#levi fluff

Levi’s stream setup is unsurprisingly spotless. There’s not a single crumb near his keyboard, not a single cable out of place, not a single fingerprint on his glossy microphone. Even the little cup of tea beside his monitor sits on a coaster. His camera is angled perfectly. He looks so deeply unimpressed by the game he’s playing at the moment that anyone watching would think he’s being held at gunpoint. Which, according to Levi, is exactly what streaming feels like.

You sit just out of the frame on the couch behind him, wearing one of his hoodies as you pretend not to watch him more than the show playing muted on your phone. He’s wearing his headset, his brows drawn together in concentration. He leans a little closer to the screen, his fingers moving over the keyboard.

“If this idiot runs into the open one more time, I’m letting him die,” he says.

A laugh escapes you before you can stop it. “You say that every round,” you tease from the couch. “And then you save him anyway.”

Levi looks toward you, a softness hidden so well under the annoyance he displays that most would miss it, but you don’t; you catch it every time. And every time, it makes you smile.

“Keep talking. You’re next,” he says.

You thought you spoke low enough that the microphone wouldn’t pick up your voice. Unfortunately for you, the chat heard you. Messages begin moving faster along the side of the screen, a blur of usernames and custom emojis. Levi looks at them briefly, knowing trouble is coming. 

Then the donation alert chimes, and an automated voice reads aloud, “Donation from CleanFreakSupremacy: Levi, tell your girlfriend her voice is cute.”

Levi freezes for a brief moment. You press a hand over your mouth, stifling a laugh. He says nothing for one second, but the silence is funnier than any audible reaction could have been. His jaw ticks, his eyes narrow at the monitor, and when he speaks, his voice is so flat he almost sounds bored.

“No.”

You can see enough of the chat from your spot to catch small pieces of the messages pouring through.

Tell her hi!

WAIT SHE’S REAL?

LEVI HAS A GIRLFRIEND?

her laugh was so cute

COMMON LEVI W

MOVE THE CAMERA

that was so adorable

Levi silently wishes he could intimidate the thousands of strangers watching him into silence through a deadly stare. “She’s not part of the stream,” he says. Then another donation chimes immediately.

“Donation from midnightrose55: Respectfully, girlfriend, you sound adorable.”

Levi grips his mouse harder. You bite the inside of your cheek, trying so hard not to laugh that your shoulders begin to shake. It shouldn’t be this funny. It really shouldn’t. But Levi, who can face the most terrifying horror games with a bored expression, is more affected by a few flirty donations.

“Stop donating to flirt with her,” he warns.

The chat moves faster. Another chime.

“Donation from ShortKingEnjoyer: is she single?”

Levi slowly looks at the camera. “No, my girlfriend is not fucking single.”

You lose the fight and burst into laughter on the couch, nearly curling into a ball as warmth rushes to your face. You tap the couch cushions in a fit. You know he’s not actually angry. Levi is far too secure for that… at least, you think he is. But you know he hates sharing attention, least of all with someone named ShortKingEnjoyer. It makes your heart squeeze.

“Levi,” you manage, still laughing, “be nice.”

“I am being nice,” he grits. “Nobody’s been banned yet.”

Chat picks up on the looming threat immediately.

BAN ME LEVI. IT’S WORTH IT

ask her to say hi!

girlfriend cam when?

SHE SHOULD STREAM INSTEAD

You watch his mouth twist into a frown, and because you both love him and love tormenting him, you stand from the couch and move closer to his chair. Levi senses you approaching before you even reach him. His posture changes slightly, his shoulders rising and his head turning slightly. His hand pauses on the mouse.

“Don’t,” he whispers.

You lean into the webcam frame anyway, resting one hand on the back of his chair and giving the camera a little wave. “Hi, chat!”

The messages fly by too quickly to read. The alert chimes again, again, again, the beginning of the stupidest war to exist. Levi looks at the camera, then at you, then back at the screen, and the redness creeping up his cheekbones is so cute it should, frankly, be illegal.

“Donation from bashfulwolf6599: Oh, she’s gorgeous. Levi, blink twice if you want a third person in your relationship.”

