× Set at a postwar! context. Levi finds you sick and takes care. (I didn't specify a specific romantic relationship between them so one can just read it as platonic friendships)
Just go to fucking sleep (fluff)
× Levi finds you overworking, despite being tired asf.
Farewell, captain (angst) , pt 2 (maybe)
× After an expedition that went wrong, Levi finds you on the verge of death.
The loss of light (fluff)
× blind!reader. Reader loses her eyesight in the battle of heaven and earth. As she tries to adjust in this life without light, a certain someone unexpectedly becomes a part of it.
Birthdays? (Fluff)
× Levi thinks birthdays aren't special. Reader strongly disagrees.
Mornings (fluff)
× Work due? Too bad. Levi needs you more.
Married (fluff)
× You and Levi get married.
Nights (fluff)
× Deadlines can wait. Levi can't.
Denial
× He feels strange feelings. Ones he refuses to admit.
Missed you (fluff
× You get injured and Levi calmly loses his mind a little.
Coffee (fluff)
× Captain Levi's being gifted expensive things by admirers. He's too caught up about you to notice.
Oaths, 5 minute break (angst)
× A story of survival.
I'll follow (fluff)
× But if Levi resigns, what's left for you here?
Insecurities
× How do you make him understand how much he's worth?
Promises (angst. Or just pure pain)
× You're a liar, that's what you were.
So ist es immer (fluff?)
× Chair so close, room so small. You and I, talk all the night long.
Bad ideas
× What a gamble you were playing tonight, to be so close to him when you're under the influence?
There for you (comfort)
× You're overwhelmed and scared. He's confused but holds you anyway.
Besties (fun)
× Oh to be friends with Levi. (Platonic friendships)
Cold outside (fluff)
× Bros shit at showing affection, so he makes you a scarf instead.
All that's left (hurt/comfort)
× You're all he has left.
You and him and them
× You and Levi don't agree on a lot of things. One thing you do agree on, however, is that Eren's an asshole. Hange agrees as well.
Losing you (angst?)
× He can't save you.
Dadvi (fluff)
× Levi being a hardcore girl dad.
Here it is safe (comfort)
× Anxiety attacks are tough. Less tough when he's with you though.
All that you could've been. (Angst)
× He dreams of you every night.
Where the waves fade (fluff)
× Levi finally gets to see the ocean. With you of course.
Summary: Part of your identity has always been notoriously difficult to embrace. Lucky for you, Steve will be there every step of the way on your journey to redefine yourself.
Word Count: 1k
A/N: i’m hindu myself (i practice shaivism specifically) and this fic includes some customs from my own culture. i tried to stay as ambiguous as i could to include as many people as i could.
and i made the moodboard myself! pretty proud of it :) let me know what you guys think :)
You stared at the wedding invitation your friend, Amara, had excitedly pressed into your hands. It had been years since you visited family, let alone a temple. The prospect of going to the temple for a wedding again - well, it was frightening. You would have to deal with the cultural neglect that you have been refusing to acknowledge ever since you began Avenging.
You didn’t go to the wedding.
Amara didn’t take it well. The argument that ensued when she showed up to the Tower was messy. Onlookers tried their best to ignore it but the physical cringes and judgmental looks were far from subtle.
“What did you think not showing up was going to do Y/N? Wash away your culture?” She was a crying mess, but it wasn’t her who should be embarrassed. “You can’t whitewash yourself into a different person.” her voice cracked with frustration before she stormed off.
It was dramatic for you to not go to the wedding and her outburst was completely justified. You had gotten the saree and even the jewellery you were going to wear. But the morning of, you stared at the outfit laid in front of you and blinked twice before stalking off.
Your family practically disowned you after you joined the Avengers. Being an assassin… it wasn’t a traditionally accepted job, to say the least. Their lack of support had turned you bitter, your angst being redirected at your culture. Slowly, you began shedding the part of your identity that still held you to them. No more music or movies in your language, no more cultural food, and no more praying.
You were ashamed. You couldn’t have sucked it up and showed up to support your friend?
Steve had overheard the entire argument. He didn’t even need super-hearing to know what was going down in the lobby. It saddened him to think that you needed to get rid of a part of yourself in order to forget about an unsupportive family. Now, it was coming back to bite you in the ass.
Tony announced another one of his parties that week. “Dress code is formal and fancy. If I see any of you show up in sweats, I’ll get your room cleaned out,” he threatened.
The day before the party, Steve showed up to your room. “Just a little something,” he looked sheepish as he handed you a bag. You thanked him and padded to your bed to open it. You looked back to call him, but Steve had bolted after giving you the gift.
The party raved on and you nervously fixed the pleats again. This is a bad idea, everyone is gonna laugh at you. You knocked on your head once, trying to get rid of the thought and made your way downstairs before you could change your mind.
Walking in, you expected people to shoot you funny looks or whisper to the nearest person. But no one cared. People smiled and continued their conversations, not bothering to make fun of you. The enamoured look that filled partygoers’ eyes was a complete contrast to what you had been telling yourself. Steve’s face lit up from seeing your outfit - a plain black saree and a gold border, paired with an exaggerated statement necklace. Simple, but so elegant. He was surprised you actually wore his gift.
