Chapter 19

Levi opened his eyes to find the area around them to be empty, looking down at Crystal he found she was still sleeping peacefully, a blanket now wrapped around them.

"Sorry if you got hot," Hanji spoke softly as she walked in, "You two were too cute, I couldn't bring myself to wake you up."

"Right..." Levi groaned a little as his back started to ache, "Four Eyes..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you approve of this? This relationship..."

"Well of course I do, I told her to go after you, after all." Hanji chuckles, and Levi looks at her with wide eyes, "Ever since she started talking more, I realized she had a crush on you. Its been about a year? Honestly, I was just waiting for one of you to finally break the ice, now that it's here, I'm excited to see what you guys do for a wedding."

"Tsk. You idiot. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Levi asked harshly, "I would've been able to do everything with her..."

"I didn't think you honestly liked her Levi. You were kind of on the harsher side in the first few months. She'd never admit it but you made her cry a lot back then." Hanji said softly, making Levi tense up, "Don't self-loath too much... I wanted to punch you myself a few times but her feelings for you persisted because she thought you were just doing it to toughen her up..."

"That wasn't the entire reason..." Levi muttered softly, "It was indeed a part of it but I was also trying to scare her into resigning. A part of me doubted she would ever be able to kill another person."

"I had similar thoughts... But she surpassed our expectations on that first expedition. According to eyewitnesses, she killed 34 people that day."

"Yeah... She came back without a single bit of damage on her." Levi smiled slightly, "I was pretty stupid, huh?"

"Very. But you have the rest of your lives to make it up to her." Hanji smiles before touching Crystal's head, "Be sure to do exactly that and I'm sure she'll never leave you."

"Yeah..." Levi muttered, pulling Crystal closer to him and Hanji moved to lift her legs onto the bench, "Thanks, four eyes. I don't know if Erwin would've been as accepting as you."

"Are you kidding?" Hanji blurted out, "Levi, do you not know? Erwin and Crystal were relatives." Levi felt his blood run cold, "I'm not exactly sure how, but I think his mother was sisters with Crystal's father."

"Cousins... Huh?" Levi looked down at her, "No wonder he wanted to keep her so badly."

"What do you mean?"

"Crystal told me of a time when Erwin arrested her during an expedition into Wall Maria." Levi said simply, "He had apparently struggled to keep her, but reluctantly let her go after she begged for him to leave her there."

"Erwin arresting..." Hanji seemed to ponder the event in her head before she freaked out quietly, "Wait! She was that weird girl?!"

"Shh!" Levi shushed, before shrugging, "Maybe..."

"There's only one occurrence of which Erwin arrested someone while we were in Wall Maria. I wasn't allowed to meet them, but I remember Mike saying she was weird."

"Yeah... It sucks they didn't get to see each other before..." Levi mutters softly and Hanji tensed up.

"Yeah... I've been feeling their eyes on me more recently, it's so unsettling. Like ever since Crystal stepped into the picture, they've been looking to see what happens." Hanji sits down in front of Crystal, "She's like a little sister to me. She was never perversed by my crazy antics, she seemed to enjoy my craziness. That's how she started to open up, you know...?" Hanji pulled her knees up to her chest as she waited to see if Levi was interested.

"Go on," Levi said softly, making sure Crystal was still soundly asleep.

---(Flashback)---

"Heya Shigorati!" Hanji shouted as she walked up to the quiet blonde, sitting by herself at the end of the table, "Mind helping me with something?"

The girl's lifeless blue orbs looked up at her, "Sure." She said flatly, and Hanji tensed up before motioning for her to follow. She barely heard the scouts' footsteps.

"Dang, you're light on your feet! I can't even tell where you are."

"Behind you." The girl responded dryly and Hanji started to laugh.

"You can be funny, huh? I never thought." Hanji opened the door to her lab, "I need help coming up with a new herbal tea to help with sleep."

"Okay." Crystal nodded and followed Hanji in.

"Your tasks might get complicated, so I hope you have some knowledge of herbs..." Hanji said softly, "But then again, I don't know much about you. You're less talkative than Levi on a bad day." Hanji sat down at her desk and Crystal stood in front of it motionless.

"Sorry, Commander. Should I talk more?" Crystal asked, her words dry and awkward, almost like it took a lot of energy and effort to speak.

