#aot requests

You sit next to him, resting your head on his shoulder, sighing. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“You okay?” he asks, concerned.

You nod silently, eyes closed. He sets his hand on your knee, squeezing lightly. “Hey, seriously, what’s wrong?”

Fingers intwined in his, you answer, “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Uh-oh. That’s definitely a lie,” he teases.

You nudge him in the ribs playfully. “Shut up.”

“Seriously, sweetie. What is it? Tell me.”

After a deep breath, you confess, “I’ve just been feeling a little self-conscious lately.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know. It’s been over a year now and I still haven’t lost any of the baby weight. It seems like with all my friends, they were able to shed it after a year. But it’s been hard for me. I don’t know.”

He doesn’t respond right away, thinking carefully about what he wants to say. Eventually, he comments, “I know you won’t believe me, but you’re more beautiful now than ever before.”

You laugh. “You have to say that. You’re my husband.”

“But have I ever lied to you?”

It doesn’t take you long to answer because he actually never has. “No, you haven’t.”

He nuzzles his head against yours. “Listen to me: Every single day we’re together, I fall deeper in love with you. In fact, every single minute, every second, you’re on my mind. And all I can think about is how lucky I am to be with you. And the fact that she,” he points to Kara, “came out of you shows that you are the most beautiful. Honestly, our baby is the prettiest, therefore, you are also the prettiest. It’s basic science.”

Your heart swells in your chest, tears filling your eyes. With a smooch on the cheek, you tell him, “You’re so corny, you know that?”

He faces you to give you a kiss. “And…?”

“I love you. So much.”

