Blue and White - Levi Fanfiction

Ch. 32 - The 57th Expedition

We'd only been talking about this and that, and most recently about an old piano Gunther found in one of the storage rooms of the base when I noticed something was... off, about Eren.

Our squad had already gotten back after the investigation into who killed Hange's two Titans, the ones captured within Trost and so lovingly named Sawney and Bean and consequently, the recruitment ceremony which had been that very night, only hours after the investigation ended with frustratingly inconclusive results. It was actually the next day; after training, and chores, and plenty of work for all of us, we were all chatting over tea after dinner by candlelight with only our conversations to keep time for us.

It was going well. There was a bit of bickering here, perhaps a pointed comment or another obvious attempt at flirting with Petra from Olou, but for the most part, it was a pleasant evening. Of course, it was, until I noticed something was off about Eren.

It wasn't that something was off in a bad way about the boy, not that I could tell. Rather, whenever I would meet his gaze - for he looked at me often - his cheeks would flush and he would look away bashfully.

So, after Gunther promised to bring me up there to see the piano and play something for me sometime, I lowered my tea cup and looked over at the poor kid, determined to just yank the truth out of him one way or another.

"Eren," I called gently, for perhaps he would respond well to some gentle cajoling, "are you alright?"

"Yeah," Olou piped up, and I fought the urge to remind him not to interrupt a commanding officer or butt into a conversation where he wasn't wanted. I only bit it back when I met Levi's gaze and watched him shake his head as though to tell me using all that effort wasn't worth it. "What's up, kid? You're all red."

"It's not too warm in here, is it?" Petra asked, now noticing how red he was as well. "I can open a window or two..."

"He'll burn up at this rate," Eld said with a devilish sort of smirk. "Since you can turn into a Titan, do you always run so hot?"

"No," Eren muttered shyly. "No. It's not that. At least, I don't think it is." After a silent moment where he seemed contemplative and we all hung back, waiting for his answer, he then leaned towards Eld to speak quietly to him. Whatever Eren said, it made Eld laugh aloud, and right away, I wished I was in on the joke.

"Oh, wow, kid," Eld said through his laughter. "That's... wow. Wow!"

"Mind sharing the joke, Eld?" Levi asked, looking at him over the rim of his teacup, having paused before taking a sip.

"Of course, Captain," Eld said after clearing his throat. "Eren just seems to have chanced upon something... indecent."

"Indecent?" I repeated, looking at Eld whose face was still so full of mischief it was hard to tell if he was being serious or not. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on," Eren muttered embarrassedly. "It's not that serious..."

"A kiss," Eld said over Eren, smiling all the while.

"A kiss," Petra echoed. "Indecent?"

"A kiss is hardly indecent," Gunther said, setting his chin in his palm. "I've seen worse in the barracks. Hell, on my first week here in the scouts, after a particularly trying day of training, I wanted nothing more than to just get into bed, but I stumbled in on a couple of guys from my cadet corps-"

"-I can't believe you've seen them kiss," Eld cut in, effectively interrupting Gunther and glancing first at Eren, then towards Petra. "Petra and I are their aides and we've never seen anything like that. At least, not that I can remember."