Late September 1998

It was her second day at her new school and so far it was going great. Meeting Levi again was so awesome. She hadn't thought she would see him again, what are the chances? And she had made a few other friends. Hanji was walking to lunch with her newest friend Nifa when she saw her biology lab partner from yesterday. "Hey Moblit!" She called as he stopped to wait for the two girls. "How are you?"

"Good. So uh–" He was interrupted by another kid slamming his shoulder into him as he passed. Nifa stepped to the side of the hallway to avoid being caught by a stumbling Moblit.

"Rude!" Hanji called angrily after the kid.

"It's fine Hanji. Floch just an ass." Moblit pulled her along into the cafeteria quickly.

She shook her head at Moblit and Nifa's avoidance of the incident and decided to let it go for now. "Do you know Levi Ackerman?" She asked them.

Nifa paused, caught off guard by her question. "Uh, not really. Why? Is he bothering you or something?"

"No, no, I wanted to sit with him–" gesturing towards Levi and Furlan.

Moblit asked her almost harshly. "Why do you want to sit with them?"

"Levi's my friend." Hanji explained. "From when I was little."

"Yeah but they're like… bad news." Nifa explained to her. "Those guys are always getting into fights, drugs and gang affiliated and stuff."

"What?" Hanji said surprised and shook her head. "Levi's not like that."

She looked over at him, he met her gaze but scowled at her. "Maybe not when you knew him." Moblit told her. "But he is now. He gets into fights, always in trouble, you should avoid them."

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly annoyed by the scowl. "Fine, we won't sit with them. But I'm telling you Levi's fine." as she let her two newest friends drag her to their table.

"Hi guys," Nifa greets the two other kids who were sitting at the table they had walked up to. "This is Hanji, she's new. Hanji, this is Cenzie and Abel."

She really liked her new group of friends. Cenzie and Abel were funny and Nifa was one of the sweetest people she knew. Moblit was awesome, he was like a carbon copy of her in a lot of ways. He was also nerdy– loved bio, but he was much quieter than her. Still it was fun listening to an argument Nifa had started between the boys by asking her if she preferred Star Wars or Star Trek.

When lunch is almost over she throws out her trash and goes over to Levi and Furlan's table. "Hey Furlan." She says with a smile sitting down right next to Levi but pointedly ignoring him despite his proximity.

"Go away four eyes."

"Hey Hanji." Furlan said with a grin his eyes sliding between the pair of old friends amused. "How's your second day going?"

"Pretty good, I made some friends in biology class." She told him easily, still ignoring the glare Levi was giving her now. "Hope you're not offended. I ditched my first friend here at lunch today." She purposely emphasized the D in friend to annoy him.

"Oi!" Levi growled at her.

"Not at all." Furlan grinned thoroughly amused and genuinely happy. "I'm glad to be your friend now."

"Aw you're so nice. I'm so glad that midget I used to know introduced us." She smiled largely at him.

Levi, who had had enough at this point and grabbed her by the back of the head and turned it to face him. Their faces are mere inches apart. "You made your point, shitty glasses."

"Oh hey shorty, didn't see you there." Giving him an innocent lopsided grin as if he just sat down.

He rolled his eyes shoving her face away from him as she and Furlan burst out into laughter. "Original." He said getting up to throw his trash.

"Pot meet kettle!" She shot back from behind him.

"Are you guys free after school?" She asked as she walked to her next class beside Furlan and Levi.

"I'm not sorry, I got practice." Furlan said apologetically.

"Too bad. Levi?"

"No."

"Come on!" She nearly whined.

"No shithead." He scowls at her like that does anything.

"Why not?"

"Cause I'm not hanging out with your crazy ass."

"You're doing that right now."

"No, fuck off and leaving me alone." Then he stalked off in the opposite direction.

"Sorry about him." Furlan told her. "I don't know why he's being an ass to you."

Hanji watched his retreating form. "He's not an ass." She said finally. "He might act tough but he's the nicest guy I know. Or at least he was." She huffed a little annoyed and maybe even kinda hurt.

"Look, a lot happened when you were gone." Furlan said carefully.

"I know, I know, it's just he seemed fine about it yesterday." She sighed.

"He was fine about it yesterday." He agreed, "he's just… an ass when shit changes, that's all Hanji."

Early Winter 1989

"Hey mom," Levi asked her as he ate his cereal. "Hanji wants me to come over to her house today. Can I please?"

