Almost Want To Love You {Attack on Titan Fanfiction}

Chapter One

    

    Levi took a light sip of his tea. Erwin was mapping out plans for the next mission and had specifically asked that the black-haired captain take a break. Resting never came naturally to Levi, but he did as the commander said.

    He glanced at the clock. One forty-eight. He never realized how late it was. Not that he didn't usually stay up to this hour—or later. Still, they had a mission tomorrow. A few hours of sleep would do him good.

    The captain rose from his chair, taking with him his Earl Gray tea. On his way down the hall of the Scouting Legion base, he hummed to himself and occasionally took small sips of his beverage.

    Glancing outside a window, he noticed the hundreds of bright stars shining in the sky. He felt his heart drop. His stomach hurt and his throat itched. The recollection of his two closest friends—both dead—was sure to scar his memory every time he saw the glowing balls of light in the night sky.

    It had been almost a year now. Since then, he'd gone from being a fugitive to a captain in the Scouting Legion. Levi sighed. Yes, a lot had happened. But he would never—could never—forget what had taken place that life-changing day.

    And he wouldn't stop fighting. Not until he'd breathed his last protecting humanity.

    With this grim notion on his mind, he continued to his room. He grabbed the doorknob, turning it and entering his living-quarters. Before he could light a candle, a low-pitched voice came from behind him, saying, "Gottcha!"

    His first instinct: intruder.

    Immediately, and without bothering to wonder who it was in his room, he dropped his cup and thrust his knife up against whomever was there.

    "Whoa there, Shorty!" a girl's voice—now higher-pitched—yelped. In the dark, Levi could see the faint outline of her hands raised in surrender. "Watch where you put that thing!"

    Levi groaned. "Miss Zoë, just what are you doing in my room at this unearthly hour? We have a mission tomorrow. And you made me break my cup. Do you have any idea how long it takes to clean up glass?"

    "Yes,it takes a while, I know." She giggled a little. "As for why I'mhere, it's actually pretty funny, you see—"

    "I don't see. That's why I asked."

    "Calm your horses, Short-Stack. I came here because I was testing a varied bunch of soldiers to see their reflexes. I waited FOREVER for you to get here but—" She adjusted her glasses. "—might I say, you were quite quick on the draw there. How long have you had that knife, by the way?"

    Dead silence and a glare were his response. Hanji wriggled her eyebrows. "Huh? So, when'd you get it?"

    "..."

    "Also, are you ever going to take that away from my neck?"

    Still nothing. Eventually, her quick-paced brain decided it didn't want to remain on the subject of Levi's knife so she pushed the weapon aside and declared, "Wellllllll as exciting as this has been, I'm going to go scare Erwin now."

    Levi restrained an eyeroll. "Have you no respect for your commanding officers?"

    She thought about it for a moment. "Umm...not that much, no. I guess it depends on the subject at hand." She held her fingers to her chin, glancing upward. Then, shaking it off for another time, she concluded, "Anyway, sweet dreams, Dwarf Child!"

    Levi nearly hit her for calling him by another height-related nickname, but she'd slipped out the door and was down the hall before he could. Lighting the lantern beside his bed, he meticulously cleaned up the broken cup and spilled tea. Afterward, he changed into his night clothes and carefully set out his outfit for the next day's mission.

    As he slipped under his blankets, careful to keep them as un-wrinkled as possible, he heard something slam into the floor above him. Hanji must have "tested" Erwin's reflexes. Levi rolled his eyes. She really could be a pain sometimes.

    He doubted he would ever grow accustomed to Commander Hanji's alleged experiments. Did she ever take anything seriously?

    In a flash of horror, he pondered the possibility of being forced to work with her on the upcoming mission. He doubted he could survive fighting alongside her. He had at least a few times been assigned on missions with her. Her reckless behavior never failed to make him lose his concentration.

    Levi rolled over, pulling the blankets closer around his shoulders. No, he wouldn't worry about that. Stressing about possibilities was sure to deprive him of sleep. And considering tomorrow's scouting duties, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.