I'll be writing these in the downtime between NTFT chapters because I need a break from the angst and stuff. This one is much more lighthearted. I had to adapt Levi's character a little to suit this story because he's not killing stuff anymore. He'll still be a hardass though. Yay modern time AU! I hope you enjoy it :D

ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO HAJIME ISAYAMA/ATTACK ON TITAN/SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN

Maria's Little Scouts

The sign read the same everyday. Levi always thought how it could use a coat of paint to cover up its nicks and weather worn appearance. He had never gotten around to it though. What required his attention at all times was the daycare service that had been passed down to him from his parents. The building itself was in good shape but the finishes inside had aged. Over the years he had done his best to brighten it up but the interior still needed some work.

Years ago, when the city of Trost had fallen on harsh times, his parents could not find a decent way of earning a steady income as his father's hours had recently suffered a major cut. He had taken on multiple part times jobs in order to make up for his lost wages. His mother could not work either, seeing as it was illegal to leave an eleven year-old boy alone to fend for himself.

One night, while huddling around the small wooden stove that heated their tiny little apartment, his mother had been complaining about how all of the other young mothers were always after her to babysit their children. They requested it as a favor, insisting that they would pay her back some way or another.

"I have one quiet, well behaved, well-mannered child that picks up after himself and quite frankly that is all I want."

His father simply nodded in agreement while nursing a small glass of cola and whisky. These "conversations" were mostly one-sided.

"They want me to do it so they can work. I wonder what makes them think I have the free time, hmm? Who else do they think looks after the house while you're gone."

She paused.

"Though, if I had the space… I suppose it wouldn't be that hard."

His father tapped the side of his glass then, cautiously deciding on whether or not he should say anything on the topic.

"You could make a business of it." He said. "Being self-reliable is probably even harder than finding work unless the work comes to you." He shifted in his chair and settled the glass on the floor. "Which seems to happen quite a lot in your case"

Levi's mother was quick to reject the idea at first, and was practical in thinking that they could never make such a thing a reality. Nobody was going to want to pay another person to take care of their children, especially with the economic downturn. Though, the idea seemed less ridiculous once Levi's father lost his job teaching. They simply had no way of paying each and every professor, so they were forced to make some budget cuts. Levi's father was the newest addition to the school, and so it made sense to get rid of him first.

On one last gamble, both his parents poured what little money they had put away for retirement into an old brick building about two blocks away from their home. It was a monstrous sight. A lot of work needed to be done, but his parents were willing to throw away everything in the attempt to make it succeed. It turned out for the best and soon families were actually fighting for any vacancies when they came available. It was unexpected, and Levi's parents actually had to bring in some partners on the venture to help with the growing class sizes. Ever since then, Maria's Little Scouts had become a household name and lent itself as one of the most highly recommended childcare services in the city.

That name became a legacy, and soon Levi began to wonder if his parents were right in choosing him at all. Many people had stepped up to buy the business once his parents passed, but it had ultimately been up to him. After thinking of every summer wasted between his high school years, with the snotty nosed brats and the impatient parents and his mother's impeccable standards, he decided it would be an utterly terrible thing if the business went to some third party punk who simply did not care about the daycare's history. It was a quality establishment, after all.

Levi was always the first to arrive, seeing as he was one of two people who held the keys that unlocked the doors. The second set he trusted to a woman named Petra, whose parents had been old friends of the family. He supposed he could call her a friend, or the closest thing he had to one seeing as they spent most of their childhood together.

As he pulled into the long driveway that went around to the back of the building, he wondered once again if he should hire someone to plow the snow once winter came around. It was always a hassle to hike up a ladder and clear the gutters of the tree fall once the seasons changed, too. He required help for many things as he was short on time and patience. Every single person he went to never seemed to do a good enough job, so he was starting to think that he could do a better job himself. That would surely save on costs and-

"Levi…?"

"Hmm?" He looked over. The fog had since started to cloud the window of his car. The muffled voice of his second in command had torn him away from his deep thoughts. She'd actually tapped on his window several times without him acknowledging it and had unsuccessfully tried to open the door on the driver's side. Just how long had he been sitting there?

He clasped the door handle with his hand, opening it slowly so she could step away from the vehicle. November was usually when the air started to dip into the below zero range. It infiltrated his car, giving his breath a visible form as he exhaled fully through his nose.