"I don't know dear. I have work today." His mother told him gently.

"But Hanji said I could come over after you're done with the house!" He tried his best not to whine and mostly failed.

"What does her parents say? I haven't met either of them, you know." Kuchel asked pointedly.

Levi pulled a carefully folded paper. "Here's their number, Hanji said you call to talk to them if you wanted."

Kuchel sighed. It wasn't often Levi was this adamant about going over anyone's house or making friends in general. In fact it was the first time it had happened since the start of the school. Other than when some of his little league teammates invited him over, he showed very little interest in socializing or making friends. "Fine. I'll call them, but you have to come with me to work and can only go if I like them and they agree." She warned him.

"Thanks mom!" He hugged her and ran off to his room to get ready for the day.

Levi was always amazed at the Clients' houses. They were huge. So much bigger than the tiny one bedroom apartment he and his mom shared. He knew the drill, as he grabbed one of the bags, his mother had to take him with her whenever she couldn't get anyone to watch him. He didn't mind. He liked spending time with his mother and she would tell him stories to keep him occupied while she worked. He tried to help as much as she would allow especially today when he really wanted to get out of there so he could go hang out with Hanji.

"Like this Levi." His mother's hand closed over his and pulled it up higher on the window. "Always start from the top, that way the extra water drips down and you can wipe away the smears easier."

He nodded and continued working.

"In a hurry today?" She asked teasingly.

"Yeah." He answered, totally serious. "I told you mom I want to hang out with Hanji."

His mom hummed in understanding. "You're close with Hanji?"

He shrugged. "She is my friend, most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

Her son wrinkled his nose. "Well when she is not being an idiot or a slob." Kuchel burst out laughing.

Kuchel wasn't sure what she was expecting when she took Levi to the Zoe's house. Her son rarely talked about school, mostly just grunting that 'it was fine, mom.' He had three people he had talked about. Another boy he was appearly sitting next to early in the year that he referred to as Colt the Dolt, then she started hearing about a kid he would vehemently complain about he called Glasses and finally over the last few months there was his seemingly only friend Hanji. So when she saw the lanky girl dart over to her son. She was extremely taken aback to see the large glasses on her face.

"Urgh don't you dare touch me with that, Glasses!" Levi cried as he darted away from whatever the girl was chasing her with.

"Hanji leave him alone." Her mother called after the two kids. "Don't go near the road!"

"Hello, I'm Kuchel. Levi's mom."

"Beth, thanks for dropping him off. Hanji was very excited about this." Beth told her. "I've heard all about it all week."

"I apologize that Levi's been calling her glasses. And I'm sorry, but I find it funny that the only two classmates he talks about were 'Glasses' and Hanji. I didn't know 'Glasses' and Hanji were the same person until right now."

Beth laughed. "Oh, no, don't worry about it. Hanji refers to your son as Shorty half the time. From the stories that she tells me, they seem like quite a pair."

Kuchel found herself nodding in agreement. She thought it may be more than that. Levi might have his first crush.

Late September 1998

"Hey, Levi!" Hanji said way too excited and energetic as dropped down in the chair beside him.

Levi grunted in response, determined to ignore her from now on. He figured it wouldn't take too long to shake her off. She had always had an easy time making friends. He had happened to see her talking to another girl when he had first gotten to school and she had sat with those nerdy kids at lunch yesterday. She'd be fine. Class started and Levi slipped down further into his chair, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling and plan his escape at the end of class. He jerked as Hanji kicked him under the table. He glared over at her. She nodded down to the desk in front of him. He saw the note she had pushed in front of him.

Imagine making every live decision like Juliet. Idk who to marry, I'll just choose the random dude walking by. Idk what I'll do for the rest of my life, oh look a garbage man, I'll do that.

Levi looked down at the paper. He had no idea they were even talking about Romeo and Juliet in class to be honest. He wrote back:

Dumb rich brats are always dumb rich brats.

Hanji cracked a small grin; Romeo falls in love as fast as he see a new girl

Nothing to do for rich boy but fuck back then. - Levi

Thirsting over a 13 year old is always gross tho - Hanji

"Mr. Ackerman." The teacher called and Levi groaned. "Thoughts on the scene?"

"It's gross chasing after a 13 year old." He said boredly. The teacher blinked, surprised that he answered and answered correctly. He had actually known what said scene was thanks to Hanji and was able to answer for the first time all year instead of just ignoring the teacher until she called on someone else. Hanji slipped the note back in front of him as the teacher turned away.

