DILAN'S P.O.V.

Levi opened the door and they walked into the room, finding Erwin at his desk like normal, Hanji sitting on one of the three armchairs. It seems one had been added for herself. Seeing Hanji made Dilan want to hug her and thank her for her amazing gift but taking a look at Erwin she realised it was unlikely she wouldn't be scolded for such an unprofessional display.

Dilan still couldn't believe Levi had given her one of his friend's belongings. He can't have many of them meaning this was really special to him. The fact that he trusted her with such a precious thing warmed her heart and she was trying hard not to smile. Her friend was such a softy deep down. He does everything with meaning and this gift showed that. It showed he trusted her, and Dilan couldn't be more grateful.

"Please. Sit." Erwin instructed and Dilan and Levi sat down. Dilan gave Hanji a subtle smile and a look that they would talk more later. Hanji grinned and gave her a goofy thumbs up that had Dilan trying hard to bite back a laugh. "So, have you decided on your final candidates?" Erwin asked. Levi nodded, passing over the documents.

"Stacy Monroe, Petra Ral, Gunther Swaltzs and Eld Gin." Levi said in his normal monotoned voice. Dilan blinked as she thought she caught Hanji giving Levi a look as he said the last name. What the look meant; she didn't know but Levi ignored her completely. Erwin smiled happily and nodded.

"Fine choices. I'm glad you went with Monroe. She had the best stats in her graduation group." Erwin commented but Dilan knew Levi didn't care about shit like that. He nodded anyway.

"Aw, I can't believe my shorty is finally Captain! I'm so proud!" Hanji squealed, losing all professionality in favour of jumping up to try and give Levi a hug. Levi kicked her in the shin before she could get anywhere near the clean freak and she felt, unceremoniously, to the floor. "Ow." Hanji groaned. Dilan bit her lip to muffle a laugh and Erwin did not look impressed.

"Section Commander. Try to behave a little more professional. Levi is the same rank as you now, remember." He pointed out. Levi gave hanji a look that made her pout as she got up and back into her chair.

"Not like they ever acted like it before." Dilan mumbled under her breath, ignoring a glare from Levi.

"Moving on. I'll send a cadet to these participants and they'll pack their things, moving over to the Inn shortly. After I file this paperwork the special operations are officially up and running." Erwin said triumphantly and Dilan smiled a bit. Not because of Erwin's glee. She was proud of her friend for finally achieving his goals. He was going to make a damn good Captain. "Congratulations, Captain Levi. Hopefully things will move smoothly from now on." Erwin said, giving Dilan a look that clearly stated, 'you better keep in line from now on'. Dilan resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What the hell had she been doing for the last 6 months if it wasn't keeping in line?

"Thank you, sir." Levi replied professionally. Erwin nodded in approval.

"Great. I suggest you go and get ready for the cadet's arrival. Dismissed." Erwin stated and the three stood up, saluted and left the room.

"YES! MY SHORTY'S GOT A SQUAD!" Hanji yelled in delight, sobbing a bit before laughing manically as she ran around the hallway doing a weird dance. Dilan and Levi blinked at her, not completely sure what they were watching.

"I suggest we make a break for it." Levi whispered. Dilan nodded. Hanji was too hyper right now. A hug from her at this moment could mean 6 weeks recover from broken ribs. Dilan had broken enough ribs for a lifetime.

"Seconded." Dilan whispered back, as they both started slowly backing away around the corner before sprinting down the empty hall like their life depended on it.

"DILAN! LEVI! WAIT!" Hanji's wails came and Dilan pushed herself faster not being able to help the bubbly laughter that erupted in her throat.

"Fucking move it!" She laughed to Levi, skidding around the corner and almost stacking it.

"I'm moving it brat. You move it!" He retorted, grabbing her arm to pull her along as he ran faster. Dilan laughed at how ridiculous they were being but didn't give two shits. They deserved to behave like children in such a cruel world sometimes.

