How he keeps his distance, not because he doesn’t want to be close to you, but because he wants it too much. He’d rather ache quietly than risk ruining the fragile comfort he gets just from being near you. Sitting beside you during meetings, walking a step behind you on missions. These small things are his luxuries, and he treats them like they might be taken away at any moment.
Yearning!Levi who listens more than he speaks, memorizing the way your voice softens when you talk to animals, how you hum while organizing papers, the exact rhythm of your footsteps in the hallway. He doesn’t say much in return, but he always has something for you, your favorite tea mixed just how you like it, your missing necklace placed neatly on your desk, a blanket draped over your shoulders when you fall asleep on duty.
Yearning!Levi who hesitates before knocking on your door. Fingers raised, hovering mid-air, heart pounding like it’s trying to claw its way out of his ribs. Sometimes he walks away. Sometimes he knocks and pretends he was just passing by. But every time, it’s because he wants so badly to be invited in, not just into your room, but into your world.
Yearning!Levi who sees you laughing with someone else and feels something cold settle in his chest. Not jealousy, he would never claim ownership over you, but grief. The kind that comes with realizing just how much of you he’s not allowed to have.
Because if all he gets is this, just watching you be happy, just lingering in the same spaces, you can bet he’ll bear it with the same strength he brings to every battle.
~ Quiet!Levi who never interrupts when you speak, but you always catch him watching you. The way his gaze softens at the corners when you’re passionate about something—he doesn’t say anything. He just listens, like every word matters. Because to him, they do.
~ Quiet!Levi who never needs to be the loudest in the room. He stands behind you during briefings, hands in his pockets, eyes steady. When you falter or stumble over a detail, you feel the slightest nod from behind you. Subtle, grounding. You don't even have to turn around—you just know he's there.
~ Quiet!Levi who brings you things without a word. A mug of tea when you’re too tired to get one yourself. A rolled-up scarf dropped gently onto your shoulders when he notices you shivering. He never says why. He just… notices.
~ Quiet!Levi who always waits for you to fall asleep first, only then allowing himself to relax. He sits on the edge of your shared cot, elbow on his knee, watching your breathing slow. You don’t know it, but he always whispers a quiet, half-meant "sleep well" before turning away.
~ Quiet!Levi who doesn’t do grand gestures. He tightens your gear without asking. He pulls you out of the path of a falling branch like it’s nothing. He steadies you by the arm when you trip, holding on a beat longer than necessary—but never commenting.
~ Quiet!Levi who never says he worries. But you know he does, from the way he glances over his shoulder for you during missions. From how he walks a few paces behind you—not to control, but to keep you in his sight. Always.
~ Quiet!Levi who brushes your hand with his when you're both seated side by side, elbows nearly touching. He doesn’t look at you, doesn’t move again. Just that brief touch, like a quiet reminder: I’m here.
~ Quiet!Levi who stands in doorways, watching you with unreadable eyes. You ask him once what he’s thinking, and he shrugs, voice low: “Nothing important.” But the way he lingers… the way he looks at you like you’re something fragile and rare—you know that’s not true.
~ Quiet!Levi who doesn’t confess out loud. He shows it in the way he always walks on the side closest to the street. In the way he only drinks his tea after yours is poured. In the way he cleans your blades along with his own.
~ Quiet!Levi who only says “I love you” once, and even then it’s quiet, gruff, said into your hair when he thinks you’re asleep. But he still holds you tighter after. Because he means it. Every quiet inch of him does.
i dont take levi as a flirty type, but id like to imagine him trying to flirt, once, just because the situation fits, but ends up scaring the person instead.
As you fumbled with the jammed strap of his ODMG across his chest, he jerked his head away like the proximity offended him, a deep scowl carved into his face. Then, out of nowhere, a soft whiff of your new perfume drifted up and hit him. It was kind of nice in a way, and he reckoned he should just tell you that... subtly.
"You smell like you rolled through a flowerbed for a whole hour," he muttered, deadpan.
You froze for a beat, eyes flicking up to him. You were under the impression that he was calling you out, maybe for the excessive use of your brand new perfume this morning, or maybe even for the dirt smeared on your once-white shirt.
“My apologies, sir,” you said, quiet and a bit too stiff for his liking. He caught that. Noticed it too late. Swore at himself under his breath, because hell, what kind of idiot tries to flirt and ends up sounding like a dick instead?
and id like to think he would swear to himself that hed just give his compliment directly next time, but when the opportunitys there, he just stood there and ended up leaving, overthinking it. lol.
