note.

After a few moments, she shrieked again. “HANJI!! THAT WEIRDO WITH DELICIOUS SWEETS!” Her expression was delightful and she was clapping her hands eagerly.

“So, are we correct?” Farlan asked Levi. “In any case, I'm glad you didn't stab her then. At least you have a companion that knows how to make your life a little harder. Like we used..”

“I can imagine calling her big sis.” Isabel interjected.

“Can you not interrupt me, brat?” Farlan scolded her. Then, the both of them continue to argue.

“Guys..” Levi tried to say but he inadvertently opened his eyes to the bright sunlight shining on him. He sat up and realized that he had been sleeping in the bed. He can't recall how he got there but he was glad he did. At least he had the chance to meet Farlan and Isabel. He cleaned himself up and got ready for the day. Only then he noticed, as he was looking out the window, that the inn was next to a park. He had the entire day to himself so he's going to follow Erwin's order and have a picnic. Maybe his friends will be there too.

X

Chapter Text

He noticed her odd behavior when they were doing a headcount. A few were missing but many were dead. They were regrouping for one last time before heading to the walls, back to the concrete cage they call home. And there she was, standing at the feet of a corpse covered in a bloody white cloth. He didn’t approached her then. She had that look.

When Erwin ordered for everyone to move, they abandoned the wide range scouting formation in favor of protecting the injured and the dead. She was riding close to the supply wagon now carrying dead bodies. Her eyes never left that one lifeless body. He didn’t pay attention to her after that. Too many titans to kill and subordinate to look after. Thankfully she made it back alive.

Once they reached the headquarters, he inadvertently looked for her in the crowds of tired and beat up soldiers. Erwin was talking to her solemnly, a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. He hunched to her eye level to look for her gaze. She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded.

“Everything is fine.” he thought she said.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the both of them have been fighting side by side for a long time. He learned how to read her movements to complement her attack on titans. And if he knew her well, her actions earlier showed that nothing was fine.

“The brat was not under you command.” Levi finally approached her. She looked at him with a conflicted face. As if she wanted to cry (or scream) but tried the hardest not to. They didn’t exchange words at all. She stood by the wagon, watching the men lowering the corpses to the ground. When they put down the dead boy, he walked up to him and reached down under the cloth.

“What are you doing?” Hanji puzzled by his gesture.

“I’m taking his wings for you.” Levi kept on tearing the piece of cloth.

Hanji sneered and stopped him from doing that before walking away. “That is how YOU remember them. Not me.”

Levi paused and watched her left. He took the wings anyway.

–

After getting Erwin’s approval, Hanji was set to inform the next of kin of the soldier she was acquainted to. She prepared her own horse and dragged it by it’s rein when they were ready. From far, she spotted Levi mounted on his own horse by the gate. She hoped that he was waiting for someone else and not her. If she kept her head down, he might not see her.

“Oi, Four Eyes!” Hanji pretended not to hear him and kept on walking past him. She can hear he tsked and his horse galloped right in front of her, blocking her way.

“I know that you’re blind but what’s your reason for not hearing me?” Levi asked scathingly.

“My hearing is fine.” Hanji scowled at him. “Leave me alone. I don’t need company.”

“Now you know how I feel when I told you to f*ck off and you wouldn’t listen.” A proud smug on his face for making Hanji feel what he felt all these times. “I’m still going with you.. wherever you’re going.”

Hanji sighed and mounted her horse. Levi, by nature, was not a talkative person. Maybe she will have a peaceful trip after all.

“Fine.”

They rode in silence for the most part of the journey. It was Levi who broke the silence after a while.

“What’s the deal with him? Dita was responsible for that brat. You should have let him do this.”

“I recruited him.”

“That’s it?” she can hear the disappointment in his voice. “You were upset because a brat you recruited died?”

Hanji was ready to jump on him for being so rude. No tact at all. Instead, she took a deep breath and calm herself. Erwin will have her punished if she accidentally killed the ‘Humanity’s Strongest’.

“Back when I was a fresh cadet, our squad was assigned to fix an orphanage as a community service.” Hanji felt tears welling up, so she distracted herself by stroking her horse’s mane. “A little boy kept shadowing me for days we were there. I must have left quite an impression on him. Telling me he’ll enlist when he comes of age.”

Hanji smiled fondly at the memory. “When I was graduating, he enlisted.” She turned to face Levi and look directly at him. “Our last expedition was his first.”

“If he’s an orphan, who are we informing?”

“His wife.” a pregnant pause between the both of them as she let that information sink in. “I went to their wedding a few months ago.”

“Well, shit.” Levi cussed.

“Well shit, indeed.”

They finally reached a small cottage far from town. It was surrounded by beds of flowers and shady trees. Calm, unlike the knot in the stomach feeling Hanji was having. They tied their horses to a tree and walked towards the cottage. While they were walking, the front door opened to reveal a woman carrying a basket of laundry. Hanji stopped in her tracks, surprised to see the familiar woman. Levi walked a few steps forward before turning.

“What now?” he asked irritatingly.

“I didn’t know… I didn’t know she was pregnant.” Hanji stuttered. “This was a mistake. I should have let Dita handle this.”

She quickly turned to get to her horse again and run away from this disaster. Run back to the comfort of her books and reports. Some people call her crazy for being overly enthusiastic in her research but it was the only way to put her mind off the guilt that sometimes creep into her mind. She can’t help it as she contribute just as much to the cause. Failed missions, failed expeditions and failed comrades with an empty promise to solve the titan’s secrets. And she had the gall to tell this new widow that her husband is dead. It was a mistake.

Levi grabbed her arm before she could take another step and spun her to face him. From the outline of his lips, she can tell that Levi was about to cuss again but they were interrupted.

“Squad leader Hanji?” Hanji stopped breathing at the sound of her name. “Is that you?”

Levi and Hanji kept a steady eye contact between them. Hanji was still contemplating but Levi was adamant that she endure this. Defeated, Hanji sighed and gained her composure. Once she was ready, she walked past Levi to face her own demons.

–

After tears were spilled and hearts were broken, Levi and Hanji left the beautiful cottage. She tried her best the console the widow and offered her assistance if she’s needed. That’s the best she could do after taking away her husband for good. Hanji needed a distraction. She glanced at Levi who appeared to be drowning in his own thoughts too.

“Do you want to go somewhere before we go back?”

Levi squinted at her direction. “What are you up to, Four Eyes?”

“Do you want to or not?”

“Whatever.” and he looked away from her. Hanji noticed that he was so stiff on his horse and brushed it off. He probably regretted forcing himself to her business. “Just so you know, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here.”

“Oh,” she finally got it. “I don’t want to get your clothes dirty but I’ll take up on that offer.”

When Hanji told him that they’ve arrived, they dismount their horses and secure it to a tree. Levi followed Hanji through a trail and not long after that, they saw a stream of river. Hanji went on ahead towards the river and sat on the ground, knees to her chest. She can hear that grumpy person hesitated before taking a seat on her left. They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the running stream. Without a warning, Hanji turned to placed her right hand on his right shoulder and put her forehead on her hand.

“You know,” Levi said awkwardly, “when I say a shoulder to cry on, I don’t meant it literally.”

