it's the battle to retake Wall Maria. the thick of it. and Erwin looks to you just as you near the broken part of the wall, like he's expecting something. he is, but no one else knows. the two of you had planned this in secret, that you would use your ability to restore the wall, you had practiced over and over. you can do it in the blink of an eye, with nothing but a flick of your wrist. Levi sees the look you two share just before you restore the wall, disappearing into the crowd of scouts in order to ensure that no one knew who had restored it, as Erwin had requested. but Levi had seen, because Levi secretly has a crush on Niko, and watches him move, in a glimpse, his cloak reveals his hand, moving ever so slightly, and then the wall is restored. Niko pulls away from the rest of the scouts and leans back on the wall, catching his breath. But Levi is still watching him. There's heat in Levi's chest now, spreading to his throat. He's realizing here and now that he's in love with his lieutenant, that it isn't just a crush anymore, all because he had watched his lieutenant selflessly use his magick to further their safety, without taking any claim of even doing it.