They got out into the open evening air, stopping outside by the stables to catch their breaths. Dilan rested her hands on her knees as she panted heavily from the work out, sweat dripping down the side of her head. She didn't know if she had run that fast in her life and that was saying something.

"Are we... really immature?" Dilan grinned as she breathed heavily. Levi laughed a bit, already having caught his breath and the sound still warmed Dilan's chest after all this time. She loved it when her friend was happy.

"Yeah but it's mostly you. You've infected me with your immaturity." He shrugged, walking in the stable. Dilan gasped, feigning hurt.

"How dare you, Captain. I am the most mature person ever. Tis you who have infected me!" She huffed dramatically. Levi rolled his eyes but let out a puff of amusement as they grabbed their horses.

"Fucking weirdo. How are we friends?" He mused as they led their horses out and mounted them. Dilan grinned at him.

"Because I'm just that amazing." She teased. "And I'm totally about to beat you on the ride home." She added quickly, kicking her horse into a gallop, laughing loudly at Levi's protests behind her.

LEVI'S P.O.V.

During their race back home, that Levi won by the way, it had started to rain heavily. They were both freezing by the time they got in the door and ran upstairs to have a warm shower and get changed into some dry clothes. Once Levi was changed into simple black slacks and a white shirt, he came down and started a fire, collapsing on the sofa. It had been a long day and it wasn't over yet.

Waiting for Dilan, Levi picked up his book and started reading. Dilan had joined him after a while, sitting on the other end of the sofa reading a book of her own. It's moments like this that Levi was going to miss the most. With the new squad coming tonight, everything was about to change. Levi couldn't deny he liked things the way they were.

"Levi?" Dilan asked and Levi looked over to her, cosied up on the other end of the couch in a thick white knitted jumper. Her long raven black hair was down, resting past her shoulders. She was sitting facing him with her legs brought up to her chest, a well-read book in her hand, as indicated by all the cracks and creases. Half of her deep olive skin was illuminated by the fire, shadows dancing in her amber eyes and Levi didn't know if he had ever seen anyone who was more beautiful, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away and refocused.

"Yeah brat?" He asked. Dilan looked down, plucking at the pages of her book.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" She asked, a sadness in her tone. Levi guessed she had been thinking about it too. He sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"Yeah. It won't be like this anymore that's for sure." He replied. Dilan smiled sadly and nodded.

"I guess I'll have to be formal with you again most of the time since the others will be around." Dilan pointed out. Levi frowned slightly but guessed the brat was right.

"Yeah, we can't be friends when we have company. They have to respect me if they're going to follow my orders on the battlefield. Seeing me as someone they can be friendly with could compromise that." Levi said logically. Dilan nodded understanding.

"I know. Still kind of sucks though." She mumbled. Levi smiled a bit while she wasn't looking. It did suck but it warmed his heart knowing the brat liked things the way they were too. That she liked it being just them. "Oh." Dilan looked up at him, a subtle worry in her eyes. "I probably shouldn't knock on your door anymore, right? If someone sees or hears they could get the wrong idea. I don't want to be that girl." She sighed, running her fingers through her long black hair.

Levi clenched his jaw a bit, getting what she meant. She doesn't want to be the subordinate who fucks her Captain. It was just another reminder of why they could never work. Dilan's reputation would be ruined. People never judge the guy, only ever the girl. She'll be branded as the slut; the position climber and people will treat her like shit. He couldn't let that happen. He cared about her too much.

"Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't mean I'm letting you deal with it alone again. We still have the roof and we can still get up early to train every day. And on the odd chance it's really that bad, you come find me anyway, got that brat?" Levi said seriously. Dilan cracked a grateful smile and it warmed Levi's icy heart.

"Thanks, Levi. You're a good friend." She said genuinely, relief in her eyes. Levi smiled back, ignoring the voice in the back of his head that told him a friend was all he'd ever be. It was good enough for him. If Dilan was happy, it was good enough for him. Her happiness was all he wanted.

