Why Do You Reblog Your Own Fics So Much?

Why do you reblog your own fics so much?

Because someone might as well!? And look at this. Look. At. This.

Does this look right to you??

These are just the last three fics I wrote. I appreciate the likes, believe me I do, but you have to understand. Likes do nothing for content creators. It’s the reblogs. Because that’s how you find shit on your dashboard. Through reblogs. Not likes. This isn’t twitter or tiktok or instagram. This is a website that’s run by the reblog system.

Reblogging helps content creators put their stuff out there. Why do you think so many people stopped writing fanfic and creating beautiful fanart and edits? It’s because they put in hours of work and don’t get nearly enough notes for their masterpieces. Yes we do this because we enjoy it but like...some validation won’t hurt. A boost of confidence here and there might be all someone needs to finish whatever thing they started and left.

Anyway, I’m still going to reblog my shit...

masterlist • season one • season two • season two-point-five • ao3

summary: An ex-princess forced to hide and fight for your life, you’re now on the run with a Mandalorian and a foundling, trying to protect the three of you from the threat of death that creeps around every corner accompanied by a tracking fob.

pairing: din djarin (the mandalorian) x f!oc/reader

includes: canonical-type violence, fluff, swearing, childhood/current trauma, angst

fan art: x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x

gif sets: click here and here to see gif sets for each chapter made by the incredible @kenoobiwan​!

playlist: hand-crafted to have each track coordinate with each chapter, you can stream it on Spotify here!

discord: ask me about joining the Security discord server!

CHAPTERS

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HOW DID THIS MAKE IT BACK TO ME-

~starksvixen masterlist~

requests

Marvel

Star Wars

Outer Banks

One Chicago

MHA

Resident Evil

Stranger Things

AOT

Best slow burn I’ve read in a while…you got me all up in my feels!

Chapter 6 | Highs and lows.

"watching the fire crackle through strands of your hair..”

Summary: AOT CHAPTER 130-139 MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD. You and Levi go out on an adventurous day trip before the weekend ends, and the real planning begins.

Warnings/ tags: Blood, Mentions of periods.

Wc: 10.7k

An: I wanted this chapter to feel very emotional and fluffy, I hope you guys enjoy, mwah <3

Fables Masterlist

⋘ 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 ⋙

“A walk?"

"Yeah."

Levi can feel sweat gathering along his spine, and for several minutes now he's been trying to unknot his brows and fucking relax. He doesn't want to appear too blunt, or socially inept, no, mostly too uncivilised...though the feeling of this woman's hand on his thigh, is making his muscles tense up. He wants nothing more than to bat it away, even more so when his stomach drops, when he notices your eyes flickering to it. Levi's just never really had women be so forward with him, maybe you? But you're different.

He gulps, now asking himself how he'd feel if he came home to see you so close with a man that isn't him. He quickly concludes that he'd probably break the mans fingers and have a cup of tea afterwards. So he moves aside, crossing his thighs together to remove her sullying touch, he doesn't want anyone else touching his body, only you.

Is he turned on? Why is he fidgeting like that?

"So, what's this?" Your smile is aching your cheeks already, your mood immediately dampened by how weirdly picture perfect they look together.

"She's showing me her camera."

Yeah? And what else.

"Oh, you want one?" you ask, fingers brushing against the documents burning a hole in your pocket.

"Yeah, I might save up for it."

You turn to Amelia, fists curling. "Soo...do you sell cameras?"

"No I don't, sell cameras." She scoffs, air quoting your words with a smirk. "I partially own the museum."

You give her the most disgruntled expression you can muster before turning to Levi, disregarding her smug reply completely. "But Onyankopon has one, you should ask him."

"W-"

"Levi was interested in mine, it's a better model. He's got a good eye for someone that didn't grow up with our technology, we were just saying that, right?" Levi just nods, silver eyes cautiously scanning you. While collapses into giggles, every word more irritatingly patronising than the last. "Wait, wait, hadn't he mentioned it to you?"

"No, but that night when we left we came home and went straight to bed, so I guess he forgot, I don't think he was thinking about cameras..." Levi smirks.

That shut her up.

"Well did you frame the photo I took? Like you said you would."

"We haven't found a frame yet, so it's just beside our bed instead right now."

Now that definitely shut her up.

"On our nightstand."

"Well...I'll be going now guys!" She turns to Levi, voice sickeningly sweet, as she twirls together strands of her peroxide sodden hair. "I'd forgotten that you don't live here alone."

"Why? Am I interrupting something Amelia?"

"No no, of course not, anyway! I've gotta go, things to do. Hope to see you soon Levi!...And you [name]!" She quickly scrambles to her feet and hurries past you, heels clicking on the linoleum.

And when you finally hear the front door slam, you plonk yourself down onto the sofa, eyes boring into his. "I'm confused, what the hell was that? You wanna explain why she's in my house?"

He shrugs. "I told her you might like a camera."

To him, you'd spent ages clinging onto all of those pictures of Hange and the cadets, when life was so chaotic, he wants to document your peaceful life together now. He wants you to have that to hold on to, something good, something you both created together, because he thinks the mundane with you is what really matters. No, he knows it.

"Yeah, a camera would be great, but I mean how the hell does she know where we live? What happened to not wanting to wake up to a knife to our throats."

He sighs, standing up and heading for the kettle. "Well I told her, obviously. And I doubt she's a trained killer [name], she's harmless."

"Harmless?" you cackle, "Definitely. Her act is fucking transparent."

Levi's only half in tune with the conversation, he's still trying to hide his joy and amusement in the fact you said, 'our bed'. He doesn't allow his mind to stretch far with you, he doesn't like it wandering onto fantastical scenarios, that he dreads may never happen. But he's sure that if he's not just thinking too hard, or thinking too much of himself. That you're fucking jealous right now, and he's soaking every second of it up.

"She's not gonna kill anyone."

"So the other night, that's what you were speaking about with her then?"

"She lives in the area, so, I thought it'd be...neighbourly, what's wrong with that?"

You glare at him, and he knows why, he avoided your question. "We already have neighbours, we need to get to know them."

"From the start you wanted us to integrate here, so that's what I'm doing, what's the problem?"

"I didn't mean with people like her."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Oh nothing, she's obviously so nice, coming over uninvited like that!"

He places his cup down and approaches you slowly, grabbing your hand. "Why are you getting mad with me?"

"I'm not, it's just I've come back home to you, and she's just here...like that and..."

You're mine.

He drops your wrist, returning to the kettle to pick through his tea leaves. "It was nothing like that [name], she's just...weird."

"I just seemed to have interrupted...something."

"You didn't. She was showing me her camera, she was passing by, that's all." he states firmly.

"You're free to live as you please, I'm glad you're socialising, seriously."

He huffs into the sink, wiping the frown from his lips as he turns to face you. He wants you to tell him how bad you want him, why won't you? Why can't you? That's why you're pressing this so much, because you are jealous right? Maybe if you just said those words, he wouldn't feel so turned inside out by the fear of his own feelings.

"She came over with no warning, I hadn't expected it either...sorry." he mumbles. Great, now you feel guilty.

"It's fine, I'm happy you've made a friend."

"I was hardly looking for one." He smirks, walking up to you, grabbing the sides of his coat and pulling you closer with them. "Where did you and Onyankopon go anyway?"

The blue of his eyes are so mesmerising in this light today, and so damn distracting. His natural charm is overwhelming sometimes, and his aura is intoxicating so close, it's making you choke on air. Finally, you release a much needed breath, smiling ever so reluctantly at him. (But ultimately you're sweetened). "Oh yeah."

The shop, the shop, the shop!

"Oh yeah? Tell me then." he answers, grabbing your teacup from the cupboard.

You tug his arm and he almost drops your teacup, making him sigh, and then playfully swat you from the shock. "I have a surprise for you, it's from Pon, come with me! It's big!"

He laughs. "Careful! I'm making tea."

"Your tea can wait, get your shoes on. Right now, right now, right now!" He lets you pull him toward the coat hooks and force him to hurry into his boots and coat. You chuckle when he pulls his turtleneck right up to his ears. "Levi, fuck sake, it's not that cold."

"Yeah whatever, why are you rushing me? Where are we going anyway?"

"I'll show you."

As you pull Levi through the streets, he mostly stays quiet, face turned to yours with a mix of curiosity and affection. "We're not going into town? Where then?" he asks, still letting you silently weave him through the crowds of working people and school kids heading home. "Why are we going down here?"

"Stop asking so many questions!" you yell in excitement, nearing the corner of the street.

"Fine, wait...here?"

When you arrive, you quickly mirror Onyankopon, running up to it and waving your hands about while he stands before you, more confused than you were. He sighs, then shakes his head and you frown, asking yourself if he's disappointed. "No, I'm not breaking in there with you."

"Wait...what? That's seriously your first thought! Why would that be the surprise? Idiot." you splutter.

"Yeah, why else would you bring us to an abandoned shop just a corner away from the town centre?" Your giggles continue as you issue him over and start unlocking the door. "[Name]? Where's that key from? What are you playing at?"

You only smile, ignoring him as you open the door and pull him inside. "Now! Have a look in here!"

He covers his nose out of precaution but when he breathes in the air of it he's already convinced. "No dust, interesting." He runs his hand over the counter and you watch the immediate smile that rises and pulls at the corners of his pretty mouth. "It's a good space, it's clean, what's it for?"

"Pon wanted me to show it to you, because...ah, just look!" You pass him the deeds from your pocket, and watch his face as he scans over the documents. "Levi?" He extends his arm out, shaking his head and cupping the back of yours as if to quiet you, as his eyes dart over the words in disbelief.

It stirs something deep inside of you when he gasps loudly, and lets all of the papers fall to the floor. Before he grabs you and pulls you into an impossibly tight embrace, squishing your face right into his chest. "Levi! Did you see? It's ours, yours, your very own tea shop, we can make it our own-"

"Levi Ackerman's and [name]'s." he quotes, and you feel tears immediately prickle in your eyes, as you hold him back just as close, even though you're stumbling back against the counter from the sheer force of his grip. "Levi Ackerman's and [name's]." he repeats again, voice sounding so beautifully soft. "It's ours?"

You melt into him. "Yeah...it's ours."

Ours. Our bed, our shop, our life.

"I'm...very happy." he whispers into your ear, making you grin against him, whilst sneakily snaking your hands up into his undercut.

"Imagine how pretty it will look in here when it's raining, or when it snows and we're closing it up in the winter."

He pulls away, locking his hand through yours and walking around the room with stars in his eyes. "Tell me more."

"That display case, we could put food in it?"

He dances his deft fingers along the glass case at the counter, "Sweet things in here, for you."

"For me?" you giggle, standing back to wrap your arms around his waist as he walks.

"Yes, cookies, chocolate ones, ginger ones, oatmeal ones."

"We could cook them together?"

"We could, I'm sure we could pull it off."

"Mm and how about that?" You point up at the bare bricked wall behind it. "A black board there, we can write our menu on it."

"We could make menus too...your handwriting would look the best."

"You think?"

"You could do some of your drawings on them too."

"What would I draw on them?"

"Anything, you know you could do it."

"Wait, what about plants! Levi, plants in here! Everywhere?"

"Yeah, that'd look good, but wait..." You felt this coming. "how much do we owe Onyankopon? I really wanna thank him for this, we'll set up a payment contract, our next government payment comes in soon-"

"He says he pulled some strings and that we owe him nothing." He stops, pulling you from behind him.

"What, seriously? He can't mean that."

"He said he pulled some strings and that it's not anything we need to worry about, he means it, but don't worry we will thank him! He said he's gonna be busy for the next for days, so we'll have to wait, you know how it is... government stuff."

