Chapter 9
Ahh, I don't know what to put in this chapter! I'm hoping typing this might inspire something!… It's not! But I'll keep it here anyway!…

"I hope he's awake." Hanji murmured as she stood outside of the door to Levi's office with a tray of tea and some toast with honey. She remembered he used to enjoy eating it when he could back in the army days, she could only hope he still liked it now, "Knock knock!" She sang tapping her knuckles lightly to the wood of the door.
"Come in." he called from the other side of the door. For some reason Hanji jumped at the sound of his voice, sure she expected his reply and all, but it was still odd hearing his voice again after so long. Erwin had left the city once the titans were gone, he claimed his goal was complete now that the old government was destroyed and the titans were gone, he told the others he wanted to go see the outside world and the next day he was just gone. After that she'd been too buried in her research to really think about it, but she realized now she kind of missed Erwin being around, he always patiently listened to her ideas, unlike some people who always interrupted with talk about baths and frequent meals, tch!
"Good morning." Hanji sung as she swung the door open, but she nearly walked right back out as she saw the view in front of her. Erwin sat on the daybed with his shirt ruffled and only half buttoned up, his hair that she was so used to seeing combed back hung loosely around his face, and he stared up at her with a gentle yet slightly confused expression.
"Something wrong?" He asked casually as he went on trying to button up his shirt.
"No!" Hanji replied quickly, "I just uh, if you need some privacy I could come back later." She stammered turning to look away from him. His exposed chest wasn't embarrassing, seeing him so casual, seeing him struggling to button up his shirt with his remaining arm, it made the man she once thought of as an unbreakable force seem so human, and seeing him that way felt like it was something she shouldn't do.
"It's fine Hanji." He gave her the broad smile that she was realizing he'd acquired in his time away from the city. It was an awkward, kind, lopsided kind of smile that made you want to smile if you saw it. It was the smile of a man who wasn't used to smiling, but still smiled from the heart.
"Okay." Hanji replied, placing the tea tray down with a smile. Though she'd wanted to keep her eyes on the tray, they found themselves wandering over to Erwin as he pressed his shirt to his body, his fingers fumbling with the buttons as he stared intently at them, his thick eyebrows knit in concentration.
"Ahh." Erwin huffed, dropping the buttons in mild frustration, "You'd think I'd stop wearing button ups." he laughed lightly as he looked up at Hanji, "Is this for me?" He asked looking at the tray.
"Hmm? Oh yeah!" Hanji piped up, "This was a thanks for helping me the other day for helping me make the boiled eggs and vegetables for Levi the other day. It's not much, but I think I remember you liking this."
"You remembered well." his lips pulled up into a smile as he reached down and took a bite of the toast. Hanji's eyes were still on the halfway done buttons on his shirt and the hanging sleeve where his arm once was. Times like this she felt useless all over again. She wished she would have been able to figure out the titans long before they vanished, before Erwin lost his arm, before anyone had to get hurt, but she didn't and they vanished on their own and she'd done nothing to help it. Tea and toast was not enough to button his shirt and it made her angry that she couldn't do anything more for the people she cared about than tea and food that she knew wasn't even that great. It bothered her so much.
"I can get your shirt for you if you want." She said somberly. Erwin looked up from the toast, his forehead wrinkled in shock as his eyebrows lifted.
"You don't have to pity me." He sighed with a solemn frown, "I've lived beyond this wall a long time. It's wild out there, if I can live in those wilds, I think I can button a shirt." He replied with a bitter smile.
"I believe you, Erwin, I didn't mean to offend you. I know you can do anything you set your mind to." she replied straightforwardly. He was Erwin, she knew how strong he was more than most people. Hanji kept her eyes steady on his and he stared back his eyes just as intense as he stared back, searching her face, but then his face softened, his lips pulled into a smile once again.
"Ahh, I see. If you're going to make that face then I guess I should let you help." He smiled again and her mood lifted. "Huh? What face?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
"It's the sort of face you shouldn't make when we've been given a second chance at life." he replied sitting back, "So this time, just this time, I'll let you button the shirt."
