prologue - hungry eyes
word count: 788 but there will be more parts!
pairing: levi ackerman & reader (no use of y/n)
warnings: none!
summary: it started when your captain had pulled strings for you to be able to get a pair of expensive glasses so that you could see better on missions outside the walls, when he realized his fondness for you was something more than he felt for the rest of the squad..
please no crossposting on other platforms!
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It started when you finally got your first pair of glasses from the optometrist in Trost.
Your eyesight was terrible. Enough to see where you were going, not enough to read documents or any cartography. Levi couldn't have that on his squad. It was dangerous for you to go on expeditions like this.
So he arranged your appointment with the optometrist himself, having your own pair made with the budget of the Survey Corps, per his request for his strongest cadet. It was ridiculous how many soldiers were refused for a pair. It wasn’t even that expensive. To him, at least.
That very night you got them is when it started.
Levi found you on the rooftop of the Survey Corps HQ, staring into the sky like it was new. What the hell were you doing? Still, you piqued his interest. He stared at you there, a warmth in his chest. He refused to acknowledge it, no matter how much your demeanor tugged at his stoicism.
"Those are the stars, right captain?"
Of course, with your wit, you had noticed him lurking right away.
"..Yeah."
You turned your head to look at him, and he swore he'd never seen a bigger smile on your face.
"I couldn't see them before. But l've seen illustrations in books." You lifted your hand to point up at the sky. "Scatters of sparkles. They look like splatters of ink on paper. But in the sky.. There.. that's Venus. Planet of love.”
Levi looked up, squinting.
"The morning star," he said, feeling a tightness in his chest, adoring your excitement. It was part of the reason he wanted you to get glasses. To see the sky better. He wanted you to have everything you ever wanted. He wished he could give you everything you wanted.
“‘s that one your favorite?"
"It's the one I can see the best with these things.”
You took off your new glasses, showing him. He knew you thought they looked hideous on you, that they made your eyes look huge and stupid. Levi felt slightly saddened when he heard you tell Petra and Oluo that. He thought you looked so nice. Unlike Hange’s strapped on freak goggles, yours were black, with a brow-line frame and a cat eye accent on the end. You taped the bridge of your glasses just incase they ever fell off your face and split in half. Well, maybe you were just antsy. It wouldn’t be easy to get another pair.
He finally moved, taking a seat next to you on the rooftop.
"I really can’t thank you enough, captain.”
He scoffed. “Don’t thank me. I was doing myself a favor. Your catty ass always gets out of doing paperwork for me because you can’t see a thing. And how could I have a squad member who sees titans as blobs of color..” A beat. His hand moved closer to yours. “And, hm..”
He suddenly felt nervous with your expectant eyes on him. He didn’t look back, eyes glued to the starry night sky.
What was wrong with him? Humanities strongest couldn’t form a fucking sentence?
“..I think you look nice.”
Silence.
Your breath hitched.
Come on, say something. Anything. His eyes begged you to break the silence.
Were you as nervous as he was around you? Did you think he was just being nice, despite how tough he was for the rest of his squad? Did you ever catch the way his gaze lingered just a bit too long? Or the teasing side glance Hange always gave him after he talked to you?
Did you notice his hungry, grey eyes? Or would you brush off what he called “advances,” and play the oblivious act?
Fuck. It was such a simple compliment. And the captain was freaking out.
He thought you would freak out. Think he was getting too comfortable and withdraw yourself.
Instead you smiled, looking up at the sky too.
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a/n: lmk if y'all like it so far! I plan on expanding this fic if it goes well!!! thank u for reading!!!