Adjusting to the new location was difficult. At least for Levi, all things considered. The castle had been allowed to sit in abandonment. And so Erwin had sent the Levi Squad with all the greenhorns to clean up before the rest of them arrived.

Tempers flared quickly.

"Oi! Horse face! Does this look spotless to you? Do it again!" Levi ordered, kicking the bucket of water so it splattered over the freshly mopped floor.

"For the last time, quit it with calling me Horse Face!" Jean snapped.

"Your name is Horse Face until you've earned my respect! Now clean this shit up." The captain turned to leave.

"Whatever you say, Captain Pipsqueak - "

Suddenly Jean was knocked down. The mop he had been using had been taken and before he could react it had been used to knock him down from behind his knees. The young man glared at the perpetrator and was horrified.

Levi had been way across the room. How did he cross the distance so fast?

"Call me pipsqueak one more time. I dare you." Levi glared down.

The majority had seen him beat the shit out of Eren. And they knew his reputation. It was one thing to hear it all, but another to witness for themselves. Jean silently glared, the fury rising in his chest.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"The fact you put your father to shame. Learn to pick your fights and use your brain that respect is earned. Thus far all I see is some wimpy ass kid who dreamed for the easy life until you got a dose of shit in your face."

Jean blinked at that. Everyone stared, too shocked at the words. He hadn't thought the captain would make it personal. And he grit his teeth at the grim reminder of his father. Of what little he remembered.

"Now get your ass off the filth you call clean and do it again." Levi turned and stormed off.

It was like this for four days. And the majority have learned that even if they thought it was clean, do it again anyway until Levi gave the approval. They noticed he was hardest on Eren and Jean.

"Yeager! Who told you to clean this area? Go back to your first task and do it again!"

"Yes, Captain!" Eren dropped what he was doing and bolted with his cleaning supplies.

"How come he doesn't get a mocking nickname?" Jean complained.

"Shut your mouth, Horse Face. I don't want to hear your neigh right now." The cold voice shot back.

A few snickered in the background.

"Oh? What's this? You all have time to laugh? Well then, redo everything. Now." Levi stared them down.

They quickly rushed back to their tasks.

It was a relief when Hange and their squad arrived with more supplies. Some of the recruits outright cried. It didn't matter if Levi's squad members tried to talk to them that the captain is a softie, buried very deeply.

"What did you do? Don't tell me you pulled off your welcome to the Survey Corps to them." Hange stared the captain down.

"What? It keeps them busy." Levi stared back, his voice in a drawl.

"Wait, he does this to all the recruits when they first join?" Jean was taken aback.

"That's what we've been trying to tell you guys." Oluo huffed, trying to be all serious.

"Quit trying so hard to be cool." Petra huffed at him.

"I'm not trying!" He defended.

"Face it, you're trying to be cool like the captian."

"You were told to go easy on them." Hange reprimanded.

"And? I did." He countered with a shrug.

"You call these last few day as taking it easy? Bullshit!" Jean threw the wash cloth down.

"Walk out then. Go ahead. I'll give you fifteen minutes head start." Levi dared.

"What? Fifteen minutes until what?" The young man was confused.

"Well, don't you know what happens to deserters?" Hange asked.

Jean paled and shut his mouth.

"Now pick up your wash cloth and go finish those dishes, Horse Face." Levi knew he wouldn't be going anywhere.

Jean cursed under his breath. But he did as he was told anyway. As he stormed back inside, Hange crossed their arms. Levi braced himself.

"Erwin isn't going to like the mind state they're in."

"Why, we going outside soon?" Levi guessed.

"He said once we figure out more of Eren's titan form then we immediately make plans for venturing outside." Hange relayed.

"And that's why he sent you." The captain drawled, already dreading the next few how many days this will take.

"Oh, Erwin made sure that we brought you tea. So I hope this improves your mood."

"Tea?" Levi perked at the sound of that.

Eren couldn't help but think of a child in a candy store. Only this was a grown adult. Excited for tea of all things. And he wasn't the only one who secretly had that thought.

