Shaved Eyebrows and Lurking Levi Senses?!

Third Person POV:

It has been a day since Kaminari revealed part of her past to Eren, who listened and absorbed as much information about his mysterious friend as possible. Still, he wondered why she was sent to the cadets in the first place, when she was clearly able in the field as he had heard about 'the great Kaminari Moriko'. But he resisted turning around to ask the blonde herself more questions about her past, as the group made it's way to the old Scout Regiment Headquarters.

"An architectural marvel, don't you agree? It was a proper royal residence, once upon a time and more recently, our former headquarters. Fancy, yes, but very impractical once the scouts got down to business. Much, much to removed from river or wall. This was the early days for us you understand, and hopes soared high. Now this ovulate befoul is little more than a holding cell, the place where we stash our little toy." Oluo drawls on.

Eren peers around curiously, only freezing when his eyes meet Levi's blank stare before whipping his head back to the front. Kaminari chuckles at Eren's reaction as Oluo moves his horse even closer to the titan shifting boy. "Don't be expecting the royal treatment. Whether you're titan or human, don't imagine that all of us share the Captain's enthusiasm- AHH!"

Oluo's horse steps on a rock making him bite his tongue. "Aww, you scream like a little girl Oluo!" Kaminari calls from behind, laughing at her comrade's misfortune while he screams bloody murder.

With a laugh she turns towards Levi, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So Captain, how are the group doing since I left?" He peers at her through the corner of his eyes, "Petra wouldn't stop pestering me about when you were coming back. Gunther said he missed his little spitfire annoying Oluo to no end and Oluo himself still hates you with every fibre of his being."

Kaminari throws her head back with a groan of annoyance, throwing her hands in the air. "Is he still mad that I shaved off his eyebrows? I wasn't going to do it but he moved and presto! His eyebrows were gone!"

Levi lets out an uncharacteristic chuckle, rolling his eyes at the blonde. "You shouldn't of threatened to shave off his eyebrows in the first place. Besides, you mustn't get too big for your boots. On the other hand, Eld Jin still trusts you but is too stubborn to show it-" "-And you?" She asks, her emerald eyes boring into Levi's own dark grey ones.

"You know I missed you brat." He mutters, his voice quipped with annoyance. "How did you get along with the cadets? Any boys I have to chase off?" Kaminari's face flushes in embarrassment as a name comes to mind, but subsequently shakes it out of mind. "No Levi there's no one-"

"-Liar." He injects, not even bothering to look at her knowing that she's feigning offence to his comment. She clears her throat, "what about you and Petra? Got with her yet?" Levi falters, coughing as he almost falls off his horse while Kaminari howls in amusement.

The rest of the group turn to see Levi regaining his balance with a scowl on his face and Kaminari in hysterics as they group arrive at the old headquarters. Eren smiles sadly at his friend, knowing fully well that she may of spent the last three years with the cadets but her heart was always with the Scouts.

Kaminari joins Petra and Oluo at the steps as she begins the tedious task of grooming her horse. "That's what you get for flapping your jowls back there." Petra remarks, amused at the event as Oluo holds a damp cloth to his lip. Oluo frowns lightly, "the rookie needs to be taught his place. First impressions are important."

Kaminari snorts indignantly, "well in that case he's going to think that you're a complete and utter fool." Petra sends the young blonde a disapproving look, who does her best to avoid the ginger haired girl's gaze, as she continues to groom her black mare. "You definitely made an impression on him, no question there."

Oluo continues holding the damp cloth to his lip to stem the bleeding, "is that so? Then it went exactly as planned." Kaminari and Petra share a weirded out expression."What happened to you? You never use to talk like this. I-I mean, if you're trying to act like the captain then it's kind of embarrassing. You and Levi couldn't be less alike if you'd been born separate species." Petra asks, Kaminari stifling the laughter bubbling in her throat.

The blonde wipes a tear from her eye, "it's kind of freaking me out. I mean, Levi's great but we don't need two clean freaks." Oluo just smiles at the Petra, ignoring Kaminari's existence. "If you are trying to hound me like a wife Petra dear, there's more of me you need to be acquainted with, before you get the privilege." "You wish. I'd tell you to bite your tongue but you've got that covered. Next time I hope you bleed out." She retorts sassily.

"Ho, ho. Me think the lady doth protest too much-" "-Oluo, you're never going to be like Levi so cut the crap before he hears your horrible impersonation." Kaminari cuts him off with a pointed look, as she pats her stunning mare.

Oluo scoffs, "I don't have to listen to you little monster so butt out and let the grown ups talk." Petra gasps, scolding Oluo, and Eren gulps from afar as Kaminari's glare deepens, the green of her eyes seemingly swarming with venom.

Without warning she punches Oluo in the face multiple times before Petra yells for her to stop but doesn't try get between them. Kaminari growls, grabbing Oluo by his collar and jerks him up so that they're eye level, his horrified orbs flinch at the intensity of her green ones. "I'm your superior in every way, shape and form. If you don't respect me you'll regret it. And trust me, the Premier, Levi and even Erwin don't mind me cracking a few skulls when someone steps out of line." She hisses out, throwing him back to the ground before turning heel and leading her horse to the stables with an emotionless expression on her face.

But the hollow look in her eyes made Eren realise that Oluo's comment had affected the blonde more than she had let on. Over the past three years, Eren had observed Kaminari to be an unwavering comrade and opponent, often proving her merits through subtle shows of strength. It was known that Kaminari was modest, not showing off too much and encouraging others to improve their skills, but never degrading them.