Before Levi could reply there was a knock on the door and both of them tensed a bit. Guess this was it.

Levi stood up and put his book on the side, trying to ignore the dread in his stomach. He walked towards the door, stopping as he felt a hand on his wrist and turning to face the brat who smiled at him before hugging him tightly. Levi hugged her back without missing a beat, not knowing how much he needed this. A lump of emotion formed in his throat, but he swallowed it down focusing on the warm feeling of comfort his friend was providing him. Dilan pulled back and Levi fought the urge to reach out again. She took a step back, smiled and saluted.

"Captain." She greeted. Levi smiled and rolled his eyes, ignoring the pain.

"Cadet." He replied and she nodded in approval. Only then did Levi turn, walking towards the door and opening it. He was met with 6 people instead of 4 and he raised his eyebrow at the new editions of Hanji and Moblit. The four cadets saluted without missing a beat.

"Good evening, Captain." Stacy greeted with a huge smile and rosy cheeks. Levi frowned slightly as he noticed they were all dressed up fancy and Hanji was grinning mischievously, holding two bottles of vodka. He did not like where this was going.

"You four, in." He ordered, stepping aside. The four did what they were told quickly, and Hanji looked like she was about to stroll in too, but Levi blocked her. "What the shit are you doing here, four eyes?" Levi asked, monotoned, crossing his arms. He could feel the cadet's surprise behind him, but he ignored them for the moment. He wanted information.

Hanji grinned.

"Well... since we missed Dilan's birthday yesterday, I figured we'd throw a party tonight!" She grinned and Levi's face dropped. He really should have seen this coming.

"Hey guys, why do you look so dressed up?" Dilan questioned from behind him.

"Why don't you? It's your party isn't it?" Gunther questioned.

"It is?" Dilan asked and Levi sighed, pinching the brim of his nose.

"Shitty glasses, you're a public menace." Levi growled. Moblit took a step back but Hanji simply laughed.

"Calm yourself, Captain." Hanji answered, smoothly, managing to step inside. Levi glared at her as she walked past the cadets and put the alcohol on the kitchen table. Moblit awkwardly stepped inside after her holding a basket of what looked like food and more alcohol. Levi closed the door to stop the cold, royally pissed off now.

"Oh god. The Captain didn't know about this, did he?" Stacy whispered to Petra and they both blushed with embarrassment. Dilan laughed, breaking the tension as she walked over to Hanji, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, this was all very sweet of you, but I don't celebrate my birthday, it's why I didn't tell anyone yesterday. Besides, it was kind of unprofessional to ambush us like this, don't you think?" Dilan pointed out and Levi gave Hanji a look, crossing his arms.

"Dilan might be right there, Section Commander." Moblit whispered. Hanji hesitated for a moment before waving them both off.

"Nonsense! Tonight, we celebrate Dilan and the newly formed Levi squad. Tonight, is a time for bonding! What were you going to have them do, Levi?" Hanji questioned. Levi glared at her.

"Clean." He said dryly, biting back a smirk as the four's face dropped. Dilan coughed to cover a laugh.

"Exactly! Tonight, is a celebration. Dilan deserves a birthday party, don't you think? Please Levi! Pretty please!" Hanji pleaded, shaking her hands. Everyone looks to Levi for his final decision and he sighed in annoyance. Truth was Dilan did deserve a birthday and he wanted her to have some fun. Guess the team bonding wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Levi remembered Mike doing something like this for New Year's Eve once when he had just picked the new squad members.

"Fine." He replied finally in a bored tone. "But don't expect me to join in on your party. Don't make too much noise, clean up after yourselves and be in bed by 12, we have training tomorrow. And I swear to god if one of you idiots throws up, I'll put you on stable duty for the next 5 years. Welcome to the special ops." He said, monotoned, grabbing a bottle of wine out of the basket Moblit was carrying before heading upstairs. He needed a fucking drink. At least he didn't have to show any brats around. That was a bonus.

