Imagine trying to figure out how to fucking post on Tumblr,
with Levi Ackerman.
levi x f reader
Genre||Vibe; slice of life, modern au, soft, fluffy, "just woke up", mooooooooooorning fluff, pissy-morning-because-of-boomer-things, "how the fuck?", Mrs. & Mr. Ackerman, married life kekw
Summary; You've been slightly obsessed with a few social media platforms recently—or at least, ever since Levi managed to convince you to resign—which was two days ago. After all, his salary alone held the both of you steady and beyond comfortable. It was safe to say you weren't a gadget-geek or however the younger people called it. Let's just say you and your husband were sort of, kind of...middle aged. Now, you actually have the time to play around electronics, after Facebook, Instagram, "Tiktok...", Twitter, now Tumblr. Well, for some reason, Tumblr was a lot more frustrating to figure out than the ones prior. Especially with posting. So the early morning goes...
🗡tags; sfw || modern au || fluff || morning || comfort || soft || romance
🗡word count; 911
🗡a/n; hello hello! first post, and yes, this was me romanticizing the horror of my struggle to figure out how to set up posts on tumblr. i hope you enjoy it as much as i did writing it!
You may or may not have been up since 4:26am, ever so quietly fuming beside your husband, Levi, who mind you, just got home from work around 2am—sleeping peacefully. Sort of.
Anyway, no one's really keeping track of the time—definitely not you as you were quite occupied.
"For the love of—it's gone again—" You hissed, pretty much gripping the living fuck out of your tablet that was five inches away from the tip of your nose, face illuminated by radiation rather than the early sun rays peaking through the curtains.
It was 6am, the back of your head was leaning hard onto the headboard, your neck wasn't in the best angle, hair not even on par with the bird's nest in one of the trees in your backyard, your legs comfortably tangled with Levi's under the sheets despite the frustrated stiffness of your face.
“...I have to move this back…then here..” You mumbled, the crease of your brow deep enough, a calmer reflection of the crashout that was going on in that mind of yours that—expectedly—missed two of Levi’s groggy grunts and shifts, an act of quietly begging you to curse a little softer at the shit stain of a job you’re doing so he could catch at least two more minutes of sleep.
He didn’t quite get the next two minutes.
You squinted your eyes at something, tapped on it, and in the next second, the draft you’ve been curating for the n’th time disappeared and it apparently had not been saved as a draft.
“Oh for fuck’s sake—oh for fuck's sake it's actually gone again—you piECE OF GOOD FOR NOTHING CRA—!”
“Okay,” Levi’s voice cut you off, dragging and heavy of sleep. He was already laying on his back, staring at the ceiling, eyes barely open but definitely open and glaring, “...you’ve been calling that the worst names for the past few hours.” He huffed, looking over to you, brows raised.
The sheets shifted as he angled himself towards you, rested muscles lining under his skin where the covers were shy of touching. You glared at the screen before you rolled your eyes, the gadget already pried away from your hold as Levi had grabbed it, setting it on the bed side table on his end, “It’s too early for this.” He mumbled, turning back around to face you, palm propping the side of his head up as his pillow sank under his arm’s weight.
You grumbled and sank into the sheets instead of having your neck in a right angle on the head board, “Why’s it so hard to play around the damn buttons when they bug out anyway—am I too old for this, Levi?"
If anyone was the prime witness for your complaints, it was your husband. They also just had to be more frequent on mornings when he barely gets any sleep. To say that he’s used to it—well, understatement.
“Yes.” he’d answered, legs moving around under the sheets and around your legs until he’d managed to wrap his over them, “We are.”
Once you were well enveloped in the sheets, now with arms crossed, arching a feigned offended brow at Levi, he settled on his pillow instead of his hand and snaked an arm around your waist, pulling himself into you. The sheets over your bodies moved around slightly, the warmth of him surrounding you and the heat of the early morning sun pouring in trapping you in a much more calming setting.
“We’re not that old.” You muttered.
“We’re pushing forty.” He whispered, breath prickling the crook of your neck, “Don’t argue.”
You were about to, but you were already too warm to utter another word, so you just sighed instead, melting. A quiet minute passed, you felt Levi’s arm tightening around you just slightly as he’d eaten whatever space was left between you two, “Should I even ask what you were trying to do?” he mumbled, voice still groggy, eyes probably shut again.
“...no.” You exhaled, feeling a smile creeping up as you’d technically given up on what you were doing, “Sorry I woke you.” Your voice carried out softer, arm now under him as you’d reached to caress the back of his head. The feeling of his hair weaving through your fingers was one thing, the feeling of tracing the tips of your fingers on the shorter end of his undercut sent his body spiraling quietly against you.
