Levi watched from a distance behind the smelly horse stables (he scrunched up his nose making note to give a verbal lashing to whoever did a miserable job mucking out the stables). He was searching all around the HQ to find Eren to check up on his cleaning duties but stopped in his tracks to see Eren chatting up with the Commander; again. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company, Eren giggling at times, Erwin ruffling his hair.

Levi sighs, he knows that this is petty and he very well knows this feeling is well below him, but he couldn't help but to feel a slither of envy. He wonders from time to time why he couldn't make Eren laugh? Why couldn't he make the boy feel so free around him. The youthful solider is always so tense and formal around him. Levi tries (oh does he try) many ways to get Eren to relax a bit; making small albeit awkward conversations, making sure to praise him for his work, Levi thought surely that his poop jokes would win him over. Young boys like Eren like inappropriate jokes at this age, right?

His efforts are futile, which only speeds up Levi's slowly draining confidence.

Does he scare the young solider off? He's been told that his lack of expression makes him hard to approach. Is he ugly? Does he smell? Levi visibly shudders at the last thought, that couldn't possibly be it, he showers everyday...

He isn't like Erwin, he isn't eloquent or charismatic. He couldn't charm his way through people's hearts or sway a nation with his words. He isn't tall, or handsome as Erwin was, in fact he is more like the very opposite of Erwin. Just a pitiful, short old man with a bad attitude who grew up in the underground of Sina, learning how to steal, lie, and kill just to survive. Pathetic.

Levi jumped at the sound of the Eren's voice and put out his thoughts for now. He sees Eren standing right in front him, giving him a quick salute. Levi could have sworn his hiding spot should have been out of view from where they were standing.

"Where the hell did you come from? Nearly gave me a heart attack..." Levi muttered with a hint of irritation.

"Sorry sir, Commander Erwin told me to inform you the deadline for all the paperwork you have..." Eren smiled sheepishly.

Ah paperwork, the bane of his existence.

"Yes I'm aware but tell Erwin thanks for thought."

"Yes sir!"

Silence came over the two, Levi couldn't bear it. This is his chance to say something, do anything!

"Uh, say Eren," he hesitated, he almost was going to say 'forget it' if it weren't for those huge eyes of emerald staring back expectantly that made Levi nervous yet gave him a foreign, warm feeling in the deep pits of his stomach.

Desire.

"We should talk over tea sometime yeah? If you're up to it" He could hear his heart beating in his ears, god he's such an idiot he couldn't even flirt properly-

"Causally?" Eren lit up. Levi wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah I'd love that," and Eren smiled. A genuine smile so beautiful and pure enough to stop the world from spinning. Levi would do anything to see that smile once more.

Levi snapped out of the lovestruck awe, he had a facade to keep up after all.

"Of course," he nodded, sliently praying down the blush that he knows that's there, "your my responsibility, I think it's reasonable to get to know you better."

"You know captain," Eren started, "I was starting to think you didn't like me. Maybe you're just keeping me around because I clean for you all the time." He gave a light chuckle which Levi compared to heavenly as if a ring of angels were laughing themselves.

So maybe he was a little more head-over-heels for the boy than he originally thought.

"Shut up," a playful nudge, "you are my best cleaner after all."

AN: So i'm gonna start using italics to make the author's notes to seem a little less obnoxious lol. This story was inspired by the Levi character interview (Which you can find here post/91540333207/snk-frau-august-2014-translation-chinese-to-english). Levi is said to be very clumsy at love so I took advantage of that and made this :p I didn't mean to make Levi sound self-loathing, it's just that anyone who doesn't have enough confidence to approach their love interest doubts their self so I tried to portray that in this story, sorry if it seems a bit OOC. Happy reading!