Levi’s face goes blank. You make a strangled noise that’s half laugh and half gasp. He clicks something on the screen, and it takes you a moment to realize what he did.

“You timed them out?” you ask.

“Five minutes,” Levi mutters.

“You banned someone for complimenting me?”

“I’m giving them time to reflect.”

Another donation chimes.

“Donation from reiner0010: sounds jealous to me.”

Levi squints. You see the moment his patience snaps, but it honestly doesn’t take much to tell, because soon, that user is banned too. “You’re gone too,” he mutters, clicking again. “You people are getting too comfortable.”

“Levi, you cannot keep banning people because they’re teasing you,” you scold, although you’re barely containing your giggling.

“I can. Watch me,” he says.

HE’S SO MAD

she should start a channel! i’d sub

girlfriend stream WHEN?

JEALOUS LEVI HAHAHAHA

You look at the screen before looking at him, and your smile grows wickedly. “Maybe I should start my own channel.”

Levi whips his head toward you. “No.”

“You don’t think I’d be good at it?"

“I didn’t say that. I just—”

“They already like me.”

“That’s the problem.”

You should probably be annoyed that Levi is getting jealous over a bunch of pixels and harmless teasing, but seeing him sitting there with reddened cheeks and a clenched jaw because strangers on the internet have complimented the woman he loves makes you want to crawl into his lap and kiss every bit of irritation off his face.

So you bend down and kiss his cheek. Levi freezes. The camera hides nothing. The chat messages dissolve into hearts, screaming, keyboard smashing, at least three people demanding a public wedding stream. Levi looks at the chaos unfolding for a long second, then he shifts the mouse and clicks. The stream ends. Silence drops over the room so suddenly that your laughter fills all of it. Levi removes his headset, sighing quietly.

“You’re so ridiculous,” you say.

“And you’re banned from my stream.”

“You can’t ban me. I live here.”

“You’re banned from the house too,” he says, though his hands find your waist before he finishes speaking, pulling you a little closer. You stand between his knees as he swivels to face you. You lift your hand and lightly brush your thumb against his ears, which now match the redness of his cheeks.

“They can donate all they want. I’m still going to bed with you at the end of the night,” you smile.

Levi’s skin flushes an even deeper shade of red. He stares at you for a moment, caught somewhere between embarrassment, victory, and a tenderness he always tries and fails to hide from you. Then he clears his throat, looks away, and tightens his arms around your waist.

“End of discussion,” he says.

MASTERLIST ♡ JOIN THE TAGLIST ♡ AO3 ♡ WATTPAD ♡ KO-FI

tags: @saccharinefool @bunbun6casp @levkuna @strangeeaglepost @how-interesting-wow @d1leviglazer @y44washere4somereason @slaytherinthoughts @levishart @gloomyveil @levislolita  @nerdskillz @elegantmakercoffee @444anya @miaszt @astersfantasies @daisyy-lev @naxymoon @bxcketbarnes @caliope13 @starfallenlevi @altpsyche @tea-rae @ssomethingalieen @starryscara @starlighttitan @leviholics @angelbearknyyy @tallvanillalatte @myfreespirit23 @kacasplaca @christmaswarlock @jmmasstuff @seanicsiren @yxo7 @fragilevampiir7

divider by: cillmequick

Given that you were not in the habit of disobeying orders, you grasped the highly polished brass handle and the snick of the door catching loosened the contents of your stomach into a swirling maelstrom.

It was warm inside, inviting even, the smell of camomile tea mingled with the open ink pot and the dying embers in the fireplace hissed softly as the coals lost the remnants of their energy. Despite the ambient heat, you pulled the shawl closer around your shoulders and ducked your head to the man sat behind the desk.

Levi glanced up and his grey eyes warmed, faint lines crinkling in the corners even if he didn’t look to be smiling. This was not uncommon, and long had you mastered the ability to read his every tiny micro expression with reasonable accuracy. He let his pen drop to the crease of his open journal and canted his head ever so slightly.

