#Home Loan Specialist

[crown-funding-mortgage-broker]

Why Should You Consult a Home Loan Specialist in Surrey Before Buying a Home?

Buying a home in Surrey, Canada, is a significant investment, and it’s essential to make informed decisions throughout the process. One crucial step often overlooked is consulting with a home loan specialist in Surrey.  Read More

[noisycowboyglitter]

"Express Your Love with Cupid’s Favorite Loan Officer Gifts and Decor"

Cupid's Favorite Loan Officer: Helping Couples Achieve Their Financial Dreams

In the whimsical realm of love and finance, there exists a unique professional who has become the stuff of legends – the Cupid's Favorite Loan Officer. This extraordinary individual has dedicated their career to not just processing loans, but to helping couples navigate the often-daunting world of personal finance in pursuit of their deepest desires.

Buy now:19.95$

With a keen understanding of the emotional challenges that come with merging finances and planning for a shared future, the Cupid's Favorite Loan Officer approaches each client with a rare blend of financial expertise and empathetic guidance. Whether it's securing a mortgage for a first-time home purchase, refinancing to unlock new opportunities, or consolidating debts to alleviate stress, this loan officer is adept at crafting tailored solutions that bring couples one step closer to their happily ever after.

But the Cupid's Favorite Loan Officer is more than just a financial wizard – they are a true romantic at heart, committed to infusing each interaction with a touch of magic. From personalizing the loan process to offering advice on romantic gestures and date night ideas, this loan officer is a trusted confidant, a financial wingman, and a guardian of love's dreams.

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As couples embark on their journey towards a shared financial future, the Cupid's Favorite Loan Officer stands ready to lift their spirits, alleviate their concerns, and guide them towards the realization of their most cherished aspirations.

Valentine's Day Gift: Expressing Love Through Thoughtful Gestures

In the ever-evolving landscape of gift-giving, the search for the perfect Valentine's Day gift has become a cherished annual tradition. Far beyond the clichéd roses and chocolates, the true essence of these gifts lies in their ability to capture the unique essence of the relationship and the thoughtfulness that goes into their selection.

Whether it's a handcrafted piece of jewelry that reflects your partner's personal style, a sentimental keepsake that celebrates a shared memory, or an experience that allows you to create new moments of connection, the Valentine's Day gift is a canvas upon which we paint the portrait of our affection.

Buy now

It is a gesture that transcends the material, speaking to the heart of the recipient and conveying the depth of our feelings. In a world that often moves at a frenetic pace, the Valentine's Day gift stands as a testament to the power of slowing down, of paying attention, and of honoring the person who has captured our hearts.

Happy Valentine's Day, Dad: Celebrating the Unbreakable Bond

On a day dedicated to the sweet embrace of romance, it's important to remember the enduring love that transcends the boundaries of relationships – the unwavering bond between a father and child.

As we celebrate the joys of Valentine's Day, let us take a moment to honor the fathers who have provided us with a steady foundation, unconditional support, and a guiding light through life's journey.

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Whether it's the tender embrace of a hug, the sage wisdom imparted through your words, or the quiet strength that has carried us through our darkest hours, the love of a father is a treasure beyond measure.

This Valentine's Day, let us express our gratitude, our admiration, and our deepest affection for the first hero in our lives – our dads. For in their steadfast commitment, we find the true essence of love.

[magnumfinance]

Experienced Home Loan Specialist in Melbourne: Your Key to Real Estate Dreams

Planning to buy a dream home? Need some professional advice?

Come to Magnum Finance! Our dedicated home loan specialist team is well-versed in assisting home buyers in Melbourne in navigating the housing market's complexities.

We offer multiple home loan options that aim to make the home-buying process stress-free and smooth.

Tailored to suit your financial goals and situation, our expert mortgage brokers align with your goals by assessing your financial situation.

To know more, visit our website now! 

[raiti-finance]

Navigate Melbourne Property Market with Raiti Finance; Your Expert Mortgage Broker!

Embarking on a property journey in Melbourne? Raiti Finance is your dedicated Mortgage Broker in Melbourne, committed to providing personalised and strategic home loan solutions. With in-depth local market insight, we guide you through every step, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience. Whether you're purchasing your first home or expanding your investment portfolio, Raiti Finance is your partner in achieving your property goals in the dynamic Melbourne real estate environment!

[mortgage-brokers1873]

10 Insider Tips for Bad Credit Borrowers to Fast-Track Your Mortgage Approval

Mortgage Broker in Calgary Alberta Canada

Occasionally, it's difficult to get a mortgage, especially if your credit rating is bad. But if you use the correct techniques, you may still get approved more quickly and come closer to acquiring your ideal house. Mortgage brokers are professionals at negotiating the intricacies of the loan approval process; their knowledge may change things. Even if your credit score isn't great, these ten brilliant ideas will help you get accepted fast.

1. Get Pre-Approved

One of the quickest ways to hasten the approval process is early mortgage preapproval. Brokers advise beginning this process as soon as feasible. Pre-approval lets lenders see your financial status, including income verification and credit ratings, so they can evaluate your eligibility straight away. It also demonstrates to the seller your commitment to purchase, which could help improve your offer.

2. Check Your Credit Report for Errors

Before requesting a mortgage, check your credit record thoroughly. Errors like outdated balances or inaccurate payment records might reduce your score. Legally, organisations like Equifax and TransUnion must provide one free credit report per year. To increase your likelihood of acceptance, contest any errors right away.

3. Raise Your Credit Score

Your credit score's even little changes could have a significant impact. Concentrate on timely payments, lowering credit use, and debt settlement. If required, some brokers advise dealing with a credit restoration expert. This proactive strategy can enable you to qualify for improved rates and conditions.

4. Save for a Larger Down Payment

A greater down payment lowers the loan-to-value ratio, hence reducing your risk in the opinion of lenders. Putting down at least 20% can help you avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI), thereby saving money over time. Brokers usually advise customers to look into programs for downpayment assistance, as well.

5. Submit All Necessary Papers

One of the main causes of holdups in mortgage applications is a lack of or erroneous paperwork. Make sure all necessary papers—including tax returns, pay stubs, and identification—are filed accurately. To prevent needless resubmissions, double-check information, including names and birthdates

6. Work with an Experienced Mortgage Broker

A trustworthy broker helps you discover choices suited to your circumstances by acting as a go-between you and many different lenders. They may find lenders that focus on dealing with unusual situations or poor credit.

7. Use a Co-Signer

Should your credit score be an issue, think about adding a co-signer with better financial qualifications to your application. This method lowers risk for lenders and improves your likelihood of acceptance.

8. Understand Your Lender's Policies

Approval requirements differ across different lenders; some include minimal credit scores and debt-to-income ratios. A competent broker will allow you to grasp these rules so you can customise your application appropriately.

9. Respond Quickly to Lender Requests

The mortgage approval procedure is time sensitive. Any enquiries for further information or clarification from your lender should be answered right away. Delays might endanger your approval or push back closing dates.

10. Explore Other Loan Possibilities

Brokers could suggest alternatives, including FHA loans or subprime mortgages meant for consumers with lower credit ratings, if conventional loans are not possible due to poor credit. Though these programmes could offer higher interest rates, they sometimes have more flexible criteria.

Final Thoughts

Getting a mortgage with bad credit approved doesn't have to be a fight. You may simplify the procedure and increase your prospects of success by following this professional advice, from early pre-approval and credit restoration to using down payments.

Working together with a knowledgeable mortgage broker guarantees that you are considering all available choices and steering clear of typical traps. Homeownership is within grasp with planning and tenacity; your financial challenges should not stop you!

[westcoastcuttingedgemortgage]

Home Loans for First Time Buyers

Secure your dream home with expert guidance from West Coast Cutting Edge Mortgage. Specializing in home loans for first time buyers, we offer personalized solutions, competitive rates, and stress-free approvals.

