Author: lil'chrome-chan

Pairing: Definitely RivaHan fluff!

Rate: K+

Genre: Romance, Friendship

Summary: Apparently, everybody had been gossiping about the two of them. Unlike Hanji—who was too occupied with her Titan studies—Rivaille was quick to catch the rumors going around. It made him wonder what their relationship even was. They were comrades, friends… or maybe more?

AUTHOR NOTE: Okay. To be true, I'm just bored and want to practice writing one-shots so this is the result. After seeing an amazing doujin in Pixiv made by Taya (id: 7809179)—seriously this guy's amazing, a genuine RivaHan shipper—I just had to write something about these two. Actually I've had my eyes set on this pairing ever since episode 9 where Rivaille placed his hand on Hanji's head and made her face him *squeals* while saying something about seeing an Abnormal right there. The chemistry's just there! It's enough to set a house on fire! (Please ignore me I'm just fangirl-ing)

Oh! And if anyobody is interested—I mean you, RivaHan shippers out there—my multi-chaptered fic, My Genius Sister, is focusing on RivaHan in its recent chapters so please drop by and read and leave reviews :3

By the way, I was listening to Last Song by Megurine Luka when writing this. It gives me the inspiration—though I seriously think this story's got nothing to do with that song. I'm simply the Master of (Un)Relativity. Haha.

Okay, enough with my blabbers. I'm hoping to know more RivaHan shippers out there. Please leave reviews or maybe PM me so that we can talk about this pairing (seriously, I'm just being crazy about them recently I need to blow off some steam, OMG)

This story is set on alternate timeline. Be free to choose when this story is happening.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin! Isayama-sensei does!

Of Rumors and Titans

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"I told her she needs to eat once every two days but she just won't listen."

"You need a brain surgery. You're supposed to let her eat three times a day. Fuck it, just hand me the tray and I'll make sure she eats the plates as well."

"A-alright, then… Please take care of the Squad Leader, Corporal."

Rivaille gave a single firm nod.

"Please be gentle to her. I-I mean you don't need to force her to eat the plates—I mean they're not healthy and… edible, but—"

"It was a joke, don't you get it? Just… scram, brat."

Moblit nervously placed his fist on his left chest and scrammed. Rivaille sighed at the young soldier's innocence. Maybe he shouldn't joke around with stiff people too much. To be true, the only person who always provided the best retort was probably Hanji.

Rivaille looked at the door before him. He could have sworn that the room beyond it was so messy due to the scientist's habit to ignore her surroundings when focusing on task at hand. For most times than not she would come out of her office after a week only to pass out near the cafeteria before she managed to swallow anything edible and he or Moblit or sometimes Mike had to be the one to feed her back to life. It was a miracle she could survive without consuming anything for a week, but then again, everything about her was never normal.

Knocking at the door was simply a formality, for he already knew she wouldn't answer the door moreover open it for him.

He opened the unsurprisingly unlocked door and had to adjust his sight in the dim room. There was only one candle illuminating the room. As he had expected, papers were scattered everywhere within sight. His mouth twisted in disgust at the unhealthy environment.

"Hanji…" he muttered as he approached her work table only to see her sleeping figure. She was snoring and drooling; very typical of her. And what's more, she didn't remove her glasses before sleeping. He had repeatedly told her that her glasses were bound to break if she kept treating it the way she did but being her, she would never listen.

He stared at her for a while before putting the tray of food on the table and put his hand on top of her head to ruffle her already messy brown locks. He would never admit it but her messy brown locks always felt so good under his palm.

He heard a low moan and noticed that she was waking up. Removing his hand from her head, he watched as she rubbed her teary eyes after yawning and stretching.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he said with sarcasm.

She blinked, "Morning?" and went to see her pocket watch before laughing, "What are you saying, Rivaille? It's 8pm."

"It's called sarcasm, shitty glasses."