"You should try to. We here at the Scouts are your friends, your comrades. No one will get upset if you talk." Hanji grabbed the herbs and passed them over to her, "Could you mix these herbs in equal parts for me?"

"Yes, Commander... Hanji." Crystal said, the words coming out a bit more smoothly and she started to grind up the herbs.

"Huh. I think that's the first time you've called me by my name..." Hanji said softly, "I hereby order you to call me only by my name."

"Yes... Hanji." Crystal said softly and Hanji smiles, it was a start. Hanji watched her as she filled out paperwork, she was concentrating on getting portions right, when suddenly her hand cramped, "Fuck!" She cursed out and Hanji was so taken aback by the sudden curse word, she blinked in surprise.

"Did... You just-" Hanji said softly before she started to laugh crazily, "The first word you say normally is a curse word! That's hilarious!" She chuckled and Crystal frowned at her.

"I-I messed up the portion because my hand cramped up on me! It hurt damn it!" Crystal shouted at the woman before she gasped and covered her mouth, "I-I'm sorry- I didn't mean to shout at you-" Hanji stared at her with wide eyes. Her words were still stiff, but she seemed to be working on talking more just like Hanji told her to. Which meant that the first sentences were purely from her thoughts, with no filter.

"Please. Don't apologize. I want you to talk more to me, Shigorati. I want you to be comfortable with speaking your mind, as long as you don't become too disrespectful."

"I never want to offend Hanji..." Crystal said quietly, "I hate upsetting people... It scares me."

"Wait- seriously?" Hanji said, dropping her pen, "You mean the person who can stand toe to toe with Levi in Sparring is afraid of merely upsetting someone?"

"My mother used to..." Crystal stopped, and Hanji felt like her throat was being grabbed. She knew that hurt look, it was the face of the child underneath that had been abused. Hanji felt her understanding of the woman before her slipping.

"I get it..." Hanji said softly, "But it would be hard to upset most scouts, so please relax. If any of them get aggressive with you, inform me and I'll have them punished."

---(End)---

"From then on, she tried talking more." Hanji said softly putting a hand on Crystal's, "She was still trapped in whatever situation she ran from when she came to us, and it was brought to me to fix."

"I see..." Levi said softly, "I think I remember her talking more after some point, and from there it seemed to get out of hand..."

"Oh yeah? What're your stories?" Hanji said excitedly and Levi tensed up, "Shy to show how much you paid attention to Crystal? I promise I won't judge."

"Shut up Four Eyes... Yeah, I have a few stories..." Levi looked up as he searched his mind for the first time he heard Crystal say an entire sentence.

---(Flashback)---

"Oi. Brats! Get to cleaning! I don't get why the only one moving is Shigorati!" Levi shouted into the stables, noticing Eren, Armin, Jean, and Connie were all relaxing as Crystal was scooping up horse shit. Crystal looked up from her job and walked up to Levi, saluting to him.

"Sir! Their hands were beginning to blister, sir! So I decided I'd give them a break!" Crystal said loudly, her tongue for once not sounding awkward.

"Tsk. You think you can just undermine my orders like that?"

"I'm not trying to undermine your orders, Captain. I simply believe that I'm better suited to get the job done than these idiots." Crystal said simply and Levi tensed up slightly. She had never said anything like that around him before, it was cocky and the jab toward the four sent them into a shouting fit.

"Tsk. You idiot. I want these stables spotless then!" Levi shouted in her face and she smiles.

"Right away, Sir!" Crystal released her salute, before turning to get back to cleaning. Levi huffed at the four who relaxed their shoulders and left.

Walking down the dirt path, he kept an eye on the other teams that were cleaning. They weren't doing their best, but he figured it was because they had been cleaning all day.

The only one who seemed up to the task to keep cleaning was Crystal Shigorati, the annoying brat that followed every order like it was her way of life.

Levi sat down and enjoyed a cup of tea as he looked at the sky, soon finding it shifting faster as he relaxed. The night hours started to approach and he heard the scouts all filing in for dinner, standing up he looked at them with a scowl.

Walking back down the path, he wanted to check up on Shigorati's work, expecting her to have accompanied the four to dinner. But as he neared the stables he spotted her blonde hair swishing from side to side, still cleaning up the floor.

