#levi x reader insert

“What time is it?” You asked as you stretched your arms above your head, fingertips skimming against the headboard. Levi rolled away from you and you whimpered in protest of his body heat leaving you. Goosebumps rose to the surface of your skin and you shivered, bringing your arms to your sides as you took advantage of having the bed to yourself. Levi was pulling his clothes on, first his boxers, then a pair of sweats laying on the floor from the previous night. 

“It’s past nine.” Levi answered your question as he ducked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. 

“That’s not late.” You grumbled, sitting up and brushing your hair off of your face. The water was running and you could hear Levi brushing his teeth in your sink. You stepped out of bed and threw on a silk robe. As Levi finished up his morning routine you made your way to the kitchen to fix yourself some coffee, and tea for Levi of course. As you waited for the water to boil you sipped on your coffee, surveying your living room which currently looked like a jungle. Plants were strung across the ceiling, long vines and lush leaves. You hadn’t expected to have such a green thumb when you picked up a few small plants from a hardware store a year ago. Levi had been less than enthusiastic when you brought home your first plant, a string of pearls succulent. 

He had gone on and on about the dirt and how he despised the idea of bringing the potting mix into your house. It only got worse when your philodendron started to drop leaves left and right. But now they were happy, all of your plants were soaking up the pale sunlight and you smiled as you ran your fingers over the philodendron’s lush leaves. 

“I hate when you do that.” Levi grumbled and you turned around, your fingers still skimming the leaves. 

“I read online that it’s good to stimulate them.” You smiled dreamily at him and Levi scoffed before padding into the kitchen. The kettle was starting to whistle lowly so he turned off the heat and poured the steaming water into the mug you had set out for him. 

“You’ll get dirt on the floor again.” Levi chided, coming to stand beside you with his steaming mug of tea in hand. You turned and smiled at him, wrapping your arm around his waist and tugging him close to you. 

“Alright alright.” You laughed, leaving the plant in favor of tracing your fingertips over the outline of Levi’s jaw. 

“I get it, you’re jealous of my plants.” You cooed, running the pad of your thumb over his bottom lip. 

“Why would I be jealous of your stupid plant?” He pulled you closer, and you smiled at him. He looked so beautiful in the morning light. The rays were hitting his face just right, and if you looked closely at his hair you could see it was a little brown, not just inky black. 

You pushed a lock of his hair off of his temple, your thumb lingering at the edge of his brow. Levi hummed, setting his mug down on the small side table next to your couch. Levi ran his hands down your sides and over your hips. His thumbs rubbed circles over the front of your hips, his grey eyes seemed blue in the sunlight. When you had first met him, it had been in a dark bar and every feature seemed dark then. But now that you had him in the sunlight you knew that this wasn’t true. Levi was not made of darkness, no matter how much he had seemed to convince himself that he was. 

“What?” Levi asked softly, running his hand up the length of your body until it cupped the side of  your throat. His thumb was pressing against your pulse point, he looked at you funny. His brows knit together and his nose starting to scrunch up. You leaned forwards and pressed a chaste kiss to the tip of his nose and he let out a huff of air, blowing strands of hair off of your face. 

“Nothing, just thinking about…when we first met.” You ran your fingers through his hair, settling at the nape of his neck. He rolled his eyes but still leaned into your touch affectionately. 

“That was ages ago.” Levi wasn’t sentimental, and you knew that in many ways he was not happy that the two of you had met in some shitty bar. But you were sentimental, you loved remembering how he looked in the purple LED lights, every time you drank a vodka cranberry now you thought of him. Every time you smelled tea you remembered your first morning waking up in his bed. 

“It was only like four years ago.” You laughed and Levi slid his hand into your hair. 

“Time sure flies by doesn’t it.” Levi mumbled, gently coaxing you closer to his lips, which undoubtedly would taste like tea. You indulged him, leaning into his warmth again and pressing your lips to his. He sighed like he always did when you kissed him like this, soft and slow. Taking your time to taste him, and like always he tasted like tea with a hint of mint. You smiled into the kiss and his breathing grew heavier, he pushed you backwards and your hip hit the arm of the couch. 

“Levi, we’re supposed to go to brunch with Hange and Moblit.” You said as he pushed you onto the couch. He followed after you, the small couch dipping under the weight of you both. 

“Fuck ‘em.” He groaned before kissing you again, slotting himself between your legs. You pulled back and he chased your lips, but you turned your head abruptly so all he got was your jaw. He pulled away and glared at you, now the tables had turned. Levi was haloed in sunlight again, but most of the sun was hitting you as you lay there on the couch. He paused and appreciated you, how warm your smile was, the wrinkles that creased the corners of your eyes as you smiled at him. How your skin literally glowed in the morning sun. 

He wished now more than ever that he had met you in the morning, of course he had thought that you were beautiful in the dark bar. But this, this was a whole other side of you, he loved the way you couldn’t stop collecting plants. He loves how you decorate the apartment you share with him. Levi could go on and on about the qualities he adores in you. 

“We should go soon.” You pulled him from his thoughts, your eyes squinting from the direct sunlight. 

“Five more minutes.” Levi fell on top of you, keeping you pinned under his weight, his nose buried in the crook of your neck. You rubbed up and down his bare back, and Levi practically purred at the touch. 

“We said we’d be there at ten remember?” You gently reminded him and Levi groaned, sitting up and allowing you to do the same. 

“Stupid shitty glasses, always cock blocking me.” Levi mumbled as he got to his feet and disappeared into the bedroom again. You chuckled and followed after him, excited to get done with brunch so you could come back to your home. Back to your jungle and your coffee and tea, to your bookshelves and your perfect decor. 

“It hasn’t been that long.” He grunted out the words through tight lips. Hange howled with laughter. 

“It’s been five years Levi! Who knows how long we’ll live! Five years makes all the difference.” Hange bent down to collect their pen as they spoke, their words muffled as they ducked under the desk. 

“It has been a long time.” Erwin agreed, not even sparing the two a glance. Levi felt his stomach twist and fold as he thought about you, was he doing wrong by you? The two of you had never discussed marriage before, the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. But he could see himself living the rest of his life with you, even if that was only five more years. 

___

Two years passed, and Hange was still pestering Levi about proposing to you. He had held fast, not sure if this was something that you wanted, but the badgering was starting to get to him. Plus the fact that now his squad was dead, and he had a gaggle of greenhorn teenagers to care for. There hadn’t been much time to discuss such trivial things. Levi knew that marriage was no small deal, but in comparison to the work the two of you did, it wasn’t a priority of his. Until he saw a couple in Trost, the man bent down in the center of the market and pulled out a modest ring. He paused, pulling back on the reins of his horse taking a moment to appreciate the love radiating off the pair. 

He bought a ring that afternoon. It cost him all of the change he had on hand, roughly eight hundred coins. But he left with the small velvet box in his pocket, and he was pleasantly surprised at how light it felt. He had expected it to weigh a thousand pounds, but it felt feather-light. That had to mean something right? He rode back to base and was extra nice to the kids, they had been through so much as of late. The government had collapsed, and there were people outside of the walls plotting their demise. They did deserve a night off, so he let them stay up late, chatting in the common space. It was winter anyway, there wasn’t much work to do besides chopping kindling and keeping the castle clean. 

He was regretting this now, as you were too busy enjoying the kids' company, doting on Connie in particular. You were pinching his rosy cheeks, he had just come back inside with an armful of kindling. Connie wasn’t complaining for once, he leaned into your warm hands, and Levi noticed that the kid looked the happiest he had been in months. Sasha was sneaking biscuits, Armin was flipping through Erwin’s old journals, Hange was in the corner with him, marking up the pages and making notes. Levi could never touch Erwin’s books, he would rather preserve the ink that the previous commander had left. But he commended Armin and Hange for their drive for knowledge. 

