Just to check

So freaking late! My apologies, y'all.

But guess what? Your waiting is not without rewards. Along with nearly 9K words...have a thin slice of Levihan lemon! A very thin slice, paper thin. When life gives you Levihan lemons, slice accordingly and leave them wanting. XD

Spoiler: these two won't actually, truly fuck until...

Until...

You really wanna know?

You sure?

Okay...

Psych!!

Sorry, that's confidential. But basically, they won't be truly fucking until a major development has happened.

(A.N. Continued at the end of chapter)

•

•

There was a lapse of silence, and only their combined, heavy breathing filled the room. Hanji's tumble landed her laying parallel to the width of the bed on her back, one foot propped on the mattress and tangled in the sheets she had dragged down with her. But she wasn't really concerned with that. All she could think about was what she had just done, how cold the floor was compared to the soft mattress, and just how mad Levi could be about her actions.

  "Hanji?" his strained voice finally broke the silence, and she tilted her head down to look at him when he peered over the edge of the bed. The sight was almost comical: his disheveled hair and bleary eyes just barely visible over the crumpled sheets that still remained there.

  She gave another mortified squeak when she realized that - from his vantage point - he had a direct view of her unmentionables. And it was quite obvious that he had noticed by the way his gaze darted between her legs. She clamped her thighs together at that, rolling awkwardly onto her side and tugging her feet down from the mattress.

  'So much for never letting him see it...' she bemoaned in her head, only half-heartedly.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

  "I-I should be asking you that." she stuttered as she gingerly sat up, tugging her shirt down between her legs, "Uh...by the way, I'm sorry about that. I didn't know what it...was." she grimaced, trailing off and averting her gaze, hand lifted to her eyes to shield them from the sight of his body out of sheer embarrassment.

  Levi blinked a few times, and then rubbed his eyes, obviously still sleepy. In his own head, he was considering how sheltered of a life she must have lived to not know what was poking her. "It didn't cross your mind at all?" he asked, teasing, but his tone of voice didn't give that away.

  "Well, I don't know! I've never slept with someone else before!" Hanji exclaimed in her defense, fully covering her face. "Let alone a man." she added, a little whine of self-pity escaping her as she did so.

  Levi hummed, almost sounding amused, "It's fine, Hanji." he said as he made to stand. She glanced at him in surprise through her fingers.

  "Really?"

  "While it wasn't exactly pleasant being groped awake, you didn't hurt me or anything." he said as he stretched his arms above his head languidly. She indulged herself by thoroughly ravishing his bare, toned back and shoulders with her gaze. She bit her lip behind her hands and hastily averted her eyes when he looked back at her over one of said shoulders. "I'm going to start a bath." he said as he grabbed a towel.

  "Okay." she nodded, grunting as she got to her feet.

  'I just slept with Levi.'

  The sudden thought hit her without warning, and she found herself smiling at the revelation. Funny how they didn't even need to do anything other than sleep beside one another. And yet she was feeling butterflies in her stomach, daydreaming about doing it all over again. His skin, albeit calloused, scarred, and rough in some places (such as his hands) was delightfully smooth everywhere else. And she had a vague memory of gently caressing his sculpted abdomen in her sleep. The thought made her shiver in delight. Indeed, she wanted to sleep in his bed every night now.

  Though he had said not to get used to it...

  She winced as her actions played through her mind's eye yet again. "Damnit!" she hissed at herself, she had probably just made sure that it was true. Made sure that he wouldn't be after her company in that way again. She sighed and made her way into the washroom, it was empty when she entered. She closed the door behind her and waited a few moments before Levi came in through the door on the opposite side of the room.

  She hadn't noticed it before he showed her it was there a week or so before. It led outside, basically a back door.

  Levi looked up at her and paused, as if he didn't know why she was there.

  "What?" she asked, playing with the hem of her shirt.

  He looked at the tub and hummed quietly, "I suppose I can bathe you first." he said, more to himself than to her.

  "Huh?" she brought a finger up to her lip in confusion, glancing at the tub.

  "I was starting the bathe for myself." he explained simply, exercising her suggestion that he heat the water with hot stones left in the fire pit all night. He had labeled it genius after he gave it a try, and she had eagerly accepted the label with a grin and flushed cheeks. He had said not to be so smug, and that it beat boiling bucket upon bucket of water.

  "Oh." she hummed, "Well I don't mind waiting..." she looked sheepishly to the side whilst her mind bombarded her with overly-fantastical images of him bathing.

  "No, let's get you washed up." Levi gestured to the newly readied tub, "You're already here, after all."

  "But then you'll have to refill the tub." she protested.

  He stood up from bending to test the water and turned to face her, his brow raised in a show of impatience. In response she stood in place for a time, shuffling her feet. And then she bit her lip and tugged her shirt over her head, stepping up to the tub obediently. "Nevermind." she murmured, a slight smile tugging at her lips. She didn't indicate that she noticed his newly-developed difficulty in keeping his eyes off of her figure.

  He nudged her lightly against the small of her back and she stepped into the hot water, sitting down with a sigh. She closed her eyes instinctively when he dumped water over her head, a light sputter following. She wiped at her face and blinked rapidly to clear her vision, and he began to lather soap into her hair.