“Good evening, love. Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he asked evenly, the earlier authority of his voice mellowed into mere intrigue.

“I should ask you the same thing, Captain, and how did you know I was outside?”

He hummed, the shadow of a smile gracing his face and only serving to make him look all the more handsome, not that he needed the help. Instead of answering, he lifted a hand and flicked his wrist in your direction, beckoning you close.

Another order you were not going to disobey.

Your fingers traced the bevelled edge of his pristine desk, his eyes following your every move, assessing silently. Levi pushed his chair back, reclining to afford you the room to climb onto his awaiting lap.

Instantly, you felt better, soothed by his presence. The shadows encroaching on your mind receded in the wake of his inner light and strength.

He pressed his lips to the crown of your head, nose burrowing into your hair just as his hand secured at your waist. The scent of his soap invaded your nose, the ascot at his throat tickling your cheek and for the first time that day you felt the tension melt out of your shoulders. He was your haven.

“Your feet,” he said, drawing a frown to your face.

“What about them?”

“You asked how I knew you were outside. I could see the shadow of feet beneath the door, and only you or Erwin ever visit this late. The Commander would not have hesitated, so I knew it was you.”

“Oh.”

For a long moment, you basked in the silence.

The negative thoughts of earlier dissipating with the stroke of his elegant fingers down each notch of your spine. He asked for nothing and took so little. Whether he knew it or not, Levi had come to be a beacon for you. The person you sought out when times were hard, and who you looked to when you are uncertain.

Whilst your relationship with the captain was far from common knowledge, it was not a secret either. In truth, the definition of what the two of you were had never been formally discussed and you didn’t feel like it was needed, not yet, not when things were still so turbulent. There were far more important things to deal with and honestly, that was okay. Moments like these made up for the unknowable future.

“Something bothers you,” he stated, not needing it to be a question when he could read you like an open book.

The tightness of your shoulders and the weariness around your eyes when you first entered his office were more than enough evidence to your current state. Levi was not the most subtle of men when it came to speaking, but you liked his directness, it was a balm when the potential for misunderstanding lurked between every word—spoken or not.

He wasn’t demanding an explanation, only stating a fact. Since you weren’t sure you could verbalise the jumble of thoughts dragging your mood down, all you did was nod in agreement, snuggling deeper into his chest. Your palm smoothed over his stiff shirt, the collar starched and the creases ironed with meticulous attention. The gentle thump of his heart thrummed against your fingertips, steady and even, calming.

No wonder so many looked up to him, even if he regularly terrified the newer recruits. He never wavered in his dedication to his beliefs, and the conviction he used to bolster his… less than savoury words were from the heart. He may not give the kind of awe-inspiring speeches such as those of Commander Smith, but when you asked Levi a question, you would always receive an honest answer, whether you liked it or not.

“I’m pleased you came to me, my love… it means a lot that you trust me when you’re vulnerable. I’m not going to ask you what is wrong, although you’re free to explain if you want, but I am going to ask if you need me to kick anyone’s ass.”

You chuckled at the thought, the molten steel lacing those final words more than enough to remind you that Levi Ackerman was not to be trifled with. His fingers stilled, pressing deeper into your side and the curve of your shoulder like you might slip right through his fingers if he didn’t hold onto you tightly. It was far from uncomfortable; it was exactly what you needed.

“No ass kickings necessary, promise. My head just feels a little messy is all… I couldn’t empty it enough to sleep and the longer I stared at the ceiling, the more annoyed I got. Then I was thinking about when I nearly smacked into the side of the storeroom during ODM training last week and…” you paused to take a breath, blowing it out slowly through your nose. “I think you get the gist.”

“Tch… that accident was because you weren’t focused on where you wanted to go. I was watching you and your eyes kept finding me even though you knew you should be trying to improve your forward momentum by using your bodyweight as well as the gear,” he said matter-of-factly, following up his gentle reprimand with a flick aimed between your eyebrows.

“Can you blame me? You look good in your training gear, and I was reminiscing about the morning where we—”

Levi hushed you, bouncing one leg until you were giggling once more and clutching at his shoulders for stability. “You’ll end that sentence right there. Now is not the time for those kinds of thoughts. Walls have ears, remember.”

