Touch Starved

5

Hanji walked quickly to catch up with Levi, Erwin stumbling in her tow. Levi was walking briskly, clearly lost in thought.

"Levi, wait!" She called, doing her best to catch up. "We gotta talk."

Levi faltered in his steps and waited for the two to get in step with him. "What about it?"

"What do you mean-" Here, she deepened her voice to her best Levi impression- "'what about it? Hurr, durr.' The girl! Who else!"

She got a swift pop to her ponytail in response. Empty threats. "I found her by the forest. That's about it."

"The forest? Outside the walls, what? And why was she pantless? Can you explain that?" She elbowed him. A harder pop got her this time.

"Found her like that. Why the fuck should I know? Maybe she's dumb and can't dress herself." Levi entered the cafeteria.

Hanji groaned at the insufferable man.

"She's from outside the walls? How has she lived this long? Her entire existence looks like she belongs to a life of luxury. No muscles." Erwin interjected, no particular malice intended.

The cook had already left for the evening, and only a couple of cadets and soldiers sat around to talk or play cards. Levi passed all of these by, heading to the kitchen doors.

"What are we going to do with her? She doesn't even speak plain English!" Hanji whined. "This implies she's from some other civilization. Are there other groups of people somewhere?"

"That would certainly be interesting to find." Erwin agreed. He watched as Levi opened the pantry door, intent on raiding it. Erwin reached above the man's head, grabbing a stale loaf of bread. "For now, I think it best we take care of her. She looks thoroughly traumatized."

"You think so? She seemed fine to me." Hanji placed a hand to her chin to ponder. "She didn't show any signs."

"Before today is over, trust me when I say, she will have a freak out." Erwin led the two out the kitchen again, the trek back to Hanji's dorm beginning. "I wonder what she'll do in response to it. How she copes naturally will be very telling of her character."

"Are you already scheming something with a girl who can't even understand yes from no?" Levi squinted at him. Shoving by Hanji to be by the wall.

"It's always good to stay a few steps ahead." Erwin shrugged. "You never know who you're enemies are."

Levi could only mouth 'what the fuck.'

The rest of the walk was in silence as they each thought to themselves. Erwin thought about his scheme, what he should do in respect to various outcomes. Hanji, on the language barrier and what experiments she could rope her in (especially with the girl not being in a position to ask her many nosy questions). Levi just thought this new brat was going to be twice as annoying, being that they were going to have to go further back from square one.

"Oh." Hanji blurted. "Where's she going to stay? I don't have room for her."

Erwin thought for a moment. "That is a good question. We can't really stick her with the other soldiers. That would be a messy situation. She needs to stay more of a secret for now."

"Somewhere where nobody would dare search or look for her, right?" Hanji added, a greedy smile on her face. Levi didn't like the stare she was starting to give him. "Well... you know what they say. Finders, keepers. Right, Levi?"

"Denied." Levi didn't even blink. "She's filthy, dirty, and disgusting. She also stinks."

"Just give her a bath then, duh!" Hanji cackled. "That would solve all your problems!"