#close enough welcome back levi

[my-adhd-obsessions]

[h0neylevi]

“Shit shit shit shit shit—“

The sound of your hurried footsteps follow the string of curses as they travel like an echo down the hall, but Levi doesn’t so much as look up from the kitchen sink.

He had tried to get you up earlier, tempting you with the promise of freshly brewed coffee and a hot breakfast, but you insisted on five more minutes. Then inevitably, five more turned into ten which turned into fifteen, and now you’re rushing to get ready and out the door on time for work.

Now he’s had to improvise–turning your breakfast into something portable you can eat on the drive. It’s a skill he’s had to perfect over the years of living with you. To say that time management wasn’t your strong suit would be an understatement. So, Levi moves on to packing your lunch, listening with a small grin at the sound of the tap of your toothbrush against the bathroom sink, followed by clothes hangers being slid back and forth in the closet as you rush to find something suitable to wear to work.

“Have you seen my black turtleneck?”

“In the dryer.”

He schools his expression into something more mild when you finally round the corner a few minutes later, knowing that you’re already stressed about being late. Smiling at you in an I told you so kind of way would only sour your mood further.

“I slept right through my alarm,” you say.

All five of them, plus his gentle prodding to get you out of bed. He doubts you were even conscious enough to remember him trying.

Your eyes flit to the coffee pot to find a travel mug already filled and waiting for you, right next to a neatly assembled wrap that you can only guess is your breakfast. Your expression visibly softens at the sweet gesture.

“Your lunch is packed too,” Levi says, motioning to the insulated lunch bag sitting on the opposite counter.

Even though you’re pressed for time, you step forward to embrace him.

“Thank you, Levi,” you say into his shirt. “You’re a lifesaver.”

His arms wrap easily around you, but there’s lighthearted reproach in his words when he says, “You say that like I don’t have to do this every other day.”

“Well, if you hadn’t kept me up so late last night, I wouldn’t be rushing.”

He shoves you away then, not forceful enough to indicate you’ve said anything to upset him, but you can tell that the mention of the night before has provoked him by the subtle shade of pink that spreads across his cheeks.

He clicks his tongue. “Pervert.”

You lean back a little, still lightly clinging to his waist with a grin. “You’re weren’t saying that last night when my lips were wrapped around your—“

Levi’s palm claps over your mouth before you can finish your sentence, but it does very little to muffle the sound of your laughter that follows.

He leans into you a little, his other hand anchored to your waist to keep you close. “You’re going to be late.”

Deciding he’s endured enough for one morning, you pull away and go to gather your breakfast. “Yeah, yeah.”

You carry it into the next room and Levi quietly follows, your lunch bag in one hand and travel mug in the other.

“I’ll stop by the store tonight,” you say as you gather your coat by the door. “I saw this really good recipe last night that I’d like to try for dinner.”

Levi simply nods. Dinners are usually your preferred meal to cook, so he’s not surprised you already have something planned. “Sure.”

When you get your coat on, he hands you your things, then finishes off with a quick kiss.

After years spent co-existing together in your apartment—sharing everything from body wash to toothpaste and clothes—you would think that having his lips on yours wouldn’t still elicit such a strong feeling, but it does. It’s a wild and frenzied sensation, forming in the pit of your stomach before it swoops like a flurry up into your ribcage.

You linger by the door, starting to regret not getting up earlier so you could see him a little longer. “Thank you for getting my things ready.”

Levi nods again. “You’re welcome.”

When he leans against the doorframe, you take the moment to press another kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

A mixture of minty toothpaste and the familiar scent of your perfume swirls in the few inches between your bodies, and Levi has to take considerable effort to not lean in again.

“You’re going to be late,” he reminds you for what feels like the nth time.

But despite that, your feet stay planted in the doorway. “Say it back and I’ll go.”

“I love you too.” He rolls his eyes, but relents just the slightest bit and kisses you again. “Now, go.”

[devildomcuties]

When MC Climbs into Bed With Them

🕷The Demon Brothers x gn!reader 18+

🕷wc: 1439

🕷summary: Unable to sleep, you sneak out of your bedroom into the dark, empty halls of HOL.

🕷warnings: one spank, food mention

Lucifer

“What is it that you think you’re doing?” Lucifer’s words are soft, but annoyed as you pull the covers back to climb into his massive bed beside him.