Eren and Mikasa were doing their usual dance, fingertips brushing, knees knocking together occasionally. Jean was preoccupied with stopping Sasha from eating too much venison. Levi stepped into the room and the weight of that tiny box hit him like a truck. In this room were the last of his loved ones, he should want to share this moment with them. But he was too fearful of your response. Would you cry as that woman had earlier? Would he laugh and smile at the right time? Would the others lose respect for him if you said no? He sat down next to you, casually throwing his arm over your shoulders. He ignored the box in his pocket, he would come back to it in the morning. For now, he was here, with his favorite people in a warm clean home, surrounded by laughter. 

______

You loved that Levi was a clean freak. Most of the time. Now was not that time, after you had agreed to move into his quarters with him years ago, he constantly moved your things. Normally it wasn’t an issue, but you were missing your favorite pen and his desk was a maze to you. You pulled out the bottom drawer, the one place that he allowed to be messy. Old sketches that he had commissioned from Moblit, your face, Hange’s, Erwin’s, Isabel, Farlan. Your fingertips grazed over the neatly stacked pages carefully, Kuchel, Kenny, a rough outline of Eren and the other cadets. Your fingers grazed something soft at the bottom of the drawer and you gently pulled the papers back. A tiny black box, curiosity killed the cat as they say. You opened it, it was foreign to you, new and exciting. A ring, not large or flashy, with a small diamond anchored onto a golden band. An engagement ring. You swallowed thickly before quickly shutting the box and placing everything back exactly as you had found it. 

You would ask him where your pen was. You left his office with your heart racing, from excitement? It must be, there was no one else he could be giving that to. Was it his mother’s? No, she had no jewelry, maybe Erwin had left it to him. No, Erwin was a workaholic, his romance days were well behind him. It had to be for you, from him to you. 

You didn’t see him until later that day, at dinner in the vacant mess hall. The kids were rowdy and he was agitated, you were anxious. Your knee wouldn’t stop bouncing, your heart had never beat so fast. He was sitting next to you, but he seemed to be too busy telling the kids to settle down to notice your distress. It was frustrating, you wanted him to comfort you, reassure you. But you also wanted space, time to sort your thoughts. Of course, you wanted to marry him, you want a life with him, with the kids, with Hange. You want to be happy, you were happy before he brought the ring into the picture. 

Was he not happy with your relationship? What brought on the dramatic change? There was no discussion of marriage before? You stood up and walked briskly to the kitchen, where Hange was brewing the evening pot of tea. 

“You’re pale darling, you aren’t pregnant are you?” They teased, spoon clinking on porcelain. You rushed to the sink and vomited. Hange recoiled and gasped, they loved to tease you about pregnancy. What if you were? When was your last period? This was too much. You slumped to the ground, chest heaving as tears threatened to spill from your eyes. 

“Hey, hey breathe” Hange sat beside you, rubbing comforting circles on your back as you tuck your head between your knees. You peeked up at them, but all you could see was their empty eye socket, Erwin’s body lifeless on the roof. Armin is nothing but a burnt corpse, Levi limp with dread and the biggest decision weighing down on him. 

“I can’t.” You yelped, training your eyes on the floor again, the visions didn’t stop. Eren was screaming, so was Mikasa. Sasha was out cold, Historia was locked up in a tower, Connie was speechless, Jean was holding you back. You shrugged Hange off and turned around to throw up in the sink again. 

“What’s happening?” Hange hissed, it wasn’t normal for you to break down so severely in front of your peers, even Levi had only seen you this way a few times before. 

“I’m so scared Hange” You sobbed, leaning onto the sink your hair falling over your face and clouding your vision. 

“Why? Are you actually pregnant?”

“I don’t know! I saw the ring, and I just…I want to be enough for him.” You whimpered as Hange scooped you into their arms, squeezing you tight. You focused on their heartbeat, the steady thump thump thump. 

“What ring (Y/n)?” Hange spoke softly and you sniffled against their cotton shirt soaked in your tears. 

“The ring in Levi’s drawer, I think he’s going to propose.” You craned your neck up and Hange beamed down at you, their eyes wide and filled with glee. 

“The bastard finally grew a pair,” Hange said smugly and you furrowed your brows in confusion. 

“Explain.” You wiped the tears from your face and stepped back, they let you go, but not far. Their hand still held onto your bicep, keeping you close. 

“Ever since you two began dating, Erwin and I put a fire under his ass about getting you a ring.” Hange winked and you sighed, somewhat relieved that it was for you, that he had thought about it to some degree. 

“Now, are you pregnant?” Hange pressed and you shrugged. 

“Who’s to say.” You sighed and smiled. 

“I feel better now, thank you.” 

“Don’t tell him that I told you!” They called after you and you waved back at them with a cheeky wink before slipping out of the kitchen.

_______

Two more weeks passed, the winter was harsh and you had been snowed in for a few days. The pipes were frozen, it was a constant fight over who went out for firewood. The stew was good, Hange had it down to a science. You weren’t as worked up, and you definitely weren’t pregnant. You could only wait for Levi to make his move now. The fire crackled and the conversation slowed as the night wore on. Armin and Hange had shared their findings in the notebooks, Sasha had made some of the best soup, and Jean was picking up where Moblit left off in his drawings. Levi was sitting close to you on the sofa, his thigh pressed against yours. You snuggled closer, pressing your nose into the column of his throat, he huffed in annoyance. He was ticklish. 

“No that’s not how it went.” Connie insisted, Jean’s pencil scratched against the paper. Eren rolled his eyes and Mikasa smiled softly as Connie and Eren fought about a long-forgotten memory. Levi shifted bending at his waist and you frowned, following him before he pulled you to your feet. You didn’t want to go to bed yet, the kids were so sweet tonight, not too rowdy but still entertaining. The fire popped and all eyes turned to you as Levi sank down to the floor, his hand still in yours. Your heart skipped a beat, you heard Sasha gasp, and Connie and Eren stopped bickering. Jean’s pencil paused, Armin, inhaled sharply, and Mikasa’s eyes grew so soft. 

“(Y/n),” Levi cleared his throat, calloused thumb brushing across your scarred knuckles. 

“Y-Yes?” You squeaked out, squeezing his hand back with enthusiasm. You could feel them shaking, see his pulse racing through the veins in his neck. 

“Will you do me the honor, of being my wife?” His voice shook on the first few syllables before an evening out into a low timbre. Your cheeks ached from smiling so hard as he pulled the ring from his breast pocket.

Moments like this were fleeting and far between. You took what you could get, in empty storage rooms, open fields, in his office. Levi's breath was hot against your lips as he pressed you up against his desk, his knee slotted between your legs. You pulled away briefly to jump onto his desk, sweeping the papers off to the side. He shot you an irritated look but you only smirked wryly back at him. His hands were planned on your knees, prying them apart with fervor and then tugging you closer to the edge so he could press his growing bulge to your own needy cunt.

You groaned and rolled your hips into his as he pressed his hungry mouth to yours. You opened your mouth wider, allowing him to slip his tongue in and properly taste you.