I like to think that right before he kisses you, Levi likes to take his time. When you’re so close to him he can feel you with all his senses. Your breathing, your smell, your skin, your warmth. His eyes roam your face while his thumb brushes your cheek, his other hand playing with your hair. You’d think he’d get straight to it like he does with everything else; but no, it’s one of the few things he loves to savor.
You've talked about Levi's love language in terms of giving. How about receiving? How do you think he receives?.
i love this question :D
all my interpretation. just cuz i said it doesn't make it fact.
it’s really subtle if you can even tell his preferences - levi is not used to receiving affection, so he’s naturally uncomfortable towards the idea. even a little distrustful based on the fact of him growing and living in such a hostile place for so many years. besides, he doesn’t want to like it, because that builds connection, and if you get killed, it’s going to hurt worse. it’d almost be like losing his mom all over again.
so, it’s a lot. he’s surprisingly sensitive about it.
the idea that you set aside time/effort/money for a gift, especially as someone who much of the time had almost nothing, makes him a little insane. it’s so precious to him. he’s keeping it forever. even if he doesn’t typically even have a use for something, he finds one. if it’s a piece of clothing, he wears it… often. if it’s food, he savors it. gifts are special. yes he feels indebted to you anyway. however, when it’s platonic (not romantic), gift-giving leaves him slightly suspicious of your intentions. possibly his favorite aside from another later…
levi is as unaccepting of words of affirmation as much as he soaks it up like a sponge. and this is still someone who places much more stock in actions than words. he acts annoyed about it, but then you can find him passionately ruminating on it hours after the fact. praise reminds him of his self-doubt in the end; it’s not the best.
if not gift-giving, levi accepts quality time the best and he enjoys it the most. you don’t even meed to be doing anything… having tea, debating, doing laundry - levi enjoys inhabiting the same space with you for the afternoon or whatever. even if you’re working on something alone, he’s content to be in the background, half-paying attention. it makes him half-smile a bit that you can’t see when you fall asleep :) he’s content to sit in silence with someone else. intrinsically, after a lifetime of being abandoned, he takes to quality time deeply.
possibly his least-favorite - or the love language he accepts the most poorly - is acts of service. ironically, the way HE gives most is exactly that - by doing you favors, keeping your space clean, fetching you lunch or opening the door for you, etc. it annoys him when it’s the other way around because of just how independent he is. not in the ‘i don’t need help’ way alone either. it’s a psychological matter. at age 9 he was securing food for himself alone around the time kenny leaves him, and with how much he sought kenny’s approval, + he had been taken care-of by his mother, it can’t be helped that he unconsciously senses an injustice/betrayal there and it leaves a scar. having things done for him… pisses him off. receives poorly.
there’s physical touch… which is actually really cute. levi craves physical touch after the longest time believing completely that he loathes the idea of it. the truth is that he was deprived/starved for it immensely, and so along the way, it disguised itself as disgust. at first, he stiffens whenever you happen to brush hands, is very stiff about things. later on, he enjoys cuddling, you resting your head on his shoulder, just touching - very much. not that he really ever initiates it lol. …not in public, but he really likes physical touch.
AoT Short Stories Vol. 4: The Dusty Library- Hange & Levi:
And once again, another story highlighting Levi's exceptional kindness.
This one's well known among the community, obviously. But basically, it revolves around Levi searching Hange out to ask them about being able to let Eren out of his cell, from the previous story, and having to rescue Hange from being crushed by a pile of books that begin to fall from a shelf after they try extracting a single tome.
"Levi just barely managed to grab the collar of Hange's jacket and pull the away from the pile of books that fell in the ensuing avalanche.
'Man, you really saved me there, Levi. I might've gotten brain damage if that many books hit me.'
'Don't worry, you can't get any worse than you already are. You really need to be more aware of your surroundings, you know.'
'How rude,' Hange said as they put their goggles back on, 'I am aware.' Hange then brushed the dust off the book they removed.
'Take the books here. This castle is inside the walls, but it's full of books and stockpiled goods that use letters we can't read. The area inside the Walls is dotted with ruins like these, almost as if civilization itself went extinct once-'
'I'm not talking about your intellectual horizons. Even I know how sharp your mind is. I'm saying that exactly why you need to value your own life more. If I wasn't around just now, you could've broken your neck if a book landed wrong.'