“That’s my girl,” he coos. He presses his lips to your forehead. “You dazzle me constantly. I truly mean that.”

~~~

Later that night, with Kara sleeping peacefully in her crib, Reiner proves to you how beautiful you are. 

The both of you are naked in bed, your legs spread wide for him with his head between, sucking at your throbbing clit. He’s always been good at this, but tonight, he gives it to you like never before, desperate to show you how much he desires you. He laps at your wet cunt, collecting your slick to smear it over your bud. He shakes his head, spreading his tongue wide on you to lick every sensitive inch. And he doesn’t stop when you whine that it’s, “too much,” or “too sensitive,” because he’ll be damned if he lets his gorgeous wife feel insecure ever again. He wants it ingrained in you how much he cherishes you, body, soul, every fiber of your being. 

He slides his fingers into your pussy, slipping in easily from your orgasms. Curling at the tips, he hits your G-spot, sucking on your clit, smirking as you twitch from the stimulation. 

“Fuck! Baby! I –”              

“It’s okay, honey,” he muffles, mouth still latched to you. “You can come again. Don’t be shy. Give it to me.”

Your body buzzes with ecstasy, radiating all the way down to your toes. He finally removes himself from you, lightly tapping on your swollen bud with slippery fingers. “You’re beautiful. I love seeing you like this.”

“Rei,” you whimper, twisting your legs around him, eager for his cock.

“Not yet, sweetie. Let me worship you a little while longer.” He leans down, kissing your stomach, tracing your stretch marks with his tongue. You watch him, running your fingers through his hair. “I love every single thing about you,” he whispers, trailing up to your breast, suckling at your nipple. “Every part of this gorgeous body.”

He explores your curves and peaks, the crook of your neck, the inside of your mouth, until he guides himself inside you, pumping his cock into your pussy. You wrap your legs around his waist, clinging to him tightly, wanting to melt into him. He continues to kiss you sloppily, dribbling his spit into your mouth. “Fuck, sweetie,” he moans, his thrusts increasing in pace. “I’m so close.”

“Fill me up, Rei. Please.”

“You want me to fuck another baby in you? Want me to make this cute belly round again, huh? Fuck, I can’t wait. I can’t wait, honey. You’re so beautiful, fuck.” He spills inside you, cock spurting his load into your womb. He watches as he slowly pulls out, enjoying the sight of your throbbing pussy gushing with his cum. 

As big spoon, he cuddles you, sliding his arm over your waist, kissing the back of your neck, dewy with perspiration. “I love you, beautiful. I hope you don’t get tired of me saying that.”

Eren Yeager-

ꨄ Jealousy ꨄ Holding hands short drabble ꨄ imagine ꨄ

Armin Arlert -

Connie Springer-

Jean Kirstein -

Erwin Smith -

Levi Ackerman -

ꨄ Holding hands short drabble ꨄ imagine ꨄ

Reiner Braun -

Requests -

Short drabbles -

ꨄ Needy drabble ꨄ Overthinker ꨄ International women's day drabble ꨄ Holding hands short drabble ꨄ imagine ꨄ

You entered the ballroom behind your father, the king, and looked around. The chandelier hung like a cluster of stars on the painted ceilings of the castle and you couldn’t help but stare in awe at the lighting. The band’s music reached a crescendo as the king entered and you looked up at your father. He nodded, a silent signal of your permission to dance. 

You tried not to trip over your feet in excitement as you rushed down the stairs. You scanned the crowd for Captain Levi, trying to avoid the group of people that flocked around you. One man said “You owe me a dance,” and you nearly vomited. 

“Where is the Captain?!” You panicked, trying not to make a noise as you silently declined the offer to dance. 

A gloved hand grabbed your arm and tore you away from the crowd. “You don’t look too good, Your Highness,” Levi grumbled, glaring at the crowd. A wave of relief washed over you. The excitement of your presence in the ballroom died down fairly quickly and what rose from the ashes was astonishment. 

“Is that Captain Levi?!”

“With royalty?”

You smiled at him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Captain, it’s good to see you again.”

His brow quirked up, but other than that, his face remained expressionless. “Right. Let’s just get this over with.” He held his hand out to you. “Is your father watching?”

You looked behind Levi and saw your father glaring at the two of you. You nodded and took Levi’s hand. “He is.”

The Captain took you to the middle of the dance floor and gave the band a look. They began playing a slow song and you wrapped your arms around Levi’s neck. “I take it this isn’t really your scene?” You guessed by the coldness in his eyes. 

He gave you a brief nod as he delicately placed his hand on your lower back. “I’m doing this for the Survey Corps, so don’t get any ideas. This isn’t going to be a regular thing.”

Your eyes narrowed. “If you hate it so much, why’d you come?”

“I just told you. For the Survey Corps.”

You sighed. “I meant, why you? Isn’t the Commander capable?”

Levi shook his head, twirling you. “He’s too formal. Everyone would expect him to dance with you.”

“And you?”

He glared at you. “Nobody even expected me to come. It makes a greater impression.”

You grinned. “You seem to be enjoying yourself, though. You’re very good at dancing, Captain. How’d you learn?”

His eyes flashed to the side and you followed his gaze. Before he could say anything, you spotted Hange Zoe. You tried to stifle your laughter. “You practiced with Hange?”

“I never said that,” he snapped quietly.

“But you looked at them. Are they a good dancer?”

“They’re irrelevant,” he muttered dismissively. Yet, you could see his cheeks turn slightly pink as he twirled you again. 

You tilted your head as you looked at him again. “So, Captain, what do you like to do for fun?”

“I don’t have fun.”

Your brows rose as your frowned, unsatisfied. “Tonight, you do.”

“I do not.”

You intertwined your fingers with his. “You do.” You held his hand, practically dragging him to a tower of champagne glasses. You took two, handing one to Levi. “This is how you have fun, Captain.” You clinked your glass against his and the pink drink bubbled as it ran down your throat. You gave him a grin when you saw him sip on it. 

“Drinking? Really, Your Highness?” He questioned. “Have some class.”

“This is class.”

“If you get drunk, I’m not carrying you to your room.”

You tilted your head, a smile growing on your face. “What would you do instead?” 

“Leave you on the floor.” He turned away but you placed your hand on his shoulder. He glared at you, but you continued smiling.

“Do you want to dance again?” You looked up at your father, who glowered. “The King seems rather unimpressed so far.”

Levi followed your stare. “Unimpressed? Why? We danced.”

“I dance with a lot of people.”

“Dance with fewer people.”

“Why? Are you jealous?” You teased. 

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “Jealous of everyone who got to stay in the barracks.”

You shook your head, ignoring his comment. “We need to really impress him. We need to do something that’ll get us on his side,” you explained with a grin as you schemed. 

Levi frowned. “I don’t like that look on your face.” He stepped back.

“Get used to it, Captain. We’re going to kiss.”

His mouth fell open. “Absolutely not.”

“Do you want resources? A better chance beyond the walls?”

“Don’t question me now, brat.”

You crossed your arms. “Don’t call me a brat; I’m not one of your cadets.”

Levi nodded. “Yeah. You’re worse.” He pulled you to the dance floor again, making uncertain eye contact with you. “At least my cadets don’t flirt with me. You’re worse than any brat.” Despite his words, he was closer to you as you danced to this song.

You could smell his cologne. It was fancy; it smelled like sandalwood and… tea? A hint of soap? Whatever it was, he was going all out for this ball. You leaned closer to him. “Is the King watching?”

He looked up, then looked back at you. “Yes.” He pressed a hand to the back of your head. “Are you sure about this?”

“Positive.” 

