Remember

Remember

Author: @stiles-o-dylan24 Pairing: Thomas x Reader Word Count: 1427 Warnings: none like one swear word I think?  Prompt: “hey, hey calm down, they can’t hurt you anymore” with Scorch Thomas - @lettersofwrittencollective​

|| MASTERLIST ||  NEXT>>  ||

Sitting at the tables in the room they call the cafeteria with Aris, you notice a new group of faces walk in. A couple of minutes later a lone boy walks in and you stop mid chew at seeing his face. A face that you’ve been seeing in your dreams lately, ever since you were sprung free from the maze with Aris and the rest of your friends.

“y/n, you ok?”

You swing your gaze over to your friend and smile as reassuringly as you can “mhmm”

“You sure because you look like you’ve seen a ghost–”

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I Will Rise

Hufflepuff!Reader X Draco

You can take everything I have

You can break everything I am

Like I’m made of glass

Like I’m made of paper

Go on and try to tear me down

I will be rising from the ground

Chapter 1     Chapter 2    

Chapter 3    Chapter 4

Chapter 5     Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Summary: With the next winter holiday things get to their lowest point. But rock bottom is always the place to start building up. 

A/N: So this was supposed to be super angsty with no end in sight but ya know, I changed my mind. This is angsty don’t get me wrong, but this is also where choices are made and people are changed for the better or worse. Sidenote: I just ended a four year relationship yesterday and ya know. I’m great. Anyway. Love yall!! Let me know that you think as always!!

Draco and I stood at the Manor gates. Dark clouds rolled in, suffocating us. They threatened with snow, ice, and fury.

“It’s the Dark Magic,” Draco noted, his voice seemingly indifferent, taking my hand.

I nodded, sighing. Something was to be said about missing sunny days and warmth. Even in the dead of winter, this chill sat differently on our shoulders. Winter promised spring… this artic promised nothing but death.

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Cynosure- A focal point of admiration. (M)

Cynosure- A focal point of admiration. (M)

Pairing: Reader x Jaehyun: Nct

Word Count: 20.4k

Genre/warning: Enemies to lovers; Surgeon au: language, mentions of previous patient death, fluff, smut

Plot: When the young hot shot doctor, Jung Jaehyun, has been solicited to your hospital. He is to become the new Chief of Surgery. Your excitement and curiosity are soon to be washed away by his cocky disposition.

Songs: Ginny: Sylo Nozra ↳ Thinkin Bout You: Katie

A/N: It’s been awhile. This has Scrubs vibes, just saying. Sorry to the medical professionals if any of this is off. I started writing this in January and finally got around to finishing it.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you have a crush on this ‘Jaehyun’ guy.” Doyoung said, picking at his food. The two of you and a few others scattered across the cafeteria, eating lunch.

You paused, giving him a look before continuing to eat. “I’m sorry, I’m enthusiastic about something. You wouldn’t understand that would you?” You smiled, speaking with fluent sarcasm.

Doyoung coughed out a laugh. “I have plenty to be excited about.”

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Glass House

Hufflepuff!Reader X Draco

I got people blamin’ me for shit they did to me

Lots of people shamin’ me for shit they didn’t see

So point the finger, pull the trigger, throw them off your trail

You’re diggin’ me my grave, but keep the shovel nearby

Dig your own right next to mine

I got people sayin’ take an eye for an eye

I just turn the other cheek cause you ain’t worth my time

‘Cause you see in black and white

But there’s more than just wrong and right

Chapter 1     Chapter 2    

Chapter 3    Chapter 4

Chapter 5     Chapter 6

Summary: Lines start to blur between wrong and right as you and Draco try to make it through the first semester of sixth year alive. Can you both keep up the charade long enough to survive? Can laughter and smiles hide what’s lurking underneath?

A/n: Y’all know what’s up. I’m so excited for this chapter honestly because there is so much character growth in our power duo as well as side characters and ugh I would die for Pansy. Also, I haven’t quite decided what to do with Snape yet… I don’t really hate him, not that I particularly like him either. Anyway, let me know what you think! I love seeing all of your comments you have absolutely no idea!! Stay strong and always keep fighting: this chapter deals with some dark stuff. I hope that you all see how to find a ray of sunshine in the midst of hell by reading this. ((I also cleaned up my taglist and got rid of the ones that tumblr wasn’t letting me tag anymore, so if I accidentally deleted you, lmk and I’ll add you back!! And Tumblr still isn’t allowing me to add a lot of you and I’m sorry ://// It’s not that I don’t love you bc I’m trying here))

Prologue:

“Cissy, you must not do this, you can’t trust him —”

“The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn’t he?” Narcissa snapped back at her sister.

