It is never as it seems. This is something Hanji Zoe told herself to believe since she was a little trouble making girl, fearless and adventurous with a big curiosity. To satisfy her curiosity and need for knowledge as the years past the girl grew up into a splendid scientist looked up to by many by now.
And this is why during a certain rainy spring day February 10th just as she came out of the convenience store to fill her empty fridge after she forgot to go shopping the last three days before due to her work and her assistant Moblit Berner making her eardrums bleed by his bleeds by now to stop surviving on snacks out of the snack automate and her coffee, that on this day instead of turning away and making her way hastily to home she stopped, her brown eyes met up with glaring ice gray blue eyes and a scowl the short raven haired man gave her, telling her to mind her own business before his direction was back on his motorcycle which seemed to have a problem and he didn't seemed to be able to figure out the problem yet as he kneel back down to inspect it.
Hanji noticed the other people around her were intimated by his behavior and silent curses he made from time to time making a big turn around him. The way he was dressed did not help his situation either, wearing a black leather jacket with rivets, a white scarf or cravat piece of cloth neatly tucked under it, dark blue jeans and black leather boots. A few strains of his fringe hair was clued with hair gel backwards which along with his pissed expression did send out every vibe possible that told you "bad guy".
But something in Hanji told her to not get deceived by his looks and approach him just like when she was a small kid and since she was never like everyone she made her way up to him, getting into a kneeling position besides him to be able to get a better look at what he was looking at.

"Need some help?"

"Huh?" he turned to her raising his eyebrow confused at her now looking directly at her smiling beaming face.

"Are your eyes so shitty that you did not understand the 'mind your own business, shitty glasses?'"

Someone else would be offended after getting told this but all Hanji could do was snort and laugh which irritated the man next to her even more. She was not right in the head.

"You know mister, this is not how you ask someone for help. You cannot figure out how to fix it, right? I might not look like it but I'm good at building and fixing stuff. I'm a scientist and built a lot of machines too for research." she smirked her eyes traveling over his bike with confidence.

„You think I would let a crazy stranger just touch my bik—„

Her hands were already touching his bike and fumbling with something.

"HEY! DID YOU NOT JUST LIST—„

"Ah! I think I got where the problem is!"

The man froze. He was stuck in the cold since half an hour already trying to find the problem and this woman which just appeared a mere few minutes ago into his life told him she figured it out already?!

"Are you shitting me!?"

"Nope! But I won't be able to fix it here since I would need to get some tools." she hummed thinking for a moment before she beamed at him again. "Say, it's late already and cold, I mean we even have some snow left, my home is just a few blocks away. I have the needed tools in my garage. Why don't you come with me and warm a bit up while I fix your motorcycle?"

"Why?" he looked at her skeptical, trying to read her expression for any lies or signs of evil intention.

Seeming to have noticed his questionable look she got back up onto her feet and held a hand out for him to take,
A reassuring smile on her face.

"There's no reason to help someone. Besides everyone seemed to have avoided you so I wanted to help. My name is Hanji Zoe, nice to meet you! And you are?"

He was hesitant, his eyes traveling to her face and her kind expression and back to her hand. Somehow he felt really embarrassed sighing in defeat he took her hand and stood up. He was freezing up already and wanted to go home as quickly as possible.

"Levi."

"Levi? A nice name. And your last name?"

"None of your business yet shitty glasses."

At this she laughed again grabbing her shopping bag up from the floor before turning around and start walking.
"If you call me like this I have to use a nickname for you too, don't I 'little guy'?"

She was teasing him now. That damn woman. Pulling his bike with him he walked after her. „Don't call me short damn woman."

"But you are even shorter than me I noticed. I find it cute. Maybe this is why you try to act as the bad guy so badly?"
Somehow Hanji felt like this meeting was one of the best in her life and would have a huge changing point for her too.

All the way to her home Levi stopped talking to her after her last sentence about him being cute, being only occupied glaring daggers at her back, watching her brown messy ponytail sway back on her forth while she walked a few steps in front of him.
Stopping in front of a small house with a little front yard, Hanji pulled out a pair of keys.

