Humanity's Strongest Pair

chapter one; a dog on a leash

Amongst all the troops of the Survey Corps, anyone could see it.

Their close proximity; the way they both leaned in slightly when the spoke to one another, their piercing eyes never wavering sight.

"They're totally fucking," people would say in gossiping tones, whispering to each other as they ate their food. Every day, right as lunch was ending, Lance Corporal Levi would enter the hall and find Mikasa Ackerman sitting among her peers. And every day, she would glower at him with the same damn expression that made his blood boil. That disrespectful, indignant stare that he virtually mirrored. Of course, everyone thought this was just an act to mask their coveted romance.

Everyone but the perps themselves.

It was sunny on the fifth day that Levi had came to get Mikasa after lunch. He found her at her sitting with Jean and Armin, and approached them in a characteristically cocky manor. "Good afternoon." He spoke with his apathetic tone. The Lance Corporal was trademarked for always looking bored; he wore a pair of piercing blue eyes that abstractly drilled holes into anyone who challenged them. Despite Ackerman, of course, who was trademarked for having primarily the same traits. She, like Levi, was also cold, apathetic and distant by personality.

She was also one of the most skilled members left in the Survey Corps other than Humanity's Strongest Solider himself.

"Ackerman, come." Levi spoke nonchalantly, signalling her to follow with a wave of his hand. Mikasa did not meet the eyes of her two friends as she calmly stood up and followed without a word of a goodbye. She was ignorant to the eyes that watched her and the whispers that followed.

"I don't understand." Jean said to Armin, crossing his arms over his chest. "What does Mikasa see in a guy like that? He's like... Old."

Armin warily watched them leave the room before meeting eyes with Jean. "Well, he is humanity's best... I've heard a lot of the girl's admire him."

The young man pouted. "Hmph. I think he's a freak."

"Don't say things like that, Jean. You'll get in a lot of trouble if that gets back to Corporal Levi."

"I don't care, he's the one who's fraternizing with a girl who's way too young for him."

"I don't think that there's anything actually happening between them." Armin spoke with a reasoning tone. "Corporal Levi is training Mikasa, I see them every day. And when I ask her about him, she speaks of him maliciously, as if she really hates him. I know Mikasa very well."

Jean glared out the window to see the two walking off into the distance. "I'm still not convinced."

In the forest nearby, there were exactly ten large 'titans' set up as an obstacle course. These imitation beasts were made of wood and bags of sand, not nearly as intimidating as the real things, but for practise they would suffice.

Mikasa was getting bored of cutting up bags of sand, though. Regardless, she latched her 3D manuever gear on the back of the first one; a 15 meter class. Swiftly, she twirled her body and sliced a perfect cut into the sand bags that were supposed to be the nape of the beast's neck. From there, she latched her grappling hook on the next one; a 10 meter class. She flung her body naturally, as if the gear were really a part of her body, and repeated the same technique. Levi watched as she repeated this for every single 'titan' that was there. Once completed, the man looked at his watch.

"Not bad, Ackerman." He said as she approached him. "You were only 30 seconds off of beating your record that time."

"I'm bored of this." She ignored him, sheathing her blades. She wasn't even winded from her previous exertion. "I say we get some real practise." There was a dangerous glint in her eye.

"At this present time, we have no idea what's going on behind that wall. Risking encountering something like the female type titan is too risky just to get some practise." Levi crossed his arms over his toned chest. He too, was bored, but he wasn't reckless.

"The chances of us running into a titan like that are extremely unlikely." The two began to walk back towards the castle.

"It's not happening."

Mikasa sighed; the Corporal's words were a rock, and though she could slay titan's as if it were embedded in her blood, she could not move mountains. She gave up quickly, realizing that bickering with the bitter man would only anger her.

"If you want to save Eren, just shut up and do as I say." He continued indifferently. A glimmer of emotion flashed in Mikasa's empty eyes. Levi had been working with her for long enough now to know how to strike her weak point, not that it would be hard for even a simpleton to figure out.

"It's been a full week since our last expedition, sir. When are we going to go after him? I can' t afford to just sit around and wait." She explained as they entered the Survey Corps headquarters.

"You will wait for as long as Commander Irvin needs you to wait." He said, turning to her as they stopped in the main hall. He stood close to her, like he always did, and met her eyes. Despite Levi being shorter than her, Mikasa often felt like he was looming over her when he stood close like this.

