one-shot; leadership
pairing: levi ackerman/hange zoë
word count: 1300 words
note: for Hange Week at hangelab on tumblr. I'm a bit behind in the days, but this the prompt for Day 1: Leadership. Also, I am totally Levihan trash, so. Fic contains spoilers for Chapter 84.
This was going to be her first expedition as the 14th Commander of the Survey Corps.
Hange stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair, freshly washed and dried, hung around her shoulders, looking strangely sleek and foreign. She had forgotten the last time when she had clean hair. Grabbing a rubber band, she gathered her hair together, tying it up and twisting it into her usual ponytail. She didn't know why she bothered washing her hair, or bathing, in general. After all, she was probably going to end up covered in sweat and blood. Besides, she had never, ever cared about how she looked, and cleanliness was one of the things that was at the very bottom of her list.
But she had woken up this morning with Erwin on her mind, remembering how Erwin was, as the Commander. He was always neat and tidy, uniform neatly pressed, boots polished and shiny, and not a hair out of place. Thinking of Erwin still made her heart hurt, even after all this time. On a day where she was to lead the Survey Corps to an expedition, in his stead and for the first time, she supposed that she should make an effort to emulate Erwin, at least physically.
Slipping on her googles, Hange deftly adjusted the strap, making sure it was comfortably tight, and then raked her fingers through her ponytail again, in an attempt to neaten it. She laced up her boots, and then her eyes rested on the bolo tie lying on her dresser.
Fingers shaking ever so slightly, Hange picked up her bolo tie, looking at it for a long moment as it laid against her palm. Taking a deep breath, she slipped it over her neck, and reached behind her to slip the leather strap under the collar of her shirt.
For some reason, her fingers and her coordination refused to cooperate, as she found herself fumbling with the collar. The mirror told her that her collar was a skewed mess, and her bolo tie was horrendously crooked.
Sighing, she tried to adjust it, and somehow ended up making it look worse. "Damnit," she muttered under her breath. "If I can't even put on a goddamn bolo tie properly…"
"Oi, shitty glasses."
She swerved around to see Levi leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and with the ever-present scowl on his face. He was already fully dressed, gear and all.
"The whole fucking world is waiting for you, can you hurry the fuck up?" His eyes widened slightly as he focused on her, taking in her abnormally neat and clean appearance. "Four-eyes…did you actually bathe?"
Shooting him a sideways glare, Hange chose to ignore his barb, directing her attention back to her bolo tie. She tugged at it, but the tie refused to cooperate – worst still, the leather strap was now somehow all knotted up.
"Tch." Levi took a few steps forward, entering her room. Kicking a chair towards her, he then grabbed her upper arms and yanked her firmly downwards, seating her on the chair. Carefully, he untangled the tie, smoothing out the knots.
"Couldn't do that while I was standing up, huh?" She couldn't help smirking at him, watching his expression darkening in the mirror.
"Shut up, or I'll fucking wring your neck with this," he snapped, as his fingers nimbly folded down her the back of her collar, tucking the strap neatly under it. Moving closer to her, he kept his eyes on the mirror as he adjusted the commander's ornamental clasp.
Hange wriggled a little as Levi took his time in compulsive-obsessively tweaking her tie, making sure the straps were even and straight on both sides. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction, leaning back and removing his hands. Neither of them missed the fact that his fingers lingered at her collarbones before pulling back.
"Now, can we go?" As he headed towards the door, he grabbed her jacket from where it hung, haphazardly in her wardrobe, tossing it towards her without a backward glance.
She caught it, but she made no move to put it on. Her fingers tightened on the fabric of her jacket. "Levi, I…"
"What is it, four eyes?" He asked, his voice tinged with annoyance as he turned around. As he looked at her, his expression shifted a little. "What is it?" he repeated, with only the slightest trace of irritation left.
She stared at him, hesitating. I don't know if I can do this, Levi. I'm leading…I'm leading a group of mostly inexperienced soldiers. They've never seen battle, never killed a Titan. And we're going outside, beyond Wall Maria, for the first time in six years. I'm responsible for all of them, all of us. What if I make the wrong decisions on the field? What if I can't protect everyone? What if…
Shaking her head a little, she loosened her grip on her jacket, shaking it out and shrugging it on, , pasting an exuberant smile on her face. "Ahhh…lost my train of thought," she laughed, tightening the belt of the jacket as she brushed past him, heading for the door. "We better get going, as you said, the whole fucking world is waiting…"
Fingers clamped themselves around her wrist, and she felt herself being pulled backwards, then swung around to face him. "For the last fucking time, what is it?" he said, for the third time, his hand tightening around hers as his grey eyes swept over her face.