'Oh, you're so kind.'
Levi huffed, his expression souring even further. He hated being described with words like those.
'... You said that on purpose, didn't you?'
'Hah, so you knew?'
This entire exchange is so sweet, and really exemplifies Levi's kindness. The fact he gets embarrassed at Hange pointing that kindness out really speaks to the fact that Levi isn't at all used to it. Some people are keenly aware of who Levi really is, but he's used to being treated like the opposite, like he's some sort of bad or unkind person, again, because he doesn't know how to properly express his actual feelings. So he gets flustered at Hange basically teasing him here, pointing out that he can't fool them, that they know he saved them from the falling books because he cares deeply about their life, and everyone's lives in general. Levi points out before that Hange needs to value their own life more, and he sells it to them on the basis that humanity needs them for their intellectual prowess, but Hange sees through that and knows what Levi actually means. He's trying to get Hange to be more careful because he doesn't want them to die or be hurt, whether they're valuable to the cause of humanity or not, but he thinks it'll be easier to convince them to take more caution if he frames it as them being indispensable to humanity. I think this really goes back to Levi's final, few exchanges with Hange, before their great sacrifice in the final arc, with him telling Hange that they "sound like him", meaning Erwin, and Levi's obvious dismay at that realization, knowing what Hange is planning, to give themselves up to the duty of their role as Commander. I don't think anything hurts Levi more than losing his comrades to something as abstract as an ideology. To their having a sense of obligation or duty to their position, or their chosen path. I think Levi wishes he could convince all of them to forego that duty and to keep living, but he knows he can't, because it's what they've chosen for themselves and he has too much respect for people's agencies to ever impose himself and his desires on them. And so he can only support it, even as it destroys him inside. He's basically begging Hange in this story to stay alive, the way he orders his comrades multiple times in the story to do the same. To Levi, it's their individual lives that matter most of all, that are more important than any dream.
Later in the story, Hange asks Levi what he came to see them about:
"'Right. About Eren... I want to give him permission to walk freely around here. I know the Corps must want to stick him underground, but...'
Hange tells him it's fine, that the walls of the castle are sturdy enough to withstand a transformation, and that there are plenty of high towers for them to use their ODM gear on.
"'Okay. I'm glad to hear that... Also...'
'Hm?'
'At least dry yourself off before scouring this place. I can see through your shirt. It's indecent.'
Levi glared at Hange like he would a pile of garbage as he pointed at the fireplace that Moblit must have lit out of consideration for his drenched superior."
Again, we see Levi's kindness, in his relief at being able to help Eren by letting him out of his cell, and also in the way he tries to help Hange again, by pointing out that he can see through their wet shirt. As always with Levi, it comes out harshly, like he's disgusted, but the truth is, Levi just doesn't want Hange being exposed to prying eyes, and also, he assuredly wants them to get dry so they don't end up getting sick. It's his way of trying to protect them from embarrassment or humiliation, and also his way of trying to get them to take better care of themselves. That's just how Levi expresses himself. But once you realize that about him, that he has difficulty saying what he really means, you can see he's truly, endlessly kind and caring. It's not hyperbole to say Levi is the most compassionate and kind character in SnK. It's so incredibly obvious when you actually understand how he operates. If one isn't able to pick up on it from Levi's actions alone, the fact it gets pointed out by multiple characters should clue them in, too.
He's on his back, bed hair sticking up all over the place, still a little soft and sleepy as you cup his face between your hands and kiss him over and over. His forehead, the little crease between his brows, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, his silver temples, the scar running down the side of his face, the lid of his blind eye and then his good one. His cupid's bow, his soft cheeks, his sharp jawline and his chin with its coarse coat of overnight stubble. And he just lies there and takes it.
He strokes your lower back, then up the path of your spine, hands far softer in the years since he set down his blades. His lips curve into the subtlest of smiles.
"Think you're done?" he asks when you finally pull back to admire the faint pink tinge on his cheeks.
"Hm, no, I think I missed a spot," you reply leaning down once more to kiss the tip of his nose.
