Lovestruck Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Summary: Levi is convinced he's sick and Hange won't stop laughing.

Perseverance, Levi learned, was harder when it came to love than survival.

"Are you alright?"

Hange's words snapped him out of his thoughts. "I'm fine," Levi snapped, arms folded, foot tapping impatiently.

"Oookaaayyy," Hange drawled out the word, tone implying the opposite. "Then why are you here?" She knew he wasn't always thrilled about hanging out with her. Actively seeking her company, then keeping his mouth shut, that wasn't like him.

"I..." He cleared his throat, which had suddenly closed up. Spit it out already! He'd spent the entire day convincing himself and had finally managed to drag his feet to her office. Might as well get it over with. "I think I'm sick," he choked out.

"What, you got the flu? You're not superhuman, you know, it's normal—"

"It's not the flu." Levi uncrossed his arms and they hung uselessly by his side. He crossed them over his chest again. "I think it's something else. Something serious."

The dead seriousness of his tone drained the humor from her face. Levi hated showing weakness. For him to be convinced that he was ill and to come her asking for her help, it had to be bad. "What are the symptoms?" Hange grabbed a pencil and a notepad, wondering why he came to her instead of going to the infirmary before remembering his dislike of the place.

Levi took a steadying breath. He'd practiced this, mentally going over what he was going to say with clinical coldness. "I've always had a hard time sleeping but I've never been so restless. Sometimes my mouth goes dry and my palms get clammy and I get sick to my stomach. Other times I feel all warm and find myself almost smiling at nothing. My heart also beats erratically and—what are you doing?"

Hange was grinning widely. "Holy Maria!"

"What?"

"I never thought you of all people could!"

"Could what?"

Hange giggled. "You're really clueless, aren't you?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Levi demanded.

"Tell me." She leaned forward eagerly. "Does this phenomenon occur in the presence of a certain person, maybe?"

He stared into space, a look of concentration set in his face. "Now that you mention it, it does." His eyes widened, as did her grin. "Do you think I'm allergic to her?"

The smile immediately vanished. "What? No!" She leaned back and said exasperatedly, "Where did you get that ridiculous idea?!"

"I don't know!" He replied defensively. "Just tell me!"

"Your ignorance is so cute!" Hange squealed and walked around the desk.

Levi jumped up and stepped back, warning her. "Don't you dare hug me!"

"But this is a momentous occasion!"

"What's a momentous occasion?"

The duo turned to the door and saw Petra staring curiously, clad in tiny shorts and a tank top. "Nothing," Levi answered before Hange could blurt out anything inappropriate.

Hange woman pouted at him and froze, the words dying on her lips.

"Well, I don't want to interrupt but I came for that stomach remedy," Petra said to Hange.

"Of course!" Hange snatched the small pouch from her desk and handed it to her.

"Stomach remedy? Are you having a hard time taking a shit?" Levi blurted out.

Hange was torn between wanting to hit him and laugh at his poor attempt to hide his mortification.

Petra only smiled, too used to his brand of humor. "No, it's for my father. I didn't want to stop by the apothecary on my way home tomorrow. This just saves me time." She yawned and stretched, tank top lifting and exposing some of her creamy flesh and perfect abs. "Alright, I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight, Hange, Captain Levi."

"Sweet dreams." Hange waved and Levi nodded. As soon as the footsteps outside the hallway faded, she rounded on the short man. "How's your heart doing now, hm?"

Subconsciously, his hand found its way over the thumping organ.

"I knew it!"

"What?" Levi asked warily. "Is it some heart condition?"

"Oh yes, it's a sweet, sweet heart condition," she replied, laughing.

He scowled, annoyed at her refusal to be clear. "The hell's that supposed to mean? Stop joking around, Four-Eyes, and give it to me straight!"

She barely registered his words, continuing to giggle. "I never thought I'd live to see you so lovestruck, you grumpy, old clean-freak!" She smiled at his dumbstruck expression. "Yes, lovestruck!"

"Lovestruck?" Levi repeated in disbelief. "Get serious!"

"I am! It was clear from your body language! And your face! You know your pupils dilated? It's a sign of physical attraction. And don't you deny it and make excuses! You should have seen the way you were looking at her."

"You make me sound like some pervert."

"It's true! You've got a crush on your subordinate!" Hange cackled at the horrified look on his face.

Levi tossed and turned in his bed, silently fuming at the infamously dubbed 'Mad Scientist' of the Survey Corps so his mind won't wander off into dangerous territory. Four-Eyes had it wrong. He did not have a crush on his subordinate. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? He knew it wasn't uncommon, having heard other squad leaders discuss it.

I'm just sick. He nodded to himself. The alternative was too scary to even consider. It had to be stress. That was it. Hange was probably the cause, too. He'd keep his distance from her and everything would go back to normal. I'd know if I had a crush. Even if he'd never had romantic feelings for anyone in his life before.

He sat confidently at the head of the table the next morning, sipping his tea, lazily watching the early rising Scouts eat and talk. His team arrived soon and joined him. A curt nod was his reply to their greetings and the routine continued as usual.