Hanji was about to pull back and apologize for putting them in an embarrassing situation. She honestly thought Levi was being kind. Before she could do that, he pulled her right arm and placed her forehead on his other shoulder for more contact.

“You did say a shoulder.” a catch in her voice. “Knowing you, your words are not to be trifled with.”

“Shut up.” At that, Hanji felt a wave of emotions. She finally broke down and cried. Her whole body was shaking from sobbing and out of nowhere she sensed a hand stroking her back. They remained in each other’s embrace until Hanji calmed down.

“Can you do me a favor, Levi?” Hanji asked as she was wiping her glasses. She can’t see Levi’s reaction but she was going to say it anyway. “Remind me not to fall in love, ever.”

She put on her glasses and looked at him, waiting for his answer but he didn’t say anything and stared at the river.

“I don’t think I can let someone I love go through that” she was referring to what happened earlier. She asked again. “Will you remind me? You’re Humanity’s Strongest after all. You’ll outlive the rest of us.” She gave him a sheepish smile when he returned her gaze.

“You’re too f*cking late, Four Eyes.” Hanji tilted her head, confused at what he said. “Nothing can come between you and those filthy titans.”

“Ah. You’re right.” She laughed. Feeling lighter now, she’s glad she thought of this serene place. “You know what, I’m going to jump into the river.”

“Hanji, no.”

Chapter Text

1 Year Ago

Year 840

The Fall of Wall Maria

It was a beautiful day. A good day for an expedition beyond the walls. Everybody was in a high spirit as they crossed the gates, only a few titans spotted along the way to the checkpoint. And then it rained. Hanji didn’t expect her day to take a turn to the south. In the morning, she was excited to leave the walls and meet those pesky titans. Now, she only wanted everything to end. They returned with their heads hanging low and more dead bodies to throw to the pile. To add more to their despair, Commander Shadis just had a breakdown in the full view of the folks in Shinganshina. Crying and wailing to a heartbroken mother, what a day. It was supposed to be beautiful.

The bell rang right after Hanji entered Erwin’s office with Mike and Levi. They ignored it at first, thinking a fire must have broke out in one of the nearby villages. However, when Mike turned his face towards the door, they knew it was more than just fire.

“There are titans within the walls.” Mike said calmly considering the grave situation.

Without any doubt, Erwin asked. “Where?”

“Shinganshina. A horde is coming through the gate.”

Hanji couldn’t hide her shock. Her eyes kept darting from Erwin to Mike to Erwin again expecting them to break into laughter and say it was a joke.

“But we were just there. It’s not possible.” Hanji mumbled.

“That was 3 hours ago, Four Eyes.” Levi looked at Mike, “Your nose can smell that far?”

Mike sniffed the air again. “Yeah. They have weird pungent smell. Different than humans and it’s getting stronger.”

“Plus they rang the bells. That must be a warning.” Erwin interjected. “Gather your squads. I’ll inform the commander.”

---

Before they could reach Shinganshina, another titan broke Wall Maria. Erwin ordered them to protect the civilians within their proximity and create a safe passage for the civilians to make a run to Trost District. They declared Shinganshina District as a lost cause.

“Squad leader Hanji! You’re going too fast!” Hanji heard Moblit yelled for her.

“Moblit, we’re going to get that 5 meter titan there!” She didn’t even turn to tell him that and hoped that he heard her. Either way, she’s killing that titan.

She landed on a roof and ran as fast as she could to get to the other side. Using the gas, she jumped from one roof to another with ease. It’s easier to move in this environment. Easier than when they were beyond the walls when they were in an open field. As she got closer to the titan, which was distracted by screaming noises in the building, she fired her grappling hook on either side of its shoulder. She targeted its nape and cut through it. Hanji quickly retracted her wires and reshoot it to land by the windowsill.

“Leave your belongings behind and head to Trost District, NOW!” Hanji instructed the scared family in the house. “Hurry! The way is clear for now.”

Hanji entered the house to help them move. “Remember, if you see a red flare get as far away as possible from it.” she told a man who she expected to be the head of the family. They thanked her profusely for saving their lives. Hanji watched them go and when they were out of sight, she climbed a roof again and fired a green flare to signal the coast is clear. She saw Moblit came to her direction and waited for him.

“How’s the squad?” Hanji asked.

“They’re keeping the route safe. Any titans on sight are killed. The Garrisons are helping as much as they can.” Hanji sensed that Moblit had more to say. “I’m sorry squad leader, I couldn’t keep up.”

“Stop.” She raised her hand. “I want you to focus on saving the civilians for now and not me.”

Moblit nodded, at the verge of crying.

“I trust you can check the houses? Make sure everybody is safe?” She smiled to him to make him feel better. Then she took out her blade’s handles from the holster.

“Where are you going, squad leader?” Moblit stammered.

“I’m going to the red flares.” she winked at him. “See my orders through. Once you sure nobody is left, come and find me. Bring the squad along.” Before Moblit could stop her, she jumped to another roof.

Not long after that, she arrived near where a red flare was shot. From where she was standing, she can tell that the area have been abandoned. She was about to move on to next location but a distant cry stopped her.

“Help..help me, please.” Hanji frantically tried to pinpoint the voice. So many wreckage on the ground, it’s hard to locate if anyone was trapped down there.

“Where are you?!” Hanji called. To her relief, the woman shouted back. The voice came from a carriage not far from where Hanji was standing. She zipped down to the ground and tried to peek into the carriage that was tilted to its side.

“Help. I can’t get out.” she pleaded to Hanji. She climbed on the carriage and pushed a heavy debris that was blocking the carriage’s door. To Hanji’s surprise as she opened the door, the woman was cradling a baby. She was trembling when Hanji got her out of the carriage and pulled her to a safer place.

“Th..they ate my husband. He’s de..dead.” She started to wail, clutching the baby in her arms harder. Hanji felt a familiar tremor on the ground. Not from the woman in front of her but a titan that was getting close. This woman have to stop wailing or else she’ll attract more titans to their direction. She grabbed the woman by her arms to shake her to her senses.

“Hey. Calm down. What’s your name?” Hanji tried to make an eye contact with her. Failed, she shook her harder. “What’s your name?!”

“Sherry. My name is Sherry.”

“A titan is coming towards us.” Hanji said to her in a low voice. “I want you to take you child and run as fast as you can. Avoid the red flares and it’ll be fine.” Hanji may have lied a little bit. She was not sure if it is safe anywhere anymore.

“I can’t.. I can’t run. I just gave birth yesterday. I’m in so much pain.”

“SHERRY!” Her grip on Sherry’s arm tighten. Everything around them were crumbling and this woman… but Hanji took a deep breath and calmed down. “Is it a boy or a girl? What is their name?” She was referring to the baby.

“It’s a girl.” Sherry sobbed. “She doesn’t have a name yet. Her father was supposed to..”

“Okay. Listen to me.” Hanji lifted her chin with a finger. “Think about your daughter. Imagine her taking her first steps, her first words. Think about all the things she can do if she lives.”

Sherry looked at her daughter tenderly while stroking her head.

“But you have to leave, now.” Sherry looked up to Hanji. She finally came to her senses then she nodded. “Good. Run towards Trost. I’m sure there are soldiers nearby who would help you.”