"Good morning! I was afraid you were asleep." She smiled at him, cocking her head to one side in an adorable gesture of relief. She paused a moment to rub her hands together. "You should probably do your thinking indoors from now on, or at least until spring comes around. Whatever you were concerned about kept you out here for at least half an hour. You're lucky you didn't catch a cold."

"You can't catch a cold from the cold." He replied, bending back into the car to retrieve the mail he'd tossed into the passenger seat. A half hour, seriously? It hardly felt as though any time passed.

Petra's expression grew worried. She was always so concerned for the well-being of others and it annoyed him.

"And I wasn't thinking about anything."

She grinned in amusement at his blatant lie. Most people couldn't tell what he felt most of the time but she could read him like a book.

"Whatever." She exhaled, not willing to drag the conversation on any longer. "The usual suspects are going to be here any moment, so lucky for you I got most of the prep done. I wonder what would have happened if I called in sick."

Both of them had started towards the back entrance. Levi was filtering through the mail as he walked, sorting the bills from the flyers and so forth.

"Don't be stupid." He said bluntly. "You've never taken a sick day, and I wouldn't let you have one if you came begging on your hands and knees."

She rolled her eyes and smirked at the obvious jab. Her boss wasn't ever one to joke around, yet would usually do so at the mention of something he considered utterly ridiculous. She found his judgmental attitude completely terrifying. Though he did exhibit signs of humanity every once in a while. That was reassuring enough in their situation, seeing as their job entailed looking after children that belonged to other people.

The heavy steel door creaked as he pulled it open. He held it as Petra rushed in, knowing full well he did not want to linger in the open air. It was colder than he'd realized at first and his hands were beginning to freeze. I'll have to oil the damned hinges too. He thought, giving the door one of his classic, icy glares. There was just no end to the maintenance that needed to be performed on this building. Most of them were all small details that required little to no effort to fix. However, once those things piled up, it seemed as though he could never stay on top of them no matter how hard he tried.

He gave a sigh of relief once he felt the heat of the room. He lifted a hand to his nose held it there, waiting patiently as he felt the end begin to warm.

"You know, if you just gave me a list of things you want done, I'll do them. There's no need to be worrying about this by yourself…" She put gently while unraveling her scarf and stuffing it into her coat. "It's kinda my job, too."

"Petra, do you always assume something's wrong with me? Or are you just trying to be nosy?" Levi had taken a seat beneath the coat rack that stretched along the wall. He'd asked with a bit more edge than he intended, but was sure Petra would understand. His annoyance was not enough to cut her tough exterior and she was not one to roll over and take his attitude.

"Look, I've only ever seen you glare like that when Auruo screws up, or if a kid neglects to wash his hands after using the bathroom. So unless I'm seeing things, that has to be what's bothering you."

"Well then stop watching me."

"I swear, it's like talking to a wall." She usually rolled her eyes a lot in the run of a day when talking to Levi, and this instance proved to be no different. "You do this to yourself you know. I don't know why you're paying me if you won't let me do my job."

"I could stop paying you all together if you'd like."

A sigh of annoyance came from her as she refused to indulge him in his infantile behaviour. It never bothered her though. The days spent there wouldn't be as entertaining if he stopped. If anything, it was just like taking care of every other kid there, except this one was silent, irritable and generally unapproachable. How the universe decided to give him the responsibility of a daycare, she would never understand. She just accepted it.

"You know where to find me." She relented as she made her way over to the staircase. The soft thumping of her riding boots receded as she climbed. He didn't acknowledge her, but she knew that he understood her based on the silence alone. Indeed, one did not have to vocalize their feelings around Petra. She just had a knack for understanding everything, which was exactly what made her so good with the kids in their care.

Once he managed to unlace his boots, he replaced them with a much more comfortable pair of casual shoes. He wiggled his toes around, taking enjoyment in the feeling of freedom. The bench wasn't necessarily that comfortable, nor was this a time to sleep, but he'd been especially worried at the growing number of jobs on his list. He couldn't ask Petra to do any of it and he wouldn't on the account that she did so much already despite how watered down she made it seem. Plus he was tired, no matter how much he tried to deny it. The warmth of the room didn't seem to be helping the struggle to keep his eyes open.

And so, he spent the next hour in the same sitting position, arms crossed and silently taking in breaths of warm air as he drifted off into a light sleep. Levi hated taking advantage of his authority like this, but it would have to be the excuse this time around given that he could not fend off the temptation of a nap.

Petra would forgive him eventually. He paid her salary, after all.

Thanks for reading! R&R appreciated :D