“Sleeping,” you answer with a roll of your eyes. 

Lucifer spanks your ass sharply, “Did you just roll your eyes at me?”

You hum, rolling over to face him. It’s late and he looks exhausted. His hair is ruffled and his bare chest distracts you for a moment. You’re one of the few who could ever see him not put together.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he whispers as he pulls you close, ignoring the yawn you release as you drape your leg over his hip.

“Nightmare,” you murmur as you settle into his side, melting underneath his hand as he strokes the top of your head.

“Sleep. I am here to protect you from all dangers, even those in your sleep.”

Mammon

“Wah! What?!” Mammon is startled awake when he feels his bed dip. “Asmo, I swear if you’re trying to do my makeup in my sleep again for your Devilgram, I will end you right where you stand!”

“Ooh, so threatening,” you giggle as you get into his bed.

Mammon instantly relaxes as he turns on his side to face you. “What are you doing here, Treasure?”

“Can’t I come sleep with you when I please?” you smile as you bite back a yawn. Mammon nods, too tired to put on his ‘too cool’ facade. 

“Of course, Treasure. But you shouldn’t be roaming the halls so late at night. Call me next time and I’ll go to you.”

“Shh, sleep,” you giggle, wondering if he’s noticed you’re wearing a shirt you stole from him earlier when he was at a gig.

“And don’t think I didn’t notice you stole my shirt, you little thief,” Mammon murmurs as he falls asleep once again, pulling you close to his chest.

Levi

“I’m sleeping!” Levi huffs as he tugs the blanket up to his chest. His computer was still whirring as it shut off, and you knew he must have just climbed into his tub.

“It’s just me, Levi, not Lucifer,” you shake your head as you tiptoe closer and make him scoot over. He does so, muttering something unintelligle.

“I couldn’t sleep,” you state as you tug the blanket from him and he groans as he makes room for you. He had stayed up 36 hours playing a new game and now he needed some rest. Levi was just realizing he hadn’t seen you much during the day and he’d missed you.

“Plus, I wanted to see you,” you whisper, feeling him go rigid before he turns to face you.

“Yo-you did?” he stutters. His cheeks are warm and pink and he hopes it’s dark enough in his room to hide them.

“Of course, I did. That pillow you gave me isn’t enough for me, Levi. I needed you,” you admit as you drape your leg over his hip and guide his hand to your waist. 

“Didn’t you miss me?” you ask as you press your forehead to his. Levi ignores the wild pounding of his heart as he locks eyes with you.

“I-I did,” he whispers, closing his eyes for a moment as his cheeks burn hotter from embarrassment. 

You don’t say anything else, simply lean forward to kiss him goodnight.

Satan

Satan briefly looks up from his book when his bedroom door opens. The small light attached to the hardcover allows him enough light to read. 

“Go away, Mammon!” Satan huffs when nobody enters after a second. He knew Mammon liked to sneak around late at night to see what he could take to sell. Satan was still owed for his cursed book on transmutation. 

“It’s just me,” you chuckle as you close the door behind you. You head straight for his bed, climbing in beside him.

“What are you doing up so late?” Satan asks as he shuts his book. The kitty ears of his bookmark stick out from the top, and you smile warmly when you realize he uses your gift quite often.

“I couldn’t sleep. I figured you’d still be up and welcome me into your bed,” you whisper as you snuggle into his side. 

“You were correct,” Satan states as he raises his book and opens it to the page he left off. “Get comfortable.”

You do so, your head rests on his shoulder as he reads aloud. You soon drift off to the sound of his voice and Satan smiles to himself when he notes the cute way you sleep.

Asmo

“Beel, I already told you, you can’t eat my-” Asmo blinks when he spots you. “Oh, I thought you were someone else.”

“What did Beel want to eat?” you ask curiously as you climb into bed with him. Asmo giggles as he raises the covers and you spot his matching pajamas.

“My new avocado mask,” Asmo sighs heavily. “He came in here saying I was hiding food and raided all my new skincare products. I barely stopped him from eating my mask.”

“Whoops!” you giggle as you settle in beside him. Asmo admires you for a moment, his arm draping over your waist to pull you close.

“I see you did your skin care routine for once,” he smirks as you wiggle your butt toward him. Your back meets his chest and he kisses your shoulder. “I knew you could be good for me.”

