Decoded
A wave.
Hip swish.
Cheek brush combined with a hair flip.
Wink.
And... thrust?
The Lance Corporal's jaw was set and locked, all the confusion he felt filled his normally dull eyes to the brim. Across the field from him in a tree adjacent to his stood a boisterous scientist, sending him obnoxious and lewd motions. Shrugging his shoulders and leaning towards her, he signaled her as a request to repeat what she had previously signed.
Hanji gladly complied, recreating each motion but with more vigor this time. Levi returned the message with a confused look on his face and his body leaning farther back instead.
Was she suggesting what he thought she was? Her wave was obviously to attract his attention, he supposed the hip swish was to ensure he stayed focused... no, that's an absurd idea.
Maybe she wanted them to shimmy down the trees? Then why did she brush her cheek while simultaneously flipping her disorderly auburn locks back? It all made no sense. He was better off assuming she was practicing some ludicrous interpretive dance than sending out battle plans on their mission.
This was the last time he agreed to let Hanji take the lead. All that time spent in solitude attempting to communicate and befriend the abhorrent Titans must've skewed her ability to properly converse with real people.
Choosing instead to keep watch ahead for oncoming Titans, Levi blatantly ignored Hanji's frantic signals, which began slowing down when she realized he wasn't paying attention. FuHer brows furrowed, and pulling her lips into a thin line she drew her gaze to the horizon and threw a quick glance over her shoulder to the squad leader. His eyes were fixed on the silhouettes approaching from the west, the evening light casting shadows through the trees hid them well enough for the Titans to hobble northeast rather than directly towards them.
They picked this spot specifically, to save them unnecessary casualties. Despite how they were the only ones out that day and they were impeccable scouts, no one wanted to take any chances. Losing humanity's most capable soldier and brilliant scientist would surely dent their possibilities of achieving victory against the Titans.
Hanji didn't have enough time to recognize the corporal's disappearance as his movements were indecipherably quick, tearing through the trees with incredible speed. His height was a great advantage, he was barely five feet tall and because of that his small, lean figure was agile and evasive. The Titans' broad shoulders dipped left and right in front of him as they sauntered off, unaware of the impending assault on their trail.
Hanji was left on the tree branch, abandoned by the corporal, whom she watched in silent perplexity as he sliced through the Titans' necks. Her lips curled downward, frowning deeply as her face adopted a confused exterior. Hadn't he gotten her signals? He was looking right at her. Maybe she wasn't doing them passionately enough...
With a finger in his ear, Levi pulled out the flare gun and let loose a thunderous shot, leaving a vibrant green streak painted in the air. He took little notice of Hanji's appearance when she'd maneuvered to the branch he stood on but had the courtesy of glancing over to her and nodding the success of the mission.
"What was that for?" she asked, slightly offended. "Didn't you see my signals?" Levi, who was put off by her agitation, gave her a stone faced retort. "You mean those ridiculous and crude gestures? Yes I saw them, unfortunately."
"Crude? They weren't crude! They were directions!"
"If that's what you call directions then I'd have better luck reading the brat's handwriting; when he's in his Titan form." Levi shot back; Hanji could hear the faint trace of ice and irritation in his voice.
"What didn't make sense about it? It was so straightforward!" she argued. Hanji Zoe rarely left her lab lately and because of that she missed the opportunity to lead the excursions, which she had a particular fondness of. "Do you think I'm not capable of leading the mission? Is that it?"
"Hmph. Of course I trust you, I just wasn't expecting that kind of behavior displayed on the field." Hanji quirked an eyebrow, bafflement and utter exhaust splayed on her face, not that it was hard to tell. In fact, Levi read her like a childhood storybook: he could recite every line and even parrot the proper voices. However, in this case, he was caught off guard.
Didn't she imply what he thought she did?
Maybe he couldn't read her like a storybook. Every now and then he'd find a missing page that he wasn't aware he missed. It felt more like a book he'd read constantly as a child, but after abandoning it for so long he'd read it again, still capable of enacting the story but every now and then foreign aspects would come up.
"What did you mean by your signals?" the lance corporal inquired. "As I recall, you waved, swishes your hips in a, unique, manner, brushed your cheek, winked, and, thrust your pelvis outward. Repeatedly."
"Yes, I thought for sure you'd get that. A wave meant on my Mark, the hip swish was to use your gear to go down, the cheek brush so you'd cover my flank, a wink to remind you to stay focused, and the thrust meant to attack when ready." Hanji beamed, quite proud of her ability to create a new communicational system.
Levi felt his neck heat with embarrassment, beads of sweat were barely incipient when he suppressed the sensation after beginning to feel his cheeks burn. "Why couldn't you use our regular signals?" he growled, turning away from her satisfied expression.
"I've been working on my own, we don't have a lot anyways." she began. "Besides, I didn't want you to have to take them on alone. I know you're more than capable but I would've liked a swing myself." Levi nodded hesitantly, absorbing the situation that passed and taking a moment to collect his mind.
So, she hadn't meant what he thought she had.
"What did you think I meant?" Hanji asked, oblivious to the possibly provocative motions she'd performed earlier. Levi shook his head, returning to glare at her as he responded, "Nothing perceptible that's for sure. Go back to using the signs we normally use."
Hanji would've protested, however Levi' deep and monotonous tone cut her off. "Let's head back now. This area's clear." turning to make sure she knew to follow him, they activated their 3D maneuver gear and slung through the foliage, travelling back to Wall Rose.
'Why did he seem so edgy? What was wrong with my messages?' Hanji thought. Her wild hair whipped around her face while the trees blurred in the background, their previous destination grew smaller and smaller as more distance was put between them. 'I wonder...'
************
The corporal clenched his right fist to his heart, the left one held securely in his lumbar region as he saluted Commander Erwin.
Nodding, the blonde man released Rivaille from his greeting stance and took the report Levi had written, scanning it over thoughtfully.
"Thank you, and good job. You may go now." he said to the black haired man. Levi muttered a 'thank you', slipping in a faint bow before departing his commander's presence.
His boots clicked with each step, and they'd usually leave echoes down the hallway to alert him of the stunning silence. However, today was rather busy, and his grey eyes stared straight ahead while he swiftly avoided the other officers who rushed around to complete their duties on time. Leisurely, he strolled down to the entrance and vacated the building, inhaling deeply and revering in the fresh air.
It was another two steps before a familiar head of auburn hair entered his vision and the memory if their scouting mission earlier flashed through his mind as he offered a nonchalant wave and greeting. Hanji beamed brightly and waved back with a bit more vigor.
Typical Hanji, always so excitable. He would've continued on without another thought, but Hanji's final actions struck him dumb. Her hand flitted to her puckered lips quickly and she twirled her wrist towards his direction, then sashayed away with a mischievous smirk plastered on her face.
Levi was stunned for a moment, though the faintest expression of confusion, surprise, and allure disappeared as soon as it had come. Her craned his neck to survey the area behind him, but no one else was in sight save for a few strangers walking idly by with no intention of changing their course to head over his way.
Did Hanji just do that? Or was she screwing with him? Though she was the type to pull pranks, Levi knew that very well, he was still cleaning off the ominous green fluid she'd used to replace his precious supply of cleaning juice with. But this, this was different. Affection? She surely wasn't manipulative.
Levi awkwardly scratched the back of his head, before he straightened up and marched off in the direction he intended to go before the interruption. Despite the oddity of the occurrence, a faded blush coated his cheeks while his cold exterior did its best to mask it.
Now that it came up, he figured this would be one story that might be a bit difficult to decode.