"What, he doesn't want anything in return?"

"No, but...are you still happy?"

"I am, am I not showing it?" he asks, shyly rubbing his nape.

"Of course you are, so...can we go and celebrate this victory then!?"

"Yes we can, and then Monday we'll begin making this..." Our own. "work." He gathers the papers fallen on the floor and lays them on the counter, beaming at you.

"Yay! Let's go! Medley!?"

"Let's go." You squeal as he shifts his hands under you and bridal carries you out of the door, closing it with you still in his arms. He smiles down at you, his heart daring to hope, he's sure he's never been so damn happy. "This will be good?"

"Yes, yes it will be, it's gonna be me and you, partners again!"

"We're always partners." he scoffs, slotting the keys into his pocket and letting you down.

Yeah, 'partners'...captain's? Lovers?

You hum cheerily in agreement, though as you link arms walking over to The Medley, you wonder how far lovers and partners are apart, the respect is the same, its equal.

You both stop in front of it, fondness in your eyes, it's been a while since you've been here, you'd missed the black and white furnishings of it, golden letters bold on its entrance beam. And when you walk in you're quickly met with Tom's beaming smile, and the unforgettably warm atmosphere of the place, fire crackling, burgundy leather seats freshly waxed. "Fuck! Long time no see!"

"Hey Tom!"

"Hey you two! How are things?"

"Great actually, it's good to see you. We'll have two beers please?" Levi asks, spirits raised as he pulls his money from his pocket and places it in Tom's hands.

"Levi! Top shelf today? Why you guys so merry on this fine Friday ay?" he chirps, pouring your pints and setting them in front of you. "This is a fresh keg of Ross T beer too, just come in." he whispers, before chuckling at Levi's face. "Don't worry Levi, I won't serve this one as much as last time."

"Thanks."

You playfully punch Levi's arm. "Hey! Aren't we supposed to be celebrating."

"Oh my god? Celebrating? Levi man! You finally proposed?"

Levi drops his head in his hands with a huge sigh, glaring up at him through splayed fingers. "Tom."

"[Name]...help me here before Levi kills me."

"We, are...opening a business! A tea shop!"

"Wow! Congrats guys! Now Levi can finally stop bitching about there being no tea in here!"

"Yes Tom I know why, because this is a bar, I do understand." he grumbles.

"Yeah well it took you long enough." Tom's wife Mina, emerges from the back room and joins his side, arm slung around his waist. "Speaking of long enough, sleeping beauty here is finally awake."

"Hey Mina!"

"Hey!" She turns to Tom, trying to control her laughter. "Honey, the cats have scratched all the fresh paint again."

"Ugh, give me a sec guys." He pecks her cheek and leaves you all in laughter.

"So you oldies are drinking today?" she asks, brow cocked as she tightens her checked work apron and corset.

Levi takes a large sip of his pint. "Watch it."

"They're celebrating baby, they're opening a tea shop!" Tom yells.

"No way! Good move! What are you guys gonna call it?"

You both curse in unison. "Oh shit."

"Seriously guys? Well, it took us long enough to name this place though, right hon?"

"Yeah! It really did."

"Shit...Levi, think of something."

"You, you're much better with these things!" he hisses.

The door jolts open, causing all of the seated patrons around you to jump and whip their heads to the exit. "Ah, the Friday rush is here my lovelies." A cluster of customers begin to barge in and Mina quickly grabs your pints, running them over to the best booth in the house. "Quick guys!"

"Always good while it lasts, eh?" Tom calls over, already doing tricks with his cocktail shaker, for no doubt a martini for some rich asshole.

"Yeah!" You chuckle back, both of you thanking Mina before she runs behind the bar to help her lover. You watch with a swelling heart as she adjusts his waistcoat, before grabbing a handful of pint glasses and garnishing ingredients.

You turn back to a thoughtful Levi before you, fingers trailing up and down his glass. "What will we call it?" He frowns, and you notice him chewing at his lip as you steadily down your pint.

"What do you think, they'd call it?" you ask, grabbing his bunched first and curling your fingers through it.

"Erwin? He'd definitely call it the scouts or something, Hange?"

"Sawney and Beane for sure." You giggle, stopping when you remember the letter, and what they'd asked you to reserve those names for. "But its not like we can actually use those!"

Levi practically snorts over his drink. "Why? It might actually sound good."

You sigh, you can hardly say, 'If we have kids...somehow! Hange has made me promise to call them those names, but hey! It's okay, they only asked for them to be their middle names!'

"No! Something else."

"I don't know, those were good."

"There's better, I'm sure...and we want it to be seen as a tea shop right, so let's think more around that."

"Okay, okay I'm thinking."

"But we could also make it personal...ah, this is tough."

Minutes goes by of both of you squinting in concentration, trying to magic up a name until Levi breaks the silence. "You said personal? I liked the sound of our names."

Together.

You bashfully avoid his gaze. "Yeah, me too, what about...our last names?"

"I like that, Ackerman's and-"

"I don't like my last name though, so let's just use yours."

"But will it feel like your place then?"

"Yeah, 'Ackerman's' I like it."

"Your name might change in the future anyway." You choke on your beer and he leans over to rub your back, wiping at your mouth with his sweatshirt sleeve. "Your last name?"

You giggle. "Yeah, I understand."

"Then it will fit both of us." he adds nonchalantly.

You lick your lips, eyeing his almost empty pint, and then him, his eyelids practically twitching shut already. He chuckles. "You're gonna catch flies."

"You haven't eaten have you?"

"I did but I worked out after."

"That's why its going straight to your head."

"It helps me say things."

You grin. "Yep, I know."

He finishes the rest of his glass and waves Mina over for another, coughing into his sleeve. "This shits potent though."

After a few more hours and rounds of bitter Ross T beer, you're both hazy and merry, arguing over what colour to paint Ackerman's walls. And every time you try to cut Levi off from another, he swears fervently that it's because you're both celebrating.

You're finally done with him, when he's been picking at the same cold bowl of potato skins for an hour. So you stand up, tugging him up along with you. "I no longer have brats I'm responsible for, so I like to enjoy a drink with you." he slurs.

"So do I, but I have a belly ache, can we go?"

He's up within seconds, immediately sobered and dragging you with him to the exit, already waving at Mina and Tom, "Ross T!" you yell, and they repeat it back to you with giggles and a thumbs up as Levi lolls into the crook of your neck. Not only does the alcohol here get him drunk, but a year into your life here, his alcohol tolerance rumour was dispelled. He can get drunk, always has been able to in fact, but he just never felt comfortable back in Paradis, he wanted to be ready to fulfil his duty at any given moment.

"Why does your stomach hurt?" he asks, head tossed up to the stars.

"I don't know, maybe it was the chicken."

"I had some and I'm fine, was probably the beer."

"Yeah, could be."

********

When you get home, Levi is tottering, falling back on the sofa and wrapping himself up in the blankets, "Does your stomach feel better?"

"Kinda."

"Can you read the moon one then?" he yawns, pointing to the fable book still waiting patiently on the coffee table. "Please?" He stretches his arm out to you and you cannot resist the invitation, obviously. So within seconds you're clambering into the warmth with him, getting comfy under the blanket beside him, and letting him clumsily snake his heavy hand up to rest into the back of your hair.

"He said, "Your face is very beautiful. I wish that you would come to me, and that my face would be as your face. Your motions are gentle and full of grace. Come with me and we will be as one—and perfect. I know that even the worst people in all the world would have only to look at you and they would love you. Tell me, how did you come to be so beautiful?"

You read away for a while, and as you speak the romantic words, Levi imagines you saying them to him, like a love confession of sorts. Letting himself bask in his latent need for you, clinging to you, having now even somehow migrated to being drunkenly sprawled over you, lashes tickling your belly, nose leant on your skin.

"Is this helping?" he asks, eyes gleaming up at you in earnest. You breathe in the sight of him on your lap, his cheek resting cosily against your abdomen with an arm reached up, a single finger dragging along your collarbone. Softie.

"Yes, stay right there." Reassured, he nods, waiting for you to continue.

As you read further through the book you debate each one, and when you read 'Belling the Cat', you're both stumped. "Well one of the mice have to put a bell on it, or the cat will keep killing them all."

He laughs, the deep vibrations against your skin making you feel closer to him than ever, your bodies are moulded so comfortably, that you're unsure through your sleepy eyes, of where you end and he starts. "How the hell is a mouse gonna put a bell on on a cat anyway? No wonder the mice are dropping like flies, they're stupid."

"You'd abandon your fellow mice?" You're both laughing with sleepy giddiness now, words teetering on nonsensical. "And let me be eaten by the cat?"

"Silly woman, the mice not you." You stroke through his hair and he repositions his chin to look at you properly, hands grasping onto the hem of your sweater. "How's your stomach feel now?"

"Now it just hurts from all the laughing."

"Good, then now its time for bed."

You don't end up in your own bed tonight, of course. Every night since Sasha's, you've taken a half-assed amble towards your own room, normally after brushing your teeth alongside him. Every time after this, he's just wordlessly pulled you toward him, making you follow him to his bed.

Tonight you decide to mention it.

"I'm always in here now Levi aren't I?" you whisper, locking your arms around his neck.

He reaches his arm back, looping it around your neck, happy that you're behind him to miss the stupid grin on his lips. "Good. It's ours." he mumbles.

How is it you always manage to reassure me?

********

The smell of bacon wafts through your nostrils as you stretch, it smells sweet, maybe even cured and supplied from the the Maxwell butchers in town. Your favourite butchers, that devil. So you eagerly clamber to your feet to get half ready. But you're so curious you end up just throwing your robe on and breezing into the kitchen still brushing your teeth. "Morning."

"Morning." Your smile blooms almost instantly, watching him fix the last of your plate before sliding it across the kitchen bar. "You made all this for me! I've been craving bacon." you gargle.

"Yes I know, hurry with your teeth, it's getting cold." You run into the bathroom and spit your toothpaste out, before running back in and hopping up on your stool. He's made you toast, a fried egg, and you're sure your favourite bacon.

He smiles smugly, ruffling your bedhead. "Yes it is Maxwell's bacon."

You crack him a cheeky grin. "I knew it. You splurged?"

"Maybe." He opens the fridge and produces a large glass bottle of orange juice. "When your mouth isn't so minty, there's this too."

"Oh my, Levi, what's the occasion? Are we still celebrating?"

He walks up behind you, sliding one of your silk scarves over your eyes and tying it gently. "We have a big day ahead of us." You go to peek through his makeshift blindfold and he gently taps your hand away, "Give me a moment."

You hear his steps disappear behind you, and continue to eat your breakfast, buzzing with anticipation. "You cooked this bacon perfectly! Eggs amazing too!"

"Good, eat up!"

He re-enters the room, nearing closer, before you hear large metallic clunking sounds clattering down onto the coffee table. Though light on his feet, you still feel his shadow cast over your skin as he approaches behind you and swivels your chair around, prompting you up to walk with a tender nudge. "What do you think is on the table?"

"I don't know, I'm nervous."

He unties the scarf from your eyes, with a gentle spring of his finger. "Have a look."

"Oh my god! Did Onyankopon bring us all of this? He works fast."

"What huh, no? Shit, this was supposed to be a surprise, Amelia dropped this off this morning."

"This was supposed to be a surprise for you? What are you talking about?"

"How? I asked her for this back at the restaurant idiot."

"Oh! So this is why she was here yesterday?"

You collapse into laughter, leant on his shoulder as you ogle the ODM gear in front of you. "Yeah, I paid her for it!"