"But I-"

He cut her off by patting her on the head, then turning his back to her. "Go eat and reconcile with me later." He dismissed her with his hand as he walked down the hall, leaving her with a flustered pout on her face. She watched his back for a few moments, considering pestering him more, but instead let out a small breath of exasperation and entered the dining hall, where most of her teammates were already sitting.

Mikasa wasn't blind to the looks people were giving her. They would always look away in fright as soon as they met her icy gaze, but they continued to whisper. As she was walking through the aisles, she heard a glimpse of a conversation that really made her skin crawl; "I wonder if they fuck in his office."

"That's gross, he's way too old for her."

Mikasa swirled on her heel and locked eyes with two boys who had stared at her earlier. She stormed up to them, and they stared at her like deer caught in headlights. "What did you just say?" She demanded, her tone as harsh as her expression.

"N-Nothing, Mikasa." The blonde boy yelped.

"Yeah, we were just having a conversation..." The other boy stated, giving her a bit of attitude. Mikasa wasn't having it.

"Who were you just talking about?"

"Does it matter?" He cocked an eyebrow. Mikasa realized then that everyone was looking at them; she had made a scene. With a sigh of defeat, she glared daggers into the two boys before she went on her way. She kept a high air of confidence around her, ignoring all the eyes that followed her figure as she sat down at Armin's table.

"Mikasa, what was that about?" The small blonde asked her, concern lacing his voice.

The girl was hesitant to answer. "Nothing." She said darkly, replaying the scene in her head. Is that what people are gossiping about? Do they think I'm having sex with him? She shuddered in disgust. Her and Levi weren't even friends, let alone in an intimate relationship. She grew angry then, pissed that people would automatically assume something like that when he was simply training her.

Armin decided to leave it alone; Mikasa was in a venomous mood, and he knew not to tangle with her when she was like that. The girl went and got her food, and sat alone for the rest of the period.

Levi waited in his office for the girl to show up. He replayed that day's training session in his mind, impressed by her performance, though he wasn't one to hand out praise. He stared out the window, watching the sky slowly transform from a mixture of blue and purple to pink and orange. There was a knock at his door.

"Enter."

Mikasa poked her head in, as if she needed more approval than that to enter his office. Once she saw his nod of approval, she walked in and sat down at the chair in front of his mahogany desk. His office was beginning to grow familiar to her. Normally, around the Corporal, Mikasa gave off her usual air of confidence, but this time, she seemed to be feeling a bit awkward. Levi noticed when he sat down at his desk, and saw that for the first time, she was averting his eyes.

"What's with you?" He asked with a grimace. Levi was never one to beat around the bush, and neither was Mikasa.

"I think people are spreading weird rumors about us." A pink blush uncharacteristically tinged her pale cheeks. Levi cocked an eyebrow, leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. His hands were clasped firmly together; this was probably his 'interested' pose.

"Oh?"

The girl shuffled uncomfortable in her seat. "They think we're having sex, Corporal."

Silence.

Levi felt the heat rise to his face; he was not, by any means, expecting those words to come out of her mouth. "What the fuck?" Was all he had to say. "Who's saying this shit?"

"I heard two boys talking about it during dinner... And everyone seems to be giving me weird looks lately. I thought they were jealous that I was training with you, apparently, that is not the case." The girl was having difficulty meeting the Corporal's eyes.

"Who gives a fuck?"

Mikasa caught a hold of them then. Nothing had changed in his orbs; dead, bored, the usual. "Well... I don't know." Who gives a fuck? Really?

Levi sighed. "I'm beyond the point of teenage gossip. Let them talk. I didn't want to meet up with you so we could discuss petty rumors."

Mikasa was at a loss for words, before a grimace formed on her face. She was no longer finding it hard to meet his stare. "I find these rumors disturbing. Everyone is staring at me and whispering about me. Can't you do something?"

"Like what? Defend it and make it look even more suspicious?" His voice held a condescending tone, making Mikasa's fists clench in irritation. "Look, I get that you're a teenage girl and shit, but this isn't my problem. These rumors don't bother me, and they won't bother you unless you let them get to you. So either shut up and talk to me about business or go get lost behind the wall."

The girl abruptly stood to her feet and slammed her hands on his desk. "Go to hell." She spat through clenched teeth, before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Levi rolled his eyes, thinking and this is why teenagers make crappy soldiers.

Levi noticed some of the younger soldiers staring at him funny as he walked down the hall towards Commander Irvin's office. He shot them daggers as he passed, so they instantly wiped the looks off their faces and saluted him. He inwardly smiled, musing about how nice it was to be respected. No one fucks with me.