“The Dark Lord is … I believe … mistaken,” Bella panted, and her eyes gleamed momentarily under her hood as she looked around to check that they were indeed alone. “In any case, we were told not to speak of the plan to anyone. This is a betrayal of the Dark Lord’s —”

“Let go, Bella!” Narcissa snarled, and she drew a wand from beneath her cloak, holding it threateningly in her sister’s face. Bella merely laughed.

“Cissy, your own sister? You wouldn’t —”

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do anymore!” Narcissa breathed, a note of hysteria in her voice, and as she brought down the wand like a knife, there was another flash of light. Bella let go of her sister’s arm as though burned.

“Narcissa!”

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so cute!!!!!

your boyfriend is... | s.m

part II here

mindless fluff based on the Instagram filter, I don’t even know what this is lol

@shawnjpeg​ I'm confirming for the last time I promise is this the correct ending 😅

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Hii I have an angst scenario where levis so gets trapped under a collapsed building after a titan attack because she was saving civilians -with a happy ending please :3

Out of the Ashes

Pairing: Canon!Levi x F!Reader

Work count: 6.4K

Warnings: Canon typical violence

A/N: god you people know me so well at this point. I. LOVE. WRITING. HURT/COMFORT. PLEASE the angst is just the best. i love all your requests but hurt/comfort just holds a special place in my heart… FUN FACT! this is actually named after my favourite Michael Morpurgo book i read as a kid :,)

i hope this is what you hand in mind ^-^

You could never just have one fucking day to yourself, could you? There always had to be one thing after another, one disaster immediately following the next. It was how you found yourself zipping around Trost district, slicing through nape after nape.

Vibrations rattled the legs of your bones as you quickly kicked off the wall of a spire, sending yourself through the outstretched fingers of a 15m, before it's nape too was swiftly taken care of.

This was a shitshow. An absolute fucking shitshow. Once again humanity had been caught unawares by the Colossal and Armoured titans, somehow taking out your defences as if they were punching and kicking through paper. And not a Scout in sight. The Garrison were doing as much as they could, protecting civilian lives and evacuating them to the gates, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

You winced as you landed on a rooftop, your knee giving out slightly as it buckled beneath the impact and your weight. It was the reason you’d stayed behind rather than heading out on the most recent expedition. Managing to pop your knee out of place when taking a hit for another soldier on the last mission had hindered your mobility too much to ride a horse, much to your dismay, and Levi’s relief.

You’d been dating for some time now. When you first met him, you still being a cadet and him fresh from the underground city, you thought he was the most annoying, foul tempered, vile humoured, prickly little bastard you’d ever had the displeasure of meeting, often finding yourselves provoking each other, belittling each other or just plain ignoring each other. That was until a particularly harsh expedition roughly eight months after your begrudging introductions. The same expedition where you’d lost your best friend. She’d been with you since you were cadets. You were partners in crime, two peas in a pod, she was your ride or die. And then she did die. She died protecting you, throwing you clear of a crawling titan’s jumping trajectory and quite literally sacrificing herself to save your pathetic little life.

You were barely holding yourself together, your sanity hanging on by a quickly fraying thread, when he made a comment about you being here and not her. It didn’t have his usual biting tone, but the words were there nonetheless, and you snapped. You snapped and punched him square in the jaw, the faintest crack gracing your ears as you raised your fist to strike again, before two arms looped beneath your armpits and held you back. Of course you struggled against it, you wanted to fucking kill him. Not for what he said, but for being right about it. She had given her life to save you. You, of all people. And you screamed at him. Screamed every damn word about how stupid she was, how fucking ridiculous she was that she’d had chosen you over herself. How pitiful and shameful it was that you were the one to live. How you knew every single damn insult that was about to fly from his mouth because you’d already thought of it beforehand. You’d already realised before he even had time to say anything that yes, it was a great fucking shame that you were the one to return and she wasn’t.

It was only when you fell quiet did you realise the entire courtyard was looking at you in sympathetic pity, and you hated those looks. You didn’t want pity when you were just stating facts, and the raging fire in your shining eyes told Levi just that, before the flames were quenched completely. You relaxed in Hange’s grip, now realising it was your mutual friend who had stopped you from going berserk, and there was no other way to describe you other than fractured. You looked tired, broken. Like an old toy nobody wanted to play with anymore, left on the shelf to gather dust and cobwebs.