  She let her thoughts drift as he made circles against her scalp with his fingertips. It was always calming when he washed her hair, and she often found herself nearly falling asleep. She leaned back and sighed, "I really do need to learn to bathe myself properly someday." she said absentmindedly.

  His soapy hands tightened in her hair, and she grinned when she realized she had successfully reminded him of their first kiss. She tilted her head back to see his expression, and her smile widened when he scowled in his typical, admonishing way.

  "We could bathe together...you know." she murmured, her grin dimming down just enough to show she was serious about the insinuation.

  He raised a solitary brow, and she could see him mentally mulling it over in his head. "I don't think we should." he said after a moment's thought.

  She frowned in disappointment, sitting up straight and shuffling in place as she considered his answer. "Why not?" she asked as she swiped the impending soap trail back from her eyes.

  He was silent for a time, and she eventually began to wonder if he had decided to ignore her question.

  "Levi?"

  His hands dropped from her hair to rest against her shoulders, and she jumped when his voice sounded directly beside her ear. How had he gotten so close without her noticing? "Because I don't trust myself to hold back." he said.

  She was graced with a few moments of innocent ignorance before she suddenly realized what he meant by that. She felt her face burn at the thought, and yet, it was a tantalizing idea all the same. Her hand reached up, fingers caressing his as she turned her head. And his nose brushed against her cheek as she did so, "Well....I...I don't think I would mind that." she managed to say, glancing down at the rim of the tub.

  He pulled back at that, and she wondered if she had said the wrong thing, only to have her pondering dashed by him dumping another cup of water over her head. He did so twice more for good measure.

  When she finally stopped sputtering over the water she stilled, realizing that his hand was tentatively resting low against her collarbone, fingers draping over the uppermost swell of her meager breast. Her breath hitched, unsure of what to say or do in her current situation. Especially when that same hand slid across her skin, down her side. His fingertips tantalizingly grazing against the side of her breast and then moving to cup it.

  "And what if we did it right now?" he asked, his free hand swiping her wet hair back from her neck.

  She couldn't find her voice to answer, especially not when his lips were brushing against the column of her neck. "Um..." she murmured. Racked with mental indecision, she bit her lip, humming lightly at the soft kiss he placed on her shoulder. She wasn't saying no...but she wasn't exactly saying yes either. And he paused in notice.

  "You're not ready for that." he stated matter-of-factly.

  She hunched her shoulders together at the truth of it and hugged herself. He was right, again. And it made her terribly upset, as she wanted more than anything for their relationship to go further, right this very minute, even. But her earlier boldness had faded in the moment he began testing the waters she had so brashly presented to him.

  "I guess not, at least when it comes to...actually making love." she finally spoke, stumbling over the latter of her sentence.

  He nodded, she could feel the movement against her damp hair. "That's why I won't bathe with you, not yet. That's too big a step, for either of us." he said as he made to continue her bath, "And even if we tried not to...we both just wouldn't hold back." he chuckled softly, "You and I aren't the type to hold back."

  "But-" she spun to face him, and she could feel her face flush as she spoke, "-I did like it, when you touched me like that." she grasped his hand and swiped her thumb over the top of it, "If you did it again...well, I mean to say that: I would like for you to do it again." her voice drifted off into a whisper as she examined his face for a response. He blinked, his hand twitching in her grip, obvious in his desire to fulfill her request, and she looked down shyly.

  She glanced at his loose pants and gulped, quite new to the prospect of arousing a man like she was doing. "Or...or I could touch you, even." she suggested, looking back up at him in await of an answer. "I do want to." she added.

  He exhaled shakily, eyes screwing shut as he tried to calm himself after hearing those words.

  "Is that too big a step too?" she asked, most genuine in her curiosity. "It's not the same thing, right? I mean, it's just touching-"

  "Hanji..." he murmured, his tone underlaid with a somewhat shallow warning. She got to her knees in determination, becoming eye level with him and urging him closer with a slight tug on his hand. He opened his eyes and shook his head slightly, "Not right now." he murmured, demonstrating that there was no ire in his rejection by kissing her, chaste and quick.

  She gave a pout when he pulled back, wound up and raring to go by that point. But she nodded reluctantly and sat back down to let him finish her bath. "Later, then?" she asked.

  He huffed a laugh, "Maybe, Hanji. Sit still." he smacked lightly at her shoulder to halt her squirming.

  She couldn't really help it, though. What with the warmth pulsing between her thighs, her heart beating rapidly with anticipation, and her mind begging for his touch again. He was definitely right about her not being ready for complete intimacy. She was a bit scared, honestly. She knew next to nothing about it. But she had absolutely no qualms with exploration, finding out. Of that she was most certain.

  The next six minutes she spent fiddling with her fingers beneath the water, turning when he asked and washing what was (as of yet) still inappropriate for him to wash. And when she finally stood and began to towel off, her thoughts were solely focused upon the male in the room and just how eager she was to jump him.