"Levi, we've got to hurry." You felt delirious as he kissed down your throat, his lips burning your skin. His fingers began to tug at the straps of your gear and you began to unbuckle his own belts and buttons. After you had both been stripped of your tops he continued to kiss his way down your chest, gently urging you to lay back on the desk. You did so, propping yourself up on your elbows so you could watch as he tugged your pants down to rest at your ankles. He lifted your legs over his shoulders, bringing his mouth to your dripping pussy.

You spread your legs as wide as you could but he grabbed your thighs and brought them to press tightly against his ears, his stormy grey eyes blown out. You whimpered as he liked a fleeting stripe up the length of your pussy, your hips rolling to meet his tongue. He had just begun to tease your clit when the sound of the doorknob rattling made your heart leap into your throat.

"Levi" your fingers that had been in his hair, pushing him closer to you now tugged his hair, urging him to get his face out from between your legs.

"Mf" His voice was muffled as he still had his lips pressed against your cunt.

"Stop!" You hissed, but it was too late, the door swung open, Jean, Sasha, and Connie stood with wide eyes as they took in the scene before them.

"Captain!" Connie cried, Jean's hands flew to either side and covered his friends’ eyes, while his remained wide as he watched Levi scramble to cover you. You pressed yourself against his back, looking over his shoulder.

"Get the fuck out." Levi's voice shook a bit and Jean nodded, steering his friends away before reaching back for the doorknob and slamming the door shut.

"I told you to stop." You hissed, fingernails digging into his shoulders. His hand was pressed over his eyes, hiding the flush that had developed on his cheeks.

"I know." He groaned, turning to face you, his usual stoic exterior slowly falling back into place.

“Well, what do we do now?” Panic was bubbling up in your throat, thoughts of the cadets going to Erwin or even worse, Hange.

“I’m thinking.” Levi stepped away from you, the mood ruined. You stumbled off of the desk and tugged your pants back on, hurrying to buckle your gear back on.

“We can’t not address it.” You thought aloud as Levi buttoned his shirt.

“I thought I locked the door.” Levi seemed to still be in shock, and you felt for him.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, they saw and now we have to confront them.” You said tugging your jacket on over your shoulders.

“We should call them back in here. Tell them to keep quiet.” You were pacing now, the bare soles of your feet padding against the pristine wood floors.

“They probably already spilled to half of the regiment by now.” Levi scoffed, stooping down to pick up the papers you had tossed onto the ground.

“We’ve got to try.” You felt helpless, so irresponsible, and guilty. You were here for humanity, you weren’t supposed to get caught up in your lust. You were a soldier damn it.

“Fine, you go round them up then.” Levi flicked his wrist towards the door and you scowled at the back of his head as you marched off to find the kids.

____

You found them in the mess hall, all of the 104th cadets gathered at one of the large tables. You figured that at this point it would be easier to just bring Levi here. But you paused, noticing that they had not yet felt your presence.

“I don’t believe a word out of your mouths.” Reiner sat with a skeptical look on his face.

“Yeah, no way they would do that on Levi’s desk. He’s too much of a clean freak.” It was Armin speaking now, his fingers twisted together as he processed the information.

“You’ve got to believe us! They were about to fuck right there in the office!” It was Jean who was speaking now, Connie and Sasha both began yelling over him in a hurry to agree. You decided to cap it now before it got too rowdy and anyone else walked into the conversation.

“Cadets,” You rounded the corner you had been hiding behind and they all stood, chairs scraping against the cobblestone floors. Their firsts were clenched over their hearts as you stood with your chin held high.

“Stay here we have something that needs to be discussed.” Their faces were flushed with embarrassment at being caught gossiping. Then slowly sat back down as you retreated, hurrying to get Levi. You came back a few short minutes later, Levi in tow the cadets were silent now, faces turned down to look at the table.

“...” The silence was thick as Levi remained by the door, clearly, he wanted you to take charge here.

“The rumors are true.” You said simply, their heads whipped up, eyes wide with astonishment.

“Captain Levi and I are in a relationship. We’re sorry that you three saw us earlier.” You apologized and Connie’s ears were so red as he avoided eye contact with you.

“I thought relationships were strictly forbidden,” Jean mumbled, and you inhaled sharply.

“They can be...tricky. But I don’t feel that we have to explain ourselves to you. Our relationship has no impact on you.” You glanced back at Levi who was glaring daggers at the kids.

“But you’re our squad leaders.” Armin looked concerned.

“Yes, and we don’t intend to let it affect our work here.” Levi finally spoke up, taking a few more steps into the room to stand next to you.

“But captain-” Eren didn’t get to finish his thought, Levi held up a hand for silence and he deflated in his seat.

“You’re 16 years old you know better than to stick your noses in other people’s business,” Levi grumbled, and the kids all shared some uneasy looks.

“Or at least I hope.” He turned on his heel to leave and you shot the kids a tight-lipped grin.

“See you guys in the morning.” You waved at them and they all looked at you, clearly, they had more questions. But frankly, you didn’t feel like explaining anything to them.

___

You never got to finish what you started with Levi earlier that evening. Instead, the two of you ended up in his office going through the stacks of paperwork and letters that needed signing. You had been working in silence, sipping on lukewarm cups of tea when there was a soft knock at the door. It was timid and it made you flinch, you looked to Levi since it was his office after all.

“Enter.” He said plainly, not even glancing up from his work. Hange came in with Connie in tow, Connie’s shirt balled up in Hange’s fist.

“I got the best news today.” Hange thrust Connie in front of them, their brown eyes alight with mischief.

“Oh? And what would that be?” Levi refused to give them the satisfaction of acting surprised or nervous.

“A little birdie told me that you two were fornicating here in this very room.” They sat down heavily in the sofa and propped their feet up on the small coffee table.

“Really.” Levi huffed, setting his pen aside and looking up, glaring daggers at Connie.

“I-I swear they just heard me and Sasha talking about it! I didn’t mean to tell them!” Connie fell to his knees, hands clasped together in a pleading motion.

“Hange, this is so unprofessional.” You groaned, running a hand through your hair.

“Oh yeah? And getting down and dirty in the office is professional?” They cackled as you rolled your eyes and stood from your seat. Now it was your turn to manhandle Connie. You grabbed his shoulder and hauled him to his feet, pushing him towards the door. He turned and grabbed your forearm, and you paused.

“You gotta believe me (Y/n) I’m really sorry and I’m happy for you two I really am!” He was rambling and you gave him a soft smile before shoving him out of the door.

“Yeah, Connie I believe you, go to bed.” You ruffled his nonexistent hair before sending him on his way. He smiled up at you before turning and running off down the hall. Hange was still comfortable on the couch, and Levi was still scribbling away at his desk.

“Hange you have two seconds before I lay your ass on that floor.” Levi threatened and Hange groaned before standing up slowly and walking backwards towards the door.

“Bye Hange.” You waved to them and they saluted you, fingers pressed to their forehead as they slipped out of the room and shut the door behind them.

“We’ll talk later.” They promised and you nodded in agreement. Once they were gone you rounded the desk and stooped to press a kiss to Levi’s temple. He grunted but leaned into your touch as you rubbed his shoulder.

“It’s been a long day, you should go to bed soon.” You knew that he wouldn’t but you would never stop trying to get him to sleep.

“Mhm.” He mumbled as your fingers wandered into his hair, massaging his scalp.

“I mean it.” You said, this time pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips. He loosened up, his head turning to finally face you.

“I’ll try...stay a while longer.” His soft plead made your heart flutter and you hummed in response, placing a kiss on his lips.

But being a soldier wasn't all that bad. He met some great people, some with promising young minds, with appetites that were ravenous, some with rage that they could not seem to contain. He would never admit it to their face, well unless he was extremely drunk or on his death bed that is, but he cherished them all dearly.

