I claim no rights to the characters of Shingeki no Kyojin. They belong to Isayama-sensei.

Warnings: Universe Alteration, Slash, Violence, explicit content, OOC, OC

"You've lied to them." The five words spoken by that sultry voice echoed against the stone walls, eventually dying in the strained silence.

Eyes the color of ice under a stormy sky stared at the slight yet surprisingly strong form standing by the window across from him, seeming almost at ease were it not for the subtle signs of tension in squared, deceptively delicate shoulders.

Erwin Smith, Commander of the Recon Corps, was not a stupid man by any account. He could see clearly just what sort of man was standing in front of him, sipping on tea casually, pointedly ignoring Erwin's presence.

When he had been told of this Levi Ackerman, Erwin didn't think much of him. It has been a hard learned lesson to not create opinions on anyone before seeing for himself what he would be dealing with.

But one glance at this pipsqueak of a man, and Erwin has been bought.

Or sold.

How does the saying go?

Falling hook, line and sinker?

This little man was by far no giant, but he fought like one. It has been a long time since anyone stood as a challenge to Erwin, and if the other two hadn't been captured, the Commander wasn't certain that he would have gotten out of that fight without sustaining injuries.

Levi Ackerman fought like a man who had everything to lose and was ready to do whatever it took not to lose anything. His quick assessing of the situation, incredible tactical thinking, and perfect instinctual reaction to everything that happened made Erwin believe that he found what he has been looking for.

Now, the only thing that had to be done was to convince Levi to stay and make him obey orders, and Erwin was certain that they would make a great team.

Alright, first he needed to make the man talk…

Then they could move on to staying and obeying orders.

"That was quite an underhanded move." Erwin was pleasantly surprised when Levi spoke up, his voice a low monotone underlain with a growl which to anyone else might have sounded threatening. To Erwin it sounded strangely alluring.

"I am afraid that I don't know what you're talking about," Erwin answered as he took a step deeper into the room, clasping his hands behind his back and stopping just a few meters away from Levi, still keeping his distance.

It would be a stupid thing to say that he in any way trusted Levi at this point. It was hard to trust anyone not twenty-four hours after crossing blades with them, although Erwin would have nothing against doing that again.

Erwin's musings were interrupted by a soft 'tsk', and the Danchō cocked an eyebrow when Levi placed the empty, white cup on a wooden table, the 'clack' echoing through the silence followed by rustling of clothes concealing the lithe form sinewed with hard muscles.

Levi crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at Erwin, silver stare dull and penetrating, and Erwin suddenly knew how his underlings must feel while being observed by him, having often been told that his stare was difficult to return.

"You never wanted them," Levi spoke, each word dripping with venomous challenge, although the tone of his voice didn't change at all. His expression was dull, those sharp eyes staring straight through Erwin and into his core, unraveling whatever mystery made him, and again Erwin couldn't help but conclude that bringing this man into the Recon Corps was a great idea.

"The fact still stands that you've lied to them," Erwin answered, challenge obvious in the hardly visible curl of the right corner of his lips, and if Erwin wasn't as observant as he was, he wouldn't have noticed the subtle tightening of pale, thin lips.

"I don't lie," Levi spoke dully and turned his head to the right, looking out the window at the sun-lit streets and people moving around.

"You said you don't want them here," Erwin recalled the words he heard Levi say to Isabel and Farlan, "that they would only get in the way. I thought you cared more about them since you surrendered when they were captured."

"Like I said," Levi spoke dully, turning his back on Erwin again and walking over to the window, squinting because of the sun breaking through parted curtains, "I don't lie." The soft murmur was hardly audible to Erwin, and he took another step closer.

"Care to explain why you did that then?" he asked, wanting to understand the man he would – hopefully – be working with from now on, "Because there is still time to bring them back before they settle in Shiganshina."

Levi glanced over his left shoulder at Erwin, steel eyes racking over the strong form of the Commander, snorting and looking away again, straightening to full, albeit unimpressive height.

"They would have gotten killed," Levi answered finally, making Erwin's eyebrows rise in slight surprise. "They will be safer behind the walls now that they're free to live their lives up here."

