The next few days went on like the others Hanji kept her contact with Levi as less as possible. Giving Petra enough free time to hang out with Levi. Pushing Petra to bring Levi some tea during the times Hanji knew he could need a break from his desk work, setting them up to clean the stables together, giving Petra documents to bring to Levi instead of her going herself and during dinnertime she either ate always with Moblit, Mike, Nifa or Nanaba or by herself. Those were the little things she did but never guessed Hanji... how alone she suddenly felt.

Sitting on the edge of a big opened window, writing on some reaearch notes she let out a huge sigh. Outside the big window, below her she could see Levi taking a break from training. She guessed noting him wearing his 3DMG, sitting down under a tree and next to him was Petra. She offered him a towel to whipe away the sweat and tea to drink. Looks like they were getting along very good. This was good. Wasn't it?

Lately Hanji didn't feel as enthusiastic as she did at the beginning anymore. A tucking feeling in her chest growing stronger the more time had past stood in her way.

In short she was jealous.

It wasn't because she had feelings for him or anything she told herself everytime. This was simply the revenge for spending usually everytime with her close friend and now it was changing because Levi was changing and spend more time with Petra.

Hanji didn't felt like she wanted to change anything from her currient lifestyle, having Levi and her other friends were enough for her but now... since Levi was gone it left a huge gap in her life and made her lonely.

Even though she knew there was nothing she could do about this... She missed him.


Looking out of the window again she bit her lip. Levi was stripping off the straps from his 3DMG. Having removed them from his chest he was able to took off his sweaty shirt with it revealing his in the sun glittering stone hard abs.

God damn it why did she have to look out of the window now? Hanji cursed under her breath.

Besides her jealousy problems Hanji had to fight off another urge, her libido.

Since their first night they spend together Hanji found herself unable to forget about it.

His touches, his body pressed against her own, his deep voice, his usually cold eyes which reflected so many earnest feelings. She felt like she could get lost into them forever. Everything was haunting her in her dreams.

"What are you doing Hanji?"

Hanji jumped getting raised out of her daydreams almost falling from the window edge she was sitting on in the process.

"Na-nanaba? Me? I'm just taking a small break before I will continue with my research."

"Hmm is that so" she hummed while taking a short glance past Hanji down to the certain pair sitting under a tree.

Sighing Nanaba placed her hands on her hips. She knew it. It was obviously him. Probably everyone knew by now besides the two it involved. This was getting stupid.

"Hanji, for how long will you keep this up lying to yourself?"

Lying to herself? Hanji wanted to object but before she could even open her mouth she got harshly interrupted by her friend.

"And don't even try to deny it. We know each other now for so many years already. We both are some of the few veteran soldiers left. Don't you think I don't see what you are feeling? Probably I know it better than you, that's why I have to say it." Nanaba approached her friend cornering her by the window giving her no chance to escape her unless she would jump three floors down outside the window into the yard and most likely breaking a few more bones along the way. "He's important for you. You. Do. Like. Levi."

Each word pierced Hanji right through the skin right into her nerves, into her bones, her heart everywhere in her body.

She wanted to answer her, deny her but the words kept echoing in her head.

You do like him, you do like him. You do like him...

Did she? Could it be her feelings for him where beyond that of friends and comrades?

Seeing her friends surprised flushed red face Nanaba let out a frustrated sigh, snapping her dear bespectacled friend a second time out of her thoughts.

"So, will you tell me now what is up with you avoiding Levi and letting Petra spend more time with him instead?"

Avoiding eye contact, concentrating on a little stone on the floor like it were the most interesting thing in the world Hanji opened her mouth and spoke. " Well you see..."


After having listened to everything Hanji has told her over how she wanted to help Petra getting closer to Levi and her little plan to make this happen Nanaba still couldn't quite believe it.

"And because Petra likes him and you want to make her happy you think it's ok to give up your own happiness? Who even says Levi likes her the same way?"

"Who doesn't like Petra, Nanaba? She's cute, nice, having Levi's clean standarts, smaller than him even. Wouldn't she be a perfect housewife for Levi?" Hanji tried to explain but Nanaba only shook her head.

"Don't you notice how irritated Levi already is with what you are doing? And what about your life? You feel bad, right? You feel lonely, right? You want to talk to him, right?"

Hanji bit her lip. Of course she did. Nanaba placed both her hands on Hanji's shoulders to make her look at her.

"Goddamn it Hanji! Stop lying to yourself. You only have one life. This life. You know this better like many other recruits here because we survived the fall of wall Maria. We saw our closest friends already die. So stop helping Petra if you in the process get hurt. Be a bit more selfish"

Hanji hesiated letting the words sink in. "...you're right. I miss talking to him like we used to... But I want him to be happy too.. and I think Petra deserves it too... I don't even know what I feel for Levi... I don't want to steal his time he could find happiness with, a family he deserves, a home to return to..."

Nanaba's expression softened and in a quick movement she grabbed Hanji's crutches which were leaning besides the window and tossed them out of the window into the yard. With a loud crash the crutches hit the ground making Petra and Levi look up surprised from their place under the tree.

Inside the survey corps headquarters Nanaba grinned evilish at Hanji.

"Now's your time to find out. I have something important to do now so I will excuse myself" waving at her friend Nanaba disappeared while Hanji yelled after her.

"Hey! You can't just leave me here! Who will-"

"Oi"

A harsh familiar male voice interrupted her and as Hanji peered carefully outside the window to see the beautiful muscled male beauty below her, two crutches in his hands, her crutches to be exact, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Hi, Levi... uhm I'm sorry?"

"What the hell are you doing shitty glasses? I'll come upstairs" he sighed. He wanted to speak to her anyway.