"I wasn't trying to make a face, besides I have a second chance at life, I can make any face I want now." She laughed jovially as she walked over to the daybed where he sat to help button his shirt. She kneeled down between his legs to get a better view of the buttons of the shirt, but was careful about not getting kneed in the face.
"I suppose, but I didn't come all the way here to see you look at me with that serious face you just pulled." He laughed gently. Hanji snorted a laugh as she reached up to hold the buttons in her fingers.
"I doubt you came to see me at all." She smiled as she spoke. One button was done, she moved up to the next one near the bottom of his ribcage.
"Why doubt that?" his tone changed from joking to serious, but Hanji had no idea why.
"Because I'm only me, it's not like I changed or anything." She chuckled, her eyes foxed on the buttons, her hands moved up to the bottom near his chest, but before she could finish buttoning it, both of her hands were scooped up into the rough warmth of his hand.
"I was counting on you not changing. That's part of why I returned, Hanji, I had something to ask you, something I probably should have thought to ask before leaving for two years." As he spoke the blood drained from her face and her head spun as she looked dumbly up at his sincere expression. What exactly was going on?
Then she heard the door creek behind her...

Levi entered the teashop with a deep scowl and watched the two young guards that worked for Hanji scramble around like cockroaches as they saw him, "Where's Hanji?" He asked gruffly as they pointed wordlessly up the stairs. He was going to kill Hanji. The night before she'd cooked him some 'food' but when he went to take one bite of the rice, he nearly lost all of his teeth, well that and his boss had some invitation for her that he wanted Levi to give her, but his main focus was the murderous rice. She had to pay. He went up the stairs with a scowl on his face, but as he got to the top of the stairs, he saw her standing at the door to his office with a tray with this nervous look on her face. If she thought leaving some tea on his desk was going to make up for that rice she cooked, she was sorely mistaken. He was about to call after her to come over and accept her punishment, but she knocked on the door and entered the room before he could.
"Stupid shitty glasses." he grumbled, walking over to the door that she'd left slightly open, he was about to walk in, but he heard a voice that wasn't hers in the room. "Hmm, that's right Erwin was sleeping here." Levi mumbled to himself. He respected Erwin enough to at least wait until Hanji left the room to warn her about further attempts on his life, but then he heard his name in conversation…. Erwin helped with the dinner as well? No wonder the vegetables looked edible… Still after he'd tasted the rice, he'd trashed everything but the tea. He was about to walk away when he heard Hanji speak again, something about a shirt? Her tone was soft, gentle, a tone he'd only heard a few times over the last few weeks, usually when she said something that confused him about her. He could hear her moving around the room now, he could hear Erwin speaking, in a tone he never heard Erwin speak in before. Levi wanted to walk away from the door right that moment, but he couldn't, he wasn't sure what was going on in there, he could only catch a few words spoken in nearly hushed tones, he knew he shouldn't have even cared what they were talking about, but the second he finally caught a sentence it was Erwin saying "I was counting on you not changing. That's part of why I returned, Hanji." Without thinking Levi opened the door and walked in.
The second his eyes fell on Hanji knelt down between Erwin's open legs, her hand on his shirt, his hand over hers, he got a pretty good idea of what was going on. "Ah." he said nonchalantly. His response came far more calmly than he felt. It took quite a bit for him to resist the urge to drag Hanji out of the room right then, but he managed.
"Levi?" Hanji yelled jumping up to her feet, and cocking her head to the side, "What are you doing here?".
"I see I'm interrupting. Carry on then." Levi said calmly staring blankly at them before turning and leaving the room. He could hear Hanji calling after him. He didn't know what he had been expecting to see. He shouldn't have opened the door, his chest felt heavy, he needed to calm down...