Erwin stared at the smaller man, undeniably intrigued by him. "You are a strange man, Levi Ackerman."

"I'm quite simple actually," Levi answered dully and turned around as his hands fell to his sides. He leaned back against the window, fingers curling under the window pane, and stared at Erwin from under straight-falling bangs, harsh eyes gazing fearlessly into Erwin's, "and completely honest as well."

"Hoh?" the Danchō couldn't help but smirk, taking another step closer to Levi who didn't so much as twitch.

"Yes," the left corner of Levi's lips curled up and he tilted his head to the right, something flashing in the steel he had for eyes, "which is why you can believe me when I say that – one day – I will kill you."

For the first time in a long, long while, Erwin was left speechless.

He stared at Levi, mouth shut and eyes wide. Something in his brain must have short-circuited at the blunt admission, but the moment didn't last long.

"Really?" Erwin spoke, voice laced with amusement as he took another step closer to Levi who had to tilt his head back for their gazes to remain locked, showing absolutely no reaction when Erwin braced his hands on the sides of the window, his face inches away from Levi's. "And why would you want to kill me?"

"Because I hate self-centered old bastards like you," Levi answered in that emotionless monotone, glance darting to the right minutely when a nerve beside Erwin's left eye twitched.

"You listen to me, Levi Ackerman," Erwin spoke slowly, lips hardly moving as he inched closer to the raven-haired man, their breaths mixing between their lips, noses practically touching. "You were brought here to become a member of the Recon Corps. You have potential," he glanced down before focusing on those gray eyes again, seeing the narrowing of thin, black eyebrows, "great potential even, but I do not suffer people who don't listen to orders. Insubordination is strictly punished."

When Levi showed no reaction to Erwin's words, the Danchō smirked, and faster than Levi could react Erwin grabbed a hold of the smaller man's chin and tilted his head further back, just a slight wince twitching on Levi's face when the back of his head met the cold surface of the window.

"Now," Erwin moved even closer if possible, so much that it was difficult for Levi to keep his gaze trained on Erwin's, glancing at full lips instead. Erwin could have mouthed the following words and Levi would have heard them perfectly, "You signed a contract which makes you a member of my squad. Dissertation is considered treason and is punishable by death. You will either learn to respect me and obey me, or you will find yourself wishing you had stayed in the slums."

When Levi snorted Erwin's head twitched to the left a bit, eyes narrowing into a squint, his hold on Levi's chin tightening.

"You really are disgusting," Levi hissed, but before Erwin could even think of an answer, the smaller man moved, planting a fist firmly into Erwin's stomach with surprising force considering the lack of space to take momentum, making Erwin step back just enough to give Levi a chance to attack.

Erwin looked up in time to see Levi swinging his left leg at him, raising his right arm to shield his side, with his left hand taking a firm hold of Levi's ankle, eyes widening when the raven-haired man grabbed a hold of the windowpane and jumped up, bending his left leg with the knee going straight for Erwin's head.

Letting go of Levi's ankle, Erwin danced out of the way of the smaller man's knee, coming to stand only several steps away, ready for the next attack, watching as Levi landed gracefully, hands fisted by his sides and poised to strike, face as expressionless as ever, and yet those steel eyes were alight with fire Erwin witnessed the first time he looked into them.

Levi huffed and shook his head, straightening and looking to the side as though he was dismissing Erwin, fingers uncurling as he shifted his weight and raised his head, standing there as though nothing happened.

Erwin eased up as well, although he still observed Levi carefully, ready to subdue the raven-haired terror if the need arose.

"I don't obey people I don't respect, old man," Levi drawled dryly, hands which could be as deadly as the most poisonous snake in the world rising to fix the collar of the white shirt before tugging on the bottom edges of his brown vest, "and respect has to be earned," he added while fixing the sleeves of the shirt, Erwin's eyes widening minutely when Levi performed the perfect salute, somehow making it appear mocking.

Clasping his hands behind his back Erwin approached Levi, almost daring the deceptively frail looking man to attack him again with his careless prowl and demanding stance. He came to stand to Levi's left, pointedly looking out the window behind the shorter man, standing at full, quite impressive height.