After this Levi was always seen drinking tea at every possible moment he wasn't cleaning. And it was noted his mood drastically improved.

A few days later when the cleaning was reduced to just regular chores, Erwin and the rest of the Survey Corps arrived. The recruits were relieved at finally having some sensible people around. They watched as Erwin greeted the captain with a warm smile, while everyone else had the stoic business expression.

"I hope you weren't too harsh on the new recruits?" Erwin inquired with mirth in his voice.

"I was gentle as a lamb." Levi scoffed.

The commander laughed. He knew full well that was a lie. And the recruits watched the exchange, dumbfounded. They couldn't believe they were staring at the same man who by all accounts, abused his power over them to make them all clean.

And he was making jokes with the commander. Who played along? Now this hardly seemed fair.

Silently the majority of the recruits kept their thoughts to themselves. Jean was a little more open, but not my much. He glared and stomped away, muttering under his breath.

For the next few days the recruits watched the interaction between the captain and commander. And they began to see why rumors spread of them so wildly and quickly.

Levi was so comfortable around Erwin. His stoic face dropped soon as he knew the commander was near. What was strange was that he seemed to identify Erwin just by footsteps alone.

His voice didn't carry the sense of boredom that was almost always present. Or the irritation for those he seemed to have it out for. It was as if the commander brought out his softer side.

"What's with their history? The captain and Commander Erwin I mean?" Eren braved asking his squad.

"You don't know?" Petra was surprised.

"No?" The titan shifter blinked.

"So, they met as kids. It is said that Levi was an orphan and Erwin caught him stealing food. He confronted Levi and lectured him about how stealing is wrong. Then he brought Levi home to have dinner with his family." She explained.

"And they just stayed close? Why did they join? Captain doesn't seem to like it here." Eren wondered, sensing something was missing.

"It's unclear what drove Erwin into wanting to join the Survey Corps. But wherever he went Captain Levi followed. They were top of the class with Mike and some guy in Military Police." Eld added.

Eren couldn't help but see a few parallels. Levi was loyal to the bone with Erwin. Just as how Mikasa was with Eren and Armin. And that's not all. Both were stronger than most, even held that same expression when bored.

Then a thought crossed Eren's mind.

"Captain? Did Commander Erwin share his last name with you because you didn't know yours?" Eren asked one evening at dinner.

The entire squad went silent. Even Armin and Mikasa, the only ones to sit next to Eren besides his squad were surprised. Levi stared with a well guarded expression.

For once Eren didn't falter. He didn't get scared. He didn't even flinch under that gaze that made most squirm.

"Now why would you ask such a personal question? You would probably have been in diapers around the time we joined." Levi made a jab at their age differences.

"I just wanted to get a sense of how you two work together. In theory, you two would clash, right?"

"What does it matter to you how we work together?" His voice darkened.

"Nothing. I'm just curious about why you're so close to the commander and not everyone else. That hardly seems fair to be closed off with people. Even your own squad."

Levi stood and everyone tensed.

Eren had flashbacks to the court room. The look in those pale eyes almost darkened with malice. And this time the titan shifter did flinch.

"You're doing the dishes. Alone." Levi snarled, taking his plate and cup to dump them in the kitchen sink.

The way they clang in the sink made a lot of people flinch. The captain moved to leave. He only paused to send one last look at Eren.

"And they better be spotless before curfew."

Levi went to the stalls and entered the one with his horse. She was laying down nibbling on her dinner. He entered the stall and sat, leaning against her.

She nudged him gently. A means of comfort. Levi scratched her nose affectionately. Satisfied the mare returned to her dinner.

He didn't know how long he was there for. Levi was alert when he heard footsteps. He calmed at hearing Erwin's. But there was another with him. He couldn't see because a lantern shone brightly for two people to peer into the stall.

"Thought you would be here when we didn't find you at the smaller table." Erwin greeted warmly.

"Did you have to bring a lantern? I'm blinded now." Levi blinked, his eyes had gotten too used to the darkness with the moonlight.

"All the better for us to see." The commander had the tone that he was smiling.

