This one happens in the same timeline that "Stars."

"When will he leave?" Levi asked, peeking out, tired of waiting. They should be on their way to the camp by now. To further annoyance, Zeke poked his head out as well, propping his chin on his head on purpose.

"I don't know. Maybe he's waiting for me to leave and go home, " he whispered, scratching his ear as he watched Magath standing outside the Marleyan barracks, looking around suspiciously. "I already told you that it's not safe that we meet here. Since the higher ranks know that my brother owns the founding titan, they don't take their eyes off me."

Zeke took a step back, feeling subconsciously for the cigarette case in his coat pocket.

"It's safer to meet at my grandparents' house than here," he insisted in vain. He knew that Levi wanted to set foot in the barracks as many times as possible to gain any information that might be of use.

"No one said you could give an opinion on how we have to do our job," was the answer from the shorter one. He snorted in annoyance when the Marleyan commander returned in his footsteps, evaporating his hopes that he would go away at once. "Anyway, you don't mind putting your grandparents in danger? If they catch us there, I doubt they can save their butt a second time."

Zeke frowned, wondering how much Levi knew about his family's past. Had Eren been the one to tell him about it? His brother mentioned having access to his father's memories, after all.

"Of course I care, I don't do things without thinking about them first. The house phones are tapped, but no one is spying in person. We are more likely to be discovered here, with all the soldiers out there."

"Whatever ... how do I ever dare question your higher intelligence?"

Levi watched in despair as Magath took a few steps in one direction, backing away with his hands clasped behind his back. What the hell was he expecting?

"Stupid monkey," he muttered. Levi turned around and crossed his arms. "Aren't you old enough to stop living with your grandparents?"

Zeke saw the mockery in the Ackerman's gaze. In the last few days he had learned that Levi not only hated him and wanted to kill him, but also found him arrogant and pathetic. He wanted to be angry, to be offended by his words, but it was amusing that Levi took his frustration out of him at his expense.

"For your information, Captain, I lived alone. I just decided to spend time with them before faking my death" he replied, pretending to be offended.

"Before they think they not only lost their two children, but their grandson as well" he thought.

His grandfather was very unstable lately, and leaving his grandmother alone to deal with it made him feel like shit. But it wasn't necessary for Levi to know that, so he didn't say more.

"What do you think he's waiting for? Or who?" the Ackerman asked, referring to Magath.

Levi quickly changed the subject because he didn't want to even consider the possibility that the other genuinely loved his grandparents. It was easier to hate him when he could see him as a true monster, a psychopath, a cynic with delusions of grandeur.

He didn't want to think of him as another human being with his own reasons for the atrocities he did.

"Who knows? He doesn't trust me so much to tell me about his nocturnal adventures in detail… "Zeke interrupted his response when he heard footsteps approaching from inside the barracks. Levi also tensed.

"Do you think they've all left?" The blonde recognized Porco's voice approaching, as he turned in that direction. While the Jaw Titan wasn't going to recognize the Ackerman, he wasn't approaching alone.

"I guess so."

Levi recognized Reiner's voice. He looked up at the ceiling, wondering if he could climb there without his maneuvering gear. Hange had recommended that he go without it, to be inconspicuous among the Marleyans. But now it was counterproductive, although if he had it, being seen by the soldiers on guard climbing to the roof with a maneuvering gear would have been just as inconvenient.

To top it all, Zeke was petrified. When they most needed a plan, the damned didn't put his brain to work.

On the other side was Magath, so they had no direction to escape.

"Hell," Levi muttered through clenched teeth, making up his mind.

Zeke felt Levi grab him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. The shorter man's back resonated with force against the wall, and before he could understand clearly what Levi was doing, the brunette took his hair tightly and brought his lips abruptly to his.

The blonde took a moment to process what was happening and why. He soon understood that Levi's plan was for both warriors to feel uncomfortable seeing their warchief in an intimate situation and decide not to interrupt, opting to retreat for another way out. Even the angle in which Levi had positioned his body made the titan hide it with his, preventing both of them from seeing his face, especially Reiner.

But that did not explain why Levi had chosen to actually kiss, when they could perfectly pretend to do so without putting their lips in contact.

And the kiss itself ... Zeke didn't want to think too much about it, for fear that his body would react in a way that could be humiliating. But it was impossible when Levi moved his lips with eagerness, with hunger, with fury too… with too much passion not to lose himself in the sensation. More so, when the blonde instinctively slid his tongue between the brunette's lips and Levi immediately parted his lips to give him better access to the interior.

"Is that Zeke?" He heard Galliard's voice in surprise. Zeke was grateful that his words brought him back to reality, because he was about to place both hands on the Ackerman's ass to lift him into the air and position their groins at the same height ...

"We'd better go the other way," he heard Reiner mutter.

"Wait… is he kissing a man?" Porco sounded incredulous.

"Come on," the Armored titan insisted, surely taking his arm and dragging him in another direction.

Before Zeke could react, Levi shoved him hard against the opposite wall, putting distance between the two. Unable to cushion the impact, Zeke slammed his head against the hard stone bricks that made up the barracks. He had to hold onto the wall for balance as he straightened his posture. He felt his skull for damage and realised that he was bleeding.

Levi peered out into the street, and saw the two warriors head out in the direction where Magath was standing. The three of them began to walk together, talking, although from the distance he couldn't make out what about.

"They are gone," he said to the other, and began to walk away from the barracks.

Zeke followed him a couple of steps away, visibly dizzy. The sound of the blow still echoed in his head, though he knew he was healing quickly.

He wondered if Levi had taken pleasure by hitting him. Or by kissing him. Or both.

"Why did you do it?" He asked confused, still rubbing his head.

Levi stopped short and glared at him:

"You know perfectly well why I did it," he answered through gritted teeth.

They both stopped walking, which wasn't good because they still had to get to the camp, meet Hange, and plan ahead. It was going to be a long night, and Zeke had to return early to avoid arousing suspicion.

"I know, you wanted them to stay away and it worked. But… "The look Levi was giving him warned him not to dare to pursue the subject, but Zeke chose to ignore it. "It wasn't necessary for us to actually kiss. You want to kill me so much that kissing me should be unthinkable for you."

Levi turned and resumed his pace in a hurry. Zeke wondered if he planned to ignore him or he wanted to hide the shame from his face. Perhaps he should put the subject aside, the Ackerman didn't seem to have any intention of explaining himself and it was better to keep their relatively peaceful treatment if they wanted to work together to save the Eldians. But Zeke couldn't stop thinking about it.

"What's more, you hate me so much that one would hope that after kissing me you would be vomiting non-stop all night ..."

"Tch."

Zeke was starting to get frustrated, but he wasn't going to give up.

"You know, Captain? I'm getting mixed signals from you. Do you really want to kill me or do you want to fuck me? Or do you want to kill me and fuck me? Although not necessarily in that order ... I hope ..."

Levi whirled around and Zeke felt the point of a knife just barely penetrate his throat. On instinct, he tried to stop the attack with his hand, but it wasn't a bright idea because all he managed to do was cut off his own hand deeply.

"Shut up," the brunette threatened. Zeke thought he was furious, but his look indicated that Levi was as troubled by events as he was.

Zeke raised both hands in the air, surrendering.

"Alright, boss."

They resumed their walk in silence. The blonde decided to wait for Levi to put his mind in order to go on with the conversation. He could wait. They were both too affected to ignore what happened for too long.