[clarityfinancial]

How Clarity Home Loans Broker Helps Peter Save Big with a Lower Interest Rate

Peter recently received fantastic news from the Clarity team: his interest rate dropped from 8.43% to 6.35%, saving him an impressive $60,000 in interest repayments over five years! 💰😲 Thanks to Clarity, he didn’t have to lift a finger—his new, lower rate was automatically applied to his home loan.

As a dedicated home loans broker, we regularly review our clients' loans and negotiate with banks to secure better rates. Let a mortgage broker specialist at Clarity do the hard work for you. No cash rate drop needed—sometimes, a simple call is all it takes to start saving.

[ascensionfinancesposts]

Trusted Lake Macquarie Home Loans Specialist - Ascension Finance Pty Ltd

Looking to buy a home in Lake Macquarie? Ascension Finance Pty Ltd in Newcastle offers expert home loan services tailored to your needs. Our experienced brokers work closely with you to find the best loan options, ensuring competitive rates and flexible terms. Whether you're a first-time buyer or looking to refinance, we provide personalized support throughout the entire process. Trust Ascension Finance Pty Ltd to help you secure your dream home in Lake Macquarie with ease and confidence!

[bcreditkings]

Bad Credit Home Loan Specialists Denver | bcreditkings.com

With bcreditkings.com, the top Denver bad credit home loan specialists, you may own the house of your dreams. Allow us to assist you in realizing your aspirations.

Bad Credit Home Loan Specialists Denver

[rajansaggi]

Real estate activity continued to ease in August

Sales of existing homes continued to moderate in August following the Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate hikes in June and July.

Sales fell 4.1% from July and are now 10% below their pre-pandemic level, according to the latest monthly data from the Canadian Real Estate Association. Provincially, the largest drops were seen in British Columbia (-10.9%), Ontario (-6.2%) and Quebec (-4.9%).

Average home prices were also down 2.3% on a monthly basis to an average (not seasonally adjusted) price of $650,150.

However, the MLS Home Price Index, which accounts for seasonality and differences in property types, posted a slight 0.4% increase on both a monthly and annualized basis.

"August was the first full month of housing data following the Bank of Canada’s July rate hike, so a dip in activity was expected,” said Shaun Cathcart, CREA’s Senior Economist. “The demand is obviously still there, and it will be back, but as the housing affordability crisis re-emerges as a top policy issue, for now, the slowdown on the buyer side should help keep a lid on prices.”

Inventory on the rise

With sales slowing and listings returning to normal levels, supply and demand is “continuing to come into better balance,” noted CREA chair Larry Cerqua.

New listings rose 0.8% in the month, marking its fifth straight increase. This caused the sales-to-new-listings ratio to ease to 56.2%, CREA reported, down from 59% in July and the peak of 67.4% reached in April. Meanwhile, the months of inventory measure rose to 3.4 months, up from 3.2 months in July.

“Another sign of a loss of momentum in the real estate market is the proportion of listings cancelled during the month, which continues to rise, a sign that some sellers are discouraged by recent interest rate hikes, noted National Bank economist Daren King.

Strength in Alberta and Atlantic Canada

But the latest data also show that not all housing markets are the same. This is especially true of those in Alberta and the Atlantic provinces, where resales bucked the national trend by trending higher.

Sales were up primarily in Newfoundland and Labrador (+18%) and Alberta (+2.8%).

“Looking across the country, we’re now seeing some clear regional discrepancies after a period where most markets were moving largely in synch,” noted BMO economist Robert Kavcic, who pointed out that Calgary “remains the strongest market in Canada.”

A similar situation is unfolding in Atlantic Canada, where some markets are seeing prices back at their 2022 highs.

“What do these regions have in common? Relative affordability and net provincial migration inflows that are supplementing international immigration,” Kavcic wrote. “Translation: People are moving there because they can live affordably.”

Existing home sales data for September is expected to be released on October 16.

If you have any questions or would like to start the process of finding your ideal mortgage, please don't hesitate to reach out to Rajan Saggi.

Source Link - https://www.mortgagegroup.com/real-estate-activity-continued-to-ease-in-august/

[mortgagesmontreal]

Mortgages Montreal

If you are looking for the best rate in Montreal on a mortgage or other purchase in the Montreal CA area. Then Mortgages Montreal is one of the best Mortgage refinancing companies in the Montreal CA region. We are always looking to provide our customers with more choices and access to hundreds of mortgage products.

[reasonsforhope]

"Evening is approaching at the confluence of two rivers in the Bay of Bengal — the Payra and Bishkhali. Still, the fishermen at the pier in Gazimahmud village are busy preparing for the next day’s work — every boat here is now illuminated by small solar-powered devices.

“Solar power is now not only in homes, it is also at our work. Now, there is no rush to return home when it is evening,” says fisherman Altaf Hossain, who is arranging fishing nets in his boat so that he’s ready for tomorrow.

Hossain is now able to work longer hours and boost his income, and he doesn’t have to worry about his wife and kids at home at night. The children sit under a solar-powered light to study, while Hossain’s wife, Roksana Begum, does various chores.

“The sun gives us light both during the day and at night,” Begum says. “It has made our lives much easier and has changed our livelihoods.”

Gazimahmud village is about 30 kilometres away from Barguna Sadar, the southernmost district of Bangladesh. A winding road leads to this village, where the sea and two rivers meet. The people of this remote community still remember the devastation caused by the powerful Cyclone Sidr in 2007, when 30 locals died. When the storm hit, it was difficult for many to reach safety as the entire area was dark. Now, thanks to most of the houses in the village having solar power, the community feels better prepared for future disasters.

“We have more faith in solar power, because, when a storm comes, the electricity connection may be disconnected or the power may be turned off, but solar power helps us to find a safe shelter by showing us the way,” says resident Monir Hossain.

Unprecedented success

Bangladesh has implemented the world’s largest off-grid solar power programme, with 20 million people across the country benefiting, according to the World Bank.

What began as a pilot project in 2003, involving 50,000 households, ultimately reached 14% of the population within 15 years, while some 200,000 rural businesses and religious facilities benefited from the Solar Home Systems (SHS) initiative as well.

The programme, which officially ran until 2018, was implemented in partnership with the private sector. Among other measures, the state provided generous incentives, such as tax breaks, for rooftop solar installers, and also focused on ensuring financing mechanisms were in place.

Together with 56 partner organisations, the government installed 4.1 million solar systems in remote areas by 2018.

According to the World Bank, the initiative has improved health and living conditions — including by reducing the use of kerosene lamps and thereby tackling indoor air pollution — and boosted school attendance. It also led to household solar becoming “a credible electricity source”.

“The Solar Home Systems programme has shown that millions of dollars raised internationally can be efficiently leveraged to provide loans of as little as $100 in remote corners of the country, enabling a rural household to purchase a solar home system,” according to Amit Jain, a senior energy specialist at the World Bank...

To clean up its power grid and contribute to the fight against climate change, Bangladesh plans to install 4.1GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, up from around 1.2GW today."

-via The Progress Playbook, March 10, 2025

[botanicalsword]

Venus ✧ how you pursue love and beauty ♡⁀➷

Where Venus is located, that house is the area where we easily find satisfaction and happiness, a field where the energy of love and beauty manifests.

☽✧. ❦ • ✧• .✧ ✞

♡ Venus in the 1st House

This brings a beautiful appearance and a gentle personality to the Houser - They are skilled at dressing themselves and have good taste and temperament. They generally make a good first impression. Even if their genetics are not strong, they have great fashion and makeup skills.

♡ Venus in the 2nd House

Houser with this placement have a pursuit of a good life, and their way of earning money is related to art or luxury goods. They are willing to spend money to improve their quality of life as long as they are not severely afflicted by Saturn. Usually, they can easily earn money, and their quality of life is quite high. However, if they are heavily afflicted by Saturn, they may easily become materialistic or even take loans to consume luxury items.

♡ Venus in the 3rd House

People with this placement are interested in art or emotional intelligence. Generally, their communication style is pleasant and gives people a refreshing feeling. They have a great sense of aesthetics and tend to be specialist in the field of beauty. It is very comfortable talking with them without much pressure.