So as he sat numbly in the hospital bed, miles and miles away from where he had started and feeling so very lonely. The kids came to visit of course, Gabi and Falco bringing sweets and new tins of tea. Armin dropping off newspapers, Connie and Jean coming to tell him new stories and remind him of the old. Even Mikasa came, he thought he enjoyed her visits the most, she would simply tidy his room and leave new flowers once a week. Some days she would sit at his bedside and just enjoy his company.

There were some people that would come to visit who would sour his mood with just the sight of them. It wasn't that he hated them, but rather he wished to leave them in the past as he had so many before them. Pieck would come with Gabby and Falco somedays, Levi assumed it was purely because she had escorted them there as they had no friendship.

Once, Reiner had tagged along with Jean and Connie. He had only poked his head in before retreating promptly. But the worst visit of all was when Armin had the audacity to bring Annie. The blonde boy had set the newspaper on the nightstand and taken his usual seat by Levi's bedside while Annie stood awkwardly by the doorway.

"Come to make amends?" Levi had rasped, his grey eye trained on the young woman.

"I cannot." She said, her usual mask had slipped, revealing the face of a sad little girl. He would've felt bad for her if he hadn't known what she had done, who she had killed.

"Hm." He had simply hummed not interested in what she had to say.

___

As he recovered from his injuries he met knew people. Doctors and nurses all coming and going with trays of food, and medicine. But he came to appreciate a certain young woman. You had been there from the start when Armin and Jean had hauled him into one of the hospital tents erected during the state of emergency.

His first memory of you was your hands, they were warm against his icy skin. He had looked up at you through blurry eyes as you ran your hands over his knee. Your words had been distorted and impossible to make out, but he remembered how it seemed to act as a salve, smoothing over his pain.

When he woke up from his stupor you had been there, fingers pressed to his throat. Instinctively he had swatted your hand away, and you had seemed surprised, but not offended.

"I'm trying to check your pulse captain." You explained, slowly moving to resume your ministrations.

"I'm fine." He had struggled to form the words after not speaking for days, and you had smiled softly at him.

"And I'm glad that you are, but I have to check." Levi let you, or rather he didn't have the strength to swat your hand away again.

He thought that he looked forward to seeing his cadets, and of course he did. But he couldn't compare seeing them to seeing you. When you walked in the room he perked up, eager to see you and soothed by your presence. You would sweep into the room and take his vitals, your calloused hands smoothing over his injured legs or lifting the bandages around his head. Not once had you flinched when you saw the deep gashes that had been carved into his once smooth flesh. Not once did you comment on the way he shakily stood, or how he needed you to hold him steady the first few times.

You wouldn't take shit from him either. On his bad days when he would snap viciously at you, words so cruel even he regretted uttering them. You would hardly flinch, countering his sharp tongue with words of encouragement. A small part of him wanted to test your limits, how long until you gave up on him? Left him in this bare room to rot alone.

But he soon found that your patience knew no boundaries. You remained by his side through all the difficult months of recovery, all the way up until it was time for him to be discharged. Onyankopon had came to get him along with Gabi and Falco, he stood with a wheelchair gripped in his hands, the two kids on either side of him with big smiles. You stood at Levi's side, hand on his shoulder as he swung his legs out from under the covers.

"How exciting is this?" It was one of the only times Levi caught that positivity you normally slipped into your tone wavering. Could it be that you were sad to see him go? How could you be when all he had ever done to you was be a bitter old man?

"Not very." Levi said dully as you took his hands and helped him pull himself onto his feet.

"You get to go explore the city, maybe open that tea shop?" Levi's eyes widened in surprise, so you had been paying attention when the kids would beg for him to open a cafe. But that also meant you might have been listening to their other conversations, which both scared him and brought him a sliver of joy.

"If I do....will you be my first customer?" He asked rather boldly and he heard the kids both gasp. Your cheeks flushed a rose color and you helped him limp over to the wheel chair.

"Of course I'll be there." You words were hushed and heavy with emotion, apparently he had meant just as much to you as you had to him all of this time.

"I'd like that." He said as you eased him into his wheel chair. Onyankopon smiled widely at you and tipped the brim of his hat. Gabi and Falco both waved at you as they turned to leave the room, you watched with a fond gaze as the group left.

"Sasha! Don't make me knock you out!" Connie pleaded as he caught her in a choke hold.

"Damn kids." Levi growled, as he glared at the teens from across the room.

"They're having fun! You should try it sometime." Hange kicked Levi under the table and you chuckled around another mouthful of food.

"I'm good." Levi's lip curled in disgust as Sasha was wrestled to the ground, the two boys finally subduing her.

"They're young, let them figure it out themselves." You assured him, gently resting a hand on his elbow. His eyes softened for a fraction of a second at this. Your touch was fleeting before your hand fell onto the bench between the two of you. He sighed loudly, finally grabbing his fork and picking at his potatoes.

The atmosphere was warm and made you feel so...whole. Even if you knew that Levi was right, tonight was likely the last time you and your comrades would dine together. But even if that was the case, you would be grateful for this happy memory. The peace was short lived however. Jean and Eren broke out into a fist fight, a rather pitiful one at that.

Within a few short minutes, the two were a sweaty mess, both huffing and staggering as they held their fists up. Levi got to his feet and stalked towards them, a deep scowl etched on his face.

With only two blows, the pair was on the floor, clutching their stomachs as Levi towered over them.

"Go to bed." He ordered. Jean vomited and Levi's lip curled in disgust.

"And clean that shit up." He added curtly as the dining hall murmured, recovering from the excitement. Sasha whimpered from her post as she struggled against her binds, feet kicking loudly against the wooden floors. As the soldiers filed out of the room, you made your way to her to free her. She sighed in relief as the gag was pulled off her mouth and the ropes slashed.

"Thanks miss." She gushed as she rolled her tense wrists.

"Don't mention it." You smiled as you reached into your pocket and passed her a loaf of bread.

"Did I mention how much I love you?" She grinned as she accepted the food and dove in for a hug.

"Actually, I don't think that you have." You giggled as she began eating the bread behind your shoulder as she hugged you.

"mf, well I sure do!" She exclaimed around a full mouth.

"You'd better go catch up with the others." You suggested with a firm pat on her back. She stood and jogged out of the dining hall, half eaten loaf in hand.

"You're too soft with them." Levi scolded from the doorway. You waved him off as you joined him, walking side by side out of the large room.

"They need it." You assured him, gently brushing your shoulder against his.

"The last thing they need is to be coddled." Levi argued.

"Levi, I think that sometimes you forget that they're fifteen." You paused outside of his office, leaning against the threshold as he unlocked the door.

"I haven't forgotten." He mumbled as he pushed the door open.

"Okay." You rolled your eyes, brushing off his especially sour mood.

"Don't you have formation plans to look over?" He asked as you followed him into his office.

"I thought we could go over them together." You shrugged, dropping down onto his couch.

"I'm not looking at them now."

"Then why should I be? Do you think I can't comprehend a simply formation we've used for years?" You were half teasing, but there was only so much crap you could take from him.

"Sometimes it seems that way." He agreed, falling into his desk chair. Your eyes narrowed and the food that had felt so good in your stomach moments before seemed too heavy.

"Why are you extra shitty tonight?" You asked even though you knew the answer. He always got moody the days leading up to missions.

"I think you know why." He looked up from his papers to shoot you a pointed glare.

"You need a nap." You attempted to rein in the easy banter, but Levi was persistent.

