A/N: Hellooooooo~! I know, I missed last week. Good explanations! However, I've said this once before on my tumblr. XD If you don't follow me already, and you don't have to, you can go look for me as "mistyhollowpro." Like I said, you don't have to follow me, but it's there so you have updates on my stories and you know why they're late. xp I'm very busy though, and teeeechnically I'm supposed to be studying right now. I'm not, but that's what I'm supposed to be doing. XD Anyway, have an awesome week!

-Misty

Song of the Day: One More Night

By: Maroon 5 (I think this is the first song I've ever posted that's from an American band. X'D)

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 Nine: Autumn Winds

Levi didn't see Eren again until late into October. He didn't get any text messages, and he didn't get any calls. Armin stopped coming by too, and without the two of them visiting the bookstore every few days, it became quiet. He didn't bother trying to text or call, especially call. He knew Eren wouldn't be able to hear him anyway, and texting just left an open window. This left him completely alone with barely anyone to talk to. The only chance he got to talk to someone was Hanji, who was continuing her lessons on sign language with him.

He had explained to her that he didn't need it, that he and Eren would continue to use a notebook (because she didn't know that he broke up with the kid), but she insisted, saying that it didn't matter if it was for Eren or not. Sign language was a useful skill to have, and he couldn't really disagree with her on that one. So he gave in willingly to her and continued the lessons.

They were never very long, maybe fifteen minutes or so, but Levi would rather take a fifteen minute lesson than an hour lesson. What Hanji could pack into a measly fifteen minutes was astounding, something a professor would put into an hour with great detail, but he'd never show the surprise. Lessons from her were challenging enough, and the further into them and into the language they got, the more confusing it soon became.

"Levi, this is important! It's not just about the hand signals; facial expressions help communicate a lot more than you realize!" Hanji bellowed while trying to get the older man's attention. Levi rolled his eyes and looked away from the broom in his hands to look at the women.

"Hanji, any other time is fine, but I've got shit to do right now." Levi groaned and rolled his eyes. The woman was persistent though; he wasn't really sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Just this one thing." Hanji said. "Come on, it's important." When she flashed her outdated puppy-dog look, Levi groaned in defeat. Her look was nowhere near as good as Eren's, and it definitely didn't work, but she wouldn't leave him alone until he listened. He figured that the sooner he got this over with, the sooner he can sweep away the leaves from outside.

"Fine," He sighed and leaned against the pole of the broom for leverage. He wasn't going to stand on all of his weight if he had to listen to this, and he was going to do his damn best to get his point across.

"Perfect! Okay, so we're coming off on 'don't like' now. This one is important, because it's similar to 'like,' but has that extra step, and, of course, the facial expressions." Hanji explained with a beaming smile. Levi's response was one he always had: A blank expression with a long frown on his thin lips. "We're going to need extra time for your facial expressions."

"Get on with it, shitty glasses." Levi ordered and threatened to hit her with the broom.

"Okay, okay! So do you remember the signal for 'like'?" She asked. Levi pulled his hand up to his chest, pressed his middle finger and thumb together, and held his hand in place.

"That, right?" The older man asked.

"Perfect!" Hanji praised him with enthusiasm. "Now, do you remember the alternative?" She asked. Levi's answer was the alternative way of signaling it, and Hanji nodded her head approvingly. "Right. This is where facial expressions come in though."

"It's not just 'like,' it has to be with an expression. 'I don't like that, I do like that. I like you, I don't like you. What do you like?' These are all really important."

"Uh huh..." Levi had a feeling that she mentioned the "like you" pieces just to mess with him. Truly she was a sadistic woman hidden behind her goofy glasses.

"Levi, it's serious. Think about it; when Eren signed something, weren't his emotions worn on his sleeve?" Hanji asked. At the mention of his name, Levi looked down at the hairs of the broom he was still leaning on. The silence that fell over them was engrossed with tension, and Hanji knew that she had pushed all of the wrong buttons for him.

Levi had been rather touchy about the subject of Eren since their last date, but Levi never said why. He didn't say where they went or what they did; granted, he didn't say anything about their first date either, but this time he wasn't trying to torture her. All Hanji knew was that neither Eren nor Armin had been to the book store since then, and that Levi just didn't want to talk about it.

"... I'm going to clean outside..." Levi mumbled and collected his broom. He left a very quiet Hanji to herself inside to finish her previous job of... Whatever it was that the women had been doing before she decided it was time for his lessons. He had an important job to do, and that was getting all of the fallen leaves off of the sidewalk in front of the store and give it a somewhat "respectful" appearance. It was a bookstore, so there wasn't much to the appearance, but he appreciated it if it was organized.

