Sweetness Don't Come Free

Story 1. Irvin/Hanji/Levi

" What the hell is going on here ?!" Levi asked as he marched into the room and slammed the door behind himself. Hanji who was just sitting by the bed of the commander sent him a death glare.

" Shhh! He just fell asleep !" she whispered a finger on her lips. Levi just stared back at her for a while and then stepped further inside the room. He stopped at the end of the bed and looked at the peaceful looking guy laying there. His eyes immediatelly fell to the bandage that was wrapped around a short lump that was left of the man's muscular limb.

" So it's true ... his arm ..." he trailed off and Hanji nodded.

" Yes, it became a titan's snack!" she said too cheerfully for Levi's taste but he didn't let it show. He turned his back instead and went to fetch himself a chair from the other end of the room. He dragged it next to Hanji's and sat down on it in silence, stretching out his legs and crossing his arms on his chest. Hanji observed him also without daring to say anything else for a while.

" I guess we should be greatful, he could have lost his head instead." Levi finally said and for his surprise the woman let out a chuckle.

" Yeah ! That would have been a shame... I mean a handsome head like this, it would been a real shame! !" she said still sounding more cheerful than ever. She then leaned in closer to Irvin and ran her fingers through his blond hair, looking at him with loving eyes. Levi sat silently observing her and waiting for her to say something else, he didn't have to wait for long.

" Doesn't he look like an angel with a broken wing ?" she asked a bit more seriously and let out a deep sigh before she continued.

" I think he does. He looks like an angel who was hit with an arrow and fell helplessly on the ground." she said and Levi now couldn't help but snort.

" Quite an imagination you've got there ... all I can see is a reckless asshole who sacrificed his arm because he had to save some useless brats that couldn't do anything on their own." he said with a distain and Hanji's whole body tensed up and her hand froze on top of Irvin's head.

" That proves my theory of him being an angel you know. There's nothing he wouldn't do for his comrades. There's nothing he wouldn't do for the humanity's survival." she said and looked at Levi.

" You might not want to admit it but the two of you are very much alike." she she said and when she recieved a death glare as response she surprised Levi by grabbing onto his hand, placing it on Irvin's steadily beating heart and covering it with her own.

" The two of you have hearts that refuse to give up no matter what. You fight for things you believe in and you fight for people you care about without thinking about your own well being." she said. Levi was quiet for a while.

" Well ... that's our job. Our job is to win this war no matter what." he said and frowned when Hanji suddenly started to shake and let out a whimper.

" And neither of you ..." she continued softly as if Levi hadn't said anything.

" Neither of you understand how that makes a woman who is hopelessly in love with both of you ... how it makes me feel." she finished her voice more forceful befor she broke down completely and burst into tears. Without knowing what to say Levi just lifted his hand from under Hanji's and pulled the miserable woman into his arms, holding her tight, letting her cry as long as she had to.

Few hours later when Mike went to check on the wounded man, he found Hanji laying on the left side of Irvin and Levi on the right side. Their arms were wrapped on Irvin's waist, their heads on his chest and three of them were asleep. It was such a beautiful sight that Mike couldn't help but smile and walk out of the room without saying a word.