When you’d later discussed this incident a little further into your relationship, Levi described you like he was watching sunlight bleach the cover of a book, or grey skies sapping the green from the trees. You drained of colour before his eyes, monochrome replacing the fiery oranges and striking reds he’d always seen you as, before you silently walked away. Nobody went after you, everyone having heard your outburst knew what you’d just experienced, and knew you probably wanted to be left alone. But by the fourth day of not hearing your random biting remarks about whatever tea he was drinking, he’d started to realise he actually missed you. He missed hearing your laughter in the mess hall, as much as he used to claim he hated it. He missed seeing your scowl whenever you made eye contact with him. And though that punch really fucking hurt, he missed when you were paired up during hand to hand combat practice, feeling you give every strike your all, watching your eyes light up whenever you manage to gain the upper hand. He missed you. Fuck, he really missed you.

So by the end of the fourth day, Levi took his metaphorical olive branch in the form of a tray of tea and two bowls of soup, to your door.

You shared a dorm with your best friend, or rather, you did. But it didn’t exactly look like a dorm, more like the site of a titan massacre. Whatever anguished rage you couldn’t take out on Levi had been taken out on your possessions, and on hers. Picture frames had been shattered, pillows had been torn apart, clothes ripped from their drawers or closets and flung in any and all directions. The wooden bedframe had splintered under the weight of one of your kicks, and small splatters of blood decorated the floorboards where you’d sliced your foot open on broken glass.

A sharp intake of breath was the only sound your soon-to-be lover made as the door slowly creaked open. Nobody had been in here, not even Hange, since you’d locked yourself away. Well, not locked, only high up’s doors could lock, but you’d shut yourself away nonetheless. And Levi then immediately understood what you were going through, because he went through something extremely similar not eight months previous. His eyes fell to you, curled up in a corner by your bed, not even sitting on the stripped, ruined mattress. Whether you’d noticed him come in or not, he couldn’t tell, but he set the tray down on the nearest flat surface, having to gently move what looked like a really sweet pencil drawing of the two of you from beneath shards of glass, before kneeling in front of you. He’d removed his own cravat to use it as a bandage for your foot, cleaning the wound with a spare cloth he kept in his jacket pocket.

When you’d finally lifted your head, you’d expected to see Hange, or maybe a member of your squad. The last person you’d expected to see was the man who you swore hated you, and who you could have sworn you hated too. But when his soft eyes met yours, so full of empathy and understanding, you realised that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t so bad afterall.

You ended up talking most of the night, answering his questions about who she was to you and how you knew each other. He, in turn, opened up about his own experience when he lost Isabel and Farlan, explaining who they were to him and how they died. You knew vaguely, of course, you’d lightened up on the insults and general nastiness when word reached you he’d just lost the two people who had come up with him from the dirt. But you didn’t quite understand the connection between the three of them, not until now anyway.

You ended up understanding that the two of you were fairly similar in some ways, and you realised that night, you’d just seen a side to him nobody had ever seen before, at least nobody in the Scouts, to your knowledge. And you sure as hell never expected to see this side of him. Shit, you doubted he even had this side to him. But when he turned your head to look you in the eyes, gently gripping your shoulders and asking you to promise him you would never regret what happened, never regret her decision, you realised just how wrong you had been.

It was after that night you two actually managed to talk without wanting to rip each other’s throats out. You congratulated him on becoming a captain, only to be met with his request for you to be on his squad. You shared his paperwork, his tea –as foul as you thought the drink was–, his thoughts and fears, and all of a sudden you were sharing his bed, sleeping in his arms after you’d both realised you’d fallen in love with each other.

It was with his help you managed to honour your best friend’s life. You fought for her, and for this new relationship that seemed to have blossomed from the seed of grief. She used to take th piss out of the two of you relentlessly, constantly chiming about how thin the line is between hatred and love. And you guessed she was right.

That must have been nine or ten years ago now, seven of those years having been spent by his side as his lover, and three of them as his wife. The thin, simplistic gold band around your ring finger glinting in the midday sun as a testament to your love for each other. You wonder where he was now, whether he too was fighting titans, or whether they were setting up camp. Their return date wasn’t for another couple of days, you knew that, but then again, Erwin Smith was always a little unpredictable. You knew from experience, having known the man for a while now.