"Levi?" Hanji called as she watched him leave the room. Did he seem.. disturbed? For a moment she pondered it, but then she realized what it must have looked like she and Erwin were doing from where he stood and her face felt hot. She was sure anyone walking in the room would have misunderstood what they'd just seen. Usually things like that didn't bother her, but somehow this did. Having Levi see her like that would be strange, especially since she'd used him in the past, she didn't want him to think she was some crazy person who slept with all their friends! She just wanted to be seen as a normal crazy person…
She spun around to look at Erwin with a lopsided frown, while he watched her with a steady and slightly shocked gaze, "You can go find him if you want, I can get the last button." he said, his face melting back into that warm smile.
"Okay, I just don't want him to misunderstand is all." she chuckled.
"Is it bad if he misunderstands?" Erwin asked. She had a dull feeling that there was more to this question than it seemed, but her response came before she could think about it.
"Well of course there's something wrong with that!" she blurted, "I'm Hanji, you're Erwin, he's Levi." she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Erwin stared at her with a patient look that she'd learned a long time ago meant he had no idea what she was talking about and he was waiting for her to elaborate, "Look." she sighed, "If he thinks we're together then it will be Hanji and Erwin, what will happen to Levi? Without you or me around, who could keep that little Shorty in check?" she said it as if it was the most simple thing in the world.
"Ah I see. The dynamic would be ruined." he smirked, "You should go find him then." "Exactly!" Hanji exclaimed now running for the door, "LEVI WAIT UP!"
Erwin smiled as he watched her run from the room and looked down at the last button she hadn't done, "I would ask what would happen if it was Hanji and Levi, but I think I already know the answer, they have certainly grown close."

The sound of something tumbling down the stairs pulled Levi's attention from his cup of tea he was preparing at the counter downstairs. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked calmly as he looked up to see Hanji in a pile at the bottom of the stairs.
"I fell." she replied jumping to her feet, "Hey! I know you heard me calling you when I came running here, shouldn't you at least pretend to be a little more worried about the fact that I fell down the stairs." she huffed as she marched over to him.
"No, I know you're fine." He replied cooly sipping his tea. He'd seen her do worse anyway there was no way that little tumble hurt her. Besides, walking in on her and Erwin like that made him feel a bit strange, then again, he supposed walking in on a friend doing something like that would make anyone feel strange… "Still! After all the trouble I went through to make you dinner too, you could at least look a little worried." Hanji pouted.
"Dinner?" he felt something snap within him at the mention of that, "That gravel you tried to feed me? I almost lost a tooth on your dammed rice!" he yelled, plucking her on the head.
"Oi!" She yelled, her hand zooming to her forehead.
"'Oi' my ass… Just go upstairs and continue what you and Erwin were doing and spare me." He replied, his voice more harsh than he intended.
"I was just helping him button his shirt is all." she smiled but he merely scoffed. It was strange seeing Levi all pouty like that. Was he angry because she was better at making friends than he was?
"I don't care."
"Then why'd you bring it up?" she asked circling around his back to stand on the other side of him, but he didn't reply, "Look, it's like the old days again." she enthused with a huge smile, "Erwin is here, you're here, I'm here! We always helped each other out in the past, how is it different now?"
"Erwin was away for a little over two years. Things change in that time." he replied, tiredly. Though he respected Erwin, and always would, Erwin's departure had been surprisingly hard for Levi and Hanji, it was a silent fact that they both knew and never said aloud. Erwin was such a huge part of their lives for so many years that the sudden departure of rules, expectations, structure, and of Erwin left them a little bit lost and they both independently drowned themselves into their work. Hanji poured her very being into her research, and now this shop while Levi put all of energy into his new job, but both of them were just going through the motions really… there was no heart in the past two years of their work, he knew it, even if she didn't yet… Did she think Erwin returning would make it all better? He certainly did not.
"Who says they haven't changed for the better?" Hanji asked, Erwin's newly found gentle smile playing in her mind. Two years ago seeing that smile would have been impossible.
"I never said things haven't changed for the better." Levi replied, his friendship with Hanji, as odd as it was, and as much as he hated admitting to it, he valued it, Erwin could very well take her from the city and he'd most likely never see her again. It shouldn't bother him, yet it did. How could he explain something that made no sense to him, to Hanji?
