The thing is that most people don't live very long in the Recon Corps, Levi reflects. Most recruits die on their first mission outside of the walls, and even fewer survive to be his age. He has a few companions that manage to stick around for a while but even they, almost inevitably, die. His only constant companions have been Erwin, who recruited him, and Hanji, who joined at the same time as he did.
Even for a relatively withdrawn person like him, two friends really aren't enough. So, what generally ends up happening is that he turns to the pool of new recruits. Most of them are still too young, too immature. However, there is almost always one or two that he can see himself getting to know better – the more talented ones, the ones least likely to die too soon. This year there are more people with potential than there have been in a while, even though fewer people joined than average.
Three of the most talented recruits are Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, and Eren Jaeger. Mikasa is a fighter of almost unheard of prowess and skill. Even at her young age, she is worth more than dozens of soldiers twice as old as she is. Then there's Armin, with a mind the likes of which hasn't been seen in a long time. He's just what the Recon Corps needs if they want to start making any serious progress; Hanji's current assistants are little more than timid, blustering fools. He's not a particularly skilled fighter, but what he lacks in strength, he more than makes up for with his brilliance. Then there's Eren, who is certainly the least remarkable of the three. He's strong, but not exceptionally so, and he's smart, but not particularly so. He can barely control his Titan strength and he doesn't understand it at all.
Still, Eren's the one Levi takes to the most. Eren reminds him of himself at that age – stubborn, determined to a fault Bounds of energy (that Eren is channeling better than he was able to) and full of purpose. Even their demeanors are the same. Levi has never been charismatic, nor a people-person, but people are drawn to him anyway. His presence fills a room and compells people to listen, and Eren inspires a similar reaction amongst the younger recruits.
They got off to a rocky start, to be sure, but Eren hadn't lied when he said he didn't resent him. They quickly moved onto more sure, more even footing. It was nice – Eren looked up to him without worshipping him and wasn't afraid to admit Levi's faults. He never tried to compare the two of them and recognized that they had different levels of aptitude and experience; he wasn't afraid to come to him for help or advice, but was still able to speak candidly.
What Levi hadn't expected, however, was that Eren's childhood friends would resent Levi's presence so much. Mikasa hasn't forgiven nor forgotten how badly he'd been forced to hurt him. That's not Armin's problem, though. At first Levi had thought Armin just hated him as a person before he realized the true problem; Armin was jealous.
Jealous. Well, that could be fun. He had so few ways to amuse himself these days, what with the majority of his friends decomposing in the ground. Teenagers tend to be so easily manipulated, hard-headed and perpetually horny. He'd bet even Armin could be susceptible. He is brilliant beyond compare in strategy and theory, yes, but Levi is willing to bet that he is less smart when it came to matters of the heart.
Armin grips his pad of paper and his pencil tight enough that for a moment he thinks they'll both give and crack. He forces himself to let go and place them on the table in front of him. "What are you doing?" he asks. His voice sounds relatively even, he thinks. That's an accomplishment.
Eren looks over his shoulder in surprise. It's clearly the first time he's noticed that Armin was present, despite him having entered the room several minutes earlier. "Oh, Armin," he says. He gestures to the sheet spread out in front of him. "Levi was just explaining the formation for our next mission. I didn't really get it."
"If you didn't get it, you could've asked me," Armin answers. You could've asked me the way you usually do, he doesn't say. The way you used to.
"Levi was nearby and said he didn't mind," Eren says. He smiles at the lance corporal. Armin's fists clench tight enough that he can feel blood welling up. The small flare of pain helps him to focus on the words being spoken and not on the way Eren leans in to Levi's body. "Anyway, what's up?"
"I was waiting for you," he says. "In the courtyard, remember? Like we agreed."
Eren shoots straight up. "Shit," he says. "Shit, I completely forgot I told you I'd help you with your project. I can't believe I forgot something so important."
"It's okay. I know you're busy, too," Armin says gently. It's not fine at all. How long has he been holed up in this room with the lance corporal already? How much longer would he have spent here? Would he ever have remembered? "Still, I could really use the help whenever you're done." He lets his voice go soft and subdued, lowering his eyes in a meditated gesture. He turns to leave, spine slouched just a fraction more than usual, and waits for Eren to stop him.