♡ Venus in the 4th House

This position indicates a strong concern for the home environment. They have high requirements for comfortable living and enjoy spending money on decoration and arranging their living environment. In childhood, they often come from families with love or artistic heritage tendencies.

♡ Venus in the 5th House

People with this placement have a strong sense of love and know how to indulge in romance and pleasure. They seek to experience and appreciate the beautiful things in life, such as art and music. They often have a good relationship with children as well. The 5th house represents children and Venus, a planet associated with femininity.

♡ Venus in the 6th House

In this position, the work atmosphere is usually good, or the work is related to art and beauty. Additionally, this is the house of health. Venus placed here can easily lead to problems due to unhealthy or indulgent habits. Venus is not a planet of discipline but rather seeks beauty, so it is natural to indulge in things like drinking milk tea occasionally - attention should be paid regarding healthcare.

♡ Venus in the 7th House

This position is quite favorable. The native understands interpersonal relationships well and has high emotional intelligence. They are particularly good at making themselves comfortable through one-on-one relationships, whether it is finding a partner or a business collaborator who can make their life better. However, they should be cautious not to develop a mindset of pleasing or appeasing others too much, nor should they become overly dependent or immersed in relationships.

♡ Venus in the 8th House

This position is beneficial for financial investments. They are adept at utilizing collective resources and have a keen sense. They often have good luck in inheritance and are interested in mysterious matters. They tend to have a deeper understanding of things.

♡ Venus in the 9th House

This is a sign of having exotic love affairs. People with Venus in 9th House are easily attracted to people from different cultural backgrounds and are likely to encounter romance and adventure during foreign or long-distance travels. They also enjoy different cultures and artistic topics. They are experts in discussing popular brands from abroad.

♡ Venus in the 10th House

They are highly concerned about their public image. They channel the energy of love and beauty into their careers and spread love and beauty to the public. They tend to work in industries, such as wedding photography, beauty salons, cosmetic procedures, makeup artistry, and image consulting, all of which are fields dedicated to spreading beauty.

♡ Venus in the 11th House

This benefits forming collaborations with like-minded people. People with Venus in the 11th house are often popular in groups, and they are skilled at finding common ground and creating a harmonious atmosphere. They tend to have many friends and acquaintances.

♡ Venus in the 12th House

This is a hidden placement, it often indicates the hidden traits of Venus. On one hand, people with this placement tend to be reserved in matters of the heart, which may lead to unrequited love or similar experiences. This can be used for understanding, but not for definitive judgments. Additionally, people with this placement have a good sense of art and often possess a unique charm.

☽✧. ❦ • ✧• .✧ ✞

>> Masterlist | explicit contents

[goldenlikedayl1ght]

the lakes - m. murdock

a/n: hey guys so i've been struggling a lot with the fact that i might have hearing loss (i'm going to the doctor next week) and as always i am projecting, but i am not 100% sure everything in this fic is accurate and for that i apologize. but it's my little passion project and i hope you enjoy <3 as always, comments and reblogs are always loved and appreciated! warnings: hearing loss, hearing aids, tinnitus, reader struggling with being disabled, some parts are more vulnurable and don't have the reader being like overly confident in their disability, matt being soft, some suggestive behavior at the end, kissing, nicknames, pretty pg-13 honestly word count: 3.0k summary: your hearing aids run out of battery, and you're forced to struggle through a day of ringing ears and being deaf. matt helps, as he always does. pairing: matt murdock x hard of hearing!reader now playing: the lakes - taylor swift "take me to the lakes/where all the poets went to die/i don't belong/but my beloved, neither do you."

“Are you deaf?”

“What?”

You’re eighteen, home from college for the first time since fall break. Your family sits around for Thanksgiving, and there are so many people talking. There’s about thirteen people at this long dining room table, and they are all talking at once. You’re sitting next to your sister, but you can’t hear her well.

You know she’s speaking, and you’re sure you’re yelling, but you’re frustrated.

“I said, are you deaf? I repeated myself like, four times!”

You feel your face flush.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you. You’re mumbling, and it’s loud in here.”

Your sister looks at you like you’re crazy.

“I’m right next to you, and I’m not mumbling. In fact, no one is yelling, either.”

You poke your fork at your sweet potatoes and feel hot, angry tears in your eyes as you avoid everyone’s gaze.

Your mom sits across from you, and frowns, planning to tell you to make an appointment at the student health center when you get back to campus.

She doesn’t even have to. You’ve booked one by the time she says it to you.

At the student health center, they administer a hearing test, and then refer you to a specialist for further testing. You call your mom, crying and she gently comforts you, before driving to the nearest bookstore and picking up a book on hearing impairments and a copy of ASL for Dummies.

At the specialist, they do another round of tests. Your doctor tells you that you do in fact have hearing issues and that you should come back in a year for more testing, to see if your hearing gets worse. For now, you get a doctor’s note that requires all your professors to take your hearing impairment into consideration. The process for getting that applied at your university is painful, and only gets worse through your years there.

Before you get to law school, your doctor tests you again, and tells you how your hearing has been decreasing in quality in the past few years. He says that you’ll need hearing aids to regulate it. You cry because you cannot afford that.

You get captioning accommodations throughout law school, as well as a note taker for certain classes that are entirely lecture based. You still try to take your own notes, but it frustrates you that suddenly you need all this help. Your own notes are incomprehensible and often miss key parts of the lecture as you sit for a few minutes trying to decipher what your professor had said a few minutes prior.

You go into corporate law after law school, choosing to stay out of court initially because you find yourself frustrated that you wouldn’t be able to process all of what’s going on due to the many voices.

You stay at this company long enough to get your hearing aids, long enough to pay your loans, and long enough to save up a good fund for your hearing aid needs.

You quit your job and get hired at Nelson, Murdock & Page as an interim while you decide what you want to do.

With your hearing aids, life isn’t so frustrating anymore. You find yourself enjoying casual chatter and not worrying about processing what your friends are saying. At family dinners, you take your hearing aids out when you’re mad at your family, to which your stepdad, another hearing aid user, always laughs.

And, despite the pay not being stellar at your job, you love it. You love working with people who need help, love fighting injustice, and you love your coworkers.

...

If only Matt Murdock would reciprocate your feelings towards him.

You’ve been dancing this dance for months. You come into work with coffee and stutter when you get to his doorway.

You wonder if he’ll ever know how desperately you want him.

You go about your days quietly, going to the bar with them at the end of a long week. You love your friends and find yourself hoping they know how much you love them.

Karen and Foggy, as well as Foggy’s fiancé, know about your hearing aids since they sit sort of clunkily on your ears.

You don’t tell Matt, though, not at first.

You know how bad it is, to not even tell your blind crush that you have hearing aids. But you’re embarrassed. It makes you sound like an old person even though you’re in your twenties.

But when Matt crawls into your window late at night, bleeding, you don’t even flinch as he crashes onto your floor behind you. You’re reading, your hearing aids out, and he’s unsure why you can’t hear him. Your heartbeat had no reaction, it’s like you don’t even realize he’s there.

He taps you on your shoulder and you turn quickly, and gasp, before starting to sign at him. Even in his disoriented state, he knows you’re doing something with your hands and moving your mouth. At first, he thinks that he might have stuff clogging his ears, but then he realizes you’re signing, probably because you think Daredevil isn’t blind.

He takes off his helmet.

“Matt?” You say, and it comes out a little louder than it should, because you can’t hear yourself to gage how loud you’re being.

He says something, and your gaze focuses on his mouth, where you can barely make out what he’s saying.

“I can’t hear you.” You say, softer now. You reach over to your bedside table and put your hearing aids on. By the time you look back, Matt has passed out on the ground. Oh fuck.

You get your first aid kit and begin to work on his wounds. When you’re done, you pull him onto your couch, now stained with his blood, and watch as he sleeps. Blood covers your hands, and you listen to him breathing.

When he wakes up that morning, you’re asleep on the couch, and when you feel him start to stir. You grab your hearing aids, and turn them on, before watching him wake.

