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Tradition They Say	By : Sasunarufan13 Category: +. to F > Attack on Titan /Shingeki No Kyojin Views: 2611 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan nor profit from it. Hajime Isayama owns it.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Author's note: Many, many apologies for taking this long with the second chapter! The heat wave is draining my energy and one of my personal projects is taking up more time than I expected. I didn't mean to take this long with this chapter, but the chapter wasn't exactly cooperating with me. I wanted it to be longer, but I figured I had let you wait long enough already, so here's finally the second chapter!
Warnings: Nothing much, just a mention of past minor character deaths; Levi mentioning some gruesome things in a theoretical setting
I hope you'll like it!
Chapter 2
"I'm not interested in having you as my real Companion," Levi stated bluntly as he placed the document on the desk, rubbing the creases out of it.
"Eh, okay." Eren blinked owlishly at him, looking helplessly confused.
Well, he probably should have worded that differently, he realised chagrined. "That's not meant as an offense to you," he corrected himself. "I just hate the concept of a Companion and I'm not interested in ever having one as that's frankly rather degrading."
"But you took me as your Companion," Eren said slowly, bemused.
"Yes, because I heard someone talking about taking you as his Companion and trust me, Eren, you do not want to be tied to that man like that," he answered grimly. "So I took your contract before he had the chance."
"Forgive me, Captain, but would it really have mattered that much? Everyone knows what they actually do," Eren said blankly. His green grey eyes were rather murky, though, proving he wasn't as unaffected by the implication as he'd like the older man to believe.
"We're not talking about just being forced to have sex with him, Eren. We're talking about him wondering just how much he'd be able to torture you before your body would give out finally," Levi stated bluntly, not beating around the bush. "The other Companions would live a life like a fucking king compared to how you would have been treated. You want your limbs to get chopped off again and again just for the amusement of some sick fuck? Getting skinned like some common animal? Want to find out just how sick humans can be compared to titans?"
Eren paled visibly, his eyes growing wider. He seemed stumped, as if he really hadn't expected someone to want to take advantage of his ability to heal. As if he thought nobody would really abuse him to the point where his life would be at risk.
He was still so goddamn naïve, it was a miracle he had survived this long.
"Not to mention, you wouldn't be a part of the Survey Corps anymore. You'd be restricted to doing whatever he wanted you to do and I'm pretty sure his desires don't include getting rid of the titans and scouting the world," Levi continued flatly and waited for the younger man to say something.
Eren appeared too dazed to form a reply and the silence dragged on until the black haired man sighed and leant forwards.
"Look, I know this isn't ideal," he said curtly. "I'm sure you weren't imagining becoming a Companion, much less mine, but I'm also pretty sure you want to keep being a soldier and not just a plaything for some sick bastard, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
Well, at least he hadn't broken the kid completely.
"So, eh, what's going to happen now, sir?" Eren questioned, sounding slightly nervous as he clasped his hands together. His eyes still looked way too big; the green grey stark against his pale skin, but his brain seemed to have kicked into gear again.
Levi shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Nothing much. You'll sign this contract and for the time Zuschauer stays here, we're going to act like the perfect Enquirer and Companion," he sneered. "With a bit of luck she'll be out of here within the week and everything will go back to normal again."
"Okay, where do I have to sign?"
Levi pushed the contract to him, pointing out the space next to his own signature. "You sign here. That'll make it official. Here, you can use my pen."
As the soft scratching sound of the pen on paper filled the room, Levi contemplated what exactly they'd have to do to keep up appearances long enough for Zuschauer to be satisfied. He and Eren would have to spend more time together, that was a fact, but did they have to do anything else? Could they get away with only minimal touching? It wasn't like everyone liked to show off what they did with their Companion. Even if he had wanted a Companion out of his own free will, he'd still like his privacy.
A fleeting touch against arms and shoulders should suffice, right? They'd probably have to sit closer to each other as well. Eren had at least finally learnt how to take a decent shower, so sitting closer shouldn't be too much of a hardship.
"Captain?"
Levi looked at him and accepted the contract when the younger man held it out to him. Eren's signature was quite messy, looking more like chicken scratch than actual handwriting, but it would do. Beautiful penmanship wasn't exactly a requirement to be a soldier. If that had been the case, Hange would have never made it into the regiment.
"I was wondering – can I tell my friends about this?"
