Chapter 1: Smile

If anyone ever asked me who my best friend was, the answer wouldn't even surprise them. It never surprised my parents. Or my teachers and fellow classmates, for that matter. The answer certainly didn't surprise me either, and I told them without hesitation.

"Levi Ackerman." The name wasn't anything new. Levi and I had met in kindergarten, and soon were known very well by the recess aids. I had a natural hot-headed personality, and it didn't take much for me to blow up at anyone. Levi learned this real fast, but he never backed down to my temper. If anything he challenged it. It was during these first few years that I learned that Levi took attitude from nobody, and I ended up earning a few bruises to teach that lesson. But somehow, me and Levi stuck together. Helping each other in classes, giving advice, coming to each other's birthday parties. Life was good.

Then we went to middle school, and the whole social order changed. The "popular" kids now ruled us all, whether it was by getting the best hang out spots or just walking all over us in general. The nerds, AKA the people with the highest GPA's were sent to sit on the burning concrete, holding our backpacks in our laps. The rest of the different groups went to hang out elsewhere, like in the library or something. For Levi and I, the whole "figure out your place in the pack" really didn't suit us well. I mean, not that I was dumb or anything, but I wasn't a prodigy at school. I wouldn't be accepted into the nerd group, or anywhere really. My only plus was that I was what you'd call pretty attractive, and I knew that the whole popularity thing had its roots in people with good looks. To other people anyways. To me, I wasn't in the least attractive, well, except for my green eyes. Those I was actually proud of.

Levi, on the other hand, must have been blessed at birth or something. He was very handsome, with his perfectly styled undercut and curved jaw. Not to mention his grey eyes, which seriously, no matter how terrifying they were, could literally melt anyone's heart like candle wax. Levi would never have a problem fitting in, even with his cold disposition. No one cared that he'd be more likely to cut off their hand than shake it. Because personalities didn't matter in this modern world. Looks and wealth did.

No one cared about me or my talents, because in school no one really cared if you could sketch, or paint really well. The cards weren't in my favor, or so I thought.

I still remember our first day of sixth grade. It was on a Thursday. It was pouring rain, and I had had my blue umbrella, which I had clutched nervously as I took my first steps through the front gates. The school had been gigantic because we had shared our campus with the high schoolers as well, and I can recall being utterly terrified. So many unknown people, so many new rules, so many things I needed to know but didn't. My throat threatened to close, and I remember grabbing it, as if I was being suffocated. Which I was, really. People started looking at me, pointing and talking amongst themselves. Suddenly I was surrounded by them, by those people who took me in as if I was entertainment. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, as I felt hundreds of eyes on me. I tried to snap out of it, but my chest tightened and I had to drop my hand from its spot on my throat. My eyes started getting watery, my face hot. I won't survive here, I thought. But then a hand was on my shoulder, a familiar touch, and suddenly Levi was next to me, his face calm and collected. He didn't say anything, only raked his gaze over the crowd, scrutinizing them as if they were wolves in sheep's clothing. He lingered on a group of guys and girls who looked as if they were the new popular group, and my heart sank. No, no. He couldn't, he wouldn't leave me here. Levi turned to face me, as if he had heard what I was thinking. Lowering his hand so it dropped from my shoulder, he grabbed the cuff of my sleeve and tugged on it.

"C'mon, Eren. We should start scoping out where our classes are." I followed him as he cut through the crowd, pulling me along. And I knew he hadn't abandoned me.

Years passed, and it seemed as if Levi and I were only growing closer. He'd started sleeping over at my house, one because we were nearly inseparable, and two because thing were getting a little rough at his house. He never explained about it, and I never asked. Art class was fun, and I'd been slowly getting better. One thing I liked about Levi was that he wouldn't hesitate to tell me that my art looked like terrible. It helped me in the long run, and I owed him for helping me win a school art award.

Levi had also been doing well during our time in the middle grades. Joining the soccer team was a breeze for him, and it was only natural when he was made captain not long after. Overall, our 6-8th grade years were good ones.

9th grade was when it got interesting. Classes got harder, and a particular girl started bothering me. Her name was Annie Leonhardt, and she really liked beating me up during breaks. And I had to admit, my attitude towards her didn't help matters.

But it was a particular beating that left me on all fours, winded and gasping for air. I'd forgotten what the fight was over, but she'd done a good number on me, making my nose bleed, scraping my hands, and, the most depressing one, bruising my knees when I had fallen to the ground. I was tired, more tired than I'd been ever in a fight. What had happened to the me who never surrendered? Lost to the wind, I guess.

Annie had just watched me, cool satisfaction all over her face. Then a pair of hands pulled me up from behind, and I was yanked up so fast I saw stars. Levi's dark eyes met my green ones, and worry was etched all over his face. Wrapping an arm around my frame to support me, he looked Annie straight in the eye and growled, "Freak off, Leonhardt," before turning away to drag me to the boys restroom. Annie never even flinched.

Levi managed to get me into the biggest stall they had before he began to wipe away the blood from my nose.

"What in the entire freaking world were you thinking, Eren?!" he had demanded. I was too dizzy to respond, so he accepted my silence as an answer, and I was glad. Not like my mom, who seemed to need an answer every time. As he grabbed my hand to somewhat bring me back to reality, I winced, feeling the scrapes on my fingertips cry out in protest. Levi noticed right away and left the stall, appearing moments later with a paper towel drenched in water. Easing the fabric onto my hands, Levi kept his eyes on my face. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought Annie had a crush on you." He had to be teasing.

"Yeah, right," I said, sniffing loudly, feeling the dried blood in my nose. "She's got a funny way of showing it." I heard Levi snort.

"So you're not denying it."

"Ewww, no Levi. Just no." I reached up to my forehead, feeling how it seemed to pound with every heartbeat. "Annie and Bertholdt have a thing. Besides, she's not my type." Levi met my gaze, his face deadly serious.

"Than what is your type, Yeager?" He finished dabbing my fingertips with the water, finally giving me his full attention. I didn't like the topic, so I said, "Whatever floats your boat, Ackerman. C'mon, we need to go. Lunch break doesn't last forever, you know." A weight rested on my shoulder, Levi's hand, and I, who had been to busy wrapping my head around this whole Annie and me thing, realized something. Levi was smiling. His lips, which were normally in a straight line, were curved upward in the most wonderful way. I honestly didn't know he could smile.

"Alright, alright. Let's go, Eren." He took his hand off my shoulder, and opened the stall door, turning to me before gesturing and saying, "After you, Yeager." I slowly got up and passed him, and we both headed towards our next class. I remember being preoccupied the whole day, wondering the same thing over and over again. Mostly about why Levi had done what he'd done. Because Levi never smiled.

Hello Fandom people! This is my first fic, so that's good. Please tell me what you guys think!

Attack on Titan [Shingeki no Kyoujin] belongs to Hajime Isayama