He says your name softly, and you take his hand in yours.

“Hey.. You.. You’re Daredevil...”

“You’re deaf.”

“Hard of hearing. Not fully deaf, just… My right ear is a lot better than my left, but without my hearing aids I’m close to deaf, yeah…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were Daredevil?”

“I was scared. Scared that… That you would view me differently, scared that you wouldn’t like me as much.”

“I was scared too..”

“When did you start losing your hearing?”

“In college. I realized it when I went home for Thanksgiving, and then it got worse from there..” You tell him. A hand reaches out to your face, and you lean into it, letting your cheek rest in his palm. His fingers trail up towards your ear and gently run his fingers over your hearing aid.

“Thanks for stitching me up.” He says softly.

“No problem.”

“The hearing aid does explain the buzzing I always hear when you’re around.”

“You can hear my hearing aids?”

“Apparently. I can hear a lot of things. I have heightened senses. You use pomegranate shampoo and had red velvet cake for dessert tonight. Your heart is racing.”

Your face flushes.

“I can turn them off if it’s bothering you.”

“How would you hear me, then?” He has a point.

“I just don’t want them to bother you.”

“Don’t offer to hide your disability just to make other people more comfortable.”

You kiss him when he says this, in a careful way. You’re gentle, making sure not to hurt him as you do. He lays there and lets you kiss him, his hands on your face. You realize you had no reason to be scared that Matt might reject you for your disability, because he is the only person in your everyday life who really gets how it is to have a disability that affects all aspects of your life.

You trace the healed scars on his skin as you kiss him gently, careful not to hurt him. You promise that you’ll kiss him more passionately when he isn’t freshly stitched up.

• • •

A few weeks passed after that night. You and Matt start seeing each other more and more as you fall deeper in love. You find it silly that you wasted so many days, afraid of talking to each other and maybe disappointing each other over the fact that you both lack a vital sense.

But Matt never views it that way. You wear hearing aids and it’s perfectly fine because most of the time, you aren’t struggling to hear him and cannot communicate with him, and he can’t see when you can’t hear him.

Instead, Matt loves that he can hear your hearing aids buzzing softly because it always alerts him that you’re there. He can hear your heartbeat and smell you, too, but it’s not quite the same as this soft little buzzing that reminds him often of a bee.

Except for this one day.

You slept over at Matt’s on a Thursday and really, you should have known better. You knew your hearing aids were going to need a battery change soon, but you’ve been so busy with work and with Matt, and worrying about him at night, that you’re tired. So tired that you forget to pick up batteries before your hearing aids die.

You sneak out of Matt’s apartment early, sending him a text that you needed to go get changed before work. Really, you want to avoid the fact that you wouldn’t be able to hear him. But he didn’t respond to your message. You decide that you don’t care at this moment and head out to work, debating the right way to tell your coworkers about your predicament.

When you get to work, Foggy is immediately talking to you, and you are tense.

“Foggy—” He’s not stopping. It sounds like he’s mumbling, and there’s this ringing in your ears. “Foggy, I can’t hear you.” He finally looks to you, and says something, you make it out to be a phrase of confusion. “My hearing aids died.” You tell him. You’re frustrated, and Matt isn’t in the office yet.

You deem this as a blessing and a curse. Foggy goes to tell Karen what’s going on and as you’re settling down for the day, you get a text. You hope it’s from Matt, but when you see Karen’s name, you falter slightly.

‘Hey! Foggy told me what was going on. We’ll have your calls redirected to one of us and you can spend the day doing housekeeping and paperwork.’

‘Thanks’, You respond, “Sorry about all this. I’m usually on top of my battery life.”

“Don’t worry about it. These things happen.”

“Still, thanks. Did you hear from Matt at all?”

“No, he probably just slept in late. He should be in soon.”

You try to ignore your anxieties over his absence even though you know that when he does come into the office, you’ll have to struggle to communicate with him all day.

So, for the first hour or so of your day, you try to get some work done but there’s a light ringing in your ears that’s getting worse and worse as you attempt to try and focus on other things. Everything sounds so muffled. You’re so focused that your teeth grind against each other, your muscles tense, as you attempt to try and block out the ringing in your ears.

You have a feeling that by the time you leave today, those hot frustrated tears will be threatening to pour once more.

You don’t hear Matt as he steps into your office and stands by your left side, where you’re almost completely deaf. He stands there for about ten minutes, trying to get your attention before he realizes the light buzzing of your hearing aids are not there.

You must not have them in.

So his hands find your shoulders gently, and instead of tensing, you actually relax under his touch, because you realize that it has to be Matt. A slight turning of your head confirms it and you lean into his touch.

Neither of you say much for a while, deciding to let your frustration slowly dissipate as you lean into his warm hands. They stay on your shoulders and upper arms, rubbing gentle patterns into your skin.

After a good ten minutes of this, his body shifts to your right side and he leans down, before speaking at full volume, maybe even a little louder, just to make sure you can hear him. It still sounds like he’s mumbling, but you can hear him.

“Forgot your hearing aids?”

“Batteries died.” You tell him. “You never answered me.”

“My phone died. I forgot my charger, too.. Are you gonna be okay to work all day?”

“Mhm..” You smile softly, “You’re gonna have to help answer calls, though.”

He kisses your cheek, and you lean into the warmth.

“Anything for you, sweetheart.” He says, a soft smile on his face.

The day goes by pretty much as you expect it. You spend it doing paperwork and dodging phone calls, your tinnitus gets worse as the day goes on. By the time the day is finally winding down, Karen sends you one final text.

“Matt’s staying a little late to catch up on some work. Want me to walk you home?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

You realize that because she and Foggy are heading home, you’ll be able to sit with Matt, maybe get a little bit of peace. You’re thankful, too, because you’re about to lose your mind over all of this. The ringing is just getting to be too much.

You wait a few minutes after Foggy and Karen head home before you go into Matt’s office. He smiles at you and gestures for you to come in, and you do. You lean against his desk, as he speaks loud enough now that you can hear him.

“I’ll just be a few more minutes, Bee.” Even the soft-spoken nickname doesn't get you out of your funk, too busy wanting to get on your hands and knees and beg God for your hearing back.

That doesn’t usually happen, but every once in a while you ask him for a normal life.

God sends you a blind man as your soulmate, because he must think that the whole thing is quite funny.

“Okay…”

You feel hot tears pooling in your eyes as you bite your tongue and dig your fingernails into your skin. You almost draw blood.

“What’s wrong?” He can tell that something is wrong. He can always tell, and you’re foolish to think anything less of him, and even more foolish to forget his super senses. A part of you bites back a bitter feeling, since you wish you could’ve had super smell, super sight, super taste, anything in exchange for your hearing. You were not given an exchange, only forced to give, with nothing in there for you.

You forget that your boyfriend has super senses and can taste and smell your salty tears and blood in the air. Damn him.

“Loud… Ringing in my ears, my tinnitus is always really bad when I don’t use my hearing aids for a while..” You say softly. “It’s just.. it really hurts...” You confess, tears slipping down your face.

“Sweetheart..” He takes off his glasses and rests them on the desk in front of him. “C’mere..” You can’t hear that last part, but the way he opens his arms gives you the hint.

You sit on his lap, burying your face in the crook of his neck with a shaky sigh. You feel the thumps of his heartbeat and hold onto it, the ringing in your ears slightly muffled by his skin. It doesn’t fix the problem, but it helps.

His hands linger on your body, gentle caresses of your knee or thigh happening here and there. He just wants you to know he’s there, in the same way he desires when everything becomes too much for him.

“”m sorry..” you say gently, and he just hushes you softly, kissing your head. He traces patterns into your skin. He traces words into it as well.

L-O-V-E.

S-W-E-E-T-H-E-A-R-T

He traces your name, his, and your last names.

You kiss him softly, realizing that you might never be 100% okay with your hearing, but Matt will help. He’ll understand. He loves you, and it’s enough to be confident in your future again.

