Eren felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck as he tried in vain to shift into a more comfortable position. It was hot. Hot and incredibly sticky. He ran his tongue across his teeth several times, desperately trying to conjure some sort of moisture inside his own mouth "Wa-water..." he croaked pathetically, inwardly humiliated by the fact that he had been reduced to begging. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter at the mocking snort that answered him.

"You shut your mouth monster! You've had more than enough rations!" The annoyed voice from the other side of the bars rang out sharply in the darkness.

Eren gritted his teeth and willed himself to remain calm although his wrists burned against the shackles that restrained him to his bed. He panted as the anger swelled, threatening to spill over and consume him completely. It was too much to take. How could things have turned out this way? Nobody wanted to destroy the titans as much as he did... the need to eradicate every fucking monster from the face of this earth was so strong within him that it ached. How could he be one of them? His determination to carry out his vow to purge this world of titans was the only thing that kept him from weeping and crumbling completely "B-but it's fucking hot!" he persisted desperately "I need water!"

The soldier seated outside of Eren's private chambers snarled and rose to his feet. He hated guarding this beast more than anything, no matter what Commander Erwin and the Lance Corporal said this boy was no better than the titans that had devoured his friends and family right before his very eyes. Keeping this monster alive was an outrage! A smear on the memory of those who had fallen before him "And I told you to shut your mouth beast -!" his words caught in his throat at the sight of a pair of deep emerald eyes burning in the darkness, their intensity and rage so tangible that they appeared to have a hypnotising quality that had rooted him to the spot. The room appeared otherwise pitch black, how on earth were those blazing green orbs so visible? Despite himself a trickle of fear ran down his spine and he reluctantly submitted to the boys will, refilling his jug for one last time. He'd demand a transfer of duty as soon as this shift was over.

"...Another one?" Levi sighed, his voice laden with disinterest "How can one shitty brat be so hard to look after?" he added, cradling his cup below his nose before taking a long sip.

Hanji shrugged dramatically before flopping down on a chair next to Levi "Maybe it's because everyone who you assign to guard duty hates the thought that the kids a titan... see if it were me in charge..."

"Enough!" Levi chipped in before his comrade had the opportunity to take her titan obsessions to a disturbing level. They had not yet even eaten breakfast, he was not in the mood for an overexcited Hanji so early in the morning "He's not your toy..." he added flippantly, completely disregarding Eren's worth with such a blunt statement. His grey eyes latched onto the awkward bony shoulders of the boy as Eren entered the room and perched nervously at the end of the table "...At least not yet"

Eren chewed the tough bread and bowed his neck. Meal times with Lance Corporals Levi's squad were anything but enjoyable. If the unappealing food rations were not enough to put him off then the company surrounding him definitely was. He allowed his gaze to flicker to his new team mates faces from time to time in which he was either met with a cold stare or curious glance. Erd, Petra, Aruro and Gunter: his new squad were a far cry from the camaraderie he had felt with his training unit. The fact that he was surrounded by such skill was enough to make him feel inadequate. He gulped at the tasteless lump in his mouth and swallowed painfully as he was reminded of why he was here in the first place... he was a... a titan...

"Say Eren, when are you going to stop throwing midnight tantrums?"

Eren's head shot up at the low flat tone of his Corporal. Even the sound of his voice struck a conflicting sensation of fear and awe deep within Eren... the legendary Levi was solely responsible for his life or death at any given moment, yet a part of Eren still beamed with pride at the very notion that Levi even knew he was alive never mind address him personally. The Lance Corporal was the one face he never dared to secretly glance at unless he was directly spoken to

"H-Heichou...?" he stuttered awkwardly, the inhabitants of the entire table now waiting for his reply. He gulped as Levi continued to watch him over his tin cup, the steam from his hot drink rising ominously over that heavy stare.

"Another soldier has complained about your cell duty. I'm asking when are you going to stop being a pain in my ass and actually carry out what has been asked of you without acting like a damned brat?"

Eren felt his cheeks flush hot at the sensation of dozens of eyes watching him from all over the room. When Levi spoke up it was apparently worth observing. "I-I... I only asked for some water sir! It's incredibly hot down there at night!" he eventually stuttered, his hands balled into fists as he struggled to remain calm. If Mikasa was here she would undoubtedly speak up and defend him even against the likes of Levi. Armin would lend a supportive and caring ear to all of his troubles, easing his anxiety and comforting him all at once. Hell, even Jean would be more preferable than this current situation, a few harsh words and adrenaline fuelled punches always released tension on both of their behalf. But none of them were here. He had to face the elite squad, hand picked by the infamous Corporal alone. His heat rate increased as Levi suddenly scraped his chair back, the noise grating loudly in the otherwise silent room. Soldiers held their breath in anticipation as their Lance Corporal stalked towards the titan shifting boy, his short stature irrelevant in comparison to his imposing nature. Eren licked his lips and instinctively leaned back slightly as Levi stood over him and pushed his face uncomfortably close to his own, his heavy lidded gaze boring deep into Eren's eyes for several unnerving seconds.

"You're on cleaning duty for the entire dining hall for the rest of the week. Alone."