The older man frowned. "About you being my Companion from now on? Everyone – unless they're exceptionally dim-witted – will notice as soon as we start spending more time together."
"Ah no, I mean, yeah, that makes sense, but I was actually wondering whether I could tell Armin and Mikasa the truth?" Eren peered at him nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "That you chose me to keep me here, I mean. Instead of someone else picking me."
"I think it's better if you keep the truth to yourself for now. At least until Zuschauer is gone."
"Mikasa and Armin wouldn't tell anyone if I told them to keep it quiet, sir," Eren protested; his voice firmer now, now that the integrity of his friends appeared to be questioned.
Levi snorted. "I'm sure they would keep their mouths shut," he agreed, thinking of how loyal those two were to Eren. Eren could wipe out the whole of humanity and those two would still be on his side. Their loyalty was quite admirable to be fair. "But you never know who might be listening, no matter how careful you are, and the last thing we need is for someone to start blabbering about our arrangement."
"I suppose so," Eren gave in reluctantly, furrowing his eyebrows. "But I can tell them when Miss Zuschauer is gone?"
The captain waved his hand lazily. "Be my guest," he drawled. "Once she's gone, that organisation won't care what we're doing anyway."
"All right," Eren smiled before he wrinkled his nose slightly. "Eh, was there anything else you needed me for then?"
"No, you signed the contract, I explained everything, so you're dismissed for now," Levi told him, unlocking the top drawer of his desk to retrieve the paperwork he hadn't been able to finish before he had to leave with Erwin.
When he looked back up, Eren was hovering next to his chair with a weird look on his face. "What? Do you have any questions left?"
"Are you going to be eating with us, sir?" Eren asked out of the blue before he added with an embarrassed smile, "I don't know whether Miss Zuschauer expects us to do something special during our meals, but …"
"She'll probably expect us to sit next to each other at the very least," Levi sighed irritated, plopping the stack of paperwork in front of him and snatching his pen up. "But for tonight you don't have to worry about that. I have quite some paperwork left that I still need to finish, so I won't be joining you in the hall. I'll eat here. Don't worry, your new 'normal' won't start until tomorrow," he sneered, opening the first file.
"Oh, eh, okay. I'll leave you to it then, Captain," Eren mumbled and left the room, his hasty footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Shaking his head, Levi turned his attention to the first document. He'd never thought he would say this, but for the first time he was grateful for the thick pile of paperwork awaiting his attention.
At least for a couple of hours he wouldn't think about how screwed up everything would become very soon.
He had just exited the kitchen – his paperwork had lasted far longer than he had expected and so his dinner had become a very late meal – when he was accosted by Zuschauer.
"Any reason why you're holding me up? I was about to go to sleep," Levi said mildly, but he couldn't help the small note of irritation seeping into his voice. It was late, he was tired and he just wanted to go to sleep now and ignore his new reality for just a bit longer.
"I noticed you didn't eat dinner with us – with your Companion," Zuschauer said cautiously, biting down on her lower lip. She was clutching some kind of small notebook against her chest and he wondered idly whether she would be using that notebook to detail his interactions with Eren.
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought I wouldn't even notice you were here?" he reminded her silkily, throwing her own words back in her face.
She flushed, looking cowed, but she still didn't back down. "You won't, I promise," she reassured him hastily, clenching her arms tighter around her notebook. "It's just that I couldn't help but notice you weren't at dinner tonight and - "
"I don't know which people you shadowed before, Miss Zuschauer," he drawled, interrupting her. "But as captain of the Survey Corps, I still have obligations to fulfil, one of which is completing paperwork. I told Eren he could eat on his own tonight and I'd join him tomorrow. He's my Companion, so I get to decide what I do with him, no?"
"Of course you do, like you said, he's your Companion, so you have every right to decide whether you eat with him or not," she stammered, becoming redder and redder.
"Exactly. My Companion, my decisions," he said coolly. "Good night."
He walked straight past her, leaving her alone in the dark corridor; the only light source there being a thin candle on the wall.
As he climbed upstairs, back to his office which had a bedroom adjacent to it, he heard thunder rolling in the distance. Raindrops were splattering apart against the windows and on the roof; an uneven rhythm as the storm built up momentum. It was a good thing they had arrived at the castle today; camping out in this shit weather wouldn't have been pleasant.
