Disclaimer: I don't own Shingeki no Kyo

"Morning" Armin greeted her. He was sitting near the table typing in his laptop. His smile normally was enough to change her mood, not today.

Eren popped out of the kitchen carrying two plates.

"Woah! You look horrible" he said noticing Mikasa's unwelcoming demeanor. He handed one of the plates to Armin who took it happily and sat across him.

"That's an understatement" Mikasa scowled lying face down on their couch burying her face to the softness for comfort.

"Want breakfast?"

Armin offered but she refused not in the mood to eat. Eren sighed knowing exactly what had her ticked off that early.

"You are not dressed in proper practice attire. The coach isn't going to be thrilled."

"Tch. I could care less." She muttered irritated.

"Is that why you're this upset" Armin asked.

"Ha! I'm not upset. I'm beyond upset." Mikasa sat up.

Armin opened his mouth to ask further on the subject but Eren gave him a disapproval look changing his mind.

"Out of all coaches in this huge world I had to be stuck with him. Seriously what are the odds!"

"Him! Do you understand me Armin? I'm good. No, really good. I should have the option to choose someone of my liking right? But no! I get to train with that disrespectful, awful short jerk."

Armin stared unsure how to respond to her venting.

"You don't even know him" Eren added who was enjoying his breakfast knowing nothing they said was going to calm her.

"Don't defend him. He had no right to humiliate you in public."

"Mikasa it's not his fault I was over my head."

"No Eren. If he didn't want to be your coach all he had to do was reject you. But that would have been too classy for him wouldn't it? He had to make you play with him just to tell you how not good enough you are and list all of your faults in public. I call that humiliation not coaching skills."

"Mikasa-" Eren said but was interrupted by Armin.

"Wait don't you have to meet your coach in half an hour?"

Mikasa confirmed the time. There was no way she was going to arrive by their schedule training time. Oh well. It's not like it bothered her.

Mikasa reached the tennis court 20 minutes late. She expected to find an unhappy coach instead there was no one. She did spot a note on one of the posts.

You're late

She grabbed the note from the posts and ripped it into pieces creating a rain of paper when she was done. This man was frustrating till no end.

The following day she was only 4 minutes late. Again she found a note with the same words. She growled leaving more displeased than the day before.

In the third attempt, she made it right on the hour. To her surprise there was once more no sign of her new coach. She cursed loudly ready to knock someone out. She went to his office but the door was closed and the lights were off. Still determined to ask what his problem was she decided to send him an email. He simply replied being early is good practice just like wearing proper training attire was and explained running shoes aren't tennis shoes.

The next day she arrived an hour early.

"You're not wearing tennis shoes" he said attentive of her shoes.

"Nice to meet you too" she replied.

"Introductions are unnecessary given."

Mikasa frowned. She added arrogance to the list of things that annoyed her of him.

"I can practice fine with these running shoes."

"You disobeyed an order" he remarked.

"Yea well I forgot them. Can we start training already?"

She turned away to pick up her tennis racket confident she won.

"There will be no training until you obey a simple order" Levi said crossing his arms.

Mikasa tensed, narrowing her eyes containing the dark feeling piling within her. She glared attempting to intimidate the man but he didn't budge. He wasn't afraid as others were.

"How do you expect me to coach if you don't listen?"

Mikasa tried biting her lip to restrained herself. She had a lot riding in the scholarship but she failed to keep her sanity.

"Except I don't expect you to coach me. I never would have chosen you if it wasn't for the stupid scholarship. How can I accept your coaching if I can't even respect you?"

The tone Mikasa used on the last words struck an accord on Levi. He recognized her furrowed eyes and remembered exactly when he had seen them.

"You're that boy's friend aren't you?"

"The one you humiliated?"

"He wasn't good enough…. Doesn't matter. Regardless of the circumstance you are stuck with me unless you decide to get your scholarship revoked. You're choice."

Mikasa struggled suppressing her emotions. She had already lost too much to give up on the sport that made her feel alive. A sport where she felt invincible every time she came out victorious. But this man had hurt Eren and family was everything to her.

"Then I quit. I rather give up then spend another minute near you."

She walked away heading home but Levi wasn't done yet.