Levi sighed and looked into your eyes, then at your lips as if he had to reassure himself of every feature on your face. He looked back at your eyes, then pulled you closer by your waist and gently pressed his lips against yours.

Your eyes widened—you weren’t actually expecting him to do it. Still, the softness of his lips drove you wild. His gloved hand on your waist nearly made you melt.

He pulled away awkwardly, looking to the side. “Happy?”

You weren’t sure if it was the champagne or his lips, but you giggled. “Incredibly.” Levi’s focus avoided your eyes. You saw your father staring at you two with an alarmed expression. “I think it’s working, by the way.”

Levi nodded quickly, looking back at your father. “God, I hope so. You can convince your father now, right?”

“I suppose so. But he’ll want to meet with you, I’m sure.”

“Thought so.” He looked at you again, searching your eyes. You wondered what it was he was searching for. Embarrassment? Regret? Or maybe, just maybe, he was searching for hope. In any case, he pulled you close again, then whispered in your ear so you’d feel his warm breath against your skin, “Would you like to meet me in the gardens beforehand?” 

Your eyes widened. “You really liked that kiss, huh?”

The thundering beat of hoof-falls just about managed to drown out the thundering beat of your heart. Expeditions beyond the walls were always hit or miss, and today’s was definitely a miss. It was supposed to be a simple recon mission. The Scouts were, quite literally, scouting, and unfortunately, your squad was placed as the backup’s backup. You were the Less Special Ops. You were the Pretty Damn Good squad. If the Special Operations squad failed, it was your job to pick up the pieces. Not that you ever expected them to fail.

That was, until now.

Too many smoke signals, not enough time.

And not a Levi Squad member to be found.

Dread bubbled and coiled in your gut. This was very unlike them. This was very unlike him. Levi was never one to just disappear without a reason. Usually word would get round to all squads that Humanity’s Strongest had to withdraw for some reason or another. Very rarely was there radio silence to accompany your terror. You had spotted a distress call from a few miles away, and since you hadn’t heard of any course change or direction shift, you ordered your squad to continue on, and promised you’d catch up with them. But once again whatever fates had decided how your day was going to play out, had not been merciful.

The village had been completely decimated. Most buildings had been almost flattened, with nasty, fractured-glass-like shards of wood piercing the skies from where they stood, mourning the loss of their structure. Phantom screams haunted this place, and bodies littered it. Limbs strewn about in awkward places and at awkward angles. It was harrowing, but not the worst you’ve seen in your time as a Scout.

You urged your mare on with a few clicks of your tongue, instantly noting how the beast listened to your command, and understood your urgency. Red smoke now danced with black. Red was never good. Black only worsened the dread in your gut. Praying to whatever cynical gods there may be, you gently pulled on the left rein, darting down what must have been a small gap between houses, but now stood as open plains, tile and brick pounded into dust on the ground.

But the further you galloped, the denser the structures became. This didn’t seem so much of a village, but rather a small town. Grass and earth occasionally broke out into the remains of a cobblestone street, and you promised to nurse your horse’s poor hooves when you returned home.

If you returned home.

Rounding the side of what looked like the town hall, you realised what all the fuss was about. There was barely enough time to engage your ODM gear before a 15m four legged titan was upon you, swatting at you like your mare’s tail in the summer months. You’d been here five minutes and the plan had already gone to shit. Feinting to the right, you allowed yourself to roll off your horse, the ground impacting your shoulder as you allowed the momentum to carry you. It threw off your pursuer, now confused between your fleeing horse and the small woman lying in a crumpled heap.

Not your smoothest dismount ever, but you didn’t have much of a choice. Not when your life had been put on the line so soon after arriving. But you weren’t a captain for no reason. You’d been placed within this duty of care and leadership for a reason. Stumbling onto your feet, you took a running start before engaging your gear, once again thanking those cynical gods that the damn thing still worked. The familiar hiss of gas rushed behind you as your anchors pulled you into the air. You couldn’t tell if this titan was either showing intelligence, or immense stupidity. You watched wide, hazel eyes follow you as you zipped past it’s bulbous head. For a second, it seemed almost human, as if you could read some emotion within it’s large eyes. But after your blades sliced through it’s nape like a hot knife through butter, you realised it must have been your own dream playing tricks on you.

This area was a mess of blood, screaming and smoke. And yet Levi still hadn’t shown up. You weren’t the type to worry about him, just like he wasn’t the type to worry about you. Okay, that’s a lie, he did worry about you. Far too much, if you were being honest, but you weren’t the type to worry about him. He’d always get there, always find you, but shit if he wasn’t cutting it a little close. Instead you switched your focus to the monumental task at hand. This town must have been attacked only a few days prior, the fresh bodies having only just started the decaying process. You breathed a heavy sigh, before jumping into the frey, assisting whoever squad had managed to get themselves caught up in such a massacre.

You didn’t count. You couldn’t count. Miche could shove your little competition up his ass, now really wasn’t the time to be tallying up how many monstrosities you’d managed to fell. And yet you found yourself slicing through yet another nape, saving yet another life. Riding your kill to the ground, you deftly jumped off, running to assist the injured soldier. She didn’t look too badly hurt, just perhaps some broken ribs from where she’d been grasped.

“Hey, what the hell happened here? Who’s squad are you on?” you questioned, and though your words were a little harsh, your tone was anything but. You knew she was scared, she didn’t look any older than sixteen for fuck sakes. She was just a kid.

“I-I was on uhm, I w– I was w-with Squad Leader Kris?” you took a brief moment to process the information. The left wing had been majorly compromised it seemed. There was no way Kris could reform his squad after this, if he was even still alive.

“Alright, you did well, can y–”

“Isn’t it strange how much blood the human body can hold?”

You blinked, confused by her question.

“I grew up on a farm,” –she continued– “I used to help my father slaughter pigs for meat. Do you know that saying? Bled like a pig? Well they would bleed. They would squeal and they would bleed and they would scream and I hated it and I hated it and I hated it so much but I had to do it please he made me do it I didn’t want to do it he made me please i’m so sorry i’m sorry i’m sorry i’m sorry–” she had gone into shock. The kid was barely sixteen and she’d witnessed more trauma than anybody ever should throughout their entire lives, let alone at her age.

Trying your best to ignore the screams of the soldiers around you, you crouched down to her level, attempting to look the poor girl in the eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay, you didn’t have a choice–”

“NO YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” her outburst had you reeling back, steadying a hand behind you so you didn’t fall. “You don’t understand! People have that much blood, she was screaming like the pigs, screaming and squealing as she was being slaughtered and I did the same as I always did and watched as she bled and bled and screamed,” –she gasped for breath, her breathing becoming erratic– “we used to play together, we used to play all sorts of games with all the animals, we would play horses and house and adventure and she loved the piglets so much but I couldn’t tell her we’d slaughtered their mummies and daddies because she would have screamed like she screamed when she was–” the girl stopped in her tracks, eyes wide and unblinking, entire body shaking like a leaf in the wind as you witnessed her mind shatter. She fell silent as you pieced the fragments together. She’d just lost her sister. Younger sister, from the looks of things and recounting of her story. You felt for the girl, you really did. You knew there was no way she would recover from this. She was a child, and already traumatised for life.

