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hihi, i’m nana! wandering through thoughts, feelings, and endless daydreams. this blog is my little corner for everything i create, love, or obsess over. 💭🧺
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could you write fluff with reader that suddenly wakes up with telepath powers… and thinking that canon! levi doesn’t like her very much… it’s just the complete opposite (like a huge crush on reader…) , i think it’d be cute if all this time reader find out that levi totally thinks the exact opposite in what he says to reader!
feel free to do this anytime! hope you have a great day (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)
summary: after suddenly gaining telepathy, you discover that every harsh word from levi hides painfully soft affection and that the captain who acts annoyed by you is hopelessly in love
word count: 1,427k w
credit: @angeliicide & @chrisssiren for divider! 💌
@/suzupiyosan on X for levi art! 🎨
a/n: hii anon! thank you so much for your request!! i really hope this is what you had in mind since it’s my first time writing a telepathy fic 💭🥹
just to clarify, the italic parts are levi’s thoughts (what he’s actually thinking vs what he says out loud)
જ⁀➴ ✉︎ read on ao3 ⋮ canon masterlist ⋮ main masterlist
the headache hit the second your eyes opened.
it wasn’t the usual post exhaustion ache. this felt like someone had pried open a door in your skull and forgotten to close it. you sat up in your narrow bunk, pressing the heels of your palms against your temples, and that was when the voices started.
damn boots still aren’t polished right…
if i have to run laps again today i’m going to throw myself off the wall.
wonder if she’s awake yet…
dozens of thoughts crashed into your mind at once—some loud, some quiet, some bored, some anxious. you gasped, eyes wide. telepathy. somehow, overnight, you could hear what everyone around you was thinking. the survey corps headquarters had never felt so loud.
you dressed on autopilot, heart hammering, and tried to focus on building some kind of mental wall. it helped a little. by the time you reached the mess hall, the roar had dulled to a constant murmur. until you saw him.
captain levi sat at his usual corner table, back straight, cup of tea cradled in his hands like it was sacred. his expression was the same blank mask he always wore around you. you tried to slip past, but—
“oi. sit.”
his voice was flat. you obeyed, sliding onto the bench across from him with your tray of lukewarm porridge and stale bread.
“you look like shit,” he said, not even looking up from his tea. “eyes are puffy. didn’t sleep? try not to collapse during training. i don’t need dead weight slowing my squad down.”
your spoon froze halfway to your mouth.
she still looks beautiful. how is that fair? those tired eyes make me want to pull her into my lap and let her sleep against my chest. fuck. stop. she already thinks i’m an asshole.
you nearly dropped your spoon. heat flooded your face.
levi’s gaze flicked up. “what? something on my face, brat?”
“n-no,” you managed, quickly shoving porridge into your mouth.
all this time you had assumed Levi merely tolerated you. his sharp tongue, the constant criticism, the way he always seemed extra irritated when you were around—you thought he disliked you. maybe even resented you for taking up space in his squad.
but the thoughts flowing from him were impossibly soft.
she’s nervous again. cute. i should’ve saved her the softer bread roll instead of giving it to the new recruits. idiot. why can’t i just say something nice for once?
you spent the rest of breakfast stealing glances at him, fighting the smile threatening to break across your face.
training was even worse. or better. you couldn’t decide.
“fix your damn stance,” levi snapped, circling you with his arms crossed. “you’re swinging like a drunk civilian. again.”
look at her. form’s already improved so much. she’s getting stronger every week. makes my chest feel tight. want to tell her she’s doing well. want to put my hands on her waist and adjust her posture myself.
you stumbled mid swing. levi clicked his tongue.
“tch. pay attention.” he stepped closer, gripping your elbow to correct your arm. his touch was firm but careful. “if you die out there because you can’t focus, i’ll drag your corpse back and kick your ass.”
i’d burn the world down before i let anything happen to her.
your heart fluttered so hard you thought it might fly out of your chest. “yes, captain.”
he released you, but not before his fingers lingered half a second longer than necessary.
later, during hand to hand drills, he paired you with him. you ended up on your back in the dirt, levi’s knee pinning your shoulder.
“too slow,” he muttered, but his eyes were gentle. almost worried. “get up. again.”
she’s flushed. looks good like this. under me. shit—stop. focus, ackerman.
you bit your lip to keep from grinning. When he offered you a hand up, you took it. his grip was warm and steady.
after training, you were covered in sweat and dust. levi tossed a clean handkerchief at your face without warning.
“clean yourself up. you’re disgusting.”
her hands are too soft for this life. i want to wipe her face for her. i want to take her somewhere quiet and wash the dirt off myself. pathetic old man.
you pressed the handkerchief to your cheeks, hiding your smile in the fabric that smelled faintly of his soap—clean, sharp, comforting.
by late afternoon you were emotionally exhausted in the best way. every harsh word from levi was now wrapped in layers of affection in your mind. you followed him when he retreated to his office, pretending you had reports to deliver.
he was already wiping down his desk even though it gleamed. levi didn’t glance up when you entered.
“you’re still here? go rest. that’s an order.”
please don’t go. stay. the room feels warmer when you’re in it. i like the way you look at my bookshelves like you want to read every title. i like the way you say my name.
you closed the door behind you. levi finally looked up, one eyebrow raised.
“something wrong?”
you walked closer, heart pounding. “captain... you don’t actually hate me, do you?”
he scoffed, turning back to his rag. “don’t be stupid. if i hated you, you’d be scrubbing toilets with the new recruits.”
hate you? i’m so fucking in love with you it’s embarrassing. i count the days until i see you in the mess hall. i keep your gear in perfect condition because i can’t stand the thought of anything failing you. i replay your laugh in my head when it’s quiet.
you stepped around the desk until you were right beside him. gently, you placed your hand over his, stopping the endless cleaning.