You pick up one of the tanks of gas, running your hands over it's smooth exterior. "You did? Levi! There's three tanks of gas here, how much was all of this!?"

"Don't you worry about that, but why the hell do you think Onyankopon brought this?"

"Because I asked him yesterday, I wanted to do the same thing for you!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, I thought you might miss it."

"I do." He sorts through the gear beside you, beaming as you smile so brightly at his side.

"Great minds think alike."

"Indeed they do, now come on. We'll get ready and go out into some woods to use it."

"I'm finishing my breakfast first thank you." you chirp, giving him a quick hug and jumping back up to the table to finish it. He almost skips with joy beside you.

"If you're not hungry you know...don't force yourself, if your stomach still hurts." he says as he joins you, popping another slice of bread under the grill.

"It doesn't really hurt anymore, must have been that beer, cos I'm going to eat every last bite of this."

His cheeks flush. "Okay, glad you're enjoying it, c-cos you need to fuel up, we'll be getting the train."

"Really? Where to?"

"To a forest close to the border."

"I cant wait, I hope I haven't forgotten how to use it." you squeal.

"I don't think so."

"But Levi, why didn't you ask one of the cadets to bring you some?"

"I don't know, honestly I just wanted to surprise you, so I didn't want to risk them telling you, and it'd take too long anyway I'm sure they're travelling right now."

"Ah, makes sense, I just hope you didn't have to pay her too much."

"I didn't, though we will have to visit that fucking museum now."

"Levi!"

"I know."

************

As the train bumbles along, calm green expanses of fields, hay bales and farm animals blurred by the train windows, have you and Levi completely engrossed. Until he loudly crumples up the paper bags to your lunches, he loves the fish and chip stand by the train station and insisted on chips for lunch. "So...we'll be getting of in a small town called Craven."

"Got it, are there many guards and police there?" you ask excitedly, wiping away the salt coating your fingers with the endless stream of napkins he's throwing into your lap.

"Amelia said not so much, but I've packed our veteran passes anyway."

"She seems to really like you."

"I'm sure she'll like anyone that puts money into her pocket."

She likes—you, you idiot.

You huff, now aggressively wiping at your hands at the mention. "Are you so oblivious to think that she isn't attracted to you?" He clears his throat, fingers tracing over the folds of his cravat, tucking it closer down his collar.

"Why would I care about that? Come on, it's the next stop."

After the fairly short train journey, you and Levi step off the platform and head out of Craven's station. You cannot say you and Levi don't look suspicious with your large bags of gear in hand, and the looks you're both garnering certainly attest to that. In particular, Levi notices a man staring at you, and he grabs your hand, glaring at him. Before turning back to the travel map on the station's board, tongue jutting in concentration as he scans through. "The forests only ten minutes away, let's go."

"Yay!" You and Levi follow the arrowhead signs pointed toward the forest, eventually passing less and less people until you see the big wooden sign outside of it. 'Craven Grounds.'

"Where is everybody?"

"They used to use this forest for Titan training years ago, according to Amelia people are too afraid of coming here now."

"What like the young warriors did?"

"Exactly."

You cackle. "What? Are they worried their feet will touch the soil and they'll turn into fucking Titans or something."

"Exactly that, people are still so paranoid, but lucky for us it gives us plenty of space."

"Ah here we go." Two tall and burly men in official Liberio uniform, slowly emerge from behind the sign to greet you both, meeting you halfway on the gravel path.

"Good afternoon folks! What's your business here?" asks the first officer, his auburn hair glinting in the sun. "Not here to bury a body are ya?"

The brunette beside him laughs until he pauses, eyes fixing on Levi's scars. "Oh my god! Ben! It's Levi!"

You and Levi turn to each other, figuratively facepalming, sometimes you forget how famous you've both become, and how much most Marylean people respect you both too. "The male Ackerman!?"

"Yes-the strongest fucking male soldier from Paradis! The male Ackerman yes, fuck!" He turns back to Levi, hand zealously outstretched, back impossibly straightened. "Pleased to meet you sir! It's an honour."

Levi only nods, tentatively shaking his hand. "And you're [name] right? You look a little different from the papers."

You smile at them both as they both eagerly shake your hands too, "It's me, hairs just different."

"It makes sense, you probably wanted to blend in with the Liberio style right?"

You laugh awkwardly, eyes averting to the ground. "No, not really."

"Well Paradis has its own styles now too right? We've seen in the papers that your home is developing..." Levi shoots him a murderous look and he almost chokes on his own tongue. "Well...ah, my daughters dating an Eldian boy! So just go right ahead!"

"Yeah! We don't discriminate! Go right ahead guys."

"Wait, but you're not actually here to bury a body...right?" The brunette man calls behind you, nervously wringing his hands together.

"We're just here to make use of some old gear before we dispose of it." Levi shouts back.

"Oh cool! Yeah sorry guys! Go ahead."

"He really does sound like a military captain when he shouts!"

"Behold, the male Ackerman!" you tease.

"Shut up." You and Levi walk through the high trees hand in hand, and as soon as you're shrouded from view, and halfway through the seas of trees, you both start to strip away your bulky clothes. He rips open the bag full of your harnesses and throws you your set, grinning when you start to expertly strap it all on in seconds. Muscle memory. But you notice he's taking a little longer, so you hold onto his hip to steady him, as he straightens his prosthetic beneath his trousers, to better slot his leg through the loop.

"Will you hold onto this for me?" He's offering you his cravat, and your eyes widen at the question. He guards it with his life and he wants you to take care of it?

"Sure, I'll zip it up safe in my pocket, t-thank you."

"Thank you." He hooks his tank to his thigh, a frown on his lips as he dithers beside you. Once you finish strapping and adjusting the last of your gear, you finally notice his stalling. "What's up?"

"I won't be able to do any of my real manoeuvres like —this."

"Then why don't you take it off?"

He stops, head tilted curiously at you. "I hadn't even thought about that."

"Makes sense right? Sit down, I'll help."

He sighs. "But I'm gonna have to take my pants off."

You swallow. "Then I'll take your pants off."

He shyly nods, sitting down onto the grass and undoing his harness buckles. "Thank you." he whispers softly, as he fumbles with his zip and then lets you work his pants down his brawny thighs. "If those guards decide to come through here right now, I will be burying some bodies after all."

"No one cares about your pretty legs, kay?"

"Leg." he corrects, playfully glaring at you.

"Oh just shut up." You unbuckle the leather straps holding his prosthetic in place and carefully pull it off. Smoothing your hands over the scars littered at the end of his thigh with tenderness.

He sighs. "Don't, I can hardly look sometimes, I don't know how Erwin did with his arm."

You look up at him and smile, and he softens. "But you're so strong?" you whisper.

And so beautiful.

"Do you not want me to look?"

"You already know the answer to that question. I'm sure the other morning was enough to show you how comfortable I am."

"Levi." A white butterfly flutters past you both and then stops to rest on Levi's shoulder. You both marvel at it, as even when he moves, it stays perched in the air beside him. "See, you're still just as nature intended, even this pretty little guy thinks so." He smiles into the back of his hand, face violently flushing. "You know, your thighs were always my favourite part of your legs anyway." you continue, as you work his pants back up his legs, and then reapply his harness straps to secure the gear back around his body.

For a few minutes he stays quiet. "What? Why?"

"Huh, you're shocked? They're nice!"

"Perv." You giggle, grabbing both of your flasks of water and tossing him his. "Even when they were skinny in my twenties?"

"Yes, of course, but I liked them best in the black uniforms, they looked...juicy." you chuckle, making him splutter on his water.

"You sound like a fucking cannibal." he teases, soaking in the breaking sun poking through the tops of the trees. "But thanks, now I don't feel so bad about...it all." About myself.

"I was just being honest, maybe I'll ask Amelia to find us those old uniforms." You offer him your hand and you both ready your fingers on the manoeuvre buttons.

"Tsk." He's blushing ferociously now. "You're an idiot."

Your eyes search each other's, butterflies swimming through your guts. "The first time we met we were on these."

"I remember, you kept going in circles on the way back."

"I still wonder what you thought of us scouts then, cos I could hardly stay straight on them, you had to teach me. I was so embarrassed."

"I thought you were an idiot, and that still hasn't changed. But I never really had the chance to teach you any of the real fun though did? Erwin always told me I wasted to much gas when I did. So you better hold on." He clicks the mechanism and lets the gear swish him through the air, taking you with him as he grabs onto your hips and hoists them over his waist. With one hand threaded through the back of your hair, he holds you against him as he expertly twists and whooshes through the trees. "Because this is how you fucking do it!"

There's truly nobody that knows this gear better.

"Oh my god I've missed this!"

You both scream out till your throats are hoarse, only breaking apart to both twirl and spin apart. "Are you enjoying yourself?" you yell to him, watching him roll into a ball and dodge through branches and trees like an obstacle course.

"Yes!" Levi is whirling through the air with ease, the barriers he now has to walking ceasing, his small frame helping him glide through the air so gracefully. "Are you?"

"Of course, I'm with you!" you yell back, stopping on a tree branch, your body is shaking and your completely drenched in sweat.

"Come on!" You wave him off, instead admiring the sounds of him faintly grunting out into the air and releasing his frustrations before you. Three tanks of gas were a good idea, he's having a fucking field day, literally.

You whistle and he does even more flips before hurtling toward you and grabbing you, "Levi! I'll fall!"

"Like I'd let that happen. Do you remember the flip I taught you?!"

You chuckle breathlessly, complete exhilarated as her speeds you both through the air. "I won't be able to do it!"

"Try it." He pauses to stop on a tree branch, and you try your best, urging your body to perform his smooth slides through nothing. But you fail, forgetting to press into the gear to keep it afloat, but then he's already behind you, steadying you.

Hands gripping your hips and flying forwards, "I know you can." he says, snaking a hand down to your thighs and pushing them up to your chest. "Tuck your knees up." He pulls back now, hands on your shoulder blades before he pushes your body upwards in the wind. "Now go!" He lets go of you and you whirl in the air, quickly catching your balance as you rocket through the tops of the trees, practically swimming through it. "Atta girl!"

He continues to cheer you on for a while, until you both tire enough you end up on the ground in a heap. "Look what I packed." you yawn, pulling out an old picnic blanket from your rucksack. You lay it on the ground and you both cluster together, the breeze a pleasant accompaniment to your heaving chests and sticky skin.

"Good thinking." he mumbles.

"How did we do this before?" You giggle, wiping the sweat from your face with your sleeve.

"Asking myself the same question."

"We haven't even used all the gas though Levi, and I don't want to waste it."

"It's fine, we'll get a storage locker, it's about five minutes left from here."

You sit yourself up on your elbows, peering down at him in surprise. "What? You've really planned this haven't you?"

"I have, and are you cold? Wanna get going?"

"Yeah, and it's getting dark, come here." You lean over to help him with his pants, and at first he starts to unbutton them for you, but then he just gives up, lounging back with his arms propped under his head. "Thanks for the help."

He smirks. "No problem." Once you get his pants down to his knees, you look up at him and he cocks an eye open. "Pervert."

"How'd ya know?" You grab onto his thighs and squeeze them, giggling at his glare. "Careful, we are all alone here Levi."

"Idiot, put my pants back on, it's cold."

So he says, but he's just worried if your hand goes any further he might just expose himself, the blood is running south, quick. Your hands are just too fucking soft. "I'll just look at them later."

"Tsk." You secure the straps of his prosthetic around his thigh and prop it back comfortably on his leg, and once you're done you work his pants back up again.

"There you go grandpa. All done."