Levi had mumbled something too muffled that you didn’t catch it, but you did feel him inhale you just right to tickle under your ear.
“Levi,”
“Mmh.”
“...Levi.”
Your hand dropped from the back of his head when he’d moved, slowly, eventually hovering over you under the sheets.
His eyes scanned your face and the spiral of your hair over your pillow, you’d smiled lightly when his expression was pretty much clearly annoyed—in a we’ve-been-married-for-too-long-but-I-still-love-you-even-if-you-wake-me-up-from-barely-five-hours-of-sleep type of way of course.
“Quiet,” He grumbled, gaze lining your face before he leaned down and met your lips with his.
You mocked a quiet gasp and eventually melted into the kiss, savoring the same lips you’ve owned for years. The same taste, the same gentle momentum, the same face your hands caressed when your lips fit perfectly with his.
Then you smiled, the day was too young for whisper-yelling at a screen, it was in Levi’s standards. He’d rather this and the sound of sheets playing around your skin and his at 6am.
You’ll figure out Tumblr later.
Maybe bother him with it during morning tea too.
'til next time. cheers, my love
p.s; TALK TO ME, i'm open to requests—anything—EVERYTHING. though i will have to curate a list of my do's and dont's BUT i'd love to hear from you, yes you. TEEHEE
The smell of cheap liquor filled the mess hall, Hange was ranting on about how titans would react under alcohol, they were clearly drunk, arms wobbling and voice slurred. Levi never took part in these events he only stood by in case any fights broke out.
He noticed you, sitting in a corner beside the very drunk Hange holding a mug of ale carefully. You looked exhausted, a sheen of tears rimmed your eyes. He saw you take a sip, then another until the mug was over. You then simply slumped your head on the table and fell asleep in an instant. Out like a light.
"Dammit" Now he was responsible for making sure you and Hange got to bed safely. To be fair you didn't really make it hard for him when you simply switched off and slept when you got overwhelmed. Of course you used poison to drown out your sadness. That meant you were hurting more than you let on. "Stupid" But he was really more worried that you'd take up this bad habit. At the same time he was almost jealous how you fell asleep so fast. With a grumble he shook your shoulders. "Don't pass out here like a damn drunkard." Hange then laughed loudly at their own drunken joke about force-feeding titans vegetables. He shot them a glare.
He then turned to you again. Noticing how your head stayed adamantly slumped. He shook you once again.
Nothing.
Not even a flinch.
"Tch Lightweight."
He sat beside you throughout the 'celebration' watching for fights. You were great company anyways since you were passed out, since the others were in a noisy drunken frenzy.
He then pulled you up by the shoulders, lifted you up like a sad sack of potatoes and carried you to bed. Despite his earlier gruffness he laid you gently on your bed. His hands pulled up your covers to your chin to keep you warm. "Don't make a habit of it." That's when you stirred a little, and spoke in a whiny, drunken tone. "Goodnight Captain" A tiny smirk formed on his face. "Goodnight, lieutenant."
Attack on Titan Masterlist
Levi has burrowed into my head and cured my writing slump.
ORION'S BELT | HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEVI AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!
It appears to Levi, grief always finds a way to come back and kick your ass. You could be going on about your day, — running errands, stuck in traffic, — and then it’d finally hit you. It could be a song you randomly heard upon the radio, — a face you saw while in the street. Anything, really.
He figures, it’s especially tough during Christmas time.
“Can’t sleep?”, Hanji’s voice comes in a hush, — a rush that mixes with the sound of their footsteps.
Levi doesn’t even need to turn around to know it’s them.
“Guess I can’t.”
Truth is, he hasn't been able to. Not for the past week, if he’s being honest. Holiday season was always such a celebration…! They spent Christmas Eve at Zoe's, then Christmas Day at home. Henry would bring out the toolkit, — the old box of decorations from the attic. Zara would make hot chocolate for everyone, leaving a mess out of the kitchen, too.
Hanji makes a non-committal sound and sits down on the snow beside him. For a moment, being together, he doesn’t fully care about how cold it is. That the thick, icy layers melt down on his clothes, and leave wet splotches on the fabric.
They are lounging in their backyard, — staring out into the oddly quiet neighbourhoods. Houses are wrapped-up in golden fairy-lights, — porches filled with ribbons and smiley Santa statues. It all looks so cheerful, so calm. Levi, on the other hand… oh, he is raging on the inside. He wants to scream, and throw things, and pull the stone that lays at the pit of his stomach from out of him.
“What was that, again…?”
Hanji turns their head. They notice, he’s been glancing over at the sky, pointing up at a constellation that they’d told him about years ago.