“levi,” you whispered. “i can hear you.”
silence.
his entire body went still. those sharp gray eyes snapped to yours, wider than you’d ever seen them.
“what did you just say?”
“everything,” you said softly, smiling. “how you think i’m beautiful even when i look like crap. how you saved the soft bread for me this morning. how you wanted to adjust my stance by holding my waist. how you want to kiss me. how you… like me. a lot.”
levi stared at you for a long moment. a faint flush crept up the back of his neck—the tiniest, most precious crack in his armor.
“brat,” he muttered, but there was no heat in it. his hand turned beneath yours, calloused fingers threading carefully through your own like he was afraid you might vanish. “you’re a real pain in the ass for telling me like this.”
she knows. she’s still here. she’s smiling at me. don’t fuck this up.
you laughed quietly and leaned your forehead against his. he was shorter than you, but the way he tilted his head up to meet you felt perfect.
“i like you too,” you confessed. “i’ve liked you for a long time. i thought you couldn’t stand me… but hearing the truth? It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
levi exhaled shakily. one of his hands came up to cup the back of your neck, thumb brushing your skin with surprising tenderness.
“should’ve said something sooner,” he admitted, voice low. “but I’m shit with words. always have been.” he paused, then added, almost shyly, “you’re important. to me. don’t… don’t go getting yourself killed out there. i need you to come back.”
the words were still a little gruff, but now you could hear the full, beautiful truth behind them.
you pulled back just enough to look at him. “then i’ll keep coming back. every time.”
for a moment he just looked at you, eyes soft in a way no one else ever got to see. then he tugged you down gently and pressed a kiss to your forehead—slow, deliberate, and full of all the things he still struggled to say out loud.
“stay here tonight,” he murmured against your skin. “not for any weird shit. just… stay. i’ll make tea. we can sit quietly. i like quiet with you.”
you smiled, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. “i’d like that.”
levi held you a little tighter, his thoughts wrapping around you like a warm blanket:
finally. she’s mine. i’m hers. and i’m never letting her go.
outside, the headquarters continued its usual chaos, but inside levi’s office, the world felt perfectly still. just the two of you—his sharp words, his soft heart, and the new, wonderful understanding blooming between you.
Hiii hihi i love your writting! I'm sorry if my english is bad cause it's not my first language >_<. Can i request you to write about Post-war Levi thinking y/n died, but she’s actually alive somewhere else 🥹 i haven't really saw or read stories like this hehe. Thank youuu!
found after the end
pairing: levi ackerman x reader
tags: sfw / canon / post-war / reunion after years / mentions of death / angst / happy ending / hurt & comfort / grief
summary: years after the rumbling, levi learns the person he mourned never died and finds you again in the middle of an ordinary market square
word count: 1,066k
credit: @angeliicide & @chrisssiren for divider! 💌
@/ThisUserIsAngry on X for levi art! 🎨
a/n: hiii hihi!! 🩷 thank you so much for your kind words!! your english is totally fine don’t worry at all >_< thank you for this idea and hope you’ll like how it turns out!! <3 💓💭
જ⁀➴ ✉︎ read on ao3 ⋮ canon masterlist ⋮ main masterlist
the sun hung low over the hills outside the city, painting the fields in soft golds and oranges that levi ackerman had never thought he’d live long enough to see. he sat on the porch of the small house they’d given him — more like a cottage, his wheelchair creaking faintly as he shifted. the teacup in his hand had gone cold ten minutes ago. he didn’t care.
he still waited.
every evening, like clockwork, some stupid part of his brain expected the familiar sound of your boots on the wooden steps. the quiet “tch, you’re staring again, captain” that always came with that half smirk of yours. the way you’d drop down beside him without asking, shoulder brushing his, smelling faintly of gunpowder and soap no matter how many years had passed since the last expedition.
but you never came.
because you were dead.
that was the fact he repeated to himself like a mantra. he’d seen it. or close enough. the final chaos of the rumbling, the sky tearing itself apart, titans crumbling into bone and dust. you’d been assigned to the eastern flank with the remaining scouts — trying to buy time for the others. when the dust settled and the reports came in, your squad was listed as KIA. no body recovered. too many had been vaporized or buried under the collapsing walls of the world.
levi had read the list once. then burned it.
he hadn’t cried. not then. not in front of anyone. he’d simply wheeled himself away from the makeshift command tent and stared at the horizon until his remaining eye burned. you idiot, he’d thought. i told you not to play hero.
months had passed. the world tried to rebuild. he tried to exist in it.
some days were better. onyankopon visited often, bringing absurd contraptions and worse jokes. gabi and falco stopped by like noisy puppies, arguing over who got to push his chair when the ground was uneven.
but nights were brutal.
he would wake up reaching for the empty side of the bed, phantom pain shooting through his missing fingers, his body remembering the weight of you curled against him. the rare nights you’d both let the walls down completely. your voice in the dark, soft and stubborn:
“i’m not leaving you, levi. not even if the whole damn world ends.”
you were alive.
hundreds of kilometers away, in a quiet coastal village on the mainland that had once been part of marley’s outer territories, you limped down the dirt path toward the small clinic you helped run. your left leg still ached when it rained—souvenir from shrapnel and a collapsed building but you were breathing. walking. helping the locals treat the endless stream of refugees and wounded.
you’d been separated from your squad in the madness. dragged half dead from the rubble by a group of marleyan defectors who’d chosen survival over loyalty. they’d smuggled you across the sea with other survivors. communication with paradis had been cut off for months afterward. by the time letters could be sent, rumors had already solidified into facts.
captain levi ackerman had been told you were dead.
you’d written him anyway. three letters. each one returned unopened, marked undeliverable — recipient deceased or simply lost in the chaos of new postal systems. the last one you’d clutched in your hands until the ink smeared, then tucked it into the bottom of your bag like a wound that refused to close.
levi was in the market square when it happened.
he rarely went himself, usually sent one of the kids but today the walls had felt too close. he needed air. needed to remind himself the world was still turning even if you weren’t in it.
falco pushed the chair while gabi argued with him about bread prices. levi tuned them out, single eye scanning the crowd out of old habit.
then he saw you.
you were standing at a stall across the square, bargaining for bandages and herbs, your hair longer than he remembered, a scar he didn’t recognize cutting across your cheek. you looked… alive. tired. real.
his heart slammed against his ribs so hard he thought it might crack what was left of him.