"You missed two," he says, his hand sliding up to cradle the back of your head, gently urging you down toward his lips.
summary: you make levi tea and toast for his birthday and he’s a dunce and doesn’t know why you’d go out of your way for him. fluffy birthday stuff. releasing a day early :).
you had been planning this day for weeks, a celebration for a man who rarely allowed himself any form of indulgence.
today was levi’s birthday. right now you were setting up the table with two porcelain cups as the small pot of freshly brewed tea simmered on the low flame, you’d searched for a long time for this particular tea. one of levi’s favorites that you’d had to pay a hefty price to acquire. it was worth it of course and your heart raced with a mix of excitement and nerves. you wanted this day to be special, even if levi said you didn’t have to do anything; he deserved it.
a soft creak echoed from the door as levi stepped in, his sharp blue eyes scanning the room with the familiar thin line etched upon his lips. his eyes swept over the various birthday decorations all around the small kitchen and you noticed the slight raise of his brow as they landed on the spread in the middle of the table. “what’s all this?” he asked, his voice low yet lacking the usual growl he’d use when speaking to the cadets.
“breakfast.” you flashed him a bright smile. “i thought, you know, maybe we could have a quiet morning together.” you motioned to the table, nervously adding. “i made your favorite tea.”
levi’s lips stayed pressed together in a thin line. he moved closer, glancing at the toast and jams as his eyes shot over to the teapot. “you made breakfast for me?”
“yes.” your voice was a bit shaky, not in a bad way, just in that way your voice shook because your heart was racing and you just wanted everything to be absolutely perfect for him.
he took the kettle, pouring himself some tea before inspecting it closely, the aroma wafting through the room. “how’d you find this?” his eyes met yours as he sipped it thoughtfully.
“well, it wasn’t easy. but i know it’s your favorite.”
he set the cup down. “you didn’t have to go to such lengths.” he stated, straightforward as always.
you shrugged. “i wanted to. you don’t take days off for yourself, levi. so I thought… maybe I could make today special. its your birthday after all.”
he raised a brow again; it was as if he couldn’t quite comprehend that someone would go to such lengths for him. like it was impossible for someone to love him so much that they’d treat him with such care and kindness. but, here you were; standing in front of him with that stupid smile on your face and god damn did it make something warm bubble up inside him. you could almost feel the weight of his silence pressing against you as he processed his thoughts.
you turned towards the spread on the table. “i have your favorite jam, homemade, and the toast is fresh.”
“why go through all this trouble?” he asked, his tone flat, but the scrutiny of his gaze has softened into something warmer then his usual stoicism.
“well, because you deserve it.” you say like it’s the most obvious thing in the world and your tone of voice makes him pause, you really did this just for him? just out of love? “you work hard levi.” you continue, “and… i just wanted you to know that somebody appreciates what you do. you deserve to be celebrated, if only for one day.”
levi’s gaze lingered on you, with an intensity that made your stomach flip. the kitchen, usually filled with the smell of iron and sweat, now felt warmer with the sweetness of the jam and the aroma of the tea. for the briefest of moments, the world beyond those walls faded, and it was just the two of you in this little bubble.
“you really put in all this work.” he took a step towards you, his face still almost impossible to decipher except for the softening of his brows and the way the tension in his shoulders began to relax.
it was always weird, absurd even, how just under the right circumstances, he could surprise you with glimpses of something so much deeper. “just sit down already,” you teased gently; your playful, yet impatient, tone breaking through the tension. “you’re making me nervous standing around like that.”
levi took another step toward you, and before you could decipher what was happening, he cupped your face with his hand, the touch unexpected. and without any hesitation, he leaned in and kissed you. it was a firm, brief press of his lips against yours, but no matter how brief it still managed to leave you breathless.
when he pulled back, there was the faintest shadow of a smile lingering on his lips. “thank you. ”he said simply. and with that levi sat down at the table, taking a piece of toast and spreading some jam. as he took a bite you noticed there was something there, something that suggested that he was, for once, savoring the moment.
After a major shift, your life has become a series of monotonous routines. Eat, sleep, go to work, repeat. But when you find a man bleeding on the subway with no idea how he got there, things become anything but ordinary.
General content warnings: isekai/parallel universe, modern AU, mentions of blood and canon-typical violence, some light angst, eventual smut.
chapter warnings: mentions of blood/cleaning of wounds
word count: 3.2k
It’s just after midnight when you make it to the metro platform.
The descent underground is quiet. Below the bustling city streets, you go through the process of boarding a train back home in a bit of a mindless daze, having done this cycle of late night shifts at the hospital countless times before.
