The night was cool even during early autumn. The chills of winter were approaching quicker than Levi would like. Winter was awful. The cold was awful. But for tonight, he'd forgive the breeze. It caressed his back as he sat on the roof of their hideout cabin. He wanted to get back to the Erwin and the rest of the squad. The underground city was erupting into panic. That territory was familiar but it would not be pleasant to return to. It didn't take much effort to remember how life was for the thousands of people sitting down there, waiting to feel safe enough to return to the surface. Everyone and everything was a struggle and sometimes, Levi found it all useless. He hated that…But Erwin had given him a purpose.
The Titans had killed most of the world's human population. Ex-humans or not, Levi had no choice but to annihilate them to save the humans remaining. What about people like Eren and Annie? Eren had been tested repeatedly and despite lack of control, he was on humanity's side. But for how long?
It's not like he didn't believe in the wide-eyed brat, but they hadn't known each other for long and Eren's Titan control was still unstable. Levi only risked his life for him because he was humanity's last chance. The orders were to protect him so that's what the corporal would do. After witnessing Eren succeed in fixing Wall Maria, Levi had a newfound admiration for the brat. His squad was young and rash but they had all seen the true horror Titans wrought. They'd exposed themselves to that terror time and again under orders. They might be a little wet behind the ears but they were strong and promising. It'd be a shame if any of them died.
Today had been quite the nuisance, though. Eren had been asleep until that morning and Levi couldn't help but keep an eye on him. That was his job, wasn't it? Ah, but the brat could probably take care of himself? I'm not a fucking hen.
He wanted to believe that he was just doing his duty as leader but a second voice of thought played devil's advocate within his head. You were thinking of Eren the whole time he was asleep, worrying about him. Why did you hold his hand? What about when he was cleaning?
"What about it?" he asked himself aloud.
Why did you get so mad when he was gazing at you? Why'd you have to grab him?
"He was making a really annoying face."
What about it was so annoying?
Honestly, Levi couldn't put his finger on why he'd gotten so riled up. Did it matter? He didn't have to explain his actions to anyone so why was he even thinking about this? He remembered telling Eren that the cleaning was good enough and Eren had made that pissy look. Maybe that frustration had rubbed off on Levi. He'd made plenty of people mad but why did it matter so much if Eren was?
Then there was the second face Eren made with those big shitty eyes and a cocky smile. "Pisses me off," Levi bit his thumbnail angrily. Heat bubbled in his chest, just under the surface. Even his face was getting hot thinking about it. What the hell?! He saw Eren's green eyes, fiery and young. Saw his lips, colored light and soft probably like a girl's. Those long black lashes and messy brown tuffs of hair… "Maybe I should ignore Erwin and kill the brat right now," Levi muttered sarcastically.
No, if he did that then Erwin would kill Levi. Ah, that'd be irksome. He didn't want to get Erwin mad. The captain had Levi's complete trust and maybe a little admiration. Erwin had a strong command with a deep, vibrating voice, completely different than Jaeger's. Levi didn't depend on little Titan boys. Erwin usually knew what was best. He'd saved Levi and other soldiers on numerous accounts even when they doubted him. Levi owed his superior twenty times over. Erwin believed in him wholeheartedly too. Levi knew exactly when it was the captain's hand ruffling his hair or squeezing his shoulder like a creepy old man.
With all of Eren's fluffy words of lovey-dovey admiration, maybe he looked up to Levi in the same way Levi looked to Erwin. Petra was similar too, with her caring brown eyes and stupid determined smile. She knew how to make him feel better. Whatever, she was gone now. The whole squad was gone. Levi's hands curved into tight fists on the hard surface of the wooden roof. Remembering it made him sick.
"Corporal? Is that you up there?"
"Jaeger," Levi identified the voice immediately. Imagining Petra had simmered his blood and he let the minor grudge about earlier go. "What do you want?"
"Nothing. I was just wondering where you were. Hanji said you'd gone outside so..." Eren's voice trailed off as he looked up at the corporal.
"Wipe off that stupid smile."
"I'm not smiling..?"
"Of course not."
"Okay…." More silence.
"Did you have any more to say to me?" Levi glared down at the young man's silhouette under the darkness. From a cabin window, firelight touched Eren's back.
"Um…Well you seemed mad at me today and I just wanted to be upfront and ask you why. It'd make things complicated if you kept it to yourself. So you should tell me and we can get it out of the way."
Hm. Eren tended to be as direct and painfully blunt about his thoughts as Levi. That, he did like about him.