"So if things changed for the better then what's the problem?" Hanji was totally confused now. Levi was about to answer, but he looked up and saw Erwin standing at the stairs, his shirt buttoned, his coat on and a curious look on his face as he arrived at the bottom of the staircase. Levi wanted to ask her if he thought another change would really make things better, or make them worse, but his words were lost as he realized it didn't matter. He was just going to make sure his friend was happy and safe, whether she or himself liked it or not.
"Nothing I suppose." Levi rubbed his temples.
"Good morning, Levi." Erwin called with a smile. Levi saw it in that smile, Erwin had indeed changed, he seemed less burdened than he remembered, life behind the wall must've been treating him well.
"Erwin." Levi nodded his head. Hanji looked between the two, her face lit up in excitement to see the two of them finally get a chance to talk.
"What have you been busying yourself with these last few years?" Erwin asked, walking to stand near them.
"Taking care of this abnormal creature." Levi replied nonchalantly as he nodded in the direction of a now pouting Hanji, "How's the outside world? I hear the colonies are rough." Levi asked. He wasn't asking to be polite, he was genuinely curious. He really did hate the desk work, especially when the world he'd worked so hard to free of titans was right outside of these damned walls, but he couldn't leave yet, he had an obligation to his job and to Hanji. Though, he figured if she wanted to stay with Erwin, he couldn't really do much, and he'd leave the walls and move to live in one of the many colonies. Maybe in the colonies he could change the government more actively and spend less time behind a desk.
"It is tough, but it is liberating. The village I've been living in is flourishing. A lot of people we used to work with moved out there, which brought along a lot of commoners who felt safest being protected by ex-Souting Corps members." Erwin laughed, but his laugh was shallow. They all knew how ironic it was that not so long ago, people hated the Survey Corps.
"So what brought you here?" Levi asked trying to keep on topic, "Sounds like you really like it there, so why come back here?"
"There were a few matters." Erwin replied looking over to Hanji. Levi also turned his own eyes on Hanji who looked between the two of them blinking cluelessly.
"Ah, I see." Levi replied, turning back to focus on his tea. Hanji was his friend, he knew seeing his friend's new relationship shouldn't bother him, but Erwin's mushiness was about to make him barf, Levi just wanted to get out of here. "Well, I really just came here to deliver this." Levi dug in his pocket and pull out two meticulously folded invitations. He pretty much already knew beforehand that Erwin was here to find Hanji, he really didn't want to hear why. The other thing he'd brought for Hanji brushed his fingertips in his pocket, but he decided that now wasn't the moment to give that to her.
"What's this?" Hanji asked snatching the tickets from his hands.
"You're wrinkling them." Levi cringed as he watched the perfectly folded paper be ruined by Hanji.
"Ooooohhh an invitation, to a ball?" She sang as she read it, "Wow, seems fancy."
"It is. You'll have to wash your hair and lose the shitty glasses to go." Levi went on, sipping his tea again.
"Pfft!" Hanji laughed handing the tickets back to Levi, "I said it was fancy no that I want to go."
"I was ordered to hand you the tickets and made sure you came." he replied, pulling her forward by her jacket, opening it and placing the ticket in her breast pocket. He held the other ticket to Erwin who took it before inspecting it.
"I can't go!" Hanji insisted, shoving the ticket back at him, "It's in two days! I have a business to run and I'm not really fit for that kind of stuff you know that." She scratched at an itchy spot on her head and Levi watched in disgust as white flakes fell from her head and lightly dusted her shoulder.
"Stop." Levi scoffed, slapping her hand from her head, ignoring her whining, "I can't believe I've been drinking the tea you make. When's the last time you showered?" he nearly gagged as he wondered how much dandruff the people coming to this shop might have ingested.
"Ahh, not lately." She sighed leaning back on the counter and tossing her head back in irritation, "I'm too busy keeping this place in order! That's why I can't go to this stupid ball And besides, I wouldn't fit in." She snorted.