You stood, thankful that no titan had found you, and whistled for your horse. No response. You whistled again, a little more urgently, and found ice slowly drip-feeding into your blood. No, you had to get this girl out of here. You had to take her to the medical team and let them take care of her as best they could, there was only so much you could do. You were just about to whistle for a third time, before the angelic chorus of hoof-beats once again graced your ears, and you could have wept in relief. Two sets, to be exact.

Turning back to the girl, you placed an arm around her back and hoisted her to her feet. Her expression hadn’t changed. Her face hadn’t moved. It was like she was stuck reliving that moment over and over again. In fact, she probably was.

The soldiers in charge of the spare horses were honestly the unsung heroes of the Scouts. You’d definitely underestimated them beforehand, but thank fuck they were coming in clutch now.

With your focus entirely on the girl, you helped her onto the mare you knew all too well.

“Hold on tight, okay? You’re going to be alright, you’ll be safe where you’re going, I promise. They’ll look after you.” you tried your hand at reassuring her, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. With a look of defeated regret, you spoke to the second soldier. “Take her to the centre of the formation with the injured. She’s given all she can,” you instructed, not taking your eyes off the traumatised teen.

“Since when do you give me orders?”

An amalgamation of every emotion under the goddamn sun flooded your system. The primary one being relief. Rounding your mare, you finally came face to face with those silver eyes you’d fallen in love with. Despite your situation, comfort wrapped around your head and heart, your lips managing to pull into a smile as he dismounted from his gelding.

“And where the fuck have you been?” you asked, with no bite to your tone. From the looks of him, he’d been extremely busy elsewhere.

“We stopped to take a shit. Hey you! Where’s Squad Leader Kris?” When the girl didn’t respond, Levi turned his attention back to you, nodding slightly as you gently shook your head. He understood instantly. She was too far gone. “What happened?”

“Sister. Watching her die triggered some sort of childhood trauma, as if watching your own younger sister torn apart isn’t traumatic enough,” you explained as Levi’s expression softened slightly, instantly showing the more human side to Humanity’s Strongest Soldier.

“Do we know her name?” he asked, the tone of his voice softening along with his expression. You sighed again, telling Levi everything he needed to hear. Running a hand through his hair, his other found your arm, prompting you to turn to him. “You okay?” he asked, though knowing there was no way he’d get a straight answer. You never told him when something was wrong, he always had to drag it from your unwilling lips. But this time you looked as if you were genuinely being truthful as you answered.

“Yeah… yeah, it was just... a lot,” you breathed, pity still throbbing in your heart as the girl gently swayed in your saddle, still lost in her nightmare.

“I know,” whilst on the surface it may not have seemed like much, but those words brought you more comfort than anyone would ever realise, because he did know. He knew more than most. More than anyone, in fact. He’d seen more death than a morgue, and you were perhaps the only person who knew how he really dealt with it. Many, many nights spent in a tearful embrace as you caressed the nightmares away. You took care of each other, whether that be running a bath or shower, changing sweaty sheets or on particularly bad nights, clearing up the remains where whatever that evening’s dinner had been hurled up. He knew tonight would be a bad one for you, and with those two words he affirmed that he would be there to help you through it.

You smiled a little weakly, before the moment was interrupted by familiar shouts behind you. Your head snapped back to the girl, hoping she hadn’t been startled by the new types of volume, but she still seemed to be consumed by her own mind.

“Captain!” you recognised the three as Oluo, Petra and Gunther, three members of Levi’s squad. You glanced at Levi, who also seemed to have noticed the missing member.

“Where’s Eld?” was his immediate question, and it was only because you knew him so well did you detect the slight urgency in his voice. It was a testament as to how much he really cared about his squad.

“He stayed behind to escort some stragglers from the town, ordered us to find you,” Gunther explained, glancing between the two of you and the teenager sitting on your horse. “Who’s that?” you opened your mouth to answer, but Levi swiftly waved off the concern.

“Doesn’t matter. Petra, Oluo, I need you to take this one to the centre squad, get her medical treatment, then return to me immediately. No detours.” you watched with quiet awe as the two squad members saluted in sync, both barking a quick “Yes Captain!” before each taking one side of the girl’s reins and prompting your mare into a swift gallop.

“Gunther, with me. I can’t imagine things are going smoothly with Eld…” there was no spoken word between you, only an understanding that of course, you’d be accompanying them. Without so much as a knowing look, you gave the obsidian gelding a quick pat on the neck, before bouncing into the saddle behind your lover, securing your grip around his waist for stability. Gunther didn’t do so much as acknowledge the proximity between the two of you. Though never explicitly confirmed, your relationship with the Captain was pretty fucking obvious, to Hange’s overwhelmnig delight.

“He’ll be fine,” your words caressed his ear as you gently squeezed your arms around him, providing what little comfort you could on the scene of a battle. Nevertheless, he seemed somewhat reassured by your words, sending you a soft-eyed glance over his shoulder, before his heels dug into his gelding’s flanks and he lurched forward into a gallop, in the opposite direction and back where Levi had come from.

You couldn’t help but let your mind wander back to the girl, thoughts about her childhood plaguing your mind as you tried your best not to envision what she must have seen. You were no stranger to bloodshed, and you’d lost your fair amount of friends and relatives to the jaws of titans, but she was so young.

“It wasn’t your fault,” as if sensing your thought spiral, Levi’s voice carried down the wind to you, prompting you to huff gently in protest.

“I should have been there sooner…”

“You shouldn’t have been there at all. Where’s your squad?”

“I left Nikos in charge. He’s capable enough,” you explained, gently resting your chin on Levi’s shoulder, feeling the comfort spread through your chest like wildfire. “I couldn’t just let them die Levi,” a hand left the reins to gently hold your arm around his waist, as if acknowledging your resolve.

“I know. You never can. And as much as it worries me, I love it about you,” despite the hair whipping your face and your heart racing like a freight train, you still managed to find a sort of domestic happiness in his words. But any thoughts of relaxation promptly died as you came upon the scene Levi had left. Eld hadn’t exactly failed, but he wasn’t really succeeding either. “Stay close to me.” Levi quietly pleaded, however, already knowing your answer.

“You know I can’t do that.”

“I know, but I thought I’d say it anyway.”

With a definite nod, and being mindful of Levi’s positioning, you drew your blades from their scabbards, reading your gear as the ravenette did the same.

“Don’t go dying on me now.” you smiled, planting a small kiss against his neck before firing your anchors and launching yourself from behind him. Levi had just enough time to whisper;