"Old lady."

You both groan as you stand up, falling against each other from the exertion of the day, and when he sees your leg buckle, oh he just can't help it. He just has to knee your thigh, causing you to fall over the heavy bag of gear you have swinging from one arm. "Ow! Levi."

He chuckles. "What? I'm just an innocent old man." You make no effort to get up, so he scoops you up and throws you over his shoulder.

"Don't strain your back gramps."

"Don't push it." When you reach the entrance of the forest, the sky is darkened, and the stars are roaming freely above you both. Luckily, the guards are gone too, so you set out to the storage locker building.

Levi does all the talking with the receptionist, signing through the paperwork so you both can hurry and return home, toes beyond frozen.

As you watch the queue, you notice that the place seems to be used predominantly for the exchanging and stashing of imported goods. Because there's a giant bearded man lugging several Ross T kegs, and a tall, slender woman behind him, holding a concealed large scale canvas protectively to her chest. And as Levi urges you to follow him to your allocated locker, you cannot pry your eyes from her, she's wearing a type of hat you've never seen before, and her suit is truly extravagant, it's a combination of a blazer and a skirt. And you think she looks fucking cool. "Levi, look at her." you hiss, listening out to hear her voice as she speaks to the clerk, she tells them that she is from a place named France, and you make a mental note to visit there one day. F-r-a-n-c-e.

You're given locker '201'. It almost looks like a mini vault, and it's the perfect size for you both to stuff your hefty duffels of gear in them and go on your way. Levi smiles longingly, as you both lock it all away, both feeling bittersweet. "We'll come back soon, promise." he says, passing you one of the keys to it as you start to head out to Craven's train station.

"We will."

The streets are dark and it's a ghost town, and Levi watches over his shoulder as you both navigate through it, his hand in yours locked tight.

When you reach the station, both your tickets are already in his hand, prepared, and he leads both to the correct bench for your platform. 'Craven Town to Liberio City Hall: Platform 7.' From the corner of your eye you notice him fiddling with his collar, plucking the fabric with unease, until you watch a silent "Ahh' form on his lips. He turns to you, "My cravat, can I have it back now please?" Knew it.

"Yeah sure." You reach for the zip on your pocket and gasp when you find it open. Oh fuck, oh fuck, no.

He scoffs. Keeping his hand held out to you, while he eyes the train tracks with curbed suspicion, he still doesn't believe they're very safe and he'd have happily walked, but he knows that you like them, because Hange did. "Very funny, pass it here."

"Levi, it's...not here."

His attention is immediately on you all at once, hands forcing themselves into your pockets. "You put it in your pocket right? Or did you leave it back in the locker?"

"No, no I didn't I had it inside this pocket right here." you stammer, helping him rip all of your pockets inside out. "It's not here, this is where I left it."

His teeth grit and you see that vein in his neck pulse as he starts to snap. "What? So it's gone? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe its in the storage locker!"

His voice is quickly growing louder and angrier and it's making you feel fucking sick. "Maybe? Is it, or isn't it?"

"I-"

"It's there, or it's not!"

"I didn't move it from my pocket!" You rise to your feet, immediately energised by the discovery as you zip up your coat ready. "We'll go look for it, I'm so sorry Levi, I'll go and look for it tomorrow when it's light too, gives us a better chan-"

"We'd never find it, who knows where that blew to! For years I kept that [name], through everything, I swore I'd never lose it."

"Levi, I'm so sorry."

You tremble on the spot, watching as he buries his face into his hands, no words leaving his lips, only defeated huffs and puffs that speak for themselves. You're heart is racing, and you feel sick.

He runs his hands through his hair a last time, before tilting his eyes up at you, and intently regarding you for a moment. "Just sit back down, it's fine. There's nothing that can be done about it."

After a few seconds under his gaze, you apprehensively plop yourself back down beside him, too scared to reach out for his hand, even as your breaths create billowing clouds, and your teeth are practically chattering. "I'm so sorry, I was supposed to be taking care of it, and I fucking lost it, I don't know how it slipped away, truly, I'm so sorry."

"Well you're not going to lose me about it, I'm right here, and I haven't lost you. I lost a piece of fabric, and it doesn't exactly smell like her anymore, does it? It's fine [name]."

"No, I lost it." You feel a lump gathering in your throat, creating what feels like a box of never-ending tears in your larynx. But you don't want to cry right now. So you fidget instead, gnawing through your lips and splitting them so badly, that when you swipe them with the tip of your tongue, the potency of the tang oozing from them, makes you wince. "I'll make it up to you."

"It's okay, just leave it. You've apologised enough." He turns to you, brows crossed as he fishes his beeswax balm out of his pocket. Winding up the mechanism, grabbing your chin, and spreading it across your lips until they're soaked with it. "And leave those alone, it's a bad habit."

"Sorry."

"Stop it." he mutters, applying some to his own lips. You watch with extra attention as he swipes his cupids brow free of its grease when he's done. "It's cold isn't it? What you doing over there?" he barks, though with not a drop of malice to his voice. You remain stiff in your place, offering him only a sorry pout of your sealed lips. Weirdly enough you feel calmed when he gives up and just impatiently snatches both of your hands and stuffs them inside of his pocket. He keeps them shielded from the cold by splaying a palm over them too, his thumb drawing lazy shapes. "Train will be here in a minute."

****

The train ride is silent, but Levi keeps hold of your hands the entire time. And every time you glance at him a little too long, he whispers something reassuring in your ear and you relax with every utterance. "I think I've dealt with enough loss to be able to get over losing that, don't you think?" he grumbles, (he's trying to get a smile out of you). Your stomach is starting to ache again, along with your chest too, but you force yourself to smile anyway and he nods assuredly at your reflection in the window. Hand squeezing yours tighter.

The cold air hits you both like an avalanche when you step out of the train though, and for some reason you cannot help but feel a little tearful and frangible all of a sudden, the highs and lows off today seem to be closing in on you. The worry of your warmth together fading consuming you, you're anxious, and extremely so... "Look, let's get something."

So we can remember this day.

Levi pulls you over to an old couple sat waiting at their shopping stall, they're wrapped in an assortment of woolly accessories, and they look sweet, old, healthily old, and you quickly imagine them as somebody's grandparents. Wishing them the longest life possible, because people never lived so long in Paradis but they do here. You hope you and Levi will. Before you know it your brain is helplessly drawing stories of big family dinners and teen romance, before Levi taps you. They're also the last open, trying to no doubt snag the sales of the cold souls arriving from all over, a smart couple, bonded by such strategies? Maybe like you and Levi when you were Captain's fighting the...

No, when he forces you up at six in the morning to go to the grocers with him to get your favourite bread or bacon, or cider before they're snagged. Those are pretty neat strategies too.

Their table is littered with knitted goods, and the first thing that catches your eye is a cable knitted navy snood. "Good evening you two." You and Levi politely chirp a good evening back as you begin sifting through, until he stops, a green woollen beanie hat in hand.

"Blue suits you the best." you offer quietly, holding up your find to him and turning to the woman, "I'll get this please."

He ducks his head for you to put it on him and he smiles when you tuck it tight under his black overcoat. Then reaching over and pulling the green hat over your head, "I like you in green the most, I'll get this thanks."

The man suddenly clears his throat and you both turn to him, he'd felt the tenseness between you both as you'd approached, and although his wife is pleading for him to be quiet, he hardly cares. "Fran here was sweet on me in school, and she made me a hat just like that, and I still have it... keeping each other warm is important, and not just when it's cold, know what I mean son?"

"Al." his wife softly warns.

He chuckles sweetly. "I'm old is my excuse, but not my business, I get it."

You and Levi both stand in shock, unsure of what to say next until the woman speaks again. "Lovers quarrel!" she adds rather awkwardly, and Levi's had enough.

"Goodnight." he mumbles, throwing down the money, grabbing your hand and steering you both away home.

"Fucking hell." you whisper, and for the first time in what feels like hours you both laugh, falling into each other as you splutter together.

But when you finally reach home though, you're still anxious, thoughts spiralling, and the muscles in your abdomen are starting to grow relentless in their torture. You think it's stupid, but you wonder anyway if you'll lie with him tonight, maybe he doesn't even want you beside him right now? But you're so cold without him.

All is silenced, and you're ripped from your thoughts, when you feel two rough hands suddenly firmly cupping your cheeks, with that beautifully husky voice following. "I'm saying this for the last time today, okay? I am not angry with you." He presses a kiss to your forehead, not moving when he sees slow tears rolling down your cheeks. "You're unbelievable, get in."

"I feel so bad, so so bad."

"Don't." He pulls you inside and you both kick of your shoes, and he heads straight into the living room to start the fireplace and the kettle. While you seek your comfy clothes down the hall, keeping on the hat as you raid his wardrobe. "Wash your hands! The trains dirty." Levi calls from the kitchen, but it's now you're stumbling over to his bed, the aching in your stomach excruciating.

The pain is doubling you over, immobilising you as it suddenly becomes unbearable. You slump over his bed, falling down and groaning out in utter agony. "Oh shit, this, oh no, fuck."

"[Name] I've made you some hot chocolate!" You're too winded to answer, curling up into a ball and fisting Levi's thick fleece bedspread. "You better not be asleep." He lowers his voice, and if you weren't writhing so much you'd laugh. "That's right I'll speak to myself. Great."

"Come here." you whisper feebly.

"[Name]! Oi!" The pain has you gasping, the only part of your body you can focus on is the vicious stabbing in your womb. But after a few minutes of him calling your name with no reply, you dazedly hear his panicked footsteps reach the foot of his door. "What are you-" He gasps, running over to you and grabbing your face, "Hey, what you doing? What'd you do? Hey?"

You cling to him as he turns your face from side to side, slapping your cheeks gently. "Nothing, nothing!It's my period I think..." you croak, head lolling in his hold, slow tears beginning to stream down your cheeks. "Levi, I'm hurting."

His voice is shaky as he handles you, though he coos softly to you, eyes fixed to you. "You are?" He gently lies you back down on your side. "Can I check?"

You curl yourself up even tighter, nodding with your knees tucked to your chest. "Please, everywhere else feels so numb."

He slowly hitches your cardigan up, sighing at the soaked seams of your pants. "Oh dear." he whispers, immediately frowning at the sight. "It, is that."

"Oh no, now I've made a mess on your fucking bed." You begin to weep quietly. "I'm so sorry for today, I keep ruining it, what am I doing?"

He resists the urge to correct you, it's both of yours, but right now isn't the time.

"I just need to clean you up." He's chuckling and the sound makes you prick up, grasping on to his forearms.

"What? You're laughing at me?"

"Mhm, it's just a bit of blood-" His eyes widen slightly when he notices you wince, and then clutch your stomach even tighter, a deep breath leaving your lips. "You're in pain? Yes." He nervously answers his own question. "We'll have some tea, but let's get you in the bath first, okay?" He hums as he walks around the room, and grabs you some of his clothes, knowing you'll find them comfier.

"I'll go grab your stuff and start the bath." he calls out, his footsteps disappearing down the hall.

When your eyes open again, he's resting his chin on the mattress and looking up at you, tenderly stroking the back of his fingers against your cheek. "No wonder you're feeling faint, how unfair." He grimaces at your frown, he can see the guilt in your eyes before he even needs to hear it. "Don't stress, you think I mind taking care of you?"

You feel your cheeks heat, not only from the close proximity between you two, but how gentle he sounds right now, he's practically lulling you to sleep. "I don't know-"

"The answer is no."

"Well...will you carry me then? Please?" You smirk as you weakly lift your arms up, expecting him to say no. "But wait I don't wanna ruin your-" Before you can finish your sentence he's hoisting you up over him, lips brushing your ear.

