Chapter Text
"Where tha hell is Jaeger?"
Hanji jumps to her feet, obviously startled. "Oh. Heh. Uhh hey Levi. Sup?"
Levi rolls his eyes. "Where is Jaeger?"
Hanji shrugs. "How tha hell should I know? It's not my job to watch him."
"He's a human that can turn into a Titan whenever he pleases, Hanji. You probably watch him in his damn sleep. Where is he?"
Hanji sighs and throws up her hands. "Okay. You got me." She laughs at first, but tha second she notices Levi's death stare her laughter stops. "Okay, okay. He's in tha basement crying. I gave him some space. You probably should too."
Levi shakes his head. "No can do. It's my job to keep this dog trained." Then he walks away, tha sound of his footsteps echoing off tha walls.
When Levi reaches tha stairs to tha basement, he can already hear Eren sniffling. He sighs and shakes his head. He's supposed to leave tha fate of humanity in this kid's hands? They're doomed.
He hits tha bottom step and sees Eren hiding in a corner. "Oi, you, shitty brat. Stop with tha tears. Or should I just go tell tha others we're all going to die thanks to a little baby titan?" He smirks at his own remark. "Come on, Jaeger. We have stuff to do."
Eren slowly turns around to face Levi. "I- I'm sorry, Corporal. I'll pull myself together and meet you upstairs." He looks straight into Levi's eyes. "I would never allow my emotions to hinder tha fight against titans."
Levi's heart breaks as he looks into Eren's watery eyes. Never before has he been so sympathetic to someone else's pain. And never before has he felt so empty inside because someone else was hurting. He closes his eyes. "Okay. Tell me what's wrong." Eren shrugs and hides his face again. "I'm serious, Jaeger. Why are you being a big crybaby?"
Tha room goes quiet for a minute. And then Eren speaks. "She loved you. It was so obvious. And anyone with a brain would know you loved her too. But I got her killed... Tell me, Corporal, who have I failed? Petra? Myself? You? Petra's family? All of humanity? And what about tha others? What about Oluo and Gunther and Eld? Have I failed them too? And their families as well? Have I just failed altogether?"
Levi feels his heart break even more, but this time it's for Petra. He walks up to Eren and puts his hand on tha boy's shoulder. "You haven't failed anyone. You did what you had to do and so did they. Petra knew tha risk. They all did. It's really not your fault, Eren."
Eren's jaw drops and he looks up at Levi. "Did you... Did you just call me Eren?"
Levi takes his hand off of Eren's shoulder and backs away. "I- I guess I did, didn't I? Heh." He tries to turn away, but he can't seem to take his eyes off of Eren's. "Tha most beautiful eyes..." he mumbles as his mind drifts away.
"Uhh. Levi?"
Eren's voice snaps him out of his daze. He straightens up and tears his eyes away from Eren's. "Just pull yourself together, Jaeger, and meet me upstairs." As he turns to walk away, he lets out a sigh of relief. He's felt strange around Eren many times before, but he wasn't so sure he'd survive this one. He somehow managed to escape, though, and he's feeling proud of himself.
Yet, when Eren says his next words, it's like Levi hits an invisible brick wall. His brain can't even figure out what exactly Eren said, but tha helplessness in his voice pulls a string on Levi's heart that he didn't even know existed. He doesn't turn back around when he speaks. He can't look at Eren. "What was that?" he asks.
He hears some shuffling as Eren gets to his feet. He closes his eyes. He can't let his heart win this battle. But, of course, Eren pulls tha newfound string on Levi's heart even harder. "Levi..." Eren hesitates to proceed and Levi shivers. Tha damned brat had stepped right on up to him. "Did you love Petra?" A lump builds in Levi's throat. Why does Eren sound so sad about something that doesn't concern him? "I heard her dad talk to you," he whispers. Levi can feel Eren breathing down his neck. He clutches his fists at his sides. He will win this, damn it. "Were you going to marry her, Levi?"
Or not.
Eren's voice had broke with his last words and it'd somehow destroyed Levi's control. He spins around and pulls Eren into him. He's got their lips pressed hard together before either of them can comprehend what's happening.
After a moment, Eren pushes Levi away. "What tha hell was that?!" he yells. He clearly wants to be angry, but Levi can tell he's feeling something else.
"I did love Petra." Eren scoffs and turns away. "And yes, I might have married her. But Eren," Levi grabs Eren's arm and makes him look right into his eyes. "I didn't love her like she loved me."
Eren's eyes shine in tha dim light of tha basement and Levi almost laughs when he gasps. "Levi! You're saying you... Uhh... Me... Uhh... Levi!"
Levi can't help it. Eren tripping over himself, trying to find tha right words, is too cute. He kisses him again, deeper. And this time Eren doesn't fight, he just clutches Levi so hard that it hurts. But a good hurt.
Eren breaks tha kiss for a moment. "Oh Heichou... I love you," he gasps.
"Shut up, brat," Levi says, grabbing tha back of Eren's head, weaving his fingers into his hair, and pulling him back into their kiss.
It's like tha world stops just for them, like all that exists in this moment is them and their kiss. Levi has wanted this moment since day one. It's nothing less than perfection...
Until tha basement door bursts open with a loud crash, followed by a voice dripping with false surprise. "Oh no! It seems to me that I have walked in on something I shouldn't have! Oh dear me!"
Hanji.
Eren tries to step away, but Levi keeps his hold as he yells at their intruder. "Hanji, what tha hell?!'
She grips her shirt over her heart. "I am in such shock! Levi and Eren?! Never would have guessed!"
Levi rolls his eyes. "Hanji, seriously."
She laughs. "Hahah. Oh gosh. I knew it. Levi loves Eren! Levi loves Eren!" She pauses and gasps. "LEVI LOVES A TITAN! Ooooohhh!" She squeaks and claps her hands. "Knew it, knew it, knew it!"
Levi sighs. "Oh my god, Hanji. Get out. Now."
"Oh yes, yes, of course! Gotta leave tha lovebirds alone!" She runs up tha stairs, but just before she opens tha door, she looks back at them one more time. Tha glare on her glasses just adds to tha mischievous look on her face. "A forbidden love. A human and a titan. How romantic!" She laughs one last time and leaves.
"She is freaking crazy," Eren says when tha door shuts.
Levi chuckles and pulls Eren even closer to him. "Yeah, she really is."