Disclaimer: We do not own Attack on Titan or it's characters.

Chapter One- Eren

"Alone again." I muttered under my breath as I peeked through the bookshelves.

It was that guy from my English class, the one who always sat in the back on the far left. I had never heard him speak or seen him interact with anyone else. He was always by himself, writing in one of his notebooks or on his laptop. I didn't know what he was writing, but I was curious. I pretended to be interested in one of the books in front of me as someone walked down the aisle. Once they were gone, I peeked back through the library bookshelves. Like clockwork he came to the library after lunch and sat at the table in the far corner by a window. He never acknowledged anyone and he was always alone, he was truly a mystery.

However, that was only part of why I paid so much attention to him. He just seemed so . . . lonely. I didn't know for sure if that was the case, he could be perfectly content, but a large part of me didn't like it. I didn't like seeing him sit by himself day after day. It bugged me that no one was making an effort to get to know him. Maybe he wasn't lonely, but just in case he was I wanted to do something about it. I scanned the shelve for some interesting titles and read the summaries before taking four of them with me. Then I walked out of the aisle and headed towards the lone writer.

He was a silent man with black hair styled in an undercut, an impassive expression forever donning his face. The air around him wasn't exactly friendly, but it wasn't unfriendly either. Perhaps he was shy and didn't deal with others well. I had a close friend like that and I knew how to be patient. The closer I got to his table, the more questionable stares were tossed my way. It made my stomach turn and anger flair through my body. What the hell was their problem? They didn't even know me or the lone writer, yet they thought I was crazy to go over to him? Maybe it was odd because no one else ever did it, but they didn't have to be rude. Judgemental assholes.

I reached the table and found the lone writer focused in on his laptop, a pair of earbuds in his ears. I quietly sat in the seat across from him and set my books down on the table. I grabbed the book on the top and glanced up at the lone writer, noting that up close his eyes were a striking blue-grey. He hadn't noticed me yet so I opened my book and started reading. I was about ten pages in when I felt someone's gaze on me and looked up, right into those blue-grey eyes. I smiled at him and he blinked at me before returning to his laptop. I quietly giggled at the behavior, glad he had earbuds so he didn't think I was laughing at him.

He definitely seemed like the shy type and I couldn't help finding it cute. I went back to my book and took it as a good sign he didn't look uncomfortable or ask me to leave, though I doubted he would say anything. My first goal was to get him used to me and maybe then I would try for conversation. He didn't look up again and we both stayed in our own little worlds until it was time for the library to close. I finished my four books and got up to put them back, glancing at the lone writer before I left. He hadn't looked at me, but I felt eyes on my back after I started walking away from the table. Day one was a success.

The next day I took some time choosing more interesting books and brought five to the lone writer's table. This time he looked at me as I sat down and I gave him another smile, trying to give off friendly vibes. He went back to writing and had his earbuds in again today. I figured whatever he listened to either helped him concentrate or tune out the world, perhaps both. I opened one of my books and started reading. I was always a fast reader so I had to get multiple books to pass the time, but I truly enjoyed reading. I had my own little library at my apartment and was on the lookout for more books to add. It was nice to sit with someone and read, I found the lone writer's presence comforting. He may have been shy, but he had a calm air about it. I liked it.

We sat together until it was time for the library to close again and I got up to put my books back. It would take some time to build a routine, but I was more than willing to do it. I kept up the same behavior for the next week, the only thing changing being the number of books I grabbed from the shelf. Phase one was complete. He seemed to get used to me and I was hopeful enough to start on phase two in the middle of the second week. I walked into my English class and spotted the lone writer in his usual seat, already writing in one of his notebooks. I ditched my norm and went to the back, sitting down one seat away from him. I didn't want to scare him off by getting too close, but I wanted to send the message that I knew he was there. I was acknowledging his existence.

It took him a few moments to notice it was me and when he did he looked over, blinking at me a couple times. I couldn't help smiling at his confusion, but I didn't look back at him. I felt him staring for a while before he went back to his notebook and only then did I glance at him. He had a large cup of coffee on his right and I wondered if that was something he always did or just today, I hadn't noticed it before. I was excited about learning something new about him and looked for the cup the next day. Sure enough it was there, the strong smell of coffee filling the small area. For the rest of the week and the following one, I sat with the lone writer during English and in the library. Not one word was spoken between us until that fourth week.

I took my seat across from him in the library and started reading a book from this new series I found. About two chapters in, the silence was finally broken.

"Hey."

I looked up at the deep voice, the lone writer sitting with one of his earbuds out. "Hi." I smiled happily.

His eyes fell to the book I was reading and he looked back at me, shaking his head. "You shouldn't keep reading that."

"How come?" I asked curiously, suspecting he had read it before.

He leaned back in his chair, stretching for a moment before responding. "Because it will piss you off. Or worse, make you cry like a baby."

"Hm, a tragedy." I sighed in understanding and slight disappointment. "That sucks. It started off so well too, I thought I found a good series to get lost in. Shame."