The carriage is empty when you walk on board, silent except for the pneumatic hiss of the doors that slide closed behind you. You fall into the nearest seat with a heavy sigh.
It’s the first time in thirteen hours you’ve really been able to get off your feet.
Working four 12 hour days in a row can be tiring, but it’s worth it most of the time for the following four days off that you’re able to get. Four days off of freedom—which usually means catching up on errands. Laundry, getting groceries, and cleaning.
It’s just you now, so things tend to pile up much more quickly.
As you feel the rumble of movement beneath you, the momentum causing you to sway a little in your seat, you stare unblinking at the opposite window. Flashes of advertisements and thick concrete tunnel walls speed by in a blur, and you allow your mind to wander.
Maybe you could go to that new cafe in the morning that opened up on College Street. It’s been a while since you’ve taken a moment just for yourself. Or maybe you could take a book to the park after cleaning your apartment. The weather was supposed to be nice, and that used to be your favorite thing to do before…
The train slows to a stop before you continue down that line of thinking. With a droning chime, the doors open to signal would-be passengers to either depart or climb aboard.
A pleasant female voice erupts from the intercom system. “This is Freedom Park Station. Please stand clear of the doors.”
It’s not unheard of for others to be out so late, particularly on a Friday night, so to see a man walk aboard doesn’t immediately surprise you.
What does cause you to do a double take is the state of him.
The first thing you see is the insignia of the wings of freedom, a symbol you immediately recognize on the back of the green cloak covering his upper half from one of your favorite shows, Attack on Titan.
The second thing you notice is that he’s soaked.
That’s odd. You don’t remember it raining earlier in the day, but it could have been a brief downpour in another part of the city. And he’s clearly coming from an anime convention. Those were usually held at the convention center on the other side of the city.
The man heavily slumps forward against the railing. His back is turned toward you, but you watch him thoughtfully, admiring the impressive handiwork of his costume. From under the cloak, you see the intricately wrapped belts of the omni-directional gear, as well as the boxes along his thighs that are used in the show to store blades. When you see a reflection of an advertisement briefly glimmer off of the surface, you realize that they’re actually metal.
Those must be heavy. Did he make them himself?
The train begins to move again and your thoughts are stopped short when the man stumbles, nearly falling. That’s when he turns and you notice the blood.
His face is covered in it.
You’re on your feet before you even realize it. “Excuse me.”
He turns at the sound of your voice and you see the source: a rough cut just above his right eyebrow.
The man sways unsteadily on his feet against the movement of the train. The look he gives you is immediately distrusting, but he doesn’t back away.
You stop a few feet from him. “Sir, are you okay?” When his eyes narrow, you point to the badge pinned to your work scrubs. “I’m a nurse, see?”
You wait as his eyes study your hospital badge for a moment.
“Where the hell am I?”
Okay, that’s potentially a cause for concern. “Uh.” You try to remember what stop he got on from. “Freedom Park.” The look on his face doesn’t resemble recognition. “You’re not from around here?”
For a moment, he seems to think. “No.”
There’s a sharp jolt from the train car and you both sway a little, him more than you.
You gesture to the empty seat next to him. “Here. You should probably sit down.”
He doesn’t argue as he takes a seat.
Looking him over, you consider your options. It isn’t too late to take him back to the hospital, but you don’t exactly want to after spending the entire day there already. From the looks of it, it doesn’t look like he’ll need stitches, but it doesn’t feel right to leave him alone in the state he’s in either.
“Can you tell me what happened?” you ask.
The man looks around for a moment. The look on his face turns apprehensive. “I don’t remember. There was a flash… and then I just woke up here.”
You raise your brows. Something about the way he says it feels like he isn’t being completely honest, but you suppose the bleeding itself is a more pressing concern right now anyway.
“Okay,” you say. “Well, that cut doesn’t look too deep, but you should get it cleaned.” You pause for a moment, debating. “My apartment is at the next stop.”
You had meant it as a suggestion, but the man doesn’t seem to follow.
“I can look at it for you,” you add. “Maybe help you find wherever you were supposed to stay.”
He seems to consider it for a long moment, looking from you to around the empty train car and then back to your badge.
“Alright,” he says as the train begins to slow. When it comes to a stop and the doors open with their loud hydraulic hiss, he follows you back out onto the platform.