Eren let out a shaky breath that he had been unaware he was holding as he watched Levi stride towards the door and out of the room, the air slowly filling with quiet chatter and clinking cutlery once more.

Eren wiped his brow before placing his hands on his lower back, offering some lumber support to his aching spine. It would be lunch time before too long and he still had at least another 50 plates and cups to clean before the troops would trudge back in and mess the place up once more. He twitched nervously as a hand suddenly touched his shoulder

"No need to look so nervous! I came here to check if you needed any help"

Eren's shoulder's relaxed as he found Petra's pretty face smiling at him. She was the one small ray of light in his otherwise dark and lonely life as the lowest ranking member of Levi's Squad "Petra! But Corporal Levi insisted that I do this alone -" Eren cried as the girl began to roll her sleeves and quickly rinse the final towering stack of plates "I don't want to cause any trouble for you!"

"Corporal Levi will be more concerned about the cleanliness of the room rather than if you received help or not" she smiled reassuringly "Plus this way you'll at least finish before the first squads come in for lunch break" she added, tossing a cloth in Eren's direction.

Eren smiled faintly and began drying each item that Petra handed to him, deeply grateful for not only the help, but also the company. After sometime he mustered the courage to speak "Petra... can I ask you something?" he questioned nervously, inwardly afraid that he would disrupt the delicate calm that surrounded the girl.

"What is it Eren?" she asked, her voice twinged with a hint of concern.

"...Aren't you... afraid of me?" He swallowed nervously as Petra let the plate she was holding slide into the tepid water and stared ahead of her for a few moments. Why had he opened his big mouth? It wasn't as if he needed to invite people to be wary or afraid of him. Petra had been perfectly accommodating, more so than any other squad member currently based at the castle and he had destroyed it with such a foolish question. His heart fluttered slightly as she eventually turned around and locked eyes with him.

"Afraid isn't the right word Eren. Fear doesn't have anything to do with this. Corporal Levi has asked us to trust in his judgement. So that is what I'm doing"

Eren cautiously eyed the girl as she once again resumed washing the stack of dishes. What exactly had the Corporal entrusted to his squad? And where did it leave him?

The straw mattress groaned loudly as Eren flung himself face first onto his bunk before immediately realising he would have to shift position in order to be chained properly. He was bone tired after having to clear the dining area for the entire day. How he was ever going to last until the end of the week was completely beyond him. Training hadn't even been as tiring as this, at least with the 3D manoeuvre gear he had been pushing himself for a reason; to get stronger, faster and more skilled so he could slice every titan bastard that dared even look at Wall Rose. Washing dishes was just a never ending mind numbing cycle of back breaking work. Supper had been the worst. His fingers were raw from scrubbing the burnt on gruel that had stuck to the side of the deep pans, heating the water properly simply took too long to make the process any easier. The brief respite that his own meals afforded him were long awkward silences and heavy stares from his Corporal. Eren didn't even need to look in Levi's direction to know that the man was watching him... scrutinising him with those cold grey eyes. He could feel them. They pinned him into place. He groaned quietly at the sound of footsteps echoing slightly in the high ceiling cellar, the familiar tap of leather boots against the cool stone steps a warning that it was time to be shackled to his bed for the night. He didn't even have the energy to roll over and accommodate his guard "Five more minutes... please..." he groaned, his voice muffled by the straw beneath his face. He smiled slightly as the footsteps stopped and no further noise was made. Finally, a decent human being had been assigned to stand guard tonight, it seemed as though they had granted his request at least.

"You seem to forget that you're not the one that gives orders around here"

Eren felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up at the sound of the cutting tone "Heichou!" he cried as he immediately scrambled into an upright position, all signs of fatigue instantly replaced by apprehension. What was the Corporal of all people doing down here?

Levi remained still as he surveyed the boy before him. He registered the look of confusion spread across Eren's face and realised that his presence must seem a little strange "What do you call this?" he asked flatly, producing a metal cup in his hand

Eren opened his mouth several times but no sound came out. What was the Corporal talking about? It's a cup. Why was he asking such a simple question? Or wait – was it a simple question? Was it a trick? He licked his lips nervously as Levi slightly raised one eyebrow, conveying the fact that he was still waiting for a coherent reply "I-It's a cup Sir" Eren eventually stammered

Levi continued to stare into the boys eyes "Good. Now explain why there are filthy water spots all over it"

Eren glanced down his nose as the cup was thrust into his face "I don't know Sir, I spent hours cleaning everything just like you asked -"

"I didn't ask you to do anything. I told you to do it" Levi cut in as he produced a crisp white handkerchief from his inside pocket and proceeded to polish the metal vigorously "Tomorrow do it properly or you'll eat in the stables with the horses. Understand?" he added, showing the now dull gleaming metal in his hand

"Y-yes Sir! Of course Sir!" Eren stammered hopelessly. He frowned in confusion as Levi continued to stare at him for several more seconds before exiting his cell. His heart sank a little as his Corporal's voice echoed slightly further down the cellar

"You can chain him now"

So here is my first SNK attempt. I just cannot get these two out of my head. And so I welcome another heart crushing otp into my life. I'm guessing the theme is nothing new or too original but I would love to hear what you think - and thank you so much for reading