"It's very disappointing and I didn't like it so I didn't want you wasting your time like I did." He grumbled and grabbed his other earbud, eyes moving back to his laptop.

I tried to contain my excitement, the first conversation a success. It might have been short, but it was progress. He even started it and in an odd turn of events I was proud of him. I picked up the series and left to put it back on the shelf. I scanned around for a different one and brought it back to read instead, silently holding up the first book for approval. He looked up after a second and gave me a curt nod before going back to his laptop. It was funny how something small like that could make me so giddy, but after a months worth of effort this was awesome. I opened the book and read the first chapter, already realizing how much better it was than the other one. I was able to get through the whole series by the time the library closed and really liked it. I glanced up at the lone writer and was surprised to find him asleep, completely passed out in the chair.

"Poor thing." I cooed, finding it cute. I stood up and walked the short distance to his seat, almost not having the heart to wake him but knowing I had to. "Hey, it's time to go."

He didn't so much as flinch at the sound of my voice, head tipped straight back and earbuds silent. I took one of them out and tried again, not speaking too loudly considered where we were. I frowned when he still didn't wake up. He must of been a heavy sleeper. I leaned in closer and tried one more time, preferring not to shake him awake.

"Hey, the library's closing."

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me, blue-grey eyes clouded and half lidded. "What?" He breathed, staring at me in confusion.

"It's time to leave." I smiled and then decided to tease, "And you're drooling."

Sighing sleepily he raised his hand to his mouth and rubbed his thumb across his lips. "Need coffee." He grumbled quietly and closed his eyes again, unmoving.

"Uh oh." It looked like he was out again and I wasn't sure what to do. I glanced at my watch, figuring I had just enough time.

I picked up my books and quickly put them back on the shelf before leaving the library, rounding the corner for the nearest vending machine. I pulled out my wallet and bought a can of black coffee. He might not like it, but at least it was something. I dashed back around the corner and into the library while one of the librarians gave me a dirty look. The lone writer was still out cold at the table, dead to the world. I tapped his shoulder, not having the time to coax him awake again. That librarian had looked more than ready to kick us out.

"Hey, look. I brought you some coffee." I said and held it up, hoping to entice him.

He groaned and opened his eyes, straightening his head. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked at the can I held up and then me. "Why?" He questioned quietly, eyes moving to his laptop as he started putting it and his other things away.

"Because you seemed to want some." I explained. "Do you not like black?"

"I do." He muttered and got to his feet, having shoved everything in his backpack. His eyes fell to the can as he put the backpack on his back and then took the can out of my hand. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I grinned and we silently made our way out of the library. I paused before we went our separate ways, wanting to tell him goodbye. "See you tomorrow."

He glanced back at me, still looking tired and uninterested. "See you." He said and then walked away.

Second conversation was a success. I'm making progress slowly but surely, I thought and wondered why the shorter man was so sleepy today. He was always working on something, but I didn't know what. He could have just been studying late last night or got up earlier than normal this morning. He was easy enough to interact with and it still irked me that no one else had tried. The next day the lone writer had his coffee in English class that I now suspected was black, his expression just as impassive as always. I hoped to learn more about him as time went on and decided to kick things up to phase three, asking his name. I planned to do it at the library and went to lunch with an impatient air about me. I sat down next to my friends Mikasa and Armin, not even saying hello before I started wolfing down my food.

"Whoa, it's not going to run away Eren." Armin laughed, blue eyes amused. We had been buddies since way back in the day, my outgoing personality bringing the shy blond out of his shell.

"I'm not saving you if you choke." Mikasa warned, moving her black hair out of her black eyes. She had joined our small group during middle school and was as cold hearted as they came. To anyone but us at least.

"E'm eyine." I said around my food, covering my mouth with my hand.

Mikasa shook her head. "Gross."

"What's the hurry? Do you have plans or something?" Armin asked curiously.

I swallowed my food before answering. "I'm in the middle of a project."

"Again?" Armin chuckled but Mikasa didn't find it amusing.

"So who's the victim this time?" She asked sarcastically. "Not everyone wants to be your friend, Eren, sometimes you need to leave people alone."

"There is nothing wrong with being friendly, Mikasa." I told her. It wasn't like I went after people or anything like that, I was just a social guy.

"No, but I worry about you. One of these days you're going to bug the wrong person. I would hate to go to jail before I graduate." She said and I pouted. She still treated me like a kid.

Armin took a sip of his lemonade and then commented. "You're friendly with a lot of people, but you only have two real friends. Do you think this person is going to be different or are they going to shrug you off like the rest?"

I knew he wasn't trying to be harsh, but I hated it when he threw the facts in my face. Just as I started mulling over his words a hand was laid on my shoulder and I turned my head, eyes widening in surprise at seeing it was the lone writer.

"I need to borrow you." He said simply, staring down at me with the same impassive expression he always had.

"Uh, sure." I said once I got over my shock, ignoring the looks Armin and Mikasa were giving me.

