A/N: Sorry for the wait! Lots of internet problems last week, and then things wouldn't get to Marika and then wouldn't get back to me. X'D It waaaaas supposed to be here last week, as well as other stories, but again... Internet problems. XD

So! ... Please bear with me. More fluffles will come, as will conflicts and more fluffles and sad stuff and WE'RE GETTING THERE IT'S JUST TAKING A WHILE! I SAID IT WAS A SLOW BUILD! X'D

-Misty

Song of the day: Strength

Abingdon Boys School

The Change You Wish to See

(Original summary, but screw the stupid character limits) Levi's never put much care into things. He doesn't put much care into things at all. Nothing ever peaks his interest. Well, that's until he meets Eren Jaeger. Levi isn't sure what it is that's so interesting about him, and it irritates him to feel these feelings he's never felt before. Regardless, he goes to talk to the boy. When he doesn't receive an answer, he just thinks that the boy is rude; however, he understands why when Eren doesn't answer him. Eren is deaf.

Rated M for sexual content, adult language, some violence, mile character death
Main pairing: Riren with some side pairs
Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

Chapter Six: Beg

"Please Mikasa!"

"I said no, Eren!"

Armin made a low sound within his throat, watching the two siblings exchange arguments back and forth. They hadn't had such an argument like this since Eren threatened to set Mikasa up on a date with their friend, Jean, and that one lasted a good solid hour. However, this time, Eren was adamant about his resolution, and he wasn't giving in. The two had been at each other's throats all day, and the arguments just kept getting worse.

"Hey, guys-"

"Mikasa, I'm not some kid! I'm perfectly capable of handling myself! Why can't you just trust me for once?" Eren signed with a stomp of his foot and a grunt.

"It's not you, Eren! I trust you, but I don't trust him!" Mikasa was referring to Levi, who Eren hadn't seen since last week after the incident of the attempted kiss (the one Mikasa knew nothing about).

"Mikasa, I'm telling you that he isn't going to hurt me. I really like him, and I think he likes me too." Mikasa felt slightly disgusted by the way Eren's cheeks flushed a darker shade.

"You think he likes you? You mean you don't know how he feels?" Mikasa countered with.

"Don't do that, Mikasa! If you'd let me see him more often, I'd know for sure how he felt about me by now!"

"Eren, no." Mikasa turned away to go back into the kitchen, to continue cooking the meal she had been working with before Eren started this up again from when she got home from work.

She just couldn't get a break with him. Since Eren met Levi, it had been nothing but him, and Eren had been more rebellious since then. He wanted to see Levi more often, and when Armin was working and she was free, Eren would beg for her to take him to see the older man. She never did of course, because after a full week of college and work, one day off was too much of an opportunity to waste at a book store where her brother was flirting with some guy.

It was a constant battle, and she was growing more and more tired with each passing day.

"Mikasa," Eren grabbed at Mikasa's shoulders and pulled, trying to get her attention back on him. "You don't understand! He's a good guy,I'm telling you!"

"Eren, you never know."

"Ask Armin then! He's been with us the entire time, so he knows Levi! He'll stand up for me!" Eren signed and pointed back to the blond. Armin's blue eyes widened considerably, and he hopped off of the table to step into the room.

"Eren, don't bring me into this." Armin warned, but it was already too late.

"Please, Armin, tell her! Please?" Eren begged. Armin whimpered again; he was using that kicked-puppy look to get what he wanted. "He's a good guy, right?"

"Well..." Armin began and sighed. "He's okay, I guess..."

"Just okay?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah, I mean... He doesn't seem very sociable, and he doesn't talk about himself much, but he seems to like Eren to a certain degree. Levi seems like the type who doesn't easily tolerate people, but he's fine with Eren. Doesn't that say something?"

"Not much to me." Mikasa muttered.

"Please," Eren begged. "Please, I just want to go out with him. I can come back again in two hours if you want, and I'll have that stupid pepper spray on me-"

"Eren, enough." Mikasa warned while turning her whole body. This was her way of saying that the conversation was over, that her answer was final, and she wasn't going to change it.

"Mikasa-"

"No."