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Before he followed suit, Gunther too joining Eld in the fray. And as much as you hated to say it…

There was no way of saving everyone.

You’d been fighting for ten minutes and you were already painted crimson, and it wasn’t evaporating. Civilians and soldiers alike dropping like flies, teeth and tongue acting like sprinklers for the blood of the unlucky. God you hoped your squad was alright.

And that was the thought going through your head, the singular string that pulled you off balance. The final tap to shatter the spider webbing glass as an abnormal leapt from below. Not to eat you, but to simply swat you from the skies.

The one time you weren’t on your game.

The one time you’d missed the mark.

And you came crashing down.

You had no time to act. No time to think. Only the reflex to protect your head as sudden pain jolted your exhausted system, followed by a harsher stab of agony, consequently pulling you from your stunned daze.

Every sound was muffled, even the weak cry that flew from your lips didn’t meet your ears as white noise consumed your mind. Though adrenaline was still pumping through your veins, you knew you’d been hurt. Badly. And as the dust and debris finally settled, you realised what had happened. You’d been flung through a roof, slate, brick and wood scattered around you and on top of you. Managing to bring your senses back down to earth, you could hear clearly the battlefield sounds from beyond the four decrepit walls you’d been haphazardly catapulted into, and though fear once again trickled ice into your bloodstream, you made yourself look down.

And instantly regretted it.

It wasn’t huge, but the placement wasn’t exactly ideal. A large wooden splinter currently plugged up the scarlet dam behind your flesh, protruding from the side of your stomach. Removing it now would be a death wish. There was no way you could bandage yourself up in time to stop yourself from bleeding out. You didn’t even have bandages with you, you weren’t a medic. Tearing your wide eyes away from the most prominent injury, you held your arm out in front of you. Only a few small cuts and bruises littered your limb, and much the same for the rest of your body. A few would heal over and leave scars, but most would be nothing but a whisper of this past mistake. The fucking wood in your gut, however, might be more of an issue.

You thanked the soldiers who had lost their lives today, not only for their sacrifices, but, as morbid as this may sound, their blood. Coated in all shades of red, it was difficult to decipher if any of it was yours. There was no way Levi had to know about this. He could stay blissfully ignorant of this injury until after you get medical treatment. Although honestly, knowing yourself, you knew full well you were going to remove it and bandage it yourself as soon as you all got back to camp.

If you made it back to camp.

Panicked calls of your name brought you to your feet. Adrenaline sure was one hell of a drug. Though you could feel the slight thrum of pain, you knew this was nothing in comparison to what you would feel later. At least you could walk fairly well right now, as you tried not to limp your way to the door currently hanging from its hinges.

“I’m here! I’m fine!” you shouted to the skies, listening as the panicked calls stopped. You removed your hand from your side just in time for Levi to hastily land a few feet away and immediately run to your side. Knowing he would start looking for any sort of injury, you threw your arms around his neck, whilst keeping him at an awkward distance. It was a good enough distraction for him whilst simultaneously letting him know you were okay.

Even if it was a lie.

“Fucking hell, when I didn’t see you after we’d cleared them all out I thought–”

“It’s okay, I’m here, I’m fine. I was just a little reckless, that’s all,” you hushed him gently, wincing as he tightened his arms around you, before roughly pulling back. His eyes held a cold glare, and you knew a reprimand was coming.

“Don’t. Do that. Again. Didn’t I tell you to stay close to me?” you rolled your eyes. It was a familiar conversation after a familiar scene. You managed to get hurt some way or another, he reprimands you for being reckless. But the system went both ways. You never shied away from giving him an earful whenever he’d do something stupid and reckless. But, you supposed, he was honest when he had hurt himself. You on the other hand…

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry. Just got distracted by the hundreds of titans around the place. How’s Eld? Is he alright?” taking extra effort to steady your voice, the adrenaline in your system was starting to drain, leaving you with an ever growing pain pulsing through your nerves. You couldn’t convincingly stand for much longer, your body screaming at you to remove the foreign object from your stomach.

“Yeah, he’s fine. He managed to cope well all things considered. We’ve had the signal to withdraw back to camp. No doubt Erwin is gonna rack his brains to try find a different route,” you were only half listening if you were being honest, too focussed on trying to stay conscious. But you heard the word withdraw and relief greeted you like an old friend.

“Let’s get back then. I’m done with today,” exhaustion accompanied your now throbbing agony, making it difficult to breathe. Levi was a perceptive man, especially when it came to you. He’d lost too many people in his life to lose you too. It would break him. But with your entire body soaked in blood, it was difficult to tell if and where you’d be injured. He just had to hope you’d be honest with him, despite knowing you never were when it came to your health.

Wordlessly, Levi mounted his horse, holding out his hand to assist you in doing the same. Fear briefly flashed in your eyes before you quenched that spark, taking his hand and stifling a pained gasp as your leg swung over the saddle. You hoped he wouldn’t think anything of your deathgrip on his shoulders, nails digging into the cloak and jacket as every galloped step brought another bolt of lightning through your system. You just had to hold on until you got back. Just hold on.

It wasn’t that the journey back was particularly long. You were lucky enough not to encounter any Titans, so all in all it would have been considered a success. For you however, you just wanted to find a quiet corner where you could finally sort yourself out. You’d been drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the entire ride to camp, passing it off as that aforementioned exhaustion whenever your raven-haired lover enquired about it.

What you didn’t anticipate, however, was how useless your legs had become. As soon as Levi brought his gelding back down to a walk, you dismounted, knees buckling beneath you as they thudded against the ground. Another torturous stab through your nerves had you whimper through gritted teeth, jaw clenched and eyes shut as you tried to focus on the feeling of the wet grass in the palms of your hands. Levi’s small questioning of your name brought your back to reality, having you realise you were still kneeling.

“M’ fine, just tired.”

“You keep saying that.” Levi’s remark was accompanied by a gentle thud as he too dismounted, delivering a few quick pat’s to his horse’s neck before cautiously kneeling down before you.

“Maybe because it’s the truth?” you raised a sarcastic brow, finalling lifting your head to look him in the eye for the first time since you’d left the site of the battle. You looked like death. Pale face, sunken eyes struggling to focus, your head was spinning, the stinging throb of your injury still at the forefront of your head. Levi’s eyes widened, worry now creasing his brow as he went to gently hold your bicep, only to have you flinch away and quickly rise to your feet, stumbling back a couple steps. “Pretty sure I said I'm fine. I just need to rest.” you snapped, feeling no guilt as you turned away.

It took every fiber of self control not to hold the side of your stomach as you walked, but as soon as you were out of sight and earshot inside your tent, your hand immediately flew to your wound, trying everything to calm the raging pain.