This time, he doesn't disappoint. "Wait," Eren calls to him. He takes a hurried few steps forward. "I'll come help you now. I promised, after all."
"Only if the lance corporal doesn't mind," he says with false hesitancy. He lets his gaze flick to Levi's and then quickly away for effect.
"He doesn't mind. Right?"
He takes a long time to answer, his arms crossed over his chest as he peers at the both of them. "Of course not," he says finally, sinking into a chair and crossing his legs primly to match his arms. "Dismissed, Private."
Eren falls into a sloppy salute and looks at Armin to go. As they're heading out of the room, he resists the urge to turn back and stick out his tongue at him; he's not that immature. Instead, he scoops up Eren's hand. Eren automatically laces their fingers together. This way is less crude and he figures that it should convey the message to Levi just as well.
Eren and he go out to the courtyard. He listens attentively while Armin brings him up to speed on what he's done so far and explains what more can be done. He nods when Armin's done and pulls the closest book in the stack closer to him and dives into the pages. Armin feels unspeakably fond looking at him then – watching his bangs fall into his face each time he moves to turn the page, knowing that Eren is perfectly willing to lend Armin help when he needs it, even though he's not the best reader out there. It's not that he doesn't get the words, because he does. The problem is that Eren doesn't have the patience to sit still and focus on the tiny print for long periods of time. And yet, sit still he does. He reads until Armin stops him two hours later.
"What?" he asks. His eyes are glazed over and fatigued already, his tone rough and confused.
"It's getting dark," Armin answers. "It's almost dinner. We should head inside." They leave the books behind, knowing that no one will try to move them. At dinner, Eren shares what he's found. Armin nods along when appropriate and mentally takes notes of the important parts. More, though, he watches the animation of Eren's features and the lilting cadence of his voice. He basks in Eren's presence and revels in having his complete attention.
The thing is, Armin called dibs on Eren a long time ago. Heretofore, no one has ever challenged that claim. There had been other to give Eren looks, sure; he was an attractive and capable guy, after all, and it didn't help that he could never tell the difference between friendliness and flirting. They got the idea eventually, though, and they all backed off. Levi, thus far, has not gotten the idea.
It almost feels like Levi's baiting him sometimes, purposefully irritating him. It's an illogical assumption to make and he hasn't got any proof for it. As far as he can tell, Levi acts the same around whether or not Armin is around. It's possible that he's just letting his jealousy blind his reason.
He sees red when Levi and Eren enter the mess hall together. Levi's hand is at Eren's back, just above his tailbone, guiding him to walk as though Eren weren't perfectly capable of doing it for himself. He sees when Levi gestures towards the table he usually sits at, with Hanji and more of the senior members of the Survey Corps. Eren shakes his head and gestures to the table he usually shares with Armin and the rest of the 104th training squad. Levi almost seems to want to say no, but the only others there right now at Reiner and Betholdt, who are quiet enough that their presence can be ignored. He nods sharply and they approach.
Eren slips into the space across from Armin and Levi sits next to him. Levi's hand falls, finally, but then disappears beneath the table. Armin can't erase the suspicion that it's now resting on his thigh; he hates that Eren doesn't seem perturbed at all. That means his invasiveness is welcome. Armin glares; Levi stares back with narrowed eyes challengingly.
As usual, Eren fails to notice any tension. He steers the conversation and draws the both of them into it reluctantly. He steals a piece of bread from Armin's plate and dunks it into the lance corporal's stew, talks with his mouth full. His table manners are atrocious, but Armin finds it disgustingly endearing. Levi relaxes just a little, just enough for Armin to see the fondness in his gaze. He wonders if that's how he looks when he looks at Eren.
"How old are you, anyway?" he blurts. It's graceless and transparent, not like his usual subtle manipulations at all. He might've cut off someone mid-sentence, though he can't say who it was. Still, it's enough to pique Eren's curiosity.
"I don't know either," he says and looks at the lance corporal expectantly. He's clearly reluctant to answer. It's evident in the way his posture straightens and his expression tightens. Still, he must find Eren's bright green eyes as impossible to deny as Armin does, because he eventually speaks.