"Mikasa," Armin sighed. Eren's sister looked over her shoulder, glaring daggers at the boy. She was silently threatening him; no, daring him to bring up the topic again. Armin felt a terrible pit in his stomach, but he knew that she wouldn't actually do anything to hurt them. The best she could do was ground them, and for some reason they followed along like she was their mother.

How annoying.

"What...?"

"Let Eren go out." Needless to say, the two siblings were dumbfounded. Eren was grateful nonetheless, but it was utterly surprising. Armin was a peacekeeper, one who stayed on the side lines, and he only ever took sides once in the time that Eren had known him. Eren remembered it specifically, because it was his decision to stay with him and Mikasa after he was offered a place to go to college that was too far away for his liking.

Eren could never fathom why the blond said no, because it had been Armin's dream to travel. For Armin to respectfully decline and stay with them was beyond his comprehension.

Regardless, Armin never took sides. When it came to the two of them, Armin tried his best to stop their arguments. For him to suddenly go against Mikasa; was he asking for a death wish?

"What...?"

"Eren's dying of boredom here, and he is learning a thing or two hanging out in that library."

"This wouldn't be at the bookstore, Armin." Mikasa practically hissed his name, and Eren could tell it was unsettling just by seeing Armin's reaction. "He's asking to go out with the guy again to somewhere we don't know about for God knows how long."

"Mikasa," Armin didn't bother signing. He stuffed a hand into his pocket, the other motioning for Mikasa to follow him. She did, and Eren was left standing in the kitchen alone with Mikasa's food on the stove.

He hated it when they did this.

He knew that the two left so they could discuss this by themselves. They wouldn't sign to each other, leaving him in the dark, and with them not in the room he couldn't give lip reading a try.

He hated it when he was reminded of his handicap.

Eren slipped over to the hallway where they had gone to and peeked in. He saw the two of them arguing, or yelling more than arguing. Mikasa was pissed, and Armin was trying to calm down, but that was all Eren could tell. He couldn't hear what it was they were saying, if Armin was talking sense into her or if she was beating him down.

He couldn't tell, and he hated it so much.

"He'll be fine!"

"You don't know that. What if- to the-?" Reading lips could only get him so far, and it wasn't helping him any here. He could barely get a word in, and with how fast they were talking, it was a surprise that he got as much as he did.

Eren looked away and left the room. He got out of the house, because at least that way he could breathe fresh air, even if it was cold. He didn't bother putting shoes or a jacket on, because he only sat on the porch steps, but, after a while, he wished he had. He wanted to go back inside to at least get a coat, but he didn't want to run the risk of seeing his only family fighting. It was extremely uncomfortable for him, and he didn't want to cause any more trouble than he already had.

It was ridiculously cold, and he cuddled into himself for warmth. He settled his knees against his chest, his feet crunching the autumn leaves under them. He only knew that because he felt it, not because he heard it.

Why was it so difficult for him? Why couldn't he just hear like everyone else in the world? Maybe then his life wouldn't be so difficult. Maybe then Mikasa wouldn't treat him like a child, and maybe then he could go on one harmless date with someone he actually liked. It was hard enough trying to make friends, but to date someone was another subject entirely. This was something new to him, new and exciting, and he wanted to experience it for himself.

He just wanted to be normal. Why was that so hard for everyone to understand?

There were vibrations behind him. Eren sighed and waited for whoever it was to sit down beside him, and so they did. He looked to the side to see Armin taking a seat beside him, a blanket in his hands that he threw over Eren's shoulders. Eren signed his thank you to him, and Armin smiled and nodded his head.

"I talked to Mikasa. She's says it's okay for you to go on a date with Levi again." Armin signed for him. Eren smiled, but it was bitter and utterly lacking in happiness. Armin had seen clowns with better smiles, and their smiles were painted on. "What's wrong?" Armin asked once he saw the anxiety in Eren's eyes.

"I hate it when you two fight." Eren signed and looked out to the street.

"Eren, it's okay. People are obligated to fight every now and again. You and Mikasa do it all of the time. It just means that your relationship is healthy." He had to admit that the joke brought something akin to a smile on Eren's cheeks, but remembering that Eren and Mikasa's relationship was far from healthy only made his smile weak. His muscles tightened, a barely visible gesture, but it was a minimal something to his friend.