You peered up at him from beneath your lashes, internally cheering when the colour of his cheeks took on the faintest pink hue. The corners of his lips twitched, and you couldn’t believe how much your mood had lifted in only a few moments in his presence. The temptation of sleep, which had hiding from you, edged closer and you could feel the weight of it pressing upon your eyelids.

“Let me finish this last entry and I will take us both to bed, okay?”

It took all your remaining energy to simply nod; fingers twisted into the front of his shirt whilst the steady rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat lulled you to sleep. Levi picked up his pen, dipped it into the ink and resumed his writing. The faint scratching of the nib against the thick paper was a pleasant tickle to your ears and soon enough, you were fast asleep.

Levi tried his best to focus on what he was recording, but it was desperately difficult. The allure of your soft body curled into his drove him entirely to distraction. At last, the final sentence was inked into the page, and he was able to eat his fill of you.

The dying candlelight flickered across your skin in a mysterious dance, highlighting your cheekbones and nose, the perfect curve of your mouth. Oh, how he wanted to kiss that sweet mouth and expel any lingering doubts in your brain, leaving you empty headed and blissed out… but there would be times for that later.

He wasn’t exaggerating when he said he was pleased you came to him; pride puffed his chest outward that you had grown to trust him this much and whilst he wished he could rid you of any and all negative thoughts, that wasn’t reasonable. All he asked was that you were honest with yourself and him about how you felt. Nothing good ever came from bottling up emotions. Advice that he himself needed to take.

As he stood slowly, arms cradled behind your back and under your thighs, he vowed to do better. Levi let a smile slip onto his lips when you mumbled his name in your sleep and pressed your nose deeper into the ascot at his throat. He wouldn’t wash this one for a while, wanting to keep your intoxicating scent imprinted on the fabric for as long as he dared.

Levi books the reservation four months in advance. 

He doesn’t tell you until the evening of your third anniversary, when you pause outside the restaurant beneath an awning and stare through enormous windows at white tablecloths, crystal chandeliers, and people who look like they’ve never checked their bank accounts before buying anything.

“Levi,” you murmur, glancing down at your outfit and suddenly wondering whether you should’ve worn something nicer, “this place has a doorman.”

“I can see that,” he says.

“The doorman is wearing gloves.”

“He’s just opening a door, honey.”

The doorman opens it with a gracious smile, and Levi places a hand on the small of your back, guiding you inside before you can have a crisis and run outside. He looks unfairly handsome tonight, dressed in a dark suit that fits him perfectly. So perfectly that you’re trying not to stare. You can already see what he’s thinking even though he’s trying desperately to hide it. He wants this to be perfect.

“You planned all this months ago, didn’t you?” you ask after the host leads you toward a small candlelit table.

Levi pulls out your chair for you. “Maybe.”

“How long?”

“That’s irrelevant.”

“Four?” His silence answers you. Your smile grows warm. “You’re adorable.”

“Just sit down.”

You sit, still smiling, and Levi takes the chair opposite yours. For a little while, everything is perfect. The restaurant is unbelievably beautiful, the candlelight catches in Levi’s grey eyes, and beneath the table, the toe of his shoe rests lightly against yours. Your waitress, Gabi, comes to get you started off with drinks. After she leaves, Levi reaches across the white cloth to take your hand, his thumb moving over your knuckles.

“Three years,” you say.

“Hm.”

“You sound absolutely thrilled.”

“Wouldn’t be here if I hated you.”

“Shakespeare has nothing on you.” Levi smiles.

Then the waiter spills both drinks directly into your lap. 

Neither you or Levi reacts at first. One moment, two glasses are being carried toward you; the next, sparkling water and red wine cascade across the table, soaking the cloth, splashing your clothes, and extinguishing the candle with a tiny hiss.

The waitress freezes. You freeze. Levi looks down at the wine dripping from the edge of the table onto his pants.

“Oh,” the waitress whispers.