  "I didn't bring my clothes." she said coyly, eyeing him up and down and lingering where she had seen him tented beneath his pants earlier. What she wouldn't give to see it again, and perhaps without the clothes to hinder her gaze...

  He heaved a sigh and handed her the shirt he initially intended for himself when he was finished bathing. "Go on, I'm bathing now." he gestured toward the door, and she nodded tentatively.

  "Alright." she tugged the shirt over her head and slipped out of the bathroom, giving a sigh when it was locked behind her.

  She ambled down the short hallway and back into his room, closing the door behind her. She flopped onto his unmade bed, one leg pulled up while the other dangled off of the mattress. Now she knew, of course, that he meant for her to return to her room. But she couldn't, not with this unyielding urge for some friction between her legs, preferably caused by calloused hands belonging to a certain Shorty.

  She shuffled in place at the thought, throwing her arm over her eyes and groaning as she waited the torturously long (not actually long) span of Levi's bath. Her thoughts dreaming up various scenarios for when he was finished. What he might do when he came back. And when the door opened less than fifteen minutes later, she sprang up most eagerly to meet his gaze.

  He paused upon seeing her, closing the door behind him and running a hand through his damp hair. "You're still here, then." he said, tone laced with amusement.

  "Should I not be?" she asked tentatively, glancing between the floor and his eyes, afraid she had possibly crossed a line.

  He inclined his head, "I didn't say that." he placed his towel down on the foot of the bed and stood before her sitting form, studying her.

  "What?" she murmured self-consciously, fiddling with the hem of his lent shirt and blinking up at him.

"It's not a matter of whether you should be here...but a matter of why you are still here." he explained, though she could see that he knew why.

  "Levi." she beckoned him with a motion of her hand, and he crossed his arms as if to say he wasn't going to move until she spelled it out for him. "Come here, please." she added on, "I need you to come here, and then I'll show you."

  He didn't answer, but merely stepped closer. She grasped at his waist as he stepped into range and tugged him close enough to rest her forehead against his abdomen. And he let her, a hand carefully threading through her hair while she immersed herself in his presence.

  She thought she heard his breath hitch when she began gliding her hands up and down his back. And a small smile spread upon her face as she pressed her lips to his skin. Her tentative exploration was effective, and it soon had him breathing heavy, be it in anticipation or arousal. She didn't care to decipher which it was.

  In a bold move, she reached down to grasp at his ass, at the same time lightly grazing her teeth against his still-damp skin. And that was his breaking point. He groaned softly as he grasped either side of her face and tilted her head up to accommodate his desperate lips. She reciprocated eagerly, one hand moving to his nape and tugging him closer while her tongue invaded his mouth. The coupling of lips was more than a little uncoordinated and clumsy. As a result his free hand moved to brace his weight, and the dip in the mattress promptly caused her to lose her balance and fall back with a breathless laugh.

  His other hand came to rest on her knee, keeping him from following her down. She giggled and panted, glad to see the new, yet enticing shadows in his eyes.

  "Hey, Levi?" she asked, peering down at him where he had frozen in place. "Is that clear enough?" she giggled.

  He nodded, his thumb rubbing a circle on her naked thigh. "Yes, quite clear." he murmured, looking up at her with those hooded eyes she was starting to love so much.

  She hooked an ankle around his hip and tugged him towards her, effectively causing his pelvis to collide with the bed, "Also...is it later yet?"

  He looked up at her and scoffed, stepping onto the bed by his knees and leaning forward on his elbows to press his lips - briefly - to her exposed collarbone. He answered the latter question without words, dragging his fingers along the outside of her thigh. She tensed briefly when that same hand pulled her shirt up with it as traversed her body, all the way to her breast. And her breath hitched when he kneaded lightly at the newly-bared, slight mound. And yet however small it may have been, he still managed to cup it.

  It wasn't all that pleasurable, really. Her shortness of breath only came from the knowledge that he was touching her like this, she would wager. And he seemed to be able to tell, when he lifted his head to look in her eyes for approval. She glanced down at him, schooling her expression into a slight smile to assure him that she was okay with this.

  He considered her for a moment, then lowered his lips to the junction of her neck, right where it met her shoulder, and sucked sharply at the skin. Meanwhile his thumb brushed lightly over her nipple, and she let out a shaky breath, almost like a sigh, threading her fingers through his hair. While it kind of hurt, it was more pleasurable than painful to have him attending to her neck like that. Still, she did rub tentatively at the sharp sting he left there when his lips moved downward.

  She was hardly paying attention because of it. So when a warm - so warm - and wet sensation covered the same bared breast he was attending, she was startled. Her immediate response was a gasp and an erratic bucking of her hips. He looked up at her while he worked, judging her responses and adjusting his actions accordingly. She showed breathy appreciation when he swirled his tongue there...but she moaned - ever so slightly - when he bit gently at the skin. And so he did just that.

  For a moment she just closed her eyes and huffed out shaky breaths, focusing on every touch and sensation he was providing her. She'd never been one to experiment with herself. Hell, she didn't think she'd even been truly aroused until she met him. Everything he was doing was an entirely new experience to her. Not that she didn't like it. Quite the opposite, she never imagined that satisfaction such as this could exist.