Smoke and fire rose from ruined homes, screams of the innocent rising like a choir singing for a malevolent god. You carved through flesh and muscle, felling as many beasts as you could whilst still keeping your injury fairly safe. If you didn’t stop, it didn’t have time to hurt, that was your mentality. Until high pitched cries for help stopped your rhythm, twisting in the air so you could at least deduce where the pleas were coming from.

And your heart dropped as soon as you realised.

There was a school. An entire class worth of children and teachers trapped by surrounding titans and flames. It was a hellscape, but one you had seen before, and wouldn’t hesitate to walk through. Flipping your direction from the original path you’d set yourself on, you drew two more razor blades from your scabbard, metal singing a chorus as they too glinted in the sunlight, before you set to work.

Your first port of call was to clear the area of titans. The giants currently surrounding the building, reaching their large hands through flaming, shattered windows in search for their next morsel filled you with a certain kind of rage you’d never felt before. You’d recently had that talk with Levi. The whole “children” talk. Whether you both wanted one, and whether it was a good idea to bring a child into this world of death and terror. Maybe that was why you sliced through titan flesh so viciously, watching with sick satisfaction as the beasts toppled and fell before they even knew what hit them.

You fired a green flare, a visual sign for backup as you kept up your attack, growing tired as more large hands replaced the ones you just severed. There were too many, and the screaming from within the building wasn’t helping your sense of panic either. You were trying to stay calm. Trying everything you could to keep your breathing regular. If this was any old titan attack, you’d be fine. But there were civilian lives at stake. Children’s lives at stake. Letting them die wasn’t an option.

Relief calmed your stuttering heart as the sound of gas accompanied by the sick squelch of blades through muscle came to your aid. A small squad of Garrison soldiers putting their cadet training to good use by actually killing some titans. You would have been impressed if the current situation wasn’t so dire.

“Keep them at bay! There’s people in there, don’t let a single titan near this building, understand?!” even if they didn’t know who you were, they obeyed your orders without question. Something about your tone of voice screamed authority, and they knew you were everyone’s best bet at survival here.

Without a second thought, and without even considering the faint cracking of strained support beams, you disengaged your gas, running through the small inferno. Smoke clogged your lungs immediately, and you crouched as low as you could whilst still being able to travel at a reasonable pace. You were listening. Over the roar of fire, you were listening for the panicked shouts and hollers for help. You just needed to find where they were, and you’d get them out. You had to.

You managed to look up seconds before a part of the ceiling collapsed in front of you, prompting you to dodge back. The movement had you coughing, and once you started, it was difficult to stop. Pulling a small cloth from your pocket, you planted it over your nose, hoping to filter out the smoke as you continued your painstaking search. Long hallways lit by the blaze taunted you as you ran into each classroom, searching what felt like in vain. Until angelic, blood-cooling screams graced your ears, and you sped up as much as you could without prompting yourself to pant.

Throwing open the door, you surveyed the class of terrified looking kids, all huddled close to the ground. Tear stained and puffy eyed, they looked to you in fear, and your gaze fell to the teachers keeping them as safe as possible. It didn’t look too bad, if not for the fire that separated the two sides of the room, blocking off their exit and preventing you from accessing them. You were now frantic, searching in desperation for something, anything that could help them escape. Some desks and tables had already been consumed by the flames, but others were almost unharmed.

The structure creaked and cracked all around you, falling debris could be heard outside the classroom as you dragged one of the desks as close to the blaze as you could, gesturing for one of the adults to do the same. You had managed to create a sort of makeshift bridge, although they would have to leap across a small gap, fire licking the legs of the desks, as if taunting you, mocking you. Reaching up to pull you into the flames.

“You have to jump! I will catch you, I promise!” you shouted, heart beating faster than you thought possible as a little girl clambered up onto the desk opposite you, her expression one of utter terror. You held your arms out, cringing slightly as the heat from below engulfed and singed your skin, but you didn’t have a choice. You had already told yourself you were going to save these children, so that’s what you were going to do. Mustering all the courage you had, you wiped your own expression, before producing a calm, reassuring smile. Determination sparkled in your now flickering irises, and you took a step closer to the edge of the desk, the toe of your boot now hanging over the inferno. “Trust me.” you implored, before you saw the girl nod, take a small step back, and leap into your arms.

Instinctively you curled her into your embrace, before placing her onto the ground behind you. The next kid, a smaller, brown haired boy, seemed a little braver, and didn’t hesitate to jump over the flames, colliding into your steady body.