You spend only a few minutes more in the office before you decide to head home, his hand never leaving yours.

You make it back to his apartment and Matt plugs his phone in in case you need to text him and get his attention. You wind up stealing a pair of sweatpants, a tee shirt, and a pair of fuzzy socks. The two of you wind up tangled together on his couch.

Your ear is pressed against his chest as he gently caresses your skin, occasionally moving your hair from your face. He mumbles sweet nothings, and while you can’t hear them, you feel the rumbling vibrations in his chest, and you relish in them. You bathe in the feeling of his heartbeat thumping against his skin.

You fall asleep like this, with Matt touching you and talking in this low tone to make sure you can feel the vibrations of his voice in his chest and in his throat. It’s enough just knowing he’s there. That this thing you thought would deem you unlovable is no match for Matt Murdock, who on your wedding day will throw up the sign for ‘I love you’ in ASL.

For Matt Murdock, who, when you’re taken for loving the devil, will find you and take you into his arms and kiss you so that you know he’s real.

For Matt Murdock, who touches you in all the right ways so you can hear the sounds of your own pleasure.

For Matt Murdock, who will gently trace patterns into your skin when you need to be grounded. For Matt Murdock, who feels himself slipping further and further in love with you and finds himself searching for the soft buzz of your hearing aids when you walk into the room.

[raiti-finance]

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[alizha]

ｆｉｘｅｒ | 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷

⁀➷ 𝗃𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋 𝗅𝖾𝗏𝗂 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 | 𝗌𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗅 𝖼𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗎

𝖶𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖢𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍: 5.7𝗄

𝖳𝖺𝗀𝗌: 𝖿/𝗆, 𝖿𝖾𝗆 𝗌𝗁𝖾/𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖨𝖳𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍!𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋, 𝗃𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋!𝗅𝖾𝗏𝗂, 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝗅𝗂𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗅𝗎𝖿𝖿, 𝗇𝗈 𝗌𝗆𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋(𝗌).

𝖲𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗒: 𝖫𝖾𝗏𝗂 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗃𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗍 𝖲𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗄𝗂 𝖧𝗂𝗀𝗁 𝗇𝗈𝗐, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖼𝗄𝖾𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝖾'𝖽 𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍. 𝖧𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗎𝗉 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗎𝗍𝖾 𝖨𝖳 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖼𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖾�� 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗋𝗎𝗍.

𝖠/𝖭: 𝖮𝗈𝗉𝗌, 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝖿𝖾𝗎𝖽𝖺𝗅 𝖤𝗅𝖽𝗂𝖺 𝖿𝗂𝖼 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒. 𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽𝗅𝗒 𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗈𝗇𝖾, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖨 𝗀𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍'𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀.

masterlist | cross posted to ao3 next chapter →

“Wait, say that again?”

The laptop makes a pathetic whirring sound as you jam your thumb against the power button again. “Hange, please, what did you do with this?”

Hange’s eyes sparkle as they crouch down to your eye level with a dangerous mix of curiosity and delight that you’ve come to know well. “You have a crush. On Levi.”

“Nope. Didn’t say that,” you say, busying yourself with flipping the laptop over to examine the ports. Hange’s chair squeaks beneath you as you carefully shake the charger from the tangled mess of other cables draped across their cluttered desk.

“You implied it,” Hange says, leaning in a little closer and grinning like a cat about to pounce. “He’s single, if you’re wondering. You know, I’ve always said he needs to put himself out there, maybe meet someone smart, sweet—,”

“Hange,” you interrupt, your focus hopelessly strained, “I can’t fix this if you keep distracting me.”

“—and you’re perfect! How have I never thought of it before?”

You sigh and press the heel of your palm to your forehead. “Maybe because I’ve never been assigned here this long.”

“That’s true!” Hange says, taking your shoulders in hand and gently giving you an affectionate shake. “Don’t tell anyone, but you’re my favorite IT specialist. I love when district loans you to us. Can’t you just take a full time position here? Then, you could see Levi every day.”

“This isn’t happening,” you mutter to yourself. “All I said was I think he’s attractive.”

“It was the way you said it!” Hange exclaims, throwing their hands into the air like they’ve just discovered a new element.

“Please, I’m begging you, let’s focus on the real problem here,” you say, setting down the laptop next to a set of beakers with some sort of suspicious dried residue clinging to the bottom. “What did you do to this poor laptop? It looks like it’s been through a war zone.”

“All I did was take it home over the weekend,” they say with a shrug, sounding mildly offended. “And I may have installed a few updates. And tweaked some settings. And maybe tried to make it run a little faster by deleting some programs. But it’s not my fault if this thing can’t handle a little innovation.”

You narrow your eyes, almost afraid to ask. “Which programs?”

“Just the unimportant ones.”

“Right,” you say, exasperated. “Well, whatever you did, it’s not just refusing to connect to your desktop setup. It’s barely powering on at all. I’ll need a bit more time to figure this out.”

“Oh, no need to rush,” Hange says, flapping a hand dismissively. “Just gives us time to figure out what to do about Levi.”

You roll your eyes and lean back in their creaky chair. “We’re not going to be doing anything about Levi. There’s nothing to do. I don’t think I’ve ever even talked to him.”

“Ooh!” Hange points a finger at you. “He asked you to fix the Wi-Fi in the gym that one time.”

“That’s hardly a conversation,” you say dryly, reaching out to shut the laptop with a soft click before standing up with a groan. “Unfortunately, I’m gonna have to come back later. Mr. Smith needs some help with a login issue—something about the gradebook.”

“Don’t use Erwin as an excuse to run away,” Hange says as you sidle past them with your own laptop in hand and head toward the door.

“Sorry, Hange, gotta run!” you call without bothering to glance over your shoulder as you practically bolt out the door.

It’s currently the middle of third period, and the hallways are empty as you make your way toward another wing of the building. Your steps across the linoleum echo off rows of red metallic lockers, littered with loose papers and frayed straps from backpacks haphazardly shoved inside. You pause by a locker near the corner of the hall, the faint murmur of an ongoing class drifting through the closest classroom door, to bend over and pick up the wrinkled wrapper of a protein bar off the floor.

Brushing a stray strand of hair from your face, you straighten and continue on your way. The wrapper crinkles softly as you crush it in your fist. There’s a trash bin outside the bathrooms just before you reach the history classroom, and you jauntily toss the wrapper into it as you pass by.

The buzz coming from inside the room steadily increases in volume as you near the door. You can see the students inside grouped at their desks, heads bent together over open textbooks and notes. As you stroll through the entrance, your gaze lands on Erwin sitting at his desk and immediately feel your heart skip a beat at the sight of Levi standing across from him, his arms crossed and his brow slightly furrowed in what seems to be his default expression.

Your steps falter for a fraction of a second. Normally, playing it cool in front of Levi is a breeze, but your conversation with Hange leaves you hyperaware of how flustered his presence makes you feel. Before you can fully recover your confident posture, Erwin glances over at you, leading to Levi turning to see what’s caught his attention.

You force a small smile and wave, earning from Erwin a warm reciprocation. Levi, meanwhile, gives you a slight nod before turning back to Erwin.

“I’ll leave you to it.”

Erwin nods. Levi turns toward the door, and you do your best to look unbothered as you cross paths.

“Hange’s chair is squeaking horribly,” you blurt out before you can think twice. “Might be worth a look if you’re already doing the rounds.”

He pauses, backtracking half a step to raise an eyebrow at you. “Hange’s whole classroom is a disaster. I doubt fixing one chair will make a difference.”

You huff out a small laugh. “Fair point.”

One corner of his mouth twitches faintly, and he continues walking past you before disappearing out the door. With a deep breath, you approach Erwin’s desk, heart beating just a bit faster. When you finally realize he’s wearing a sly, thin-lipped grin, clearly trying to suppress a laugh, you blink at him in confusion.

“What?”

Erwin shrugs cheekily, his gaze darting toward his students to briefly check they’re still preoccupied with their work before responding. “Oh, nothing. It’s just, that interaction with Levi? Very bold,” he says, the quirking of his eyebrow underscoring his sarcasm. He raises his voice an octave in imitation. “‘Hange’s chair is squeaking horribly.’ I’m surprised he didn’t fall head over heels right then.”