“Orion’s belt.”, they whisper, — their tone weak, choked out. Their grandpa had taught them about it when they were little; both standing on their house’s front porch. “Some sailors used to say it played a central role in navigation. That it functioned almost like a compass…!”
Levi nods, — watches as his breath swirls up in frozen clouds. Next winter, they would be a thousand miles away from one another, indeed. Hanji was leaving off to Marley, — he was staying here. It seemed, it was always meant to happen like this, after all. He’s aware, he very much sounds like a pessimist, — but he is used to goodbye, anticipating. In the end, to him, there had never been constellations that led him back to people that he parted with. No hopeful God he could ever pray to.
Hanji speaks again.
“Orion was one of Poseidon’s many sons.”, they explain, as they bump him on the shoulder, — smile wider than the dark nights. “Some sailors even said that they could talk to him, too, — if the weather at sea was troubled and whatnot.”
A minute passes.
“And did it work?”
“Well…”, Hanji clears their throat. They liked it when Levi was curious enough to ask them questions. When he showed how closely he was willing to hear them, even if he constantly acted otherwise. “Maybe we could give it a try and see for ourselves...”
He raises a brow.
“I’m not talking to a stupid star, Four eye—”
“Your Highness”, they start, instead, though, holding in a laugh. “I know you’re listening, so please do something about my best friend....”, his jaw drops open at the words, — his cheeks boiling and boiling as they pretend not to notice. “He keeps grouching like an old man, — putting on that sour face of his, and it’s Christ— Oof!”
He pushes them.
“That's rude!”
“See?! He’s just the biggest—”, they block his hand from flying over at them, “most annoying,— “, he tries to wrestle, — to tackle them— though it's very much helpless, indeed, “sorehead that there is in this whole freaking island!”
A pause, and then, again: “You know, I’m sorry, but I think he needs to be stopped!”
Levi frowns, in that sly way of his that carves a dimple on his forehead.
“Oh, it’s so on now!”
He finally lounges himself up at them, and they both play combat in the snow, laughing like two maniacs. Hanji gathers a tiny snow-ball —“Hey, that’s cheating!” — and stuffs Levi’s mouth up with it, drowning down all of his protests with ease. He then takes them to the ground, spitting everything out and panting.
“So… you surrender, huh?”
They give him a high screech.
“Oh, never!”
In turn, Levi makes an effort to fight back, — he really does. But, as it turns out, he knows chasing down his best friend when they’re on a high like this, is pretty much like wanting to catch upon a rabid animal during mating season.
He ends up splayed up on his back, — hands and feet encased in snow. Hanji is straddling him to the floor, freezing him up— their legs to each side of his body.
“Say it, short stuff.”
“Cut the crap, I won’t s—”
His mouth gets stuffed-up with snow. Again.
“Apologies, I didn’t hear that, your honor.”, they tease, smiling, smiling, smiling. Quickly, they realize, from all the way up here, they can see planets in the blue of his irises. How his skin, white as the dead-of-winter, has gotten the smallest bit of red around the tip of his nose.
The smile fades.
“What was that now?”
He stares up at them a moment before shaking his head up in silence, — the snow in his mouth already melting.
“Alright, alright, you win.”
They don’t know how much time has passed when they finally decide to slide off of him, at last.
“That’s better”, they go, as they sit up on the ground again, — their glasses all askew and foggy. Levi follows suit, and pats the ice-patches off his coat and pants. He’s a mess.
“Next Christmas, Four Eyes, I swear…”
Hanji bites their tongue. A sudden pang has taken over their chest, their joints. There’s a truth that looms, — that hangs over them like phantoms. Next Christmas, indeed, they’d be in Marley, probably preparing off for their winter finals. Next Christmas, well… — there surely wouldn’t be one, wouldn’t it? They were seventeen already. They wouldn’t be this young, — this wild— for forevermore. It didn’t matter how much both of them wanted to freeze life at this very moment.
It didn’t work that way.
“Do you think it was true…?”, they sob at this, almost inaudible. A tear falls down the corner of their eye, — slips, gliding, all the way up to their chin; salty, and warm, and shameful. “That thing they said about the sailors…?”
Levi hesitates, but it only lasts a second. Before he can even process what he’s doing, he brings his hand up to their face, — thumb cupping their cheek, brushing, stroking, mending. Hanji turns their head into his hand, and a small weep clutches at their throat as they wrap their arms around him. Pull him as close as they humanly can.
“If Orion’s belt could bring them back home, then does that mean, if I beg, it’ll bring me back to you, too…?”
He doesn’t answer. Instead, though, he leans in nearer, and nearer, and nearer. It appears to him now, grief could always find a way to come up and kick your ass. Leave you in shambles when you least expected it. That bastard. You felt it sink in, — unyielding, relentless, — and so, soon enough, you caught yourself hurting. Missing someone that wasn’t even gone yet.