“stop,” he said, voice low.
falco halted. “levi?”
levi’s hand gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles went white. you turned slightly, profile catching the sunlight, and he felt the ground tilt.
it couldn’t be.
he’d buried you. In his mind, a thousand times.
he’d carried that weight like the stump of his leg—phantom and permanent.
you looked up. your eyes met his.
the world went silent.
you dropped the bundle of herbs. they scattered across the dirt like forgotten bones.
“levi…?”
your voice cracked on his name. you took one step, then another, limping faster, ignoring the stares. he couldn’t move. couldn’t speak. just watched you come closer like some ghost that had finally decided to haunt him in daylight.
when you reached him, you fell to your knees right there in the dirt, hands shaking as they hovered near his, afraid to touch and discover he wasn’t real.
“i thought–” your voice broke. “they said you died. they reports…everyone said—”
levi’s throat worked. he reached out, slow, and cupped your scarred cheek with his remaining fingers. warm. alive. the calluses were the same.
“you fucking idiot,” he whispered. the words came out rough, almost angry, but his eye was wet. “i thought you were gone.”
a sob tore out of you. you pressed your forehead to his knee, shoulders shaking. “i’m sorry. i’m so sorry i was late.”
falco and gabi stood frozen a respectful distance away, eyes wide.
levi leaned forward as much as his broken body allowed, pressing his lips to the top of your head.
he breathed you in — soap, herbs, and the faint metallic tang of old blood that never quite washed out. the same.
“you’re here,” he said against your hair. it wasn’t a question. it was a fact he was still trying to believe.
you nodded, clinging to him like he might vanish. “i’m here and I’m not leaving again. not ever.”
for the first time since the war ended, levi ackerman let himself believe in something after the end of the world.
the front door clicked shut behind you, and levi’s sharp gaze snapped up from the couch before you even kicked off your shoes.
“you’re home.” his voice was flat, but his eyes tracked the condensation already dripping from the iced coffee in your hand.
you flopped down beside him, lifting the cup toward your lips only for his hand to shoot out and snag your wrist mid air.
“oi.” levi’s grip was firm, grey eyes narrowed in that signature death glare. “i didn’t buy these coasters for nothing. use them.”
you blinked, then grinned, deliberately hovering the sweating cup an inch above the pristine wooden table. “but the coaster’s all the way over there—”
he exhaled through his nose, the sound dangerously close to a hiss, and snatched the cup from you. with military precision, he set it down on the black ceramic coaster he’d bought specifically because it matched the minimalist aesthetic he maintained like it was his religion.
you leaned into his side, chin on his shoulder. “you’re so cute when you’re annoyed about my slobbishness.”
“tch. annoying woman.” despite the grumble, his arm slid around your waist, pulling you closer. his thumb brushed absentmindedly over your hip.
“next time you leave a ring on my table, i’m making you sleep on the couch.”
you laughed softly and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “liar. you’d drag me back to bed in five minutes.”
levi didn’t deny it. he just tightened his hold and muttered, “use the damn coasters.”
okay so imagine levi keeps pushing you away and then one day he hurts you and you stop talking to him but you still like him. and one day he gets injured during a mission and you take care of him and he apologises.
summary: levi pushes you away to protect you, but after a near fatal injury, the truth breaks through and neither of you can pretend anymore
word count: 1,435k
credit: @cursed-carmine for divider! 💌
જ⁀➴ ✉︎ read on ao3 ⋮ canon masterlist⋮ main masterlist
you had known levi ackerman since the day he joined the survey corps. back then he was feral, untrusting, his eyes sharp as the blades he carried. you were assigned to help integrate the new recruits from the underground. most people gave him a wide berth but you saw something beneath the glare, a man who had survived hell and still kept moving forward.
over the years, the bond grew in silence. shared watches on the wall. you handing him his tea exactly how he liked it without being asked. him tossing you a spare set of clean bandages before a mission because “you bleed like an amateur.” he never smiled, never said anything tender, but he stayed. that was levi’s version of care.
until he started pushing.
it began small. after a mission where your squad took heavy losses, you sat beside him in the mess hall, shoulders almost touching. “we’re still alive,” you whispered. he stood up so abruptly his chair scraped loud enough to draw stares. “don’t get attached. it’s pathetic.”
you swallowed the sting and told yourself he was grieving.
but it got worse.
one night after an expedition that nearly wiped out half the regiment, you found him in the stables, knuckles bloody from punching a wooden post. you reached for his hand. “levi, stop—”
he yanked away like your touch burned him. “what the fuck do you think you’re doing? you think you can fix me? play hero and make me feel less like a walking corpse?” his voice was ice-cold. “stay away from me. i don’t want you near me anymore.”
that one hurt deeper. still, you tried once more.
the breaking point came three weeks later.
rain hammered the roofs of the headquarters. you’d spent all day helping with the burial preparations—too many bodies, too few graves. you found levi alone in the old archive room, staring at a map like it had personally betrayed him. exhaustion and grief made you bold.
“levi… you don’t have to carry this alone. i’m here. i’ve always been here.”
he turned slowly. the look in his eyes was hollow.