  She stiffened when his freed hand traced some unintelligible symbol on her inner thigh. And he stopped his delightful ministrations to decipher whether she was uncomfortable or not. "You alright?" he asked, voice thick and husky with arousal. It sent a shiver down her spine and had her blood pulsing all the more for his touch.

  She gave a quick nod, hesitating only momentarily when he spread her thighs further open. Feather light, near-indecipherable touches on the very outermost regions of her womanhood. Most certainly not enough, and a more instinctual, primal side of her had her reaching down to move his hand where she needed it.

  He looked positively chastised, if one could call it that. One might consider it a glare if they didn't know him. But the slight purse of his lower lip and the way his cheeks flushed with color spelled it out quite clearly for her.

  His hand remained still after she moved it, and she curled her fingers reflexively around his wrist before she tugged her hand back sheepishly. "Sorry." she said, bunching her shoulders up in a half-shrug.

  He shook his head and readjusted himself on his other arm, "No, it's fine." he looked down at his hand, and she clamped her thighs together in response. As if to keep him from seeing her down below. To which he responded with a raised brow and a pointed motion of his hand, as if to remind her that it rested quite snug against her nethers, and that he was going to see it anyway.

  "I uh...I mean...sorry, again." she gingerly relaxed her legs, letting them fall to the side naturally.

  "I don't mind if you guide me." he said assuringly as he shifted for a better view of her unmentionables, "After all, I've never done this before, same as you." he seemed to admit that with some degree of difficulty, as if it hurt his pride to say it. And it made her smirk. To be his first woman...(no matter how trivial this particular activity may have been in her head) well that just made her feel rather proud of herself.

  "Alright...well, you can move your hand now." she gestured with one of the hands she left resting leisurely beside her head.

  He almost looked annoyed at the instruction, but he followed it nonetheless. And she tensed again when he began to fondle her, touch firm yet gentle as he mapped out her folds with his fingers. As with her breast, it was quite enjoyable, but not exactly pleasurable, per se. He looked up at her apparent lack of response, and his thin brows knit together in a show of determination at the sight of her laying there so casually.

  She inhaled sharply, back bowing and hips thrusting instinctively up into his touch when he changed methods. Rubbing instead of feeling, and God, did it make a difference! She surprised herself with the light whine of need that escaped her, and he responded by quickening his ministrations. His mouth returned to her breast, albeit the opposite one.

  "Ah-ah...Levi that's...mmph!" she bit down on her knuckle to muffle the low moan he coaxed out of her when he managed to slip a finger inside her. Although it incited a slight sting, the way he crooked that same finger erased all acknowledgment of it.

  "Is that too much?" he asked, pausing.

  "No! No, no, it's fine. More than fine." she coaxed him anxiously, thrusting her pelvis into his touch.

  She couldn't stop wiggling, her breath coming in sharp gasps and her hands scrambling for purchase in the sheets beneath her. He huffed lightly against her breast, no doubt it was a lot of work for him. She could see it when she glanced down and observed just how hard he was working to keep her breathless. It was certainly no easy task, and she wouldn't have blamed him if he said he was tired.

  But still, he didn't stop his ministrations. He worked her diligently for a full three minutes, as a matter of fact. And when she finally reached the peak, her body arched up towards him, making a sound that - while quieted - was akin to a squeal.

  As for what she was feeling, she had never imagined anything like it. Nothing in her life had ever really amounted to just how good it felt, at least not yet. That aside, she couldn't quite believe it had actually happened. Even when she was a limp, panting, trembling mess beneath him she still had to run their near-coitus experience through her head a few times before she let herself believe it was real. That they had actually just done that.

  His hand promptly slipped away when he knew for certain she had finished, and she responded with a soft whine of sorrow at the loss of contact. His other hand swiped her sweaty bangs back from where they were plastered against her forehead. And she blinked her eyes open to peer at him. When had she closed them?

  He observed her for a moment, short of breath himself. And then he smirked, obviously prideful over what he had accomplished. "You are surprisingly quiet." he commented, kissing her once, long enough to incite a soft groan from either party, before he sat back on his haunches.

  She blinked in bewilderment and her cheeks flushed with color, "I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered." she scoffed.

  "Both." he said.

  Now that the passion wasn't clouding her senses she had the chance to feel slight, brief embarrassment over what they had just done. Granted, she knew it wasn't truly anything extreme, but still...she just wasn't used to the idea yet.

  He curled his dirtied hand in on itself to avoid touching anything with it, "Did you like that?" he asked.

  She blinked again, and then her features dissolved into a goofy, contented smile as she thought about it, "Yeah. I really did." she sighed.

  She found her eyes hungrily roaming his figure, down to the prominent bulge in his pants. Her grin widened as she lifted her knee to brush against it, getting a thrill out of the way he grunted and thrust softly against her touch.

  "Do you want me to return the favor?" she asked, voice soft and laced with a content purr.

  He paused, considering only for a single moment before he shook his head rapidly, "No."

  She tilted her head in curiosity, "Why not?"