"You will report to the armory and you will get your uniform," Erwin spoke through lightly clenched teeth, voice laced with a silent challenge. "You will come to the training grounds promptly at 5:00 in the morning for training since I don't want to lose time by sending you to the academy."

Erwin looked to his left, having to duck his head a bit, and found Levi staring at him darkly from the corner of his eyes, the steely glare awakening something within the Danchō he never felt before.

"You will do exactly as you're told, Ackerman," Erwin spoke quietly, feeling a spark of enjoyment coursing through him when he saw a twinge of annoyance in those cold eyes. "Every time you refuse to follow orders you will be disciplined." A smirk tilted Erwin's lips only to fade very quickly when Levi hned, the glare intensifying defiantly. "And I've found that pain is the most efficient way to discipline a rowdy dog."

"Careful, old man," Levi pressed out through his teeth, "rowdy dogs tend to bite."

Erwin snorted as he bowed lower, noticing the way Levi stood taller, every move, every muscle in the smaller man's body screaming with resentment. "Not if their teeth are plucked out," he answered equally.

"What use is there from a toothless dog?" Levi bit out, slowly turning towards Erwin.

"It still has claws," Erwin answered dismissively, which obviously didn't sit well with Levi if the flash of annoyance in his eyes and the twitch of his left eyebrow were anything to go by. "You will obey, am I clear?"

Levi was quiet for a few seconds, staring straight into those blue glaciers Erwin had for eyes as though he was weighing his options, but for the life of him, Erwin couldn't figure out what the shorter man was thinking.

"Am I clear?" Erwin repeated slowly, inching ever closer to Levi, hands clenching into fists by his sides, a single minute glance down showing him that Levi was equally tense.

"Crystal," Levi pressed out through tightly clenched teeth and Erwin hned before he straightened and took a step back, looking down at Levi with a cold expression.

"When you're done getting measured for a uniform you will find a senior member to lead you to the barracks, and settle in your room," Erwin spoke as calmly as he could, joining his hands behind his back, left hand wrapped tightly around the right wrist.

"Fine," Levi answered - voice slightly louder - and Erwin actually felt annoyance slowly getting the better of him.

"You have time until dinner to fix you room to your liking after which you will join the rest of the squad in the dining hall." Despite Erwin's best efforts his own voice rose in volume, achieving the tensing of Levi's shoulders and a flash of anger in steely eyes.

"Fine," Levi bit out, even louder this time, velvety voice shortly echoing through the room.

"After dinner you will return straight to your rooms," Erwin continued, voice rising with each word. "You will not linger in the dining room. You will not linger in the hallways. And you will not address anyone unless they address you first."

"Fine!" Levi snapped, glaring up at Erwin whose hands fell to his sides as he towered over Levi.

"Dismissed!" he barked, daring Levi to undermine his authority by snarking back at him, and Levi didn't disappoint.

"Fine!" Erwin watched as Levi turned on his heel and marched towards the door, shockingly not stomping like an indignant child. What surprised Erwin even more was the fact that Levi stopped before opening the door, turned sharply and saluted perfectly, before turning around again and pulling the door open as though he intended to break it out of its hinges.

Erwin would deny it under the threat of death that he actually winced when Levi slammed the door closed, and he wouldn't admit under the most gruesome torture that he actually breathed out in relief when the bang of the door being slammed shut stopped echoing through the room.

Moments later, as tension finally seeped out of his body, Erwin moved closer to the window and looked out on the street, left eyebrow twitching when he saw Levi walking towards the barracks as though they hadn't almost torn one another apart moments ago.

He snorted, lips twitching up into a smirk even though his eyebrows were still narrowed.

"Kill me?" he muttered, scoffing mockingly. "You'll have to try very hard, Levi Ackerman."

That's it for this one!

This will be a series of connected, short one-shots, each one inspired by the absolutely beautiful work of OriSor (you can find the chapters with photos on my Archive account), who are the ones to blame for pushing me into the bottomless pit of despair and anguish known as Shingeki No Kyojin.

I claim no rights to the characters of SNK, or the beautiful art inspiring the chapters!

Please, tell me if you liked this, and check out Delusor and ultimate-me! Both of them are incredibly beautiful people and they deserve so much love, so go on! SHOWER them in appreciation!