A/N: I have finally reached a point where this story bothered me enough to make me decide to do what I really should have done years ago. To edit and compile it into a single story. (I still don't understand why I ever thought it was a good idea to post the parts separately; somebody shoot me please.)

Anyway, I hope the newer version is also the better version. I didn't change much, just fixed the awkward so it's hopefully easier to read, added/re-wrote a few sentences and such ^.^

Lastly, regarding this first kidnapping incident, capture-bonding is another name for Stockholm syndrome – a strong emotional attachment of a victim towards their kidnapper. I was just thinking that in a world like SnK they probably wouldn't call it Stockholm syndrome, so I went with the other name :)

First chapter now with illustrations by the sweet and amazing Niniton that you can find here (or on my profile): chenziee . tumblr post/171124565045/the-first-kidnapping-of-eren-jaeger

Captain Levi was a light sleeper. Captain Levi didn't appreciate being woken up by any panicky shitty brats running around.

"Eren! Eren! Eren, where are you?"

Levi rolled his eyes when the shouting started getting louder as the brat in question was getting closer. He cursed voicelessly and got out of his bed to shut her the fuck up; she could panic and run around to her heart's content as far as he was concerned, but for fuck's sake let her do it silently at least.

He stalked over to the door of his private room (where no one – well, almost no one – was allowed to enter and spread filth all over), throwing it open.

"EREN! PLEASE ASWER ME!"

He winced at the sudden loudness of her shouting. Just great. Now he'd just woken himself up even more. "Ackerman, shut up," he barked, keeping his voice low. "It's the fucking middle of the night."

Mikasa immediately went quiet as she froze in her tracks, turning around to face her superior.

"I apologize, sir," she stated flatly in her usual cold tone full of dislike for the man, "but Eren isn't in his room. I was looking for him as I was afraid he may have gotten kidnapped."

Levi raised an eyebrow at her. "And why the hellwere you looking for him at this hour?" He shook his head, deciding it was way too early for this. "Whatever. By all means, look for him all you want but please do try not to wake the whole goddamned building. I'm pretty sure he'll show up by himself in the morning, so let's wait with alerting everyone until he doesn't show up. Now shut up and go do whatever." He shooed her away as he finished his passive-aggresive dismissal.

Mikasa wasn't amused by his careless attitude but knew better than to argue with a superior when she had no proof he wasn't right. But it did make the level of her hate for Levi go up considerably.

"Yes sir." She shot him a look full of venom before swiftly stalking away, not even bothering to salute.

Levi wasn't intimidated in the least by her glare, nor was he especially bothered by her lack of respect. He only closed the door again, satisfied now that she was gone.

Levi walked quietly to his bed and climbed back in. His face was as composed as ever when something stirred next to him under the blanket, followed by a sleepy question. "Wha' wazzat? Did somethin' 'appen?"

"No, nothing," he answered in a whisper to the still mostly asleep boy. "It just seems like this one little brat got kidnapped. And apparently has a very bad case of capture-bonding," he added when Eren snuggled close to the older man who was his direct superior, wrapping himself around him like a tentacle monster – just as he was before Levi extracted himself to go turn down the volume outside.

"Hm, thass nice..." Eren mumbled in response, making Levi huff out a quiet chuckle.

"You didn't register a word I said, did you?" Levi asked with a smile, looking down at the mop of hair on his shoulder.

"Mm... Sanks, I love you, too."

Levi suppressed a laugh as he simultaneously tried to ignore the wave of warmth erupting from his chest at the honest declaration.

He was finally almost asleep again when he heard hurried footsteps run past his door and Levi smirked to himself.

'That's for waking me up. And for trying to sneak into the wrong room in the middle of the night. Have fun, Ackerman.'

When time for breakfast came, Mikasa, visibly tired with dark circles under her eyes, came face to face with a practically sparkling Eren, who, in a startling contrast to his sister, got to sleep in a comfortable for once. Moreover, with his beloved Captain next to him.

Not to mention all that happened before they actually went to sleep on the soft, warm, comforatable bed.

The difference was all too obvious and if she wasn't so relieved Eren was alright, Mikasa'd be furious.

"Eren! Where were you tonight? I was looking for you everywhere," she fired at him as soon as she caught sight of her brother – who walked in right after the bastard of a Captain.

Eren blushed madly in response, keeping his mouth shut. Mikasa was the absolutely last person he wanted to know. (Maybe except Hanji who would be even scarier in her own way, for a whole different reason.) Little did he know that everyone else including Hanji already knew and Mikasa would figure it out very soon as well. (Or more accurately, be taken pity on and told; a process that would be accompanied by much screaming and death threats. It would also take the whole of the ex-104th Trainees Squad to prevent the subsequent blood-bath which would surely end in the Corps losing one or two of the best soldiers they had.)

Mikasa's eyes narrowed dangerously at Eren's lack of response. The boy cowered under her dangerous glare and unconsciously moved a tiny bit closer to Levi. Luckily for them both, Mikasa didn't seem to catch the meaning behind the subtle movement but Levi sure did.

'Capture-bonding,' he thought, hiding an amused smirk, before he decided to save Eren from her wrath. "See, Ackerman?" he noted, sounding as indifferent as ever. "I told you the brat would show up on his own. You should really try to control that crazy brother-complex of yours."

Mikasa glared at him, with Levi gazing back at her blankly. The staring contest was soon cut short, however, as realization flashed in Mikasa's eyes. "You bastard, you knew where he was all along."

"Perhaps, perhaps not." He shrugged, unaffected. "I have absolutely no obligation to answer you. And don't go calling your superiors bastards. Someone might not like it and it won't end up pretty for you one day." Levi paused to take in Mikasa's appearance before he cringed in disgust, gesturing vaguely at her. "I do expect you to do something about that before you contaminate the food."

The cleanliness loving Captain was highly unamused by the fact she dared to enter the building (let alone the mess hall) while covered in mud like that, spreading dust and dirt and god-knows-what-else everywhere.

'Did I go too far? Oh well.' A hint of a sadistic smile spread across his features when he realized she must have looked for Eren even outside.

"Shut up, you creepy clean-freak. It's your own fault anyway. Where was he?" she growled at him, furious.

Crossing his arms on his chest, Levi retorted, "Not that it's any of your business but he was fulfilling an order. Confidential one. And I told you to fucking respect your superiors, Ackerman."

"Well, when you can tell me that now, you could have very well told me last night. Sir."

Meanwhile, Eren was confused. Very confused. Looking between the two of them, he wondered quietly to himself, "Did I miss something?"

A/N: I hope you liked it? ^^;; I plan on updating every day for the next 12 days until we reach the end (unless i forget or something...)