Hange knew that she could tell him, of course she could, this was Levi, but honestly, she didn't quite know how to verbalise it. It wasn't as if she had never led before, – she was a Squad Leader after all, and a damn good one at that - but this, this was different. She was supposed to be Erwin.
"I miss Erwin," she said instead, and she wasn't telling a lie.
He scruntinised her carefully, head tilted to one side, as her eyes met his calmly. He didn't say anything for a long minute, and then huffing impatiently, he reached up slightly and rested his hand on the back of her head. Tangling his fingers in her ponytail, he dragged her downwards, and pressed a rough kiss against her mouth.
"Hange," he said. "You may be the fucking craziest soldier I know, but at the same time, you're equally fucking brilliant."
She smiled at that, resting her hand against his face. "Is Captain Grumpy complimenting me?"
"Shut up, I'm not finished, shitty glasses," He glared. "There were many reasons as to why Erwin picked you as his successor. Because of your skills. Your shitty brain that works in ways that no one could ever fucking comprehend. And because no one else but you, could fucking do what he did. The son of a bitch believed in you."
He stroked the nape of her neck gently, his face softening slightly. "And I fucking believe in you. And I know you will never let us down. It will not be possible."
Hange let out a breath slowly, leaning down and pressing her forehead against his. As usual, she didn't need words, she didn't need to say anything. With just one look at her, he understood her insecurities, her doubts and her feelings, as he always had. "Thank you, Levi. I think I needed that."
Levi kissed her again, and his kiss this time was softer, and slower. Pulling back after a long moment, he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, adjusted her bolo tie, and straightened the lapels of her jacket. "Now," he said clearly, picking up her hand and pulling her towards the door. "Get out there, and fucking lead us."
She laughed, her hand warm and secure in his. "Roger that, Captain."This was going to be her first expedition as the 14th Commander of the Survey Corps.
Hange stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair, freshly washed and dried, hung around her shoulders, looking strangely sleek and foreign. She had forgotten the last time when she had clean hair. Grabbing a rubber band, she gathered her hair together, tying it up and twisting it into her usual ponytail. She didn't know why she bothered washing her hair, or bathing, in general. After all, she was probably going to end up covered in sweat and blood. Besides, she had never, ever cared about how she looked, and cleanliness was one of the things that was at the very bottom of her list.
But she had woken up this morning with Erwin on her mind, remembering how Erwin was, as the Commander. He was always neat and tidy, uniform neatly pressed, boots polished and shiny, and not a hair out of place. Thinking of Erwin still made her heart hurt, even after all this time. On a day where she was to lead the Survey Corps to an expedition, in his stead and for the first time, she supposed that she should make an effort to emulate Erwin, at least physically.
Slipping on her googles, Hange deftly adjusted the strap, making sure it was comfortably tight, and then raked her fingers through her ponytail again, in an attempt to neaten it. She laced up her boots, and then her eyes rested on the bolo tie lying on her dresser.
Fingers shaking ever so slightly, Hange picked up her bolo tie, looking at it for a long moment as it laid against her palm. Taking a deep breath, she slipped it over her neck, and reached behind her to slip the leather strap under the collar of her shirt.
For some reason, her fingers and her coordination refused to cooperate, as she found herself fumbling with the collar. The mirror told her that her collar was a skewed mess, and her bolo tie was horrendously crooked.
Sighing, she tried to adjust it, and somehow ended up making it look worse. "Damnit," she muttered under her breath. "If I can't even put on a goddamn bolo tie properly…"
"Oi, shitty glasses."
She swerved around to see Levi leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and with the ever-present scowl on his face. He was already fully dressed, gear and all.
"The whole fucking world is waiting for you, can you hurry the fuck up?" His eyes widened slightly as he focused on her, taking in her abnormally neat and clean appearance. "Four-eyes…did you actually bathe?"
Shooting him a sideways glare, Hange chose to ignore his barb, directing her attention back to her bolo tie. She tugged at it, but the tie refused to cooperate – worst still, the leather strap was now somehow all knotted up.