Shaking your head of the dizziness swimming in your vision, you haphazardly stumbled to your camping bed, bracing yourself on the frame as you began rifling through your pack. Though you may not carry bandages out with you in the field, you were all issued a roll before you left, as military standard. You placed them atop your camp-bed, alongside your canteen of water and a small hand mirror you’d packed just in case. Sometimes you really appreciated your past self for the random shit she did.

Sucking in a breath through your teeth, you braced yourself for the sight as you lifted your shirt, only to realise you were not prepared for what you were about to see at all. It’s all very well being able to deal with wounds and injuries on other people, but it’s a whole different ball game when seeing a jagged spear of wood stick out from your stained, swollen flesh. Your breathing quickened, slowed only by the fog in your brain clearing just enough for you to remember you needed to calm down. Going into shock now might just end your life.

“Okay… fuck, okay…” you took large, steady breaths as you brought the mirror in front of you, giving yourself a better look at the wound. It was impossible to tell how long the spear was, maybe because you weren’t a fucking medic, but you knew it was in deep, and it was stuck fast. Since it was impaled in your stomach, there was no way you could apply a tourniquet either. One of the few things you actually knew how to do. You would have thought, having been in the Scouts for so long, you would have picked up a few more medical treatments or techniques, but you vaguely guessed you were too busy slicing the shit out of titans.

Taking your canteen, you unscrewed the lid with your teeth, once again taking some calming breaths, before ice met fire.

All that escaped your lips was a small, strained hiss as water gently trickled down the broken skin, cleansing the wound as best you could before the main event. Were you stalling? Probably, but you couldn’t blame yourself. If cautiously pouring a small amount of water over the site hurt this much, just how much would yanking it from your abdomen hurt? It wasn’t a thought you wanted to mull over for very long, realising you would probably need something to bite down on. For once thankful that the tents didn’t come with built in floors, you grabbed any old stick in range, wiping it on your bloodied trousers so there was no visible dirt, before shoving it between your teeth.

Wrapping your palm around the intrusion in your gut, you briefly wondered how much Levi would look at you in disgust if he ever saw you with a random stick in your mouth, before you pulled.

Hard.

Agony ripped through your system as the spear was pulled free, a broken cry flying from your obstructed mouth as your hand tried to plug the hole in the dam, unsuccessfully. Discarding the literal thorn in your side, you floundered for the bandages on the camp-bed, your cold hand quickly warming as your own blood now soaked the floor. Desperation clawed its way into your heart, forcing it to beat faster as you began wrapping bandage after bandage around your midsection, hoping and praying the bleeding would slow to a low trickle, and this wouldn’t kill you.

Tucking in the end of the bandage into itself so it was secure enough, you looked down in slight horror to see crimson already seeping through the ivory. Not enough to soak the fresh, more comfortable clothes you were about to put on, but enough to keep that racing heartbeat. You knew you had to calm down, panic would kill you faster, but you couldn’t help it. You always thought you’d meet your end in the jaws of a titan, not from some stupid fucking mistake you made which led to you being thrown into a building and impaled on some stupid fucking piece of wood. But, what you did know, was that your stubbornness would be your downfall. If you’d just told Levi earlier when he’d asked. If you’d just been honest with him, his overprotective nature be damned, you should have been honest with him. And now, you’d likely die because of it.

You didn’t have the energy to clean up, looking at the pile of bloodied clothing, half used bandages, your empty canteen, a now stained mirror and the almost black puddle left in the grass, your fuzzy mind almost found it comical, like the scene of a murder. You supposed, in a way, it was.

You found the rest of the veterans sitting in a circle around a small fire, though the warmth failed to seep into your bones. Taking a seat on an empty box you knew was meant for you, you raised your head to acknowledge the group, taking in a headcount before realising one of them, the most important one to you, wasn’t there.

“Where’s Levi?” you asked, you tone so much quieter than you would have liked. Hange winced in pity, clearly having heard the day you’d just had. Miche and Nanaba stayed quiet, Moblit focussing on the drink in his hand and Erwin looked between you and Hange, concern written on his face.

“He mentioned going to find you earlier. I’m going to assume he didn’t have much luck,” you wanted to laugh, but your ever-growing exhaustion and sluggishness prevented you from finding humour.

“Oh…” you responded, eyes falling to your pale hands as you mulled over her statement. You finally felt guilt twist in your already tired heart. You’d snapped at him earlier. He was only making sure you were alright and you’d snapped at him. Yes, he was overprotective sometimes, especially after you’ve been hurt, but this… what you were doing… he didn’t deserve this. Fuck.

A sharp, panicked call of your name had you sitting bolt upright, the rest of the vets too immediately flew to battle stations, wondering what the hell had Levi so worried, since they all recognised his voice. In the small rush of adrenaline, you jumped to your feet, swivelling in place to see your lover, eyes wide with terror, running towards you. But upon seeing he was okay, you smiled, adrenaline draining from your system as your blood-loss finally caught up with you.

It wasn’t just Levi shouting at you then, you heard a chorus of your name, the dull tumbling of boxes falling over as your vision faded to black

Levi had been concerned ever since you stumbled from the dilapidated building. He knew something was wrong, his gut was screaming at him, but he ignored it in favour of believing you were telling the truth. But now faced by the scene of your lies, Levi took in the bandages, the canteen, the pool of blood. But what worried him most, was the crimson tipped spear of wood. Piecing together what had happened wasn’t difficult, and a surge of emotions raged through his mind. Betrayal, that you had once again lied to him. Anger, that you had endangered your own life in order to keep this from him. Guilt, that you felt as if you couldn’t tell him about this. He was more than aware of how protective he was over you, but he never thought you’d do something like this. And terror, that somehow he’d been too late, and you were already lying somewhere in the camp, bleeding to death.

And it was that emotion that jump-started his search. Fleeing from the scene, Levi scanned the camp as he ran, hoping against hope that his eyes would catch sight of you. He couldn’t lose you. He couldn’t lose you to his own fear of losing you. That’s where his overprotective nature stemmed from. He knew that, and you knew that.

Cold breath burned his lungs as he kept running, his instincts taking him to the small gathering of the people he considered friends. And it was there he finally saw you. But no relief calmed his system, only panic spurring him to run faster and shout louder. When he saw you on your feet, he questioned whether he’d pieced the puzzle together correctly. You seemed fine, a bit pale and a bit worn, but fine nonetheless.

And then you smiled gently at him. Then you staggered backwards, eyes falling shut. Then you collapsed, and Levi barely made it in time to catch you as you fell.

“Hey hey hey, stay with me, come on, stay with me,” he breathed, hands cupping your limp head and neck before resting you against his chest. Two fingers checked your pulse, a small reprieve from panic as he felt the faintest thumping against his fingertips. You were still there, but barely. “Shit, shit shit shit, HANGE–”