“Let’s go back inside, ‘kay?”, he says, then, — almost like a plea. Hanji nods against the crook of his shoulder, but doesn’t quite dare release him, still. “Up, c'mon.”
He lifts them in his arms, — insists, and carries them around like it’s no big deal, whatsoever. Behind the wooden porch, the house gleams for them with the orange glow of the fireplace. Everything’s quiet, asleep, — their legs tenderly folded round his waist.
“No one knows what will happen”, he thinks, as he’s kicking up the back-door, — taking in the sweet smell of ginger-bread.“But I promise you, Hanji, we will find a way back to each other again.”
“We always just do.”
---------------------------------------------
This fic is set in the "I've Told The Stars About You" universe!
If you're interested, you can read the on-going fic here
Hope you liked this little story, as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODYYYY
The first thing Levi noticed when he woke up that morning was how clear his head was. The fog that had clouded the last few days was clearing, and the alpha felt himself returning to normal. His mate lay next to him, curled up in the fetal position with his mouth wide open, drooling all over the pillow.
Levi would normally find that disgusting, but Eren’s face was too adorable to resist. He ran his fingers through the boy’s silky hair, watching as the glossy strands reflected off the early morning sun. It was the longest he’d seen Eren’s hair since he’d known him, falling in long sweeping curtains just below his chin.
“How are you so pretty…” Levi wondered aloud. It was as if his heart had been captured, tucked safely away in Eren’s care. He didn’t know he could feel this way about another person.
It was unusual for Captain Levi to end training early. Typically, he would push his cadets until they were almost too weak to stand. Today was different, however, as he approached his Scouts, telling them traning was done today, and then disappearing.
Armin stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought. Everyone was trying to figure out what on earth possessed Captain Levi to end training so abruptly. That's when Armin had an idea.
Eren shook the blond gently, "Hey, Armin, you still in there?"
He nodded, looking at his group of friends. "I think the Captain ended training to go see Y/N."
Jean snorted and crossed his arms, "Sure he did. I'm pretty sure Levi hates them."
"Definitey not. Those two are practically attached at the hip," Eren interjected. It was safe to say if anyone knew how the two veterans interacted, it would be him.
"You've gotta be joking. There's no way that cold bastard would let someone like Y/N around him that much," Connie said in disbelief.
"Eren is the only one who sees how those two are. We gotta trust his judgment."
"Why is it any of our business anyway?" Christa looked at them. "I mean, if you were them, would you want people prying into your business?"
"Because this is the kinda shit we can us against the Captain!" Jean smirked. "He will never treat us like second-rate soldiers ever again!"
Connie and Sasha both nodded in agreement. Eren gave the idea some thought; on the one hand, Christa was right. Whatever was happening between Captain Levi and Y/N was none of their business. On the other though, Jean was also right. If they had some leverage against him, maybe he would start treating them a little better.
"You guys seriously can't be considering this," Christa gave them a small frown. "I know Captain Levi is strict, but we shouldn't invade his privacy like this!"
"I say we just go see what he could be up to," Eren shrugged. "What's the worst that can happen?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Armin's suspicions were proven right as they found Levi's horse out in the middle of an open field not far from the Scout's base. Across the field, Levi and Y/N were laying in the grass.
"Let's try to get closer and hear what they're saying," Jean whispered as he began to sneak closer to the two. The others quietly followed his lead until they were at the perfect spot to sit and listen.
"You've been overworking yourself Levi," You turned over on your side, tracing lines across Levi's arms. "Don't feel bad about cutting one training short."
Levi sighed, relaxing into your gentle touch, "I just know Erwin has a deadline for when he wants those brats trained, and this break could really hurt my chances of meeting it."
"Well, this was much needed. For both of us," You gave him a smile. "Besides, we don't get much alone time anymore. It's truly a tragedy," You exhaled dramatically.
Levi snickered and rolled his eyes. "You are really something else, aren't you?" He glanced at you, an unusual softness in his eyes.
The cadets watched from afar and were practically stunned to silence. This was nothing like the Levi they knew. He was being.. nice? He was laughing, smiling. It was an extremely strange sight to see.
"Tell you what," Your voice rang through the field, which brought the hidden Scouts back to their mission at hand. "Let's dance," You threw yourself up off the ground.
"Excuse me?" Levi said in disgust. "I am not dancing."
"Oh come on it'll be fun!"
"You know what else is fun?"
"Getting up and dancing with your best friend," You said smuggly.
"No. Laying here and doing nothing sounds way more fun."
You decided to completely ignore Levi's protest and dragged him up off the ground. You pulled Levi against your chest and wrapped your arms around his waist.