You cringe inwardly. “I do not sound like that. And I’ve already got Hange on my case. I don’t need you starting, too.”

“Hange’s got a good eye for these things, if you can believe it,” he says. “And for the record, your delivery was flawless—if your goal was to seduce him with furniture repair.”

Warmth rises to your cheeks, and you glare at him. “I don’t have any goals. I was just… making conversation.”

“Ah, yes, of course.” Erwin nods solemnly. “Completely casual. Levi loves casual. You’re playing the long game, clearly.”

“Erwin,” you say, your voice edged with warning. “Wait, does he really?”

He chuckles softly, and you shake your head with a huff.

“Nevermind. Just, can we drop this?”

“Alright, alright,” he says, holding up his hands in surrender. “But just a word of warning—Levi’s not as oblivious as he seems.”

You determinedly tamp down your curiosity and turn your attention to his open laptop, though it threatens to tear you apart from the inside. For now, you decide to ignore it. “Enough,” you say. “Before I decide to let you figure out your gradebook issue on your own.”

Levi catches the scent of something vaguely burnt wafting in the air before he even reaches the chemistry lab door. The muscles of his lower back tense upon instinct. Walking into Hange’s classroom always almost feels like marching into war.

“What the hell, Four-Eyes?” he says, nose scrunching at the swell of the volatile aroma as he enters the room.

“Well, well, two visitors in one planning period!” Hange exclaims from their perch on the desk, throwing their arms wide and nearly flinging their planner covered in disorderly sticky notes across the room. “To what do I owe the honor?”

Levi sets his toolbox down and nudges the unoccupied chair behind the desk. It emits a miserable squeal. “Heard this thing’s been making noise. Figured I’d deal with it before you make it worse.”

“Ah, my knight in shining coveralls,” Hange says, hopping down from the desk. “But hey, while you’re here, I’ve been meaning to discuss a certain lovely IT specialist who’s been temporarily transferred from the district office with you.”

He pauses with his hand on the chair and turns to give Hange his best rendition of an unimpressed glare. “Don’t start.”

“Oh, I’m starting. She’s into you, you know.”

Crouching, Levi closely inspects the chair’s tilt mechanism and reaches into the toolbox for a wrench. “Maybe she thinks she is, but it’ll pass.”

“You’re such a killjoy. She’s legit interested, Levi. I know you’ve noticed, so don’t even try to deny it.”

“I’ve noticed,” he says flatly, tightening a bolt. “But that doesn’t mean anything. People change their minds all the time.”

“Oh, Levi, you’re so predictable,” Hange says, shaking their head with fond exasperation. “You mean people change their minds about you all the time. She’s not like that, though. She’s kind, she’s patient, she gets your whole… thing.” They gesture at him with a few wild flails of their hands. “And this is the best part—she said she thinks you’re hot.”

Levi snorts, shaking his head. “You’re making that up.”

“Am not!”

“Yeah, well.” He turns his attention back to the chair, resuming his work. “I doubt she knows I used to be in a gang.”

“Levi, half the student body knows you used to be in a gang. The other half heard the rumors and are still deciding whether they believe them.”

“If you’re trying to sell me on this, Four-Eyes, that’s not helping,” he deadpans.

“My point is, she’s into you, dummy,” Hange says, giving his shoulder a light shove. “She’s not waiting for you to be taller, or more talkative, or whatever nonsense you’re thinking of. She likes you. Don’t let that scare you off.”

The chair lets out a final, reluctant creak as Levi stands. If he’d known following up on your tip about Hange’s chair was going to get him ambushed like this, perhaps he wouldn’t have been so eager to jump on it.

“Fixed. Try not to break it again.”

“Thank you!” Hange calls after him as he grabs his toolbox and makes a beeline for the door.

Levi grunts his response and heads directly toward the janitor’s closet, warily eyeing his wristwatch. The bell would ring soon, and the students would be flooding the hallways in a blink. While getting caught during the passing period poses little more than a minor inconvenience, he attempts to avoid it altogether.

Striding down the hall, he makes it to the teachers’ lounge just before the closet and catches sight of the door sitting ajar. Inside, he’s surprised to see you bent over the counter, fiddling with the coffee maker. Your brow is furrowed in concentration as you jab at one of the buttons on the machine.

Fuck, it’s cute. You’re a whiz when it comes to anything IT related, but here you are, stumped by the damn coffee maker. To be fair, the ancient thing is more or less a lost cause. Levi exhales softly and steps inside the lounge just as the bell chimes from the intercom system and classroom doors swing open.

“Gonna break it if you keep doing that,” he says over the sudden roar in the hallway.

You jump slightly, then break out into a sheepish smile when you realize it’s him addressing you. “It’s already broken, I think. It’s been making these weird noises all week, and now, it’s not even brewing.”

Levi eyes the machine, as if he might intimidate it into magically working for you. No such luck. He stows his toolbox in the corner of the counter and points to the cupboard above the coffee maker.

“Forget that junk. There’s good tea up there on the top shelf. I don’t drink the sludge they stock this place with.”

Your eyebrows lift in surprise, but you follow his suggestion a beat later. Reaching up, you open the cupboard to find a neat row of tea tins nestled behind a cluster of mismatched mugs. “Wow. This is your stash? Do you live here or something?”

“I’ve considered it once or twice,” he says, leaning his hip against the counter.

You chuckle, a light, musical sound as you take one of the tins and examine the label. “Same. Shingeki’s a big school. You wouldn’t believe how many trouble tickets I walk in to find every morning before classes even start.”

“Dunno. I might believe it.”

That earns him a brilliant smile that makes his heart thump against his ribs.

“You know,” you say matter-of-factly, “the district office has one of those fancy latte machines. Touchscreen, milk frother, the whole deal.”

“Of course they do,” Levi says with a scoff. “Probably gets assigned its own IT specialist, and that’s why your department’s always stretched hopelessly thin. Wouldn’t want the administrators suffering through a regular cup of coffee like the rest of us.”

You laugh again, and the way you throw your head back just a little rouses a swarm of butterflies in his stomach. “You’d think they were running a five-star café over there instead of all those budget cut meetings.”

“Sounds about right,” he replies, somehow managing to maintain his cool veneer despite his growing fluster. “Nothing says fiscal responsibility like splurging on a machine that’ll break the second anyone presses the wrong button.”

Amusement gleams in your eyes. “Your cynicism is truly inspiring.”

“It’s not cynicism,” he says, feeling a faint smirk tug at his lips. “It’s realism. You work in this place long enough, you get used to things falling apart.”

“Well,” you say, tilting your head, “at least you’re an expert at fixing things, so I’ve heard.”

The instinctive urge to contradict you bubbles up in his chest, but Levi pushes it back down. He doesn’t know what to make of that coming from you. “I try,” he finally settles on saying.

You place the tea tin on the counter, lowering your gaze to the metallic cylinder as your fingers tap lightly against the lid. “Speaking of things falling apart, while I was helping Erwin earlier, he invited me out with the staff tonight. End Zone, right? Sounds like the teachers’ usual haunt.”

“Yeah, they go there,” Levi says.

Your eyes lift to his, peering through your lashes. “Do you ever join them?”

He shakes his head, brows pinching. “End Zone? Not my scene. Too loud, too crowded, and the food’s absolute crap.”

“Oh,” you say, your voice trailing off with a touch of disappointment. “Guess that’s fair.”

For a wild second, Levi considers it—throwing out an alternative. Somewhere quieter. Somewhere that doesn’t reek of stale beer and desperation. Maybe that small bistro a few blocks down from the bar, the one with real food instead of the greasy pub slop that passes for a meal at End Zone.

The words hover at the tip of his tongue. Dinner instead? Just us?

But he doesn’t say them. Because what’s the point? You’re looking at him like you might actually want him around, but you don’t know anything about him. Not really. Not the parts that matter. The parts that would make you look at him differently.