"If you walk away you're not only disappointing yourself but those most supportive. I bet your parents have given up plenty to grant you a future. Do you honestly want to crap on the sacrifices your parents have made for a childish tantrum? I know you're great - "

Levi quickly moved to the side barely dodging a flying racket. The sound of the loud thump made on impact startled him. However it was nothing compared to the hell coming out of the girl's body. It was almost a frightening aura.

"You don't know anything about me or my parents."

Mikasa hissed and walked away leaving her racket behind. There was no turning back.

He has been involved in many arguments including those involving violence. Never has anyone thrown a tennis racket at him. He had to give it to her, she chose an interesting weapon.

"If you keep yourself locked up in this office you'll never find a woman" his old pal said as he entered the room uninvited. He welcomed himself to the chair across Levi's desk.

"I had a tennis racket thrown at me" Levi said. There was no need for formal greetings between him and Erwin. He was the person he trusted the most and knew very well how impolite he can be.

Erwin chuckled. He was familiar to Levi's social skills and how often it got him in trouble.

"What bastard did you piss of now? What you do to him?"

"A she and the girl I'm coaching or at least was supposed to."

Erwin looked at him with disbelief and laughed. Levi wasn't amused.

"Too funny" Erwin said.

Levi sighed. He wasn't in a favorable position debating what actions to take with the girl. He banged his head backwards and shifted his chin up to look at the ceiling. He was drowning in deep thought. Even if he found the little tantrum interesting; protocol is to report her. If he hadn't moved, the racket could have killed him at the rate it was going. This was no ordinary girl.

Yet he couldn't.

"Are you going to report this?" Erwin asked. He wasn't laughing anymore.

"I don't know" Levi mumbled.

"She left quite an impression. You've killed careers for less."

"The thing is it wasn't just a tantrum. There was something else."

"An explosion full of contained rage?"

Levi straightened up. Erwin's words held a double meaning. When he nodded looking at Erwin.

"Yes."

"Then you know what has to be done." Erwin patted Levi's shoulder and left.

"I'll get it" Armin yelled from the couch. When he opened the door he couldn't believe his eyes. The famous professional tennis player, Levi Ackerman, was standing inches away. Eren and him idolized him since there childhood days. When he found out Eren was going to try to get Levi as his coach when the news broke out that he was recruiting a pupil he almost fainted. The idea of his best friend being in close proximity with his idol was unreal. He was bummed out when Levi rejected him but his excitement resurfaced when Levi recruited Mikasa.

"Good afternoon" Levi replied.

"Who was it - " Eren dropped books he was carrying when he spotted Levi.

"W-what are you doing here?" he managed to ask.

"I wish to speak to Mikasa. Is she home?"

Armin shook his head. He was unable to release any words.

"I guess I'll come another time."

"Wait!" Eren yelled. Levi curious looked at him.

"Please don't give up on Mikasa" he begged.

"She threw a tennis racket at me" Levi defended.

Armin nervous started to scratch his head already aware of what transpired between the two.

"She mentioned it…. Sorry Mikasa is just too overprotective" Armin added.

"I can prepare some tea. If you stay we can tell you more about her and why she reacted so aggressively."

Levi sighed and accepted.

"I see" Levi said drinking the last portion of the tea he had left.

"So you can imagine why she is very attached to us. As if witnessing her parent's death wasn't bad enough she relived it with my mother."

Eren explained struggling on his last words.

"Mikasa never returned to her cheerful childhood self. She became our unconditional protector instead. When I was bullied, she'd retaliate and it was never a pretty sight. It got to the point people feared her name." Armin chimed in giving Eren a moment to recover from the disturbing memories of his mother's death.

"She isn't fond of anyone who would hurt her friends" Armin added.

Levi wanted to learn more but ended up not prying. He could see Eren restless after bringing his mother's death.

"Thank you. I should get going."

Armin and Eren nodded.

"Eren."

Levi felt there was something he needed to make right before he walked through their home's door. Listening to their past hit a nerve.

"Yes?"

"I didn't reject you because you were horrible. In fact you are better than most professional players. However, you still haven't reached your full potential. If I had accepted you I would have done more harm than good. I've seen it many times. Train harder and you'll get there."

"T-Thank you sir."

Levi nodded and left pleased.