Levi looks at her. Gabi begins apologizing quickly, scrambling for napkins while you press your lips tightly closed, because Levi looks like he’s using every ounce of self-control to not say something that will get you escorted out of the restaurant.

“It’s okay, hun,” you assure the waitress, grabbing Levi’s wrist beneath the table before he can object. “Accidents happen.”

“They happen to incompetent people,” Levi mutters.

Gabi hears him. You know because her face crumples slightly before she flees to retrieve more napkins. You glare at Levi.

“Be nicer, would you?” you whisper.

“My socks are wet.”

“I’m sure they’ll write songs about your suffering.”

You’re quickly moved to another table, offered replacement drinks, and assured that your meals will be paid for. Forty-five minutes later, there’s no food. The couple seated beside you, however, is providing dinner and a show.

“I know about Vanessa,” the woman hisses.

The man recoils. “Vanessa is my dental hygienist.”

“You don’t floss.”

“That’s exactly why I need a dental hygienist!”

Levi slowly closes his eyes and exhales slowly. You lift your fresh glass to hide your smile, but it’s utterly useless. Laughter escapes you in a short undiginified snort. 

“Don’t,” Levi warns without opening his eyes.

“I’m not doing anything,” you say shakily.

“You’re shaking the table.”

Beside you, the argument intensifies.

“Then why did she text you a tooth emoji at midnight?”

“Because I have gingivitis, Claire!”

Your shoulders tremble. Levi opens his eyes and stares at you, his mouth wavering, threatening to break into a laugh. “Why are you enjoying this?” he whispers.

“I’m learning so much about oral health,” you say.

“You’re an idiot.”

“You love me.”

“I’m starting to regret that.”

Your meals finally arrive after an hour. They’re both wrong. You look down at a plate containing something covered in mushrooms after specifically requesting no mushrooms, while Levi stares at a piece of fish he most certainly did not order.

The waitress smiles nervously. “Enjoy.”

Levi looks at you. You look at Levi. At the next table, Claire announces that Vanessa can have him. Levi reaches into his pants, pulls out his wallet, removes enough cash to cover the drinks and tip, and places it on the table.

“We’re leaving,” he declares.

You blink. “What about our romantic dinner?”

“I’m about to romance you into a cheeseburger.”

That’s how your meticulously planned three-year anniversary dinner ends with the two of you sitting in a twenty-four-hour diner, still dressed in your finest clothes, sharing greasy fries. No chandeliers, no candlelight, no quiet violin. There is, however, a sticky patch beneath your bare elbow and a milkshake so thick you nearly choke trying to drink it. Levi watches you struggle with the straw for a few seconds before sliding his own untouched spoon across the table.

“Thanks,” you say.

“You looked pathetic,” he scoffs.

“You’re the most romantic man alive.”

“I booked the other place four months in advance,” Levi grumbles, poking at a fry.

“This is so much better, though.”

His brows draw together slightly, wondering if you’re just trying to make him feel better. He knows you wouldn’t do that to him, though. “Honey, your clothes are stained.”

“So are yours.”

“And the food took an hour.”

“But we found out Claire’s boyfriend has gingivitis.” Levi chokes out a laugh. You reach across the table and take his hand, threading your fingers through his. “I mean it. This is perfect.”

Levi looks over your face for a long moment and you watch the disappointment and hint of anger leave him little by little, his shoulders relaxing as his fingers clench around yours.

“I wanted to do something special,” he says.

“You did.” You lift his hand and kiss his knuckles. “You threatened a waiter with just your eyes, rescued me from a mushroom invasion, and bought me fries. I’ve never felt more cherished.”

“She spilled wine on you.”

You laugh. You’re not even mad about it anymore. “And you looked like you were ready to challenge her to a duel.”

“I was considering it.”

“I know. It was very sexy.”

Levi rolls his eyes, but his thumb strokes slowly over your hand, betraying him. 

A little later, when you leave the restaurant, he drapes his suit jacket over your shoulders despite your protests. You walk toward the car hand in hand, but Levi suddenly stops in front of a storefront.

“What?” you ask.

