Levi's first impression of Eren was that he was very shy. Levi found himself doing most of the talking, which was expected. He was tutoring for the boy. The only words from The younger boys mouth were short utterances of frustration. Along with his timidity he was also short-tempered, easily flustered, and very, very impatient. All the opposite of the cool and collected Levi. It made him all the more attracted to him.

He watched as Eren's face grew red with frustration as he erased the same problem for the fifth time. He gripped his pencil so tight that all of the blood in his knuckles was drained, leaving them a ghostly white, an extreme diversity from his naturally tan skin. Levi smirked. Eren had done the problem right the first time, he just didn't believe in himself. He reached over the table to stop him before he erased all his work when Milaksa chimed in.

"Done," she said, double checking her paper, "Just it time, too. I've got volleyball. I'll meet you out front when you're done tutoring, Eren. Good luck!" As his sister left the room, Eren slumped even farther into his chair, a defeated scowl painting his face. It was obvious that he was jealous of Mikasa's ability to pick up new ideas and tactics easily. Too bad he hadn't been checking her work like Levi had.

"Let's try it aga-"

"I don't get it," Eren interrupted. Levi was surprised by his tone, but he stayed calm.

"Yes you do," Levi said pointing to his paper, "We've done a few together. Now, try it on your own." He picked up Eren's pencil and placed it in his hand. Levi swore he could see him shiver slightly. Or maybe Levi was the one shivering. Eren's eyes narrowed, suddenly filled with determination. He completed the problem correctly in forty-five seconds. Eren looked up for a sign of approval.

"I told you," Levi said simply, smiling. "Is it because Mikasa isn't here?"

"What's that suppose to mean?" he snapped defensively. The raven haired boy instantly felt bad. He was used to telling anyone exactly what was on his mind. Levi was not a sensitive person.

"Nothing. I just noticed that you're a lot less tense when she's not around. I think maybe you feel pressured around her because she picks up on things faster than you do," he explained a little softer. He was never one to hold back what he thought or sugarcoat things, but Levi still needed to be honest.

"It's not like that at all. I'm just not very smart."

"Yes you are," Levi encouraged. Eren smiled lightly. Levi felt his heart leap, which was something he hadn't done in years. He pointed to Eren's previous work which had been half erased and abandoned, "You did all of these right." Eren looked surprised.

"But how? Mikasa didn't get these answers."

"She didn't," Levi confirmed, "because she got them wrong." Eren looked even more surprised than before.

"She was probably just in a hurry to get to practice," he said, defending his sister. Levi smiled. No matter what Eren thought, she hadn't done them correct and that was new to him.

They spent another hour finishing up the worksheet. Eren seemed to understand much better. He was able to find x in a slope intercept form with ease now.

"I think Mikasa's volleyball practice is over. I should go meet her," he got up and walked to the door, "Can you tutor me again sometime... maybe without Mikasa?"

"Sure," Levi forced himself to keep a strait face. It wasn't difficult but it wasn't easy either. "Same time next week."

"Great," Eren gave him that heart wrenching smile, "See you then!"

...

Eren's first impression of Levi was that he was intimidating. Mysterious, attractive, and undoubtably one of the scariest people he had ever met. Eren was almost afraid to ask questions. He didn't want Levi to think he was stupid.

For the most part, Eren didn't care what other people thought of him. The bullies and jocks got irritating after a while, but he had gotten used to getting called names and shoved up against locker... Was that bad that he had grown used to that?

There was only people Eren cared enough about to have opinions that mattered to him. Like Armin, for example, he didn't ask his best friend for help because he felt as if he would judge him. After all, with a 5.0 GPA the Arian coconut was unquestionably the smartest freshman in school.

If he had known that Mikasa had chosen the handsome boy who had made heart-racing eye contact with at lunch he would probably have turned it down faster than Mikasa's softball pitching. He didn't know why he didn't want Levi to know of his education struggled, he just did. He valued his opinion and he didn't know why.

Eren watched jealously as Mikasa finished up her assignment. He looked back down at his own work. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong he thought, referring to his own work in comparison. She didn't even need to check with Levi, she knew she was right.

"Done," Mikasa said, "Just it time, too. I've got volleyball. I'll meet you out front when you're done tutoring, Eren. Good luck!" He slumped in his desk, feeling defeated. Then Levi spoke up.

"Let's try it aga-"

"I don't get it," Eren interrupted. Levi's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't meant to be rude, he was just so frustrated. I can't do anything right.

"Yes you do," Levi said pointing to his paper, "We've done a few together. Now, try it on your own." Levi reached towards Erens hand, placing his dropped pencil in it. The light brush of Levi's callused fingers against his own was enough to give him shivers. He wondered how Levi's hands had gotten so rough. I've got to do this right Eren thought, getting to work. It took less time than usual to complete the problem.

"I told you," Levi said simply, then added, "Is it because Mikasa isn't here?"

"What's that suppose to mean?" he snapped defensively.

"Nothing. I just noticed that you're a lot less tense when she's not around. I think maybe you feel pressured around her because she picks up on things faster than you do."

"It's not like that at all. I'm just not very smart."

"I think you are," Levi said, pointing to a half erased set of problems, "You did all of these right."

"But how? Mikasa didn't get these answers?"

"She didn't," Levi confirmed, "because she got them wrong." Eren had surprised himself again. He had gotten answers right that his sister had gotten wrong?

"She was probably just in a hurry to get to practice." Levi helped Eren for another hour. He felt much more comfortable with it. "I think Mikasa's volleyball practice is over. I should go meet her," Eren said, walking to the door, "Can you tutor me again sometime," he paused before adding, "maybe without Mikasa?"

"Sure," Levi answer dryly. Even though his face was solomn, Eren still felt a pang of excitement. "Same time next week."

"Great," he couldn't hold back a smile, "See you then!"