Everything was good until Oluo said, "You're doing well to become my wife."

Levi's hand twitched as a strong urge to hurl his teacup at the idiot's head hit. He might have actually done it if Petra hadn't answered with an eye-roll. "I wouldn't marry you even if you paid me my weight in gold."

"He should give it up," Erd said to him quietly, shaking his head. "He's never getting anywhere with her."

They finished soon and went off to do their chores, leaving their captain with a half-full cup of lukewarm tea. Erd was right, Levi thought. Petra would never reciprocate Oluo's feelings. His sad attempts at trying to woo her might hinder teamwork. No way did his earlier temptation have anything to do with what Hange said. Or maybe it did, he figured, Hange had put the idea in his head and he reacted accordingly.

"It's not going to happen again," he muttered to himself.

Squad Levi stretched on the grass, waiting for their captain to give out orders. A dozen or so other Scouts were present as well. They were all quickly broken up and instructed to fight. It had nothing to do with Titans but they sparred obediently. Levi had insisted his squad to be well-versed in close combat. He didn't refuse anyone else who joined them.

The soldiers sparred while Levi watched them and beat his opponent at the same time. A ghost of a smirk made its way over his lips. He felt no different watching Petra take damage than he did watching her dish it out. You were wrong, Four-Eyes. He was going to prove Hange's claim false further. Even though no one else there besides him knew what was up.

"Petra, you're with me," Levi ordered.

It started out good, and two minutes later he was seeing the sky from his spot in the dirt.

"Okay, you were right," Levi admitted later that evening after slamming the door shut to Hange's office.

"Hello to you, too," she replied. "And you'll have to specify. Not to brag or anything, but I'm often right."

He rolled his eyes. "About what you said the other day. About me and...you know..."

"I've been pretty busy so you'll have to jog my memory here."

"Stop that. Or I'm leaving."

"Killjoy." She huffed. "What do you want? Love advise? Because you've come to the right person!"

"Yes and yes. I do want love advice and you are the perfect person to ask."

Hange perked up. "Really?"

"You've managed to avoid romantic relationships and drive people away with your insanity. I figured I can use that natural talent of yours to get out of this mess."

"If you're gonna be mean then I'm not helping!"

"Fine then." Levi moved to stand.

"No! Stay! I'll help! You'll be hopeless without me." Hange settled down once it was clear he wasn't going anywhere. "How can I help? Actually, start by telling me how you figured it out."

"Well, I was sparring with Petra. And I lost. I don't lose."

"Until now, apparently. How did that happen?"

Levi thought it was the sweet scent of Petra's shampoo and her fit and feminine body. Or maybe her slender neck and big eyes and pink lips. Probably a combination of all of the above. Either way, he wasn't telling the woman before him how his subordinate's certain soft and warm parts felt and made him freeze, giving her the opportunity to take him down.

"How I lost is of no consequence," Levi argued. "What's important here is that it's distracting! This love disease. The other week, she managed to sneak up on me and my heart nearly burst out of my fucking chest because she was so close."

"How cute." Hange giggled. "How'd she even managed to get the drop on you?"

"Luck." And he had been busy thinking about how after she'd grabbed him and led him quickly for a few seconds the day before, causing his hand to become clammy. Gross. "I'm too hyperaware of her. It's distracting. She's distracting." And she made him feel foreign, scary, and weirdly good feelings. "How do I stop this thing?"

"It's not a tangible enemy you can stop. Why don't you accept it?"

Levi stared incredulously.

"Tell her how you feel. Maybe she reciprocates your feelings."

"Have you lost your mind?!" Extra indignation was added to his tone to compensate for the feeling of thrill that shot up his spine at her words. "I can't! She's too young, I'm her captain, and we're too different. Oh, and not to mention, Erwin will kill us."

"Sure you're older than her. But she's a grown woman, too. Twenty-two, in fact. And you're in your early thirties—or so I assume. The gap isn't that big, considering her age and she's the younger one. And don't give me that 'too different' excuse, you two get along well. As for Erwin, don't be so dramatic. Just keep it a secret," Hange waved her hand.

"No." He shook his head. "No way. Not happening. I'm not saying anything. And neither are you!" She opened her mouth to speak but he interrupted, "I'm serious, Hange. You can't tell anyone anything. And you can't drop hints or whatever."

The scientist scrutinized the man before her. He looked dead serious, and a little nervous as well. "Fine," she gave in. "I won't say a word." He relaxed and nodded. "But you have to understand, it won't be healthy to keep it inside. In our line of work, if, heavens forbid, something happens," he tensed at her words, "you'll end up regretting not speaking up when you had the chance."

"I'm not telling her," he said quietly. Keeping this secret was going to be difficult due to their proximity but he'd manage somehow.

"Then you'll have to get over her. Because it will be a distraction, especially outside the Walls. You're letting it slip here and I've noticed. Out there, you can't risk it without people finding out."

"It'll be fine. I'll get through it." He always did.

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