Once outside with his sweater zipped up, Levi took a moment to gaze at the surroundings, having nothing better to so. The leaves had fully changed in an array of colors: Yellows, reds, browns, and oranges, and most of them were dropping to the ground at an alarming rate. A tree had been growing next door at a small gift shop, and its branches leaned over the fence dividing the two stores just enough to drop all of its annoying leaves on the sidewalk, his sidewalk. Every year it became a challenge to clean the damn things up, and no matter how much he swept them up, there was always more. This situation was much like his complaining; no matter how much he complained, no one did a damn thing.

Levi sighed and bunched up the white scarf around his neck even tighter. It wasn't as cold as it had been in September, but it was damn near getting to it. It wasn't even this bad early in the morning when he got up; hell, it was colder in his own apartment than it was outside. He was forced to pull out a portable heating unit he kept in his closet for when the heating in the damn building didn't work, and at this point in time the heat hadn't been turned on yet. That just said how cold it was.

Regardless, Levi positioned the broom in his hands and forced it through the first trudge of leaves. There must have been dozens of leaves on the ground already, and it was only eleven in the morning. Hadn't he swept up already when they first got there? He was sure he did, but maybe he hadn't. Or maybe he had and the neighbors wouldn't cut the branches off of their damn tree.

"Fucking hell..." He quietly cursed to himself. As Levi continued to sweep up the leaves into what was becoming a massive pile growing taller than him, people walked by with their everyday lives. Levi was no stalker; of course not, but he entertained himself with watching the people walking by and listening to their conversations. Some of them were funny, others were rude, and others he just didn't need to hear.

"Dude, she was fucking wild! I'm talking something from a fucking porn movie wild!"

"Why can't I get action like you? You make it seem so fucking easy."

"Maybe because you openly talk like that when there are kids around." Levi wasn't one to interject his thoughts into a private conversation, but these two men were going off like they didn't care that a little girl and her mother were just exiting the gift shop next door, and obviously the mother didn't appreciate their language. Needless to say that they were both flabbergasted, and who would pick a fight with someone who looked like Levi? Sure, he was small, but his expressions made up for it.

And Hanji said he needed to work on that.

When the revolting men were gone, and the woman had thanked Levi for butting in, Levi decided against continuing his ease dropping. It only kept his mind occupied for so long, and when people weren't walking by, his mind wandered elsewhere. He previously reprimanded himself for thinking that way, for thinking about him, but maybe that wasn't so healthy. Maybe he needed to think about Eren in order to get over him.

"Damn it..." Why did he need to get over him in the first place? They had been on two dates, and both were so simple that it really was like friends hanging out. Beyond the kisses they shared, most consisting of being on the cheek, everything was innocent. It was still early enough to not get attached to the kid, so why was he so stuck on this kid? Why had it been almost a month and he was still hung up on him?

It didn't make sense. It just didn't make sense. Why was he still thinking about him after a month? Why couldn't he close his eyes without an image of him appearing in the dark?

Maybe it was what he saw the last time he saw him. Maybe it was the tears. Maybe it was the broken and defeated look in his eyes that plagued him so often, even in his sleep.

Maybe it was the guilt. That had to be it. It had to be the guilt that was making him feel this way. Levi always had a guilty conscious, so it was highly possible that he just felt bad for breaking the poor kid's heart.

That had to be it. It was the only explanation he had for why he felt this way. If it wasn't the reason, then Levi truly had no idea why he was like this. He wasn't about to ask Hanji about it, because he would never hear the end of it if he did, but he was at a loss for what else he could do.

Levi sighed as his focus came back to the task at hand. He had been so unconscious to the world outside of his mind that he hadn't even realized that he had a totally blank expression on his face while he had been sweeping, and he had been sweeping in the same exact spot for lord knows how long. He inwardly cursed at himself; had he really been so focused on Eren for so long that he made a tiny little pile of leaves sitting next to the giant one he swept up half an hour ago?

"This is total bullshit." He growled and tossed the broom into the big pile of leaves. He knew better than to let his mind wander, but he let it happen anyway, and now he was standing outside looking like a fool to whoever walked by. Of course he knew better than to toss away a perfectly good broom into a pile of leaves as well. Now he was the one acting like a child, and he released a heavy sigh of defeat as he picked the broom back up.

It would probably be better for Hanji to do this. Levi thought he could clear his mind by going outside, but obviously it wasn't helping. He needed to get back inside anyway; it was as cold as hell, and his flimsy sweater wasn't enough to keep him warm anymore.

He could lose himself in books instead. Books were a way into another world, where fictional characters had problems that made more sense and the answers were written out, but the answers weren't there until Levi finished reading the story. That's probably why he, as well as Eren and Armin, read so much. It was just an escape into another world, a world he was desperate to find right now.