"I need you to get the fuck out of my office." His words stung, and you barely caught the hurt expression before it crossed your face.

"I'll see you in the morning." You said as you stalked across the small room and out of the door, closing it softly behind you. Levi groaned once he was sure you wouldn't hear him, his head hit his desk hard as he tried to fight off the migraine that had been creeping up on him since dinner.

__

As promised, the next morning he saw you. Or rather, he caught glimpses of you as you readied your horse and helped the younger soldiers make last minute preparations. The day ahead was going to be long and taxing. Mostly comprised of traveling out of the safety of the walls. Erwin had allowed for just enough time for the scouts to travel, timing it just so their departure from the gates would be well after sunset.

His morning was shittier than usual, Hange had been annoying, and Erwin had been stubborn as ever, continuing to dismiss his lack of an arm and insisting on joining the corps on the mission. So when you didn't brush up against him and crack one of your shit jokes during the long ride, he knew that he had royally fucked things up.

He still hadn't spoken to you when the lifts hoisted the scouts over the wall and into titan territory, or when the lanterns were the only light that guided them through thick trees.

When the first rays of sunlight fell onto the abandoned city of shiganshina, you stood stoically beside Hange and Moblit. He had missed his window, now it was time to focus on the mission. He could only hope that both himself and you survived.

__

As the morning wore on and the battle turned from bad to worse, you knew that chances of survival became slimmer. The only thing you could do was trust in Hange, Erwin and Armin to form a plan to defeat the Reiner and the beast titan. The colossal had yet to show his face, making you more uneasy. The small victory of bringing down Reiner was short lived as a barrel flew over the wall and the sounds of distance explosions echoed through the walls.

"Bertolt is in there!" Armin screamed as you watched the barrel fly overhead.

"What do we do!?" Connie cried as you flew through the rooftops.

"If he transforms, there will be nothing we can do!" Armin yelled over the wind. Eren's titan jogged ahead as you made your way towards the center of town.

"We have to do something!" You yelled, desperate for a solution. Luckily he didn't immediately transform, instead rushing to Reiner's side and addressing him first.

"I'm going to regroup with Hange!" You said, as Bertolt zipped towards you.

"Hurry!" Jean yelled after you as you flew away, pouring on the speed.

You reached Hange's team to find them struggling with some dysfunctional thunder spears.

"(Y/n)! I'm glad you made it! Was that Bertolt inside of there?" Moblit asked as you landed heavily on the tiled rooftop.

"Yeah, it's him. We don't have long before he transforms. We've got to get back to the kids!" You informed them and they all leapt off of the rooftop, rushing back in the direction that you had come from. You only made it about half way there before a blinding mushroom cloud and a clap of thunder overpowered your senses. Hange reached out for you, snagging your wrist. Moblit pushed the two of you down and you screamed as the blast took him in a blinding light. You and Hange fell down a well, a mess of limbs and tangled gear. You couldn't tell if it was your blood or hers as the two of you laid motionless in the shallow well.

"Hange!" Your ears rang as you shook her desperately. Her face was covered in blood, you could tell that her eye was missing already. You began clawing through your pockets in search of gauze, the taste of iron made you want to gag. With shaky hands, you wrapped her head, covering her exposed eye socket. She woke moments later, hands shooting out to grab you.

"Your face." She groaned, hand falling to rest on your chin as she slowly sat up.

"What's wrong with-" You froze mid sentence when you realized that was why you tasted blood. She dug into her own pocket and produced a needle and some suture. She sewed the large gash, which ran from the apple of your cheek to the corner of your mouth.

"We need to check for survivors." Hange grunted as she bit off the remaining suture, you nodded in agreement.

__

As you stood on the rooftop staring at the two lifeless bodies, you knew immediately who had to be chosen. Hange clutched Mikasa to her chest as the girl cried, tears running off her pale cheeks.

"Levi." You whimpered, his bloodied face turned, eyes wild and tortured.

"Get back, I'm giving the serum to Erwin." He ordered. Floch hauled Eren away from Armin, who's charred skin smoked in the late afternoon sun.

"You can't." You cried, tears stinging the wound on your cheek.

"I will." Levi growled.

"Now leave!" He pulled the syringe out of the case and filled it with the opaque liquid and your chest squeezed painfully.

"But-" Jean's hand closed tightly around your bicep as he began pulling you towards the edge of the roof.

"Let's go." Jean's voice was strangled, and you realized that all of you felt this loss deeply. He needed you to be an adult here, needed some reassurance. So you leaned into him and allowed him to pull you off of the roof, wrapped securely in his arms. As you hugged him and Connie a few rooftops away, the sound of a titan crashing through buildings made you look up. Levi landed near you, head hung low and empty syringe in hand.

The thin beast shoved the screaming boy down its gullet and you gasped when you saw its face. You knew it was Armin, and you felt ashamed at the surge of relief that flowed through you.

__

The sun beat down on your shoulders as you sat beside Sasha on the wall. Levi and Hange had gone with Mikasa and Eren about an hour ago, leaving you in charge of the remaining kids.

"Here they come!" Connie called, pointing excitedly at the group as they used the last of their gas to scale the wall. Levi didn't bother joining the group, instead favoring to walk in the opposite direction. You rushed after him, legs pumping as you ran across the wall. You snagged his wrist and tugged on it gently.

"Levi." You had no words, only able to form his name in a raspy voice.

"I should have chosen Erwin." He said numbly, too weak to even try pulling free of your grasp.

"It's over. We reclaimed Maria. You made a hard choice, I can't say it was the right one but.." Your words failed you as he turned to face you. You had never seen him look so hopeless, lips glued into a frown and eyes searching for validation.

"You did what had to be done." You assured him as you took a step closer, the tips of your boots touching his.

"Did I?" His brows knitted together as your hand slipped into his.

"Yes. You did, you gave us a chance." You slowly leaned forward, wrapping your arms around him. You were surprised when he melted into you, his body pressed close, breath tickling the skin behind your ear. Your hands gripped the harness on his back in an attempt to ground the two of you. He sighed and breathed you in, his own hands coming to rest at the small of your back.

"We'll figure this out." You said into his neck, lips brushing the skin there unintentionally.

"I'm glad....that you survived." He said into your messy hair, which was falling from it's hold. His hand slid from the small of your back to rest between your shoulder blades.

"Me too." You let out a small laugh half sob, allowing a few more tears to slide down your cheeks.

"Levi." The other man said, not even bothering to give the salute.

"Dismissed, carry on with your daily training." The squad leader dismissed the soldiers and you found yourself glancing over your shoulder to watch the trio begin their tour of the grounds.

"Say, that dark haired man was rather mysterious." Hange leaned down to comment as she fell into step beside you.

"I'll say, didn't even give his last name!" You agreed as the two of you set off towards the sparring grounds.

"They sure are an interesting bunch." Hange rubbed her hands together and a blush began to blossom on her cheeks. You swatted her bicep and shot her a sharp glare.

"Don't go getting weird ideas now." You scolded and she whimpered dejectedly.

"No need to worry." She patted you square on the back and you jutted your bottom lip out in a pout.

"That's impossible when it comes to you." You scoffed as the two of you rounded the corner and came into the dusty field the scouts used to spar in.

"You're just being dramatic, now let's get started. I sure hope that you've improved since the last time!" With that, the two of you found an empty space and began to spar. You had been partners since your training corps days, seeing that Hange was so much better at it than you, she had offered to give you some pointers.