“Tha..thank you.” Without missing a beat, Hanji turned away from her. “Wait, where are you going?”

Before she flew away, she attached her blades to the handles and pulled it out of its container. “Kill that titan, what else?”

Sherry grabbed her arm before she got too far and read her name from her emblem. “Hani. I’ll name my daughter after you, Hani.” Then she ran to the other direction, leaving Hanji alone.

“It’s Hanji.” she muttered under her breath.

---

There were more titans in the area than she anticipated. She fired a red flare for reinforcement a while ago but no one came to help her. There was only one way left, which was to abandon the place and regroup but Hanji refused to admit defeat. As she was jumping from one roof to another, she caught a glimpse of a familiar woman laying on the street. Not trusting her eyes, she turned back to take another look. Indeed, it was Sherry. Dead, on the ground. Her lower half missing, presumably eaten by a titan.

“Oi, Four Eyes!” She can’t believe her ears when she heard that voice. “Where the f*ck have you been?!”

Hanji pulled her goggles up and rubbed her eyes. She pretended something got into her eyes.

“I got lost. Can you believe it?” From Levi’s expression she can tell, he didn’t believe her. “I saved a mother and a newborn just now. That’s the mother” she pointed to the dead woman.

“Tch,” Totally ignoring her, he continued, “Shadis ordered a retreat. Those damned titans are too many. It’s time to go.”

“Shit.” She turned to look at Sherry again and sighed. She fought all those titans to give her and her daughter a clear passage, all for nothing. When she turned to follow Levi, she heard it. A different kind of cry. An infant’s cry.

---

Present day

Year 841

“This is too much, Four Eyes.” Levi scowled as he carried bags in both of his hands. “The brat can barely walk, why would she need so many shoes?”

“We rarely see her, so I bought different shoes in different sizes.” she said cheerfully. “And clothes too. Kids at that age are growing at a fast rate, you see. They will outgrow their clothes soon.”

“Tch.” Levi admitting to defeat. “If you like the brat so much, you should have taken her as your own.”

“Nope. Too many titans to investigate, too many to kill. I’ve dedicated my heart to humanity.” Hanji said nonchalantly. “By the way, she’s safer in an orphanage. In case anything happens to me, she has someone to look after her there.”

“The f*ck will happen to you?”

“Owh, I don’t know. A titan’s snack, maybe.” She giggled at her own joke. Then she felt a sharp pain at her back. Levi hit her with the bags.

“Stop saying shit like that.” Levi warned her. Hanji was in such a good mood, she let it slide.

“Then stop calling her a brat.” she said. “Her name is Hani.”

“I will call her whatever I want, Four Eyes. I was the one who found her.”

“Not without my help, you wouldn’t” she teased. “What did you get for her birthday, anyway?” Levi remained suspiciously quiet.

“Ugh. Just tell me, Clean Freak.” and then a few things in Hanji’s mind clicked. “Oh dear Sina. You got her that bleach, didn’t you? Levi, she’s one year old!!”

“Those diapers aren’t going to clean itself. Disgusting.”

Chapter Text

Erwin told them to clear the path for the wagons but their squads were falling behind. They can’t wait for them anymore. If they were going to make it to their checkpoint in time, they have to hurry. Levi and Hanji took matters into their own hands. They can take down all the titans by themselves.

They can save the world.

They were flying, just the two of them. It was a perfect image. Some would say they were having fun. Even Levi was smiling as he cut the nape of the 6 meters titan. One of the rare moments. And only a handful of people can say they’ve seen him smile. Most of the time it was Hanji. That’s why she always let him have the final strike- if she can help it.

---

“Captain Levi! You have to wake up!” Levi opened an eye to look at the idiot who dared to disturb him. It was Petra. “It’s morning already and the squad is waiting for you.”

Levi left the chair he had spent the night in and walked to a basin. This will do for now.

“The nurses said she woke up for a while last night. The doctor sedated her because she was in pain.”

After he wiped his face dry, he left his room and Petra alone. She chased after him at the hallway.

“They told me she asked for you when she calmed down.”

That made him stopped. He didn’t mean to stop. When he realized his silly action, he continued on.

“Captain! It has been a week since we came back. You should visit her.” Petra pleaded. “I’m sure she is as worried as you.”

Levi ignored her completely. He didn’t want to hear about her wellbeing, especially early in the morning but he didn’t stop Petra from doing so.

“CAPTAIN!” Petra’s yelling surprised him. He turned to look at her. “Please! Visit squad leader Hanji! Even if it hurts, please go. We are worried for you! Do it for the squad, please!”

Levi scoffed and dismissed her immediately. What do these brats know about getting hurt? He’s not hurting. He’s fine. Hanji made sure of that. That damned Four Eyes, now laying in the infirmary because of him.

---

Riding on their horses, they sprint leaving the titan’s carcasses behind them. Levi said they were going too fast, they should wait. She agreed. But they didn’t have to wait for long, the ground shook. The titans were coming to get them.

Hanji, the smart and bright Hanji, suggested they should ride to the forest. It’s their only chance, he remembered she said. The trees will give them protection. He thought about arguing with her. They can take them down in the open field like they did just a few minutes ago. Why change their strategy when it was working fine? But she rode away before they could discuss.

Typical Hanji. Overly excited at the first sign of titan.

---

“I hope you’re here to hand in your report.” Erwin said just as Levi entered his office. “It’s very unusual of you to take your own sweet time to complete it.”

Levi grunted and slammed a file on Erwin’s table. Without thinking too much about what he did, he sat down.

“You look horrible.” Erwin pointed out, concerned. “May I ask why?”

“No.” Levi simply said as he rubbed his temple.

“Why are the two of you so goddamn stubborn?”

“What the f*ck Four Eyes did this time?” he scowled.

Erwin put down the document he was reading. His face was stern, like he was about to say something very serious.

“Why don’t you go see her yourself?”

“Tch. Everybody kept saying that.” he mumbled.

Erwin snickered. “Hanji threatened Moblit to let her work despite being bedridden. Something about making Moblit push her bed to the lab or something. That or risk his alcohol stash missing.”

“There is nothing much she could do in her condition.” Levi mentioned.

“She’s trying to keep herself busy, I supposed.” Erwin said.

After a few minutes of silence, Levi asked, “Aren’t you going to reprimand us for breaking ranks?”

“That will come soon, after Hanji has fully healed.” Erwin, who was back to reading reports, simply answered.

“Let me have all her punishments.” Levi said coolly.

That was a surprise but Erwin didn’t let it show. “Hanji wouldn’t agree to that.”

“Tch. Who gives a f*ck what she thinks.”

---

That was their second red flare. If nobody come to their aid soon, they have to think of something else other than being perched on a tree. As it turned out, Four Eyes was right. There were more titans than earlier. To be exposed in an open field, would mean a sooner end for them. She made the right call.

Hanji must have noticed the restless Levi. She touched his shoulder then they had a talk. To attack the titans now may not be their best bet. They should find another tree to break the cluster of titans under their feet. They decided to take opposite directions and meet at the edge of the forest where they entered. These titans run at different speeds. Some were faster than the other, some were slower. This way, they can kill the titans without being too overwhelmed.