“I’m here, what can I do?” Levi managed to tear his eyes away from your unconscious form to briefly look at the scientist.

“Help her… please,” Levi, who was usually so calm and collected, was starting to lose his grip on his sanity. He saw recognition flash in Hange’s eyes, watching as they realised they would have to take control of the situation. Something the usually stoic captain would thank them for later.

Nobody had even seen your wound, and yet they knew this was a life or death situation. You were hanging on by a thread. And it was Erwin who spoke first.

“Nanaba, Miche, find a medic and bring them here as quickly as possible. Moblit and myself will be on standby.” before he’d even finished his orders, the two vets had taken off at a jog to find the nearest medical tent, but Levi couldn’t help thinking they weren’t moving fast enough. Your shallow breaths adding another layer of desperation to the situation, listening to them growing fainter was a timer he really didn’t need right now. His eyes immediately shot to your midsection as Hange lifted the comfortable shirt you’d thrown on, almost choking at the sight. All Levi saw was red. Figuratively and literally. The bandages you’d haphazardly wrapped around yourself had done nothing but absorb as much blood as they could, before letting the rest spill over. He’d never felt such paralysing fear in his life, not when Hange’s face dropped in defeat, refusing to meet Levi’s gaze.

“She’s lost too much blood…” they whispered, hands still pressing on the wound despite how fruitless it now seemed. It was then everything seemed so far away. Every sound made was muffled, every movement made was blurry. At some point Levi felt himself be dragged away from you. Felt himself fighting back, struggling against a force he couldn’t even decipher. Only vaguely registering Hange talking to two soldiers, the medics brought by Miche and Nanaba. But all he could focus on was you. Pale faced and dying. You were dying. Or you were already dead. He only realised he’d been shouting for you, screaming for you when he could no longer recognise his own voice, only the cracked, raw sobs of a broken man as he continued to fight against whatever held him back.

“Levi, you have to let her go.” deep, sympathetic tones of the commander cut through the grief stricken haze. He didn’t even know where he was. He didn’t know where he’d been dragged to. His eyes had stayed glued to the last spot he’d seen you before he was taken from the scene.

“Don’t ask me to do that. Please, don’t ask me to do that,” Levi stared at his hands unblinking, silver eyes taking in the blood beneath his fingernails, crimson lining the creases of his hands. He’d been sat down somewhere away from the commotion, Erwin staying by his side as they tried to save your life. He couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault. If you felt like you could tell him about your injuries, none of this would have happened. If he wasn’t so overprotective over you, none of this would have happened. He knew you would tell him it wasn’t his fault, just like how he told you the fate of the girl wasn’t yours. But guilt still twisted his mind and heart into knots.

“Levi–” Erwin started, before he was interrupted by the arrival of a grim looking Hange, their own clothes and hands too seem stained in your blood. Looking up from his hands, Levi tried to read their expression, but found himself coming up with no answer to the most prominent question in his mind. Erwin voiced it for him. “Is she…”

“She’ll be okay. She’s lost a lot of blood, and is extremely weak at the moment, but she’ll recover. She’s currently resting, but the medic squad said you can see her.” For the nth time today, another wave of emotions crowded Levi’s tired mind. Unutterable relief that you would be okay. That he wouldn’t have to somehow continue on without you by his side. Rising from his seat, he immediately crossed the tent Erwin had dragged him to, pulling the flap to the side before Hange’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “Just, be careful. Her stitches are fresh,” with a sharp nod, too afraid his voice would break even further if he spoke, before ducking beneath the tent-flap and finally realising where he’d been taken.

Time must have shifted, because how the fuck Erwin managed to get him all the way across the camp in what seemed like only a few short seconds he would never know, before reality dawned on him. It had been half an hour since you’d collapsed. Dusk had settled to night, torches and campfires illuminating his path as he strode through the quietened site, making a beeline for the medical tent.

The relief he felt when he heard you were okay was nothing compared to the crippling sense of gratitude he felt when actually seeing you, alive, asleep on a camp-bed. The slow rise and fall of your chest calmed his own heartbeat as he knelt by your side, smoothing your brow with his thumb.

“You scared the shit out of me.” he whispered, pressing a kiss to your hair before resting his forehead against your own.

“Sorry…” Levi drew back a bit, mouth agape, searching your face just as you turned your head slightly to face him, eyes cracking open. He looked terrible, but you didn’t think you’d seen anything so sweet in your life. “Levi, I’m so sor–”

“Damn right you are. I’ve never been so fucking scared in my life. I thought that was it. I thought I’d lost you,” though his words seemed harsh, there was nothing but gentle relief in his tone as he returned his forehead to yours, a hand coming down to squeeze your palm just to make sure you really were alive and this wasn’t some grief conjured hallucination. “Please… just tell me next time. I know I can be cautious and overprotective but I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. I was so fucking scared my fear of losing you had somehow killed you.” you brought your free palm up to cup his cheek, gently guiding his face so you could look him in the eye.

“I know this is a really bad time to say this, but I can look after myself–”

“She says, from a hospital bed.”

“Yeah yeah, I know. But you don’t have to go into overdrive everytime I get a splinter,” –Levi raised a brow, eyes flicking to your now bandaged wound– “okay bad example, but you know what I mean.” you smiled at his soft chuckle, relishing as his lips once again caressed your hairline. He interlaced your hands, squeezing softly as his mouth trailed gentle kisses down the side of your face, to your cheek, and finally capturing your lips.

“I know. I’m sorry… but you’re fucking crazy if you think I’m going to let you lift a finger for the next three weeks at least.” it was your turn to chuckle lightly, wincing as it strained your newly stitched abdomen. Noticing your discomfort, Levi’s brows pinched in concern, thumb still smoothing over the curves of your face. “Is there anything you need? Food? Water?” he asked, looking around as if to catch one of the medics walking by, but you shook your head.

“Just… stay. Please.” his expression softened, nodding before dragging a chair to your bedside. You both stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before inevitably your mind wandered back to the girl from before. “The girl from before… Do we know what happened to her?” you asked softly, worry lacing your tired tones. Levi shook his head gently, hating how your eyes fell in sorrow. You’d just almost died, and yet you were still concerned for others. It was something that had him falling for you right from the start, your compassion, and he would do anything to protect it.

“I think she’ll be assigned to the psych ward. Hopefully they’ll be able to help her in some way, but I dou–” seeing your expression sink further stopped him in his tracks, his heart clenching painfully at your response. Lifting the hand he still held in his own, he gently kissed your knuckles. “She’s alive and safe because of you. You saved her life. I know you think you should have been there earlier but truth be told, it’s impossible to tell whether you could have saved her sister as well. You did what you could, and that’s all any of us can do.” he murmured against your hand, prompting a teary smile to creep across your face as you nodded in affirmed agreement.