"You are absolutely insufferable," Levi scoffed, a blush forming on his face. "How are we going to dance to no music?"
You didn't reply, just started humming softly. He swayed gently as he waited for Levi to give in.
Against Levi's better wishes, he joined you in the gentle sway. Once you knew he was into it, you picked up your pace. Unknown to Levi, you were actually an incredible dancer.
Levi took a glance up at you, and your eyes were fixed on the raven-haired man you held tightly in your arms. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Levi was getting more and more flustered by the second.
You shrugged, tightening your grip on Levi's waist, "You're just nice to look at," You dipped him towards the ground, your hair falling into your eyes.
The two stayed like that for a moment, both unsure of what to do now that they seemed entirely entranced by each other. Levi's heart was pounding as you held him tightly. You felt the same way, taking a glance at Levi's lips every so often. It was an insatiable urge, wanting to kiss your best friend.
On the opposite side of the field, Eren and the gang were extremely invested in this moment. "They're totally gonna kiss," Connie said quietly.
"Oh definitely. I'd be surprised if they didn't," Jean replied, his eyes fixed on the scene in front of him.
Eren was entirely stunned. "I knew the two were close, but I never thought they were in love."
"I think it's so cute!" Sasha was barely able to contain her excitement, her hands flapping back and forth in an attempt to release some of that energy.
You leaned in closer, your lips just barely touching Levi's, "You make it so hard to resist you."
Levi gulped nervously, his body now aching for you to kiss him, "Then stop resisting."
That was all the approval you needed. You crashed your lips together, kissing Levi deeply. Levi returned the kiss, his hands finding their way around your neck.
You stood Levi upright as he carefully pulled away, "I've been waiting to do that for so damn long," You chuckled quietly.
Levi was breathless and his face was a bright shade of red. "I agree," He tried to compose himself.
"I knew it!" Connie yelled, immediately realizing his mistake after.
Levi spun his head toward the group, who was poorly hidden behind a few bushes, "What the hell are you guys doing here?" He started to move towards them.
"Shit, run!" Eren called out as the group scattered in different directions.
Levi growled in annoyance, getting ready to chas after them, but you stopped him, "It's not worth it. Let's leave them be right now, yeah?"
Levi hesitated, but agreed, "I hate those kids," He leaned his head on your chest, taking a deep breath.
You laughed and hugged Levi tightly. There was something so comforting about being able to hold him like this, even given the current circumstances. "Yeah, I hate them too."
Hey there Kai, how are you?
Would you write something fluffy including Levi? Like cooking for him the very first time? Or baking (not too sweet cookies) that perfectly go with his fav tea.
Have a nice day!
A Small Treat - Levi Ackerman
A/N: Hi! I’m doing a lot better now, and I’m glad to get back to writing. I’m so sorry this took so long, but I hope it turned out ok. I’m trying to get back into the sway of things.
It was a somewhat easy day at the old Scouting Legion base that had been left to rot so many years ago. Levi’s squad spent the day cleaning and training, and that afternoon left you and the rest of your squad with some down time. Several went out for a walk while others went to rest. Levi finished up on paperwork, and you were left on your own.
You and your squad had worked very hard the past week and you thought that everyone deserved a treat, so you made your way to the kitchen to find something to bake. There wasn’t much, but you found enough ingredients to make a batch or two of cookies. As you gathered everything you needed, you realized the cookies you could make were Levi’s favorite. It was some random fact you remembered from years ago, when you first joined his squad. He had briefly mentioned it, but you somehow remembered.
You were so much more excited now, knowing that you’d be making your captain’s favorite treat to go with his tea. It didn’t take too long for the cookies to bake and cool off, and you then slid them onto a small plate to set out in the kitchen. You set a few aside on a smaller plate, taking them to your captain’s new office.
You knocked on the closed door, awaiting a response. Levi’s calm voice sounded from the other side, and you let yourself in. “I made cookies, captain,” you said with a smile, holding the small plate out to show him your work. “Would you like some? If I remember correctly, you mentioned once that these were your favorite. You said that they went well with your tea.”
Levi glanced up at you from his paperwork and you could have sworn he was smiling. “Thank you, Y/N, this is very kind of you.”
His words caused you to blush. “You’re welcome captain. I hope you like them.”
You placed down the small plate of the baked goods, then turned to leave him be.
When dinner rolled around, Levi’s squad gathered for a ‘family’ dinner around the table. Your seat was next to Levi’s, and the captain seemed to be in a brighter mood. As everyone began to eat Levi quietly said your name.
“Yes, sir?” you responded, glancing at him as you plopped a baked potato onto your plate.