Fewer titans followed Hanji. Must be her lucky day. She did it. She killed all the titans before she reached the edge of the forest as planned. One problem; Levi was no where to be seen. Hanji waited for a few moments before decided to look for him. Someone with his calibre shouldn’t have taken too long to reach their meeting point. She abandoned her safe space to look for him.

When she found him, he was in the grip of a titan. He stabbed the titan’s hand repeatedly- not giving up easily. Before Hanji got to him, he freed himself. The titan dropped him like a sack of potatoes. He didn’t have enough time to react and fell to the ground with a thud. In the frantic and chaos, Hanji lost sight of Levi on the ground.

All she saw was red. She didn’t think, she just cut and slashed. Never mind her limited gas and blades. It doesn’t matter now. When she thought all the titans nearby were killed, she started looking for him. She can’t see anything with her filthy glasses. Maybe she should have listened to him and keep her glasses clean.

She found him after the steam subsided. He was not moving but thank goodness he was not bleeding. Hanji kneeled to gauge his injuries. She was afraid to move him, he might have broken something from the fall. Feeling scared, she put her head on his chest. Please let his heart beat, she begged. Between her sobs and her bloody glasses, she didn’t realized when Levi put a hand on her head.

“Can you hear my heart?” he asked.

---

“How’s your head?” Mike asked as he interrupted Levi’s solitude. “I heard you got a concussion.”

“It’s fine now.” he replied warily.

He wished Mike would find another table to eat. Of course that would not be the case. His shoulder slumped even more when Mike put his plate opposite his own.

“Do you know how we found you guys in the forest?” Mike smirked. When Levi showed no sign of interest, Mike pointed to his nose. Levi snorted.

“Your f*cking nose couldn’t find us quicker, huh?” he didn’t mean to say it so scathingly.

“We have our own titans to handle, right?”

“Right.” he mumbled as he chewed his food. “Sorry.”

“Look, go and see her soon,” Mike warned him, “or risk another concussion from yours truly. Deal?”

---

Hanji moved them to a more covered area, away from the titan’s sight. She would have preferred to be on a tree but she was out of gas and Levi’s equipment was badly damaged. They can’t climb a tree high enough from titan’s reach. She hoped someone would come to rescue them soon.

Levi had hit his head quite hard when he fell. He kept on complaining about a headache he was having. Hanji tried her best to make him as comfortable as possible but the ground shook again. The titans were getting closer. Hanji knew these covers didn’t do much as she knew that titans can smell humans. As a precaution, she gathered all the blades left from Levi and prepared to leave the covered area.

As Levi and Hanji argued, they heard faint noises. Then they heard people calling out their names. It was Mike and their squads. Hanji was so happy at the sight of them, she ran towards them without looking at where she was going.

She tripped on a shallow hole, lost her footing and broke a leg.

---

“I was wondering where the hell were you. Can’t find your way to the infirmary?” she beamed. The evening sun was shining brightly from the window next to her. She motioned for him to enter the room. As he got closer, she pulled him to sit on the bed. “You better have an amazing excuse why you haven’t visited me till now.”

“No reason.” He averted his gaze. “I just don’t want to see your ugly face.”

“Yeah. That’s what they told me too.” He heard her mumbled. When Levi looked at her to see if she’s serious, she was grinning widely.

“Hey, stop with that troubled expression.” Hanji said. “I only broke a leg. It’s not like I’m amputated or something.”

And then Levi moved closer to her and flicked her forehead.

“You’re a f*cking idiot.” He flicked again. “Stupid. Four. Eyes.”

“Oi..oi.. that’s too much, don’t you think?” she said playfully as she rubbed her head. “Call me whatever you want but I can die happy knowing that I saved Humanity’s Strongest.”

Levi gave another flick. Harder this time.

“Don’t. I’m just a shitty pawn. Die for something more worthy.”

Levi heard her sighed. Her grin, gone.

“What?” Levi asked. Hanji looked at him intently and flicked his forehead in return.

“You are worth it.” She said. “At least a hundred ducks.”

Levi snorted. He heard it all; a hundred soldiers, a hundred men, this was a first. When Levi gathered himself, he sat up straight to thank her seriously. He didn’t get to say it, he was distracted. Maybe it’s the evening light but her brown eyes were giving him a warm feeling when they were this close. He didn’t want to look away.

Hanji tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry. I know you’ll return the favor someday.”

“Tch. I save your filthy ass everyday.”

“Aaah.. I should have left you to die.”

Levi flicked her forehead again.

Chapter Text

Gus was not aware of the fire outside of his room. When he woke up, he remembered it was too hot. And smoke, too much smoke. He thought about his mother. When will she come into his room and take him somewhere safe? He knew papa was not at home. Mama said papa has to go work somewhere far. Maybe she was still sleeping. He should wake her up.

Gus climbed out of his bed and find his way to the door in the darkness. When he reached the doorknob, he hissed in pain. The doorknob was hot too. He looked at his red hands and started crying.

"Mama.. boo-boo.." He cried out. When his mother didn’t come to him, he wailed louder. “Mama..mama..”

He heard a loud crash at the other side of the room. As he was shocked by it, he finally stopped crying and stared at the door. He heard a commotion out there. Someone, or a few people were shouting. He didn't understand what they were saying. He remained quiet on the floor.

Suddenly, his bedroom door was slammed open. He covered his face from the bright fire and the sudden surge of heat to his face. When he opened his eyes, a stranger strode across the room and reached him quickly.

"Are you ok? It's dangerous here, we have to leave." They kneeled and shook his shoulder. Gus was still stunned, he couldn't respond.

"Hanji!" A man from outside the room yelled. Another crash. This time Gus saw the beam that support the ceiling fell and blocked the door. Their only way out. The stranger jolted upright to check on the man at the other side of blocked door.

"Get the f*ck outta there." he shouted. Gus noticed how the stiffened stranger in front of him relaxed at the sight of their friend.

"Ok.. ok.. we'll use the window. See you at the rendezvous point!" The stranger gave him a dismissal wave. When the stranger turned to him, they smiled, "I'm Hanji. What's your name?"

"Gus"

"That's a very pretty name. Did your mum gave it to you?"

"Mama.."

"Mama is safe. The short guy outside? He took her somewhere where there's no fire." She assured him. "Now we're going to get YOU out of here, ok?"

Gus nodded.

She opened the window sill and checked the surrounding of the flat. They were at the highest point of the building. Mama always said she's getting weak to climb all the stairs. That's why papa had to work hard so that they can move to a better home.

"Tell me, Gus. Do you want to fly?"

Gus was confused at that question. Why would he want to fly now? How? She took off her cloak and placed it around his shoulder.

"They say, whoever wears the wings of freedom on their back, he can fly higher than birds." She winked at him. "Do you want to try it?"

Gus nodded. He was convinced.

"Ok, now put your arms around my neck and don't let go. EVER." She warned. "Do you understand me, Gus?"

Again, he nodded at everything she said.

"Smart boy." She turned on her knee and motioned to him to get on her back. "Let's fly."

As soon as he wrapped his arm, he heard Hanji grunted when she tried to stand.

"You're heavier than you look." She snickered. "Remember, don't let go."

She stepped on the ledge of the window and shoot something from her hips to the next building. That building was on fire too.

"Why is everything on fire?"

"A crazy person razed your town."