“you’re here?” a bitter, ugly laugh escaped him. “how fucking sweet. you think i need your comfort? that your little crush is going to keep the titans from ripping you apart?” he stepped closer, voice dropping into something cruel and precise. “every person who gets close to me ends up dead. my mother. furlan. isabel. everyone. you’re just another idiot who’s going to die because you can’t mind your own damn business. so do us both a favor and fuck off. i don’t want you. i never did. stop embarrassing yourself by chasing after me like a lost puppy.”
the words carved into you. you felt something inside crack clean in half.
you didn’t cry in front of him. you simply stared for one long second, then nodded once.
“alright,” you said, voice barely holding. “i won’t bother you again.”
you walked out without looking back. behind you, you heard the sound of something shattering—maybe a teacup, maybe something worse but you didn’t turn around.
the silence that followed was worse than any titans.
you stopped seeking him out. stopped saving him seats. stopped glancing his way during briefings. when your paths crossed in the corridor, you kept your eyes forward, jaw tight, even as your heart screamed at you to look at him.
at night you lay awake replaying every cruel word. i don’t want you. i never did. you cried until your eyes burned, then wiped your face and told yourself you were done. but you weren’t. you still loved him—fiercely, stupidly. every time you saw him limping back from training, or drinking tea alone on the roof, the ache returned stronger.
levi noticed. of course he did.
he saw the way you avoided him. saw how your laughter, once something he heard across the dining hall had disappeared. he told himself it was better this way. safer. you would live longer without him dragging you into his cursed existence.
but the emptiness gnawed at him too.
then came the mission.
a desperate push into titan territory to secure an old supply cache. levi led the vanguard as always. you were assigned to the rear support squad somewhere far enough that you wouldn’t have to speak to him. far enough that you still heard the screams when the abnormals appeared.
the battle was chaos. you fought until your gas canisters ran dry and your blades were dull. when the call came over the signal flares that captain levi was down, your blood turned to ice.
they brought him back on a stretcher. his right leg was crushed. a deep gash ran across his ribs and shoulder where debris had fallen on him after he took down a 12-meter class to save his squad. he was unconscious, pale as death, blood soaking through the makeshift bandages.
the moment you saw him, all your resolve shattered.
you pushed past the medics. “i’ll handle it.”
“miss, you’re not assigned—”
“i said i’ll handle it.” your voice cracked with authority and barely contained panic. they let you through.
for five straight days you barely left his side.
you cleaned his wounds when they reopened. you held him down when fever made him thrash and mutter names of the dead. you whispered apologies to him when he was unconscious, even though he couldn’t hear you. “i’m sorry i couldn’t stay away… i’m sorry it hurts this much…”
on the sixth night, the rain returned. levi’s fever finally broke. his eyes those sharp, steel grey eyes opened slowly and found you slumped in the chair beside his bed, dark circles under your eyes, hands still holding a cloth you’d been using to cool his forehead.
he stared at you for a long time.
“why?” the word scraped out, raw and weak.
you straightened up, exhausted. “because someone has to keep you alive, even if you hate me for it.”
levi tried to move and winced sharply. pain flashed across his face. for once, he didn’t hide it. “you should’ve left me to rot. after what i said to you…”
you looked away, throat burning. “yeah. maybe i should have.”
silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
“i meant to push you away,” he rasped eventually. his voice was so quiet you had to lean closer. “every time you smiled at me… every time you stayed… i saw the future. i saw you on the ground with your stomach torn open, or your head crushed, because i couldn’t protect you. so i hurt you first. made sure you’d leave.” his fingers twitched on the blanket like he wanted to reach for you but didn’t deserve to. “i didn’t think it would feel this fucking empty.”
tears welled up before you could stop them. you hated yourself for it.
“you broke me, levi,” you whispered, voice trembling. “i stopped sleeping. i stopped eating properly. every time i saw you i wanted to scream and run to you at the same time. i still love you, even though i hate you for what you said. how pathetic is that?”
levi closed his eyes. a rare, pained expression crossed his face—vulnerability he never allowed anyone to see.
“i’m sorry.” the apology sounded like it physically hurt him. “i’m so fucking sorry. i don’t expect you to forgive me. i wouldn’t. but… when i was under that rubble, half-conscious, all i could think was that i might die without ever telling you the truth.”
he opened his eyes again. they were glassy.
“i need you. i’ve needed you for years. and i was too much of a coward to admit it.”
you let out a broken sound half sob, half laugh and covered your face with your hands. all the months of grief poured out of you. levi watched, helpless, bandaged and broken in the bed.
when your shoulders finally stopped shaking, you felt his fingers brush weakly against your wrist. not grabbing. just… there. an offering.
“i know i don’t deserve another chance,” he murmured. “but if you can stand to look at me again… i won’t push you away anymore. i swear it.”
you didn’t answer right away. the hurt still lived inside you, deep and ugly. but so did the love.
you slid your hand into his and held on.
“i’m still angry with you,” you whispered.
“good,” levi said hoarsely. “stay angry. just… don’t leave.”
for the first time since the fight, you stayed.
and levi—bruised, broken, and finally honest—didn’t let go.
tags: sfw / modenr au / domestic fluff / first time meeting the parents / established relationship / soft levi / teasings
summary: meeting levi’s mother for mother’s day is nerve wracking at first, but kuchel’s warmth quickly makes you feel like family. between homemade food, teasing stories, and quiet moments with levi, the day becomes one filled with love, comfort, and belonging
word count: 1,254k
credit: @strangergraphics for the divider! 💌
જ⁀➴ ✉︎ read on ao3 ⋮ modern au masterlist ⋮ main masterlist
the car ride to kuchel’s apartment had been quiet, but not uncomfortably so. levi’s hand rested on your thigh the entire time, his thumb brushing slow, steady circles against your skin—his silent way of reassuring you. still, your heart hammered louder with every passing streetlight.