You think he’s an expert at fixing things, but you have no idea how much he’s broken.

So instead, Levi shrugs. “Yeah. Guess so.”

You nod ruefully, and he catches the flicker of uncertainty in your expression. But you cover it up quickly with another small smile.

“Well, I guess I’ll see if I survive a night out with Moblit and Hange’s karaoke.”

“Good luck,” Levi mutters. He shifts closer, reaches past her to grab one of the cups from the shelf—a white ceramic mug with big, bold text that read ‘WORLD’S OKAYEST JANITOR,’ which Petra had bought for him one Christmas.

His arm brushes yours, just barely, and he feels your breath hitch quietly before your eyes land on the mug. You let out a soft snort at the novelty print that has his stomach twisting not unpleasantly.

It would be so easy. A simple invitation. A step toward something he’s pretty sure both of you want. But his feet stay planted, and his mouth stays shut.

And you, after a pause just a beat too long, replace the tea tin on the shelf and step away. “I’ve gotta get back. Took too long tinkering with that hunk of junk. I’ll see you around, Levi.”

He watches her go, jaw clenched.

Idiot.

End Zone is exactly what you expected: a slightly run-down sports bar with dim lighting and battered wooden booths and an ever-present hum of conversation layered under the sound of whatever game is playing on the many wall-mounted screens. And beneath the scent of fried food and cheap beer, you can detect the sharp tinge of cleaning solution that doesn’t quite mask the years of spilled drinks and rowdy celebrations.

No wonder Levi hates the place. Sure, it makes sense now that he didn’t bite when you hinted that he should come out. But there was no way he didn’t get the hint, right?

A handful of Shingeki staff are already settled in their usual corner, nursing drinks and swapping stories about the week’s disasters. You slid into a booth across from Erin, who raises a thick brow at you as you take a long sip of your cocktail—something strong and citrusy that you ordered on impulse.

You set your glass down with a soft thud and fix him with a look. “You lied to me.”

Erwin, mid-sip of his own drink, hums in amused confusion before swallowing. “Did I?”

“Yes,” you say, jabbing a finger at him. “You told me Levi wasn’t as oblivious as he seemed. That he’d pick up on things if I made them obvious enough.”

He leans back, stretching one arm across the booth’s backrest, looking thoroughly entertained. “Ah,” he muses. “So you made a move, did you?”

You let out a sharp sigh. “I gave him the perfect setup, Erwin! I told him I was coming here tonight. I practically invited him without actually inviting him. And he just… let it pass! Didn’t even try to suggest something else!”

The frustration is more at yourself than Levi. You had thought you were being clever, giving him an easy way to say hey, let’s hang out! But instead, you were left walking out of the break room with an overwhelming sense of well, that was awkward.

Erwin chuckles, the knowing kind that makes you want to shove his shoulder. He swirls the remaining liquid in his glass before setting it down with a soft clink, a bit of the mirth in his expression slowly fading.

“I’ve known Levi a long time,” he says, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. “Helped him get the job at Shingeki, actually.”

You knit your brows together at him. “Really?”

He nods. “And look, as someone who’s known him a while, it’s easy to forget that Levi can be… less than forthcoming when you first get to know him.”

“Oh.” You tilt your head and consider your brief conversation with Levi in the break room earlier. Before you had brought up End Zone, he had been perfectly pleasant. Downright flirty, even. “I suppose I wouldn’t call him a chatterbox, but he’s not that hard to talk to.”

Erwin gives a small, wry smile. “Good. I’m glad you think so.” He shifts in his seat and exhales, as if considering how much to say before finally continuing. “All that to say, Levi’s been through a lot. It’s not my place to tell you everything, and frankly, it’s his business who he shares it with.”

You’ve heard the inklings of the rumors. Admittedly, you had written them off as nonsense at first, but you couldn’t help but wonder. Levi seemed to keep a low profile at the school, yet everyone knew his name, and many happened to adopt the same stiff posture when he was mentioned.

“I don’t say all this to be dramatic,” Erwin continues. “I say it because the past leaves a mark. What Levi’s been through, it affects his relationships. All of them.”

You bite the inside of your cheek and fiddle with the condensation on your glass. The way he talks, you don’t doubt for a second that Erwin knows exactly what Levi has been through, but the fact he won’t elaborate tells you all you need to know about how much he respects Levi’s privacy.

“You’re infuriatingly principled, you know that?” you huff.

“So I’ve been told.” He grins and finishes off his drink. “He’s not indifferent to you,” he adds, apparently sensing your apprehension. “You gave him an opportunity tonight, and he didn’t take it. That doesn’t mean he didn’t want to.”

You let out a slow breath, rolling Erwin’s words over in your mind. Perhaps, it should have left you frustrated, should have made you want to throw up your hands and decide Levi isn’t worth the effort.

But instead, you feel a strange, unexpected sense of conviction settling in your chest. You want Levi to know that you see him, that you’re willing to be patient, that he doesn’t have to shut the door before anything has even begun. And then, you look at Erwin and the glint in his eye as he witnesses your resolve solidifying.

The bastard knew he wasn’t going to scare you away with any of it. You realize Erwin knew exactly what he was doing just as a hand slaps down on your shoulder.

Hange’s voice is suddenly way too close to your ear, singing out your name as you startle. “Come with me! I need a favor!”

You blink up at them. “For what?”

“For the duet,” Hange declares. “Moblit bailed and I need a partner.”

“And what part of that made you think of me?””

“Oh, you like music, don’t you?” Hange says, like it’s some quirky, unique characteristic of yours. “C’mon!”

Erwin chuckles as he watches this unfold, and you rub your temples, letting yourself get dragged away to the stage.

Levi doesn’t get a lot of quiet during the day, between the constant noise, the constant movement, the constant people. He likes his job well enough, but at the end of the day, there’s something almost sacred about coming home to silence.

His apartment is dark except for the slanted stripes of yellow light from the convenience store sign across the street, filtering in through the blinds. His mug, half-full with lukewarm tea, sits forgotten on the coffee table as he tips his head back against the couch cushions, letting his eyes slip shut.

It’s late. He should be in bed. Instead, his phone vibrates on the coffee table, screen flashing with Hange’s name.

He debates ignoring it. He really does. But experience has taught him that ignoring Hange only leads to more problems later, so with a resigned sigh, he picks up.

“Hange,” he grumbles into the receiver.

“Levi!” Hange’s voice crackles through the phone. In the background, he can hear the lingering murmur of voices, the occasional burst of laughter. It sounds as if they may be standing outside the bar with a group.

“I take it you had fun.”

“You missed all the fun,” Hange corrects.

“Yeah? Darn,” he says dryly. “You drunk?”

“A little.”

“A lot,” another voice—Erwin—murmurs somewhere in the middle distance.

“Anyway,” Hange drawls, “small problem. I might need a ride home.”

Levi sighs. “No.”

“Levi.”

“No.”

“Levi, please.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m not a damn chauffeur, Hange.”

“Aww,” Hange whines. “I guess I could call a rideshare, but…”

“But what,” he says flatly. “But you’d rather inconvenience me?”

“You’re so perceptive! Come on, Levi. Be my knight in shining armor!”

Levi lets out a sigh through his nose, long and slow. He doesn’t really want to drag himself out of the house for this. Hange’s a pain in the ass, but they’re his pain in the ass. And despite all his grumbling, he wouldn’t actually leave them hanging.

“Fine. Text me where you are,” he says.

“You’re the best! I could kiss you!”

“Try it, and I’m leaving you there.”

Hange’s cackle comes through, and Levi just shakes his head, already grabbing his keys.

Approximately ten minutes later, he’s pulling up in front of the bright, blaring neon sign outside End Zone. The place is still relatively packed, but it’s not hard to spot Hange standing by the curb. Especially with both their arms flailing above their head like a malfunctioning windmill.

“Ah! My knight in shining, slightly dented, armor!” Hange crows as Levi rolls down the windows, swaying rather dangerously as they point at him. “I knew you’d come for me!”

