“I swear I'm going to kill a bitch,” Levi growled, laying on the floor in frustration. “I've been modelling this house for the past three hours and IM NOT DONE!”

Truth be told, he was impatient and didn't want to remodel anymore but he started and he’d finish no matter what.

With the heaviest of hearts and impatience eating away like a worm on an apple, Levi set out with fixing up certain areas on the wall where he found dents, most likely from punching walls when he got upset over trivial things, or from his ancestors who would bring their victims to that very room and do lord knows what to them.

Days of steady painting and filling cracks meant plenty of days to not think of useless things such as happy emotions for a certain someone. He told himself he didn’t have a crush, that he was just overjoyed to have a friend and in reality, it was really that because someone as lonely as Levi would feel the way he felt just to be able to befriend someone.

Erwin had been a great friend to him and watched over him which was more than he could ask for, so his happiness was reasonable and made perfect sense. But sometimes, the happiness felt around someone started to bubble and froth and steadily flow over the edges which was what Levi was beginning to feel for whatever damned reason.

It was still a friendship bond though. He'd be truly damned if he allowed himself to think, especially with his weakness for praise. 

It was a never-ending battle of frustration, eating, and giddiness, during the wall renovation process. Levi managed to finish the first floor of the house within three weeks which was much longer than he thought but quite well for someone who had never done such work and only worked steadily and quietly, all energy directed to fixing the house instead of focusing on the flutters of his chest. 

Determination kept him going, things replaying in his mind such as, “Would Erwin be proud of me for working so hard?”, or things like, “Would Erwin think this colour looks nice?” it was just a friendly opinion he told himself he wanted and so be it. No other opinion he needed anyway.

A lonely three weeks with only thoughts to occupy him to be exact but it's what he had grown accustomed to. It was when he was finally done that he could really feel joy.

“This place has never seen better days than now,” Levi muttered in pride, admiring his handiwork. “The perfect place for someone to visit me and not feel as if five-hundred-year-old spirits will haunt their asses.”

Sage green furniture, including sofas, cream walls and floors decorated most of the first floor house with the exception of the things like his kitchen appliances and curtains that had been there since before he was born. Fortunately, such things didn't go badly with other colours and even the curtains fell within a cream range. 

Boy was he glad he had completed the worse. During the course of time, he had suffered most with the floor. Who even said sticking marble tiles was an easy job? And by the time he was done, he was honestly surprised that the draperies hadn’t turned blue to match the grumpiness he had exuded when he couldn’t get something right, which was much too often.

“Someone visit me,” Levi said out loud. “How’ll I enjoy this alone?”

As if the universe heard his plea, the phone rang, startling the living shit out of him. No one had ever called him except for the very rare occasion his Uncle Kenny would remember he existed and that’d always be in the early morning when he was awake for some ungodly reason. Hesitantly, he picked up the phone, pressing it to his ear.

“Hello? You probably have the wrong number.”

“I don't think so,” a male voice responded. “It’s Levi, isn't it?”

Levi froze for a second. He had no reason to tell the truth and right as he was about to deny his identity, the voice continued. 

“Don't worry. It’s Erwin. I got your number by checking the call records from Hanji’s history.”

“One, hello, your voice sounds different over phone and two, I better not be getting any calls from them at all.”

“One, hello and yeah, phone alters your voice a bit and two, I don't think they’ll be calling. Not sure if they even knew I called from your phone the first day I was there.”

“Well make sure it stays that way,” Levi instructed.

Erwin chuckled lightly, causing Levi’s mouth to twitch in a small smile like position.

“Was there anything you needed or did you just miss me so much you just had to track down my number and call?” Levi joked, taking a seat on his spotless floor where he got comfortable enough to hear whatever Erwin wanted to tell him.

“What if I said I missed you?” Erwin replied boldly, causing Levi to nearly hack out a cough.

“Well, that'd be interesting. No one’s ever said to me so I’d feel pleasantly confused,” Levi replied honestly.

The line went silent for a second. Levi reminded himself that Erwin was joking with him as friends do and the blond really trying to figure out if it was okay to add on and say that he truly meant his words. In the end, he resulted in changing the topic so as to not make it awkward.

He couldn't afford to have things go into a downward spiral for speaking foolishness.

“Anyways, Mikasa and I wanted to visit you so we were wondering if there'd be a time good enough for you.”

Levi perked up at the words, eyes automatically glancing around the house as if he were a Mother ready to tell her children to clean before guests arrived but there was no reason to do so in a grime free zone. It seemed as if some Motherly instinct was installed in him.

“Oh, how silly of you,” Levi said with a shake of his head that no one could see. “I'm always here and have nothing to do. Hell, if you said you wanted to come tonight or midnight I wouldn't even object. I'm here, I'm awake, you're welcomed.”

“Well then we’ll come this weekend,” Erwin replied happily. “It's still Thursday and classes are ongoing tomorrow. We might come tomorrow evening instead so be prepared for two adults and two children.”

“The hell? You're bringing the brat with you?” Levi asked in disgust. “Leave him stranded in the forest.”

“No can do. Mikasa already tried convincing him to stay and so did Armin but he insisted,” Erwin explained, shaking his head on his side and recalling his little brother clinging onto Eren in a desperate attempt to beg him. They were truly a weird trio but it was whatever. “Besides, Mikasa would murder me, his parents would murder me, Mike would murder me, and he might murder me if he notices in time that I tried stranding him all for you.”

“All for me you say? How much would you do for me?” Levi asked, his intentions joking but unclear with the lack of innuendo in his voice. Immediately noticing the potential implications the words could have, he scurried to correct himself and added. “Wait, ignore that. Anyway, just make him promise to behave or something. Threaten to lower his averages.”

“I would do that for you,” Erwin said, Levi swearing to himself he would get a stroke any second. “But unfortunately that's unfair so I'll result with asking him to behave. Since you asked.”

“Sounds lovely. I'll be going to get the dungeon ready for the brat to sleep in,” Levi joked lightly, a small chuckle emitting out of him. “I'm sure you also have work to do and I can't keep you waiting. Sleep well.”

“And you sleep well too. At least add an extra blanket in that dungeon.”

A farewell bidding, and heartstrings being pulled, the line was cut off yet Levi remained on the floor completely warmed by the call. Was this what people called being in love? If so, it was a funny feeling. 

He wasn't even sure if he liked it.

Fuck it, he didn’t think he liked it all but only time would tell.