"Here we are. Let us first get your bike inside. Ignore the little mess, please."

Stepping to the right side was her garage located, after quickly opening it she stepped aside to let Levi through.
What greeted him however was beyond his wildest fantasies. ‚A little mess' was underrated inside it looked like a bomb had exploded.
Machine parts, tools, boxes, everything was everywhere. There was no organization in any sort. It was beyond him how even her small red car managed to find a place inside her double garage extra space.

"A little? Are you shitting me!?"

Hanji shrugged his rude outburst off and made her way out of the garage again, stopping at the entrance way to turn her head around before she would go further and unlock her front door.

"You can go inside in the meanwhile and warm a bit up Levi. It will take me a bit of time until I will have your bike fixed. Make yourself at home for so long."

He wanted to protest at first and telling her he would remain here and observe her what she was doing to his motorcycle but on the other hand he was freezing up quite a bit and this mess he was standing in was giving him a headache and it took him all of his will to restrain himself and not to stark cleaning this shit hole up. Besides his bad boy appearance he was quite the clean freak and took very importance over hygiene.
Maybe he should have regretted taking a step inside her little house as soon as he took off his shoes and heard the door click shut behind him again and took a step inside the living room which had an open kitchen connected he froze in place, his eyes widening over the destructive chaos of mess he was facing. If he was thinking the garage was the problem than he sure was proved wrong now. Levi stopped walking as he felt having stepped on something and looked downwards to his said feet, picking up with two of his fingers a red bra which was most likely worn not so long ago and just thrown away lazily after taking it off without taking the time to put it away properly.
Staring at the bra Levi felt a vein popping on his head, his expression darkening.

"This has to be a joke... that shitty dirty woman."

Hanji sighed exhausted and relieved as she finally was inside the warmth of her home, taking her shoes off she made her way to the living room. It took longer to repair his motorcycle as she was originally thinking it would, Hanji hoped Levi, her new friend wouldn't be too mad with her.
Upon entering her living room she had to blink once than twice, her mouth open but no words left her. It was clean. No rather it was sparkling clean. The books unorganized, some open, some not were neatly staked up, a piece of paper stuck out as substitute of a bookmark on those she had left open before. The dishes in the kitchen were washed from yesterday, the counter and everything else looked whipped off and clean and the stuff she had left on her floor shattered around, papers and clothes were gone as well. Her face heated up remembering what clothes she had lazily stripped out after a long day of work and all she did was hit her bed telling herself she was too tired to do it properly.
This was awkward.
But now where was Levi?
Walking around her black leather sofa was all in the end she needed to do, a smile spreading over her lips, looking at a sleeping figure sitting on it, arms crossed over his chest with a somewhat satisfied expression on his face.
Chuckling quietly Hanji grabbed a blanket which was folded neatly and placed on the other end of the sofa now carefully placing it over Levi.
It was strange. They only just met today and yet she fully trusted him or felt like she could trust him better to say. He felt familiar and connected to her for some reason...
she shook her head, she was thinking too much over it. It was time for her to sleep as well. She took so long with his bike that it was now almost midnight.
Hanji was already halfway inside her bedroom, standing between the doorway as a voice froze her in place. It was Levi's voice.

"„...Oi Hanji..."

"Hm yes?"

As there was no answer she raised her eyebrow and walked back to him. Was this her imagination? Or did he talk in his sleep? But why would be a stranger like her appearing in his dream?

"... take a bath... or I'm forcing you, you titan obsessed abnormal..."
Her face turned pale, her eyes widened and she could swear her heart skipped a beat.
This couldn't be.
But why was he saying such things?
Her eyes traveled to her books, her research she started few years ago, as her dreams began to feel more real.

"...titans... war..."

Grabbing her books quickly Hanji disappeared into her bedroom, plotting down onto her bed, turned on her reading lamp and opened the first book she took with her. The inside was full of sketches, texts she wrote inside, sometimes even just a few important words.

"Research on human monsters... called titans...my job... assistants for help.. Moblit... Nifa.. Keith..."

Mumbling to herself she flipped more pages around. It fits. What he said and her dreams seem to be one and the same! So what does this mean? Did they meet already in past life? But she couldn't be sure yet. Maybe he just flipped through her books even if it was unlikely to dream over such a trivial thing then...