"Grab those then." he whispers, pointing to the clothes and period supplies on the foot of your bed. He carries you with no complaints to the bathroom, hands massaging at the backs of your thighs. "Hot bath, and then some tea."

"Thank you."

"It's okay, I'll give you some privacy today, but if you need me, call me and I'll come."

He sets you down and closes the door quietly behind him, leaving you to bathe. The steam quickly relaxes you, and as does the sounds of him bustling around the house. You find yourself tracing the marks left from the harnesses, letting your mind wander upon the past. Until you're sick of all the miles it's running so late, and eagerly clamber out of the tub, the bath isn't warm enough either, but you know what is, who is.

When you head into the living room your teacup is beside his, and there's a steaming bowl of soup waiting for you too. And suddenly you feel like crying all over again. Damn periods. "I don't deserve you."

"Shut up." he chuckles, patting the spot beside him. "Fucking cry-baby."

"Oi."

It's tomato soup, and Levi's put two comically large wedges of bread on the side of it, though of course they're cut perfectly. You realise how hungry you are as you swallow the first mouthful, the heat settling so perfectly in your stomach. "This is amazing, thank you."

"Good, eat up." He unravels the towel hanging around your neck and rubs at your hair, while watching you with a careful eye as he sips his tea. Scanning over your features, skin plump and dewy from your bath, his sweatshirt falling loosely yet so glamorously over your collarbones. He wants to tell you just how pretty you look, but instead-"How you feeling now?"

"Better, thanks to you."

When you're finished, the pains in your stomach start again, stabbing viciously without it's warmth. And before you can even get up to put your bowl in the sink, he's already taking it from your hands, and replacing it with a painkiller instead. "I fucking hate swallowing these, but thank you." you groan, and he looks immediately angered. "But I'm taking it! Yes I know."

"Good girl."

You swallow it and then attempt to recline back and relax, but your legs are knotted and you're trembling. You're ridiculously uncomfortable even, squirming and fidgeting beside him. Though the fire is soothing as the logs crackle, and both of you gaze into the glowing firebox as you sip your teas. The silence is comfortable too, hell he doesn't even want you to talk, what if you overexert yourself? He's also simultaneously resisting the urge to ask you if you feel healthy, he's not taking his eyes of you for a second tonight, he's promised himself. He's also never really understood periods, why are they so fucking painful for women? For you? And finally he's mad, because he can't do anything to help it.

Your writhing is becoming even worse, your soft grunts making his stomach churn—"That's it." He puts his tea cup down, carefully coaxing yours away from your hand and placing them both down onto the coffee table. "Come here." he offers, patting his thigh.

"Huh?"

"Here." he breathes, pointing to his thighs. "Sit here." You wordlessly comply, getting up and sitting on his lap, not even bothering to question why, why would you?

His breath against your neck makes you weaken and tremble, so sensitive to his allure. "You trust me, don't you?" he whispers, snaking his hands under your shirt and stroking them along up your spine. You hum breathily in response, as his large hands find their place against your skin, freely kneading at your shoulders and hips."[Name] you okay?"

"Of course." You smile, pulling one of his hands down of your shoulders to kiss. "I trust you with everything. Trust you with me."

He forgets how to breathe for a moment.

"Relax more for me then." he coolly replies (after seconds of quickly gathering his composure). You involuntarily shiver when you feel his soft lips press against your nape, and then when he shifts your slightly damp hair out of the way, leaving only his breath to cover it. He can feel you beating on his thigh and he smirks. "I'm just gonna take your mind of it, okay?"

You gasp into your hand when you feel him hitch your top up even higher, your face heating up. The feeling of his lips against your skin, is electrifying. He drags those cushiony lips down your shoulder blades and spine, gently bending you forwards as he massages in tandem. His hands quickly distracting you from the dull pains zapping through your abdomen.

"You are so...fuck...you're just...you're you."

He stops his hands for a moment, kissing the back of your head in reply. "I know...you—as well."

You exhale contently, dropping your head back against his shoulder, as you grab onto the sides of his thighs. "You're so good to me."

"Yeah? Well I'll always take care of you." he whispers into your ear, his voice like silk.

Forever.

"Do you—feel obligated to? Is that why?...I wonder sometimes." you whisper back, face screwing as he rotates his thumbs into the dimples of your lower back.

Did Hange make you promise?

"Of course not, we both take care of each other. And taking care of you is like taking care of myself now, so I wouldn't exist without it."

I just love you and I'm aware of that, so I'd do anything you needed or asked me to, this is the best way I can show you.

You feel your cheeks burning, and you grow giddy at his words. "You've got me there."

He laughs sweetly, continuing his soft treatment for a while, working his hands across your back, kissing and soothing the skin, running his hands along the curves of your hips, and over your shoulders, to then down to your forearms. And every time his lips press against your skin, your heart flutters.

"Better?" he asks, and you exhale in response. "Lie the other way now then, face me." You gulp but slowly stand up, and he holds your hands as you do, like he's worried you'll fall.

As you settle down onto his lap once more, straddling his thighs, your knees closed around his hips. You realise you do feel better, deeply relaxed even, though the pain is still incessant. "I know, it's painful." he purrs, wrapping his arms around you.

"Really is." You drop your face into his neck and he smiles, watching the fire crackle through strands of your hair.

"Wrap us up." he gently commands, and you eagerly lean over for the sofa blanket and unravel it, before raising it over your shoulders like a cape and tucking it around you both, closing your warmth in together. "Mm." You grab one of his large hands, sliding it down your chest to rest against your abdomen, before collapsing into him with a smothered sigh of relief. "How's that feel?" he chuckles.

"Good, very good, so good." You feel good. You sigh, pressing it closer against your stomach. "This hurts so bad Levi. I haven't had one in so long, all these years...it used to make Hange worry so much, but with all the stress you know, I just never had them." you tell him, voice full of sleep.

"Yeah it was a while ago your last, but it's good, it means your bodies working how it should again, we should be happy."

‘We.’

"Now go to sleep."

"I don't mind the sofa tonight, but please wake me up soon, I'll need to change."

"That's fine."

"Have I ruined today?"

"No, and we'll talk tomorrow, we have things to look forward to."

"Our shop!" you sing sleepily.

"Mm, our shop."

"I'm gonna put plants everywhere." you mumble, voice trailing away.

"I'll bet."

"Levi, please..." Your words cut off, and then you're already snoring ever so slightly, out against him, and he relishes in the heat of your body on his. You're exactly where you should be.

"Good girl...my girl." he hums, nuzzling his chin in your hair. "I loved today, I promise."

MrsAckermanX 2021 ©

The fluffiness is so warm for the soul I might actually combust

Chapter 12 | White paws.

“…that your heart was racing like this for another man?”

Summary: AOT CHAPTER 130-139 MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD. The beauty of change.

Warnings: violence mentions, suggestive scenes/sexual themes, physical assault mention, attempted sexual assault mention, but ultimately fluff!

wc: 8.3k

An: I wanted this chapter to feel really romantic, and show the changes in their relationship occurring, with some passion here and there🥺;)

There's also some songs for this chapter this week🥺🥺! The first one is the exact song I envisioned reader and Levi listening to together, so when that scene comes, please play it for effect 🥺 he would be humming this to her!🥺

Nightfall by Benny Carter

Cocktails for two, by Benny Carter

And then...Lost in a fog by Coleman Hawkins ❤️

Fable’s Masterlist

⋘ 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 ⋙

"Will you tell me?" he asks again, you nod in careful affirmation, but your heart pangs. How can you tell him? Wouldn't that just hurt so? Hasn't he enough guilt already?

You swallow, carefully carding your fingers through his hair. "I'll tell you all of it, I promise."

"You better not be lying." he mumbles, arms curling even tighter around you as if to enhance his point. "I'll listen to you." You expect him to snap up when the door shifts open, and part from you as if to hide some kind of forbidden tryst. But he stays lazed carelessly on top of you instead, head virtually burrowed under your armpit, as he blocks the light of the morning out, for once. You're enough, more than enough. "Who?"

"Pon."

"Vi!" Levi mumbles a vague hello while Onyankopon chortles like a proud father, "I'll just pull up a seat then!" Levi groans into your rib. "Happy to see you too, lover boy."

He leans down to give you a squeeze, merrily ruffling Levi's hair in the process. "Happy to see you Pon."

"And you too trouble, so...Levi, can I talk to [name]?"

"Mm, I'll go talk to the brats then." He scoops himself off the top of you, shuffling his shoes back on, before turning to face Onyankopon. In an instant, his warm eyes map over the puffiness gathering under Levi's and he softens, watching Levi admire your smile longingly, before leaving.

Onyankopon shuffles beside you, head already tilting in sympathy. "So... I missed ya."

"Missed ya more...so are you gonna tell me Pon, how was he?" To ask the uncomfortable you almost roll in on yourself, propping your chin in your palm. "The truth."

"How much do you wanna know?" he asks, crossing one leg over the other and leaning even closer, apprehension suddenly overshadowing that usually jaunty grin of his. "It wasn't...pretty I'll tell you that."

"No, Levi's always pretty." You laugh softly, hands instinctively shooting out to touch him.

Onyankopon clicks his tongue at you, with that knowing stare of his, plastered on his face, "Yeah yeah lover girl, but honestly, I've never seen him like that though, in that kind of a... state."

"State?" You gulp, eyes falling upon the floor, "Did he have a panic attack?"

He gently shifts your feet over, carefully perching himself on the end of the bed, and lowering his voice as if telling you a sordid secret. "Well, I'm honestly unsure [name], but it was something. He smashed things, pretty much the entire living room in fact. I can't really describe it."

"Oh, I had an feeling he was on the brink, and I left anyway, after I made him bear his fucking heart to me, I left." You run your fingers through your hair, wincing when your fingers meet with sore scabs. "Ah, I feel so shitty."

"No! Don't think like that! I think he came to some good conclusions, seriously, so maybe I can stop waiting for you both to hold hands, holy-"

"Fuck off!"

"Anyway, let's cut the shit, tell me all you can, so I can submit a report at the bureau, and we can try to catch those bastards."

You chuckle, "I knew you'd ask me this, how do you know that I can even tell you anything? Huh?"

But he's already slipping his notepad out of his blazer, "Because I know you, so go."

"First off, will you grab my jacket, please?" He grabs your brown zip-up, waiting for your next instruction with it in his hands. "Right pocket...Pon that's the left!"

He gasps, "No shit, no way!"

"Shit! So he definitely told you that I lost it then."

"Well." He clears his throat, imitating Levi's voice, "My little scarf is lost, actually, so thank you very much Onyankopon, you can blame your best friend for that."

"I'm surprised he didn't hit you for calling it his little scarf!"

"Well actually I called you an idiot for losing it, and then he hit me!...What's this?"

"That there, is one of the bastard's wallets, and information wise, all I can say is that the street where one of the men live is called Cashmere street, it's maybe, one of the fifth houses from the left."

His hand encases your knee and he squeezes. "Trouble, I'm gonna need more details than that, unfortunately."

You tell him all of it, everything down to the anti-Eldian chanting, the strategically malfunctioning streetlights, the shovel man...He's pacing in horror, swiping his hands over his face over and over as if to wake himself up from it all. And when you're done he's thumping on the rickety hospital window, while his other hand is fisting the washed out curtain at it's side. "Have you told him? About that shovel guy?"

You lean back, catching a flash of Levi's hair through the door. "I don't exactly want him to go to prison, so no, I have not!" you hiss.