Turning around he shortly walked back, grabbing his stuff mainly his sweaty shirt he had to wash and his blades he put back into the holster. Looking at Petra who heard everything already started to pack the tea and dishes back into her basket.

"I will deal with this heichou d-don't worry. Just go to Hanji-san. She needs her crutches, right?" She said quickly not even meeting his eyes.

"Yes." Giving Petra a short nod he started to make his way back inside and everything Petra could do was watch his back until he disappeared into the building, shutting the door behind him.

Still she wasn't enough as it seemed like.. She sighed defeated and took a look down to her basket with the unfinished eaten sandwiches she prepared especially this morning along with the unfinished tea...

"It's always her on his mind in the end..." Petra smiled bitterly.


Inside as much as Hanji wanted to leave, hide herself from embarassement thanks to the stupid words Nanaba told her earlier she couldn't and waited until she could see Levi from afar at the beginning of fhe long hallway, two crutches in hand.

Ahh damn why was he still bare chested? Flashing him a small smile she hoped her face didn't betray her and turned into any shade of red.

"Hey Levi. Thank you for bringing these. I hope I didn't interrupted your time with Petra-"

"You didn't interrupt anything. I was done with my training." He handed her the crutches studying her face from up close.

"W-what?"

"You look weird. Your face is red like if you got sick. Wouldn't surprise me with your lifestyle"

Taking her off guard he placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

"I-Im not sick! Ahh I should probably return to my room now. Even if I'm incapable to perform titan experiments myself I can work on some repor-!" Shaking his hand off her forehead Hanji wanted to hastly get on her feet and make her escape as fastly as she could. With her crutches however she slipped and stumbled. Mentally preparing herself for the impact onto the hard stone floor she tightly shut her eyes. However the impact she received wasn't as hard as she expected it to be, it was rather soft also rather comforting warm than cold like a stone floor should be... and she was still vertical standing not lying on the ground..?

"Oi, what the hell are you trying to do? Are you trying to break yourself some more bones shitty glasses?"

Grumpy voice very close to her and two warm long objects moving around her body, holding her in place.. Hanji opened her eyes carefully even more blushing as before. Yes, these were his hands and yes she had the great luck to get catched by him now leaning against his chest. HIS STILL BARE CHEST.

"Ahahaha I'm such a clumsy idiot at the moment. I don't know what's with me- maybe I should lie down a bit..."

"You are even weirder than usual. Also you don't look well. Why I came here was because we have to talk so I will bring you to your room before you really break all of your bones."

"We have to talk?" Why did they have to talk she had no idea. She wouldn't join any expeditions for now so it cannot be over work probably. Maybe it was over Petra? Did she told Levi over their agreement? Trying to figure out what it could be Hanji didn't notice Levi putting his hands around her and in a quick movement sweeping her up bridal style making her yelp in surprise. "Aaahh what!? Levi!? Wait! Put me down!"

She didn't even got a reply from him besides a grunt she couldn't quite sort in between being amused over her squirming and yelling or being annoyed telling her to shut up and stop. She decided for the later feeling his iron grip only tighting around her and pressing her body closer to his making her hide her face in his chest. He was so close! Why did it affect her so much suddenly? She never cared. Stupid Nanaba and her stupid words filling her mind with unnecessary throughts, stupid libido after that one time now making her desire more, stupid Levi and his good touches and his good looking looks, STUPID EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION!

"... Where are you bringing me...?" Hanji asked him quietly after she found her voice again even if she didn't looked up at him.

"Your room of course" and true to his irritated reply minutes after, after passing a few confused looking soldiers they were in her room. Levi tossed her crutches to the side. He carried them along with her before he placed her down on her unmade bed.

Hanji didn't said anything waiting for his next move as he stepped away and pulled out her chair at her untidied desk to sit down, besides a discusted glare at the said mess he didn't even comment on it she noted which means whatever he qas about to tell her was important for him and not trivial.

"I won't be here after tomorrow. Erwin summoned me to accompany him to a meeting for the upcoming expedition in Wall Sina." He began noticing her puzzled expression. "I'll be gone for a few days this usually shouldn't concern you however since you have a habit to accumulate chaos with you" he pointed at her desk with all the piled up books and loose papers pilled up in soon falling over unsteady piles. "I asked Petra to keep an eye on you while I'm gone."

"Are you so worried over my well being?" She jokingly said since they were friends of course they would be concerned over each other even if maybe his concern was on a new level.

"Yes I am"

Her laughing stopped. He did? Did he really just say this?

Out of nowhere he suddenly stood in front of her, surprising her and even more as he placed his hand on her forehead. His big, strong, muscular hand.

"What are you doing Levi...?"

"Your face is even redder as before but it doesn't feel like you have a fever." He explained.

Was he kidding!? Hanji felt frustration built inside her yet on the other hand she wanted to laugh quickly pulling his hand away from her.

"I'm fine Levi.. my redness will soon disappear I promise"

"How would you know? Split it out already what´s your problem shitty glasses?" he snapped clearly getting impatient, irritated and angry.

"I have no problem Levi. And could you please not be so close..?" She clearly tried to avoid him but what could she do? If he would be even more caring and closer Hanji feared she couldn't hold herself back anymore and let her yearning and her sexual frustration go wild. "I have lots of paperwork do to you see? Erwin will be mad if I don't finish them soon. Thank you for telling me that Petra will come and help me however. I appreciate it. I will see you later ok?" Hoping he would believe her lie Hanji waited for his reply.

"...fine." Levi muttered as he turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Hanji let out a long sigh and let herself fall flat on the bed, starring up at her ceiling. "Great job Hanji. You made him angry now too."