“you’re overthinking again,” levi said, voice low as he parked the car.
you let out a shaky laugh, clutching the bouquet of white lilies and pink roses a little tighter. “easy for you to say. this is your mom. this feels… big.”
levi leaned over the console and pressed a firm kiss to your temple. “it is big. that’s why i waited until i knew you were ready. she’s going to love you. now come on, brat. she’s probably been cleaning since dawn.”
the moment you stepped onto the landing, the door opened before levi could even knock.
kuchel ackerman stood there, looking elegant and warm in a soft lavender cardigan over a cream dress. her dark hair was pinned neatly, a few silver strands framing her face. she had the same sharp, observant eyes as levi, but hers sparkled with a gentle kindness that eased some of your nerves instantly.
for a second, everything was still.
then kuchel smiled small, but radiant. “so this is her.”
she stepped forward and pulled you into a full, sincere hug before you could even speak. she smelled like fresh soap, vanilla, and a hint of lemon cleaner. you melted into it almost right away.
“happy mother’s day, ms ackerman,” you whispered against her shoulder.
she pulled back just enough to cup your cheeks, studying your face with open affection. “none of that formal nonsense. kuchel is perfect. you’re even lovelier than levi described and trust me, he’s been bragging for months.”
“ma,” levi muttered behind you, ears turning faintly pink. he was holding the neatly wrapped gift and a box of her favorite dark chocolates.
kuchel clicked her tongue exactly like her son. “don’t ‘ma’ me. come here.” she hugged levi next, squeezing him tight even though he only allowed it for a few seconds before gently patting her back.
“you didn’t have to go all out,” he grumbled.
“i wanted to. it’s not every day my son brings home the woman he’s serious about.” her eyes twinkled as she ushered both of you inside.
the apartment was small but absolutely spotless. floors gleaming, every surface shining, and the delicious scent of home cooked food drifting from the kitchen. you noticed levi’s eyes scanning the room out of pure habit, fingers twitching like he wanted to run a finger along the shelves to check for dust. kuchel caught him too and smirked.
“still can’t help yourself, hm?”
“tch. force of habit.”
you gently bumped his hip with yours, and he relaxed.
lunch unfolded slowly and warmly. kuchel had made levi’s favorites: rich beef stew, perfectly seasoned vegetables, fluffy rice, and a beautiful strawberry shortcake for dessert. you helped carry the dishes while levi set the table with military precision.
“so,” kuchel began once everyone was seated, pouring tea gracefully, “tell me the real story of how you two met. levi’s version was painfully short—something about spilling coffee on him and refusing to let him pay for the shirt.”
you laughed, glancing at levi who was suddenly very focused on his bowl. “it’s mostly true. i bumped into him at a café and spilled coffee everywhere. he looked ready to commit murder, but then he just sighed and said, ‘at least you have good taste in coffee.’”
kuchel’s laughter was light and melodic. “that sounds exactly like him. always so dramatic about stains.”
conversation flowed easily after that. she asked about your job, your hobbies, and how you handled levi’s intense cleaning habits. you told her about waking up at 2 am. to find him reorganizing your spice cabinet “because they were in the wrong alphabetical order.”
“he gets that from me,” kuchel admitted fondly. “when he was little, he used to line up his toys by size and color every single night before bed.”
“ma,” levi warned, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
you grinned. “i would’ve paid money to see that.”
kuchel’s expression grew softer as she looked between the two of you. “he’s always been so serious. protective. but with you… he seems lighter. he smiles more. i can hear it when he calls me now.”
levi’s hand found yours under the table and squeezed. you squeezed back.
after the main course, levi slid the gift across the table. kuchel opened it carefully, revealing the delicate silver bracelet with the tiny teacup charm. her fingers trembled slightly as she fastened it around her wrist.
“it’s beautiful,” she whispered. she looked at you. “you helped him choose this, didn’t you?”
you nodded, cheeks warm. “he wanted it to be perfect for you.”
kuchel reached over and covered both your hands with hers. “thank you. both of you.” her voice softened. “i worried for so long that he’d close himself off completely. but you… you make him want to open up. that means more than you’ll ever know.”
your eyes stung. levi stayed quiet but his grip on your hand tightened protectively.
dessert came with even more stories. kichel shared memories of seven year old levi trying to clean the entire apartment with one sponge, and you told her how patient he’d been when you were overwhelmed at work. levi interjected with dry commentary and the occasional “tch,” but he never stopped the stories. he even let his mom pull out an old photo album, pointing out pictures of tiny levi in an oversized cleaning apron.
later, while Levi insisted on doing all the dishes “you cooked, ma. sit down”, kuchel gently pulled you into the living room.
“he loves you,” she said quietly, watching her son through the doorway. “i’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. like you’re the only clean thing in a dirty world.” she smiled. “thank you for loving him back. for seeing past all the walls he built.”
you swallowed hard. “he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. i should be thanking you… for raising someone so incredible.”
kuchel pulled you into another hug, longer and tighter this time. “you’re family now, sweetheart. don’t be a stranger.”
when it was time to leave, the sky had turned a soft dusky orange. kuchel packed leftovers and extra cake for you both, pressing a kiss to your cheek and then to levi’s.
in the hallway, levi slipped his arm around your waist as you walked to the car.
“see?” he murmured. “told you it’d be fine.”
you leaned into him, smiling. “she’s amazing. i can see exactly where you get it from.”
levi stopped under the streetlights, turning you to face him. his expression was serious, but his eyes were warm and unguarded.