"I know that!" she laughed. And before Rivaille could say anything about the food Hanji spoke up, "Anyway, did you know, Rivaille? I was reading books about genetic mutation and was wondering what if I can make more soldiers like Eren, you know, half-Titan. I wonder if there are people willing to become the experiment subjects. Ah, but I'm not forcing anyone to, okay? I was just wondering!" her brown eyes sparkled despite the bags underneath them.

Did she not know the definition of exhaustion?

"Why don't you just forget about Titans and start looking at the thing on your table?" Rivaille said as he lighted more candles in the room to restore his vision.

Hanji did as he said, "My papers?"

"Not that, you idiot—more to the left."

"…My writing utensils?"

"Do I really need to point it out for you? I'm honestly wondering what those shitty glasses are on for."

Hanji looked confused for a while before she finally got what he meant, "Aah! You mean these foods?" she pointed at the tray of foods Rivaille placed on the table earlier. Rivaille nodded and Hanji laughed while scratching the back of her head. "I don't know how long it's been here. I'm on diet so I planned on not eating too much."

"I just put it there. It's still warm. And for your information, a good diet doesn't' consist of not eating for a whole week. Now eat or I'll have to shove it down your throat."

"Aren't you going to feed me or something?" Hanji had the look of utter surprise on her face, as if his feeding her was the most obvious thing to do in this world.

"No. I told you the options are for you to eat it yourself or for me to shove it down your throat. Choose."

"Oh well," she returned to her papers, picking up her utensils after wiping her glasses, "I still have many things to do. Like researching more on the genetic mutations… or wondering why Rivaille isn't feeding me despite seeing how busy I am."

"What on God's green Earth are you on about, shitty glasses?"

"Oh nothing, really. Ignore me, I'm just sulking. Don't worry, it's not because you aren't helping me with my task, seriously. By the way, the door's right there," she pointed at the opened door. It was pretty obvious he knew where the door was because he entered through the goddamned door.

Rivaille sat quietly on one of the vacant seats and watched as she scribbled something only she could read on the paper, probably about the genetic mutation shits. His mind wondered around to something he had heard earlier that day. He caught the young soldiers gossiping in the middle of their break. It was normal and he wouldn't forbid them for it. In fact, it was good to see them in such high spirits in this bloody world rather than seeing them as pale as a sheet as though they had just seen a mountain of cadavers.

But the subject of their gossip was none other than him and Hanji. He knew some rumors had been going around about them but for once he had the urge to learn what they were gossiping about.

"They have to be dating, I swear!" he remembered a young soldier with shaven head said it with quite a loud voice, clear enough for him to hear from his position.

"How can you be so sure, Connie? And why would you be so persistent about it? They're a Squad Leader and a Corporal for God's sake," a built blond shook his head as he gulped down some water after training.

"I saw them!"

"Saw them?" a brown-haired girl looked up from her half-eaten bread, crumbs all over her mouth as she tilted her head quizzically.

"You saw them doing what, baldie?" a freckled girl smirked.

"Ymir!" a petite blonde with pretty blue eyes scolded the freckled girl.

The baldie, Connie, continued to talk about his discovery of the year while ignoring Ymir's insult. "I saw them kissing on the last mission!" he exclaimed.

Rivaille almost choked on thin air when he heard that. When had he ever kissed Hanji?

Everybody had nearly the same reaction as him. The built blond dropped his water; the brunette dropped her bread; while Ymir protectively covered the blonde's ears as if kissing was too mature of a word for the blonde to hear.

"They weren't kissing, they were arranging plans, you idiot." Came a voice from behind and they turned only to see Jean Kirschtein walking toward them with the trio behind him.

"That was just Hanji-san falling in love at first sight with a dancing Titan and won't listen to the Corporal so he had to make her face him by force," Eren added nonchalantly. "He pulled her in and whispered the plan to her so that might look like kissing to you, Connie." He explained, unusually sounding genius.

Connie began to replay the scene in his head and felt that Eren's explanation made sense. He did see them from a disadvantageous angle to actually tell what they're doing. "But—But! That doesn't look like something normal friends would do!" Connie denied.

"I agree with Connie. I do notice that they're very close to each other. It might be because their both close in ranks but maybe there's something more as well," Armin added. As always, he was very observant… and a little sly, if he might add.