Fucking someone solely to piss off your parents i esp. After only knowing him for a day! - Hanji

Letting the guy who you've only know for 24 hours get you pregnant is crazy

-Levi

She takes a potion that would likely have killed the baby since it helped her fake her death which will get them both killed - Hanji

He wrote back: Way to spoil the rest of the story

Please you weren't listening

Cause you're distracting me…

Hanji did the mature thing and stuck her tongue out at him. He picks up the pen to write back but he felt the teacher's eyes on them again and he knew they had been caught once again.

"Hanji, care to tell us what Shakespeare means…" Levi didn't really understand the rest of the old English shit their teacher had said, but Hanji deftly answered with ease and confidence she's always possessed in the classroom and he's always lacked. He tries to take the opportunity to reset and focus on what he had actually wanted to do. She's a nice distraction but he is still not going to be friends with just because Hanji's more interesting than the most boring class on the planet.

Early October 1998

Levi was almost out of the school when Hanji appeared in front of him out of nowhere. "Hey Levi, come to the mall with me and Moblit."

Levi groaned internally he had almost successfully avoided Hanji again. "I'm good, Shitty Glasses." He brushed her off. He had been mostly successful in brushing her off and distancing himself from her since she had joined the school. Still she wiggled past all of his attempts to completely stone wall her so far. Too damn stubborn and her glasses too shitty for her to see subtly and leave him alone.

Hanji rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms. "I'm not asking Levi, I want you to hang out with me." She told him like he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Can't." He said through clenched teeth, trying to side step her.

But Hanji slid in front of him again. "Why not? Furlan said he's got football practice but you'd be free." She said pointedly. "Besides, you already blew me off when I asked you to hang out with me and Furlan two days ago."

Hanji and Furlan had hung out? That was news to him. He narrowed his eyes further in annoyance. "Don't have a ride home."

"I can give you a ride. Come on, Shorty! I'm not going to let this go." She gave him a look that told him, they'd be standing her all day and he'd miss his bus anyway if he kept arguing with her.

He gave her a long look, he sighed. "Fine, Shitty Glasses."

"Mature." She smirked back. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him along with her.

He cursed himself internally for getting himself in this mess with Shitty Glasses and– "What's a Moblit anyway?" He asked.

She punched him in the shoulder. "My friend, Dumbass. Why do I know more people than you do?"

"I don't like people."

"You're friends with me and Furlan."

"Neither of you have given me much of a choice in the matter." He grumbled, her literally dragging him down the hallway proving his point. He was surprised to see that the snot-nosed kid he had shoved into the locker the same day he met Hanji again was waiting for them. "Moblit, this is my childhood best friend Levi. Levi, this is Moblit."

They look at each other awkwardly. Oh yeah, this is going to be fun, he thought sarcastically.

"The others might join us after band." Hanji told him.

"Who's 'others'?" he asked even more apprehensively than before.

To say it was awkward would be one of the biggest understatements of Levi's life. Moblit clearly didn't like him after he had shoved him, but Hanji was seemingly oblivious to this. For his part he figured he'd stick it out for an hour or so and then come up with some excuse to leave. Unfortunately for him, Hanji didn't let him get away. She dragged him and Moblit around to look at different stores, blathering their ears off. Finally settling for an ice cream place to get something to eat from.

"What do you want, Shorty?" She asked him as he stood back away from the counter.

"Don't want anything." He shrugged distastefully.

"Too bad I'm going to get you something. Do you still like vanilla?"

"I'm fine, Shitty Glasses." He repeated with more force.

Hanji rolled her eyes and walked up to order. Levi sighed and sat down in a corner booth. The Moblit kid came over and sat awkwardly on the far other side with a cone of mint ice cream. Levi studied the picture on the wall avoiding him. Three more teens came in and walked over to their table.

"Hey Moblit." The girl with strawberry blonde hair said.

Moblit smiled at them. "Hey guys."

The two girls and guy sat down with him. The other girl was a tall blonde. He recognized her from his history class last year as Cenzie and the guy looked nearly as geeky as Moblit. He wasn't interested in talking to either of them and his gaze went to Hanji, who was idly talking to the cashier as she waited for her ice cream. It had always impressed him how she could just talk to anyone while he struggled to talk to Furlan. She came back over with two ice creams.

"Hey guys!" She greeted her other friends excitedly as she slid in the booth next to him.