Except for her...

He couldn't get the image of her leaning over his desk, looking him dead in the eyes and slurring "go to hell."

"Tch." He scoffed. Insolent brat.

Levi entered the Commander's office without knocking, instantly signalling to Irvin that he was pissed about something.

"Levi? What is it?" The man asked cluelessly. He was poised behind his desk, looking over a map.

"I need to talk to you about something." Levi answered casually, helping himself to a seat.

"Go on then."

"Irvin, why the hell are you having me train a child?"

There were a few moments of silence as the Commander pondered this statement. "I assume you are talking about Mikasa Ackerman?"

"The one and only." Levi's tone was even more bitter than usual, Irvin noticed.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Nothing worth mentioning, really, other than her total lack of respect for authority and absence of control over her childish emotions."

Irvin thought about Mikasa, and the description Levi was making just didn't fit. "What are you talking about? Ackerman is a star soldier well deserving of recognition... That is why I chose her to be your pupil."

"I don't want her." Levi stated blandly.

"What's this about?" Irvin scowled.

"She's a brat."

"I understand she can be reckless at times, but that's why I need you to train her. Her skills in battle are exceptional." The man cleared his throat. "And after what happened..." A grim silence fell on the room. "I'm sorry, but we need her talent."

"She told me to go to hell."

"Oh, get over it, Levi." Irvin waved his hand at his prodigy. "Knowing you, you said something about Jaeger and pissed her off. You've told me to go to hell before."

"Touche..." Levi muttered. To his dismay, his superior made a valid point.

"Continue with the training. You know better than to let your emotions get in the way of business."

He sighed, standing to his feet. Of course, he had gotten no where. "As always, I must trust your decision, Irvin." He spoke unconcerned, and disappeared through the door. As he exited, he noticed two girls look at him, then giggle and look away. He sent them a twisted glare, but they were already speeding down the hall.

Is this what Ackerman was talking about earlier? He thought, irritated. He brushed it off and continued down to corridor towards the stairs, where he saw another pair of people walking look back at him, giggle and dip down the hall. "The fuck..." He muttered aloud. How long had this been going on? Had it been days and he'd not even noticed? Levi wasn't one to pay attention to such trivial things, but after Mikasa had brought it up...

It kinda pissed him off.

The next day, when Levi came to meet Mikasa, he was in a particularly sour mood. When he entered the dining hall, he glared at every single person that met his eyes. Especially Mikasa. He didn't bother pretending to be friendly.

"Come." He stated. She looked at Armin and rolled her eyes, before following after the Corporal like a dog on a leash.

Mikasa's heart pounded even heavier in her chest with each step she took. How many laps had she ran at that point? 100? 200? She wasn't able to tell. As soon as the Corporal had told her to start running, not giving her a set amount of laps, her mind had wandered elsewhere. Her body was now on auto pilot, but she didn't forget about the pair of daunting orbs that watched her every step of the way. She thought about Eren; saving him from those monstrous titans was her drive to push forward. She had to get him back; she had to protect him.

After what could have been her thousandth lap, Levi called for her to stop. She slowly came to a halt, gasping for air as she did so, only then snapping back into reality.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Levi inquired with genuine curiosity, though that irate sarcasm never left his voice. He had been seated on a chair beside the field, poised with one leg crossed over the other. He was such an infuriating man, Mikasa thought.

"N-No, sir." She panted, only then realizing how much she had exerted her body.

"Really? Because it looks like you are, to me."

The girl stumbled to the empty chair that was next to the Corporal and collapsed in it, before chugging what was left of her water bottle. "You didn't give me a time limit, or a set number of laps, so I just ran."

Levi laughed once, mockingly. "I see. I'm surprised you aren't dead."

Mikasa continued to breathe heavily, though her heart rate was slowly starting to settle. "I-I'm fine." Such stubborness, Levi thought, eyes tracing the profile of her flushed face. "Why are you making me run laps?" She continued after she caught her breath. "I run laps every single morning. I should be practising with the titan dummys."

"Don't tell me what you should be doing, Ackerman." Levi said bitterly. "Think of yourself as an insolent dog, and I am your master."

She shot him daggers then, thinking fucking prick, but chose to make no comeback. Levi could feel the aggression in her stare. Most people looked to him with respect and admiration in their eyes, but when Mikasa looked at him, it felt more like she was looking straight past him. As if she were seeking to reach a certain goal, and he was but an obstacle in her way.