"WHOOOO!" Hanji yelled in triumph and Levi rolled his eyes, hoping the roof will be a lot quieter.

DILAN'S P.O.V.

Dilan watched her friend retreat upstairs with a slight sadness in her eyes. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Would Levi constantly be by himself? Would Dilan constantly not be able to go with her best friend because of some stupid social status? What bullshit. She missed him already.

"WHOOOO!" Hanji yelled, shaking Dilan's shoulders and Dilan cracked a smile. She could still have fun tonight. No need to bring down the party. It was in her honour after all.

"Shit. The Captain hates us already!" Petra groaned with embarrassment, hiding her head in her hands. Dilan laughed at her. It was obvious she had a crush on the good Captain. No shame really, Levi was hot. Dilan doubted that was ever going to happen though. Levi was married to his work in Dilan's opinion. She had known him for a year and she never saw him looking at any girls around the corps.

"The Captain hates everyone." Dilan comforted, screwing off the cap to some vodka and taking a glug. She sighed in relief, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, enjoying the stunned/impressed looks from the girls and boys. "Now let's get wasted." She grinned and the group cheered.


A good few hours later and things were turning down a bit. It had been a crazy night with a lot of drinking that perhaps was not a good idea. Dilan was pretty sure Moblit was dancing on the kitchen table at one point and Dilan was also pretty sure she had never laughed so hard in her life. Moblit was an incredible drunk and she promised herself she would have to see that again before she got eaten by a titan. The squad loosened up a bit and drank too.

They danced and drank some more and demolished Moblit's food before continuing with the drinking. It was nearing 12 and the gang was half passed out on the sofas, bottles still clasped in hand.

"Hanji?" Dilan asked. It may have seemed like she drank a lot, but truth was she had only had half a bottle of wine and a few shots of vodka and she had been making sure to pace herself. She was reluctant to drink anymore since the squad didn't have her trust yet and she didn't want to be vulnerable around them. Hanji on the other hand was completely fucking shitfaced.

"Yesses Dillllaannnn!" She slurred, throwing an arm around Dilan's shoulder and pulling her close. Dilan laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I doubt you'll remember this tomorrow, so I'll probably have to do this again but thank you for my birthday present. It's beautiful." She said sincerely. Hanji teared up and Dilan quickly realised her mistake. "Oh no. Hanji, don't cry-" Dilan tried but she was cut off by Hanji's wails as she sobbed into Dilan's shoulder. Hanji was a very emotional drunk. Moblit hiccupped and shot up like a bullet.

"Section Commander Hanji..." He started but his eyes grew heavy and he passed back out on the sofa again. Petra burst out laughing for no reason and Stacy yelled at everyone to shut the fuck up. Dilan blinked at the teenaged. Oh shit. Did we let a minor drink? She thought with wide eyes as Stacy cuddled the bottle of wine and closed her eyes. Levi is so going to kill me.

"You know D-Dilan..." Hanji calmed down, wiping her eyes. "I thought you would like it. You hummed that tune a lot during your sleepy poos when you lived over with good old me in the infirmary of dreams." She chuckled, pushing her glasses up. Dilan's eyes widened a fraction. She had no idea she did that.

"I did?" She asked. Hanji hummed a yes, resting her head back before the snoring started, signalling the end of the conversation. Dilan chuckled and untangled herself from Hanji's hug, standing up and stretching her arms out. "Come on guys, I'll show you your rooms, it's time for bed." Dilan instructed, receiving various groans in response before the sluggish troop started moving to stand up.

LEVI'S P.O.V.

Levi sighed, taking another swig of the bottle as he stared up at the stars in the sky. He had a very light buzz, having had half the bottle himself but he had been pacing it out and he had a very high tolerance. There was no way he was going to let himself get drunk in a house full of his subordinates. Besides, he might end up doing something stupid like finding Dilan and telling her he loved her. Levi cringed at the thought. He was so fucking stupid he wanted to pull his hair out. How had he let this happen?