“I have to take two at a time! I’ll be back, I promise!” your voice must have carried to one of the teachers, her wide eyed expression, though nodding in confirmation, silently pleaded you to hurry. You had nine more children to help escape, that and the two adults. Hauling the two kids over your shoulders, you started to run. Smoke and ash coated and burned your lungs, but you didn’t stop. Eyes streaming, you gasped for fresh air as soon as your eyes saw the blue sky beyond. A small crowd had gathered in front of the school, the titans nearby having been eradicated, civilians and soldiers alike stopped to watch in awe of a single woman running in and out of a burning school, collective screams ringing out each time a piece of the building collapsed. Some people yelled at each other to help you, but nobody seemed willing to risk their lives in the same way a Scout would.

It was the commotion that drew Levi to the scene. Word had reached the Scouting Expedition that titans had broken through the wall and were running amok in Trost District. His immediate thought turned to you, worry infecting his mind as he constantly wondered if you were okay, unable to think of anything else the entire gallop back to the walls. He’d already seen enough shit today. Some cadet falling from the nape of a titan skeleton was bad enough, but arriving in front of a burning building just in time to see his wife sprint back inside of that very same burning building was enough to drive him insane. Hange ran up to his side, clearly having seen the exact same thing.

“Was that–?”

“Yeah, it was…” Hange’s eyes flicked from the doorway to Levi’s face, slack jawed with fear as he watched wide-eyed. You’d just run head first into a burning building. You. When he finally managed to tear his gaze from the door, Levi realised what was happening. There were people in there. Evident by the Garrison soldiers providing water and blankets for ashen faced children. Soot coating their little bodies, clothes stained black. Dread pooled in his gut. You were injured. That’s why you stayed behind. You had badly fucked up your knee and needed to rest. His stomach roiled as more screams from the crowd pierced the air, another section of the school collapsing to the ground, rubble and embers piling up as only one section remained. Levi couldn’t wait any longer.

There was no hesitation in his step as he ran forward, only increasing his speed with Hange’s panicked shouts behind him. But the longer he didn’t see you emerge, the more the icy hands of terror gripped his heart. He couldn’t lose you. He couldn’t lose you. He couldn’t–

“Levi?!” snapping out of his hazed trance, Levi looked up to see you, covered head to toe in ash, two kids thrown over each shoulder. Neither of you stopped to say just how fucking relieved you were to see the other. It was all conveyed through your eyes anyway. You passed the kids over to him before cupping his neck and pressing your forehead to his.

“You’re okay…” he breathed, eyes flicking between yours.

“I’m fine. Get these ones out of here. There'll be two teachers next, followed by me and the last kid. Don’t do anything stupid like come back in for me, okay? I’ll be back soon.” you reassured him, briefly capturing his lips in a light kiss before you both turned your backs on each other and ran the opposite directions.

The situation was becoming more and more dangerous by the second. Splinters and shavings of wood crested with sparkling embers continued to fall from the ceiling, smoke continued to swirl from shattered windows and broken walls. Levi didn’t know how long you had been doing this, but he was impressed you hadn’t collapsed. His own lungs strained from the excess inhalation of smoke, coughing slightly as he managed to carry the kids out to safety, gently setting them down with the rest of their class. Now was the waiting game.

Hange came to his side again, offering their canteen of water, but Levi was too focused on the doorway to notice. Everything had dulled slightly. The din around him had faded as he could focus on nothing but the door. You had to return. You had to come back.

The crowd erupted as two adults came running from the building, arms stretched out to greet those who had been waiting for them. But that’s not who Levi was looking for. That’s not who he was waiting for.

“There!” a miscellaneous shout to his left brought him back and spurred him once again into action. There you were, limping badly, a little girl clutched in your arms. His subconscious mind briefly admired how good you looked carrying a kid, before he ran back in to help you. Like earlier, you handed the little girl over to him, but as Levi went to put your arm around his shoulder so you could take some of the weight off your injured knee, you immediately protested.

“No! Get her out first, I’ll be right behind you.” you shouted over the sound of fire and destruction around you.

“I’m not fucking leaving you here,” he spat through gritted teeth, hand still clasped around your arm, but your expression remained steely.

“I’m not giving you a choice. You die, she dies. Get the fuck out of here, I’ll be right behind you, I promise!” Levi lost his grip on your arm as you shoved him forward. He gave himself time to look back as you, brows creased with worry.