“Asmo,” you huff, but soon lose all annoyance when his hand slips under your t-shirt. 

“Shh, darling. Get some sleep.”

Beel

Beel had his back facing the door when you opened it slowly. You figured he’d been sleeping for a while as you noted Belphie wasn’t in bed.

Carefully, you lift the covers and nearly scream when Beel rolls over to face you. You thought he’d been asleep!

“What are you doing here?” he asks as he stuffs his hand in a bag of chips. 

“You scared me!” you hiss as you get into his bed, making sure there’s no crumbs beneath you. If Lucifer knew he was snacking in bed, and you knew of it, he’d have you sweeping the floors with a toothbrush.

“You’re the one in my room, Cupcake,” Beel chuckles as he eats a handful of chips. You hope he’s almost done with them because you came here to get some sleep. You had grown tired of tossing and turning in your bed. You need Beel’s large arms wrapped around you to keep your bad dreams away.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you murmur as he pats his fingers on his sweatpants. His bare chest gets your attention as he tosses the empty chip bag onto the nightstand.

“I’m here now, Cupcake,” he assures you as he pulls you close, his arm draped over your waist as he pulls you close. You nod, yawning into his broad chest as he places his nose over your head. He inahles the scent of your hair, smiling softly.

Though you couldn’t cure his insatiable hunger, you definitely dulled it. He was glad you had sought him out tonight.

Belphie

“Levi, go away!” Belphie huffs as he hugs his pillow closer to his face. He was trying to sleep after a long day and only five naps. Levi had asked him to play some new game Belphie had no interest in and promised to cook dinner tomorrow so he could get another nap in.

“It’s just me,” you whisper as you get into bed with him. You figured he was hiding from Levi up here.

“Oh,” he responds as he opens his eyes a tiny bit. He raises the covers for you to climb in beside him. 

“Why are you up?” he asks with a yawn. His hair falls over his eyes and you gently push it away. You hadn’t seen him all day and now you realized how much you missed him. It was hard going about your day when he slept for most of it. Often you’d join him on his naps, not getting out of bed except to eat and shower, but today he’d been holed up with Levi.

“Missed you,” you admit as you replace his pillow. Belphie rests his head on your chest as you gently stroke his hair.

“I missed you, too,” he says as he blinks owlishly. He knew he should try to stay awake but he was just too tired. “Tomorrow we’ll go out. Just the two of us.”

“I’d love that,” you grin, meeting his gaze for a moment. “Sleep tight, Belphie.” 

Belphie kisses your cheek before he snuggles closer and falls asleep once again.

©devildomcuties - I do not allow reposts or translations of my work on any platforms.

[ldrfanatic]

this happens once every few lifetimes

mattheo riddle x reader

synopsis - reader transfers to hogwarts from ilvermorny. she and mattheo fall in love with each other at first sight.

warnings - none, i think?

listened to while writing - the alchemy by taylor swift

i have a clara bow theo one in the works right now that i'm excited to drop at some point. ngl this gif of benjamin in deadly class inspired this idea A LOT.

part two?

slytherin boys works

you waited with baited breath outside of the great hall.

any moment now the doors would swing open and albus dumbledore, who you knew only through legend, would announce your transfer to hogwarts.

it was terrifying honestly. leaving ilvermorny was indescribably difficult. but when your father got a job opportunity at the british ministry of magic, it was decided. already you were feeling overwhelmed. you'd done your research but hogwarts was much larger than ilvermorny. it was much older as well, and thus had gained a reputation over a thousand years of producing some of the greatest witches and wizards the world has ever seen.

the large magnificent doors opened and every pair of eyes was on you.

you walked forward with sweaty palms, subtly attempting to dry them on your plain, black hogwarts robes. another change. the wardrobe was much more strict here than back in america. and where every student at ilvermorny wore the same blue and gold, students at hogwarts wore colors representative of their house.

finally, you reached the end of the walkway and stood face to face with a dusty and rather ancient looking hat. to your light surprise, it spoke. a woman whom you'd met briefly beforehand, professor mcgonnagall, picked up the hat gently and motioned for you to sit on the stool.

it was time to be sorted into one of hogwarts four houses. you'd been in wampus, the house of the warrior, at ilvermorny, and despite hours of research, you couldn't distinguish what the hogwarts equivalent would be. all four houses seemed to be good choices but there was one in particular that stood out to you.

no shorter or longer than exactly fifteen seconds after the sorting hat touched your head, a declaration was made.