  "It's messy." he straightened and stood up off of the bed, looking for a handkerchief to wipe his fingers on.

  "I'm messy." she pointed out, and it was true, the apex of her thighs was now slick and her body sheened in sweat, add in his saliva on her neck and breasts...

  It wasn't clean in either case, she was sure of that.

  "Too messy." he stressed, sighing as he leaned back against the wall.

  "Come on! You just had your finger knuckle-deep in my cunt and you're saying my hand on your cock is too messy?" she pressed, growing a little irritated.

  "Hanji!" he seemed strangely shocked to hear her say such crass words.

  "Besides, I'd feel bad if I didn't..." she murmured.

  "Don't, I really don't mind." he turned to her fully and shifted his legs uncomfortably, "Next time..." he paused, "Besides...everyone will wake up soon." he said in finality, and he gestured to her state of undress pointedly.

  She huffed at that, damn him for being right so often! But she tugged the borrowed shirt down all the same and tentatively stood, irritatingly aware of the now-cold dampness between her legs. "Alright. Next time, though, I'll hold you to that." she said as she made to leave, pointing a finger almost warningly at him, to which he responded with a slight smirk.

  "Okay." he said most simply, urging her along with a hand gesture. And she grinned yet again over the fact that he had willingly agreed to (and implied) there would be a next time.

  "And if I'm not going to..." she murmured to herself, turning around just before she opened the door, "Then kiss me before I go." she demanded, pointing at the floor and crossing her arms in expectation.

  His face was incredulous at her demand, but he complied willingly. He crossed the few feet between them and tugged her close with a hand on the small of her back. She grunted with a smile as their torsos bumped. And the fact that he had to lean up just so in order to reach her lips still had the audacity to make her giggle. But she silenced herself this time, enjoying his soft lips and warm tongue.

  "Mmm, that's more than a kiss." she chastised when he began to lightly grind his hips against hers. "You're sure I shouldn't take care of it?" she smirked at the visible restraint he had to exact upon himself.

  "Get out." he grumbled in annoyance as he opened the door, and he smacked her butt as she walked out. She squeaked and made a mad dash for the stairs, cackling loudly all the way and surely waking those who weren't awake just yet.

•

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  Hanji held the raven-black braid away from the younger girl's face while she emptied the contents of her stomach behind the cabin. "Does the nausea always start so early?" she asked, patting Mikasa's back and rubbing circles soothingly.

  Mikasa cleared her throat, shaking her head as she straightened and leaned back on her haunches. "No, it's only slight during this month. But I can't eat spices anymore..." she sighed. "I think that's why I vomited this time, I always put a lot of seasoning in my stew." she added in a chuckle.

  "Oh." Hanji nodded, "So you'll make some stew separately for yourself then?" she suggested.

  Mikasa nodded, "Something like that." she said as she made to wipe her mouth, and then decided against soiling her dress sleeve. "I'm going to go rinse my mouth." she pointed to the chilly lake.

  "I'll come with you." Hanji offered, along with her hand to assist her in standing.

  "Thank you." Mikasa smiled wearily.

  The small trek to the water was silent, as well as the time the younger woman took to freshen herself up. Hanji sat upon the bank and occupied herself with tossing small stones into the lake.

  "So what were you doing in Levi's room this morning?" Mikasa suddenly asked.

  "What?!" Hanji jumped and turned to gape at her in surprise, unsure of what to say.

  Mikasa moved to sit beside her, chuckling softly, "I'm more restless nowadays, so I was awake earlier." she said, "And...you were in there for a while." she turned to look at Hanji with a knowing smile.

  Hanji bit her lip and turned away to hide her blush, "We...we didn't do anything..." she murmured.

  "That says otherwise." Mikasa pointed to the blooming red circle on her neck.

  Hanji rubbed sorely at the hickey, begrudged, "Anything significant, that is." she corrected herself.

  "So you did do something?" Mikasa prodded with an uncharacteristic smirk, nudging her shoulder.

  Hanji looked at her through her veil of bangs and scowled in embarrassment, "He uh...well I asked him to...you know." she gestured briefly to her legs before she covered her face in her hands. She peeked through her fingers to see if Mikasa had caught her drift.

  "Oooh! You asked him to." the girl grinned, sitting back and crossing her legs. "And?"

  Hanji removed her hands from her face and stared at her in confusion, "And...what? What more is there to tell?" she asked.

  Mikasa shrugged, "I guess nothing, really, I'm just curious to hear about the gritty details."

  "Even though he's your brother? Wouldn't you think it's gross?" Hanji felt herself blushing again.

  Mikasa shrugged, "Not really."

  Hanji chuckled awkwardly and shook her head, "Well, like I said, there's not really much to say. And you know damn well what goes on anyway!"

  "Heh, yeah I suppose you're right." Mikasa hummed, closing her eyes against the wind and inhaling deeply, seemingly dropping the subject. Hanji, however, took the time to think back on her experience that morning. About how hesitant Levi behaved when she offered to service him. And now she was curious herself...

  "Hey, Mikasa?" she began timidly.

  "Yes?" the girl didn't open her eyes just yet, but rather lay down on her back with a sigh.