"Wall, caged in towns. Island.. ocean travel with other soldiers.. The man with black hair and short statue was again in my dream..."

Annoyed and confused Hanji groaned ruffling through her brown hair. This was crazy, unbelievable but she always felt like her dreams felt too real.. different whenever she dreamed over this place... but this leaves another question. If hypothetical speaking she was right..
What was he to her?
What were they to each other in their past lives?
And more importantly what would this mean for them now?

The battlefield, dead people, the smell of blood, dirt, familiar faces contorted in pain, pale and lifeless. And Levi stood in the middle, always with two blades in his hands surrounded by the sea of blood and them. Weird creatures, some taller some smaller. He gritted his teeth. Again he was in this dream. This nightmare he sometimes ended up having. He knew this was not real. He knew this was just his dream. But it felt real. Every single time.

"Levi!"

His eyes widened. A familiar voice he heard many times already too. The scenes he saw often changed but one person was always constant. Her. Landing next to him with the use of the device they were having, wearing a pair of goggles, her messy brown ponytail swaying in the wind and always she would flash him this warm full of emotions smile.

"There you were Levi!"

Before he could even say anything the scene changed. But she was always there. Again and again and again like his brain would get flooded by memories of her. His name ringing in his ears over the times she called him, during painful times and good times and even so always radiating a warmth towards him, smiling at him. In a town walking around, in a circus, in a meeting, in a training field, in a room... in the showers... in bed..
Levi sat straight up on the sofa, panting heavily.

"Fuck.."

He whipped some sweat off his forehead trying to regain his bearings over where the fuck he was.
That's right he went with this woman called Hanji and she fixed his bike while he waited... he must have fallen asleep..
Clicking his tongue he looked outside the window. It was still in the middle of the night. This shitty glasses should have woken him up and not letting him even stay over night. She is way too trusting, that idiot.
Just as he was thinking over her, memories of his dreams flashed before his eyes. How this woman in his dreams was calling his name and smiling at him naked, and sweaty under him clearly because they were in the middle of...
His cheeks flushed a shade of pink shaking his head.

"Fuck. Why do I recall this now..."

He needed some fresh air. Maybe he should just write a note to thank her and leave right now instead of troubling any stranger any more.
Getting up from the couch Levi cursed noticing he had another problem to take care off. Damn wet dreams. Being occupied with his dreams and the pitch blackness in the room he bumped against the coffee table next to couch hitting his leg strongly against it.

"Shit. Today is not my day is it?"

Sighing he picked up a book that had fallen on the floor and popped open.
He was already about to close it and put it back on the table but stopped upon witnessing the first few words on the first page. 'Titans... war...'
Moving closer the the window he used the moonlight shinning inside the room to be better able to read the contents inside. Everything seemed to be handwritten he noticed.

"Hmngh Levi are you okay? There was a loud bumping sound.."

He looked up from the book with widened eyes facing Hanji which was standing at the doorway. Her hair was down, she wore no glasses and sleepily busy rubbing one of her eyes.
He didn't wanted to admit it but it was a beautiful sight. And he was practically wanting to punch himself at the same time for thinking so.

"Hanji... who are you..?"

Her eyes traveled to one of the books she forgot to take with her and than to Levi's facial expression he was making.
For good while she said nothing and a uncomfortable silence surrounded them until she opened her mouth to speak.
"... You saw the book, right?"

He nodded.

"I wrote all of this... Levi... do you believe in past lives?"

He eyed her as if she was crazy. In fact until today she was pretty much not considering this either. But because she met him and what he said to her in his sleep and the way he was staring at her book gave her confirmation she might be on the right track.

"... How about I make us some tea and we talk?"

She noticed his tense body language told her he wanted to deny her even if he did not say anything yet.

"Let me only speak out what I hav to say and show you something else. If you than still want to go you can. I fixed your motorcycle. You could even go right now even if I would recommend to stay until daytime. Which you can of course I don't mind." she rambled, trying with everything she could think of to prevent him going.
He sighed. „Fine. I get it. Don't ramble now. I will listen to what you have to say but than I will go."
He plopped down back onto the sofa, with his hand moving through his hair, messing it up but he frankly speaking didn't care anymore. „... and I would like a cup of tea if you make some please..."