"Who is us? That's a little short for Mike." Levi still couldn't fully see features.

It couldn't be Mike because of the height. And it couldn't be Hange because the hair was shorter. The stall door opened and Erwin hung the lantern above in the center.

And Levi glared at Eren.

"Now, now. Don't get too excited. We'll be discussing peacefully." Erwin sat down, carefully making sure he didn't sit down on anything unsanitary. He prompted Eren to sit down as well, and he nervously did so.

"There's nothing to discuss." Levi huffed in defense.

"You've been unfair. Hange told me everything. I've been meaning to talk to you about it, and tonight was the catalyst to step in."

"Then why is he here?" The captain felt that the boy didn't belong here to listen.

"Because I think it's time you've branched out from just opening up to me."

"Careful now, you've got dreamers plans."

"Can you blame me? Think of the potential we have. An opportunity to have a titan on our side."

"And if everything goes to shit and he turns on us? What if there's more like him? And he's the inside to give them everything to decimate us." Levi tensed.

"I don't doubt there are others. If he's able to do it, then who else can? Then it's put into question why they haven't revealed themselves after he's given a trial with us instead of being outright executed."

Between them Eren was staring back and forth. He felt a sense that he didn't belong. That he was intruding on something private. And the theories they had, he felt that he really shouldn't listen.

"But, I don't believe Eren will turn against us. At least not while we treat him like any other decent Scout." Erwin stated with conviction.

Levi glared. He knew when Erwin was like this. The determination always reached high. And the flame in his heart burned brightly. But he always had to wonder just how many times can Erwin do this without burning himself in the process.

"We're leaving too much to chance, Erwin." Levi wasn't budging.

"You wanted shape him, right? To be better and remain loyal? I know that is why you agreed in the first place to take responsibility. But you can't shape him the same way that was done to you. This isn't about survival in the Underground City, this is the survival against the world." Erwin pressured.

Levi bristled. He knew the theories the commander had. That titans weren't the only enemies. And he believed them. However they had no evidence, no leads, nothing to grasp in the veil of deception.

"Underground City? You came from there? How did you get out? I thought no one ever leaves there." Eren latched onto this new information.

Erwin sent an assuring glance. And Levi gave in.

"...I was born there. Someone snuck me outside then left me to fend for myself. It was shortly after I met Erwin."

Eren stared. With only one look, Erwin can make Levi talk. The commander made those walls crumble. And the captain gave in without a fight.

"What's with you two?" He couldn't help but ask.

"We're brothers. Simple as that." Erwin answered.

Eren questioned if it was that simple.

"I understand why you're so hard on me. But why Jean?" He wondered, changing the topic.

"He's got an attitude with my authority."

"But why you specifically?"

"His father was my first squad leader. I brought the news to his family personally."

"A tradition you kept going." Eren found himself relaxing.

They remained like this for who knows how long. They talked and opened up like some strange group therapy. Eventually things went quiet. Eren struggled to stay awake. He blinked and realized to see Levi asleep peacefully against his horse.

He felt that he was seeing something illegal. With the dark circles under the captain's eyes it was evident he had trouble sleeping. And he was known to be a night owl and too anxious to sleep. So the idea of him sleeping was a little strange.

"He must be comfortable with you. He's only ever slept around me." Erwin commented.

"Or because you're here." Eren yawned.

"If that were the case, then he would have fallen asleep around Mike during nights like this. Or Hange, for that matter. He's always stubborn and refuses to sleep around others."

Eren couldn't really imagine it now that he gave some thought. Erwin stood up and handed the titan shifter the lantern. Eren blinked, confused at first.

Until Erwin bent down and picked the captain up bridal style. Levi shifted in his slumber. His face sought the warmth and went still when his face buried in the commander's chest.

"Get some rest. I don't think you'll have much to concern about Levi." Erwin stated as he carried the captain outside of the stall.

Eren lead the way back to the castle. Although he was confused on Erwin's methods, he hoped that it did help in some way. Soon as he laid down Eren was out.

The next morning Levi wasn't so harsh on him.