Gus had more questions in his mind, but he was distracted. The wind blowing against his face felt nice. Even though, smoke were everywhere. But Hanji took the safest route where there were less fire. They swerved to the right, to the left. Indeed, he was flying. He didn't want it to end. Alas, Hanji slowed down as they reached the town's square. Finally, Hanji stepped on the ground when there was nowhere to shoot the wires. She walked slowly in the crowd with Gus still on her back. It was like a war zone there. So many soldiers running around. People were crying and shouting as they look for their loved ones. Gus noticed that Hanji was heading to a makeshift tent, probably the rendezvous point.

"Mama, Miss Anji?"

"Just call me Hanji." Hanji didn't answer immediately as she nodded to a soldier who saluted her. "We have to find my short friend. Don't worry." She patted his head.

"Oi, Four Eyes!" Hanji turned so fast, Gus almost slipped off her shoulders. "Didn't i told you not to go in on your own?!" The short man marched towards them, yelling.

"I heard this little guy crying," she tilted her head to Gus, "I had to check it out."

"Put the brat down." He snarled. "Your shitty leg is not fully healed."

"No!" Gus retaliated. His arms around Hanji tightened. "Anji said I must not let go, EVER."

The short man was ready to bark at him but Hanji put a hand up.

"It's fine." Hanji intervened. Then she uttered quickly to the short man, "He's just a kid."

He scoffed and pointed to a bench. "Sit there and don't move. I'm serious, Four Eyes." He scurried away, lost in the crowd.

"Mean man." Gus whispered to Hanji.

"Levi wants people to think he's mean. He's actually not." Hanji grinned. "You know what, I AM sort of tired. Can you stand on your own?"

Gus nodded. Hanji cringed as she put him down.

"Anji has boo-boo?"

"I must have kicked your door too hard." She gave him a reassuring smile. "Let's sit while we wait, ok?"

"Ok." he shrugged.

Hanji took off her right boot as soon as she sat next to Gus. She placed her swollen ankle on her other knee and immediately massaged it. Hopefully it will subside before a certain grumpy man returned.

“I'm going to get an earful from him.” Hanji whined under her breath.

“Why are you friends with the mean man?” Gus asked. “Anji is kind. Not like him.”

Hanji smiled. “He found your mum. I bet he left us to look for her.”

“He did? Mean man helped mama?” Gus’ eyes were wide.

“Yeah.” Hanji’s eyes were wide too, nodding enthusiastically. “He carried her out of the flat too. In fact, he helped most of the people in the building. A mean person doesn’t do that. They would run away and leave the others to die.”

“Is mama ok? Can she walk?” his voice was laced with concern.

“I’m sure she'll be ok.” she pinched his cheek.

“Oww.”
---
"The brat's mother is in a carriage with other fire victims." Levi finally reappeared after been gone for a while. “They're on the way here.”

“See. Told ya she'd be fine.” Hanji nudged Gus but her eyes were on Levi who was standing right in front of her. She just remembered to conceal her ankle and covertly moved her hands. Or so she thought she was doing it covertly.

“What's this?” Levi pointedly looking at her swollen foot under her hands. “Trying to hide your screw ups?”

“Why are you here, Levi?” Hanji diverted. “Did you left your squad on their own? How could a captain leave his sub-ordinates on a whim? At least I assigned my squadrons to their leaders. Now what? We wait for Oluo and his team of… No..no..stop…!”

Levi poked a finger on her bulging ankle. Harder at every passing seconds. Hanji swatted off Levi’s hand but he blocked it with his other hand. He even caught both of her hands at one point and hold them down on her lap. She was about to kick him with her good leg but stopped when he bent down to her eye level.

“Don’t tell me how to do my job.” he warned, eyes steady on Hanji.

“Then stop telling me how to do mine.” Hanji leaned in, not backing down.

“You helped mama.” Gus couldn't help it. He knew not to interrupt grown ups when they are talking but ever since Hanji told him Levi saved his mum, he had to ask.

Levi, distracted by the brat, finally looked away from Hanji to the boy next to her. He pulled his hands from Hanji too and noticed the visible dent on her ankle.

“I was doing my job.” Levi simply said, arms folded closely to his chest.

Gus frantically jumped off the bench and run towards him. Then, he surprised both Levi and Hanji when he hugged Levi’s thigh. Levi didn't know how to react to this, both of his arms were off his chest, hanging mid air.

“You are not mean. You helped mama.” Gus said, head tilted to look at Levi. “Than.. thank you.”

“Wha..what the hell..?” his eyes darted from the brat and Hanji who looked like about to faint from stifling her laughter. “Oi, Four Eyes!”

Hanji was not helpful. She just shrugged when Levi desperately looked at her.

“Hey.” Levi tried to separate himself from the kid. When Gus finally let go of his leg, Levi asked him, “You want to thank me back?”

Gus nodded. Levi quickly squat and whispered something to his ear.

“Got it? Do it now!” he ordered Gus.

“Wait, what's going on?” Hanji confused at the current development. “Gus, what did that short man told you?”

“I'm sorry, Anji” Gus innocently said. He gave her a kiss on her cheek and grabbed her boot on the bench. A puzzled Hanji kept on looking. But Gus stood away from Hanji to make way for Levi. He took this chance to gather her in his arms and hoisted her from the bench.

“What the hell?!” Hanji shrieked at the sudden contact from Levi. “Put me down. Levi, everybody's watching. Whe..where are we going?”

“We're going to the medic’s tent to get your foot checked out.” Levi tightened his grip on her. “Stop wriggling.”

“I can walk.” she puffed out her cheeks and resigned to her fate. “GUS! You betrayed me!”

“Levi said you are easily distracted. So i have to distract you and carry your boot.” Gus was running, trying to catch up with Levi’s pace.

“Sneaky bastard.” Hanji glared at the man carrying her.

“Hmmph.”

Chapter Text

As soon as Levi and Mike stepped out of the meeting room, they noticed a group of people buzzing in front of the bulletin board. The two intimidating men stopped not far from the crowd. Levi's body language suggested that he would rather not join in the crowd and let Mike find out what's going on. Levi raised an eyebrow when he didn't move.

"Haven't you heard?" Mike asked distractedly as he rubbed his own nose. He's not a fan of crowds either. "There is a masquerade carnival at the end of the week."

"The f*ck?" Levi crossed his arms, appeared to be unfazed but his question betrayed him. "You above ground people are always up to something. Can’t you people calm your assess down?"

"It's just the way it is." Mike shrugged then he smiled. “I will be going with my squad, you know, to spend quality time with them. You should do it.”

“I'm not interested in this shit.” he frowned.

“You don’t have to take them, if you don’t feel like it.” Mike paused, giving another thought if he should say it. “You can ask Hanji to go with you.”

That suggestion made Levi froze, ears perked up, waiting for Mike to say more. Not that he was interested in asking the abnormal being out but he knew that she had been busy lately, she could use a break. Erwin can be really persuasive when making his subordinates work and Hanji would happily answer his calls. And his calls were more frequent than usual these days. In fact Hanji and Erwin were still in the meeting room, discussing.

“So, what? I have to wear a mask to go?” Levi finally broke.

Mike smirked, feeling proud of himself. “Yeah.”

“Wipe that smug off your face, Zacharius.” Levi glowered.