"It can't be so bad, I'm sure the staff will be able to manage when left the proper instructions." Erwin interjected. The two of them had nearly forgotten Erwin was still there as the bickered. At the sound of Erwin's voice Hanji lost the wind in her sails and Levi calmed as well.
"Well maybe not, but you guys know me, I'm Hanji! I don't do things like this." She sighed looking down and twining her hands together in an almost shy manner. Levi could only stare at her in shock. She wasn't lying when she said she spoke differently with Erwin.
"I do know you. You are Hanji, you can do anything. And you won't be alone, you'll be there with us." Erwin assured her his blue eyes smiling.
"I won't be attending the party, I'm just doing security."Levi sipped his tea again, his eyes fixed straight ahead at the boxes of tea leaves behind the counter anything but looking at Hanji and Erwin.
"Well then it's fine even if it's the two of us. It would be like a date." Erwin smiled, Hanji let out a loud awkward snort of a laugh and Levi nearly spit out his tea. Hanji on a date with Erwin? The idea was laughable, yet laughing was the last thing he wanted to do for some reason.
"Oi! Is it so shocking that you spit out your tea?" Hanji asked abandoning her own laughter to turn and glare at him. She couldn't imagine herself on a date and she just knew that Levi was thinking the same thing, but he didn't have to react like that.
"Nothing." Levi regained his composure as he drank the last of his tea, "You guys do whatever you want, but I'll pick you up the day before the ball to take you back to the fortress. They said they had to do fittings for a dress or something." He pulled on his jacket as he spoke.
"You're leaving already?" Hanji asked her eyes wide as she cocked her head to the side. Levi looked at her a moment, she looked like a puppy when she did that. He found himself thinking it was cute, but he quickly remembered the oily hair and lack of hygiene and the overall Hanji and erased that thought and even cringed a bit. "Erwin is here, I will take advantage of today to get some work done without worrying about you getting yourself kidnapped."
"Fine, fine, I'll see you tomorrow then. Erwin and I have to go get stuff for the guest room anyway." She sighed locking her arm around Erwin's.
"You ready, Erwin?" She asked sounding chipper.
"Yes." Erwin smiled down at her and Levi stood before them with a semi disgusted look on his face. They already acted like a couple without trying, it was gross. Even though he thought it was gross a little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that only a little while ago, he'd been the one going around with Hanji and enjoying it. He shrugged, perhaps it was just in her nature to be overly chummy.
"I'll stay behind and clean up my dishes. I'll tell the staff you went out too." Levi sighed.
"Okay then, see you tomorrow, Levi." Erwin smiled as the two of them left the store.
Levi watched them go, he could hear Hanji excitedly telling Erwin about the old lady who called Levi a tease in the market until they were well out of sight. His stomach felt a bit ill settled suddenly and he sat down heaving out a sigh and closing his eyes a moment. Why was this all so irritating? Friendship had never been something he was good with, but had it always been so confusing in the past?. Ahh well, what could he do? Levi let out an annoyed sigh that he was even thinking about this so much and dug in his pocket before placing the other thing he'd brought for Hanji on the counter along with another note he'd written that morning.
"You fool." A voice ground out from the background, Levi turned around to see Ben standing at the back of the teashop towards the basement. Had he been listening to them the whole time? He really was a creepy old man.
"Not now, Ben." Levi grunted.
"No, no, no, I've been watching over you and Hanji these past few weeks quietly, hoping the dresses and being around each other would make you realize your feelings for each other, and I was waiting to watch you two flourish but I see you're gonna muck it up, so this time I'll say something." Levi's eyebrows lifted a bit as Ben took on a stern tone. Ben was trying to get him with Hanji?
"If it's not pressing I have better things to do." Levi replied. He would have listened to Ben, he was actually curious what he felt so fired up to say, but he wanted to see if Ben was fired up enough to stop him. Levi started walking to the door, but Ben ran across the room and blocked the door, "Fast for an old man." Levi remarked offhandedly.