“today meant a lot,” he said quietly. “to her. to me.” he brushed a strand of hair behind your ear. “thank you for coming. for being you.”
you rose on your toes and kissed him softly. “best mother’s day i’ve had in a long time.”
he clicked his tongue, but that rare, small smile curved his lips, the one only you ever got to see. “let’s go home. i still owe you that bath i promised.”
you laughed as he opened the car door for you, heart full and nerves completely gone.
for the first time, the ackerman family felt like yours too.
soft morning light filtered through the half-drawn curtains of your apartment bedroom, bathing the rumpled sheets in a gentle golden glow. the distant hum of city traffic drifted in, but inside everything felt quiet and safe like the world had slowed down just for the two of you.
levi sat propped against the headboard, legs stretched comfortably under the duvet. he wore a simple black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, his dark hair still slightly messy from sleep. in his hand was one of his precious porcelain teacups, steam curling lazily upward with the warm, earthy scent of earl grey. he took a slow sip, sharp grey eyes softening as they drifted over to you, still curled up beside him with your face half buried in the pillow.
these rare, peaceful mornings were his favorite. no alarms, no rush just the sound of your steady breathing and the warmth of the bed you shared.
you stirred, eyelids fluttering open. the first thing you noticed was the faint clink of his teacup and levi’s familiar scent. tea, clean cologne, and the laundry detergent he was so picky about. smiling sleepily, you shifted closer and wrapped your arms around him from behind, hugging him tightly. your cheek pressed against his back as you nuzzled in.
“morning…” you mumbled, voice thick with sleep.
levi set the cup on the nightstand and placed his hand over yours on his stomach, thumb brushing lightly across your knuckles. “tch. you’re up earlier than usual,” he said, his low, rough voice gentler than usual. “go back to sleep if you want. i’m not moving.”
you smiled against his shirt and squeezed him tighter, legs tangling with his. “don’t want to. you’re too warm.”
he let out a quiet huff, the sound almost a laugh. one arm reached back to drape around you, pulling you closer as his fingers slowly threaded through your hair. “clingy in the mornings,” he muttered, but he tilted his head to rest against yours anyway.
“and you secretly love it,” you teased, pressing a lazy kiss to his shoulder blade.
levi didn’t deny it. he simply held you there, eyes impossibly soft in the morning light. “brat,” he whispered fondly.
he slid down a little so you could both sink deeper into the pillows. your arms stayed locked around his waist, heartbeat steady against his back while his tea slowly cooled on the nightstand. outside, the city kept moving. inside, time stretched slow and sweet.
hihi! I stumbled on your account awhile ago and i love how well you write levi ackerman sm
if you want to can you write a slow burn but make it super fluffy and maybe some angst with canon levi? tysm and i hope you have a good rest of your day!
summary: when you’re reassigned, levi says nothing—leaving you both to unravel apart. after a near fatal return, everything breaks open and the feelings you both avoided finally surface
word count: 1,557k
credit: @also-web for divider! 💌
a/n: hey loves, just a quick note to say sorry i’ve been a little inactive lately 😭 life’s been pretty busy on my end, but i haven’t forgotten about you or my fics!! thank you for being patient with me <33
જ⁀➴ ✉︎ read on ao3 ⋮ canon masterlist ⋮ main masterlist
the order came down from erwin like any other: a temporary reassignment to the 9th squad for a reconnaissance mission near the eastern forests. you were chosen for your scouting skills and steady hand with the flare guns. it was only supposed to be three weeks. maybe four.
you stood in the hallway outside the captain’s quarters, report in hand, trying to find the right words. your pulse hammered in your throat. levi was inside, quill scratching across paper like it owed him money.
you knocked once.
“enter.”
he didn’t look up when you stepped in. the afternoon light cut sharp across his desk, catching on the edge of his teacup. you cleared your throat.
“i’m being reassigned, captain. leaving at dawn tomorrow. 9th squad.”
levi’s pen paused for half a second. then continued.
“understood.”
that was it. no questions. no “be careful.” just the same flat tone he used when someone reported a broken harness. you waited another beat, chest tightening for reasons you refused to name.
“i’ll see you when i get back, then.”
“dismissed.”
you left before the sting could settle fully, but it followed you anyway—sharp, lodged somewhere behind your ribs like a broken blade. you’d spent months convincing yourself that the small things mattered. the extra bread. the brushed fingers. the way his eyes lingered. apparently they didn’t. not enough.
the first week away, you told yourself it was nothing. levi was always like this—efficient, detached, a wall of obsidian in a world of noise.
but reports filtered back.
captain levi had the new recruits running drills until they vomited.
he re-inspected every horse in the stables twice, then again at midnight.
he hadn’t touched his tea in three days. the entire squad walked on eggshells.
hange’s letter arrived via raven, the handwriting messier than usual: “𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚’𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒚. 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅. 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒂𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕? 𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅?”
you folded the letter small and kept it in your jacket pocket like a secret, pressing it against your chest at night as if it could warm the growing hollow there. he was hurting. or angry. or both. but not enough to say anything when you stood right in front of him.
the nights were the worst.
under thin canvas, rain pattering against it like mocking fingers, you kept replaying the last few months on loop. levi wordlessly sliding an extra portion of bread onto your tray when you looked exhausted after drills. standing just a little closer during gear checks, fingers brushing yours while “adjusting” straps that were already perfect. the rare, almost imperceptible softening of his steel eyes when you landed a stupid joke that actually pulled a snort out of him.
you had let yourself hope. god, what an idiot you were.
out here, surrounded by soldiers who saw you as nothing but another warm body for the suicide charge, the truth settled heavy and cold: levi didn’t do attachments. he’d lost too much already—his entire world under the ground, then in the mouths of titans. why would you be any different? you were just another soldier who would eventually die screaming.
on the twelfth night, your squad ran into an abnormal cluster. you barely made it to a tree branch before one of them snatched the soldier beside you. his screams echoed for a long time. you fired your flare with shaking hands, tears freezing on your cheeks, and wondered if levi would even flinch if the same thing happened to you.
back at headquarters, levi was unraveling in the only way he knew how through control.
he cleaned his blades until his hands cracked and bled. he drilled the recruits past exhaustion because if they were stronger, maybe no one would need to be reassigned to fill gaps. he avoided the mess hall entirely; your empty seat at the far table felt like an accusation. sleep brought nightmares—your body crushed under a titan’s heel, your eyes wide and betrayed as you reached for him too late.
hange found him in the stables at 2 a.m., furiously brushing down a horse that was already gleaming.