She chuckled feeling relieved as soon as he sat down.

"Of course. Just wait a moment and let me get my glasses!"

He did not see it but her face was flushed in a deep shade of red. She remembered the man in her dreams had a strong liking for tea and so did Levi. And Levi might not havereleased it but the way his hair was now not geeled backwards anymore made him look a lot like the raven haired man she saw always in her dreams.
It could be him. If her theory is right it was him. Which means the reason she saw Moblit and Nifa in her dreams was not because she added them into this dreamworld because she held them dear but because they existed most likely in the past world already too!"

"...So what do you want to say." was the first question as Levi took his first sip of tea. Black tea he noticed.. one of his favorites.

Hanji sat down besides him unsure how to start now that she wanted to bombard him with questions. All her books where now spread over the coffee table next to them.

"... I have dreams from time to time which feel very real. So since very small I wrote down each time whenever a dream like this occurred about what I could remember.

Sometimes I even sketched it down.
Opening a book she showed him some drawings.

"You were talking in your sleep as I put the blanket over you..."

He gulped feeling incredible embarrassed. What if he said something stupid? He had these ‚wet dreams' what if he.. what if he moaned or some perverted shit like that.
Taking a sip of her own tea and stretching out the torturing unknowns for Levi even longer she continued.

"'... take a bath... or I'm forcing you, you titan obsessed abnormal...' is what you said."
Levi let almost out a sigh of relieve since it was at least not so worse as what he was imagining it could have been.

"So?"

Hanji pointed at a page in her notebook. Two creatures pinned down on the ground with sticks or some sort pierced.

"In my dreams I did conduct research research on these titans.. they are called titans... I remember I called these two even names ‚Sawney and Bean'... and I remember often in my dreams appeared a short black haired soldier.. also that he was making a fuss often over cleanness.
He was clean freak in short I guess."

She faced Levi with the most serious expression she could muster.

"Are you having such dreams too, Levi? Please tell me honestly."

"This is crazy." He paused already looking at her defeated expression sighing. In reality after all he was the defeated one. Because as crazy as it did sounded what he already read from those notebooks and his dreams... some stuff he remembered were similar. „Hey, because you give me this defeated look let me finish, shitty glasses.. I have such dreams too..."

And so he did start to tell her about what he could recall. Tall walls, these monsters. Everything even if he was less detailed over this world than She was.
His eyes wandered to her lit up expression, how her full attention was on him, excited and full of live.

"Hanji I have a question as well then."

"Hm?"

"Do you remember the name of this person you always seem to have appearing in your dreams? This raven haired soldier which got called ‚humanity strongest soldier'" Levi needed to know to confirm his own theory.

Hanji paused thinking, than flipping through her notebooks until she shook her head. Unfortunately no. Other names I can remember but this person not. Even if he appeared in my dreams the most... wait a moment..."

Flipping again through her books she stopped at a certain page. „I think this is his last name. I don't know for sure but I recall that there was a connection with a Mikasa Ackerman... Ackerman?"

Levi wanted to laugh over how crazy this whole situation was.

"You know my last name is Ackerman... most likely this is me then..."

"Ahaha you must be joking..." her voice died down quickly however because of his serious expression which gave her no room to deny it.

"I think you appear in my dreams too. A crazy woman with glasses, brown hair, brown eyes and always excited and too reckless for her own good sometimes. Fits exactly to someone right next to me."

The atmosphere grew awkward for both of them, releasing slowly each one of them differently what this means.

"W-well if this was me. What did I do if I may ask? I told you what I witnessed seeing the most likely 'you' doing." Not able to blame her curiosity on how she was feeling, the growing warmth in her chest along with her fast heartbeat she waited for his answer.

"Various things. Besides being reckless and a pain in the ass.." Levi paused. „I saw you stay strong, fight, cry, boil with anger, radiate with gentleness and most of all showing kindness..."