"slytherin!"

an older student in green robes gestured you over to the table on the far right. not wanting to sit at the very front and continue to be gawked at, you briskly walked a little further down and took a seat at the middle of the table.

once you'd taken your seat, dumbledore began to explain that hogwarts would be hosting the triwizard tournament this year. after a flashy introduction from beauxbatons and durmstrang, you effectively decided that you were not the most interesting shiny new toy at hogwarts this year and silently thanked the universe for this turn of events.

at last, it was announced that you could eat and the tables filled with food. all around you students' plates began magically creating complex dishes. there were even some dinners that held food that you were sure you couldn't see anywhere on the table.

frustrated, you stared down at your empty plate. it was a long journey to hogwarts. you were hungry and quite frankly tired of things being so different. if one more complicated situation made its appearance at this school, you were undoubtedly going to lose it.

"just think about a food you really want to eat. it can be anything."

a boy next to you with brown hair and bright blue eyes leaned over. a thick italian accent levied on his deep voice.

you closed your eyes and thought about a delicious juicy cheeseburger with golden-crisp french fries. sure enough, when you opened your eyes, your plate had filled with food.

absolutely giddy with glee, you turned to thank the mystery man.

"no problem. i'm theodore nott. this is draco malfoy next to me."

the platinum blonde boy didn't even look up to acknowledge your existence. theodore, seemingly sensing your mild displeasure, spoke up.

"don't mind him. welcome to slytherin house. riddle, say hello to our newest recruit."

the dark haired boy directly across from you who you assumed was 'riddle' did in fact look over from his conversation with a boy with a chestnut colored complexion. yet, when your eyes found his, he didn't say hello.

he didn't say anything actually. he just sort of stared. as you held eye contact, it was like lightning running through your veins and sizzling at your fingertips.

for a moment, you wondered if he'd ever seen a person before.

then, as if he'd snapped out of a daze, a gentle smile played at his lips. dark curls fell over his brown eyes that seemed to sparkle the longer you looked at them.

his large hand crept over the table until it was outstretched towards you with a kind smile.

"mattheo."

you shook his hand with a shy smile. mattheo was currently looking at you like you were the only thing that mattered. in fact, your little interaction had gone on so long that theodore and the boy mattheo had been speaking with had both strucken up conversation with other students at the table.

"y/n."

mattheo eyed your appearance. his gaze flickered across your face, then to your hair, and all over the parts of your body he could see.

"sorry if this is a little awkward, but i can't remember the last time i was this captivated by someone." mattheo finally released your hand and you had to stop yourself from begging him not to.

"welcome to slytherin house. you're in the snake's nest now, beautiful."

---

7.8.2024

[nerdyjaw]

crybaby. | l. ackerman

content warnings (please read before continuing): smut, squirting, reader is strong, degradation, babbling, bottom reader, fem reader, overstimulation, levi makes reader count. mdni.

summary: youre the strongest in the room— until you’re under him, babbling his name like it’s the only thing you know.

age in bio or you will be blocked.

creator notes: hihi its jaww!! gonna hop back on my grind and fill up my drafts with posts so i can have them on standby. so sorry for inactivity 😭😭. this might seem ooc for some people (cause we all know levis a HUGE virgin haha) but just ignore whats canon rn and live in a world where he’s experienced in these fields 😭. highkey had to take inspo from other writers’ styles because i cannot write smut in my own style to save my life. holy fentballs. this one is kinda slowburn but not rlly, its just not straight to the point ifykwim. as always, constructive criticism and feedback is always welcomed and appreciated!!!

you, who has the strength of two blue collared men.

doesn’t cry. doesn’t flinch. doesn’t wince when you hit the ground. does not back down for shit. got slammed during training once and bit through your tongue— yet didn’t even blink.

you don’t even look that strong. to literally everyone, you have the build of someone who minds their business. you look tired. maybe a little mean. people assume they can take you on in a spar and have an easy victory— until they’re thrown over your shoulder with one hand. you lift what needs lifting, does what needs doing, and keeps it pushing.

you and levi met during squad reshuffling. you got assigned to his unit because you had a track record for handling fieldwork solo and keeping a calm head. levi didnt speak much to you at first. just gave orders. short, dry acknowledgements when you executed them well.

but the way you picked up full grown soldiers like paper? the way you carried two jugs of water in one hand, and a gear pack in the other? the way you held formation like a wall?

thats enough to get anyone wrapped, even levi.

one day, during a particularly messy clean - up, he noticed blood running down your leg. you were limping slightly, still hauling equipment. and you looked bored. like it wasn’t even worth stopping over.