His office was completely dark when he opened the door, but he didn't bother lightening any candles. He wouldn't be spending any more time here and he knew the layout of the place well enough that he could walk to his bedroom without tripping or stumbling against furniture.
The door to his bedroom swung open soundlessly – Eren had apparently been thorough enough in his cleaning that even the hinges didn't squeak anymore – and he stepped inside, looking up right as a flash of lightning cleaved the midnight sky in various pieces.
There was someone standing in front of his bed.
The time in the Survey Corps hadn't taken away years of survival instinct ingrained in him from his time spent in the underbelly of the world. He retrieved his butterfly knife from his boot and pressed it against the person's neck, slamming him down on the bed. All this in just a couple of seconds. Pressing his knee right into the mysterious person's sternum, he leant forwards, putting more pressure on the throat.
"Captain?" the other person choked out surprised; his hands held out in the air like they wanted to push him away, but didn't at the same time.
Levi blinked and scowled when the voice registered. With an annoyed hiss, he pulled back, putting his knife back into his boot and stepping away from the bed. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Eren?" he snapped. "Did all that shifting mess with your head?"
Rubbing his throat, Eren sat up slowly, blinking up at him with large eyes. "Sorry, sir, I should have lit a candle," he apologised, as if that was the only thing wrong with this situation.
"How about you shouldn't be in my bedroom to begin with?" Levi suggested sarcastically and crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you here?"
"Sir, since I'm now your Companion – "
"Were you deaf when I explained to you what would happen?" Levi interrupted him sharply. "We'll act like the perfect Companion and Enquirer in front of Zuschauer until she goes back and that's it. There's no reason for you to be here now. You're only a Companion in name, Eren, or did I not make that clear enough?"
"You did, sir," Eren said and this time there was a vague hint of annoyance in his voice; his green grey eyes sparking. "And I understood what you told me, but Miss Zuschauer stopped me when I was on my way to my room, asking why I was going there and not to your room. I tried to explain you don't really like people in your room, but she wouldn't listen."
He shrugged wearily. "Figured it'd be easier if I just pretended to pick up some of my stuff before coming here. She only left when I was about to enter your room."
"God damn it," Levi hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Zuschauer might look like a demure, weak woman, but she clearly wasn't about to let herself be fooled. He had counted on her being too intimidated to really push them together. That was what he got for underestimating her, he supposed.
"I apologise, Captain. I know this isn't what you want, but I didn't have much of a choice," Eren muttered; the fire in his eyes dying out. "If I had kept refusing, she might have thought something was up."
"She probably would have thought that, yes," Levi murmured disdainfully.
"So, eh, I guess I don't have much choice but to stay here," Eren said hesitatingly and licked his lips. "I made sure to shower thoroughly, even under my nails. Look." He offered his hands, holding them out in the small beam of moonlight which had broken through the cover of the heavy clouds.
Levi looked and snorted; a tendril of amusement curling up in his stomach. "It's much appreciated," he said dryly. It actually was; if he was stuck with Eren in his bedroom, he didn't want the boy stinking to the high heaven.
"How do you want to do this, sir?" Eren asked awkwardly, rising up from the bed and shifting with his feet. Despite being taller than the black haired man, he somehow appeared smaller in that moment; his shoulders hunched slightly as if he was expecting a berating.
"We can't bring in a second bed, because Zuschauer will most likely notice that," Levi said pensively, narrowing his eyes as he stared at his own bed.
He thought about sending Eren back to his own room after making sure that Zuschauer was gone, but that would be a hassle every night and they might get caught. A chair would be too uncomfortable – not to mention, the ones present in the castle creaked too much and he didn't fancy hearing that annoying noise every time Eren shifted a bit. He couldn't let the boy sleep on the floor either …
"Eren," he said slowly and the brunette immediately straightened out, giving him his full attention. "Were the sleeping bags properly stored away?"
Eren tilted his head to the right, frowning slightly. "I think they've been put in the closet on the fourth floor," he replied. "Yeah, Ymir was the one who put them away."
Levi nodded, stepping aside so he wouldn't keep blocking the door. "All right, go retrieve one. You can sleep in one here. We'll just have to make sure it's put away properly when we're not here."
"Yes, sir!"