Towards the end of the afternoon, a few hours before dinner. The trio arrived at the sparring grounds, standing off to the side taking in the sparring soldiers. The redhead rushed fearlessly up to a group of younger girls who were on a short break. She fell seamlessly in with them and even began to spar with them a bit. Farlan gave Levi a clap on the back before jogging over to a group of men and also slipping easily into a conversation.

"Looks like grumpy needs a hand." Hange nudged you and you shook your head.

"Are you insane?! There's no way-"

"Oi! Levi! Over here." Hange yelled over you and waved excitedly at the man who's brows furrowed at the stranger calling out to him like an old friend. When he made no move to join you, a sense of relief filled you, maybe there was hope that you wouldn't have to speak to the grouchy stranger.

That was until Hange snagged your arm and hauled you in his direction. You stumbled after her, a furious blush filling your cheeks and neck as some soldiers looked up at the commotion. She came to a stop a few feet away from him, holding her hand out to him with a bright smile.

"I'm Hange Zoe! And this here is (Y/n), want to spar with us?" Hange introduced the two of you and Levi kicked the toe of his boot into the dust, causing a small cloud to fill the space between you.

"I'd rather not." He said bluntly and you tugged on Hange's jacket.

"See, I told you to leave him be." You hissed and Hange shrugged you off.

"I'm eager to see what you're capable of, and (Y/n) here needs a fresh sparring partner! I'm afraid she's gotten much better than me and you look like the perfect partner!" Hange shoved you closer and you swallowed thickly as his eyes raked up and down your form.

"Not interested." He stayed firm in his previous standing, however Hange was persistent.

"One match, that's all I ask." She held up a finger, glasses glinting in the light.

"If I do this, will you leave me alone?" He growled and you tried to take another step back, not eager to spar with the stranger.

"Of course." Your eyes fell on Hange's back, where her fingers were crossed at the small of her back out of his view. You let out a pathetic whimper at this.

"Fine." He raised his hands up, fists curled tightly as he widened his stance.

"Go get 'em champ." Hange clapped you on the back and you inhaled sharply, mirroring his stance. You weren't one to back down from a challenge, even if you knew you were about to get your ass handed to you.

"Last chance to back out." He warned, and you shook your head, he nodded in response. In the blink of an eye, he rushed you. Despite his short stature, he was rather fast, closing the distance between you in shocking speed. You narrowly dodged his experimental first blow aimed at your face.

You sidestepped him and swung at his exposed stomach, he blocked you effortlessly with his forearm and swiped at your own open abdomen. You weren't nearly fast enough to dodge this one, taking the blow, you used the force of the hit to take a healthy step back. He was relentless, pursuing you and taking another swing at you. This time you were ready, catching his wrist and steering him away from you. Now that you were back in his space, you tugged him closer, bringing your knee up and landing a solid hit to his lower stomach. You felt the rush of air tickle your face as you knocked some wind from his chest.

He grunted and swung again, this time landing a punch right on your chin, you felt the skin split as your ears rang from the impact. Your head fell to the side and you stumbled back, embarrassment flooding through you as the blood ran down your chin.

"Cheap shot." You growled as he stood back, allowing a moment to see if you fell to the ground, thus rendering him the winner.

"No such thing." He countered before stalking towards you. Your vision was still swimming as he began to rapidly attempt to punch you once more. You narrowly dodged them before spotting an opening in his own stance. You didn't even think before putting all your strength into an uppercut, you felt his sternum through his thin shirt and a small surge of pride filled you when he let out a pained grunt.

It was his turn to take a step back, but you remembered the ruthless way he had come at you moments before and you returned the favor, landing two more hits to his stomach before retreating. On your way to a hasty exit, he snagged your bicep in a vice grip, pulling you against him and turning you around, twisting your arm behind your back painfully.

You felt the joints crack as you were forced into the position. His leg swiped your own feet out from underneath you and you tumbled to the ground with him resting the majority of his weight on you. Your mouth was filled with the taste of iron as the gravel bit into the side of your face.

Even though it was clear that he had won, he remained on top of you, twisting your arm further and further. You finally let out an agonized yelp when you felt your arm slip out of its socket. He grunted, seemingly pleased with his work before standing up once more. A crowd had gathered around to look on in horror as he stood over your pitiful form.

"Anyone else?" He growled, chest rising and falling from the exertion of the fight. When nobody said anything, he turned on his heel and stalked back the way that the trio had come from.

"Didn't think so." He mumbled as he pushed past the few soldiers that had crowded around the two of you.

"Levi! Wait up!" Isabel called after him, the pair followed their friend, shooting an almost apologetic glance back at you as you propped yourself up on your good arm. Once they were gone, Hange rushed to your side, pulling you to your feet with concerned eyes. You hissed and pulled free from her grasp and she winced as you cradled your injured arm.

"I told you I didn't want to fight him." You snarled before storming off of the grounds, blood dripping down your face and arm aching. Now you wouldn't be able to participate in the upcoming mission all because some calloused man had taken a fight too far to boost his ego. Not to mention, the only reason you had been put in that position was because your friend had set you up, knowing full well how prideful you were.

--

You skipped dinner, too ashamed to show your face in front of the others. Instead you camped out in the infirmary, arm tied into a sling and chin covered in a massive bandaid. Not to mention the scratches on the right side of your face from being pressed into the coarse dirt.

As you had presumed, the injury that Levi had given you would take more than three weeks to fully heal, meaning you would be exempt from the upcoming expedition in less than two weeks. You were beyond pissed, you had worked so hard, finally improving in your ODM skills. It felt as if all of your hard work had been lost, and now you would have to work even harder to regain that skill after being prescribed rest with little to no training.

Two weeks later you watched the scouts pack up and head out for the expedition, you stood by the stables, glaring holes into the back of Levi's head as he guided his horse from the stall. He didn't even spare you a glance as he mounted the black mare and spurred her to fall into step with the other soldiers who were filing out of the castle gates.

If he lived, you vowed to approach him and give him a stern talking to. Hange snuck up on you, gripping the reins to her horse in one hand and using the other to ruffle your hair.

"See you soon." She promised and you nodded as she walked the mare out of the stables and mounted it, glancing over her shoulder to give you one last small wave. You nodded and cradled your arm in the sling as you watched your squad leave the grounds, the last group to depart.

The grounds felt empty and you felt even emptier as you wondered the halls of the castle on your own. You kept yourself busy with some chores that the doctor had given you the okay of completing. About halfway through the day, rain clouds moved in and began to weep over the dry earth. You stood near the window and gnawed on your cuticles, thinking of all the issues the storm brought that could interfere with the expedition. You could only hope that the rain had missed them and they were making good time.

--

Of course, luck had not been on the scouts side that day. Not that it wasn't surprising. They crawled back to the castle with their tails between their legs, bloodied and mangled. Only the lucky ones made it back alive, others meeting a much worse fate on the other side of the wall. You stood by the door holding it open for the medics as they hauled in the injured. Hange was helping a young woman in, offering you a pained grin as she passed. Your mouth couldn't even begin to return the smile, instead you nodded and closed the door behind her.

Erwin came in last, Levi following him like a shadow, wet hair covering his eyes as he followed the commander obediently. Your eyes narrowed in confusion, last you had checked, Levi had barely been able to look at Erwin without showing a hint of malice.

"Get some rest." Erwin dismissed him and you watched him split off, marching back towards the dining hall. You debated following Erwin and asking how the mission had gone, but the way his blue eyes avoided yours told you that would be a conversation for another time.

So instead you retreated back to your room, going to dinner would be too depressing. Seeing all of the empty seats always broke your heart.