"Are you sure?"

You scoff, chest booming with laughter. "Pon, do you think that Levi would know near enough the exact address of a man who tried to hurt me like that, and not try to slip out in the middle of the night and take him out?"

"No you're right, and there's awful lawyers in this town."

"Mm, but anyway, you can update me about the case here and there, but please, you've taken my statement now Pon. I don't want to think about it, I want to put it behind me so that I can continue moving forward, I just can't fathom those men hurting any more vulnerable and unassuming people."

He rushes to your side to pull you into a bear hug, "I can only imagine, this is the last time we have to talk about it if you want. Promise, I'm so sorry this all happened, you didn't deserve this, nobody does."

"Thank you for being there for us, you always are, what would we do without you huh?"

"Don't mention it, I have my reasons, so always trouble." You break away with toothy grins, to both collapse into laughter when you see Levi's head peeking over the glass, because of his height you can only see his eyes and it chokes you both up even more.

"We're done!" you shout over, and you see him smile, because in an instant the doors being broken down and all of the cadets are bolstering in.

Reiner, Armin, Jean, Connie, Mikasa, Pieck, Gabi and Falco too. "Her head hurts so be quick and quiet." Levi gently scolds, glaring when Connie and Jean drape their arms around his shoulders.

"You like Captain right sir?"

"Are you quick and quiet Cap?" Connie giggles.

"Get off you giants! You stink!"

You wave at them all through locked hands, Pieck already on one side, and Mikasa on the left, with Armin on your lap of course. "Hey Cap, you're heavy by the way, you weigh a ton," Reiner snorts, and Gabi kicks him.

"She's not that heavy!"

"Can I come in?" Everyone rushes to make way for the doctor, standing to attention at the clop of his feet to the floor.

"I see you've perked up now, [name]."

"Something like that." you reply through fond laughs at your family, and Levi catches your gaze halfway across the room and you melt, eyes lidding at the sight of him.

"I'm here to give you your final diagnosis and plan for treatment, before I send you home and go home myself, are you comfortable with everyone here having ears on that?"

"Of course!"

"Great," He flips over the paper on his clipboard, "I'd say you're concussed, and the healing rates for this dramatically vary from person to person. But, because of the wear your body has already faced in the past, I'm prescribing you ten days of immense rest, but ideally the maximum and desired that I recommend for you is fourteen days. And for your grazes, especially for the one on your crown, they should be more or less healed around that maximum mark too.

But no stress at all, so no work or strenuous activity, you need to let your head heal, okay? I'll also leave some painkillers with the nurse, for you to take while you're healing, in case the headaches get too much."

Levi's fierce in his nod, already marching towards the end of your bed, "Let's get you home to bed then."

"Levi, please, what about the shop?"

"There's one more thing I have to say to the two of you, but..."

"It's fine." You smile, "I don't mind if they hear."

"If you guys have sex before the estimated healing time, though I'd prefer you didn't, please ensure that it's not rough, and that's it's as gentle a-"

"Connie, shut it."

Levi's blushing violently, arms folded beside you, "Got it."

"Overall, she just needs to rest in every way, no stress, just care, but I assume you can do that for her Levi?"

"Well that's our cue to start leaving you both to it." Onyankopon grins roguishly, encouraging everyone to say the last of their heartfelt goodbyes.

"But what about the shop Levi?"

Armin swings up off the bed, grabbing Jean for support, "We're not leaving for a few weeks or so, so we can all work shifts if you want! It will be good for bonding before we all go away anyway."

"Thanks guys, if you're really interested we can talk about this outside, I'll be back in a minute [name]."

You smile at him in reply, accepting the last of your hugs, before Levi carefully closes the door. "Thanks again doctor."

"If you were pregnant that could have gone terribly, please be cautious when you're out without Levi, or Onyankopon. Some men really are monsters, but the next time I see you, it better be because you are pregnant and experiencing morning sickness."

"Don't jinx me with that!"

He laughs heartily, "Take care and make sure you rest!" he calls out, "Bye!"

You lean over, stretching out to try and reach the clothes Gabi has brought for you, until you just impatiently swing to your feet. Though your limping and on shaky legs, so when Levi catches sight of you through the door he races in, and he can barely stomach the sight, quickly growing bloodthirsty.

"[Name], your ass is out." he coos delicately, slipping his hand over your behind as if to keep your decency. You laugh and he tips your chin up, eyes glimmering earnestly, before they widen at the sight of your heavy grazes up so close. "It's okay I've got you." he whispers, pressing a feather light kiss to your chin. "I'm sorry [name]." He moves to press one to your throat, and you giggle. "I mean it, you know that right?"

"I know you are, but it's not your fault."

"Lie down."

Using his shoulders as leverage you lower yourself back down onto the bed and he grabs all of the clothes for you. Pulling the curtain around you both, he starts to slip off your gown, and your naked body fills with goose bumps in the cold, so you sigh out in relief when his hand meets your sternum, and he holds it there, fingers swirling and soothing. "You still look good you know, even injured." he murmurs, eyes softening when you weakly wrap your hand around his wrist, just to keep him planted there. "...Fuck."

You exhale, fighting the urge to clench your thighs together. "I missed you, Levi."

You can't just say his name like that.

He swallows, and your heart starts to race as he leans into you, claiming his place between your legs. He rubs his palm up and down your inner thigh, those slate coloured eyes alight, and burning down into yours. "I missed you too...It's cold in here isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I'm lucky cause your hands are nice and warm." You inhale as he works his way up to your arms, rubbing them. "Always so warm."

"Good." He carefully ducks to your chest, hair tickling your collarbones as his warm breath revives you, while his thumbs brush over your hips. "I don't think these will scar."

"You think I mind scars? Because I love them, especially on faces."

He starts to shuffle up your socks now, careful hands adorning every part of flesh they touch. "I see, but I don't know where you'll find someone with those."

"I've already found someone, and he's the one, definitely, all noble and the like."

His hand slides onto your chest again, your hardened nipple under his palm making both of your eyes clamp shut at the contact. "Ah? But I wonder how your admirer would feel, knowing that your heart was racing like this for another man?" he whispers raggedly, letting your hands find comfort under his shirt. "Hm?"

"I don't know if he'd care." you challenge, grinning at his face as he slides up some loose sweatpants of his up your legs, tying their strings into a pretty little bow.

"He would, over a spoken for man too." He tuts, "awful."

"Spoken for?"

"For life, he told me himself."

You laugh, and he moves to mouth the darkened areas littered over your chest, pressing light kisses to them. "Maybe he's worth getting so worked up over then, he sounds so loyal, and I happen to find that admirable...you know?" you rasp, back arching and hips rolling up as he closes both thumbs over your nipples and massages them in dizzying circles, all while he pecks at your skin.

"I'm worked up." he pants, closing his mouth over your nipple for a single moment and sucking, because he purely cannot help it, but then you moan, you fucking moan and he cannot, because it's his name that you whimper.

"You're so cute."

You spur him on even more now, hands threading through his hair and tugging, "Levi, please, you can't keep teasing me like this."

"Shit." He pulls away, rising up above you and hurrying to cover your breasts up with the duvet, "You're injured, but when you're not, we can-"

You hook your arms and legs around him simultaneously and he grunts softly, "Continue this?-"

"Talk about us, and where we stand...but for now no, come on, the nurse should be here in a moment...and we're in, public." he stammers. "Shit."

"I look forward to it." You smirk, pressing your foot to his crotch but he grips your ankle, sitting you up with the pullover sweater ready. He painstakingly helps you pull the fabric over your head, being sure not to knock it too much, so you simply have to tease him.

"They've shoved enough needles in you for a lifetime." he mutters, a frown pinching at his brows, while his eyes follow the bunched cotton wrapped over your forearms.

"Fuck! Levi stop being so rough with me, damn, the doctor said-"

"I will in a moment if you carry on." he just chuckles, pecking a kiss to your temple, as he tucks the top into the sweatpants. He grins at you, reopening the curtains before collapsing down beside you. "Now we have to wait until they bring you your prescription, but he said it wouldn't take long, okay?" he hums, tucking the blanket in around you.

You nod, budging closer to him, until you're both lazed on your sides, relaxed with every bat of sensual lash at the other. "C'mere?"

"Mm?"

"Anything on your mind?"

He's been asking you every rendition of this question all morning. "I gave Onyankopon one of their wallets, and he's going to the police for me, and I'm sure they'll sort this out, because we're respected...more than you think."

He shakes his head, "Then what happened wouldn't have if we were, I'm going to kill them." He tells you so plainly, it's like he's talking about buying groceries.

You hook your other arm around his neck, watching his jaw grit and eyes flutter shut when you use your thumb to circle all that tenderness aching his nape. "Levi," you giggle, like a lovesick schoolgirl, "this isn't back home, you can't just commit murder."

"They violated you, and they hurt you, marked you at that, I want them dead."

"I got off with some scratches."

You hear his breathing halt, "Your head was bleeding, and you were out cold." And to think he's never felt squeamish by blood before.

"It's basically a mild graze, even the doctor said I just need to rest, so it can't be that bad, and they didn't get much time, because of..."

"What?-" Shit. "How?"

"Cause I got away, kay?"

You think if Levi knew, they might actually lock him up, veteran passes and all.

"Can you let the police take care of it, and not become an absolute lunatic, please? For me."

"Wicked girl," He tuts at you, shifting the hair out of your eyes, and sighing." But for you, anything."

"Can you pass me my jacket please?"

He cocks his head back and immediately huffs, "When's the last time this was in the wash?" he scolds. "I haven't seen it in so long."

You laugh so sweetly it tickles somewhere in his stomach that makes him want to obey your every command. Tsk, and Levi doesn't listen to anyone. "Close your eyes." You carefully release his cravat from its pocket, before placing it lightly into his hand, he squeezes it, gasping almost instantly. "Yes!"

His cravat. You managed to keep it in perfect condition. How? "Is that where you were?" he asks. "You were getting this back for me." he grabs your face, sucking a long sweet kiss to your cheekbone. You grin, clumsily kissing the side of his cheek caught in the contact, being so close to Levi feels so new but so familiar, his skin even smells like home, and it's so soft and perfect under your lips, that your heads reeling.

You nod into him, "Yes I got it, I remembered that on that day I wore two jackets, remember? But I'm so sorry I lost it in the first place, Levi."

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"Levi, I'll protect your heart whenever I can, you can trust me with it, forever."

You will him to reply, feeling your heart gasp and sink in your chest.

I love you, his brain screams. Never leave my side. Marry me. Let me be blessed with your existence daily. The voice in his head grows hoarse, before he repeats in his head what he wants to say a final time. "My heart is all yours. I am all yours, I always have been, back then and now, forever, just like you said."

"Oh my, Levi?" You search him for a sarcastic quip, for him to tell you this is all a lie, or that he needs more time, but he doesn't.

Instead grabs your face gently, your chin safe in his palm, and he pecks a kiss to your left cheek, "I" and then one to the right "promise. "But if you break me, just-promise me you'll make it quick, got it?"

I adore you. "Got it."

"But, I...adore you, and I'm devoted to you." he whispers, kissing your puffy knuckles. "When you're better I'll tell you the rest."

"I adore you even more."

"Impossible, but shit, you really socked him one." he chuckles through a rumble of laughter. "That's my girl."

"You know it."

You stay embraced for a few minutes, and it feels like even the ward goes quiet, while your smiles are spread so stupidly big across your faces they ache. "In a few days, when you're feeling better and have rested...let's go and get that fucking dog, mm?" You blink those eyes up at him so gorgeously, that his heart is beating so fast it feels dangerous. "We still have to talk about...us. I know."