"Yeah yeah, but I decided you need a little sugar and color in your life." She said as she pushed a vanilla with rainbow sprinkles over to him.

He scowled at her, but took it anyway. She and her friends talked and he just listened. He didn't really like being here with them and they weren't about to start talking to him. Hanji had tried to include him in the conversation but he hadn't been very responsive to her either. They eventually began to walk around to other stories again. Hanji dropped back to walk with him before he could slip away. "Come on," She said, grabbing his arm and led him down a different aisle in Primark.

They were heading towards the back of the store into the clearance selection. "Sorry, if you're not having fun. I know you don't like crowds." She said as she idly picked through hoodies.

He knew her, still after all these years, she avoided looking him in the eye as she said it and fidgeting with the clothes meant she felt bad about it. "Tch." He hesitated, not sure how to respond to her. "The ice cream wasn't that shit." He finally offered after a long pause.

She flashed him a grin. "This seems like your style." She showed him a faux leather jacket with pink and purple fringes on the arms.

"Fuck off Shitty Glasses." He snorted in disgust, shoving it out of his face.

She laughed for real this time at his reaction. He threw a random shirt at her. It was almost a nice feeling laughing with her. But there was a knot in his gut that told him that he should have pushed her away. That it was better–easier that way. At the same time he can't push her away. He tries and struggles to do it. Hanji is still Hanji and stubbornness is one of her worst qualities. She wears him down. She wore him down convincing him to come here today and he should have said no. The problem was that when he was with Hanji he got so fucking nostalgic for better times, like back in his childhood hang out with her. Back when he still had his mom and it's enough to let him pretend that he has a normal enough life like he did back then. He knew it wouldn't do him any good. He needed to get past this draw he felt toward her and move on with his real life. Hanji would be fine. She had already made plenty of friends and that Moblit kid could follow her now. She didn't need him to weigh her down.

"Big bro!" Isabel exclaimed excitedly seeing Levi come into the group home where she and Fulan lived.

"Brat." He ruffled her hair.

"Hey, man." Furlan smiled at him. "How was—

He was cut off by Isabel. "Oo! Oo! I gotta show you my tiger!" She jumped up to grab her backpack.

Levi raised an eyebrow in question at Furlan. "Her art project." Furlan explained. "Its like actually pretty good."

Isabel brought back over her paper mache tiger painting in bright colors and polka dots. "Look look, Ms. Smith said they live in dreamland and they're to protect us from nightmares and stuff so we could paint them any way we want and…" she launched into an explanation on every color and shape she had painted on her tiger. Levi and Furlan had no choice other than to nod along with the excited 10 year old.

"I gotta go Isabel." Levi told her after. "Furlan, I need to talk to you now." He ruffled Isabel's hair and got up letting Furlan follow him outside.

They were in the back alley of the group home. Usually some of the older kids came out here to get high but they were thankful alone tonight. Furlan pulled out a box of cigarettes and lit one, taking a puff. He knew better than to offer it to Levi. He found them disgusting and Levi was already wrinkling his nose at him.

"When were you going to tell me you and Hanji hung out?" Levi asked him point blank.

Furlan took another puff before answering with a shrug. "Didn't know I had."

Levi glared at his friend. He could feel his patience waning at his nonchalant-ness. "I told you to stay away from her."

Furlan had the audacity to smirk at him and let out a low whistle. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you sound jealous, Levi."

"Shut. the fuck. up." He growled, balling his fists.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Don't worry. I'm not going to date her. I genuinely only want to be her friend."

"Furlan, I swear to god, if you get her involved in your dumb shit in any way or hurt her. I will beat the living shit out of you."

"Hey, maybe you should try being nicer to her then. Cause it hurts her feelings when you just push her away all the sudden when you're all buddy buddy in English class." He snapped at Levi.

"I hung out with her today."

Furlan snorted. "You were practically forced to."

"I told you I didn't want to be her friend so stop pushing it so hard and stop being friends with her."

"You don't get to decide that! She's the one that can decide that, not you."

"I mean it, Furlan. She's too good for the shit we're involved in. Leave her alone."

"How do you know if she doesn't smoke or drink? Or—" He would have said more but Levi cut him off with a snarl.

"I know she's not a fucking orphan, I know she's got both parents who are well off. I know she's not selling weed and hanging around with gang bangers. So stay the fuck away from her." He pushed past him.

"Take your own advice then! You're the one leading her on with this hot and cold shit." Furlan yelled after him.