No interest in anyone for 23 years. Yes, he'd gotten drunk in the underground and made out with people before. He'd had sex a few times, but he never liked any of the girls. They were simple drunken mistakes that he wished he could take back. He had never had feelings for anyone before. In fact, he was starting to think he wasn't capable of having feelings for anyone. And that had been fine for him for a long time. He was simply alive to work. But now... now he was in love.

"Fucking pathetic." He mumbled, taking another swig. The party should be over soon. He should probably try to get some rest and yet he couldn't pull himself away from the view. It was still incredible, no matter how many times he looked at it. He knew for a fact the sky would never dull. It would be magnificent until the day he dies.

The sound of the door opening made him turn his head and straighten up a bit but seeing it was only the brat made him relax immediately, an easy smile breaking out on his face. Everything was always so easy with her.

"Hey." Dilan smiled back and walked over, sitting down against the wall next to him. She looked up at the stars and took the bottle, taking a sip. Levi could tell she was still pretty sober. A good idea really.

Weird that Dilan was the only one he had ever shared a drink like this with. It had happened a lot over the past week where they grabbed a bottle from the cupboard and sat out on the porch or the roof. He had never thought about it before, but he realised now the only reason he had let her share the bottle without worrying about germs was because he liked her. Deep down he knew he wanted to kiss her. What was sharing a bottle to that. Damn he was pathetic. "I put the kids to bed." Dilan joked and Levi let out a puff of amusement, accepting the bottle back.

"Yeah? Moblit dance on any furniture again?" He asked, monotoned and Dilan burst out laughing. Levi bit back a smirk guessing that meant 'yes'.

"Oh my god, Levi it was amazing. Does he do that every time he drinks?" Dilan asked in delight. Levi chuckled a bit.

"Every-fucking-time. I tell you, the only thing that makes scout Christmas parties and New Year's Eve bearable is Moblit, the poor bastard. He's the life of the party." Levi explained. It was indeed funny that such a timid little man could be so bold under intoxication. Dilan laughed again, sighing in content. "Have fun then?" Levi asked. Dilan hummed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

"Great birthday." She replied and Levi smiled. He was glad. Dilan opened her orange eyes to give him a look, snatching the bottle back. "Would have been better if I had my grumpy best friend with me though." She teased. Levi rolled his eyes dramatically and Dilan laughed. "You probably would have hated it though. Hanji did so many drinking games." She snickered, shaking her head at the memories. Levi scoffed.

"I don't know how she keeps such useless information in her head." He mused. The crazy shit seemed to have knowledge on everything. Dumb and smart. Dilan nodded, standing up to look out at the trees. Levi watched her, black hair shining in the moonlight, her cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol and quickly looked away as his heart started pounding.

If Kenny saw me now, he would beat my ass for being so human.

"Hey, we should go on a walk." Dilan said purposefully, turning around to face him. Levi raised an eyebrow at her. It was the middle of the night. "Come on, it's a beautiful night. Let's go for a walk." She persisted. Levi frowned.

"You dumb, brat?" He asked. Dilan rolled her eyes, grabbing his hands before he could stop her and trying to pull him up.

"Come on Levi! Please, it's my birthday." She grinned. Levi bit back a smile and remained sitting.

"It was your birthday yesterday." He pointed out, monotonously. Dilan gave him a deadpan look and tried to pull him up again.

"How fucking heavy are you?" She whined. Levi rolled his eyes and ignored her. "Please." She begged, giving him her best puppy eyes and Levi swallowed hard. He cursed himself knowing he couldn't deny her and gave a long-annoyed sigh.

"Fine." He grumbled, standing up. Dilan smiled happily and it warmed Levi's heart.