Hanji was frustrated grading papers. She couldn't believe how poor her students were doing in her class. She knew most struggled as she is pushing their limits but that semester was worse. She warned them the first day her class was intense with no room to slack off.

"Professor Zoe?"

"Mikasa!"

Hanji was thankful for her student's visit. She needed a break from her disappointment.

"I came to return these" Mikasa said putting a new pair of tennis shoes on her desk.

"Something wrong with them?"

Hanji was confused. She had bought them as a present when she heard of Mikasa's scholarship award. She was a friend of Mikasa's mom. When she heard of her friend's death she felt compelled to always keep an eye on Mikasa. Though she wasn't always success; she tried her best.

"I'm quitting tennis and my scholarship."

"Wait what?! What the hell did that damn prick do to you?!"

Hanji slammed her desk loud.

"I threw a tennis bracket at him" Mikasa responded.

"You did what? Why?!"

"We had an argument and something he said triggered me. Before I could stop myself I reacted."

"Oh Mikasa" Hanji said gently.

"It's ok. I told him I was quitting tennis anyways. Besides right now he must have reported me already."

Mikasa rarely showed any emotion except when she was upset. But Hanji could see right through it.

"Sit down" she invited. Mikasa complied taking the empty chair.

"Have I ever mentioned I've known that jerk face for years?"

Mikasa shook her head.

"Well I have and we're good friends. Believe me when I say he isn't the villain the world puts him as. Sure he acts like it often. But for those who have known him as long as I have know he has a gentle side. Talk to him because the Levi I know hasn't reported you. You need to apologize too."

"I can't" Mikasa muttered staring at the floor.

"You can't or you don't want to?"

Mikasa stayed quite. Hanji was glad she was at least thinking about it.

"How about this. Hold on to these shoes until next week okay?"

"You're tough to find."

Levi took the empty swing next to Mikasa who was swinging lightly.

"What are you doing here" she asked in a neutral manner. He was content she wasn't out to pick a fight like in their first practice.

"I talked to your friends."

Mikasa quickly stopped and looked at him.

"They told me everything" he said.

"You had no right-"

"Let me be your coach" he interrupted her. He expected her get insulted with his intrusion but it was important to be honest. This time he was going to get control of the conversion to avoid any negative confrontation.

From Mikasa's body language he was aware his request caught of her guard.

"Did you forget what happened?"

"No. That's exactly why I want to be your coach." He replied with no signs of hesitation. He wanted Mikasa to know he was serious. She shifted her eyes to the ground. He stayed in silence to give her room.

"I was wrong turning to violence but that doesn't mean I was dishonest. What you did to Eren wasn't cool."

"You're right. It wasn't the best way to handle it."

Mikasa briefly jumped. She looked at him in disbelief he just confessed to being wrong.

"I don't want to be your coach because I want to fix you. You've had a fucked life and nothing I do will change that. I can't magically wash away your rage. What I can do is help you channel it to the sport I know you care."

"I-I don't know" she said. He could hear doubt and that was his queue to keep going.

"My mother was my everything. Whenever someone dared mention her name I'd go berserk. I am aware she wasn't a saint but I understood why she made questionable decisions. She did them so I can have a chance."

"Was?" She took interest even if she wasn't sure why he suddenly started sharing part of his personal life.

He nodded.

"Mmhm. She was murdered by my abusive step father. I was so devastated that I decided to act on my own accord. I bought a gun and threatened him. I was going to shoot him until someone got in the way. This person tried to talk me out of it but I refused to listen. The last straw was when this person said my mother wouldn't approve my actions. I lost it and I pulled the trigger. Luckily I missed and this person bargained with me. I essentially was asked to give up my soul to not get in trouble with the law and here I am. That bastard Erwin made me into the tennis player I am today. He didn't change me, instead he helped me find a better use to my darkness."

During his story Levi didn't notice when Mikasa started to shed tears. He was touched.

"My last coach said I was a lost cause" she said hiding her pain behind her hair.

"If you are ¼ as stubborn as me then I don't doubt it. Good thing I don't want to change you. See you at 7:00 AM sharp in tennis shoes?"

Mikasa nodded.

"Good."

Levi left smiling knowing he made the right decision.