"Tch." Levi took a few steps forward, entering her room. Kicking a chair towards her, he then grabbed her upper arms and yanked her firmly downwards, seating her on the chair. Carefully, he untangled the tie, smoothing out the knots.
"Couldn't do that while I was standing up, huh?" She couldn't help smirking at him, watching his expression darkening in the mirror.
"Shut up, or I'll fucking wring your neck with this," he snapped, as his fingers nimbly folded down her the back of her collar, tucking the strap neatly under it. Moving closer to her, he kept his eyes on the mirror as he adjusted the commander's ornamental clasp.
Hange wriggled a little as Levi took his time in compulsive-obsessively tweaked her tie, making sure the straps were even and straight on both sides. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction, leaning back and removing his hands. Neither of them missed the fact that his fingers lingered at her collarbones before pulling back.
"Now, can we go?" As he headed towards the door, he grabbed her jacket from where it hung, haphazardly in her wardrobe, tossing it towards her without a backward glance.
She caught it, but she made no move to put it on. Her fingers tightened on the fabric of her jacket. "Levi, I…"
"What is it, four eyes?" He asked, his voice tinged with annoyance as he turned around. As he looked at her, his expression shifted a little. "What is it?" he repeated, with only the slightest trace of irritation left.
She stared at him, hesitating. I don't know if I can do this, Levi. I'm leading…I'm leading a group of mostly inexperienced soldiers. They've never seen battle, never killed a Titan. And we're going outside, beyond Wall Maria, for the first time in six years. I'm responsible for all of them, all of us. What if I make the wrong decisions on the field? What if I can't protect everyone? What if…
Shaking her head a little, she loosened her grip on her jacket, shaking it out and shrugging it on, , pasting an exuberant smile on her face. "Ahhh…lost my train of thought," she laughed, tightening the belt of the jacket as she brushed past him, heading for the door. "We better get going, as you said, the whole fucking world is waiting…"
Fingers clamped themselves around her wrist, and she felt herself being pulled backwards, then swung around to face him. "For the last fucking time, what is it?" he said, for the third time, his hand tightening around hers as his grey eyes swept over her face.
Hange knew that she could tell him, of course she could, this was Levi, but honestly, she didn't quite know how to verbalise it. It wasn't as if she had never led before, – she was a Squad Leader after all, and a damn good one at that - but this, this was different. She was supposed to be Erwin.
"I miss Erwin," she said instead, and she wasn't telling a lie.
He scruntinised her carefully, head tilted to one side, as her eyes met his calmly. He didn't say anything for a long minute, and then huffing impatiently, he reached up slight and rested his hand on the back of her head. Tangling his fingers in her ponytail, he dragged her downwards, and pressed a rough kiss against her mouth.
"Hange," he said. "You may be the fucking craziest soldier I know, but at the same time, you're equally fucking brilliant."
She smiled at that, resting her hand against his face. "Is Captain Grumpy complimenting me?"
"Shut up, I'm not finished, shitty glasses," He glared. "There were many reasons as to why Erwin picked you as his successor. Because of your skills. Your shitty brain that works in ways that no one could ever fucking comprehend. And because no one else but you, could fucking do what he did. The son of a bitch believed in you."
He stroked the nape of her neck gently, his face softening slightly. "And I fucking believe in you. And I know you will never let us down. It will not be possible."
Hange let out a breath slowly, leaning down and pressing her forehead against his. As usual, she didn't need words, she didn't need to say anything. With just one look at her, he understood her insecurities, her doubts and her feelings, as he always had. "Thank you, Levi. I think I needed that."
Levi kissed her again, and his kiss this time was softer, and slower. Pulling back after a long moment, he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, adjusted her bolo tie, and straightened the lapels of her jacket. "Now," he said clearly, picking up her hand and pulling her towards the door. "Get out there, and fucking lead us."
She laughed, her hand warm and secure in his. "Roger that, Captain."
I've decided to title this collection of Hange/Levihan fics "Dahlia" because according to Google, the flower dahlia symbolises, among others, "Standing out from the crowd and following your own unique path", "staying graceful under pressure, especially in challenging situations", "drawing upon inner strength to succeed" – which to me, that's all Hange. Another meaning carried by the dahlia is "commitment to another person or ideal"…which…totally fits Levihan, no?