"I already told you. It's that face."
"I still don't get it. It's just my face. Am I that ugly or something?"
"Extremely," Levi scoffed and jumped down onto the ground with a thud. "Looking at it too long gives people headaches."
Now that he was closer and on the same level, he could see Eren better. Eren was wearing his uniform pants and shirt but no shoes or coat. He must've recently gotten out of bed again. On his hands, there were faint indentations and marks where Eren had torn right through the flesh in attempts to birth his Titan form. It had to have hurt like a bitch.
"Your wounds still healing?" he decided to point them out.
"Wounds? Oh this," Eren looked at his hand. "I guess so. I don't know if they're going to be permanent…"
"Probably. At least they'll match your face then," Levi brushed against Eren and put his hand on Eren's shoulder. Wait, no. His body had moved on its own. Eren's shoulder tensed but he didn't shrug the corporal's hand off.
Instead of apologizing, Levi lashed out with confused thoughts. "Don't get excited at every little touch, pervert." Yeah, that sure showed him.
"I wasn't getting excited. You touched me out of nowhere!" Eren jerked his body away, leaving empty air under Levi's outstretched hand. Ah. That was something.
"Yeah…" was all Levi could retort before heading back into the cabin. Thanks to this brat, now he couldn't sit outside in peace. He guessed he could go sit in his temporary room. Eren's eyes bore through his back as he retreated.
xxx
"Corporal? Corporal!" Some idiot came running into his room and woke him up.
"What the hell, Jaeger?!" Levi shouted. Hadn't he lost enough sleep over this baby?
Hanji stepped through the doorway with a frown. "We've got a message regarding Eren's sentence. You should get out here."
This can't be good. Levi forced himself out of bed and joined them outside where a soldier was with his horse. The sky was still dark. Little dots of light spread over the valley. "What's the message?"
The man had thick blonde hair and bushy eyebrows. Not to mention the permanent pouty lips. It was sort of funny actually. He drew out a letter and handed it to Levi. "It's from the state. They know Wall Maria was fixed but they refuse to let Eren Jaeger continue life in the recon corps."
"The fuck?" Levi stared at the words on the page but didn't need to read them to understand.
"Why? I don't understand! I helped fix the wall! Why can't those shitheads believe I'm an asset to the state? This is twice now that I've proved myself!" Eren shouted.
"I'm not sure but the letter does require you to return to Wall Sina for final judgment," the soldier frowned, his brown eyes flicking back and forth between Eren and Levi nervously.
"During Mission Maria, Eren Jaeger was assisted by several hundreds of soldiers and 100 soldiers have been reported dead. While in Titan form on several accounts, Eren Jaeger has destroyed parts of the city and killed innocent civilians during battle. The populace is outraged and demands justice," Levi read aloud.
"What?!" Eren grabbed the document to see for himself.
"Soldiers die on missions all the time!" Hanji said bluntly. "Their orders were to protect Eren with their lives. And as for Eren fighting Annie, it's true that innocent people might have died but we had no other choice. Annie was a traitor."
"Well, from what I've heard, Captain Erwin and Jaeger's actions against orders given by the higher ups also contributes to this. You may have captured the Female Titan, but that doesn't make up for the damage done. I'm sorry but you'd better head back by morning." He excused himself with a salute and climbed back onto his horse. In minutes he was already out of sight, the clop, clop, clop of the horses' shoes fading.
"I can't believe this!" Eren spat and looked around as if he needed something to punch.
"Well, believe it. I'm sure Erwin has been called up too," Levi pondered. "The idiots can't look down past their own piss port to see what's going on below."
"What do we do?" Hanji fret. "We can argue he's still an asset. I mean, Wall Maria should be able to prove that. As for Annie, no one's gotten through to her yet so no information has been gained. What do they really want with Eren? Is this really their decision or the public's?"
"Don't forget that Jaeger messed with the wall and that makes him an enemy to the wall worshipers," Levi added. "And there are plenty of them on the board judging us."
"I don't understand how they don't—" Eren started, not being able to find adequate words.
"No one understands asses except other asses," Levi turned to look Eren in the eye for the first time in hours. "Don't worry about it. Erwin won't let them take you. I won't let them take you."
"Neither will I. Their researches don't know squat about you and they won't care to before prying you open to see what's inside."
"T-thanks…" Eren breathed.
"Don't thank us just yet," the corporal took the document from Eren's hands and crumpled it up. This isn't over.