Levi draws you closer by the waist and kisses you slowly. You make a small noise of surprise, but you still wrap your arms around him, running your fingers through his undercut. The stupidity of the evening melts into the feeling of his mouth against yours. When he pulls away, his forehead rests briefly on yours.

“Next year, we’re staying home,” he says.

“Only if there are burgers,” you smile.

“There’ll be burgers.”

“And no Vanessa.”

“I’m never going to a dentist again.”

Your laughter follows you all the way to the car.

MASTERLIST ♡ JOIN THE TAGLIST ♡ AO3 ♡ WATTPAD ♡ KO-FI

tags: @saccharinefool @bunbun6casp @levkuna @strangeeaglepost @how-interesting-wow @d1leviglazer @y44washere4somereason @slaytherinthoughts @levishart @gloomyveil @levislolita  @nerdskillz @elegantmakercoffee @444anya @miaszt @astersfantasies @daisyy-lev @naxymoon @bxcketbarnes @caliope13 @starfallenlevi @altpsyche @tea-rae @ssomethingalieen @starryscara @starlighttitan @leviholics @angelbearknyyy @tallvanillalatte @gingerbreadsnail @myfreespirit23 @kacasplaca @christmaswarlock @jmmasstuff

divider by: thecutestgrotto

Given that you were not in the habit of disobeying orders, you grasped the highly polished brass handle and the snick of the door catching loosened the contents of your stomach into a swirling maelstrom.

It was warm inside, inviting even, the smell of camomile tea mingled with the open ink pot and the dying embers in the fireplace hissed softly as the coals lost the remnants of their energy. Despite the ambient heat, you pulled the shawl closer around your shoulders and ducked your head to the man sat behind the desk.

Levi glanced up and his grey eyes warmed, faint lines crinkling in the corners even if he didn’t look to be smiling. This was not uncommon, and long had you mastered the ability to read his every tiny micro expression with reasonable accuracy. He let his pen drop to the crease of his open journal and canted his head ever so slightly.

“Good evening, love. Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he asked evenly, the earlier authority of his voice mellowed into mere intrigue.

“I should ask you the same thing, Captain, and how did you know I was outside?”

He hummed, the shadow of a smile gracing his face and only serving to make him look all the more handsome, not that he needed the help. Instead of answering, he lifted a hand and flicked his wrist in your direction, beckoning you close.

Another order you were not going to disobey.

Your fingers traced the bevelled edge of his pristine desk, his eyes following your every move, assessing silently. Levi pushed his chair back, reclining to afford you the room to climb onto his awaiting lap.

Instantly, you felt better, soothed by his presence. The shadows encroaching on your mind receded in the wake of his inner light and strength.

He pressed his lips to the crown of your head, nose burrowing into your hair just as his hand secured at your waist. The scent of his soap invaded your nose, the ascot at his throat tickling your cheek and for the first time that day you felt the tension melt out of your shoulders. He was your haven.

“Your feet,” he said, drawing a frown to your face.

“What about them?”

“You asked how I knew you were outside. I could see the shadow of feet beneath the door, and only you or Erwin ever visit this late. The Commander would not have hesitated, so I knew it was you.”

“Oh.”

For a long moment, you basked in the silence.

The negative thoughts of earlier dissipating with the stroke of his elegant fingers down each notch of your spine. He asked for nothing and took so little. Whether he knew it or not, Levi had come to be a beacon for you. The person you sought out when times were hard, and who you looked to when you are uncertain.

Whilst your relationship with the captain was far from common knowledge, it was not a secret either. In truth, the definition of what the two of you were had never been formally discussed and you didn’t feel like it was needed, not yet, not when things were still so turbulent. There were far more important things to deal with and honestly, that was okay. Moments like these made up for the unknowable future.

“Something bothers you,” he stated, not needing it to be a question when he could read you like an open book.

The tightness of your shoulders and the weariness around your eyes when you first entered his office were more than enough evidence to your current state. Levi was not the most subtle of men when it came to speaking, but you liked his directness, it was a balm when the potential for misunderstanding lurked between every word—spoken or not.