He knew his next move was so stupid and he most likely would regret it but something in him tugged in him telling him to do it.
Hanji's expression softened upon hearing this and she blushed which grew from second to second stronger as in a sudden movement Levi leaned closer to her side and she felt his lips brushing against her own. It was soft and short giving her no time to even kiss him back.

"And this too among other things..."

Levi bit his lip he did it and honestly speaking it send a spark down his spine into his whole body he wanted to capture her lips again, right now. Searching her face he tried to tell what she was thinking or for any reply or permission to do it another time.
She did not look disgusted or hit him which was a good sign at least for Levi.

"I see... I believe you.. because.." she grabbed one of his hands and placed it in front of her chest. „My body knows... it felt familiar too.."

"Tch, no shit. You goddamn drive me crazy here..." it was like her words and actions flipped a switch inside Levi. In matter of seconds he had pushed Hanji's body down onto the sofa and was now on top of her. The view he had was mesmerizing for him. Like inside his dream just this time it was real. He leaned down again pressing another kiss onto her lips, more fierce this time, boldness and lust consuming him. And this time Hanji kissed him back matching his sudden longing as well, her hands moving up around his shoulders pulling him closer.

"Levi..."

There it was. The way she called his name lovingly, tenderly. He had no idea until now how much he had missed it or actually longed for it. It was not some stupid man fantasy but she was actually real and with him.. again.
He would be damned if he would let her get snatched away again. Not by some war or by some titans or anything else.

Clothes were shattered around on the floor in the living room of Hanji.. birds chirped outside and the sun shone inside the window. Hanji was the first to wake up, her eyes fluttering open and laying eyes on a cute sleeping man face. A naked man she was laying on top with her own naked body actually and only a blanket covert them both from their nudity. Blushing Hanji recalled the events from a few hours ago and she sighed contently laying back down comfortably on top of him. For once his grip was pretty strong and she feared there was no room for her to escape without having to wake him up which she didn't wanted to just yet. So she decided to stay put and observe him... and study him. Having time to calmly accept everything that happened earlier Hanji recalled a scene from back then... how it had ended for both of them... and she would wish to find him again in another place in another time if that were not romantic she had said and would chuckle.
Levi was calling her stupid not believing in such fantasies and to be honest she was only half heartily as well back then but now here they were. That's right she was supposed to tell him something if they would receive the miracle to ever meet again somewhere.
„Welcome back Levi. I love you." she smiled before she kissed his forehead.

Life was never as it seems. This is what Hanji believed since she was a little trouble making girl.
One of her greatest and newest examples would be Levi.

After Levi and her had exchanged phone numbers and e-mail address Levi took his motorcycle and was gone.
It did only took one day however as on a sunny noon day he suddenly stood again in front of her door step again. A bouquet of purple flowers in his hands he was hiding behind his back. The tip if his ears red and slightly rosy cheeks.
Nothing had really changed. Levi was still Levi despite his fearful bad boy appearance he was still the same old Levi she remembered from her past life, being bad with romance and bad with picking out the right words at the right time but be a man of actions. Nonetheless he tried for her to do his best, always, shoving the flowers practically into her hands with a short 'Here.'
But Hanji understood him and his true personality.
His true colors over how he stood up for others if needed and scared bullies off if he saw some children in a fight. A child called Eren took quite the admiration to him, now wanting to be like him. She hoped this would not end up into trouble but so far it was rather adorable.

Over his rude way of worrying over her and telling her to sleep or take a bath instead of overworking herself and dragging her now out of her workplace if she wanted to stay too many days over there. After Moblit and Nifa overcame their first heart attack as she introduced them to her new boyfriend, they even ended up making some alliance against her. She had the suspicion Moblit or Nifa were sometimes calling Levi over for help if they did not know what else to do.

She made him change his hairstyle back into how she remembered him from her dreams because it was making him less dangerous and into something he was not. Even if he denied her always he was not a kind person Hanji knew it better.

Live did surely change since Levi came into her life however despite this she didn't want to have it any other way.

In the end all because of her own curiosity and kindness Hanji found her own happiness in someone not so dangerous at all, her not so 'bad boy' boyfriend.