"Look.", Ben starting, his kind eyes angry, "Why are you letting that blonde guy waltz in and take Miss Hanji away? He came here to find her he said? Sure she's not responding to that crap now, but she will if he keeps dropping lines like that! If you like her you have to hold on or she'll run off!"
"She's merely an old workmate, we get along. That's all."
"Oh, spare me." Ben rolled his eyes, "I see the way you look at her all of the time. You can't keep your eyes off of her!" Ben yelled, throwing his arms up, but Levi only sighed.
"The moment I look away from her, she finds herself in trouble. It's easier just to keep an eye on her."
"Do you worry about all of your workmates so much?" Ben insisted, his brows raised in skepticism.
"Yes." Levi replied. He did care about all of his old workmates so much. They kept him safe, he returned the favor, they were infinitely important to him, even those who fell he carried their memory with him. Though he'd never been good at expressing how much he'd cared he always cared… and he usually cared too much. Losing Petra had driven him to pushing everyone away, to being more harsh than he'd meant to, but he still cared too much for his own good.
"You care about that Blonde guy the same way you care about Miss Hanji?" Ben challenged, Levi's eyes went wide. He did care about Erwin, yes, but it was different with Hanji. Erwin was capable of taking care of himself, remembering baths and meals and all that, Hanji wasn't so much… Erwin was hard on himself as well, but he never forgot about himself or totally neglected himself, Hanji on the other hand…
"She's a fri-"
"You hesitated, you know your job isn't the only reason. You like her…. More than as a workmate, more than a friend." Ben accused, shoving his thin aged finger into Levi's chest. Levi scoffed, brushing Ben'd hand away. Ben knew nothing. Ben didn't know how much guilt Levi carried everyday, how much he barely deserved to have Hanji as a friend! For Ben to talk like he knew, was really annoying.
"Are you done?" Levi asked dryly, and Ben let out an exasperated sigh.
"I used to be like you. Walking around, acting cool, stoic, out of touch with my own damn feelings," Ben yelled, "but then I met my wife, she was a mad woman and I loved her for it. It took me nearly losing her to another man for me to realize I couldn't just let her go. You and Hanji both lived in the age of the titans, hell you fought them! You should know how important it is to hold onto someone important." Levi felt a dark expression cross his face as Ben's words reminded him of Petra, "Are you going to just let someone important waltz out of your life?" he asked desperately, his hand on either of Levi's shoulders. Ben was searching his eyes, for something, but his hands loosened on Levi's shoulders, clearly not seeing whatever he was looking for there. Maybe he was looking for humanity, for normality, for a heart, if that's what it was, no wonder who looked so disappointed; Levi already knew he possessed none of those things. Ben seemed to think he and Levi were alike, perhaps he was right, perhaps if Levi hadn't seen and done the things he had in his lifetime, he might have been a bit like Ben. He would've had a simple life, a job, a family, and even when something took all of that away, he would be able to move forward in life peacefully, but Levi was not that fortunate. He was abnormal now, and perhaps that's why he disliked Ben so much from the start. Ben was the him he could never have been, could never be and would never be. He was a peaceful old man, and Levi could only be a raging storm that would never find calmness. Ben really knew nothing… Ben would never know the burden of having so much blood on his hands, and the burden of using a friend the way he used Hanji before. He couldn't repay his men for laying down their lives on his orders, but out of obligation, he could at least repay Hanji for how he'd wronged her, but whether she forgave him or not, whether she left with Erin or not, it didn't matter too much to him anymore, he'd help her, because it's not like he had anything else to lose, but her and his job at this point.
"Will I let go of something I hold important? I never had to let go, it was all gone before I could even touch it." Levi replied gravely. Without another word, he pushed Ben aside gently and walked up the stairs, to his office, and locked the door behind him.

Ben's not just a creepy old man! He's rooting for the Levihan! Levi is slowly starting to have to deal with these 'feelings' things, and Hanji is just beyond thrilled that Erwin's back… not so much about this ball though… Anyways, working on the next chapter soon, please review? It will make me smile a million smiles in one, which is quite impressive if I do say so myself.
Please review, your comments make me a happy little writer :D