So, with that goal in mind, he was perfectly okay with going inside. However, a little tug to the back of his sweater stopped him. Levi lifted his stare from the pile of leaves to look behind him, and he wasn't sure anymore if God existed or not at this point. If he did, he really loved to fuck with him.

There behind him stood Eren, covered by a heavy jacket and gloves with his backpack in its normal place. His notebook was trapped between his arms and chest again, and the moment their eyes met, his big eyes averted to the ground, his cheeks already a deep, red color. That could have been the cold though, so Levi paid no mind to it. After not seeing the boy for a month, his eyes were instantly sweeping over the kid, searching for anything different about him. Nothing was of course, minus his hair being a few centimeters longer and the utter shyness he felt towards Levi. Why would Eren be shy around him?

Oh yeah, Levi broke up with him.

"Eren..." Levi mumbled. It wasn't for catching the kid's attention; it was out of his own surprise. What was Eren doing here? It was a weekday, and he wasn't supposed to be here without Armin. With a quick glance around, it was obvious that the blond wasn't here, which meant Eren was alone.

Eren managed to look up, eyes shying away a few times as he stood there. Levi wasn't sure if he was supposed to make the first move and question the kid, but how could he when Eren had his notebook. Levi's signing skills weren't strong enough yet to question Eren's behavior, leaving him totally blind to the situation.

"Uhm..." He hummed, hoping to figure out what it was he was supposed to do. Before he could come up with an answer, however, Eren's arms finally seemed to pry themselves away from his chest, long enough at least to hold out his notebook. Levi looked up at him, trying to catch his stare, but whenever Eren's eyes met his, he looked away. This left Levi with nothing to lead him, no clues to follow as he took the notebook from Eren.

The notebook was already open, leading his eyes to the dirty, white paper inside, paper with words already written down in it. There were multiple scribbles in the book, areas where it looked like the paper and been worn away with an eraser and pencils. Levi looked up at Eren again, but when the boy didn't do anything, didn't sign or speak to him, it occurred to him that he was supposed to read the words written down on the paper.

"Sorry for what happened last month. My sister gets protective of me, and she forgets sometimes to act polite around people..." Levi began reading. He looked up again, just to make sure that it was okay to so this. When Eren didn't say anything against it, his grey eyes fell back onto the paper. "And I'm... Sorry for what happened..."

There were a few sets of scribbles, effectively blocking out what must have been Eren's previous attempts to explain what he wanted to say.

"I know you kind of broke up with me, and I know why, but... I would still like to be friends at least. I like hanging out with you, and I like being around you, so... If you don't hate my guts by now, hopefully we can be friends...?"

Levi lifted his grey eyes back to Eren again. The brunette was fidgety, shifting back and forth on his feet, his fingers twiddling into fists by his sides. His cheeks were even darker than before, an obvious sign that it wasn't just the cold, but embarrassment as well. Or maybe it was

Levi held the notebook out, prompting for another response from him. What he got in lieu of one, instead of an explanation or a pen so he could talk to him, Eren simply nodded his head and turned around.

"Bye, Levy..." He mumbled. Levi was no less than surprised; Eren was leaving? Hadn't he said he wanted to be friends? So why was he suddenly leaving without Levi getting the chance to explain himself.

"Oi, Eren!" Levi called out and grabbed at his shoulder. He spun Eren around, catching the kid by surprise and knocking his notebook from his hand. Eren quickly bent down to retrieve it, but so had Levi, resulting into the two bumping heads rather hard.

"Ouch...!" Eren whined and rubbed his head. Levi ignored the sting he felt radiating from the new forming bruise on his forehead to yank out a pen of his own, one he had hidden in the pocket of his apron buried under his jacket. He forced the notebook open to a blank page so he could have a fresh start with something at least.

"Come get a coffee with me." He wrote down and showed it to Eren. He somehow seemed even more embarrassed by the words, and Eren pointed to himself, as if trying to be sure. Levi nodded, confirming it, and Eren looked away.

"N-No... It's not... A good idea..." He mumbled quietly under his breath. Levi scoffed before grabbing Eren's wrist and yanking him forward. Eren protested from behind him, but after a few useless pulls, some dragging of his feet, and a few attempts to free himself, Eren gave in. He began walking behind Levi, letting himself get pulled along by the older man to the nearest place to get coffee, the one they had gone to before.

Levi didn't let go of him. Once in line, Eren began fidgeting some more, shifting from side to side, balancing on one foot and then the other. Levi wasn't one to care for staring, but he needed a clear mind, and he needed to think. Levi motioned for Eren to sit at the same booth they had sat at before, and with a small whine, Eren did. This gave Levi the time to think while he waited in line and while he ordered.

