hii, I have another one of my many questions about the post-Rumbling storyline. Levi didn't return to Paradis and stayed with Gabi and Falco. What do you think of Levi and Gabi's relationship? I'd really like to know your opinion
Hi there, and thank you again for such a great question!
I've actually written an absurdly long fanfic that explores Levi's life post-canon with Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon. I don't know if you would be interested in that, haha, but if so, here's the links. It's split into two parts, since it's so stupidly long, lol:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/37903426/chapters/94653316
https://archiveofourown.org/works/72434421/chapters/188617406
But to answer your question here, I think Levi's relationship with both Gabi and Falco is really beautiful. It's clear from the end of the main storyline, and then what we see in "Bad Boy", that Levi's grown close to both of them, and has formed a bond with them. It seems clear to me that they've become like a found family to him, and that tracks so perfectly with who Levi is as a person. He's someone who, no matter where he is, or what the circumstances are, always seems to attract people to him that end up becoming like a family, and I think that's a testament to Levi's innate goodness. People are attracted to Levi because they can sense that he's a good person, and once someone gets close to Levi, he ends up regarding them, not just as a friend, but as family. He did it with Furlan and Isabel, he did it with Hange and Erwin and he does it with Gabi and Falco. It's also a testament to Levi's open heart, and the miraculous nature of that. Given what Levi's been through in his life, and all he's lost, it would only make sense for him to have shut down and closed himself off from all affection, but Levi's never been able to do so. His empathy is too great and his compassion is too great. Even when Levi tries to keep his distance to shield himself from the grief of more loss, he's never succeeded, because I think Levi simply can't keep himself from caring about others, and thus, forming bonds with others.
With Gabi in particular, I'm certain Levi's formed a kind of father-daughter bond with her. The way we see her teasing Levi in "Bad Boy" about the way he holds his cups, and Levi responding by telling her the reason behind it, reflects that kind of dynamic. Levi is tolerating Gabi's harassment like a long-suffering parent, while Gabi realizes, after hearing Levi's story, that she shouldn't make fun of him because he's had a hard life. It's a very sweet dynamic. We also get a sense of how much Gabi cares about Levi from the final panel of them in the main manga, with her pushing his wheelchair, which speaks to Gabi and Falco both acting as caretakers for Levi. I like to imagine that both of them, and Onyankopon, have dedicated themselves to taking care of Levi and making sure he's looked after and okay. It always confuses me when people say Levi ended up alone at the end of the story, because all of his comrades from the Survey Corps are dead, because Levi is very much not alone. He has three people who, three years after the Rumbling, are still with him, who are still active and present in his life, which tells me that it's a permanent relationship. Again, they're a found family.
Anyway, I hope that answers your question, and thank you again!