But the mere whisper of the word monster set her over the edge. Now thinking back on it, Eren distinctly remembers Kaminari tensing or leaving the room at any utterance of the word. He may be the Titan shifter but she was the one who feels like a monster, never being completely comfortable in her own skin.

She really only got comfortable with the cadets after a few months into training, never exposing this vulnerability to anyone. But if Eren had to guess, her closest friends would've been Reiner, Bertolt, Sasha, Mikasa, Armin and himself, none of them knowing that anything was wrong. She surrounded herself with strength, putting up a front that seemed solid but now, Eren knew it was transparent and more flexible than he first imagined.

Eren shakes off the thought as his gaze flickers back to Oluo, who's still left bloody and pale from the blonde, before eyeing the members of the Special Operations Squad. 'Petra Ral- 10 kills, 48 assists to her name. Oluo Bazado- 39 kills, 9 assists. Elite as they come.  Eld Jinn- 14 kills, 2 assists.  Gunther Schultz- 7 kills, 40 assists. Everyone of these scouts were hand picked by Captain Levi for accomplishments in the field, that and they're my executioners. They're the one's that will end me if I lose it.' He thinks grimly before leading his horse to the stables.

Eren guides his horse into the holding pen next to Kaminari's stunning ebony coloured mare. His eyes widen at the sight of a few silent tears rolling down Kaminari's lightly tanned cheeks. "Kaminari, are you okay?" He asks cautiously as she tries to avoid his gaze, brushing her mare's mane. "I'm fine Eren." She snaps out angrily before sighing.

"Sorry," she mutters feebly as she continues to groom her mare. Kaminari squints her eyes as she tries to hold back unsheaded tears, gasping as a hand's placed on her shoulder. Whipping her head around to still find Eren standing there. He wordlessly takes the brush from her hands and slowly pulls her into a hug, Kaminari freezing at the action before melting into it.

The embrace was warm as his arms wrapped around her tiny frame. A similar feeling of comfort and being protected, the same as what she feels when Levi or Erwin hugs her, engulfs the blonde as she savours the moment. If Kaminari was perfectly honest, the only people who've ever hugged her was Levi, Erwin, Petra and Hanji, but those moments were few and far between.

She had never felt parental love until Ewrin or the concepts of sibling relationships until Levi, and now she cared for Eren and the members of the 104th cadets like family. Admittedly she held a few of them closer to her heart than others, but she missed them all dearly. Sure, the Scouts were her comrades first but she wasn't close to most and much like Oluo had demonstrated, many didn't trust her as the Titans avoided her like the plague.

The two break apart when Levi calls everyone in for cleaning. Eren wiping away the last few tears from the girl's face, asking "you alright now?" Kaminari lets out a small chuckle and nod, "yeah....thanks Eren. Now we better get back before Levi makes up clean more." Eren chuckles and follows the departing blonde for their next task.

Kaminari and Petra quickly finish their rooms before wandering off to find the newest member after Levi exits the room. "Oh Eren, try not to look so discouraged." Eren jolts in fright, spinning around to face both Petra and Kaminari.

"Sorry, I hope you don't mind me calling you Eren. I know the captain doesn't-well he pretty much sets the bar fro the rest of us." Petra says with a smile. As Kaminari just gives him a lazy wave, "hey Eren long time no see." He mirrors her cheeky grin for a second before it droops, remembering both the moment he and Kaminari shared, and how well she can hide the fact that something's wrong from those closest to her.

A sickening feeling settles in his stomach as he pushes away the thought and focuses on what Petra was talking about.

"It's fine, it's just that I- Did I really look discouraged or are you just saying that?" He replies glumly but is reassured but Petra's smile. "Everyone acts that way. Up close and personal Captain Levi doesn't seem much like the hero he's cracked up to be, for one thing he's a lot shorter. A bit on the temperamental side too, not exactly what yoy can call in view with social graces."

"What about Kaminari?" Eren jokes, making the said girl roll her slightly bloodshot eyes as Petra dons a thinking face. "Well....in terms of ability and temperament, Kaminari is very similar to what she's made out to be, unless you piss her off and then she's scary. But, the reality is that her name's been out there for so long, people forget that she's only 15 years old and that's what really throws people. That, and the fact she rarely shows her face in public." Petra chuckles as the girl opposite her sighs, "how about we focus back on Levi." Kaminari suggests.

"Okay sure." Eren starts, "I'm more put off by the seriousness. He's so dead on following the higher ups rules." Petra sends him a knowing expression, "let me guess, you think strength means living by your own rules and screw everyone elses?"

Eren shrugs, "I just didn't peg him to be one to follow them." He replies honestly. "There would've been a time that he lived up to your expectations. That's what I understand anyway, I don't have the details. Story goes that he was quiet the rogue before joining the scouts, a high roller in the Capital's black market." Eren appears gobsmacked, "How the hell did he? You know."

Petra shrugs with a chuckle, "no clue but people talk. Who knows what really brought him here, the most popular one is involves Erwin. They say he dragged him to the scouts kicking and screaming." Eren replies wide eyed, "the Commander?" He asks in shock.

"The one and only- Oh, my lurking Levi senses are tingling." Kaminari exclaims.

Petra grabs a broom, understanding what Kaminari meant but Eren's left in the dark as the blonde stops talking and walks over to the table where she begins dusting as Levi pokes his head around the corner. "What's going on?" Eren and Petra jump. "Your cleaning is lamentable, go back upstairs now." Eren sighs but follows his orders, wondering what the hell 'lurking Levi senses' were.

A/N: Not edited. Thoughts?