“You better be.” he said, before leaving you behind. If there was ever a time Levi doubted his speed, it was now. He couldn’t seem to move swiftly enough, run fast enough. Every step seemed like it was taking another hour. But you were, of course, unable to keep up with his speed. Your knee howled in pain, having to make the jump over the fire yourself since the last girl was too scared. You’d managed to fall and land on it, badly. No permanent damage, but enough to keep you a good six or seven feet behind your husband, a man who you could usually keep up with.

But it was six or seven feet too far.

Levi cleared the doorway, shielding his face as a sudden burst of fire exploded to his right. A shrill scream of your name had him whirling, the deafening crack of solid wood hitting the ground an accompaniment to your pained yelp as you once again jumped back. It was Hange who had screamed your name, a fear like one Levi had never seen raged in her hazel irises as he set the girl down before turning back to you.

Or to where you should have been.

The doorway had caved in, creating a barrier of raging heat and smouldering logs. You were trapped. Trapped in a building that was seconds from collapsing. Levi could see it in your face. Could see the sudden, horrified realisation. The paralysing fear that you were now caught in a web of fire. The panic as your eyes searched for a way out, and the grim resolve as you realised, this was it. And it was that gentle, melancholic smile of acknowledgment that speared his chest.

Time came to a standstill. Everything faded into the background as fiery gold met desperate silver through the impassable doorway. Levi couldn’t breathe, the familiar feeling of helplessness wrapping barbed wire around his windpipe. Feet stuck to the ground, heart stuck in his throat. He couldn’t lose you. He couldn’t lose you. He couldn’t–

“I love you.”

Levi’s breath hitched in his throat as he swore he could hear your words. He lurched forward, arm outstretched, fingers flexing, trying in vain to reach you. A roar of your name ripped from his throat, anguish and grief shattering the moment of stricken peace.

Before the ceiling, and his world, came tearing down, snuffing out the flames, and your life, in a heartbeat.

There were no screams around him, or if there were, he couldn’t hear them. White noise clogged his mind as he could do nothing but watch, stuck staring at the last place he’d seen you.

You were gone.

The woman he’d sworn to protect. The woman he’d given his heart to. The woman who’s finger wore the symbol of his devotion. The future he was going to have with you. The memories he hadn’t made yet, had just been snatched away in a split second. No time to say goodbye. No time to tell you yes, he wanted to have a child with you. Wanted to start a family with you. In this world of death and terror, he wanted to bring something joyful, something brimming with such innocent happiness that he could come home to. He wanted that, more than anything.

But you were gone. A reality he couldn’t accept, not yet.

Where his legs found the strength to run, he wouldn’t question, but he was carrying himself forward. His hands didn’t even register the searing burn on his palms as they began tossing smouldering debris to the side. You weren’t gone. You weren’t. You couldn’t be. No, you weren’t. No. No. No, no, no no no nonono–

Halted in his movements by a pair of arms looping beneath his elbows, Levi felt himself being pulled back and away from the rubble. The rubble you were trapped under. Nothing made sense. No sound was distinguishable. An cacophonous amalgamation of shouts swirled together like an oil spill. Thick, stagnant air constricted his lungs as the iron-like grip around his arms dragged him further away from you. And as quickly as everything had slowed, time sped up again.

“LEVI STOP!” it was Hange’s voice, a voice he knew well. One he could easily distinguish in the sudden tsunami of sounds. Everything was suddenly too loud. Too fast. The smokey stench of death curled around him, taunting him, mocking him. But there was a kernel of hope. A small flicker that he clung onto and held tight. You were alive under there. You had to be.

“The fuck are you doing? We’re getting her out. Now.” His voice held the usual authoritative edge to it, but laced with desperation. Hange didn’t lessen their grip, only held him tighter.

“Levi… there’s no point. She’s–”

“She’s not dead.” he snapped, whipping round to face the morose looking scientist. Their expression slowly dimming the small flame of hope. Anger flared in his gut, eyes narrowing in grief stricken rage. “She’s not fucking dead, but she will be if we don’t get her out. She was right behind me, she promised…” his voice was losing what little conviction he had, expression falling as the reality finally dawned on him. He’d left you behind. He’d abandoned you. He shouldn’t have listened, he should have stayed and helped you. And now you’re gone.

You’re gone.

“I’m so sorry Levi…” apologies were worth nothing. Not when he’d survived and you hadn’t. You’d given your life to save him. And he can’t help feeling every single word you’d screamed at him years ago. This was how you’d felt. He’d forgotten the feeling. Forgotten what it felt like to lose someone so close to him. To lose someone he loved so dearly. He never thought this was possible. Losing you. He’d never even entertained the thought because it was simply too terrifying to think about. But now he had lost you, and he realised there would have been nothing he could do to prepare himself.