You smirk, rousing his locks with a shuffle of your hand. "As long as you do."

"But, we're building... " his voice trails away, and then he's nervously gnawing at his lip.

"What? Why don't you tell me." you tease.

He shakes his head at you, greeting your wrist with a drag of his lips across it. "Our family, so, let's go and get one of those little mutts, I don't mind."

"Dogs Levi."

"I'm not walking it."

"You don't have to smart ass."

"We're still getting the little...puffy one then, with the white paws?"

"The one he showed us a photo of first?"

"Yes." he sighs.

You grin, "You're excited."

"No, no I'm not. Good, here she comes with your medicine. Time to go home."

"Time to go home." You smile back lovingly.

On the way out you insist that you tweak your journey slightly, so you can include a stop through the market stalls. Although your limping is making his stomach churn, he accepts, though only if it means in return that you'll sleep early tonight.

His eyes rake over the puckered skin on your chin again, "Levi?"

"Your soup?" he blurts out, casting his eyes down to your...bruised knuckles instead, shit, he's mouthing something to himself, isn't he?

"It's good, but stop, I can read your lips."

"I suppose you got me."

"I did indeed."

"The house might be...a mess."

"My Levi making a mess?" you tease, "But no don't worry, Pon already told me."

He blushes, "I make messes all the time." You feel his foot knock yours, and when you look up at him, you watch him recoil into his occasional bashfulness.

The smell of fresh bread is clinging to the air, and there's gaggles of mothers and their children, and crowds shifting past with their shopping, but then there's you and Levi. There's a number of couples surrounding you two too, but all he sees is you, and all you see is him. He shifts his hand closer, knuckles kissing yours, "All I wanna do is apologise, but I think I can make it stop." He leans in, checking for onlookers, and then tilts your chin ever so gently,

"Kissing me better?" He hums in reply, and you giggle into the cushion of his lips as they cool the scab scuffing your chin, "Everyday till it heals, nurse?"

"Everyday."

It's a calm meal then after, you lean your face upon his shoulder and lazily tip your bowl up to drink your soup, and he just smiles, to your surprise helping you tip it. This of course doesn't last long, because Levi's shooing you away from the table before you know it, already tucking your scarf into your coat.

But there's a pet accessory stand and you just have to drag him to it. Within minutes you're eyeing him curiously, watching him sift through their collection of dog coats, particularly a forest green one, with an insulating fur layer. "I don't want her to freeze."

"That's what furs for." you giggle, but he's taking you seriously, very seriously.

"I'm buying her the coat, I can't have either of my girls freezing." he says, inspecting the quality of it's stitching.

You sigh with a contented smile, wriggling up closer to him and embracing his bicep. "Idiot."

"Shall I make pasta later?" he asks airily, already grabbing the attention of the owner.

You feel even fuller when you arrive home, because there's a handwritten note upon the coffee table, and the place is spotless. The small squiggled 'O' at the end of the note makes Levi's cheeks burn, "I don't deserve him." he murmurs, "Not at all."

"You do."

The smell of garlic laced mascarpone one pot pasta makes your stomach rumble, as you lay with your head tossed back in the water, "I'll be in to wash you in a moment."

"Huh? It's okay, you're already making dinner!"

"I said I would!"

"Did you?"

The soft patter of his feet reach the bathroom, and you tilt your head up in adoration, he's wearing a pinstripe Ackerman's apron, and you can almost smell the aroma of baked goods and chamomile leaves wafting through from it. "You were, " He pauses to flick his tongue across his lip, "out, when I said it." He ducks beside the bath, and you smile at the pasta sauce on the tip of his nose. Some of the scar tissue on his face has reduced sensations over the years, so you often find his face half covered in various sauces after cooking.

"You do that too though huh?"

He blushes, hands promptly fishing under the water for your washcloth, "Sometimes."

"I think we should stop then, and say the things we want to say, only when the other can hear."

He smiles, lathering up the cloth with soap, "I'd said that I wanted to scrub their dirty hands away."

You take his cheek and lean over the bath, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "Thank you."

"I just had sauce there didn't I?" he chuckles.

"Mmhm, but I just felt like kissing your nose anyway!"

"Well it's only polite to return the favour." He takes your face in his hands, and presses a peck to your nose, but then he finds his lips smoothing across your wet cheekbone to your ear. "There's more to come for you and me...and as soon as you're healed, I'll kiss you, everywhere." he whispers, using the tips of his fingers to shamelessly strum every disc of your spine. You audibly swallow and he chuckles, "Ah," He exhales, gently raking his teeth along the shell of your ear, "You're so sweet."

"You-" You shudder, twitching as you grab onto his shoulders, releasing deep stifled breaths that make every single one of his muscles clench at the sounds. "Join me in here please, I want you to hold me." you whine, clinging to him.

"You know I can't..." He draws his fingers lower, drawing circles on your lower back. "In bed, after dinner."

You pull away, wrapping your hands through his hair with fluttering eyes, as he continues to make your body tingle so much you're almost embarrassed, all from his touch alone. "Levi."

"Yes [name]," he replies, taking your hand.

"Everywhere?"

He cocks a brow at you. "Not a single place will be left untouched, unless you doubt my thoroughness?"

"Oh, never."

"Good, now let's finish up and eat, hm?"

Because of your concussion, you nod off in the bath and awake to Levi tutting at you, and wrapping you up in a large towel, "You could drown, and dinners ready."

"No one's gonna drown." you laugh, and he huffs at you, still continuing to help you get ready as you flop lazily against him.

"Do you still want the pasta?"

"Of course I fucking do, it smells delicious."

His heart swells. "Good, I added some fresh garlic to it today." You slide your hands around his waist, and watch him smile at you in the bathroom mirror, "So let's eat."

Levi doesn't force you to talk about what happened at dinner, though he wants to, instead you fill your bellies while the fireplace crackles, savouring every morsel swallowed beside each other. "I love your company, do you know that?" you yawn, sipping your mug of hot cocoa.

He chuckles, his deep laughter as warm as your cup, "I do, I love yours too." He settles down his mug, picking up his newspaper.

"Who reads the newspaper at night?" you tease, tapping it away with your foot.

The corners of his mouth curl up, "Plenty of people, you know I enjoy page nine." Levi loves the agony aunt columns, like seriously. "Ana here claims her husband is cheating."

"And I suppose Aunty Cindy has all the answers." you huff.

"Ten actually, and I'm dying to know, so-" You put down your cup, crawling over his thighs and collapsing there. "Need some help?" he chuckles, stroking your cheek.

"I'd planned to reach your chest but your thighs are comfy."

"You're more than welcome to stay there then."

"Go on then, tell me those ten answers." You smile, wrapping your arms around his thighs and curling your knees up to your chest. Within seconds you feel his hand smooth over your arm, before a blanket falls over you.

You look up at him and you stay staring together a minute, eyes tracing over lips before inevitably breaking. "That's what I thought." The crackle of the fireplace and the candles surrounding you both encase you in their warmth, and it's not long before heavy rain joins, crashing down onto the roof and windows. Levi looks down at you in sheer bliss, "Glad we're not out in that."

"Sounds cosy though, like music." you hum, pecking a kiss to his thigh.

"Definitely love." he dares reply as causally as he can, but his ears are fucking burning. You squeeze him even tighter, buzzing underneath him, and he laughs dotingly, "You know, I've never enjoyed the rain until now, in this moment with you."

Isabel and Furlan.

"I'm enjoying it with you too." You mouth the word sorry and he clutches your hand, already searching for the next column.

"So, the next one, a man wrote in this one."

"Ah."

He quotes the tagline. "Tom is sweet on his mom's best friend."

"Ouch."

You spend the whole night not just utterly consumed by Levi, but Hange, and how you yearn to tell them the way he makes you feel, how weightless, how you feel so giddy sometimes you have to sit down and brace yourself. You want them to see how he's changed, maybe now you want him to read their letter too.

"Who did the shop today?" you yawn.

"Arlert and Kirstein."

"Ahhh- Levi what's this thing? I didn't notice it earlier!"

The bed dips beside you in the darkness and Levi lights the pillar candle on the nightstand. And when the light reveals the object, his eyes widen, and you giggle as he crawls over your thighs to ogle it, grabbing the note beside it, "It's Pon again."

"I thought this might be relaxing and dare I say romantic for you both, just simply haul the arm onto this record, and position it so the music starts to play clearly, I'll explain the rest at some point, but for now, just listen together, it's sweet right?

-O."

"It's a music player,"

"Music! Oh wow, I wonder what it will play." Out of pure tiredness and clinginess you fall against him, his chest against his back, while he fiddles with it until the tune begins to play smoothly. "Oh my."

Levi's speechless as the song starts to play out, it's beautiful and slow, strokes of saxophone and careful piano ringing throughout the room, intermingling with the rainstorm outside and bathing you both in their notes. And when Levi hears the clarinet harmonising, he chokes up, letting himself fall against the headboard, "This is, something isn't it?"

"This can be another thing we can do together, and we can play it in Ackerman's."

He starts to hum the song to you and you melt into mush in his lap, wrapped in the honeyed vibrations. "I know that even the worst people in all the world would have only to look at you and they would love you. Tell me, how did you come to be so beautiful?"

"You're reading it to me! You've memorised it?"

"Almost, just your favourite parts." he whispers, dropping his chin on your shoulder, arms still coiled loyally around your waist. "Levi?"

"Yes beautiful."

"Wha-" You gasp, tipping your head back to look into his eyes, for once they're not so unreadable, and god grey has never looked so inviting. "You've never said that like, that, before." you utter, stumbling on your words.

"It's something I say when you cannot hear me. But none of that anymore, right?"

You shake your head, too in awe to reply with anything intelligible, and then he combs your hair away from your eyes, just when you thought it couldn't get worse. "Is there something you want to say?"

Just that I love you.

"You know, now, don't you?"

That I love you.

"We both know," he speaks lowly, and he sounds so good you wish you could play it on such a future-forward machine, on a loop.

I love you too.

"No talking about this until your head is better, doctor's orders." He ducks down, using his cheek to map where he'll fit the best, before he presses a kiss to the curve of your neck.

"One more of those then?"

He chuckles in adoration, the music thickening your safety in each other, "You like your neck being kissed, don't you?"

"By you yes." you laugh shakily, fists clenching on his shorts.

He kisses your neck again, and you drawl out, completely hazy. "Then I'll give you a few more, because I like the little sounds you make."

"Oh Levi...s-shit."

"I know, I know." He presses kisses all over the side of your neck, thrumming to the song in your ears, his soft lips settle on your skin so artfully, that they create indelible marks on you. You don't want any other man's lips on your skin but his, you thought you knew that before, but now you definitely do. Your breath is stuttering, and your gulping, but he carries on, lifting your hair up and kissing your nape, while his hot breath grows heavy against your neck. "I'm so proud of you, of course you took him down. That's my partner, right? My girl."

"Damn right." you rasp, clutching him tight, "I am."

"My beautiful...you're something else."

"Don't stop, please." you moan softly, as he places his hand on your throat, ever so gently tipping your head up, and kissing at your jawline as he leans over you. You hook your arm around his neck and pull his face closer, tugging on his hair.

"Oh..." he grunts. "T-this song is pretty, isn't it?"

"Mm, I like it." He breaks away, his breathlessness unabashedly smooth on your neck, "Time to sleep."

"Mm," You fight to catch your breath for a moment. "Can you keep humming it like before?"

"I will until you sleep, yeah?" he soothes, settling behind you, one hand clasping your waist, the other positioned just above your head.

