"Good morning Levi!" Hanji chirped as she leaped through the front door inside to where the corporal was lazily making tea. "Why so loud in the morning?" he asked annoyed, not turning his head from his cup. Hanji threw her hands behind her back and chassed her way to Levi's side. "Weeeeeeell, you were supposed to get up a couple hours ago and help us test Eren in his Titan form and-"

"What!? I never authorized you do any tests!" Hanji cocked her head to the side in confusion, but her smile remained. "What are you talking about? You gave us permission last night while we were cleaning-"

"Bah! You idiot! I was in a good mood then, I don't think about what you people say! We did a test just a few days ago, don't you understand the danger that puts Eren, all of us, in!?" Hanji put her hands up in defense. "Look Levi, you don't need to get sp pissy about this. Right now Eren is in Titan form and is really calm, yet it's still hard to tell if he recognizes us."

"So what does that have to do with me?" Levi asked reluctantly. "We need to see how he'll react to you."

As he steps outside, he is greeted not by the blinding sun, but by the body of a titan sitting like a normal human staring at him. "Uh… why is he right in front of the fucking house? He might knock dirt inside…"

"Oh get over yourself!" she exclaims, "Now go on, talk with him."

Levi looked over warily at 'Eren' and slowly walked forward, stopping only a few feet from his knees, and looked up at the terrifying yellow and black eyes. The titan showed no reaction except watching as he approached. Levi didn't know why, but his hands were shaking, his breathing weak. He felt the impulse to draw his swords and pull Eren out of that monstrous body.

Finally, he mustered up enough air to greet the titan. "H-Hello… Eren". He looked up to try to see some reaction, but the titan made no movement. Levi turned to look at Hanji, but she was occupied with jotting down her observations. He turned back to the titan who had quietly leaned forward to come face-to-face with him. Terrified, he shrieked, jumped backwards, and tried to ready his swords, but his hands shook too much to control. The titan then stood up and stepped back a couple feet and screeched hoarsely.

Levi cocked his head a bit at this. Was he… imitating me? Levi thought. He decided to test this theory. Levi composed himself, then sat down the way the titan was before; the titan copied. Levi turned to Hanji to see if she was getting this, and figured she was because her scribbles and face were full of excitement. He again turned to face the titan who had again leaned down to Levi's height. This time, Levi just jumped a bit, in which the titan also copied by doing hiccup motion of sorts. Next Levi slowly reached out his hand as if gesturing for a high-five.

At first, the titan was confused, but slowly raised one of his hands, unraveled it from its clenched position, and placed it front of Levi, who stretched a bit farther to touch it. Startled by the sudden contact, the titan reeled backwards and hissed at Levi, shaking the ground. Levi refused to give though and stood up quickly and backed up in an attempt to calm the angered beast.

He showed some calmness, but didn't get any closer to Levi, even when he held out his hand. "It's alright Levi, we've got plenty of information-"

"Wait". Levi turned himself so that Eren was on his right and Hanji on his left. He looked up at Eren to make sure he was watching, then turned away and lifted his right hand up. He felt the vibration of Eren sitting down, but like the times before, didn't feel or hear him leaning down to meet his gaze. Levi lifted his head slightly to look, but before he saw anything he felt something pressed into his palm. Shocked, Levi shot his head to meet Eren's eyes.

Eren had pressed his face against Levi's hand, like an animal. Behind him, Levi heard a gasp from Hanji, but ignored it as he tried to comprehend what was happening. He turned his body back to face Eren and relaxed, allowing a small smile to grow on his face. When he did, the titan too relaxed and dropped his face down to the floor, allowing one of the soldiers to cut his human form out of his neck.

Levi sat next to Eren's healing body and thought about what had happened. Is this a good sign? Does this mean Eren doesn't hate me? That'd be nice… Suddenly Hanji entered the room obviously excited by their recent findings. "Ooooooh what does this mean!? Do titans have real emotions?! Can they actually grow to like humans!? Oh my god so many questions!"

"Shut up Hanji Eren is fucking sleeping here!" Hanji plopped down next to Levi and smiled. "Awwwww, this must mean Eren loooooves you!" Levi blushed and growled. "Don't use that word so lightly! Eren doesn't have those kinds of feelings for me…" Hanji shrugged. "May be not, but those certainly weren't actions of hate or distaste.

Before Levi could respond, Hanji stands up and leaves the two alone like before. Levi looks down at Eren and sighs. As if triggering something, Eren's eye lids flutter, then open weakly. After a few seconds he gains full consciousness and turns his head to look over at the wide-eyed corporal next to him. "Ah, Heichou…"

"Are you alright? Two transformations in one week must really knock the life outta you."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine… what'd Hanji determine from the test?"

"That titans can grow to care for humans." Eren gave a slight chuckle at that. "I'm not a good test for that, those feelings were my own."

"Wha- What do you mean?" Again Eren laughed and looked straight at his confused captain's eyes. " Let me put it simply- I'm the first person to see Heichou smile so tenderly, right?" Levi couldn't stop the heat rushing to his face and the shakiness his hands decided to do. "I-I was pleased with your reaction, it just didn't occur to me that you remembered everything alright? You should report this to Han-"

"I wanted to kiss you in that moment, y'know Heichou, but it would have been awkward because I was so much bigger than you; it'd probably look like I was trying to eat you."

"S-Stop confusing me, eh! I don't get what you're talking about! Go back to sleep you're not thinking strai-"

"Smile again for me Heichou, so I can want to kiss you again."

"Why is this escalating so quickly!? I don't understaaaaaaand!" Levi was suddenly hushed by Eren's index finger placed on his lips. Eren leaned his face right next to Levi's and stroked his cheek. "I said 'Smile again' Heichou; I don't like repeating myself just as much as you do." Levi just stared at Eren in confusion, but managed a weak but whole-hearted smile. Eren's own face beamed with delight and he grabbed Levi's face and pulled it onto his own, relishing in a long, passionate kiss.

Everything came to an awkward end with the entrance of Mikasa… there was a lot of explaining and sorting out to do .