  "I have a question...and I'm asking because I know you have...s-sexual experience." she tripped over her words at that point, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly.

  "Mhmm?" Mikasa hummed again.

  "You know that he t-touched me. But-" she bit her lip again and have a nervous chuckle, "-um, when I offered to...help him with his...ugh! Basically, he didn't seem to want me to." she said in frustration, irritated with herself over the fact that speaking about it gave her so much issue.

  Mikasa finally opened her eyes at that, pursing her lips in contemplation, "He didn't want you jerking him off, then?" she asked crassly.

  "That's the vibe I got from him." Hanji blushed again, resolving to redirect her gaze to the grass and pick out individual blades of it absentmindedly.

  "Hmm." Mikasa's lips tugged upwards in a smile, "But he had no issue with getting you off?"

  Hanji nodded, scrunching her shoulders together.

  Mikasa considered for a moment before a smile spread across her face, "You can't tell him I said this-"

  "I wouldn't even tell him I told you." Hanji deadpanned.

  "-I think he's nervous." Mikasa continued as she propped herself up on her elbows, "I don't know if you know, but it's typically common knowledge that men tend to be insecure about their cocks." she said with a laugh. "They're scared that the girls will think it's too small or something. Trust me when I say, a girl usually thinks the opposite the first time she sees one. Isabel's told me as much, and I felt the same with Eren."

  Hanji nodded in contemplation, "So, he's just worried I won't like it?" she asked to clarify.

  Mikasa shrugged, "That's the most likely reason. You know he has a short man complex as well, I'm more than sure he feels the same about his manhood." she said with a giggle and a wink.

  Hanji shared a giggle with her, though her thoughts briefly drifted to how she had (quite roughly) grabbed said manhood that morning. It was more likely he was scared of letting her touch it again. She almost snickered, but she bit her lip and nodded in acquiescence to Mikasa's insinuation, "Yeah, that's probably it."

•

•

  "There in front of the crown, lay a c-" Isabel paused, "Lay a car-" she groaned and let her forehead fall against the paper.

  "Isabel...you're really doing well." Hanji chuckled, lifting her head up so she could read the verse, "Carbuncle." Hanji corrected, returning to her crochet, of which she was developing skill in.

  Isabel nodded begrudgingly, "Lay in carbuncle-stone," she continued, "-which in the palace fair, even as a taper seemed; on her...h-head the hair, was glossy and also fine. It shone as bright even as the sun's...sheen, sun's sheen." she finished, taking in a deep breath and laying back with a sigh.

  "You only missed one word this time." Hanji said, patting her pupil's thigh assuringly. "We'll read the next verse later. Have you been reading your dictionary?"

  Isabel nodded, "Armin and Mikasa help me. But some of the words I can't make sense of!" she said, flailing her arms.

  Hanji giggled, "That's because the Abrogan Codex Armin owns still has a few Latin words in it. It's older than the one I learnt from." she explained. "You can ignore those, just read the German words."

  Isabel nodded, "Alright." she placed the bookmark back into the page they were currently on in The Lay of the Nibelungs. It was Hanji's favorite fable, she was elated to find that Armin owned it. And upon finding so insisted that Isabel improve her reading skills through it, coupled with the Codex (dictionary).

  She had Isabel read one stanza a day. Reviewing the whole page every few days. At least, that was the implied system. They hadn't been reading it long enough to go over a page yet.

  There was an exclamation from downstairs, and both women looked up from their occupations. Hanji from the stitch she was making with the yarn, and Isabel from the Codex she had just pulled out. "Damn cat!"

Mia, said cat, came walking up the stairs, casual in her demeanor as she leapt up onto Hanji's lap and interrupted her work. "Hey girl." Hanji scratched lightly at the ebony cat's head and smiled when she purred.

  Levi followed the cat shortly, "-slipped inside when I opened the door." he was saying as he ascended. He and Farlan had been out fixing a hole in the barn roof. Hanji looked up at him, and her smile widened when he sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead.

  "Is she not allowed inside?" Hanji asked, pointedly looking at her not-quite-lover while she pet the cat tauntingly, as if daring him to say no.

  Levi removed his hand from his face and shook his head, "It's snowing anyway, I suppose."

  Isabel nodded, looking back at her Codex, "Mikasa would be letting her in any day this time of year. Might as well let her in now."

  Levi sighed, "Right." he glanced at Hanji, and she grinned when he stared at her. Eyes perusing her figure as if he were thinking of something. Something she could wager a guess as to what it might be. She placed the yarn and needle aside, lifting Mia in her arms while she approached him.

  "Is that a plank in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?" she teased in a hushed tone.

  Levi looked down anxiously to see if she was telling the truth, and scowled when he realized she was only flirting. "Don't do that." he murmured as he headed downstairs.

  She followed, chuckling heartily as she adjusted Mia in her arms. "Aww, why not? If it wasn't there before, it is now. Besides, weren't you just thinking of me?" she asked. He stiffened at that and headed down the hall to his room. She grinned at having been right and made to follow him, but yelped in surprise when the door slammed shut and locked before she could. "Oi!"