“Whatever you say.” his hand over his lips to hide his smile.

---

After the meeting and extra discussion with Erwin, Hanji went to her office to continue her work. Their last expedition was a big failure, many of their sponsors were backing out. It was up to Erwin and Hanji to find more money.

Hanji was too focused on writing, she almost threw away her pen when her door suddenly slammed open. Only one person dared to do that, she didn't even bothered to turn to see who did it. Let him do all the work of walking to her. She hadn't have the time to attend his whims. Not now.

As Hanji was writing, a mask flew over her head and fell on her parchment. Hanji stared at it for a while as it was an unlikely object that she had ever received from Levi. Hanji looked at him, eyes squinted, shoulders raised and hands drawn together pointed to the mask.

“We're going to the carnival.” Levi simply said as if he was giving an order to his subordinates.

“Do you even know what is in a carnival?” Hanji asked. When Levi didn't respond, Hanji rolled her eyes. “People. There are people. Lots of them. All sweaty and touching each other. No personal space at all.”

Levi cringed, but only barely.

“Everybody in the corps knows that other than dirt and filth, the thing that you hate most are people.” Hanji made her point. As soon as she said it, she turned again to her work, hoping that this clean freak would leave her alone.

“Don't make this about me, Four Eyes.” he warned. “You have been cooped up in here for too long. The only time you ever leave this stinky room is to meet Erwin.”

Hanji whirled around to face him. “Is this your way of telling me you're jealous?” she laughed. “Well, you can't keep Erwin all to yourself. Look, I promise I'll return him to you when we secure Duke Franz’s money, okay?”

Hanji understood where Levi's weird behaviour came from; she had been hogging for Erwin’s attention for weeks. Of course Levi felt neglected, but the future of her research was at stake. Surely Levi would understand because if they fail this proposal, budget for his precious black tea would be in danger too.

But Levi can be a stubborn pain in the ass. She was told that his stubborn ass only rivaled by her own. So it was unsurprising to Hanji when Levi didn't budge at all. Instead he just stared at her with his fist clenched tightly.

“Duke F*ckhead will be f*cking around the carnival. He won't be in his office or whatever fancy mansion he works anyway.” he said. “Tell Erwin you're taking a break this weekend.”

Hanji sighed and pushed her glasses to her head.

“No.” Her patience was running thin by the second. “Don't make me repeat myself. I'm not in the mood for one of your stupid banters.”

When Levi refused to move, Hanji took matters into her own hands. She rose from her seat and dragged Levi by his hand towards the door.

“What the fu…” Levi resisted the tug.

“GET THE HELL OUT.” she yelled, not letting go of his hand.

Levi in turn yanked her to him and clasped their hands close to his chest. His eyebrows were pulled together, lips narrowed and face red with rage. They were so close, she can feel his quickened breath on her face. It could be hilarious if they were not annoyed at each other because Levi was shorter than Hanji and he had to look up to make eye contact. He was not intimidating to Hanji at all.

“Don’t touch me with your filthy hand.” he seethed. “Or I’ll break it.”

As anyone who had been threatened, Hanji acted out. She kneed him in his groin so hard, he grunted. Hanji grabbed his hair with her free hand and dragged him across the room again. Trying to kick him out of her office. Levi put a foot in front of Hanji’s own which made her trip and both of them fell on the carpet inelegantly. They got up quickly and without missing a beat, engaged in a fistfight.

They were used to this. They always challenge each other to a sparring match. Most of the time Levi won, much to Hanji’s dismay. He was humanity’s strongest after all. Unfortunately for Hanji, this time was no different than their regular casual sparring.

Just as Hanji tried to hit Levi straight in his stupid jaw, he avoided and locked her right hand with his own as he reached for her head. When he got a good grip on her ponytail, he pushed her down while his other hand lifted her abdomen. It sent her spinning and landed hard on the floor. Son of a bitch knocked the wind out of her.

“You know what,” he looked down on her, “do whatever you want. F*cking idiot.”

When Levi opened the door to leave, there were a few people in front of the room. Most had their worried expression, probably wondering what their squad leader and captain were doing in the room. Moblit passed through them and as soon as he saw Hanji lying on the floor, he started to wail. Levi stomped out of the area. He had enough of Hanji for the day, week, month, life already.

“YOU BROKE MY GLASSES, BASTARD!” was the last thing he heard from her.

----

“This is stupid.” Oluo mumbled, loud enough for his friends-and Captain Levi- to hear.

“Oh, stop it Oluo!” Petra nagged. “You're only acting this way because Captain Levi joined us.”

“But really, why would people cram themselves like this?” He took off his mask and glanced at it, “Made us wear a mask too.”

“Legend says that back in the days, a king wanted to partake in a carnival that stopped by his kingdom.” Eld explained gladly, as if he had known this information for too long and can’t wait to share it with others. “But as a king, he can’t be seen mingling with his subjects. So the king released a royal decree that stated those who wants to join the carnival MUST put on a mask.”

“Heh.” Oluo chuckled. “Do you think King Fritz is among us tonight?”

“Not sure about King Fritz, but that’s Duke Franz.” Petra pointed to a flamboyant figure wearing an equally flamboyant mask. He was cheering on an arm wrestling match in front of him.

“How can you tell?” Gunther finally joined in the conversation. “His face is covered?”

“Other than his loud and obnoxious mask? He likes to gamble.” Petra pointed to the two arm wrestlers. “I bet he placed a bet on one of those two.”

“Definitely not on the skinny one.” Oluo said.

Five of them unknowingly observed the match from far. They can easily watch from where they were standing because the match was on an elevated platform. It seemed like everyone around them were watching it too. Not long after that, they were cheering on the players. Despite the huge difference in size, the skinny one was not letting it off easily. Eventually, the bigger person gave in and let their hand pin by their skinny opponent. The crowd erupted into a roar as the unlikely winner won.

The winner jumped off the platform in a very ungraceful manner and fell flat on their bum. There was a collective ‘ooff’ when they fell. Levi wasn’t sure it was because the crowd felt the pain or felt embarrassed for that person.

“What an idiot.” he mumbled under his breath. Oluo nodded in agreement.

Levi saw the winner in mask shook hand with Duke Franz and they whispered something to each other. Others may not noticed this behaviour but it looked like a serious conversation. Only then Levi realized the appearance of the skinny person. Yellow button up shirt, messy ponytail, long legs and there’s even a pair of goggles on top of the mask.

“Wait a minute. That’s my idiot!” Levi blurted.

The four of them simultaneously stared at him then turned to take a look at the said person.

“Now that you mentioned it Captain, you’re right.” Petra said in disbelieve. “That is..”

“Squad leader Hanji.” Oluo finished what Petra wanted to say, also didn’t quite believe what he saw- or rather what he heard.

“She’s walking towards us!” Gunther frantically reported. “Your orders, sir?”

He crossed his arms close to his chest and ‘tch’ at the sight of Hanji getting closer. “Stay put and if any of you mentioned to anyone what I said earlier, I’ll have you hang by your throats. All of you.”

“Haa.. I thought I sensed a grumpy vibe around this area.” Hanji giggled and smacked Gunther’s shoulder, which he didn't appreciate at all. “Did you see I beat that titan sized man there? Heehee.”