“Thank you.” you whispered, your body too focussed on recovering to do or say much else as you drifted back to sleep. A small, fond smile pulled at Levi’s lips, mirroring your expression as he leant down to kiss your forehead.

“Huh?” You looked up from your pile of sludge, distastefully setting it aside after you swallowed the small bite of food you decided to sample.

“It’s true,” Historia insisted. “Not even when we’re going to sleep. You always have it in a bun.”

You shrugged. “It’s just easier.”

Mikasa murmured her agreement, and the group pondered your response before Ymir spoke.

“It must be really long by now. Especially if you’ve never cut it.” She was eyeing your bun suspiciously, as if in disbelief.

“It’s just too much work to style it.” You replied. “And it keeps it out of my eyes.”

Satisfied with your response, the group’s conversation shifted into other subjects, allowing you to get up silently and place your plate in the wash bin. Captain Levi hated when the Scouts didn’t pick up after themselves, and you did not want to get on his bad side.

“I was unaware lunch required incessant, brainless, chatter.” Levi suddenly spoke, causing the scouts to snap to attention. Behind him was Hange, bouncing on the balls of their feet as they greeted everyone in excitement.

“Hiya! You all look so cute in your civilian clothes, I almost forgot you were actually people!” They cackled, earning some groans from Eren and Ymir at their joke.

“Captain Hange,” Historia spoke up, a mischievous glint in her eye. “What is your opinion on our hair?”

“Your hair?” Hange exclaimed, earning them an irritated glare from Levi. “Individually, or as a whole?”

Historia shrugged. “Who’s hair interests you the most?"

Hange murmured in thought, scratching their temple with a finger. “What an idiotic question.” Levi scoffed, passing by you to pick up an apple and lean against the counter beside you.

“You shush, old man.” Hange retorted. Levi simply grunted, which surprised you as if any of the scouts had replied that way he would have fed them to the titans. “Hmm, let’s see. I think Eren’s has potential, it’s very luscious.”

“Potential?” Eren cried, offended.

“Ooh, Jean’s is odd, but I’ll have to pass.” Hange continued, either oblivious or unbothered by the undignified reaction that left Jean.

“I like Historia’s! Very bright. Ooh, and Y/N. I think she’s hiding some beautiful locks with that knot.”

You chuckled. “I don’t think it’s as interesting as you think.”

Levi finished his apple, heading for the trash to dispose of it, as this conversation was of no use or interest to him you assumed.

“Will you ever let us see it? C’mon, it’s just us. Your bestest friends.” Sasha insisted.

You contemplated it for a second. You weren’t adverse to the concept, and you weren’t exactly insecure about it. You just didn’t think much of it, seeing your hair as more of a nuisance than an accessory. You were more focused on tasks at hand, or on not dying (which was probably more important.) You shrugged.

“Sure, I don’t see the harm. But I’m sorry if I disappoint, although I’m not responsible for your expectations of my hair.” You giggled good naturedly.

The group laughed at your comment.

“Aw, I was expecting some like, forest animals to come out.” Connie teased.

“You might be surprised.” You replied in an ominous tone, causing you all to erupt in another fit of laughter.

“Okay, okay, let’s see.” Sasha prodded.

You began unwinding the tight knot that you routinely wore, finding it almost second nature to twist your locks into the signature bun every morning. As you began unwinding, you gave your head a good shake to undo any flatness your hair might have acquired. You released your hair, and it fell over your shoulders in deep waves.

You heard a loud smack, and you along with the rest of the Scouts turned in alarm at the source.

Captain Levi had unceremoniously come into contact with the pillar in the middle of the room, rubbing his forehead with a sour expression on his handsome face.

“Are you okay, sir?” You were quick to ask.

He glanced at you quickly, and you noticed his blush increased. He then tsked, hiding his gaze from you. “You didn’t see anything.” He muttered.

The Scouts numbly nodded, too afraid to oppose him/

“Well, what’re you standing around for? Get to cleaning.” He snapped, storming off.

After the short man had left, the teenagers giggled quietly.

“That was odd.” Bertholdt remarked. “He’s usually hyper aware of his surroundings, considering his stature.”

“Maybe he saw something that distracted him.” Historia giggled, sweeping the floor with a broom.

“Like what?” You questioned obliviously, dusting a cabinet. Your hair remained down, as you had been too caught up in checking if Levi was okay to put it back up.

“Hmmm… maybe you, looking gorgeous with your hair down for the first time?” Historia replied nonchalantly.

You felt blood rush to your face. You weren’t arrogant enough to assume you could distract men with your beauty, so to even imagine your looks distracting the Captain Levi? Humanity’s strongest soldier? There was no way.

You shook your head at Historia’s unsound observation. “Now you’re just making things up.”

“No,” Ymir spoke. “I saw it. He was for sure staring.”

“You think the captain has a crush? On Y/N?” Eren whispered, pausing his own broom strokes to stare wide-eyed at Ymir.

Ymir shrugged, leaning back in the chair she had not left since the rest of them had shot up to clean. “He seemed like he enjoyed the view.”

You held your face in your hands, the implications of what they were saying flustering you more than you wished to express. It was not a very well kept secret that you had a minor crush on the Captain, but you never pursued it as you found it stupid to even think Levi would be interested in anyone, much less a Scout. You hated how their teasing tone made your stomach flutter with hope.

“Pftt,” You rolled your eyes. “He was probably just thinking about our next move. It must not be easy having so much on your back.”

“If you say so.” Sasha mumbled, staring at a basket of bread in the corner wistfully.

You did say so, but you deeply hoped you were wrong, and that even for a moment you had caught Levi's attention.

It was true. Levi wasn’t distracted easily. He couldn’t afford to be, so he was always vigilant of his surroundings and anything that could be considered a threat. So he was way aware of the conversation that was unfolding as he tossed the remnants of his food in the trash.

To say he hadn’t noticed you would be a lie as well. He had seen the potential in you- while you weren’t rowdy or arrogant like Eren or Jean, or an extremely skilled soldier as Mikasa, you had your own qualities that attracted Levi. You were smart, for one, your passion was deep and you could be strong willed. Your looks were just another factor that made you appealing, in Levi’s opinion.

Levi didn’t notice many people. He wasn’t easily distracted, but someone had to be special for him to really engrain them in his mind or for him to even catch the differences in their appearance. So imagine his surprise when he was walking back to the kitchen and there you were, hair falling over your shoulders wildly. He felt his breath catch in his throat, and he didn’t even realize when he was colliding with the pillar, a resounding smack as his pale forehead impacted the column.

“Are you okay, sir?” He heard your voice above the other sounds of concern the group emitted, and it made him want to melt into a puddle on the floor and disappear. Why did his tough exterior crack around you? No matter how hard he tried, he always resulted making a fool of himself with you more than anyone else.

“You didn’t see anything.” He snapped. He desperately hoped his blush wasn’t noticeable, as he felt his face blazing and he was sure it had nothing to do with the temperature inside the stuffy castle.

Later in his room, Levi silently pondered if you had been able to see through his bluff. Perhaps he liked you more than he let on. Maybe he thought you were prettier with your hair down. One thing he was certain of was that he would try his best to pretend he didn’t see you- even if you were the only one he actually noticed.