  "Give me a minute, Hanji." his voice sounded from the other side of the door.

  "Oh...need a little help?" she offered teasingly.

  "I'm not touching myself!" he hissed back, his voice breaking on the word "touching".

  "You sure about that?" she asked huskily.

  "For fuck's sake!" he exclaimed, and she heard the bed creak as he no-doubt flopped against it in frustration.

  "Oh, getting into bed? Well I guess I'll see you when you're done." she said loudly.

  "Fuck you!" he called back.

  She dashed away from the door, cackling and hugging Mia to her chest in delight. "I'd like that." she murmured to herself.

•

•

  Hanji accompanied Mikasa on her morning walk, now. And she also took a walk by herself in the afternoons, leading Chance or riding him depending on her mood. It was quiet, calm, soothing. And now that it was snowing she also enjoyed catching snowflakes on her tongue or letting Chance gallop and kick up snow.

  She took the time to think and to simply enjoy the fresh air. And on this particular ride, to reflect on Levi. He was a hard man to figure out, or maybe he just didn't like change. Because following both of their physical advances in their relationship, he went through a stage of...oh she didn't know how to label it. But she did know how to explain it: he would behave as though abstaining from her.

  Following their first kiss it took him four days to kiss her again, and between that time he seemed to avoid her, aside from bathing. Granted, he did become rather friendly, cuddly even. But he was doing it again, after their little coupling a couple days back (and not including their conversation the day before), he started avoiding her again. She had a few ideas why, but she'd have to ask him, and she was just a little too scared to.

  She stopped Chance in his tracks when she noticed the rider cresting the hill up ahead. And upon squinting she smiled knowingly, looking over her shoulder at the cabin behind her. A light kick to Chance's flanks had her trotting up to meet him.

  "Hello, Eren." she greeted, turning her steed to be instep with his own horse.

  Eren nodded to her, "Hey, Hanji." he smiled before looking ahead eagerly, "How has everyone been?"

  "Well, quite well." she said, "Mikasa's missed you." she added with a wink.

  Eren looked to the side to hide his blush, "Oh?"

  "Oh come now! No need to be secretive around me, hun." she reached over to swat at his shoulder, "I know a lot more than you think about your relationship." she murmured to herself, just barely loud enough for him to hear.

  He looked at her with a raised brow, "No offense, but that just sounds creepy."

  She chuckled, "It does, doesn't it?" she halted Chance and dismounted, brushing snowflakes from her hair and eyelashes, "Well, I'm exaggerating, of course. Don't mind my antics." she said with a secretive smile.

  Eren dismounted and led his own horse into the barn with her. "Alright, if you say so."

  They took care of their horses in silence, and she was sure to finish rubbing down Chance before he finished his own steed.

  "I'll go let them know you're here." she said as she passed him on her way out.

•

•

  "Eren's here."

  Mikasa froze when Hanji said those words, eyes wide and terrified as she tried to mentally process the fact that she needed to tell him. And tell her siblings for that matter. "He is?" she squeaked, brushing her bangs away from her forehead as she began to pace anxiously.

  "You going to tell him?"

  Mikasa turned and hunched her shoulders, and Armin pat her shoulder before he left the room, muttering about stalling Eren.

  "Mikasa?" Hanji prodded.

  "I don't think I can." she gulped audibly, and Hanji gently hugged her from behind.

  "I know you can. You know he's going to be ecstatic. And I promise I'll keep Levi passive." she assured, pulling back and spinning her friend around to face her.

  Mikasa bit her lip, inhaling deeply to calm herself, "I'm so nervous, Hanji." she sighed.

  Hanji nodded and gave her a soft smile, "I know you are. I would be too, I wager." she tapped on the underside of the younger girl's chin endearingly, "But you'll feel a lot better once you tell him, Mikasa."

  "I hope so."

  "Just do me a favor and tell me the same in the future." Hanji winked.

  Mikasa nodded with a hesitant smile of amusement, and Hanji followed her when she left the room to go see Eren. The raven-haired girl faltered when she saw Eren, speaking with Armin, and her family sitting in the living room by the fireplace. It would be difficult to get his attention without also attracting theirs.

  A gentle nudge from Hanji had her reluctantly shuffling forward on heavy feet. Armin glanced at her from over Eren's shoulder and smiled, gesturing subtly to his oblivious friend to turn around. Eren spun on his heel, grinning when he saw her, and she gasped when he was suddenly hugging her tight.

  "Hey, you." he murmured against her shoulder.

  "Hi." she said, voice small, and barely above the volume of a whisper.

  "I missed you." he said as he buried his face in the crook of her neck and sighed.

  She did likewise, smiling only just, "I missed you, too." she looked over his shoulder at her siblings, glad to see that both Hanji and Armin seemed to be distracting them from the blatant affection she and Eren were displaying. She pulled back enough to see those turquoise eyes she adored so much, and she tugged pointedly on his shirt as she took a step backwards. "Come here." she said quietly.

  He seemed a little flustered, but he followed her lead without question.