I got up and tossed what was left of my food away, following him out of the cafeteria and into the hall. I came to a halt when he stopped suddenly and turned around. He held his notebook towards me and I looked down at it in confusion.

"Tell me what's wrong with this paragraph." He told me, sounding impatient.

I took the notebook, wondering why I was being tested. "Alright." I read through it twice before moving closer, holding the notebook between us so he could see. "Right here. It sounds repetitive and feels a little stand still. I would replace this word with a synonym and add some dialogue here, omitting the sentence there entirely."

He took the notebook back from me, brows furrowing as he stared at the paragraph and then pulled a pen out of thin air and started scribbling on the page. Once he was finished he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I said, extremely curious about the rest of the notebook. Had he been writing novels this whole time? Were all his notebooks filled with his work? Was he a literal lone writer? I had a lot of questions, but settled on one. "I'm Eren, by the way. What's your name?"

He closed his notebook and shoved it in his backpack before meeting my gaze. "Levi." He said quietly.

"Levi." I repeated, thinking it suited him. "I'll see you in the library soon. Save me a seat?"

"Actually, I won't be going today." He told me and then after a few seconds added, "There's a writing class at the bookstore today. I'll be going."

So he is a writer. "Oh, I see. Well I wish you luck and hope you learn a lot." I said, not wanting to push my own luck and ask to come along. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

He nodded once, looking me over thoughtfully. "Yeah. Tomorrow." He agreed and then turned to walk away.

He really was so cute.

I went back to the cafeteria to grab my shoulder bag, sparing Mikasa and Armin a short explanation. Even if he wasn't going to be there, I still wanted to go to the library and read. I was interested in what kind of writer someone like Levi was. If he was writing on his laptop as well, he had to have a lot of stories. It was unexpected, but strangely fitting for his quiet persona. Armin and Mikasa might have their doubts, but there was nothing wrong with wanting to make a new friend. Levi seemed cool and if he wanted to then I would be glad to befriend him. Since he was into writing, I wondered if that's what he was going to college for. I was an English major myself, but I had no idea what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I didn't have that dream job and was taking the basic required classes at the moment.

Levi striked me as the type that didn't waste time so I was positive he already knew what he wanted. The paragraph I read wasn't enough to get a feel for his style and presence as an author, but structurally and grammatically it was solid. It was a big discovery and I was happy he seemed to be opening up to me little by little. I finished four books during my time at the library and headed home afterwards. I walked to the bus stop and googled best selling books, seeing what was hot and what was new. One of my favorite authors was working on the last book in her series and the due date was coming up, I was really excited for it. No matter how early I had to get to the bookstore, no matter how long I had to wait, I was purchasing that book. Then I would go home and read it from cover to cover and finally discover how everything ends.

I listened to some music when I got on the bus and took a window seat, watching the familiar sights go by. It took fifteen minutes to get to my stop and I stretched when I got off, ready to go inside my apartment and relax. I went up to the fifth floor and closed the door with a sigh, toeing my shoes off immediately. I put my bag in my bedroom and took a nice warm shower. I was blessed with not having homework today, but I had a History test coming up soon. After I changed into my pajamas, I made a light dinner and got cozy on the couch. Then I flipped through the channels until I found something I liked and watched that while I ate. College life was a lot different than high school and I was still getting used to it. My friends didn't have time to hang out much and honestly neither did I, proper rest and sleep grew more important every semester between studying and homework.

Sometimes the silence of my apartment would get to me, but it wasn't that different than when I lived with my dad. I was used to the quiet atmosphere, though that didn't mean I didn't get uncomfortable by it. Some days were better than others, but it wasn't that bad. My love life on the other hand had seemed to breathe its last breath. I had been single for awhile now and haven't had time to actively look for someone. Lately, I had only come across people who flat out refused to bottom or just wanted a one night stand. I didn't do one night stands and I certainly didn't bottom. It wasn't that I hated the idea, but all the tops I had met were either an arrogant piece of shit or simply not compatible with me. I enjoyed topping anyway, so it didn't really matter. I went through my whole life without bottoming and that suited me just fine. I did miss having someone to cuddle though, it was no secret I was a clingy lover.

Perhaps I would try to resurrect my love life during a break, but as of right now I had school to focus on and a project to finish. Levi was the most interesting person I had come across in a while and my desire to be his friend wasn't only because he had seemed lonely, there was something about him that made me want to get closer. I wanted to understand him and figure him out, solve his mystery. If it turned out I annoyed him and he wanted nothing to do with me then I would leave him alone. Otherwise, I wanted to be careful not to offend him or scare him off. He seemed straightforward and firm in his opinion, but there was an awkwardness there as well and a shyness that was really fucking adorable. I would admit he was good looking, however I was after his friendship and nothing more. Anything else would just make things complicated.

I went to bed after I finished eating and snuggled under the covers. I was looking forward to reading more books, talking to Levi and learning more about him in general. Maybe the next phase would be building up enough trust so I could read some of his works. All in all, the lone writer certainly had my attention.