“That was awesome, squad leader!” Petra gushed. “You gotta tell us how you beat him!”

“Have a healthy breakfast every morning of course!” Hanji joked. Then she leaned in a little bit to get closer to the group and whispered, “and that guy was actually Mike, but shh, don't tell anyone that.”

Levi snorted, “Figures.” He wasn’t even looking at Hanji, instead he was paying attention at the rides not far from them. Under that mask, she can tell he was scowling.

“Thanks to Levi for giving me the idea or else I would still stuck in my office forever.” Despite the fact that Levi was ignoring her, Hanji tried her best to cheer things up. “Because I won that arm wrestling match, the Duke agreed to give us money. Which means... black tea is not cancelled!”

Levi still looked away, not acknowledging her. The rest of Levi squad exchanged uncomfortable glances.

“That is good news, squad leader!” Eld was kind enough not to leave Hanji hanging. “Umm. I think we will continue our outing. If we may, Captain?”

Levi nodded slightly. They saluted Levi and Hanji and left them alone.

“How long are you going to keep this up?” Hanji asked, her hands on her hips.

“For however long it takes for you to get out of my sight.” he uttered without any consideration.

“Even if I told you I saved your black tea supplies?”

“You are still dead to me.”

“Come on. You can’t stay mad at me forever.” Hanji pleaded. “I even forgave you for throwing me on the floor the other day.”

“I didn’t apologize, stupid.”

“But you wanted to, right?” she teased him by standing next to him and nudged his shoulder.

“Go to hell.”

Levi walked away from her. Hanji followed closely hoping that she would annoy him enough into submission. Despite the fact that Levi can be a stubborn pain in the ass, he eventually paid for most of their rides and games in the carnival.

Levi thought that the masquerade carnival was not bad. Not bad at all.

Chapter Text

"Oi, Four Eyes.” Levi poked Hanji’s forehead. She was sprawled out on Levi’s couch in his office. One of her arms was resting on her eyes; trying to block the light, or rather, her problems. “It can’t be that bad.”

“No experiments until we have more funds, Hanji.” Hanji’s voice lowered to imitate Erwin. “You should have stick to the plan, Hanji. You shouldn’t have bought so many high end microscope slides, Hanji. You can’t take from Levi’s budget for black tea, Hanji.”

Suddenly Hanji sat straight and looked at Levi like a brilliant idea just struck her.

“No. You can’t have the budget for my black tea.” Levi deadpanned.

Hanji pouted and her shoulders slumped again.

“How the f*ck you blew up the money from Duke Franz?” Levi knew why but it’s always interesting to hear what this dumbass has to say. “You said he gave enough to last two lifetimes.”

“You can’t put a price on humanity’s cause, Levi.” Hanji began her rant. “One lifetime or two lifetimes worth of money cannot compare to the vast knowledge of the entire world. If we want to unlock the knowledge about titans, we have to take chances. In an ideal world, there would be no price if we want to pursue that kind of chances. Here, money dictates everything. EVERYTHING! The rich have their belly filled with food and brain with knowledge that serves them no purpose. While the poor are left starving and left in that state because they don’t know any better!”

Hanji got too emotional, her teary eyes were wide and hands were flailing as she spoke.

“You blew it up on a titan contraption, didn't you?” Levi asked her straight to the point.

“I BLEW IT UP TO BUILD A TITAN CONTRAPTION!! AND IT DIDN'T EVEN WORK!” Hanji wailed then she pulled her knees to her chest and bury her face on her knees.

“Tch.” he looked away and mumbled under his breath. “And they say you’re the smartest in the entire corps.

Hanji hit his chest with the back of her hand without even looking. Despite that, Levi stay seated beside her while listen to her sobs. He almost put his hand on her head to calm her, but then he didn't know when was the last time she had a bath. So he let her cry alone.

After a few minutes, Levi left his office to make tea for them. He can’t just sit there and do nothing, might as well brew some tea. He even grabbed a few crackers to snack on. Who knows what she had for lunch, if she had one.

On the way back, he heard a sharp shrill that came from his office. He quickened his pace and saw the door to his office was wide open. Inside were Moblit and an excited Hanji, now on her feet.

“The f*ck?” Levi droned.

“Levi, you won't believe it!” Hanji shrieked, much to Levi’s dismay.

“I left you for 5 minutes and you're back to your demented self.” Levi ignored her and placed the tray he was carrying on a table.

“No.. no.. You're not listening to me!” Hanji said enthusiastically. “Moblit said some rich dude is willing to hear my proposal! We're going to get the money to continue my research!”

Levi continued to ignore her by pouring tea into the cups. Unlike impressionable Hanji, Levi was always suspicious when an unknown person offer money. It's always not that easy.

“What's the catch?” he asked.

“What catch?” Hanji asked back.

Levi sighed. “What do you have to do in return for his money?”

“Well, we don't know yet.” Hanji glanced at Moblit, he shook his head. “That's why we're going to meet!”

“Don't be an idiot, Four Eyes.” he reminded her. “Nobody's going to give money away without anything in return.”

“If I remember correctly Duke Franz did that. Even prior to the arm wrestling scheme, he would give is money.” Hanji reasoned. “There are goodness in the world, Levi. Stop being cynical.”

“Oh, yeah?” Levi raised an eyebrow. “Where is this special meeting?”

Hanji glanced at Moblit again which made him think quickly.

“A bar at Prute Town.” Moblit paused. “I was told that only Squad Leader Hanji was required to be there but Commander insisted that I go too.”

Levi looked at Hanji with a smug. He had made his point. What kind of shady person would have a meeting in a bar?

“No shit.” he scoffed. “If a meeting in a bar doesn't raise any flags, you're an idiot.”

“I don't care if I have to put my life on the line.” Her arms were flailing again. “I don't care if it makes sense or not. I got to do what I got to do to get money for my research.” Hanji snapped. Then she stormed off his office with Moblit tailing her closely.

Levi exhaled after they left. He didn't chase after her or stop her anymore. He just stared at the two cups of hot tea sitting on the table.

------

“Are you sure this is the only bar in Prute Town?” Levi asked Mike. They picked a round table at a hidden corner of the bar.

“The one and only.” Mike, who was sitting on his left, took a sip of his beer. “I'm surprised you ask me to accompany you here. This is an exclusive bar. I don't think I can aff…”

“I'll pay.” Levi interrupted him. “Just shut up.”

Mike smirked. “That's not so hard.”

Soon the quiet bar started to liven up as Hanji, Moblit and two other men entered. From where he was seated, Levi sized up the two men. Early to middle 30s, dress fancily and one of them was bald. Lucky for Levi, they sat close to where he and Mike were sitting. So he got to eavesdrop easily. When Mike noticed that Levi’s attention was on somewhere else and not on his drink, he looked up to see what Levi was observing.

“Wait, is that Hanji and Moblit?” Mike surprised to see them there. “I thought they’re having a proposal meeting at Pru.. uhuh.. It’s here huh?” Mike finally catching on.

Levi remained suspiciously quiet. Mike hid his giggle by taking another sip. The frown on Levi’s face suggest that he should not press on the matter but Mike was not going to let a good opportunity to mess around with Levi go easily. He turned to take a look at the two men again.