It’s quiet for most of the walk back. You go through the motions of exiting the station—swiping your pass and leading the way up the winding corridors to street level while the man follows, watching your movements and your surroundings with a puzzled sort of awe.
It isn’t until you’re pulling out the keys to your place before you turn to him again.
“So, what’s your name?”
He gives you a subdued look. “Levi.”
You smile.
“No, really…” you press, looking over his clothes again. It’s obvious that’s what he’s going for now that you see him up close—the scout uniform and the way he’s styled his hair. Come to think of it, he has Levi’s frame as well. And his eyes.
It’s a damn good cosplay actually. If Levi Ackerman were to magically come out of the television screen as a flesh and blood person, he’d look exactly like this guy.
But judging by his expression and the complete lack of response, he isn’t interested in giving you any sort of real information.
You turn then, your smile dropping, and lead the way into the apartment building. “O-kay.”
It’s possible, you guess, that his name really is Levi. Just a very bizarre coincidence that he happens to look and act exactly like your favorite character from an anime and also likes the anime as well. There are billions of people in the world though. Stranger things happen all the time.
Reluctant to piss him off further, the rest of the walk up to the second floor is done in more silence. You unlock your front door and lead the way inside, smiling when you hear the telltale trill of your cat greeting you at the door.
“Hello, Luna,” you greet, bending down to run your hand between the shorthair’s ears. She pushes herself up into your hand a little further with a chirp.
Still at the door, the man—Levi—watches.
“Luna?” he asks in a flat tone.
You straighten back up, noting his hesitancy to walk forward. “You’re not allergic, are you?” That would be some cosmic bad luck on his part to deal with a head wound and an allergic reaction in one night.
But thankfully, he shakes his head.
“Don’t worry about her, she’s affectionate but she’s harmless,” you say, sidestepping around your cat to walk further into your living room. When Levi joins you, you gesture to the sofa. “Have a seat there. I’ll be right back with some supplies.”
You don’t wait around to see if he does what you say, instead dipping down the hall toward a small office. It’s mostly just a place for all of your trinkets—a desk filled with a few figures and a computer. Some bookshelves line the walls, collecting dust. It’s been months since you’ve picked up a good book or did much of anything in this room, really. But you know exactly where to look for the supply kits you’ve managed to stock up on from the hospital.
After you find the suture thread and some wound wash, you grab a towel from the bathroom next door and return to the living room.
Levi is there, sitting on the edge of the sofa as if he’s afraid to get comfortable. His gaze keeps jumping around the room, taking in the layout and decor, and his fists rest stiffly on his knees. Luna is next to him, tentatively sniffing at his knuckles with a curious stretch of her neck.
You shoo her away gently and take her place on the sofa. The angle of light allows you to see the source of the drying blood on his face a bit better.
Quietly, you look him over. “How are you feeling?”
He watches as you slip on a pair of gloves. “I’ve had worse.”
You snort lightly and begin to prep the fresh towel with wound wash.
“Do you have stuff like this happen to you often?” you ask, now reaching to press the towel to his face.
At your question, he pulls his one uncovered eye from you, surveying the room again. “Nothing quite like this.”
“What happened?”
Levi is quiet for a moment before he says, “It was nothing. I fell.”
You pause your movements, frowning. “This doesn’t look like the kind of cut you’d get from a fall.”
“Why does it matter?”
Judging by his defensive tone, he knows more than he’s letting on, but you can’t figure out why he isn’t being honest.
But with him already in your apartment, you don’t want to do anything to unnecessarily antagonize him. Even in his current state, he looks strong and capable enough to hurt you.
Probably best to just change the subject.
“Did you have somewhere you were staying?” you ask, returning to your task.
You gently dab the towel down the curve of his jaw and feel the muscle tense beneath your touch.
“No,” he finally says.
“You came all the way here for a convention and didn’t book a hotel?”
“A convention?”
“Yeah,” you nod, gesturing to his clothes. “You’re a scout, right?”
At your words, his expression becomes a bit more relieved. He nods. “Yes. I got onto that... train thing because I hoped it might take me to headquarters.”
You blink as you listen to him. Did he hit his head hard enough for him to think that he is Levi Ackerman?
Maybe you should take him to the hospital anyway just to get him checked out. He seems perfectly lucid otherwise though, if a bit confused.
You reach forward and check his head wound again. Just like you thought, it’s too shallow to need stitches and isn’t bleeding anymore, so that’s a good sign. Maybe it could wait until morning.