“Thank you for the cookies.” You fully looked at the man beside you, and you saw him smiling widely. “They were delicious, and really made my day. Thank you.”
You never expected Levi to say such a thing, but it made you smile brightly and laugh. “You’re welcome captain. I’m glad you liked them.”
Screams shattered through the sparse trees, birds flying away in large flocks at the abrupt disturbance. There you were – directly in Captain Levi’s line of sight – darting at inhuman speeds high in the air toward a nearby lake after a Titan flung you out of its hands. Your ODM gear was low on gas and with nothing in sight to hook onto, you were at the mercy of gravity. The frightening acceleration of your body made your limbs numb and immobile, and you mentally prepared for impact into the water within the milliseconds you had left.
Out of instinct, Levi lunged in your direction once he heard the horrid shriek. He launched his ODM gear, the hooks stabbing into the target Titan, and viciously slashed the nape of its neck clean off with his long blades. In one swift motion, he had toppled the Titan and began hurtling in your direction. Clinging onto the nearest tree, Levi knew there was no possible way he could intercept your path toward the deep lake with zero places to use ODM gear.
Once you saw the look of fear and desperation wash over Levi’s face in that instant, you felt your heart stop with a crushing ache in your chest. This was it. A simple miscalculation. A mistake. Now you were just a blink of an eye away from death.
Watching your flailing body skip across the surface of the lake like a little stone before submerging beneath the surface sent shockwaves of adrenaline through Levi’s body. His mind was in overdrive, flooding with millions of thoughts all at once and the intensity numbed him to everything else. He could not hear the yelling from the other Scouts or the other combat taking place in the background. The repetitive, heavy thud of Levi’s thick boots on the grass as he vigorously ran to you was the only thing keeping him grounded in that moment.
Levi could not find it within himself to make a sound or a scream. His normally fortified emotional walls had long crumbled in his dire attempt to save you. Finally at the edge of the dark blue, nebulous lake, the captain violently stripped himself of his ODM gear in a frenzy of panic and rushed into the water. He quickly searched the lake for where he last saw you and dove into the water with a large stroke of his arms.
The lake was so hazy he couldn’t see anything within a few feet of himself. There was no sign of you anywhere: no oxygen bubbles, no muffled yelling, no dark outline of your form. Levi swam into the depths of the lake on his limited oxygen supply, the increasing coolness of the water beginning to freeze his toes. Sunlight was barely peeking through the lake at the deep water level he was in, and he still couldn’t find you. His lungs began to throb with oxygen deprivation.
Through the darkness, a singular cluster of bubbles rose a few feet in front of Levi, and it was then he briefly saw the ends of your (hair type) (hair color) sinking to the bottom of the lake. Frantically grabbing at the watery emptiness before him, Levi was able to get a solid grip on your body and swam to the surface. The feeling of the water breaking on his face upon emerging above offered a minute sense of relief as Levi intensely gasped for air with an awful inhaling sound.
He tugged your limp body to rest within his left arm, your back to his stomach, and he struggled to swim the distance to the lakeshore with just his right arm. His feet eventually found the earth beneath him and from there he picked you up bridal style, rushing to dry ground as quickly as he could.
Levi was too consumed in finding a decent place to let you rest on the grass that he didn’t even glance your way until he laid you on a soft patch of ground on his knees. Nothing seemed wrong on the surface as his eyes fiercely examined your body for any blood or bruises. It was not until he removed the straps and ODM gear from your uniform that he saw a glimpse of purple on your stomach. He gently lifted the shirt to reveal more of your stomach and discovered that your entire torso was slowly turning a dark wine color from internal bleeding.
“Fuck,” Levi cursed with a deep growl. “Damn it, goddamn it.”
Not only that, but you were unresponsive despite your eyes being wide open. Another wave of doom and desperation crashed into Levi’s heart as he searched for a pulse under your jaw, your chest, anywhere. He couldn’t let you die like this. Not now. You meant so much to him. With every passing second that you weren’t conscious his mental state was deteriorating into madness.
Then he found it. He found your pulse.
“(Y/N)!” he called, gently nudging your face to meet his own a few feet away. “Can you hear me?”
Maybe your lungs were already filled with water and you couldn’t speak. Urgently, Levi got into position to perform CPR to open your airways and hopefully drain any lake water out of you. The captain poured his anger and anguish into the repeated rhythm of pressing his hands into your chest every few seconds with firm force. His eyes burned with despair, but not a single salty tear dared to trail down his pale cheek.
Somehow by the grace of the universe, you gurgled lowly, weakly coughing up murky water before resting on the ground again. You were alive. Hope-filled vitality returned to Levi as he threw his face down toward your chest in brief relief, hands now resting on the grass next to you.