Sinking to his knees, the bite of the stone didn’t even reach his numbed mind. Unbeknownst to him, Garrison soldiers had been having trouble keeping people back from the devastation. Your act of selfless heroism had struck a chord with the civilian crowd, and though the likelihood of you being alive was small, they wanted to do what little they could to at least recover your body. With soldiers being tired after a day’s battle, there was nothing they could do when the crowd broke through. Immediately people set to work, wrapping their hands with whatever material they could gather to protect their hands from the heat. Though the fires were now out, a few glowing embers still glowed.

Hange watched with tear glistening eyes, their expression awestruck as they surveyed the situation. Levi too had managed to turn his head. In this world of death and terror, the occasional kindness of humanity mesmerised him. This is what your selflessness had done. You’d brought people together, people who were too scared to move, too scared to help. Through the blanket of agony, a small arrow of pride cut through the cloth. Pride over how high you’d soared from how far you’d fallen. He was so fucking proud of you. So–

“SHES HERE!” any more lacerations to his heart and Levi didn’t think he would survive. They’d found you. From beneath the smouldering debris and rubble, they’d found you. His hope reignited, Levi was on his feet, the crowd parting for him like some biblical figure.

Joke after joke had the universe played at his expense. Death after death, loss after loss, heartbreak after heartbreak. But the weak strained cough from your dusty, bloodied body felt like fate giving back. You were alive. You were alive.

Your lower half was still buried, a beam of solid wood preventing you from crawling to safety, but the slow, shallow rise and fall of your back was the proof Levi needed that you hadn’t left him. You were still here. He didn’t have to say goodbye. Not yet. Levi couldn’t quite work out why his vision was suddenly blurry, until wet warmth trailed down his face. Sinking to his knees for a second time, a tentative hand cautiously brushed bloodsoaked hair from your face.

Cracking an eye open, you struggled to focus your gaze on the familiar yet hazy outline of your husband, head spinning from the crushing weight currently paralysing you from the waist down. You opened your mouth to speak, immediately tasting the metallic tang of blood on your tongue, but before you could say anything, Levi was already shushing you.

“It’s okay, you’re okay, we’re gonna get you out, okay? Just hold on for me, you’ll be out soon, just hold on,” whilst his words and gentle caresses of your hair soothed you, a small smile pulled at your lips when you mentally questioned whether he was trying to reassure you, or himself.

Levi briefly looked up from your face to quickly gage how they were actually going to get you out. Currently, the entire weight of the collapse wasn’t on your legs. But there was a steady creak of wood telling him that soon, the supporting plank will give way and completely crush you. He needed to get you out. Now.

“Captain Levi Sir! We’re more than willing to pull together and lift what we can! But we won’t get another chance Sir! That plank is minutes away from breaking and once it does, we won’t be able to lift the full weight.” Levi closed his eyes for a second as the soot stained civilian addressed him. He needed to separate his emotions. He needed to forget that it was your life at stake, because everytime his mind reminded him, panic flooded his system and he couldn’t think straight.

“Alright, thank you. We have one chance at this, I’m counting on you.” he replied, his voice steadier than it was a few moments ago. Reverting his gaze back to you, you seemed a little unaware of what was going on. Drifting in and out of consciousness, you tried your best to stay awake, but exhaustion was proving that task difficult. Levi’s brows pinched slightly, before once again stroking your hair to get your attention. “Hey, ‘m going to need your help. Can you prop up your upper body for a second? Can you do that for me?” it wasn’t really like you had much of a choice. The only way Levi could gain enough leverage to pull you out without ripping your arms off was if he could hook his elbows under your armpits and tug.

You nodded, slowly bringing your arms from their positions to push yourself up. Only, all and any strength had left you. Your arms wouldn’t work, bones feeling like twigs, muscles feeling like foam. You tried in vain to muster any strength, closing your eyes in defeat as you relaxed your body, accepting your fate.

But Levi wasn’t having any of it.

“Don’t you fucking dare give up. Don’t you dare.” he hissed, lifting your head with a finger beneath your chin. Though his words were harsh, his touch was gentle, eyes filled with steely determination. “I thought I lost you earlier, I thought you were dead. I thought you were gone. We’ve been given a second chance, I am not losing you now, understand?” the haphazard, makeshift support groaned in protest to the weight, spiderwebbing cracks only underlying the urgency in his tone. You were tired. You were hurt. But giving up was not an option. Not now.