  She inhaled deeply as she sat him down on her bed, and then sat beside him after closing the door. Though she didn't lock it, they were only in here to talk, after all. Not that he seemed to know that, he looked rather confused, actually.

  She gave him a brief smile, "So...I, um..." she began, trying to formulate the right words to say. "Eren, you and I, we're kind of...sort of..."

  "Yeah?" he prodded, amusement evident in his eyes over how much she was stuttering.

  "Don't interrupt! This is hard to say, alright?" she swatted at him and rubbed at her eyes.

  "Sorry."

  "Don't say sorry."

  "Sorry. Uh-um, I mean-."

  "Damnit Eren!!" she exclaimed, pushing him hard enough - coupled with his laughter over his blunder - to make him fall back. She swiveled in place, crossing her legs and looking at him with an amused shake of her head. She took his hand in hers and brushed her thumb over the back of it, her smile softening. "I have something to tell you." she said, pulling his hand close enough to press a kiss to the soft underside of his wrist.

  "Okay." he nodded, eyes glinting expectantly.

  "Like I said, it's really hard to say." she stalled, screaming at herself in her head to: 'Just tell him damnit!'

  "Take your time." he chuckled softly.

  She just kissed his hand again, this time on the knuckles, and a sly smile spread across her face as she came up with a way to ask him, "What's your favorite name?"

  "What?" he tilted his head to the side incredulously.

  "I want to know." she shrugged.

  "Why?"

  "Well we'll need to name the baby won't we?" she countered, ducking her head as soon as she had said it. She heard him take a breath to speak, but instead of doing so he promptly choked on that very breath, coughed, and went entirely silent for at least a minute.

  She looked up when her nerves finally got the best of her and initially cringed at the sight of his eyes so wide and startled like that.

  "What?" he gaped.

  She couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped her, he just looked so dumbstruck it was silly. "You heard me right." she bit her lip and tightened her grip on his hand, as if she feared he might pull it away because he suddenly hated her or something paranoid like that.

  "You're pregnant?" he moved to prop himself up on his elbows.

  She nodded hesitantly.

  "When did you find out?" he asked, gaze fixed on her still-flat stomach.

  "The day after you left, last week." she shuffled in place.

  "Oh." he said, blinking as he let that sink in.

  "So..." she drawled, starting to tremble in apprehension as she looked down at the quilt on the bed. He wasn't giving her any clues as to his opinion just yet. He didn't seem upset, but he wasn't acting happy either.

  "So I'm going to be a dad." he finished for her, and she looked up at his abrupt chuckle.

  "What's so funny?"

  "Nothing's funny!" he placated, sitting up fully and taking her hands in his, "I'm happy, really! It's not as if I didn't expect something like this. We were kind of reckless, and...yeah. I'm just a bit caught off guard at actually hearing it." he lifted her chin, "You can stop worrying now, you know."

  She smiled and turned her head away in embarrassment, "I'm not worrying."

  "Bullshit, Mika." he said with a grin, turning her head back to face him so he could kiss her. "Who else knows?" he asked.

  "Just Armin and Hanji." she shrugged.

  "Outstanding." he said sarcastically, but it was lost on her when he smiled like he did. She blushed when he stood and locked the door, "Still a while till dinner, right?" he asked as he coaxed her onto her back.

  "What are you doing?" she asked with a grin, despite being fully aware of his intentions.

  "Well, with news like that, and knowing how stressed you must have been this past week-" he shrugged, "-I think you deserve some time, love, and care." he accentuated his statement with a soft kiss.

  "Mm-fine by me." she responded with a giggle.

•

•

  "Think it went well?" Armin whispered to Hanji.

They both stood in the hall and stared at the closed door, grinning like idiots. "What do you think?" she snickered and turned away from the hall.

  "I think it went really well." Armin chuckled as he followed her.

•

•

A.N.

Oh look I didn't do no cliché sob party for a pregnancy reveal to the dad! Yay! They cool, they cool.

The poem Isabel was reading is a real, old German poem/fable called Nibelungenlied. And the Abrogans Codex is also real, ancient Latin-to-German dictionary, basically, pretty cool. The characters live in old Germany, and while I write them in English, I like to imagine they are speaking German.

Mia is named after my brother-in-law's fat, lazy black cat.

Writing this chapter I was a little hesitant. Thought maybe I should postpone any such content until our main pairing was more emotionally comfortable with one another. But, it just doesn't fit anywhere else in the future chapters. And I wouldn't really have anywhere to get a physical relationship started anyway, with what I've got planned and coming up. When it comes to Levi and Hanji's relationship. They have very physical personalities, these two. That's my basis for why they physically progress so quickly. They both prefer action over words. (In most cases for Hanji)

Also: Levi is both self-conscious about his dick and a bit apprehensive after the Illustrious Dick-Grabbing of Chapter 8.

Next time, hopefully sooner update cause writers block fucking sucks and I hope I'm over it now. More lemon slices most likely, and some development in the whole "Hanji's got a secret identity" department. Also the rest of the crew finds out about the impending baby-bomb. And Isabel wants Hanji to start using that damn bow!

*Has successfully dwarfed all previous author notes*