"Oi. Shigorati! Everyone left you?" Levi shouted into the stables, making her jump and drop the broom.

"U-Uh!" Crystal spun around and gave a salute, "Yes sir! They were hungry!"

"Why are you still here?" Levi looked around, even though she was still sweeping, the place damn near looked brand new from how clean it was.

"I'm not done making it spotless sir! Every time I turn around more dirt is on the floor! Am just doing my job as a Scout!" Crystal said firmly, and Levi scuffed.

"What are you going to miss Dinner just to make sure you make a filthy place like the stables spotless?"

"If I'm not done by the end of dinner, then yes sir!" Crystal seemed to almost glow in the darkness of that stable, her salute strong and unrelenting, "May I get back to work, sir...?" She asked softly.

"Tsk. Do whatever you want." Levi turned on his heel and walked away, it annoyed him to the pit of his stomach that someone was so willing to follow orders when he found it tedious from time to time.

As he walked into the dining hall, Jean stood up, "Captain Levi, did you tell Crystal she could come in?"

"Tsk." Levi huffed, looking away from him before walking to his table.

"N-No way, Captain Levi didn't let her come in to eat. That's cruel." Connie said, and Levi felt himself tense up as he sat down, "I get it that it pissed him off to have Crystal telling him off, but to make her miss dinner..."

"Ugh. We should've just helped her." Armin groans, "But she insisted on us taking a break..."

"She's too selfless to be cold and heartless." Jean sighs, sitting back down before shooting a glare at Levi who looked away.

"Levi, did you seriously not dismiss her?" Hanji questioned, "I'm going to go-"

"No Four eyes. Leave her." Levi said sharply, "She opted to stay out there, I didn't make her do anything." Levi sips on his black tea and Hanji stared at him before shaking her head in disappointment.

"You're the reason she's out there. I'll make sure to give her extra at breakfast." Hanji continued to eat and Levi got up, heading to the kitchen. Grabbing a plate of food he walked back out and sat down.

He watched as everyone finished eating and they started to file out of the dining hall. The kitchen closed and locked up, and a few minutes later the doors to the dining hall swung open.

"Ugh..." Crystal groans, "I was hoping I'd catch the kitchen before they locked up..." Crystal stood there, Levi couldn't help but notice her eyes were red from crying and her hands were blistered.

"Tsk. You can have the rest of mine if you're that hungry." Levi stood up, "I'm not hungry anymore." Walking up to her and passing her, he looked back as she hesitated before walking to his plate.

Sitting down he noticed her cheeks were now rosy and a smile adorned her mouth. Shaking his head, he walked away.

---(End)---

"Awh! I never knew." Hanji smiles, "That was rather sweet of you..."

"I intended to give it to her the entire time..." Levi admitted, a slight dust of pink showing up on his face, "I got extra. More than I was allowed but none of the kitchen staff was going to complain."

"That's... Definitely out of character for you Levi. Don't tell me you were already crushing?" Hanji smirked teasingly and Levi scuffed.

"No. I just felt bad for her being used by those idiots."

"I was often taken advantage of in similar ways..." Crystal says sleepily and Levi felt himself jumping out of his skin, "Sorry, I thought you knew I woke up..."

"Haha!" Hanji laughs, "Nope. Not even I knew. We were just sharing stories about you."

"It was nice... My memories get fuzzy from time to time, so I like hearing stories about myself." Crystal said, snuggling closer to Levi who held his breath.

"Well, I remember almost everything about your time with us since you were such a standalone girl." Hanji leaned back on her palms, "Especially your first battle, that moment you saw the sea... I remembered thinking you seemed so childlike in those moments."

"Wait. The sea? Did I react weirdly?" Crystal asked and Hanji shook her head.

"No, you reacted as a soldier would. Your eyes are glued to it, wide with wonder and curiosity, but your body is firm to your horse. Even when Armin offered to let you go feel it, you refused to move without mine or Levi's permission."

"Which I promptly denied because we were headed for battle, not a sightseeing adventure," Levi said simply and Crystal nodded, remembering pieces of those moments.

"I see... Do you guys think that if I died one day, you would always remember those moments...?"

Levi looked at Hanji who smiles widely, "Of course. You're like family to me."