"I just don't like it." He explained.

"I know, Eren, I know. If it makes you feel any better, neither of us is upset. You don't need to be anxious or worried about how we feel; you'll make yourself sick doing that."

"I can't help it. Don't you ever feel that way?"

"Every time I see you and Mikasa fight," Armin sighed and scooted closer to his friend, sneaking his way under the blanket for warmth, but Eren was more than willing to share with him and cover him up.

"I don't mean to upset you... I just get so..."

"Cornered?" Armin asked.

"Yeah..."

"I can imagine..." Armin lifted his head up to look at the stars in the sky. Eren followed his lead, and the two watched the cloudless sky and the stars in awe. It was silent for a few minutes, and it only broke when Armin lifted his hand to sign. "Dinner is ready inside. Ready to eat?"

"I don't know if I can face Mikasa right now." Eren signed and looked away from the sky. Just the idea of having to see Mikasa let alone have a possible conversation with her made his stomach twist in knots.

"You know what they say Eren. When you fall off of a horse, you have to get right back on." Armin rein-cited and he stood up, letting the blanket drop from his body. Eren shivered when the cold met the warm part of his body that Armin once was, and he huddled back into the blanket to stay warm.

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that when you're afraid of something you love, you need to face it head on, or you'll be afraid of it for the rest of your life." Armin said. "If I seriously stayed afraid of books, I would never love them as much as I do now."

"Armin. It was a paperweight book that fell on your head after the wind knocked it off of the windowsill."

"Hey, it was still traumatizing!" Armin whined as the two made their way inside.

"So was the dead mouse I found in my shoe, but you don't see me walking around with just a pair of socks on!" Eren teased. Armin groaned and trudged down the hallway, disappearing behind the archway to the kitchen. Eren looked inside, and Mikasa was already setting the table, the food out and looking delicious.

When Mikasa cooked, she surely went all out.

"Everything looks great, Mikasa." Armin said as he sat down at his usual chair. Mikasa nodded her head, her usual apathetic expression set on her face, one that was normal for her when she and Eren weren't in a bitter rivalry. She looked up to see Eren standing in the archway, looking at the floor and nervously shifting his feet back and forth.

Mikasa sighed and smiled as she walked over to her brother. Seeing her legs prompted Eren to lift his head, watching her lifting her arms out for him. Eren gladly accepted the hug, softly laying his head down on his sister's shoulder and sighing quietly in her warm embrace. He vaguely felt the vibrations of her heart beating within her chest, and the sensation easily soothed his raged nerves.

When he felt a little nudge at his side, he regretfully lifted his head.
Mikasa stood back a little and motioned to him with her hand. She placed it over her chest and rubbed, her apology serious by the look of regret on her face. Eren nodded his head and placed it down on her shoulder again.

"It's okay..."

Levi rubbed at his eyes, a groan escaping him in irritation. He bothered to look up from his book, only to find it pitch black outside. He chanced a glance at the clock, and he cursed to himself as he shut his book.

"Fuck, when did it get so late?" He questioned himself and slipped his book under the counter. "Tomorrow then..." He patted the book and sighed as he walked back to the office.

The door was cracked open, and when he looked inside, Hanji was out cold, sitting upright in his chair with her boot-covered feet on his desk. He internally grimaced as he walked over to her, picking up the fallen books on the floor that she had been reading. Leave it to her to read six lengthy books in one day; Levi could barely handle just one. He set the books aside on his desk and looked at her.

Regardless of her energetic personality when she was awake, her sleeping form was much like when she was awake; sprawled in all sorts of odd positions with drools hanging at the corners of her mouth, probably from excitement. What could she possibly dream about now that she didn't think of when she was awake? Wasn't it enough during the day to give her a peaceful night's sleep, unless this is what she called peaceful.

"Hanji!" Levi yelled at the top of his lungs. Hanji suddenly startled from her sleep, her legs kicking her away from the desk and knocking her to the floor where the books no longer lay. Levi then wondered if those books were there to break her fall in case something like that were to happen, but he didn't necessarily care at the moment. She was still making a mess.