He got the same thing as last time, because he didn't want to waste time thinking too much about a cup of coffee and water. When he got his things and sat down by Eren, he could already feel the tense atmosphere. It didn't help that Eren had his head down again, his eyes downcast and his hands gripping at his notebook in his lap like it was a safety raft. Levi set his bottle of water down on the table in front of him, and Eren barely looked up at him.

Annoyed, Levi delivered a quick and harsh kick under the table to the kids shin. Eren audibly yipped, receiving stares from people around them who questioned their behavior. Levi was completely cognizant of them, but he didn't care. He was going to get answers, whether Eren liked it or not.

"Give me your notebook." Levi commanded and pointed to the little blue book in Eren's lap. Eren didn't need to hear him to know what he meant though, handing it over to him willingly, along with the pen he had a death grip on. "Okay, first I want to know why you tried to walk off." He wrote down and gave Eren his pen back.

"I thought you wanted me to leave?"

"What did I do to make you think that?" Levi asked. Eren faltered, his eyes falling to the table while his cheeks and ears turned red. "Kid, I get it, okay? I'm old enough to get the whole teenage thing. I did it once or twice."

Seeing Eren's lips twitch with a smile was comforting, a sensation Levi hadn't felt since the last time he saw him. He didn't think Eren had gotten under his skin that much, but he was obviously wrong.

All of this just proved it.

"Eren, pay attention, okay? I don't like repeating myself." Levi wrote. For the first time that day, Eren's eyes met his and stayed there. Eren was giving him his full attention, and somehow that took Levi by surprise. He didn't think that would happen, so now that he had Eren's attention, what was he supposed to do? He had been planning to force the information into the brunette's head, but that was because he thought that Eren wouldn't listen.

Knowing that Eren was listening was actually unnerving... Somehow.

"Eren..." Levi's hand stilled, trying to think of how he wanted to say this. He knew, no matter how he explained himself, he'd come out sounding childish. The trick was to figure out how to say what he wanted to say and sound the least but like a kid. "You understand why I left, right?"

Eren nodded his head, his lips forming a thin line. Levi offered him his pen back, and Eren took it with a shaking hand.

"You said you didn't want to come between me and my family." At the words, Levi shook his head, a sigh leaving his thin lips. He pulled his own pen out from his pocket and began writing, feeling Eren's eyes on him the entire time.

"No, do you understand? Eren, your family is important to you. They're your only family, and that doesn't change. You can't say stuff like that to your sister, because she may not be there tomorrow." Eren was a child, so of course he didn't want to listen to reason. When he looked away, an obvious sign of his stubbornness, Levi kicked him again under the table. "I'm serious, Eren."

"She's so annoying." Eren relented.

"It doesn't matter. Would you rather have her not care at all, even if something bad were to happen to you?" Levi asked, his eyes narrowed with a serious expression. Eren seemed taken aback by the question, eyes widening and curious about the statement

He had never thought of it that way, had he?

"I..." Eren wrote down, but then stopped. He really hadn't thought about it at all, and the stillness of his pen proved it.

"Eren, she's your family. I won't get in the way of that." With the finishing of his words, Eren's eyes fell to his lap, his pen hanging loosely in his fingers. It was only then that Levi realized that Eren had taken that into his own words. He had read something totally different, and although it was partially true, Levi knew.

He knew he couldn't stay away.

"Sorry..." Eren wrote.

"Eren," Levi began and kicked at Eren's shin once more. The yip that escaped him was louder, alerting Levi that he kicked in the same spot. With an annoyed and pointed glance at Levi with gold eyes, the older man continued to write. "I still want to be your friend though."

He felt like such a child for using such words. He felt like this was some kindergarten playtime with two five year olds, and he was nowhere near five. However, the look that formed on Eren's face, the vivid happiness that shined in his big, golden eyes was almost laughable. Levi could have smiled at how happy Eren suddenly was just by this small piece of information.

"Eh...?" Eren sounded out while his eyes moved from the words in the notebook to Levi himself.

"Eren, I told you that I liked you. You're a good kid, and I like hanging out with you." Looking up, Levi saw a small smile spread Eren's lips into a wide grin. He was truly happy to hear all of this, and knowing that Levi was able to make the kid smile like it was Christmas was extremely gratifying. "Besides, even with Hanji at the bookstore, it's still too fucking quiet. It gets boring when you and Arlert aren't there." He added with a smirk.

Eren laughed, his head turning away for a moment. Levi scarcely saw the sight of tears lining the kid's eyes, making them glassy and red. He sighed while waving his hand to catch the brunette's attention. When Eren managed a small, timid look up to the older man, Levi reached forward and brushed his finger under his eye. Eren chuckled under his breath, wiping at the other eye to hide the tears he knew were welling up.

"Stupid kid..." Levi mumbled under his breath, but he didn't want the comment taken into heart.

He was happy to have Eren back.