"Thirty-four," he mutters. Armin's taken aback – he hadn't expected there to be that much of an age difference. Levi's young face and thin stature doesn't give his years away.
"Thirty-four?" Eren repeats incredulously. "You're old enough to be my dad."
Well. Despite the artlessness of his execution, Armin can say that was an overwhelming success. As if to cement his victory, Eren offers him his fork. Armin leans across the table and opens up, letting Eren carefully feed food into his mouth. He chews and swallows and smiles, but as soon as Eren looks away, Armin looks at Levi. Beat that, his expression surely says. The lines around Levi's mouth tighten even more.
After dinner, Eren leaves Levi behind to walk him back to the dormitory before returning to his underground cell. Armin basks in the heady glow of success. When Eren asks him what's got him in such a good mood, he shakes his and says nothing, and he goes on his toes to press a goodnight kiss into Eren's forehead.
For a while, Armin thinks he's won. Levi seems to have surrendered, just like all of the others, and he and Eren seem to be closer than ever before to the romantic relationship Armin's wanted for years. It's not like Eren began ignoring Levi completely – he just learned how to balance his time between the two of them better, so that no one's toes are stepped on.
It's fine until Armin steps out to the courtyard to watch Eren's training. It's something he does whenever he gets the chance because it's genuinely interesting to watch; Eren gets a very specific training schedule, a balance on working with Hanji on controlling and understanding his Titan form and with other senior members on improving his fighting and defense skills.
This day in particular, he only sees Levi and Eren, which sends off warning signals immediately. Levi circles around Eren while he remains still, holding his position. After a moment, Levi sidles closer and presses himself against Eren's back. Eren remains obligingly pliant while Levi manipulates his body into the position he wants it. Armin knows logically that Levi is just teaching him a new move, but then he nudges Eren's legs further apart and logic eludes him.
"Hey, Armin," Eren says, catching sight of him. "Lance Corporal Levi has been showing me how to do that really cool move. You know which one I mean, right?"
"I think so," Armin answers. "But is that really the best move for you?"
"What do you mean?"
Armin steps closer, inspecting his form much the same way that Levi had earlier. "It's a great move and it works really well if you can perfect it," he says. "But it's really important to build up a lot of momentum in only a few moments of free falling. You're bigger than he is – you might not be able to gain enough speed fast enough."
That was a low blow and Armin knows it. Eren stares between the two of them apprehensively, clearly noticing the tension for the first time. "I don't think it will make a difference," he says in a clumsy attempt to diffuse Levi's anger.
"No, he's right," Levi says abruptly, stunning them both. No one ever mentions Levi's height – partly because it's neither a hindrance nor does it take away from his capability, partly because no one's really sure whether or not Levi's sensitive about it but they don't want to risk it. "You'd be much better matched to it, Private. You're only two or three centimeters taller than I am, so it should be fine, right?"
"I suppose," he hedges. "But I'm not good with the manoeuvre gear. I don't have the control you do to pull that off."
"Learn it anyway," Levi answers flatly.
"You could at least learn the theory of it, if nothing else," Eren says. "It could come in handy one day."
Armin agrees because he doesn't think he has any other real choice. "Good. Eren, you show him just what I showed you."
It looked intimate when Levi was helping Eren figure out the position; it feels the same when it's Eren and him. Armin keeps still while Eren looks at him, moving his leg or his arm whenever Eren tells him to. He can't always see what Eren's doing, but he's always aware of his presence, the sort of self-consciousness that comes from knowing you're being watched. It puts him on edge, gets him tense and not a little bit aroused; whenever Eren draws too close, Armin can almost taste his scent, hear his heartbeat.
"Here, crouch down some more. No, not like that," Eren presses his palms into Armin's back and then rests them on his shoulder. His voice is quiet, but they're close enough that every sound he makes is too loud. He can hear every pause, every inhale and exhale, every moment of hesitation. There's a distinct air of embarrassment about Eren, and Armin wonders why. "Bend your knees and shift one leg forward, but keep your back straight. Good," he encourages when Armin does.
"You get the idea, don't you?" Levi says. Armin had almost forgotten that he was still there, silently supervising. Eren doesn't drop his arms or look away while Armin answers.