"Oh shit, was that you, Levi?" She asked as she sat up, rubbing the small of her back from the impact.

"Yeah, you're sleeping on my shit." Levi growled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wow, I didn't know you could get that loud." She mused and stood up. As if the situation never happened, Hanji stretched her arms over her head, sighing when her back cracked in all of the right places. "Hmm, what time is it?"

"Time for you to get a fucking watch."

"Really, Levi...? That's an old line."

"I'm an old man." Levi muttered as he picked up the chair she fell out of. "It's past eight, so we're open late. We need to go."

"Oh boy," The women mused and sauntered out of the office.

"Oh sure, leave me with your shit." Levi growled out.

"My revenge for you waking me up!" Hanji hollered from the store. Levi rolled his eyes and glanced at his desk, making sure nothing he needed was there. Usually nothing ever was, but there was something different this time.

"Hey, Hanji," Levi called out.

"Yes...?" Hanji poked her head back into the room, watching Levi pick up the little sticky note that was sitting against the office phone.

"What's this number?" He asked.

"Armin called earlier today. He said that was Eren's cell number, so text him when you're ready for another date." Hanji recalled the exact words the boy had said, and with that, she left the room again. This gave Levi some alone time to think about this.

This was Eren's cell number, and he had been given permission to text Eren. He momentarily thought it'd be polite to call him, but remembering that he couldn't hear, he thought against it. Why his own sister tried to call him in the first place was beyond his understanding.

However, the ball was now in Levi's court so to speak. He could take the bait and ask Eren when he'd be free for another date, or he could crumble the number up, throw it out, and act like this never happened. He never intended for things to get this far, and they weren't that far at all. It was still early, early enough to where he could simply say no and end it, but did he really want to? Eren was interesting, and it wasn't often when someone had the galls to stand up to him and yell. Eren was nowhere near normal, but maybe that's why he liked the kid, because everyone in the world was the same, and he stood out unlike any other.

Levi sighed. He pulled his phone out from his pocket and quickly dialed the number on the paper.

"Hey, is this Eren's number?" He typed out and hit send. Just as his finger hit the button, his body froze. The message sent in seconds, and this left him questioning his decision. He hadn't thought everything through, and now it was too late.

"Levi, are you coming or what?" Hanji called out from the store. Levi stuffed his phone back into his pocket and tore up the note to throw away. He then shut off all of the lights in the office and locked the door.

"Coming," Levi said. Hanji offered his coat to him, and Levi took it and pulled it on quickly. It was getting too cold not to wear it. "Hey, can I ask a favor of you...?" He suddenly asked.

"Of course, anything for you. What do you need?" Hanji asked. Levi lingered on his question, remaining quiet as the two of them walked out of the store. Levi locked the doors, his head falling to rest against the cold glass, and Hanji hummed in confusion. "Levi...?"

"... Would you be willing to teach me sign language?" Levi asked, his breath a dense fog in the cold weather.

"Huh...?" She uttered in surprise. Levi stayed quiet, because he knew that her brain would form the correct response soon enough, and it did, though he was utterly terrified by the grin that spread her lips.

"Stop it."

"Sure, I can teach you, but I am curious. This doesn't have anything to do with Eren, does it?" She asked and chuckled when Levi rolled his eyes.

"It could be useful in the near future." Bad choice of words.

"So you do plan on seeing him again; I knew it." Hanji twirled on her feet and cheered in happiness, but Levi didn't see why. She wasn't the one with a date.

"Stop it, Hanji. I just want to talk to the kid without the use of a notebook, that's it." Levi groaned. Hanji continued to giggle and cheer behind him when Levi felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at it, seeing the new number he had written out a few minutes prior.

Eight fifteen p.m.:

"Yeah, who's this?"

Levi sighed as he began typing. His only response was his name, and he hit send with the feeling of his heart fluttering afterwards. Little did he know that he wasn't the only one reacting so erratically; Eren was on his end jumping up and down on his bed at the thought that Levi had texted him.