“Do you feel sick?” you ask, searching his expression for any lack of focus or disorientation but find none. “Nauseated? Dizzy?”
“Other than the stabbing pain above my eye?” he deadpans, glaring at you. “No. I feel fine.”
You sigh. This is insane, considering letting a complete stranger stay in your apartment. But he doesn’t have anywhere else to go and he’s still soaking wet. You’d feel guilty if you just let him go and he got into trouble. At the very least, you could make sure he has somewhere to sleep.
You get to your feet and look over his clothes once more. “You can stay here tonight if you’d like. I think I might have some old clothes you can sleep in, and there’s a shower down the hall.”
He gives you a distrustful look. “You’re putting a lot of faith in a stranger.”
You raise a brow. “I guess we both are. But if you’d rather sleep out in the cold, then be my guest.”
That seems to give him pause, and he looks around the room once more.
“Where did you say the shower was?”
“Down the hall, second door on the left,” you tell him. “I can get you a towel and some clothes.”
You dispose quickly of the bloodied towel in your kitchen trash along with your gloves and turn back down the hall again. When you return, Levi is standing awkwardly next to your sofa. He seems to be pointedly ignoring Luna, who is still curiously sniffing him from the armrest.
“These should fit,” you tell him, patting the folded up sweatpants and an oversized shirt tucked beneath your arm. “Just leave your things in the bathroom and I’ll make sure your clothes are washed in the morning.”
He takes the items from you with another skeptical glance. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I have to do laundry anyway,” you wave him off. “It’s no trouble.” Quickly, you point at him. “Just don’t scrub at that cut. You’ll just make it bleed again.”
He doesn’t move immediately when you back away to let him pass by, but the promise of a hot shower seems to eventually override whatever keeps him fixed in place. Without another word, he retreats down the hall, right to the second door on the left like you told him.
What a strange man.
It takes fifteen minutes before you hear the shower turn on.
In that time, you busy yourself with finding a spare blanket and a pillow and leave them on the sofa. You tidy up a little next, grabbing leftover drinking glasses off the table and discarded socks that had been pushed under the coffee table. It isn’t much, but you’re left feeling slightly less anxious about the state of your place by the time you’re finished. You like to keep things tidy to begin with, but the place certainly looks lived in right now.
Curious, you sink into a chair and pull out your phone while you’re waiting and click on the search engine, quickly typing in a few keywords to check on any local anime conventions happening in the area.
There are no ongoing events, and the next one isn’t happening until six months from now.
Well, that eliminates your theory. So then what the hell was he doing cosplaying on the street on a random Friday? If he was with someone, he wouldn’t have been wandering around alone and he said he wasn’t staying anywhere in the area.
The thought occurs to you that maybe this is some sort of trap to lure unsuspecting women into vulnerable positions, preying on a person’s compassion. But then, that was very real blood on his face and a very real wound, and he has had ample opportunities to attack and rob you if that was truly what he was after. He might look intimidating, but there’s nothing about him that screams that you’re in any sort of immediate danger either.
Maybe you can get some real answers out of him in the morning when he’s less grumpy.
You’re feeding Luna in the kitchen when Levi reappears.
With silent relief, you note that his wound seems to still be fine. He looks healthier in general after cleaning off, but he also looks… well, even more like Levi Ackerman. It’s kind of uncanny.
“What?”
You jump when you hear his voice. He’s watching you from the living room, looking about as confused as you feel.
Shit, have you been staring? “Nothing.” You sigh and rub at your eyes. It’s been too long of a day to start questioning your sanity. “Are you hungry or anything? I have some leftovers I can heat up really quick.”
“I’m fine.” He shakes his head and turns his attention to the blanket and pillow on the sofa.
Carefully, he arranges it how he likes and sits down. He glances at the television on the other side of the room before looking around again, lingering at times on things like the lamps in the corners and over to the open kitchen.
His hands fidget in his lap.
“I’ll be out of here first thing in the morning.”
The sound of his voice surprises you.
“Where are you going to go?”
He shrugs. “I’ll figure it out.”
You chew on the inside of your cheek thoughtfully. He’s a grown man, so it shouldn’t concern you what he does. But his comments about not being from here, and the whole thing about him trying to find ‘headquarters’? You’d feel better knowing there isn’t anything you’ve missed.