“sit down.” he told you bluntly.

“i’m fine.” you attempted to argue.

“i didn’t ask.” he retorted.

so you sat. but you laughed a little.

and that was the start.

after that, he’d call on you more often. partnered you with him during scouting runs. paired you up for drills. you didn’t speak much, but when you did, it was always dry, smart, sharp. simple, just how he liked it.

and then one night, after hours, when the barracks were quiet and your hands were bruised from the day’s work, you ran into him. told a joke that got a small smile out of him. told him goodnight— and actually got a response.

and that was how it began.

levi’s quiet, and you are too. the kind of quiet that has its own rhythm. over time, he learned that you like your tea strong and your bathwater hotter than hell. you learned that he stares too hard when he’s tired, and that he can’t sleep unless something’s covering his hands.

and now he knows you.

he knows how you fold under praise.

how you melt before he even puts anything in.

how your voice gets thin and your breathing starts to skip when he whispers in your ear.

how your legs always twitch when all is said and done.

you’re strong. that’s still true.

but now?

now you’re on the bed, back against his chest, gushing.

“p-please—levi—levi— fuck, —i—i’m gonna— i’m gonna—“

hes fingering you quickly, hitting that spot just right. his other hand’s around your throat— barely pressing. just enough to keep you in place. keep your back arched. keep you open for him.

he watches your face closely. watches your lip tremble. watches your eyes start to roll. and he just tilts his head.

“gonna what?” he asks.

you sob. actually sob.

he pushes in again.

“one.”

your eyes roll. your pussy clenches and squirts, warm and sudden and so loud against his palm it echoes.

he hums.

“there she is.”

you’re crying now. deadass crying, drool on your lips and your hips bucking against his hand, your moans becoming hiccups as your eyes start to flutter.

“levi—levi, please—“

“what?” his voice is low. mean. but calm.

“you wanted more.”

“you wanted to be good.”

“so count.”

you shake your head, whimpering.

“i-i c-cant— levi, i need—i need to—“

he grabs your chin— firm, fingers digging just a little.

“you need to shut the fuck up.” his tone is sharp, slicing clean through the haze fogging up your brain. “youre taking it, that’s what youre doing.”

your breath catches. your body violently twitches. the second orgasm hits before the first even fully fades, and you let out a moan that could genuinely just pass as a scream. you can’t even stop it.

and when you come down, you don’t even really come down.

you crash.

“levi— levi i— hahh— fuhhh— i can’t— please—hahh— fuck, fuckfuckfuck— no more—i—s’too—s’too much—i c-can’t— please—“

you’re slurring every other word, drool clinging to your lips, whole body shaking as he curls his fingers just right and presses down harder with his palm, putting pressure directly on your clit. every time you try to breathe, another moan slips out. it’s like your brain is fried and stuck on a loop.

he just watches it all. listens to you babble and squeal like youve never been touched before.

“then stop running your mouth.”

you let out a high pitched, broken whimper— and it just spurs him on. he doesn’t slow down. definitely doesn’t stop.

you’re twitching, thighs trembling around his wrist, voice climbing up into glassy, desperate moans that barely sound like words anymore. it’s just noise now. messy, choked, wet sounds and the obscene slap of his fingers pumping into you, over and over and over—

“cmon,” he whispers directly in your ear, letting his chin rest on your shoulder. “be good. give me another.”

your eyes roll back, and you squirt for the upteenth time. though, the sound of it is barely coherent through the scream you let out.

oh, and you lose count again.