He took your hand in his, squeezing it with an aching, loving passion. “Squeeze my hand if you hear me, (Y/N), please.”
You groaned in pain with the little energy you had left in you and did as Levi asked.
“Levi!” Hange yelled in the distance with two cadets running alongside her. “We need to return to the walls!”
“Do we have extra horses?” Levi responded as Hange arrived on the scene to analyze your heavily damaged state. “She needs to go to the infirmary now.”
Her face hardens solemnly at the sight of you, and nods. “We can take her. But we need to leave now.”
Weeks. It had been weeks of staring at the smoky-white infirmary tent roof above your bed. You don’t remember much from that fateful day that caused your injuries. Captain Levi visited you daily to check up on your condition and keep you company. It was strange to have the captain so invested in you personally compared to others. He didn’t seem like the type to show much outward emotion, but you didn’t mind. You and Levi had grown especially close as you have worked together, but you were too shy to admit your feelings to him anyway.
Levi helped fill in the blanks in your memory as you recovered. He told you how the Scouts were on another expedition and encountered some Abnormal Titans. Every Scout was engaged in combat, and through the chaos an Abnormal somehow had grabbed you and tossed you behind them with extreme speed. It all happened so fast, according to Levi. You landed in a lake and Levi had rushed to retrieve you.
But the captain would never venture to mention how vulnerable he truly was in those crucial moments.
Your recovery had been slow. It was a miracle that you arrived at the infirmary alive, and you had endured many hours of surgery to clean up your internal bleeding. There were some broken bones that had to be taken care of, too. Not to mention the mixed concoction of medicine administered to you every morning and evening. It was safe to say that you weren’t returning to the Scouts anytime soon.
You were doomed to continue burning a hole through the infirmary tent roof with your eyes out of pure boredom. At least Levi was here for now.
It was late in the evening, just after dusk. The captain had just arrived minutes ago, sitting next to you in a nearby chair. The infirmary did not offer the greatest amount of privacy, but the white partitions at least barred you from looking at the other sickly patients. You loved when Levi visited. You finally had someone to talk to other than some random nurse every few hours. You needed something to distract yourself from your broken state, and the last thing you wanted to talk about was the incident.
You are the first to break the silence. “The doctor says that I may be able to rest at home soon.”
“Who’s going to take care of you?” Levi asks, folding his arms across his chest.
That wasn’t something you had entirely considered. Unfortunately, you had no family to return to, but you thought maybe you could handle yourself. Perhaps your friends could stop by occasionally to check on you if they really had to? But you didn’t want to burden them. Levi took the absence of your response as an answer.
“Did you think you could just waltz out of here and do it yourself, brat?” he scoffs at the idea.
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” you reply sheepishly, embarrassed at your lack of forethought. “Guess I’ll have to stay here a bit longer.”
“Like hell you will. I’ll take you in if I have to,” Levi states bluntly, leaning forward in his chair with a serious glint in his eyes.
A slight tinge of blush flushes your cheeks as your mind becomes abuzz with fleeting thoughts about staying with Levi. Flustered, you turned your head away to hide your rose-colored face. All the possibilities of sharing a living space with Levi, even temporarily, gave you innumerable little butterflies floating around in your stomach. You try to calm your anxious mind, reassuring yourself that this may be one of the only opportunities to leave this torturous infirmary tent.
“Look at me,” he instructs in a softer tone. When you turned your head in his direction again and met his steel irises, your stomach butterflies multiplied exponentially. Nevertheless, you could tell Levi meant what he said earlier. “Just let me take care of you.”
As you said, after a few days, the doctor discharged you on the condition that you had someone to take look after you as you continued your recovery. You had stayed a few nights with Levi at this point and became more adjusted to his domestic routine. Since he lived in a one-bedroom home, he offered his bed to you and he slept on the couch instead. He rarely left the house except to grab necessities for you. To your surprise, he was fully committed to taking care of you. You did not ask, but you imagined that he must have twisted Commander Erwin’s arm to allow him to take some time off for you. The sheer amount of time Levi sacrificed for you had you questioning his motives, but he insisted that it was the only option.
You would catch him silently observing you from afar, his eyes peeking just over the brim of the teacup resting on his lips. When he spoke, it was softer and kinder like he was dealing with a fragile child instead of his normal rigid tone. His calloused hands were not rough with you when he would change your bandages. In fact, they were gentle as an innocent lamb wandering over your exposed skin for just an ephemeral period before fleeing toward the sterile dressings lying next to you.
The tension you felt in your heart and your throat in those moments was undeniable. If only Levi knew the dizzying spells he cast on you when you were both so close, yet he was just out of reach. It was agonizing to be confined by your substantial wounds. You wished you could act on your feelings, but you could barely walk on your own with your healing bones.