“Gonna grab pop tarts!” you popped your head into the kitchen. Bucky and Steve were mid-conversation and Clint was arm-wrestling Rhodey. “There are snacks in the cupboard.” Clint strained, still trying to hold off Rhodey. “There’s nothing good there,” you mumbled and walked off. Steve called after you and you paused to let him catch up. “I’ll come with?” he asked. “Sure.”
Steve got in the car and connected to the Bluetooth while you put in the address for the store. “I made a playlist for you,” Steve mentioned as he hit play. “It has a bunch of popular songs in your language. I shared it with you on Spotify.”
You turned to look at him, unsure what to say. Even you wouldn’t have gone out of your way to do that for yourself. You learned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, whispering a quiet ‘thank you’.
You fell in love with Steve. It was unexpected, but how could you not see it coming? The man did everything he could to get you to embrace your culture again. While you were getting back into practising tradition, your culture was still a source of insecurity. Steve would never date a Hindu girl. He was only helping ‘cause you’re his friend. And because you’re slightly pathetic.
The battle within yourself raged on as you couldn’t make up your mind. Should you make a move... or not!?
The final straw of your resolve was washed away on a fine Friday afternoon.
You walked into the kitchen, sorting through the contents of the fridge when Steve tapped you on the shoulder.
“I know you don’t eat meat on Friday’s so I made you some vegetarian food.”
You hadn’t even realized that he noticed. But here he was, showing you that he cared, time after time, again and again. You burst into tears and clutched his shirt while the others in the kitchen tried their best to ignore you for the sake of secondhand embarrassment.
Steve pulled you into another room. “Hey, hey, love? You okay?” he questioned, trying to wipe your tears for you. “Why are you going out of your way to help me like this?” you sobbed into his chest.
At last, your dam of emotions caved in - it was time to come clean to him.
Apparently, he had the same idea. “I just don’t want you to ignore such a special part of you. Your culture sets you aside from everyone here, and that’s exactly why you should embrace it. And...” he hesitated, “I love you, Y/N.”
You hugged him as hard as you could and he wrapped his arms around your quivering figure. “I love you too Steve,” you sniffled.
“So you’ll let me make you vegetarian food every Friday?” he asked, tilting your chin up with one finger. “Yes, every Friday,” you laughed and nuzzled your head back into his chest. “For the rest of our lives?” he inquired. “For the rest of our lives,” you confirmed, looking up again to meet for a kiss.
This is for Dani’s 2021 Fic Challenge! @stuckonjbbarnes
Masterlist
Tag list: @partiesandblurrypolaroids @hitmewithyourbest-shot @inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @bval-1 @quxxnxfhxll
Its as though my skeleton is trying to rip itself out of my body. My ribs are trying so hard to poke themselves out of my torso. My backbone is giving up on me. My shoulders are sagging forward, ripping their bonds with my neck. My legs won’t support me, the instead get stuck it strange angles and won’t move. My head us pounding. My skull is trying to bash its way out of my head, and I think it might succeed.
I want to roam the open lands and forests
Without a care in the world I’d run between trees and swim in lakes
I want to roll in mud and not have to wash it off
I want to climb trees to feel their leafs
Roaming, running, exploring, dancing, sleeping, singing, hunting, living
No saving up or worrying
Hunting when hungry, sleeping when tired, shouting when ever I get the urge.
Painting trees and rocks with mud and water
Wild
Free
Alive
In my world trees with purple leafs grow from lose seems,
And the air paints songs of lilac and pale yellow across open minds
Flowers of silk whisper to lovers that roam their gardens
Hearts beat in time with drums,
and souls dance with old memories
Ivy vines create strange designs
Painted waterfalls crash on luminescent river banks and flow into turquoise lakes
Butterfly wings leave tear drops on new life
Crystal chains make lanes of elven dust
Silver dandelions float in the air
And the people have gem like eyes
With elemental hair
And skin of any shade they please.
Imagine that you Are taking a test That you descend upon a question That you stare, uncomprehending, At the terrible news it bears for you: You can't remember the answer. As your mind blanks And your lungs empty of oxygen, You are stricken, you are stone, And the only thought You can keep in mind Is: Why are things this way? When did your life become based Around the acronyms AP, IB, IQ, GPA, What is it in you that wants, More than anything, To be Better Than everyone else here, In this classroom? In this room, you can feel it. The Stockholm solidarity that comes With knowing that everyone in your class Is in the same boat as you Avid any one of them Would throw you overboard In a heartbeat For a chance at a school On the east coast. This is what competition is This is bloodlust That wells up in all of you Over essays, exams, Letters on paper You were nine years old The first time you ever cried over your grades And some days now You would swear, The only thing you've ever learned In these classes Is that it's not enough to be good You're still not good enough- And good enough Is a very abstract measurement So it's difficult to say if you've reached it. But now, here, In this present, You are still taking this test This one opportunity to prove yourself And you still can't remember this single answer; Maybe you never will And maybe that's alright; But this Is the only way You know how To succeed
