Day 22 - Role Reversal
Summary: Eren's attempt at assisting Levi with cleaning exposes a particularly interesting side of the usually stoic man.
Lee: Levi
Ler: Eren
A/N: I am a SUCKER for characters who typically remain stoic, serious, etc., and seeing them laughing, breaking their usual form.
It had been a long day of training, and everyone had finally settled down for the night, except for Captain Levi, who was busy with his usual cleaning routine in the Scout Regiment’s headquarters. Eren sat nearby, watching him obsess over the already spotless room, a smirk forming on his lips.
“Don’t you ever stop?” Eren teased, leaning back in his chair.
Levi, without looking up, responded flatly. “Not until this place looks like people who actually care about hygiene live here.”
Eren chuckled. “It already looks perfect, Captain. Maybe you’re just avoiding sleep.”
Levi shot him a quick glare, his eyes daring Eren to push further. But Eren, feeling a surge of boldness, stood up and walked over, reaching out for the cleaning cloth Levi was using.
“Here, let me help you with that,” Eren joked, grabbing for the cloth.
Levi’s hand darted out, fast as lightning, gripping Eren’s wrist to stop him. But in the brief struggle, Eren’s fingers accidentally grazed Levi’s side. Eren froze, his eyes widening as he noticed something odd: Levi’s body stiffened, and for just a second, the corner of his mouth twitched, almost like he was holding back a laugh.
“No way…” Eren muttered under his breath, his mind racing.
Levi, clearly trying to ignore what had just happened, released Eren’s wrist and turned back to his cleaning. But Eren wasn’t going to let this go. He had to be sure.
“Captain,” Eren said, his voice laced with amusement, “are you… ticklish?”
Levi’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t be stupid, Jaeger.”
But Eren saw through it. That tiny moment of vulnerability had cracked Levi’s usual unshakable exterior, and now Eren was on a mission. He couldn’t believe it, Captain Levi, the most intimidating, stoic person he knew, had a weakness.
Grinning mischievously, Eren moved closer. “Oh, I think you are…”
Before Levi could stop him, Eren’s fingers darted toward Levi’s ribs, poking lightly. This time, the reaction was undeniable: Levi’s body jerked to the side, his lips pressing into a thin line to stifle a sound. But Eren had seen it, and he didn't plan on stopping anytime soon.
“Gotcha!” Eren laughed, his fingers quickly poking at Levi’s sides again.
Levi’s hand shot out to block him, but it was too late. A soft, involuntary sound escaped Levi’s throat. A laugh, barely there but real enough for Eren to hear. Levi looked mortified.
“Erehehen,” Levi’s voice was dangerously low, but the warning was undermined by the way his body tensed at each touch.
“Oh, this is amazing!” Eren couldn’t stop grinning. He wasn’t sure if it was more shocking to hear Levi laugh or to realize he was the one making it happen. He pressed his advantage, darting his fingers along Levi’s ribs, testing different spots. “Captain Levi, ticklish? Who would’ve thought?”
Levi’s attempts to stop him were half-hearted at best. He tried to push Eren away, but each poke sent a shock through his body, making him twist out of reach. At one point, a real, breathy laugh broke through, and Eren’s eyes lit up with victory.
"Ahahahah, dammit Erehehen!"
Levi swatted at him again, but his usual precision was gone, his focus clearly divided between maintaining his composure and fighting off the sensation. “Naha hahahaha, stohop it!” he growled, but the command lacked its usual bite.
“I can’t believe this! I’m never gonna let you live this down,” Eren teased, his hands relentless as he poked at Levi’s ribs, under his arms, even daring to brush against his stomach.
Eren was loving every second of this. It was a complete role reversal - Levi, who was always in control, always the one dominating every situation, was now at Eren’s mercy. And seeing Levi, of all people, laugh and squirm was too much fun to pass up.
Levi’s breath hitched, and his face turned slightly pink as he fought to suppress more laughter. “Yohou hehehe little brahahat…!” he managed to grit out, though his words were broken by another unwilling laugh.
"AhahahHAHA!! OKAHAHEY! ENOhuhough!"
Finally, after what felt like an eternity (but was probably only a few minutes), Levi managed to shove Eren off with enough force to create some space between them. He was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed in what should have been a deadly glare, but the flush on his cheeks softened the effect.
“If you ever tell anyone about this,” Levi said, his voice low and threatening, “I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Eren, still laughing, held up his hands in mock surrender. “I won’t tell a soul, Captain,” he promised, though the grin on his face made it clear he would never forget this moment. “But I’ve got to say, I didn’t think you had a weak spot.”
Levi didn’t respond, just stood there, trying to regain his composure. After a long pause, he turned back to his cleaning, as if nothing had happened, though the tension in the air hadn’t quite dissipated.
Eren, feeling victorious, sat back down, still grinning to himself. He may not have won many battles against Levi, but this one, this moment, was a win he would savor for a long time.
The mighty Captain Levi, ticklish? Who would have thought.