"Great. Everyone's passed out so it'll be fine." She shrugged and they made their way through the sleeping house. They heard Gunther snoring loudly and Levi scowled at the noisy door making Dilan bit her hand to stop from bursting out laughing and waking everyone up. The lack of control on the brat made him chuckle silently as they got down to the first floor.

"The fuck are these idiots still doing here?" Levi hissed quietly, pointing to Moblit and Hanji passed out on different sofas hugging empty bottles. In fact, there were a lot of empty bottles and various crap that hadn't been cleaned up. Levi glared at Dilan and she cringed, chuckling nervously and scratching the back of her head.

"Sorry. I am planning on cleaning this up though. You weren't supposed to see it yet." She shrugged, walking towards the front door. Levi frowned but decided to let it go as they got out into the fresh air and they both sighed in relief.

They walked into the forest in a comfortable silence. Levi breathed in the forest air and didn't know how much he needed this. The brat had good ideas sometimes after all.

"They're a good group." Dilan mentioned softly out of nowhere. Levi looked at her. "They'll work hard." She added. Levi nodded.

"Yeah, I think so too." He replied, glancing up at the trees. Dilan laughed a bit.

"I feel bad for exposing her but as my best friend you have my loyalty, so I'll give you the heads up." Dilan explained when Levi gave her a curious look. "Petra has a massive crush on you." Dilan said with a smirk. Levi blinked at her, not expecting that.

"The fuck?" He questioned and Dilan laughed.

"It's true. It's true. I was talking about training with the girls since they asked me how to get stronger and I told them that I wasn't that strong I just have a good technique and if they wanted to get physically stronger maybe they should ask you. My god, I have never seen a girl blush so hard before." Dilan snickered. Levi sighed and rubbed his face.

"Shit. That's annoying." He groaned. He thought his intimidating exterior prevented such annoyances most of the time. Dilan chuckled.

"Yeah, I would not want to be you. Although don't worry about it. She won't do anything, it's just a harmless crush. She'll get over it." Dilan shrugged. Levi looked at her.

"And how do people get over crushes?" He asked, knowing it wouldn't help him since his feelings were deeper than a crush but who knows. Dilan chuckled.

"The hell if I know. Never had a crush, personally. Who has the fucking time?" She said honestly, raking a hand through her hair. Levi sighed, looking ahead. She's not wrong. He didn't have the time for a relationship anyway. Maybe Dilan didn't think she would ever have a relationship either. Levi tried hard to ignore how much relief the thought brought him.

They continued in silence for a bit, passing the bottle Dilan brought between them and taking in the peaceful forest atmosphere.

"Promise me you wont stop." Dilan said quietly out of nowhere. Levi looked down at her.

"Stop what?" He asked. Dilan stopped moving and looked up at him. Orange met grey and Levi's pulse sped up a bit.

"Promise me you won't stop being my friend. I know work will get more hectic and I know things change, people change but..." She sighed. "You're the only person I can truly be myself with and I don't want to lose that because of a change in social status." She explained seriously. Levi mentally cursed. Did she know how irresistible she was being right now? Friends, Levi. She's talking about being friends. Get your head out of your ass. Dilan chuckled a bit and looked down. "I know I'm being a complete hypocrite considering I just left for 6 months but-"

"I promise." Levi interrupted and Dilan looked up to him again. "I promise, brat." He said sincerely and Dilan cracked a smile. "But you have to promise too, or I'll kick your ass." Levi added, starting to walk again. Dilan laughed and walked with him.

"Easiest promise I've ever made, grumps." She snickered, taking the bottle from him and Levi tried and failed not to smile at that, willing a blush not to show on his cheeks. Levi was about to reply when the distinct sound of gears made his ears pricked and he froze, trying to locate the sound. Dilan stopped too, her body tensing as they listened out.