That thought irked him.

"You don't like me very much, do you, Ackerman?" He queried, and Mikasa's head instantly snapped to him.

She hesitated, but of course, being Mikasa Ackerman, she spoke her mind. "No, I don't."

Levi raised his eyebrows, not sure if he was pissed off or impressed that she was so open about that. "Out of all my years working in the military, I've never quite come across such a disrespectful brat such as yourself."

"I've never come across such a cold-blooded solider like you. Beating the shit out of Eren when he was tied down like that... That was disgusting." She spat.

Well, the girl had guts. With any normal solider, Levi would have probably beat her up too, but he was surprisingly amused by this lack of respect. He would get back at her for this in his own ways. "That was a long time ago, Ackerman. I understand your vendetta, but also keep in mind how many times I've saved Eren's life."

"Regardless, you beat the hell out of him while he was completely helpless... That isn't very noble, if you ask me, sir."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I don't give a shit." He laughed slightly then, looking to her with a somewhat mischievous smirk. "And if you think you don't like me now..." He grabbed her by the back of her head and forced her to meet his eyes. "You are going to despise me by the time I'm through with you."

Hours later, and Mikasa didn't doubt the Corporal's words for a second. The day was finally over, and he let her leave for dinner; every muscle in her body seemed to tense up as she moved. It had been a long time since she'd pushed herself so far, and she couldn't get the image of Levi out of her head. His shitty personality is enough to fuel my anger for days... She mused to herself, thinking back to all the sickening things he'd said to her throughout the day.

"Think of yourself as an insolent dog, and I am your master."

Her blood was even hotter thinking about that simple sentence than it was after running all those laps earlier. He's not my fucking master...

She sighed as she entered the dining hall thinking sadly, for now, he must be. For Eren's sake...

As usual, she felt many eyes fall on her. It didn't help that she was still red faced and sweaty from exerting herself all day while Levi basically sat on his ass and did nothing the entire time. She grabbed her dinner, then made her way to Armin's table where he was sitting with Jean and Sasha. Their eyes watched her as she sat down, but she did not meet any of theirs. She just sat there and poked at her food, before finally deciding to take a bite of the bread.

"Uh, what's up, Mikasa?" Jean asked warily.

"Nothing." The girl answered quietly. Her black hair hung over her eyes. Everyone knew that Mikasa was severely depressed without Eren around, but this seemed different.

"Is something wrong?" Armin asked innocently.

"No." She answered dryly. Everyone exchanged a glance before shrugging it off. Mikasa was as stubborn as wall Maria; they would need a colossal titan to break her in.

Mikasa tore off her uniform and went straight for the bathroom; a shower was necessary after a horrible day like that. After running, Levi basically made her lift extremely heavy objects until she could barely stand. He then made her clean horse shit out of the stables. And after that, they hit the training ground, where she took down several fake titans. And then, finally, Levi decided to test her reflexes with his own hands.

She was hesitant to hit him, at first; she felt like it was some sort of trick, and that if she tried to attack him, he would turn on her and put her in jail. But that wasn't the case; he attacked her first, putting her in a tight choke hold.

"Fight back." He demanded, his voice alone infuriating her beyond her control. "Pretend that I'm the only thing sitting in the way of you and Eren."

Mikasa lunged at her superior, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted it painfully. "Not fast enough."

At the end of it all, she wasn't able to land a single hit on him. He could have beaten her to a pulp, but he didn't use his fists with her, he just grabbed her wrists and twisted her arms painfully to restrict her. She was curious if the only reason he hadn't beaten her was because she was a girl. It's not fair, she thought. My strength can't match his. Todays training was nothing like it has been the past week...

Before, he would just have her repeatedly take down fake titans and test her speed, or have her lift weights. Not do chores and spar one on one with him.

The hot water poured against her back, and she then wondered why she was bothering to think of him during her relaxation period. Though the entire day had made her livid, she was thankful that at least, at the end of it all, she was able to relax, shower, and be alone with her thoughts. But after being with the Corporal all day, she wasn't able to get that stoic face out of her mind; and she would have to do it all again tomorrow.

A/N: Hello all, this is my first stab at an SNK fic... I ship this pairing way too hard. Anyway, I'm not too sure if I'm totally happy with the outcome of the story, but I just had to add something to the fandom ;P so let me know what you think, and if you think I should continue! Some constructive criticism would be appreciated, if necessary.

Please review!