Chapter One

The sun started to rise above the walls, the cold breeze bringing the sweet song birds tweets through the open windows of the barracks, but was it really the sound of the song birds, or our longing to hear them once more, they were so loud and beautiful outside of the wall, they are free, not like us in our cages. The breeze made my hair dance, ever so slightly. I sat at my desk, looking over the paper work from the last expedition, wondering what would be next for us… how many people we would loose

More importantly, how would Erwin continue, missing an arm.

I felt pity for him, but he wouldn't stop, even if he looked like he needed help, he denied you. Levi found it slightly amusing, after everything that they had been through, as he said 'the idiot went and got his arm bit off'

At least he didn't die.

At least the three of us were alive.

After the loss of Mike, we were at a loss, slowly all of my comrades were dying, I was there for when Levi joined, his arrogance amazed me, actually I think it was more amusing than anything, for someone to stand up to the superiors, was something else. I admired Levi, he was a close partner within the corps. A valued member of us.

I left the paper work, I didn't want to deal with it right at that moment, instead the mess hall seemed more appealing. For once I wasn't scared of that place, for years, as a nobody, I was teased for being fascinated by Titans, even Erwin hated my theories and my suggested research. It wasn't until later when they realised that research was needed that I was listened too.

Either way, thinking about it now, I felt like the bond between myself, Erwin and Levi was strong, maybe I was the only one who thought that but, in the end, to me, they were my family.

"shitty glasses" I heard Levi from behind me "Tch"

"What?" I turned to look at him, staring down at him. "Morning"

"you are late" He responded, I laughed slightly, I had stayed up doing research into the crystal I had gained from Annie's makeshift crystal coffin she made herself. Even after Moblit retired for the night, I must of gone to bed in the early hour of the morning.

"Well, I can tell you, I was doing something very important" We started to walk towards the mess hall "I was thinking, if I could suss out Annie's hardening skills, then we could train Eren in the same way, however it would be hard as I can't even break a piece of this cr.."

"Tch…" He sighed "I don't have time" he responded and the rest of our walk was full of silence.

We sat down with Erwin, struggling to break his bread, I could see the anger in his eyes

"here let me.." I reached for his bread but he slapped his hand away

"I'm fine!" he snapped, his face burning red.

"I'm… Sorry" I muttered, ashamed that for the second time today I was shut up. Levi just sat there, with his tea.. Looking all smug.

A few minutes past, Erwin calmed down and looked up, almost like he had completely forgotten the moment we had just had.

"We must start planning the mission to seal Wall Maria" He put down his bread, and looked at the two of us. "Eren's training must be pushed forward now, it is of the utmost importance"

"We have been trying" I said with hope in my voice. "it seems that if you are a shifter, you must remove yourself, I think they would be fused together forever if not…"

"Fucking Brat" Levi muttered, drinking his tea, holding his cup like he was a 5 year old.

"I pulled him from his titan form, he woke up two days ago, he can't remember a thing, so for now, I want him training in his endurance and intelligence" I firmly said. Erwin nodded

"Good, keep working him hard, he is the only hope for sealing the wall"

Later that day I found myself in the lab again, I had to suss this out, it could help finding a way to harden Erens Titan. Moblit had gone to training, I was skipping it, now that it was the Levi Squad after all, I could hide away in here.

"What you do is amazing for humanity" I heard a voice from the door, I found Erwin leaning against the door. I put the rock down, I didn't know how long he had been standing at the door, if he had just arrived or he had been watching me, who knew. I looked at him and smiled.

"It is the most I could do…" I sighed he walked towards me slowly.

"We would be pretty lost without you" he leaned against the desk, close to me, I could smell him, I could feel his breath on my skin.

"but I am no where near closer to the answers" I thought about that moment we saw the titan in the wall after capturing Annie. "Maybe it was the same…" I sighed "Or would Eren harden like the wall titans?" Erwin was just looking at me

"You amaze me sometimes" He said, and I looked up at him, in shock. Amaze him? What did he mean? He looked down for a moment before a slight reddish reached his cheeks and he left "good work Hanji!" he said as he rushed out the door…. What was that about?

I didn't realise how fast the time went by, it must of been midnight by the time I left the lab. I closed my notebook, holding it close to me, and I locked the door. The rain was pouring down on us, as I headed towards the barracks, the moonlight leading the way. As I headed into the barracks, I could hear footsteps. Who would be awake at this time, apart from me?

Suddenly I felt a smack on my head.

"Tch…" It was of course, levi

"What now?!" I sighed I rubbed the back of my head and frowned

"Footprints. wet, muddy footprints" He sighed and pointed to the direction in which I came from, and yes there was a slight muddy print on the wood… but how on earth… He came closer to me and sniffed "you stink too, when did you last bath?!" He looked disgusted, I just took there, while the short man had his power trip. But then he smacked me again.

"last month…" I muttered "i've had more important things to do"

"God dammit" He had a moment of thought. I continued to walk away, after quickly removing my boots, and rushed to my room.

I felt a sense of peace, but my mind was in a different place, I felt I needed to find the answers to everything, there must of been answers somewhere, these answers could save humanity, or at least push us to knowing more about these titans, how they are coming and if they are… really humans after all. I paced my room, hitting my notebook against my chin for a moment, before there was a knock at my door,

"come in" I shouted, it was Levi. Again.

"I have to do this I am sorry" He held up the broom and smacked me…. I didn't remember the rest.

Little did Hanji Zoe know, that Levi was doing her a favour. She laid on the floor, her notebook opened on a page, full of scribbles. He looked closer at the pages… she had drawn his eyes, in full detail. He couldn't understand her handwriting, she was a messy shit of a writer, He now understood why Moblit was the one to report on her writings, no one could read that shit he thought to himself. But why his eyes….

He dragged her across the corridor towards his room. Not with bad intentions. He wasn't thinking like that. But he propped her up, and slowly started to undress her, placing her now folded clothes on his bed, then placing her glasses on top, to make sure he didn't loose them. He pulled her towards the bath which he had started running just before he knocked her out cold. He gently lowered her in… and bathed her.

He was gentle with her, washing her hair like it was expensive silk from a far away land, he pressed the sponge close to her skin, over countless scars from battles once fought.

He was pressed against the side of the bath, Hanji between his legs. Close to him, her back on his torso, breathing in unison.

He felt a sense of achievement of this moment, bathing Hanji.

Not because he was sick of the smell of her…

Because he cared dearly about her.

Because for some reason, the slight of her body, made him weak.

Her nonsense talking on their journeys… made his life seem a little less lonely.