You nodded as much as you could, a new determination igniting to life as you grit your teeth. You had never felt heavier, but as soon as you’d managed to elevate your upper body high enough, Levi slid beneath you. Bracing a foot against the wreckage, his hand cupped the back of your head, still unable to quite believe you were still alive. Though now wasn’t the time for reprieve, neither of you could help quickly basking in each other’s presence as you buried your face in his neck.

“Levi–”

“It’s okay. You’re gonna be fine. This might really hurt sweetheart, but you’re going to have to trust me, okay? You’ll be safe soon, I promise, just a bit longer,” he soothed your slightly matted hair, reassurance spilling from his lips before he looped his arms beneath your shoulders. He felt your breath against his neck quicken slightly, anxious adrenaline feeding your heart.

“Ready?!” the same man from before shouted, a whole line of both civilians and soldiers alike had their hands braced on the beam that was currently rendering you helpless. Multiple answers of “Yes!” and “Ready!” rang out amongst the crowd, before the countdown started.

“Three! Two! One–”

“I love you too,” Levi murmured, before his arms tensed around you.

“LIFT!”

Wood and brick tumbled from the wreckage as the entire mountain of rubble was lifted from your body. An agonised scream tore from your throat as blood stabbed a thousand needles into your legs, rushing to rehydrate the veins and nerve endings. A grunt of effort left your husband’s gritted teeth as he dragged you from beneath the debris, using his leverage against the collapse to push against, finally pulling you free.

As if unable to bear the weight any longer, as soon as you were safe, the deafening crash behind you told you all you needed to know, the split of the support beam and the rumble of falling shrapnel making you jump in Levi’s embrace.

But, you were free. And your husband wasted no time in gently adjusting you so you were cradled in his arms, secure within the crease of his abdomen. He held you against his chest, your hand coming up to weakly grasp his bicep. You didn’t realise you were shaking.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. You’re safe. Fucking hell you scared me shitless, fuck.” he muttered, breathing slightly erratic. You could tell by the tone of his voice he was crying. Not that you could blame him. Not when you were crying as well.

“I c-couldn’t breathe, Levi, I th-thought I was going to die, I never thought I’d g-get to see you again,” you stuttered through tears, prompting him to hold you tighter.

“I know sweetheart, I know. But you’re safe now. I’m sorry I didn’t come back for you, I’m so fucking sorry,” you slowly, gently pushed against his chest so you could look up, wanting to show him it wasn’t his fault. And peering into your now shining eyes, Levi saw everything you wanted to say. Your tentative hand came up to softly caress his cheekbone, and though he couldn’t help feeling like he should be comforting you, he couldn’t help leaning into your touch, hand coming up to encase your wrist, holding you against his cheek after being so terrified he’d never feel it again. You guided his head to yours, tiredly raising your head to touch your brow against his, and finally you could breathe again.

A small, calm smile pulled at Levi’s lips, allowing the peace to settle in both his mind and his body. “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I swear I will just kill you myself and get it over with,” there was nothing in his demeanor that even remotely suggested he would do such a thing. You chuckled weakly, contently resting your head back against his chest.

“Yeah yeah, like you wouldn’t have done the same thing.” you responded, and though exhaustion swaddled your bones, you had enough energy for a spark of mischievous defiance to enter your gaze.

“Tch, I mean it. Don’t fucking do that again,” he reiterated, though clearly amused by your old self slowly returning. In those brief minutes he thought you were dead, he realised he’d never get to see this again. But you’re here, and Levi silently made a promise to himself to always protect you, no matter what. There was a beat of contented silence, before you spoke up again.

“Sooooo, about that kid…” your smile morphed into a sly, toothy grin. Rumbles of laughter vibrated from his chest at your expression, his hand coming up to cup your face, thumb smoothing your ruffled brow.

“You are in no state to bring that up now. Heal up first, then we can start trying for a brat,” and the look on your face was worth everything the two of you had just been through. Your jaw slackened slightly, eyes widening in realisation as his words processed in your mind. Fresh tears welled in your eyes as your smile broadened into something awestruck, searching his face for any sign of deceit and coming up naught.

“Wait, really? You want one? A family?” you couldn’t help confirming what he’d literally just told you, incredulous disbelief swirling in your irises as he just nodded, admiring your expression.

“Yeah,” he brought you into his embrace again, reslishing in your face once again being buried in his neck. “Yeah, I think I do.”