A little help goes A long way(Levihan)

a little help goes a long way

Everybody knows.

Everybody knows about his feelings except for her. The one person who needs to know.

Levi doesn’t understand why every other goddamn person seems to know that he feels a little more than mere comradeship towards Hanji. He doesn’t believe he’s been particularly obvious, but Erwin tells him he is less inconspicuous than he thinks.

“Still, I’m surprised you of all people are having difficulty saying what’s on your mind,” Erwin says, faintly amused. They’re sitting together in Erwin’s office, drinking tea, although Erwin notes Levi hasn’t touched his cup yet.

“It’s a lot easier telling someone they look like they haven’t had a fucking dump in years than what I want to say to Hanji,” Levi replies, annoyed. “And it doesn’t help that other members of the Scouting Legion keep giving me an encouraging thumbs up everywhere I go.”

Erwin tells him he is overreacting.

“Then tell me why Dot Pixis stopped me in the street the other day to offer me a bottle of whiskey and tell me that he’s observed in his youth that ‘a little glass or two is enough to inflame the depths of hidden desires?’ Or why Ian, Rico and everyone else in the fucking Stationary Guard had the gall to smirk at me?” Levi doesn’t bother to hide his irritation. “They know and they’re not even in the Scouting Legion.”

To his credit, Erwin manages to keep a straight face.

Mike corners him before the day’s meeting, and suggests Levi should try smelling Hanji’s hair.

Levi crosses his arms and glares at him, utterly unimpressed. “And what exactly, would that achieve?”

Mike shrugs. “Nanaba seems to like it.”

“Just because Nanaba humours your sniffing fetish doesn’t mean anybody else will,” Levi replies icily. He doesn’t bother mentioning that it’s impossible to know whether Hanji has even washed her hair recently on any given day, and that sniffing Hanji’s hair is the equivalent of giving oneself a chance at toxic poisoning.

“Or maybe you should try doing something nice,” Mike says, ignoring Levi’s previous comment. “A thoughtful gesture goes a long way, you know, like opening the door for her or something.”

“Hn,” Levi thinks it sounds stupidly simple, but figures its better advice than hair sniffing.

He waits until the meeting starts, and sets his plan in motion when he sees Hanji entering the room. Levi quickly beats her to her usual seat, pulling out her chair for her. Hanji just stares at him, perplexed.

When she doesn’t sit down, Levi begins to grow impatient. Scowling, he points at her, and then at the chair. “Sit.”

Silence fills the meeting room. Levi glances at the other two occupants. Erwin looks dimly entertained while Mike has his fist shoved in his mouth, desperately trying to stifle his laughter.

Feeling a hand touch his brow, Levi turns his head to see Hanji peering at him closely, eyes squinting. “Levi, are you feeling alright? You do look a little tired. Have you been having nightmares since that day Eren’s Titan form accidentally drooled on you? Maybe you should lay down.”

Levi doesn’t speak to Hanji for the rest of the day.

Mikasa visits him while Levi is in his room cleaning his desk, venting out his irritation over the fiasco at the meeting with each swipe of cloth. He doesn’t notice her until she loudly clears her throat. Once he becomes aware of her presence, Levi leans against the desk, waiting for her to speak.