"Yes," he says. "While I free fall, the leg further out will guide me into a spin, and I'd twist my body to compensate for that. Ideally, I'd make an arc rather than a straight fall."
Armin takes his leave as soon as he can. Behind him, he hears Eren make his excuses to the lance corporal and speeds up. He doesn't want to talk to Eren right now, not while he's still flustered. It's no good, though; Eren catches up to him quickly.
"Armin. Hey, Armin!" Eren catches his arm. Armin looks away, down to the floor. He counts the blemishes on the wood in an attempt to keep his face clear. "What was that just now?"
"What was what?" he asks.
Eren makes an irritated noise. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Armin," he says. "And look at me properly, damn it!" Eren grabs his chin and pulls it up forcibly. Armin freezes as their eyes meet. He's afraid, he notices dimly. Not of Eren, but of the situation he's gotten himself into. For once, he doesn't know what to do, he isn't sure of his next move. What is he supposed to do next?
Eren's hand gentles on his face and he leans in a little. "Just tell me I didn't imagine it," he says. He's quieter now and more subdued.
He licks his dry lips; they're close enough that he can see Eren's gaze follow the motion. "Imagine what?" he manages. Armin has just enough time to see his lips quirk up into a smile before Eren kisses him.
The thing is, for as long as he's wanted Eren, he'd never really thought anything would seriously come of it. He'd resigned himself to the fact that Eren would never notice his affections and Armin knew that he would never say anything about it. He'd known, or at least though he'd known, that Eren wouldn't look at him that way either. He wouldn't look at anyone that way, because he was too busy caught up in anger and ambition. This takes him completely by surprise.
"Oh, that" he says when Eren pulls away. He tries to pull his scrambled thought into coherence. "No, you weren't imagining that. But you should do it again just to make sure."
Armin wraps up his presentation on possibilities for the next expedition beyond the walls cleanly and waits for a reaction from his superiors. He feels like he's done a good job; they all look satisfied and nobody has any negative commentary. He feels good in general, lately, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that most of that can be attributed to his recent relationship upgrade.
Out of his respect, he lets his superiors leave the room before he does, busying himself with tidying his notes in the meanwhile. "Go ahead of me," he hears Levi say to Hanj.
He straightens up, watching the lance corporal closely. The two of them are alone in the room; it's the first time they've been in each other's presence without Eren as a buffer since he'd found them training together. He's not entirely sure what Levi wants, so he remains on guard and prepared.
Levi tosses something at him and, out of instinct, he snatches it out of the air. It's a ring of keys, he sees when he opens up his palm."What is this?"
"The largest one is a copy of the key to Eren's cell," Levi replies evenly. "The other is for the manacles."
Armin thought he had prepared himself for anything – anger, resentment, irritation – but he hadn't been ready for this reaction at all. He seems almost amused, like he'd expected this outcome.
"You knew this would happen," Armin accuses in a flash of understanding. "This whole thing was just some kind of joke to you."
"You were too dumb to do anything about it for yourself," he answers. "It's been fun, Private." Levi leaves the room, radiating smug satisfaction and vindication.
Armin remains in the room, in a stupor of confusion and humiliation. The remnants of his victory floated away from him with the understanding that Levi had never been serious about his pursuit of Eren, that there had never been any competition. He'd been played like an instrument, and by Leviof all people. He'd totally underestimated the man. He had seen him and understood him – his social gracelessness that was often confused for apathy, his immature sense of humor, his dedication to his job and his soldiers – and he had assumed that was all there was to his man. He hadn't thought Levi could be crafty or scheming. He'd been made an utter fool of.
Armin looks again at the keys in his grasp. He decides that he can't really be too upset about it, in the end; he'd been deceived, yes, but he had gotten something great out of it. He determines never to mention the incident to anyone and heads downstairs.
It takes a while before he can look Levi in the eye again.
-/-
Note: from a prompt over at my tumblr: Levi catches on that Armin likes Eren. Being such a great guy, he decides to make Armin jealous so that he'll act and get the joy of seeing him flustered)
by the way i post a lot of little ficlets on my tumblr. you can find them at homicidal whispers . tumblr .com(/) tagged/my+writes
unsubtly promos self