“At least let me take you to the hospital to get that cut checked out,” you suggest. “We can go first thing while your clothes are drying.”
He scoffs but the sound is entirely devoid of humor. “I told you I’m fine.”
“So it’ll be a quick visit and you can be on your way in no time,” you reply. “One of the doctors I work with can look you over before we open. He won’t mind.”
“Or I could just leave in the middle of the night.”
“I guess.” You shrug. “I wouldn’t be able to stop you, but that’s your choice. My conscience can be clear as long as I’ve offered to help you. I can’t make you take it, but I think it’s a good idea.”
He glares at you from the sofa, but doesn’t reply.
You get the sense that he doesn’t want to be bothered anymore. With the night he’s had, he probably just wants some rest, and you’re more than willing to get some sleep yourself.
Now that the shock of the night has worn off a bit, your body feels heavy as you get to your feet.
Levi stays quiet as you move around the room, shutting off lights and locking your front door. He moves to lay down once he gathers what you’re doing.
“I’ll get you up in the morning,” you tell him from the hallway. “Get some sleep.”
That earns you little more than a grunt of acknowledgement.
When you get into your room, you make sure to lock the door and find a baseball bat from the depths of your closet to sit by your bed. You’ve always been a light sleeper, so you hope that you’ll be able to hear if he decides to try anything.
You go through your nightly routine and climb into bed, then send off a text before closing your eyes—a message to one of your friends and fellow co-workers at the hospital.
Hey, could you do me a huge favor tomorrow morning? It’ll be quick.
Hopefully, when you wake up, Levi will still be there.
Postwar!Levi who still struggles to express his feelings openly in your relationship. So saying he loves you is still a challenge. Instead, he relies on small gestures—gentle touches, a protective presence, or acts of service—to show his affection.
But when he senses that you’re in a bad mood, stressed.. something shifts. In those moments he feels an undeniable need to remind you of what you mean to him. His warm breath caresses your skin as he leans in, murmuring in your ear the words that don’t come easily to him. “I love you, you know that?” The rare words filled with an honesty that always manages to soothe you.
Have you ever thought how you would win post war levi over?
i think about this and sometimes i wonder if it would be impossible, or easier than when he was a soldier.
to explain - levi softens up some after the war is over and things have had time to settle down. not a lot, certainly not entirely, but some. he can now safely believe that someone he knows won’t die on him on most given days. for instance, he just grumbles one time when you comment he looks cool with his sunglasses (for his bad eye) instead of yanking them off and looking annoyed like he might’ve done before. he opens up with some abridged stories when asked.
but on the other hand, he’s what, in his 40s? after a life of doing nothing but contending with the cruelty of the world, and losing almost everything - over and over, he can’t (and maybe just won’t) be the conventional partner who dotes on you or shares much of the depth of his personal feelings.
levi sees himself as worthless in the romance department anyway. and he expresses that in the wrong way. like, a LOT. on purpose at first.
but all that considered - the best way to win him over isn’t complicated or particularly difficult. just be there with him, and be consistent. don’t turn him off by insisting on helping him with things - maybe that can come later. but with that, your relationship naturally blossoms over a decent period of time.
Idk but i think levi is pretty self-conscious about his body.
He had a hard time walking shirtless even in the men's changing room. The other cadets would talk to each other as they stripped off their sweat soaked clothes, waiting for each other in ragged towels barely covering their private parts or not even covering at all.
Whenever Levi wanted to take a shower, he would clear his throat, suggesting that the cadets had been taking too long in the showers. He would only remove his clothing when the majority people had left, and he would 100% cover his private part immediately. He would use the shower furtherest away from the entrance and take the quickest shower ever.
He would always face the wall as he dried off, and turn around only after he wrapped the towel around his waist. He crossed his arms around his bare chest as he walked toward his locker.
Levi had one of the best bodies but he never thought of it that way. Almost all of his scars reminded him of a person he lost during the expeditions outside the walls or at battles. He tried to forget, but their faces were craved into his skin.
But when he was alone with you, your touch soothed his bad memories. "Like constellations," you once said as you traced his skin. He shivered under your touch. He felt safe under your gaze. He gave in when he was in your arms. Only with you, he removed his clothes to feel you more, to touch you more. When he held you tight, he felt your heart beating so close to his, your skin radiating warmth that he didn't realise he needed. Levi loved it when you looked at him and saw him.