"In addition, they call each other with given names and with such intimacy," Ackerman added. Rivaille knew the Asian girl wasn't half interested in the topic but she did so just to add fuel into the fire. He couldn't think of what grudge she could possibly hold against him but the girl clearly disliked him.

"Guys, it's not nice to talk about someone behind their backs! Let's just end this conversation," the petite blonde pouted and as if on cue, everybody nodded and went back to their barracks.

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Rivaille looked at the scientist—who was still busy writing something on her papers.

"…Hanji."

"Yeah?" she answered without looking at him. And he assumed that it was not because she was sulking, instead, she was too occupied with her task. She never sulked long enough, he had noted that.

"Hanji…"

"Like I said, yeah?"

"Hanji…"

Raising a brow, Hanji turned to look at him with a quizzical look. "What?" she asked in utter confusion. "Why are you repeating my name? That's creepy," she chuckled.

"Do I sound intimate when calling your name?" he asked absent-mindedly.

Tilting her head, Hanji blinked. "Do you?"

"Don't answer me with another question."

Hanji chuckled before going to an actual thinking mode, "Hmm…" she tapped her chin. "I'm used to you calling my name so maybe I can't judge how you sound when you do."

Closing his eyes, Rivaille nodded and thought again. He had been friends with Hanji for as long as he knew. They argued, they made fun of each other and they fought alongside each other for as long as he knew. He could barely recall his life before that. From the moment Irvin introduced him to Hanji he had been friends with the scientist ever since.

From the moment he decided to accept her dirty hand—one she hadn't washed for days—in a handshake.

From the moment he admitted her strength and will.

From the moment he called her by her name instead of "Squad Leader Zoë".

They had been friends.

Rising from his seat, he walked toward Hanji and picked up the bowl of stew. Hanji watched as he carefully blowed the stew to cool it off and asked her to open her mouth. She did so and could feel the sensation of something edible and warm spreading through her tongue. He continuously did so until she finished all of it.

"That was good! Come to think of it I haven't had any food in a while!" she laughed nonchalantly like it was no big deal.

"By the way, Hanji…"

"Yeah?" she smiled at him.

"…I've been wanting to say this for a while, but…"

Hanji nodded enthusiastically at him, urging him to continue.

"…you don't have any pants on…"

Blinking, Hanji then looked downward only to realize that she had only been wearing white blouse on top of her underwear. Her mouth slowly formed an 'O' before she stood up from her seat and went to her closet to find some clothes.

"I think I'll go have a bath while I'm on it," she said as she unbuttoned her blouse and went to close her half-opened door.

"You never look bothered when exposing your skin to a guy."

"Hahaha! Why should I?"

"Forgive me. I momentarily forgot that you're a shameless woman."

"How rude!" she pouted. After she finished unbuttoning her blouse she threw the article of clothing somewhere without looking and opened the door to the bathroom. "I mean, who would want to see a manly body like mine?" she chuckled as she took a step inside.

"Your body is not manly."

She turned to look at him and tilted her head.

"Nothing compared to mine," he slightly smirked, his eyes closed. She knew he had that abs while she barely had it. Was he bragging or…?

She mentally laughed at his way to ensure her that her body was not manly.

She tiptoed toward him, taking the opportunity while his eyes were closed. She leaned in and pressed her lips on his forehead, earning a slightly taken aback expression from him. Laughing loudly at his reaction, she quickly escaped to the bathroom.

Frowning, Rivaille touched his forehead.

Geez, that crazy woman…

Always as crazy as she was, but Hanji Zoë was undoubtedly his most precious comrade, his best friend... and maybe a little more than that.

Okay, I tried my best to write some fluff but it seems I've failed. Miserably. But oh well, I'll consider this the first step to improve my one-shot writing skill! I'll stay positive! Just please don't flame me! Wait, alright, I'll just erase this story if it's hurting your eyes and mind to read it! DX

Remember, I'm just a RivaHan fan who wants to spread my love for this cute pairing :')