“you know,” hange said quietly, “you could’ve told her something. anything. she looked like you’d punched her in the gut when she left.”
levi’s hand stilled. “tch. and what? wish her a safe trip? hold her hand? tell her i—” he cut himself off, jaw locked so tight it ached. “words don’t bring people back. they just make the hole bigger when they’re gone.”
hange sighed. “you’re scared.”
“shut up.”
but he didn’t deny it.
three and a half weeks became four.
the return journey turned into a nightmare. a sudden storm. flash flooding. then worst of all—abnormals drawn by the noise. your squad lost four people. you took a deep gash across your forearm shielding a rookie, and another hit to the head when your horse reared and threw you into rocks. fever set in fast. by the time the gates appeared on the horizon, you were barely conscious, slumped against your horse’s neck, blood and rain soaking through your jacket.
you’d whispered things in the delirium. levi’s name. stupid confessions you’d never dare say awake. i thought you cared. i was so stupid. come find me if i don’t make it.
you barely registered the courtyard when your squad rode in at dusk. mud-caked, shivering, half-dead.
a voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
“you. medical tent. now.”
levi stood ten feet away, arms crossed, expression carved from ice. same as always. but his eyes those sharp, terrifying eyes flicked over you once, clinical and fast, then lingered on the bloodied bandage and your pale face.
something fractured behind them for half a second before the mask slammed back down.
you opened your mouth, voice hoarse.
“captain—”
“medical tent,” he repeated, already turning away. “then my office. you’re behind on paperwork.”
your heart twisted painfully. even now, after everything, that was all he could give.
the medic stitched you roughly, muttering about reckless idiots and blood loss. the fever made everything hazy and too bright. when they finally released you, you dragged yourself to levi’s office on sheer stubbornness.
he answered the knock immediately.
“sit.”
you collapsed into the familiar chair beside his desk. the office smelled of soap and black tea—the same as always. your chair. your stack of reports. like the world hadn’t tried to swallow you whole.
levi poured two cups. his hands were steady, but you noticed the slight tremor as he set yours down—black, with sugar, exactly how you liked it.
he sat across from you and stared into his own cup like it might tell him how to fix this.
silence stretched, suffocating.
you sipped. the warmth hurt. everything hurt.
“I’m back,” you whispered, voice cracking.
“took you long enough.” his tone was low, rough.
“next time they try reassigning you, tell them to go fuck themselves.”
you set the cup down hard, fingers trembling.
tears burned your eyes.
“levi… did you even miss me? or was I just convenient? another soldier who made your tea runs easier?” the words poured out, weeks of doubt and pain and near-death fear finally breaking free. “you didn’t even look at me when i told you i was leaving. i thought—i hoped—those little things meant something. but you just… dismissed me. like i was nothing.”
levi’s cup hit the desk. tea sloshed over the rim. he stood abruptly, turning toward the window, shoulders rigid.
“you think it was easy?” he said, voice dangerously quiet. “you think i wanted you gone? every night i saw you out there dead. ripped apart. because i let myself get used to you being here. because i didn’t say anything.” he laughed, bitter and broken. “i’m good at losing people, brat. i’ve had practice. but you… you made it worse. made me hope and then erwin sent you away like it was nothing.”
you stood on shaky legs and crossed to him. “i almost didn’t come back,” you choked out. “i kept thinking if i died out there, you’d never know how i felt. that i’ve been falling for you for months while you acted like i was just another cog in your perfect squad.”
levi turned sharply. his hand came up, fingers hovering near your cheek before he let them fall to your injured arm instead. he touched the bandage with devastating gentleness, like he was afraid you’d vanish.
“i know,” he muttered. the admission seemed to cost him everything. “i’m a coward. always have been when it matters.”
your tears fell freely now. “then stop pushing me away.”
he exhaled shakily and rested his forehead against yours brief, trembling, the most vulnerable you’d ever seen him. “brat,” he whispered, voice raw. “don’t do that again. don’t you fucking dare leave me behind.”
you took his hand. he let you, turning it palm up and lacing your fingers together tightly, as if anchoring you there.
the wind howled outside. inside, the lantern flickered over cold tea and two broken people slowly piecing themselves back together—one careful, calloused touch at a time.
the corridor smelled of soap and steel. levi was polishing his blades again, cloth moving in those infuriatingly perfect circles.
“you’re going to wear them down to nothing,” you snapped, leaning against the doorframe. “we ride at dawn. sleep, levi.”
he didn’t look up. “if you spent less time nagging and more time cleaning properly, maybe i wouldn’t have to redo everything.”
“redo? i scrubbed this floor twice. you’re just being an obsessive prick.”
“tch. bold words from someone who still leaves corners dusty.” be finally glanced at you, grey eyes sharp. “most people know better than to talk to me like that.”
you stepped closer, crossing your arms. “good thing i’m not most people. someone has to tell you when you’re being an idiot about rest and training and everything.”
levi set the blade down with a soft clink. he stood, shorter than you but somehow towering anyway. his hand caught your wrist before you could poke his chest. “you talk too much.”
“and you listen too little.” your voice dropped, the familiar heat crackling between you. “but you only let me talk to you like this.”
a faint smirk tugged at his lips. down the hall, someone whispered, “they’re bickering like an old married couple again.”
levi didn’t deny it. he just pulled you a fraction closer, thumb brushing your pulse. “get some sleep. that’s an order.”
you smiled, refusing to move. “only if you do too, captain.”
he clicked his tongue, but didn’t let go.
everyone heard the arguments.
only you two knew how much he needed them… and how you were the only one he let stay.
tags: sfw / long distance relationship / angst & comfort / happy ending / separation & reunion / soft levi
summary: distance and silence slowly pull you and levi apart, until months later he returns, and everything left unsaid finds its way back in a quiet, emotional reunion
word count: 1,224k
credit: @angeliicide for divider! 💌
જ⁀➴ ✉︎ read on ao3 ⋮ modern masterlist ⋮ main masterlist
the screen glows dim in the dark of your room, the only light for hours. levi’s voice is rough from the late hour on his end, clipped like always, but softer around the edges when it’s just the two of you.