“This is an unlikely place to have a proposal meeting.” Mike pointed out.

“Do I look like I give a flying f*ck?” Levi glared at him but not for long because he was paying attention to something else.

“No.” Mike simply answered. Then he started to whisper in his drink, like trying to give away a secret. “I know those men.”

Levi’s shoulders tensed at his revelation. Did he just said he knew these men?

“They were involved in a huge scandal…” he glanced at the person next to him. “I thought you don't care?”

He caught Levi leaning closer to him but Levi quickly sit straight again.

“Of course not.” he rubbed his neck.

Mike guffawed. “I don't know about them either.”

“I'm going to kill you in your sleep.”

----

15 minutes earlier

“Do you think Levi might be right, Moblit?” Hanji asked. Hanji and Moblit were walking side by side to the bar. Her hands were in her long coat to fight off the night chill. “You know, what he said about I'm an idiot for going to this meeting?”

“Captain Levi was not wrong, you are an idiot.” Moblit retorted. “But nothing can stop you when you put your mind on it.”

Hanji laughed out loud upon hearing that. “I know I can count on you.” Then she smacked the back of his shoulder without any consideration.

“Hey, Hanji!” a man at the other side of the street called her out. “You're Hanji, right? From Survey Corps?”

Hanji and Moblit stopped in their tracks to make sure, “Are those shady looking men our future investors?” Hanji whispered to Moblit.

“It appears so.” He shrugged when Hanji looked at him questionably. “I only know their names, as Commander Erwin told me.”

“I guess I have to live up to my reputation and go for it, huh.” Hanji took a deep breath and crossed the street to meet them.

----

2 hours later

“Woah.” the bald man gawked, impressed that Hanji was still sober while the rest of them were too drunk to even sit straight. “How are you still not drunk, Hanji?”

Hanji nervously glanced at Moblit who were slumped on the table.

“I have a very very high tolerance.” she chuckled. “It's impossible for me to get drunk. Right, Moblit?” she smacked his back. He immediately sat up straight.

“Too close... Hanj… that is an abnor..” he passed out again.

“Good… let’s have another roound!” the other man slurred his words. He stood to get another pitcher from the bar.

“No. No. No.” Hanji stopped him before he got any further. She don't think they can keep up with their ploy, not with a passed out Moblit. He had been drinking Hanji’s drinks as well when the men weren't looking. “I think we had enough.”

“But your not.. drunk.” he almost fell off his chair when he wanted to sit again.

“Of course. I’m immune to alcohol, I guess” Hanji tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “I want to tell you my proposal. I can’t be drunk.” She changed the subject playfully.

The bald man smirked. “I was wondering how many drinks it takes until you show that side of you.”

Hanji raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Let's go straight to business.” he said to her. “We're not interested in hearing your proposal.”

Hanji kept her composure in check and remained as calm as possible. “Then what is the purpose of this meeting?”

“See, there are a lot of talk on the streets about how crazy you Survey Corps people can be.” he said as he swirled his drink. “We are particularly interested in a female crazy scientist.”

Hanji scoffed at his words. She can't believe that short son of a bitch was right.

“The way you spoke when you want something.. ah.. very alluring.”

If Hanji was capable of puking at every words he spew out of his mouth, she would do it, gladly. Alas, she was not drunk enough to do so. She only managed to cringe at his attempt to lure her into his trap.

“How disappointing.” Hanji muttered under her breath. She slammed her fists on the table as she jolted upright. “What? Do you think that we run a whore house?!”

“Hey, calm down.” the bald man sneered. “Won't you be willing to do anything for money?”

“Take your money and dick and shove it up your ass.” Hanji grabbed her half filled glass and intend to throw the what’s left of the contents to his face but out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her wrist.

“Such a good beer to waste on a jerk.” Levi droned as he pry Hanji’s glass from her grip. “Cheers to you, dickhead.” he emptied the glass, to Hanji’s surprise, and slammed it back on the table.

He dragged Hanji with the hand that he still hold on to earlier. A few steps away from the door, he finally let go of her. He left Hanji there and turned back to the table.

“Hey dickhead, I changed my mind.” Levi fumed over the bald man and without any hesitation, punched him in his face. He loomed in to intimidate him, “If I see you or your friend again, I’ll punch more than just face. Get it?”

The bald man nodded frantically.

---

When Levi got back to Hanji, he yanked her again by her wrist. It was time to leave the wretched bar. However, this time Hanji resisted his grip and freed herself. When he glanced over his shoulder, she was shooting daggers at him. She walked past him in a hurry and left him behind. Levi followed her closely.

“I’m pissed off right now, so don’t say anything.” Hanji warned him.

“I don’t care if you think you’re right or whatever. Just shut up and leave me be.”

After every 5 steps, Hanji would rant to Levi even though he didn’t say anything. It was as if she could read his mind.

“I bet you're laughing internally now because i just proved myself to be an idiot.”

“Yeah, I know I’m a joke. Those 2 jerks at the bar thought so.”

“Now I’m not just an idiot, I’m a joke and a useless member of Survey Corps too!”

F*ck.

Levi muttered to himself. If he let Hanji in her own thoughts like this any longer, she’d probably quit the Corps to become a farmer. So he strutted ahead and blocked her.

“Since when do you give a f*ck about what others think? The only redeeming quality your sorry ass have is the zero f*cks you give to other people. Are you telling me this is the end of Squad Leader Hanji? Because as far as I know, humanity is still in the gutter.”

“You don't get it.” Hanji whimpered.

“Then explain it to me because it sounded like you're about to give up.”

“Everything I touch lately turned to shit.”  She lowered her gaze and looked away, embarrassed. “First with the failed expedition 2 months ago. Then the tedious reports and meetings with the higher ups to justify our failed expedition. The constant worry about funds. And when I finally got enough money, I blew it up.”

She sniffled.

“The last time I felt happy was a few weeks ago when we were at the carnival.” she removed her glasses now, wiping away her tears. “And you literally had to throw me on the ground because my stubborn ass can't reason sanely.”

Levi scoffed. “If you want me to throw you again, you should have asked.”

He kept a serious face when he offered his service. It made Hanji stare hard at his face to gauge how serious he was. She must have figured he was joking because a few seconds later, she had a laughing fit. It lasted for a while and when she finally stopped, she wiped her tears, happy tears, from the corner of her eyes.

Levi remained deadpanned as he watched Hanji’s delightful reaction. If only he was capable of showing more emotion other than scowling.

Hanji reached the corner of his cravat and used it to wipe her dirty glasses. His brows furrowed in annoyance.

“Do you think Mike will carry Moblit back to base?” Levi was surprised Hanji knew Mike was there. “I recognise Mike’s guffaw laugh anywhere.”

Mike laughed like a hyena when he messed with Levi earlier, it was impossible to missed it.

“But thank you,” She put on her glasses, eyes bright again, “for looking out. I keep telling this to other people but I think you should know it too- you're a kind person. I'm lucky to have you as a friend.”

She smiled widely until her bright eyes became narrow.

Something in him awakened. He didn't know what but in his mind, this is the right time to do it. His heart beat faster, breathes uneven. So when Hanji walked past him, he grabbed her ponytail before it was too late, before the moment slipped through his fingers.

And he kissed her.