--

It was months later that you found yourself alone with Levi for the first time. It had been an accident of course, you had crept down to the kitchen in search of a glass of water. The raven haired man was seated at one of the long tables, a cup of steaming tea in front of him. You silently closed the door behind yourself and rushed into the kitchen, hoping to quickly get what you came for and retreat.

However as you stood chugging the water, you couldn't help but feel bad for the man. Of course you had heard of the brutal ends his friends had met, and the harsh words that Erwin had given to him afterwards. You felt bad for him, nobody wanted to befriend him except for Hange, especially after what he had done to you and what he had planned to do to your commander.

So carefully, you set the glass in the sink and rounded the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining hall. You felt like you were walking on eggshells as you crossed the room to stand across the table from him.

"I-I should've said this earlier...but I'm sorry about your friends." You stumbled awkwardly over your condolence and Levi glanced up at you. Smokey grey eyes apathetic as always as he met your eyes.

"Wasn't your fault." He responded as he lifted his cup by the rim to his lips.

"No...but I'm sure you miss them. May I?" You asked, gesturing towards the open seat across from him.

"Knock yourself out." He shrugged and you sank into the seat. The two of you sat in silence for a few moments as you grappled for something to talk about, something to lighten the mood.

"Your arm is healed." He commented, nodding towards the arm he had yanked from your socket. You scoffed and rolled your shoulder, still feeling a small pang of soreness in the motion. The doctor had told you that it was unlikely that you would regain full motion anytime soon.

"Somewhat, no thanks to you." You meant it both teasingly and seriously, just because his friends had died didn't mean that he had your full forgiveness yet. You had lost people too after all.

"What was I supposed to do? Kiss it better?" He asked gruffly, lifting his cup for another drink. You let out a bark of laughter, head falling back as you laughed at his crass words.

"Maybe next time." You chuckled and Levi clicked his tongue in response.

"Surprised you think there will be a next time." Levi's brow was raised in slight amusement as you leaned forward on the table and grinned brightly at him.

"I'd like to get a few pointers." You shrugged and he rolled his eyes.

"Based on our last bought, I doubt you can be taught." He grunted and you gasped in offense.

"Oh come on, I did hit you a few times." You giggled and Levi glared at you sharply.

"Who's to say that I didn't let you have those hits?" He set his cup down and you scoffed.

"As if." You rolled your eyes and shot him a playful grin, he shook his head and slowly stood from his seat, moving towards the kitchen.

"Don't get cocky chicken wing." He called over his shoulder and you felt the blood rush to your face and the backs of your ears.

"Chicken wing!?" You stood and chased after him into the kitchen.

"Who came up with that, tell me or so help me-"

"I did." He shrugged as he began rinsing out his cup.

"Oh so you break my arm and then you call me mean names? What an asshole." You leaned against the counter as you watched him wash the tea leaves out of his cup.

"I didn't break your arm." He clarified and you seethed.

"Not the point."

"Do you want my help or not?" He asked, turning to face you, his expression neutral and a tad annoyed.

"Yes....but don't call me that again." You scolded, jabbing a finger in his direction accusingly, he only shrugged and watched you stomp out of the kitchen.

There was a time when he could complete these tasks with no problem. But now his body seemed to be failing him, if he stood for too long his joints protested, he struggled to hold a pen due to his lack of fingers. He also wore an eyepatch to cover his milky right eye and some of the scars that covered the right side of his face.

Normally Hange would help him get ready, they were the only person he could stomach seeing him this way. But Hange was busy, they had meetings all morning. So Levi was left on his own, and he managed as well as he could. Although it took him double the amount of time it usually took, he still did it.

He grabbed his cane on his way out of his humble apartment, the carriage was waiting for him outside. In the carriage was the last person he wished to see, Zeke Jaeger. His glasses glinted in the sunlight as the coachman held the door for Levi who sat as far away from the war chief as possible.

Zeke blew out a puff of smoke, which swirled around in the small space. Levi's lip curled into a sneer, and Zeke smirked pleased to rouse a reaction from the retired Captain.

"Big day today eh Levi?" He spoke around his cigarette and Levi rolled his eyes.

"I suppose." He agreed, eyes never leaving the man.

That was about the only words exchanged between the two, the ride was thankfully short. The carriage arrived to the castle just after noon, the coachmen opened the door for Levi and Zeke. The sunlight was bright and made Levi squint, it didn't help that the castle seemed to glow as the sun bounced off of it.

"This way old friend." Zeke instructed and Levi followed begrudgingly, Zeke led Levi through the halls and into a large ball room. The castle staff was scurrying about, carrying massive bouquets of flowers and other decorations in preparation for the summer gala. Levi had attended this very event many times over his career, but he had not intended on joining in this year. Zeke paused a few feet away from Erwin, who was standing before a young woman Levi had met a handful of times. You had aged in the past two years that he hadn't seen you, although you weren't any taller, he could see the age on your face. Much as he assumed you could see in his, you also carried yourself more confidently, shoulders back, chin up.

Erwin paused and turned to greet the two men, who both saluted him and you.

"Captain, how nice to see you." You hummed, a pleased glint in your eyes as you curtsied, much to his surprise.

"You as well Zeke." You seemed less excited to see the war chief.

"Princess, you look lovely." Zeke closed the distance between the two of you, taking your hand a bit too eagerly and bringing it to his lips. You smiled a bit tersely, but allowed it.

"Ah, and you look...as hairy as the last time we met." Your jab threw Levi off, but Erwin seemed to have expected the exchange. Zeke laughed heartily and pulled back.

"Such a sharp tongue on you princess." He chuckled and you shrugged, a smug grin on those lips of yours.

"You make it easy."

"Princess, you are aware that Levi is to accompany you to this year's gala yes?" Erwin steered the conversation in a more relevant direction and you nodded.

"Mhm, and I'm very excited to be escorted by Eldia's most eligible bachelor." Levi wasn't sure if you meant it sincerely, or if it was his turn to face the wrath of your sharp words.

"I'm sure you are." Erwin chuckled, his hand falling on the back of your tricep. You gathered your skirts and took a few steps closer to Levi.

"The last time we met, you weren't keen on dancing, I do hope that's changed." You smirked at him and Levi barely fought the flush off of his cheeks as you pushed past him.

"We can go in the drawing room and discuss logistics, the gala is a mere week away after all-" Levi tuned out whatever it was Erwin was babbling about, too focused on watching you saunter out of the room.

__

Levi spent the next week trailing behind Erwin, attending meetings and luncheons with other high ranking military members. It was boring, but nothing that he hadn't done before. The day of the gala, Hange arrived with the remaining of the 104th cadet corps. Levi felt great relief at seeing the familiar faces, Hange had eagerly came to hug him, and he pretended to hate it. Mikasa even came and gave him the briefest of embraces, Connie had been the most excited, throwing his arms around his former captain and squeezing him tightly. Armin had grinned sheepishly, and offered a small wave. Jean just nodded respectively in Levi's direction. Gabby and Falco had tagged along as well, wearing their best uniforms, decorated with their medals.

"I can't believe we get to come to the summer gala!" Connie gushed, his hazel eyes wide as he soaked in the castle in all of its glory.

"We won a war." Jean huffed, eyes sharp, hand fidgeting with his medal on his lapel.

"We lost more than we won." Mikasa murmured, her own shaky hands reaching for a scarf that was no longer wrapped around her neck. The cheery mood quickly dissipated at Mikasa's statement, Hange cleared their throat and clapped their hands in an attempt to drag everyone from their thoughts.

"Let's go meet Erwin then." They said, and Levi nodded.