You lick your lips, shuffling back against him, urging him to hold you tighter, and he does, gripping you like you'll float away. "Levi? I'm scared I'll have a nightmare." His lips wobble in the dark.

"If you do, I'll be right here, so it's okay. You don't have to be afraid."

"What if you need to pee?"

"I can hold it." he chuckles.

"I can't stop thinking about it."

"If you tell me about it, then some of it will go away, right?...so tell me, you can, okay?" He runs his hand along your side, squeezing as if to coax out your words. "If you're comfortable, I'm here to listen, take your time."

"So I got lost, and I was wandering around for a while...and then I noticed that where I'd gotten to, all of the street lamps were out," He winces behind you, chomping down his lip, but still encourages you to continue with gentle whirs. "Then I heard these men shouting, I thought they were just drunk at first, but then I realised they were shouting something about Eldians...towards Eldians." His fists clench on your hips and you smile, smoothing them over and uncurling his bunched fingers.

"What happened next?"

"I looked around the street and panicked, because it looked exactly like Paradis, it was all so clearly war torn, even in the pitch black," You chuckle wryly, your nails digging into his palm. "It practically stunk of gunpowder, and I just wanted you, my love, and then they found me."

Your fault, your fault, your fault.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there, I promise you I was searching everywhere, but you'll never have to search for me again, because I'll always be by your side from now on."

"It was my fault."

He's impassioned immediately, "It was their fault darling not yours!"

"I love hearing you say those words."

"Then I'll never stop." He lets you lull in his arms for a bit, continuing to soothe you with the music accompanying his embrace, his hands idly stroking through your hair, "If you can't continue that's okay, you have time."

"I didn't know if I would tell you this, but one of the men tried to touch me...well he did, he didn't get far, but I felt fear, real human fear, in fact for a moment I wished it was just a titan in front of me." A single tear falls down from his left eye, and he finds himself holding his breath. "That's kinda funny right?"

"Is he the one you punched?"

You nod into your pillow and he feels like his head is underwater, "I'm so sorry."

"He didn't make me feel weak though, but the other men did. Because they had me on the floor, and they spat and kicked at me like I was nothing." You pull his hand to your lips and kiss it, you're slightly shaking against him and it's so painful to watch that he has to close his eyes. "Yeah that, well it was, fucking...cruel."

Levi takes a breath, he's never been good at comforting people, or so he thinks, but he's always been awfully good at it with you. And even though he feels murderous right now, he softens his voice for you nonetheless. "But, you got away, because you're strong, you're always stronger than you think, I promise, you got away, and that will never happen again, because you're safe now, you're safe with me."

"Have you ever felt weak like that?"

That's quite the question, but you're quite the woman, and he's changing, you're helping him do that, so he'll tell you. "I used to hate nights, but now that I share them with you, I, feel safe and without you here with me I didn't, so you could never be weak, strength is more than physical prowess, you know that." He rocks you playfully, before speaking to you tenderly, "I feel weak without you, and it's not just because of those killer punches of yours."

You laugh through sniffles, resisting the urge to tell this man how much you love him, and how you will even until time outlives you both.

"You'll always have a safe place with me, that will never change. I'll always be waiting for you to get home, and if I'm not it's because I'm right by your side."

You peck a kiss to each of his forearms, "My favourite place is here, this is where I feel safest."

"Ah? Here I thought the thighs were your favourite."

You snort with laughter and he does too, "Definitely, thanks for the reminder."

"Well they're reserved for you, because no one else could ever come close." After those words, he buries his nose into your hair and continues to hum to you again, and you drift away to sleep so peacefully, that Levi has no choice but to follow closely after. Though not without leaning over and putting his finger under your nose to check for breath ever so often before he does.

But to your surprise, Levi is the one to wake you, you rise in the middle of the night to his hands twitching uncontrollably on your hips, his fingers jutting and pressing like they're still clicking ODM controls, he does that sometimes, but only when he feels powerless. "Levi." You coo, hearing him grunt softly in your ear, and when he doesn't respond to your voice, you squeeze his hand in yours and he jolts so violently it's as if he's been thrown from a height beside you.

He's panting, and rattled, and you can feel a light layer of sweat coating him, "I'm sorry," he whispers, pressing messy kisses to your jaw, "Sorry."

"It's okay, it's okay."

"I love you." he mumbles, "So much." before falling back to sleep in an instant.

"I love you, Levi."

The night trudges on, with neither of you to remember the honest exchange of the words, delivered and meant so purely.

A few days had passed before Munro had knocked with some news, "I thought I'd let you know that your dog is waiting at the shop for you both."

You'd dropped your toast and rushed to the door, jumping up on Levi's back to eagerly greet Munro, "We'll be right over!"

"I'm glad you're feeling better!"

"I'm glad one of us is." Levi teased.

The entire walk over Levi had scolded you for walking so fast, yet he'd made every preparation for your dog's homecoming that past three days, because he was definitely more thrilled than he'd let on. "This is sugar! She's very well trained, had all of her treatments, and she's even ready to be walked."

When Munro revealed the full price, Levi grumbled in your ear, "I'm glad this is our government money." But he was looking at her like she was his new best friend, patting her head the entire time.

"But there is something I should tell you both, usually puppies are sold around six months, but Sugar here is actually a year and a half old."

"Did we take her from her family?" Levi instantly took your hand, seeing your face crumble.

"No, no! You're going to be way better than where she came from, and she'll get used to you guys in no time."

"Little shit's kinda cute." Levi muses, "Still all yours though."

You'd glared at him as you took your leave because all of a sudden he was hoisting the same dog he'd claimed to not want, up in his arms. "Levi! Her leads right here."

"The grounds wet? She's not walking in the house with wet feet."

You'd giggled and he'd come to a dramatic halt beside you, "What?"

Other than one of the most serious brooding men holding a fluffy little dog in his arms, "Paws Vi,"

"Arms, legs whatever."

"They're all legs." you'd snorted, reaching over to stroke her.

"No, she's got elbows and knees, look."

You were gasping for breath, "They're all legs." you'd told him once more, barely coherent through laughter.

"Careful your head, and let's just get the little fucker home, what are we calling her?"

"Well not that!"

"If you want to carry her, be my guest."

Levi already had the fireplace set up with her bed beside it, for when you'd gotten home. He'd seriously forked out and got the most expensive one too, it looks like a mini cave, completely plush with fur lining, and because she didn't leave it for a while after arriving at her new home, boy was Levi smug. It's green too, of course, to match her collar. "I told you, they like soft things, just like we do."

"Lola?"

Levi groaned more than he had for the past twenty options, "Lotti?"

"Yes, let's call her that!"

"But what was her name before?

"Sugar."

"Will she respond to that name then?"

"Let's hope so." You'd called her up on the sofa with you by her new name and she'd enthusiastically followed, "Levi did you-" You'd sighed, watching him lug a bucket of steaming water behind you to the balcony.

"Levi it's too cold to give her a bath, and what if she hates water!"

"Then that's what the fireplace is for, and it's not windy, she'll be fine."

It turns out that Levi is quite the dog whisperer, because she was rather pleased with the treatment from you both as you'd scrubbed and washed her in the large tin bucket together. He wrapped her in about five towels when you were both done too, and then sat beside her until she dried, calling her a good girl the entire time.

"I don't want a dog." he'd said. But now as you watch him reading a book this morning with Lotti curled up loyally on his chest, you steal a laugh at his secretly soft nature, it's been a day and she hasn't left Levi's side. Last night before bed, he'd turned on some music, dragged her bed into your bedroom, and put her right beside you both on the floor.

"Levi? What are you doing?" you'd hissed.

He'd shushed you gently, in a way he never has before." Come on, she needs to get used to us, Munro said." But when you went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and stubbed your toe on her water bowl, you could have fucking throttled him. But he woke up in complete delight, chuckling at you both.

"Levi, tomorrow she's out, I can't believe you seriously put her water bowl in here."

"I couldn't have her getting thirsty."

"What did I start?"

"She's a part of our family now, remember." he hummed, "C'mere."

You groan, "Levi, she loves you more."

"No." he chuckles, but you both know it's true, he shifts her off his chest and walks over to the kitchen island, putting the kettle on. He taps your shoulder and you giggle, swivelling in your stool so he can kiss the heavy graze on your chin, like he's done every morning since you left the hospital. "Who's working at Ackerman's today?"

"Pon and Angela."

"I miss our place."

"I know, but working will induce stress."

Today Kiyomi Azumabito's monthly tea package has come, and you're stretched out beside Levi, sketching, and smelling every box. "New tea looks good."

"Mm." He smiles so prettily, that you quickly work to embellish the corners of your sketch with the upturned corners of his sweet mouth. "What you drawing now?"

"You."

"You've been drawing me for days." He grins again, happily separating all of the new flavoured bags of tea while Lotti rests cluelessly on his lap, Levi lets her smell every one, offering every box to your nose first and then hers.

"I enjoy it, I'll even be putting them on the fridge."

"Whatever you want."

Before it grows dark, you and Levi take Lotti out for her first walk, and Leslie and Munro rush out to fuss her, Leslie also insists that he's allowed to dog-sit at least every week.

"I like them." he mumbles, as you both wave them away.

"I know you do."

You enjoy the first walk with your little family, hand threaded through Levi's as you all kick through the tangy coloured leaves together. Though Levi watches wistfully at the couples and their children, and you don't fail to notice, so when he asks you if you'd like to leave early for your head, you lie and tell him that you feel fine.

But tonight, "Take one of your painkillers please!" he yells from the bathroom.

You grin to yourself, "Don't need one!" But then you hear him brusquely tut and spit out his toothpaste before he starts to speed walk to you. "Alright I'll take one!"

You hear the sound of water swishing in a metal bowl, and you almost hit the roof. You peer into the bedroom, sighing as you watch Levi set her bed in the corner this time, along with her water bowl, again. "Levi! This can not become a habit."

"[Name]. Just for tonight, she'll get lonely out there."

"Levi she'll be fine."

"She likes it in here because it's warmer."

You remind him for the hundredth time in the past two days that she has fur, but he pulls you down into the bed with him just like he did last night. "[Name] you're bullying my dog." he tells you, trapping his arms around you, and getting comfortable.

"Wait a minute, your dog!"

"She's grown on me."

"Well we need to go shopping tomorrow, that's if you'll let me take another excursion boss?"

"Aren't you the one left with an achy head after our walk." he teases.

You scoff, "Yeah, yeah."

Though it turns out Levi was right, because he always is, as a night later and after only hours of shopping, he slips a painkiller beside your glass at dinner without a peep, full of sympathy, and a knowing expression. "How is it you always know?"

"Don't underestimate yourself, what am I about to do?"

"Hmm. Wash your hands, then the plates, then your hands again, then you'll probably do some sit ups tonight, because you always do after soup for some reason...Ah, and then you'll shower."

"How is it you always know?" he parrots, kneeling to take your dinner plates.

You smile sweetly, "Don't get a stitch, and give yourself at least ten minutes for it to settle please."

However those dark luscious lashes of his, only charm you like they always do, "Well you always sleep after soup."

And of course, he is right.

But when you wake up without Levi nor Lotti beside you, you crane your neck to see him standing before the kitchen window and you creep up to hear him, "It's not safe enough for you to play out there at night yet though Lotti, there's always foxes-"

"Levi?"

He almost drops her. "What!

Additional Author's Note: Damn, I expected Fable to reach 30ish chapters, but this chapter alone is like 6 chapter plans, merged into one chapter! So...maybe Fable might definitely end before 2022!🥺🥺🥺 I'll be so sad when it does🥺😭

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