These were the anxieties that plagued you during a night like tonight, as you lie in Levi’s bed alone with the door cracked. Rain pitter-pattered on the windows at an increasing rate and flashes of lightning beamed quickly through the glass panes. It wasn’t until the first gigantic roll of thunder that you immediately realized that thunderstorms were triggering for you. There was no way for you to react or to hide under the covers comfortably without hurting your tender wounds.
So you laid there frozen in fear, tears streaming down your face as each growl of thunder caused memories of the incident to attack your mind. You hoped and prayed for the storm to stop its assault on you. The only thing that could escape your mouth was Levi’s name in quiet terror.
“L-Levi… Levi… L-L-Levi!” you kept saying louder and louder in worry as rain continued to barrel down on the house.
The door creaked open further, with the man of the name still spilling from your lips walking into the dimly lit room completely shirtless. “(Y/N), shhh, it’s okay. It’s just a storm.”
“I-I know, it just reminds me of—”
“Shhh…” he whispers, walking closer to your bedside and lingering his hand near yours, unsure of whether he should take your hand in his. Rubbing his neck with his free hand, he says, “I know… me too.”
In the faint candlelight illuminating from your bedside table, your (eye color) irises meet his own, and you grasp his hand seeking comfort. “I’m sorry, but… could you stay with me for a bit? I-I don’t want to be alone.”
You patted the empty side of the large bed, inviting him over to join you. He seemed hesitant to indulge in your request at first, but he gave in, convincing himself it was just so that you could go to sleep. The mattress sunk down as Levi carefully climbed into bed next to you, resting his head on his hand, elbow planted in a pillow.
Muttering a hushed “thank you,” you repositioned your head closer to Levi, right between his elbow and his muscular chest as best you could. You needed to feel safe, and the canopy of Levi’s strong body in the moonlight was the most peaceful place in the world. In the convoluted mess of your thunderstorm trauma and dull sleepiness, you asserted to yourself that the bubbling romantic feelings rising in your chest again would have no hold on you in this hour of need.
Right now, all that was important was Levi was here with you. He would protect you.
“Levi?” you mumbled weakly, eyes closed.
“Hm?” he hummed in reply.
“You said ‘me too’ earlier,” you breathed, suddenly aware of the flash of lightning on your eyelids. “Were you thinking, you know… about that day too?”
Levi subconsciously held his breath, remembering the events of that day. It was all too vivid to him. He thought he had lost you before he could even actually have you. “Yes.”
Silence permeated the room, the rain and occasional roll of thunder interrupting every few minutes or so.
“I never thanked you,” you say, hand accidentally brushing Levi’s as you shifted to get more comfortable. “For what you did.”
This time, Levi slid his hand over yours with delicate intention, squeezing it lightly. “We couldn’t afford to lose you.”
After a moment, he cleared his throat and added with a faint whisper, “I couldn’t afford to lose you.”
You thought your mind was playing tricks on you. In slight bewilderment, you open your sleepy eyes to meet Levi’s slender face and to your surprise he was merely a couple tantalizing inches away. Raven locks were messily strewn over his face and his metallic irises pierced your heart like he was aiming right for it. The darkness felt illusory, blurring your depth perception, but you could swear it was like Levi was gravitating toward you at an excruciatingly slow pace. Like two planets bound to collide, the cataclysmic crashing of his plush lips on your own was beyond comprehension—beyond anything you could have dreamed of.
The smooth sensation of his lips moving in sync with yours sent entire waves of raw excitement coursing through your veins. Yet you both moved so thoughtfully, each intimate touch as electrifying as the next. His lips parted, warm minty tea breath fanning over you subtly, and brushed his tongue against your pink lips. You obliged, and the thrill of exploring each other’s wet cavern was nothing short of bliss.
He delicately brushed aside your hair from your face, trailing his hand down to your jaw and breaking the passionate kiss for air. Somewhat breathless, you both took a second to reconcile and recuperate from your loving exchange. You couldn’t help but feel the urge to smile at the deep tint of red painted over Levi’s cheeks.
“I thought you were going to die—" he murmured, running his hand through his silky hair, and lightly gripping the top handful.
You were quick to silence him with another kiss.
“And you’re the reason I’m still alive,” you point out, laying your head back down to cuddle into him without hurting yourself.
You hear a small laugh of agreement leave Levi’s lips before he snuggles further down, resting his head on the pillow, and interlocking his hand with yours once again. As sleep begins to cloud your mind, you think about the past few weeks—your near-death experience, your time with Levi, and tonight. It almost was as if he was your personal guardian angel, and you could undoubtedly count on him to be there for you through thick and thin.