"So will you do it or not?" Levi looked away from his phone and asked, but he was surprised by Hanji's face right by his, her eyes looking down at his phone. "Hanji!"

"Who are you talking to?" She asked as Levi stepped back.

"It's none of your Goddamn business." Levi growled and shoved his phone into his pocket. "Are you going to help me or not? Because I'll find someone else to teach me if you don't." He threatened and started walking to his car.

"No, no, I'll teach you. I have no problems with that." Hanji insisted with a grin. She walked over to her car and waved, and Levi rolled his eyes and turned to his own car to ignore her. "Tell Eren I said 'hi'!" Hanji yelled back at him before jumping into her car.

Levi scoffed as he got inside of his shitty car and turned it on to warm it up. It was freezing, and he hated it that his car took ten minutes before anything resembling hot air came out of the vents.

"I need a new fucking car." He grumbled to himself and leaned his head back into the seat. His phone went off in his pocket, and Levi momentarily forgot that he had been talking to Eren in the first place. He pulled out his phone to look at it, only to temporarily be blinded by the bright screen.

Eight eighteen p.m.:

"How did you get my number? Not that it's a bad thing or anything like that, I was just confused..."

Levi rolled his eyes. Even over a text message, the kid could ramble.

"Your little friend, Arlert, ratted you out. He left your number and told me to text you and ask about another date." Levi hit send and leaned back again. He needed to get home and wash up before he fell asleep in his car. "Wouldn't be the first time though..." He muttered to himself. He was surprised by the phone going off again; Eren must have been fast at typying, because his message wasn't even a minute later.

Eight nineteen p.m.:

"Wait, a date? You mean soon?"

Levi's response was less than obvious.

"No, ten years from now." Levi hit send and continued to type. "I was talking about sometime this week, maybe Thursday again. I have off that day and Hanji is running the store, so we can do something earlier."

Levi was tired of waiting for his car to warm up. With his seat belt securely fastened and his car in gear, he went straight there. He cursed at the red lights and the idiot drivers nearby, and he nearly flipped one off had it not been for the cop off to the side. He was just glad he didn't live so far away, or he'd have no choice but to speed. He couldn't afford another speeding ticket.

Truly. He could barely afford to feed himself.

When he got home, it was no surprise that there was a text from Eren. There was one from Hanji, and he decided against reading that first.

Eight twenty-six p.m.:

"That'd be great! I usually finish my schoolwork at eleven, so anything after that is fine."

Levi sighed, somehow relieved that Eren had said yes.

"Thursday it is then. How does one sound?"

Levi got out of his car and made his way to his apartment. He hated the place, but after a full day of mind numbing reading, the place was heaven, and his front door was heaven's gate. Upon opening the door, the clean and spotless apartment was a sight for his sore eyes. He made a b-line straight for his bed, and he didn't even bother changing into his pajamas. He stripped down until he was only in his undergarments and dropped to his bed. Of course he had his phone with him, and the thing buzzed twice while he was getting undressed, so it was only necessary to check his messages before passing out.

Eight thirty p.m.:

"Sounds good. What are we going to do?"

Levi sighed.

"I hadn't really thought about it. You pick what you want to do and I'll go along with it. For now, I'm going to bed."

If Eren wasn't so fast at texting, Levi would have been out like a light, but the buzzing in his hand was only a minor distract.

Eight thirty-one p.m.:

"Okay. Sleep well, Levi."

Levi's lips barely spread in a tired smile as he replied

"You too, brat." After hitting send, Levi was reminded that Hanji had sent him something. Levi knew that the chances of it being something really dumb and off topic were very high, but he had to check just in case.

The message was a photo with text under it. Levi remembered falling asleep at some point during the day, and Hanji had taken liberty to take a picture of his sleeping face with his books under him, one page stuck against his skin from sitting there so long. Levi's eyes twitched, and he was very afraid of what he was about to read.

"I took the liberty of saving Eren's number in my phone. I'll send this to him in the morning. Ugh! You are too cute!"

"I'm gonna kill her..." Levi grumbled, but he was too tired to truly care at the moment.

A/N: Ffuffles...

Coming soon to a computer screen near you... Most likely the one you're looking at now.