Chapter 13: Deadly animal
The next morning Hanji finds Eren and Levi outside, the boy laying in the sun while Levi eats a sandwich. "Good morning Hanji." Eren waves at her and she really want to ask him about the sun thing but she has to wait.
"Good morning little titan, little human." She grins at Eren´s happy face and knows what will follow.
"Hey shitty glasses, I am not small and stop calling me that." He looks pissed but he always does. Or did. With Eren she had seen more of Levi´s smiles and laughs then in all the time before.
"So Eren can call you little but not me. That is so not fair. Right Eren? I should be allowed to call him that." Eren to his defence isn't as familiar with nicknames but it is adorable how he jumps up and throws himself into Levi´s lap.
"When Levi doesn't want you to call him that than you are not allowed. Only I am allowed to call him that because he is My little human." Levi´s hand lands on Eren´s head and pets him ruffly.
"I never allowed you to do that." Giant green puppy eyes fix Levi and Hanji watches as it takes only seconds for the wall around the soldier's heart to crumble down. "Whatever." Levi looks away but Hanji sees the love in his look.
"Levi the commandant wants to see you." Levi isn't happy about it but he knows he is back at work and therefor he has to do his duties. Both get up and follow her inside to Erwin who had finished his breakfast a few minutes ago.
The dining room was filled with soldiers, most of them still eating but they all follow them with their eyes. "Erwin." Levi says without many emotions.
"We need to discuss a few things and I would like to do this in my office, alone." Hanji sees that Levi understands quickly what he means, Eren needs another second before he gets it.
"No, I want to stay with Levi." The puppy eyes he got out now where even more effective than the ones before. "Pretty please. I will be quiet and won´t interrupt." And it nearly works, she can see how Erwin is fighting with himself and Hanji decides to help the poor man.
"How about I show you the castle and we could go to the library. There are great books you can read." Eren looks at her, thinking.
"I can´t read." He says a bit of sadness in his voice.
"I can teach you if you like." A very hopeful look appears on his face, forgotten everything about Levi going somewhere else.
"Really you will teach me?" Hanji nods and Eren looks up to meet Levi´s eyes. "Can I go?" Before Eren can continue with his ´I will be good` Levi puts his hand on his head, softer than before.
"I know you will be good. I am not so sure about her but-" Levi meets her eyes. "-she will take good care of you and she will be a good teacher." Eren smiles. "Eren." He waits until the child gives him all his attention. "When someone tries to hurt you or they do something out don't like, you protect yourself." The whole dinner room goes quiet. "You fight back and turn into a titan and find me. You let no one harm you, do you understand? I don't care about your overprotectiveness of humans. When they hurt you, you hurt them back, did I make myself clear." Levi´s eyes are cold, filled with ice and hatred and fear of what might happen.
"Levi you can´t just say-" Erwin doesn't get to finish this sentence as the soldiers eyes met his. The look screams murder and Erwin would have died when his look could kill. It never comes to it as small hands cup the black-haired face.
"Don't worry my little human. I will be safe and after you are done with your meeting you can show me how to fly. You promised." Eren erases all murder out of Levi´s eyes and everyone around them starts breathing again.
"Be careful, brat." Levi pulls Eren into a one-armed hug and leaves with a last look back. Suddenly aware of the responsibility she has Hanji offers her hand to the child.
"Let´s go Eren. We will have fun while Levi has to do boring stuff." She smiles at him and together they leave the dining room. Painfully aware that not the titan on her hand brought the fear of death into the room but the human.