As Eren disappeared out of the room to go to the upper floor, Levi retrieved his bath supplies and went to the bathroom at the end of the corridor. It being so late at night, there was nobody else here and he could take a shower without being disturbed. He washed himself thoroughly, scrubbing hard as if he could remove not only the dirt and sweat he had accumulated over the past few days, but also the invisible traces of filth he felt at being an Enquirer now, the revulsion coating his mouth with a bitter taste.
It didn't matter that he wasn't planning on actually using Eren as his Companion – the fact that he had been forced to take him on as one was already bad enough of its own.
Sure, he could have left Eren to the mercy of that guy … But he knew himself well enough that he would never be able to live with himself if he had let that happen. He didn't care about a lot of people – losing Isabel and Furlan had taught him the hard way that caring about others in this world was dangerous. Losing them had been hard on him and his walls – ones which had already existed before, but had allowed Isabel and Furlan to get behind them – had been raised even further after their deaths, resembling the physical walls keeping them inside.
That oblivious brat was one of the very few who had managed to find a crack in those walls and slip past them. Levi didn't know why. Maybe it was because Eren reminded him of himself somewhat, with his passion and dark obsession to eradicate every Titan in order to be free. There was barely restrained fury in that boy, ready to be unleashed at the drop of a hat and Levi admired that. Most people lost their will to live after a while, going through the motions of daily life because they didn't know anything else. Not Eren, though.
Eren wanted to destroy every Titan, break through the walls humanity had sheltered behind for centuries, recover the freedom only their ancestors had tasted. He stood up after every beat down, refusing to surrender. He kept fighting and Levi couldn't help but respect that.
And because he respected that, he couldn't let anyone else douse that fire. Levi might be Humanity's Strongest, but Eren was Humanity's Last Hope and Levi wouldn't allow anyone to taint him, wouldn't stand for anyone destroying that fierce spirit.
If that meant becoming the boy's Enquirer – that was a small price to pay.
He had done worse things in the past.
Eren was rolling out the sleeping bag next to the bed when Levi walked into the bedroom again.
"I took the least smelly one in the closet, sir, but I'm going to air it out tomorrow together with the rest so that it won't attract attention," Eren informed him, busying himself with fluffing up his pillow.
"That's a good idea, Eren," Levi muttered as he walked to the small closet in the right corner of the room to grab new sleepwear. "The last thing I need is my bedroom filled with the stank of sweaty feet and body odour."
"I don't think anyone would want …"
Levi turned his head when he heard the brunette trail off and raised an eyebrow at the weird look plastered on Eren's face. The boy was staring blankly at his chest as if he had never encountered a bare chest before. Levi would seriously doubt that considering all recruits had to take showers together.
"I took a shower if that's okay with you," he remarked bored and removed the towel from around his waist, dropping it in the basket next to the closet.
Instantly Eren looked away, appearing embarrassed for some reason. "Of course! Eh, not that you need my permission to do that, sir," he fumbled, becoming so red that Levi could see it even with the small light available. "Because you're the Captain and my superior and there's no reason why – you know what? I'm just going to shut up now."
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Levi agreed wryly and changed into a new pair of briefs and a shirt. "Never seen someone naked before, Yeager?"
"Of course I have! I took showers with the rest, but none of them looked like, like …" Eren seemed lost for words and Levi decided to take pity on him.
He was tired anyway and not in the mood to figure out what the hell Eren was trying to say anyway. "Now that we've established that your sister didn't keep you entirely isolated from society," he ignored Eren's embarrassed squawk, "let's get some sleep. We're going to need the rest if we want to deal with Zuschauer's bullshit."
He walked around Eren and got into the bed, pulling the sheet over him. Below him on the floor, there was the whispering of the sleeping bag as Eren laid down and made himself comfortable.
Silence fell in the room and Levi closed his eyes, hoping to catch at least a couple of hours of sleep tonight. He doubted he'd be able to tolerate Zuschauer any better with several hours of sleep behind him, but he might be less inclined to snap at her at least.
"Good night, Captain."
The words were spoken so softly, he wasn't certain at first whether Eren had actually spoken. Opening his eyes, he leant over the bed and looked straight into sleepy eyes, looking more black than green now in the dark room.
Shaking his head lightly, he laid back down and sighed softly. "Good night, Eren."
AN2: I know nothing dramatic happened yet, but I figured I had left you all waiting long enough. And hey, this also means the story will be longer than expected LOL
Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.
I hope to see you all back in the next chapter!
Cuddles
Melissa
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Tradition They Say