He wasn’t demanding an explanation, only stating a fact. Since you weren’t sure you could verbalise the jumble of thoughts dragging your mood down, all you did was nod in agreement, snuggling deeper into his chest. Your palm smoothed over his stiff shirt, the collar starched and the creases ironed with meticulous attention. The gentle thump of his heart thrummed against your fingertips, steady and even, calming.

No wonder so many looked up to him, even if he regularly terrified the newer recruits. He never wavered in his dedication to his beliefs, and the conviction he used to bolster his… less than savoury words were from the heart. He may not give the kind of awe-inspiring speeches such as those of Commander Smith, but when you asked Levi a question, you would always receive an honest answer, whether you liked it or not.

“I’m pleased you came to me, my love… it means a lot that you trust me when you’re vulnerable. I’m not going to ask you what is wrong, although you’re free to explain if you want, but I am going to ask if you need me to kick anyone’s ass.”

You chuckled at the thought, the molten steel lacing those final words more than enough to remind you that Levi Ackerman was not to be trifled with. His fingers stilled, pressing deeper into your side and the curve of your shoulder like you might slip right through his fingers if he didn’t hold onto you tightly. It was far from uncomfortable; it was exactly what you needed.

“No ass kickings necessary, promise. My head just feels a little messy is all… I couldn’t empty it enough to sleep and the longer I stared at the ceiling, the more annoyed I got. Then I was thinking about when I nearly smacked into the side of the storeroom during ODM training last week and…” you paused to take a breath, blowing it out slowly through your nose. “I think you get the gist.”

“Tch… that accident was because you weren’t focused on where you wanted to go. I was watching you and your eyes kept finding me even though you knew you should be trying to improve your forward momentum by using your bodyweight as well as the gear,” he said matter-of-factly, following up his gentle reprimand with a flick aimed between your eyebrows.

“Can you blame me? You look good in your training gear, and I was reminiscing about the morning where we—”

Levi hushed you, bouncing one leg until you were giggling once more and clutching at his shoulders for stability. “You’ll end that sentence right there. Now is not the time for those kinds of thoughts. Walls have ears, remember.”

You peered up at him from beneath your lashes, internally cheering when the colour of his cheeks took on the faintest pink hue. The corners of his lips twitched, and you couldn’t believe how much your mood had lifted in only a few moments in his presence. The temptation of sleep, which had hiding from you, edged closer and you could feel the weight of it pressing upon your eyelids.

“Let me finish this last entry and I will take us both to bed, okay?”

It took all your remaining energy to simply nod; fingers twisted into the front of his shirt whilst the steady rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat lulled you to sleep. Levi picked up his pen, dipped it into the ink and resumed his writing. The faint scratching of the nib against the thick paper was a pleasant tickle to your ears and soon enough, you were fast asleep.

Levi tried his best to focus on what he was recording, but it was desperately difficult. The allure of your soft body curled into his drove him entirely to distraction. At last, the final sentence was inked into the page, and he was able to eat his fill of you.

The dying candlelight flickered across your skin in a mysterious dance, highlighting your cheekbones and nose, the perfect curve of your mouth. Oh, how he wanted to kiss that sweet mouth and expel any lingering doubts in your brain, leaving you empty headed and blissed out… but there would be times for that later.

He wasn’t exaggerating when he said he was pleased you came to him; pride puffed his chest outward that you had grown to trust him this much and whilst he wished he could rid you of any and all negative thoughts, that wasn’t reasonable. All he asked was that you were honest with yourself and him about how you felt. Nothing good ever came from bottling up emotions. Advice that he himself needed to take.

As he stood slowly, arms cradled behind your back and under your thighs, he vowed to do better. Levi let a smile slip onto his lips when you mumbled his name in your sleep and pressed your nose deeper into the ascot at his throat. He wouldn’t wash this one for a while, wanting to keep your intoxicating scent imprinted on the fabric for as long as he dared.

“Sleep, sweetheart. For tomorrow is a new day and the sun will rise just as we will continue to push forward. I’ll make this a better world… for you.”