"Do you like me?" she asks, catching him by surprise.

"What are you asking me?"

"Exactly what it sounds like... do you like me?"

"I'm still not sure what you mean by that."

She sighs, she guesses she'll have to spell it out for him. "You could interpret either way, whether you like me as a person or even if you feel something more towards me. I want to know both."

"I see, well, of course I like you as a person. Otherwise we would not be in this situation. To be more blunt, you would be dead and I wouldn't be bedridden."

"Is there anything else?" She looks out the window, a New Years Eve party going on below.

"I understand your curiosity about my feelings towards you. I do tease you a lot-"

"So there isn't-"

"Let me ask you this," He interrupts her, her head flying to his direction. "Would you risk your life for someone you merely thought of as an acquaintance?"

"No."

"What makes you think I would feel differently?" His eyes stare her down.

"So, does that mean..."

"Of course."

She can't mask her blush, "Oh..."

"How about you?"

"What?"

"Do you still hate me?"

Mikasa stands there next to the window looking back shocked at the man with her in the room. She found it hard to believe that after everything, he still thought she hated him.

"No, I don't hate you."

"You don't?" he asks nonchalantly.

"No." She tells him again.

"That isn't very convincing..." his eyes drift off to the other side of the room. "After all, I killed Eren."

She turns her body to face him, "I never held that against you..."

He raises an eyebrow, "I recall you telling me to go kill myself after it happened."

"I didn't mean it."

"You didn't?"

She slowly walks over to the center of the room. "I'm pretty unstable...you should know that by now."

"I do." he says honestly.

"Eren was my balance, and with him gone I lost the grip I had on myself." She sighs, looking at the floor rather than meeting his gaze.

"I was scared, not only had I fallen once again... but, I didn't think there was anyone who was strong enough to pick me up this time."

Levi stays silent, his eyes never leaving her body as she continues.

"In order to keep my mental state from spilling out, I wrongfully placed his death on you. Although, I'm sure you knew this already."

Her eyes leave the floorboard back to the window. New Years Eve was coming to an end and everyone was getting ready for the finale.

"You kept trying to give me the balance I needed, but I didn't want that from you."

"Why not?" he finally offers his voice.

"I'm naturally selfish...", her eyes move towards his. "I would rather keep in my pain than letting it spill out. I don't care if I hurt anyone by doing so, because allowing anyone to see something so embarrassing would hurt me worse than anything else could."

She smiles grimly and continues, "So when you popped up into my life and drove all of that pinned up emotion out, it's only natural I'd feel hate towards you..."

"...but, no I don't hate you." She repeats herself.

He tilts his head at her, "Then how do you feel about me?"

She walks over to stand beside him and crosses her arms simultaneously avoiding her eyes from him. "Your like an illness, you constantly wear away at both my physical and mental being-"

He frowns at the thought of her thinking of him as a nuisance when he himself just admitted his affection towards her.

"-In all honestly, you drive me crazy." She slowly shakes her head, a rare smile etching across her face.

"But, without you, I'd be losing a piece of myself...", He looks surprised for a moment.

She looks back at him and their eyes meet. "...and no matter how weak and useless I may be, I do love myself."

"So, what are you saying?"

She kneels down beside him and caresses his cheek with her palm,"I love you".

He stares at her, "good".

"Great," she whispers leaning towards him.

They lock lips, a long awaited passion surfacing. He breaks apart from her as the fireworks sound in the background. "Happy new years." he tells her.

"Happy new years." she echoes back, climbing onto the bed together with him.

They kiss, sharing each other's warmth and looking into each other's eyes.