Partners in Crime Fighting

10. The Birthday

HANJI: I woke up in an unfamiliar place with a familiar smell. I reached out and grabbed my glasses, sticking them to my face. I blinked, looking around the room: Levi's living room in his apartment.

"Morning, Shit Glasses," Levi murmured from behind the couch.

"Good morning, Corporal Cranky," I replied.

"Do you know what today is?" He asked.

"Uh...no? Besides Friday..." I admitted.

"It's your birthday, dummy," Levi ruffled my hair.

It was? My eyes glanced to the calendar on the wall. "Huh, so it is..."

"How do you not remember your own birthday?" Levi asked, going to the kitchen to make breakfast.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I guess I didn't have very memorable birthdays."

"Didn't you have birthday parties as a kid?"

"I did, but--" I was interrupted when the kids appeared at the doorway. "Happy birthday, Hanji!" They announced.

I smiled at them, removing the covers from me and stretching. "Thanks kids, and good morning. How did you know it was my birthday?"

"Levi had it written on his calendar downstairs," Armin said.

"You went through my stuff?" Levi demanded.

"N-no sir, it was laying on your desk and I just happened to see it," Armin stammered.

I ruffled his blond mop of hair. "Well, it's a good thing you looked; I didn't even remember my own birthday."

"How do you not remember your own birthday?" Eren asked.

"Eren, don't be rude," Mikasa snapped.

"It's okay; Levi asked the same thing," I laughed. "I guess with age, you just don't remember these things anymore."

"How old are you?" Eren continued.

"Eren," Mikasa scolded again.

"Uh...thirty-two?" I shrugged.

"We should bake you a birthday cake," Armin offered.

"No, it's okay. We don't have a ton of time to celebrate, despite the fact we arrested one of the Titans last night." I decided. "I hypothesize that the Titans have a base somewhere..."

"What do you mean? Of course we should celebrate! I mean, it's the first Titan you've arrested in--how many years have you been doing your job?" Eren protested.

"Oi brat, are you saying we aren't doing our job?" Levi snapped this time.

"N-no sir! I just--" Eren began.

"We really should celebrate, seeing as this is a victory. And Hanji, if you want to go out tonight with Levi we can stay here." Armin suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," I agreed, "but--"

"Work can wait," Levi decided, placing his hand on my head. "Tonight, I'm taking you out on a date."

A date? First a kiss, then asking me to move in, now a date? Things were moving really quickly, and I didn't know if I could keep up.

"I would love to," I managed. "When are we going to move all of my stuff here, though?"

"We can spend the day doing that, and then we can go out for dinner," Levi replied.

"We can help," Mikasa agreed.

"Alright, this might sound like the most fun I've had on my birthday ever," I laughed.