“still awake, brat?”
you hum, cheek pressed to the pillow. “barely. you sound like you’re about to fall over.”
“tch. i’m fine.” a pause. the kind that used to be comfortable, now weighted with everything unsaid. “eat something before you crash. don’t make me tell you twice.”
the call ends twenty minutes later. shorter than last week. you stare at the blank screen, thumb hovering over the keyboard, but the message you type stays unsent. miss you. it feels too heavy for the silence that’s been growing between you like a shadow.
days bleed into weeks. messages come in clusters, morning greetings that arrive at your midnight, goodnights that hit when he’s already deep in his day. “busy,” he says sometimes. you say it too. the distance isn’t just miles anymore; it’s the quiet stretches where neither of you quite knows how to bridge the gap without sounding desperate.
you tell yourself it’s temporary. life pulls, time zones mock, and love… love learns to wait in the pauses.
but the pauses stretch longer.
a full day passes without a reply. then two. you check your phone at odd hours, the blue light burning your eyes, hoping for the familiar ping that never comes. when his message finally arrives “training ran late. you good?” it feels like an afterthought, a checkbox. you reply with something light, something safe. yeah, just tired. the truth sits heavier: you’re not sure how much longer you can keep pretending this is still a relationship and not a slow unraveling.
nights blur. you lie awake replaying old voice notes just to hear the low rasp of his voice, the rare chuckle he only let slip when he thought you weren’t listening too hard. the ache settles in your chest like something permanent, a bruise that won’t fade. you start typing longer messages, everything you wish you could say but then delete them before sending. i hate how quiet it’s gotten. i hate that i’m starting to forget the way you smell after a shower. i hate that i’m scared this is how it ends, not with a fight but with nothing at all.
you don’t send any of them.
levi’s replies grow even shorter. sometimes just a single word. sometimes nothing for days. you wonder if he’s pulling away on purpose, if the distance has finally worn him down the way it’s wearing you. or worse if he’s simply learning to live without the constant thread of you in his life. the thought keeps you up longer than the time difference ever did.
months drag by. seasons shift without either of you acknowledging it. you stop expecting the calls. the unsent messages pile up in your notes app like ghosts. some nights the loneliness hits so sharply you curl into yourself and whisper his name out loud, just to feel it in the air, pathetic and raw. other nights you’re angry at him, at the miles, at yourself for letting it get this far without fighting harder.
you tell yourself you should let go. that holding on to someone who feels more like a memory than a person is only prolonging the hurt. but every time you try, something stops you. a half remembered promise. the way his fingers used to trace idle patterns on your wrist when he thought you were asleep. the quiet certainty that, despite everything, he was still yours, even if only in the silences.
then, one gray afternoon that feels no different from the hundreds before it, the door to the small bookstore you’ve been hiding in for the past few weeks swings open with a soft jingle. you’re tucked in the back corner, fingers absently flipping through pages you aren’t really reading, the scent of old paper and rain soaked streets clinging to everything.
footsteps. slow. deliberate.
you feel him before you see him — the shift in the air, the way the world narrows to a single point. your heart stutters, then slams against your ribs.
levi stands at the end of the aisle, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his coat, rain droplets still clinging to his shoulders. his hair is damp, longer than you remember, and there are new lines at the corners of his eyes that weren’t there before. he looks… tired. worn thin in a way that mirrors the exhaustion you’ve been carrying for months.
he doesn’t speak.
neither do you.
the book in your hands trembles slightly. you set it down carefully on the shelf, afraid that any sudden movement might shatter whatever fragile thing has just walked back into your life.
levi takes one step closer, then another. his boots leave faint wet prints on the wooden floor. when he stops in front of you, close enough that you can smell the faint trace of rain and the clean, sharp scent that’s always been unmistakably him, the years of stretched silence suddenly feel unbearable and inevitable all at once.
his steel gray eyes search yours—guarded, uncertain, but burning with something deep and unspoken. the same something that’s been eating at you from the inside.
you open your mouth, but nothing comes out. all the angry words, the lonely confessions, the desperate why did we let this happen die in your throat.
levi’s jaw tightens. his hand lifts slowly, hesitantly, as if he’s not sure you’ll let him. when his fingers brush your cheek, calloused, warm, trembling just slightly—the touch undoes you.
a single tear slips free before you can stop it.
he wipes it away with his thumb, the motion so gentle it breaks what little composure you have left.
still no words.
because after all the months of almosts, after the silence that nearly swallowed everything whole, nothing needs to be said right now. not yet.
levi steps even closer, forehead resting against yours. his breath is shaky, warm against your skin. one of his arms slides around your waist, pulling you in until there’s no space left between you. the kind of closeness you’d almost convinced yourself you’d never feel again.
your hands fist in the front of his coat, holding on like he might disappear if you let go.
the bookstore fades. the rain outside, the distant hum of the city. none of it matters.
there’s only the quiet hitch in his breathing, the way his fingers press into your back like he’s afraid you’re the one who’ll vanish, and the overwhelming relief that tastes a lot like grief finally loosening its grip.
some things don’t end.
they pause.
and when the pause finally breaks, it starts with the smallest, most devastating sound:
“brat...”
his voice cracks on the word, barely above a whisper.
you laugh through the tears, the sound wet and fragile, and bury your face in his chest.
levi’s arms tighten around you, holding you like he’ll never let the distance come between you again.
no grand explanations. no rushed apologies.
just the two of you, breathing the same air for the first time in what feels like forever.