"Let's." The group walked through the halls, Hange in the lead and Levi at their side, it felt like old times. The kids, well they weren't really kids anymore, were beginning to return to their annoying selves.

"-will we be able to eat the food?" Gabby asked, and Levi nearly flinched, the statement reminded him all too much of Sasha. Connie seemed less phased, he sighed and brought his arms behind his neck as they walked.

"I sure hope so."

"We're here on business." Mikasa reminded them and Jean hummed in agreement.

"We're here as representatives." Armin added, and Hange chuckled.

"Use this as an opportunity children." Hange cooed, pausing in front of the doors to the drawing room.

"Have some fun, get drunk, you've earned it." Hange then pushed the doors open, revealing the cozy drawing room, Erwin sat with his legs crossed in one of the arm chairs, a book in his lap. He closed the book and stood, his sleeve hanging limply where his arm once was.

"Cadets, erm or should I say captains." Erwin chuckled awkwardly as the kids all jumped to salute him, fists clenched over their hearts.

"Commander." They all greeted in unison.

"Sit, we have much to discuss."

__

The discussion was rather tame, a short bit of it had been relevant. Where the kids were to stand, what they were to say and how they were expected to act. The rest of the afternoon had been spent catching up and enjoying each other's company. Just a few hours before the guests were to arrive, Erwin sent the group off to find their spots.

Levi found himself waiting outside of your room, his watch gripped tightly in his fist, watching the minutes tick by. You emerged about fifteen minutes after him arriving, your dress was a deep emerald green, elegantly hugging your frame in all of the right places. You smoothed the silk gown skirts and smiled at him, the red lipstick on your lips making your teeth seem extra white.

"You look ravishing Captain." You complimented, accepting his arm before walking slowly down the hall, careful to keep his pace.

"...as do you." He choked out, a blush tickling his ears.

"Did you get all done up for me?" You pressed, hand tightening around his bicep.

"No." He answered, although he was partially lying, the truth was all he could think about as he dressed, was you. How would you be dressed? Was he to match you? Or was he expected to wear his usual military dress? He had opted for the latter, and it seemed to work well, the inky black dress coat and the gold medals that decorated his lapels seemed to compliment the emerald in your dress.

"Well, I sure hope that you will at least dance with me." You pouted, shooting him a hopeful look.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue, truthfully it was all that he could mange, he was nervous enough about joining you this evening. But you asking him to dance? He had never danced in his life, and with his legs in the state they were in now?

The two of you stopped, overlooking the ball room which was already filled with guests, milling about with flutes of champagne. You snuck a glance at Levi, who was looking down at the crowd with a bored glaze over his eyes.

"Ready?" You asked, squeezing his bicep once and he nodded, chin held high as the two of you slowly made your way down the staircase. Levi's eyes scanned the crowd, searching for familiar faces, which he found in their designated spots. He knew that the king had asked him to accompany his daughter largely as a political move, not for protection as he had in the past. But old habits die hard, he double checked exits and kept an eye out for shady people, it was easier than looking at you after all. Not because you were ugly, rather the opposite, you were stunning and that intimidated him.

After at least forty five minutes of socializing, the dancing began and you tugged impatiently on his arm, which you had yet to let go of.

"Please Levi, just this once." You whispered so only he could hear, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end at your closeness.

"Princess." He said sternly, although his voice did shake a tad, and you grinned, knowing that you had nearly convinced him.

"Captain." You countered, taking a step towards the dance floor.

"Just one." he said after a moment's hesitation before falling back in step with you.

"Just one." You affirmed with a wicked grin as you led him into the mass of bodies.

Levi felt his pulse race, his anxiety was roaring he had absolutely no clue how to dance, especially with his legs in the state that they were. You seemed to sense this, carefully taking his hand and resting it on your hip as you stepped ever so closely to him. Your chest was pressed against his, and he was sure that you could feel the pounding of his heart as it threatened to escape his ribcage.

"You just follow my lead." You whispered as he brought his other hand to rest naturally in the palm of yours. He nodded, eyes wandering down to glance at his feet, which were partially concealed by your skirts.

"It goes something like this, step-" You took a step towards him and he took one back.

"Then to the left," You instructed softly and he obliged, the two of you moving slightly out of sync.

"Then forwards again." You nodded as he stepped forwards and you stepped back, skirt swaying.

"Then to the right," You chuckled as his brows remained fixed in a tight knot as he tried to focus.

"Then we do it again." You seemed satisfied, and he nodded it was simple enough, although he could already feel the strain of the activity in his joints.

"Easy." He huffed, taking the lead and you giggled and fell into step with him.

"Tell me Levi, when you went across the ocean and fought those men, who were you fighting for?" The question caught him off guard and he nearly forgot the next step.

"That's an odd question." Levi shot you a mean look and you shrugged.

"I want to know what pushed Humanities strongest to be so strong." You answered, unfazed by his sour look.

"I fight for the people." He replied curtly and you sighed.

"That's a boring answer, I want to know what really drives you." You pressed and Levi frowned.

"Its the truth."

"Then tell me a lie." You raised a brow, challenging him and he screwed his nose up in distaste.

"Why would you want me to lie to you?" He asked out of genuine curiosity, no one had ever given him such a request.

"To spice some things up I guess." You hummed nonchalantly and squeezed your hand that held his.

"Then I would tell you I fought that war for you." He regretted the words, but you seemed to be pleased by them.

"Aw so you did think of me while we were apart." You cooed and Levi nearly broke away from you, but he only gripped your hand harder.

"You were the last thing on my mind." he huffed and you let out a throaty laugh. A lie, he thought of you often.

"You really are funny." You let your head fall affectionately into the crook of his neck and he swallowed thickly, as your scent washed over him.

"I didn't mean to be."

"I know, that's what makes it funny." Your breath tickled his neck as you spoke, you seemed to be in no hurry to pull away.

"Hmph." He hummed stupidly, unable to form words with you so close.

The song ended and you lifted your head, one of those wide grins sprawled across your lips.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" You whispered cheekily and he scoffed as the two of you exited the dance floor. You both found a seat at one of the tables set on the outskirts of the room, taking a break to drink and enjoy each others company.

Levi rubbed his knee under the table, the dance had truly taken a toll on him and he barely suppressed a groan. You noticed, shooting him a concerned look.

"Does it bother you often?" You asked, dragging your chair closer to his. He rolled his eye and pulled his hand slowly away from his leg.

"No."

"You're lying, just tell me the truth."

"I thought you wanted me to lie to you." He snapped back and you scoffed.

"Not about this." You reasoned and he sighed deeply.

"Yes, it hurts like a bitch." He turned to face you, his knee knocking yours and you frowned.

"You should've told me, I wouldn't have made you dance."

"I-" He paused, catching himself before the words left his mouth. But after one look at your open and concerned face he couldn't not say what he had been wanting to say.

"I wanted to." He admitted and your eyes widened a fraction.

"You...really wanted to?" Your words were raw and clearly Levi had caught you, the witty young princess off guard.

"I did."

"Would you do it again?"

"Yes."

"Hm." A smug look crossed your face and Levi scowled at you, not liking the way you seemed to be plotting something unbeknownst to him.

"What?" He snapped and you let out a short burst of laughter.

"I knew that you weren't lying when you said that you thought about me." You teased and he growled lowly under his breath.

"Maybe that was your last dance with me."

"Easy now, let's not be hasty, we have the whole night after all darling." You patted his shoulder, standing slowly and walking around the back of his chair to squeeze his shoulders before slipping off into the crowd.