Levi doesn’t respond, blinking slowly at them.

“And,” Hange barrels on, nearly toppling sideways, “wouldn’t you know it, your noble duty just doubled. Because guess what?”

Levi’s fingers tightened around the wheel. “No.”

“Yes.” Hange slaps a hand against the roof of his car and whips around to jab a finger toward you as you stumble up behind them.

“Oh my god,” you groan, mostly to yourself as you drag your hands down your face. Your shoe scuffs against the pavement as you slow to a stop, and Levi realizes you’re massively inebriated.

“This little lady needs a ride, too,” Hange says brightly. “What do you say? Two birds, one stone.”

You attempt to glare at Hange, but you can’t keep your eyes fully open which kind of ruins the effect. “I should’ve called a rideshare. I told you I would call a rideshare—”

“Pfffft.” Hange waves a dismissive hand. “Why would you do that when our dear Levi is here? Our ever-dutiful hero! Our chariot driver!”

“Levi,” you called as you ducked slightly, squinting blearily at him like you’re processing his existence in real time. “Levi, I’m so sorry.”

Levi feels his stone-faced veneer crack.

“Don’t even worry about it,” Hange speaks for him, throwing an arm around your shoulders and beginning to usher you toward the back door. “Levi’s a great driver. And he loves doing me favors. Isn’t that right, Levi?”

“No.”

“See?” Hange says, grinning. “He’s thrilled!”

You let out a long-suffering sigh as they wrestle the car door open and all but shove you inside. With a soft ‘oof,’ you flop unceremoniously onto the seat, then immediately begin fumbling with the seatbelt like it’s an even more complicated mechanism than the ancient coffeemaker in the break room.

Meanwhile, Levi’s attention flickers back to Erwin as he steps up to his window. The blond leans against the door, hands tucked into his pockets, an infuriatingly knowing expression on his face—the one Levi recognizes all too well.

“Drive safe,” Erwin says lightly.

Levi scoffs. “Obviously.”

“And Levi?” Erwin cocks his head slightly. “We’ve talked about this enough,” he says, his tone more a reminder than a lecture. “Don’t let too many more opportunities pass you by, my friend.”

Levi clicks his tongue and glances away. “Not sure what you’re suggesting. She’s wasted, creep.”

Erwin chuckles softly. He knows Levi knows full well what he means. He steps back, nodding once before heading back toward the bar.

In the backseat, there’s a clunk as you finally manage to click your seatbelt into place. “Seriously, you’re a lifesaver, Levi. I really owe you one.”

“Ooooh, yeah, that’s true,” Hange chimes in. “You totally do. Levi, name your price!”

Levi shoots them a glare in the rearview mirror. “Shut up, Hange.”

With that, he throws the car into drive and pulls away, the neon glow of End Zone shrinking into the distance as the quiet streets stretch out ahead.

By some miracle, Levi manages to wrangle your home address out of you. It takes a series of half-coherent mumbles, several wrong turns, and one false start where you insisted, with absolute certainty that you lived in “the place with the door,” but he gets there.

Hange, at least, is easier to deal with since this isn’t his first time dropping them off. After they wave him off, Levi starts navigating toward your apartment, which, as it turns out, is in a somewhat nicer part of town. That makes sense—it’s closer to the school district office where all the well-paid administrators and senior staff live. And it explains why he’s never run into you outside of work.

The mid-rise apartment buildings where you live are nice. Not fancy, but well-maintained. The kind of place that probably has a decent property manager and an HOA that actually does its job.

Levi pulls into the lot and shifts into park with a sigh. When he glances in the rearview mirror, he finds you slumped against the seat. Fast asleep.

For fuck’s sake.

He didn’t sign up for this.

With another sigh, he unbuckles his seatbelt and steps out, rounding the car to open your door. He crouches slightly, bracing an arm against the frame. You look peaceful, if a little disheveled. He almost, almost wishes he didn’t have to wake you.

“Hey,” he says, reaching out to give your shoulder a light shake. “You’re home.”

You groan softly, stirring in your seat, but your eyes stay shut.

He tries again, fingers pressing gently against your arm. “C’mon. You gotta wake up.”

Nothing still, except for the slight furrow in your brow.

Levi breathes out a measured exhale. He debates, for a brief moment, whether he should just haul you inside himself. But before he can decide, you mumble something.

“It’s true, ugh, you’re right.” Your voice is thick with sleep.

“What?” Levi frowns.

“You’re right, Hange. I do think he’s attractive!” Your voice rises and falls in irregular patterns, and one of your hands shoots out, narrowly missing Levi’s head. “And I won’t let his stupid stubbornness deter me…”

Levi goes still. Apparently, you think you’re still talking to Hange. His fingers tighten on the door frame as his mind scrambles for something to say. Anything. But you’re already sinking back into sleep, face peaceful, expression soft.

“You’re a damn menace,” he says, reaching for your shoulder once more. “Let’s get you inside.”

He’s got you halfway to your door when you finally seem to realize who exactly he is. You lift your head, curiously inspecting her own arm slung over his shoulder. Then, your face lights up in sudden, delighted recognition.

“Oh!” you exclaim, squeezing his bicep with surprising enthusiasm. “It’s you, Levi!”

He raises a brow and adjusts his grip on your waist. “Took you long enough.”

You emit a giggle—a goddamn giggle—and fondle the muscles in his arm further. “Oh, wow. You work out, don’t you. Holy shit.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, trying to keep you from topping both of you over as he maneuvers you toward the door. “As a matter of fact.”

But he can’t help the way the corners of his mouth tick upward just slightly. Dammit. You’re cute. And your hands squeezing him like that is going to drive him crazy if he’s not careful.

“Where’re your keys?” he asks, eyeing the bag dangling against your hip.

“In my pocket,” you say cheekily, brushing your fingers down the length of his arm.

Levi’s breath catches when you take his hand in yours and press it against your ass. He can hardly believe his own senses as his fingers slide against the soft flesh beneath the layer of your pants. And, not to his surprise, he detects a distinct lack of keys.

“That’s not—” He swallows, his throat running dry. “The keys.”

“Levi,” you breathe.

He looks up to find your face is much closer than it should be. Your gaze is heavy-lidded, lips slightly parted, and the shine on them makes him nearly forget that his hand is currently feeling up your ass. Abruptly, he jerks away, his shoulder thumping into your door.

You call his name again, in that soft tone of voice that stirs something low in his stomach. In a blink, your hands are splayed on his chest as you lean forward, clearly aiming to kiss him. Levi’s heart stumbles into his throat, his mind cutting out into fuzzy static at the press of your body against his, and he barely manages to dodge the attempt in time.

“Whoa—hey.”

A noise of protest floats from your mouth, and you try again.

Fuck. Fuck. This time, Levi has no choice but to firmly grasp your shoulders and hold you at arm’s length.

“Not like this,” he says quietly.

You pout, and it wrenches in his chest. For a second, you look like you might argue further. But then, your drunken brain seems to catch up with reality, and your expression shifts into something dazedly thoughtful.

“Oh. You’re right. I—” You stifle a yawn against the back of your hand. “M’just tired.”

Levi sighs as you relax in his grip, the sudden burst of energy fading.

“Yeah, I know you are,” he says, reaching for your bag. “Time for bed, okay?”

He fishes your keys out and finally unlocks the door. After herding you inside, he barely pauses to take in the atmosphere of your home, this slice of your personal life that he deeply wanted to peruse. Briskly, he pulls you toward the only hallway and glances through each of the doors until he finds the one that is clearly your bedroom.

You’ve discarded your shoes at some point, leaving them haphazard in the hall along the way. It takes no small amount of effort to stifle the growl of desire deep at his core as Levi guides you to your bed. He scoffs quietly to himself as you flop onto the mattress.

“Get some rest,” Levi murmurs. He allows himself to watch you for a moment longer—the color in your cheeks, the fall of your hair, the curve of your lips that he finds so alluring.

And he tears himself away.

masterlist | cross posted to ao3 next chapter →