"Fucking hell, your terrible! Insanely stupid. Why can't you do anything right?" A distant voice complained, and Dilan and Levi blinked at each other before cautiously moving in that direction. When they saw who it was Levi was surprised to say the least. Oluo Bozado, practicing with 3DMG and a titan dummy. They watched from behind a tree as Oluo took a breath and swung round the side. Sloppy movement. He hooked his gears in the shoulder and took a swipe. Not deep enough. Levi thought and clearly Oluo thought the same as he cursed himself and landed on a tree branch, rubbing his face. Guess not getting picked for the special ops took a harder toll on him than Levi thought.

"I get the kids having a hard time but it's past curfew. He's breaking rules being out here right now. I'm supposed to report him." Levi whispered to Dilan. She sighed.

"I know. Look, let me talk to him. I'll make sure he doesn't do this again." Dilan asked. Levi spared a glance at the emotional teen before nodded.

"Fine. I'll head back. Don't be long." Levi said. Dilan smiled and nodded in agreement. Levi spared her a look before heading back. If anyone could handle this, it was Dilan. She had a way with people even if the people themselves couldn't see it. It's how she got the squad on her side and rallied the first flank on that expedition. She had an energy about her that people are drawn too. Even Levi wasn't able to resist her charms. Damn brat.

DILAN'S P.O.V.

Dilan watched Oluo for a second, as Levi retreated back to the inn, feeling bad for him. All his friends got chosen. It must have been a hard pill to swallow. Not only did he lose the position but his friends too. Dilan knew they had all been put in a squad together after the expedition where her squad died. His squad must be looking pretty empty right now. She sighed and started walking towards him.

"Oi, Bozado." She yelled up and the boy flinched in surprise, almost dropping off the branch. Dilan was worried for a second before he regained his balance and quickly wiped his face, looking down.

"Dilan?" He asked.

"Yup." She replied and he hooked his gears into a branch, dropping down about a meter away from her. She crossed her arms and gave him a look. "You know your breaking about 10 corps guidelines right now?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Oluo looked at his feet.

"So?" He mumbled. "I'm useless, if I don't get better, they'll throw me out of the military all together." He said quietly. Dilan sighed, walking forward to put a hand on the tall boy's shoulder.

"Hey." She said softly, gaining Oluo's attention as he looked at her. "Stop moping." She said with an eyeroll and Oluo's eyes widened.

"Huh?" He asked, clearly expecting more encouraging words. Dilan laughed, shaking her head and walking a few steps towards the titan dummy

"You're young-"

"I'm 18." He mumbled.

"-you have time to get better. You're not going anywhere if you call yourself shit. Others can think what they want but if you give up on yourself, then you truly have nothing left to give." She said seriously, looking back at him. "Listen, it was a tough choice between you and Stacy. But think about that for a moment. 200 cadets and you were in the top 5. That's an achievement in itself and you need to stop being so damn mopey, Capeesh?" She raised an eyebrow. Oluo cracked a grateful smile.

"Capeesh." He replied. Dilan nodded in approval.

"Good. Now I'm not saying you don't suck, because you do-" Oluo frowned again. "-but you have time to get better. Work hard and maybe you can join our ranks one day." She explained, watching with approval as determination sparked in Oluo's eyes.

"I will." He said seriously. Dilan nodded.

"Good. Now get the fuck back to bed and pray no one's noticed your missing. Don't come out here again at night or I'll be forced to report your ass." Dilan warned and Oluo chuckled.

"Sure. Thanks, Dilan." He said genuinely. Dilan nodded as a reply and watched with a satisfied sigh as the boy jogged back to HQ. She had a good feeling about him. If he worked hard, he could make something of himself.


A/N: A little welcome to the special ops/ birthday party with a splash of Oluo at the end.

I'm so glad you guys are liking the direction I'm taking with my characters. I agree that Levi is so not a playboy. He's too clean freakish and too busy to sleep around. So all this is really new to him. He's never felt this way before and he doesn't exactly know how to handle it.

A few more chapters and we'll have a major development. Not the reveal but I'll give you a small spoiler. One of them is going to find out. The only question is who?

Thanks for reading! X