[mayajadewrites]

── .✦ Renaissance - Levi Ackerman .✦ ──

🪽 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ levi x fem reader

summary: levi leaves you in the underground for the scouts, only for him to find you again in marley when the war is over. however, nothing about you is the same as it once was. you are not the same person you were 12 years ago. cw: canon universe, smut, fluff, yearning ao3 authors note: there are several things in this story that are not canon to the original AOT storyline (like Levi needing a wheelchair) but I will warn you if/when those things come up.

chapter notes: none! finally get some dialogue with these two. let me know what you think and thank you so much for reading!

tag list: @ackerboi, @staarflowerr, @midw1nter, @glads-stuff, @nxcxllxsevens, @qrhttp, @deniixlovezelda, @midnightwriter21, @levislegislation, @huriareads, @levikeigosdearest, @nikanaka

preface - chapter one - chapter two - chapter three

Silently, you walk into the tea shop, passing Levi and avoiding his gaze. The shop looks different than before - more decorations, and employees.

"Falco, Captain Levi said that you can't put that tea out yet! It's special -"

"Hush, brats." Levi spoke as he closed the doors. "Gabi, Falco, we have our first customer."

You narrow your eyes at Levi, then looking at the two kids. Well, at least you assume they're kids. They look old enough.

"Welcome to Kuchel's!" The blonde, Falco, says with a welcoming smile. "What kind of tea can I get you? Or coffee?"

"Tea. Just black tea with milk would be great." You fish your wallet out of your purse, pulling out a bill. You feel Levi's hand push your hand with the money down, shaking his head.

"I can't be a customer if I don't buy the tea." You crane your neck slightly, moving your hand away from his. You hand Falco the money, giving him a slight bow and smile before sitting at a table, waiting for the tea.

As always, Levi's footsteps are silent as he sits at your table, dropping down to the chair as he gives you an icy stare.

"Why didn't you want to service me?" He blurted, causing you surprise. He draped his arm over his chair, looking rather relaxed.

"Levi, not here. Please -" You put your hand up, hoping he'll drop it.

He doesn't.

"No, tell me why. Tell me why you wouldn't let me have you for the night."

You furrow your eyebrows, hoping the kids won't hear what he's saying. Your mouth forms into a frown, speaking softer than before.

"I'm not talking about this with you. Since you didn't answer any of my questions, I'm not answering yours." You look up to see Falco walking towards the table, gently setting the cup of tea in front of you.

"Captain Levi said this is your favorite tea, I hope its -"

"Falco. Leave." If looks could kill, Falco would be dead.

As Gabi and Falco go into the back room of the shop, Levi turns his attention back to you. "I'll answer your questions if you answer mine."

When you finally, finally look into his eyes, up close like this, it takes everything in you not to say fuck it and kiss this man senseless.

"Fine. Me first then." You take a sip of the tea, nodding in approval. "This tea is delicious, by the way."

"I know." He tapped his finger on the table impatiently. "Ask."

With a sigh, you lean back in the chair and cross your arms over your chest, bracing yourself for his answers. "Why didn't you come back for me?"

As if he was expecting that would be the first question, he immediately answered. "It wasn't safe for you to come back with me. They would've forced you to be a scout, and I couldn't have that -"

"So you didn't even bother to check on me? Say hi?"

"One question per turn." He cleared his throat, mirroring your pose and crossing his arms over his chest. "Why didn't you sleep with me that night?"

A sharp breath left your nostrils as you close your eyes briefly. "It didn't feel right to do that. My job... it's not for pleasure. I do it for money, and if I slept with you for money, it would feel wrong."

"So would you sleep with me for free?"

Your eyes dart over to him, a scowl on your lips. "One question per turn."

You adjust yourself in your seat, taking another sip of your tea. "Why didn't you at least check on me, Levi?"

"I did." He said sharply.

"No you didn't. I never saw you. Don't lie to me -"

"I did check on you. How do you think I knew you would work at a brothel?"

You're... dumbfounded. Stunned.

"B-but I didn't see you."

"That was the whole point. If you saw me, I knew I wouldn't be able to say no to you and would have to bring you back with me. And that would be selfish." He adjusted himself in his seat, clearing his throat. "I also had my cadets check on you too. When you kept moving from town to town, it became more difficult to find you."

He... he looked for you? He had his soldiers look for you?

Your hands balled into a fist, your nails digging into your palm as you look at him. "You saw all the shit I had to go through, and you thought that that would be better than being with you?"

"Yes." His icy gray eyes found yours, holding your gaze for longer than you would have hoped. "I was going on missions, possibly not coming back. I would never forgive myself if you got hurt, or if I had to leave you alone... again."

You let out a sigh, un-balling your fists as you take a deep breath. "It was really that bad?"

"I see that we're not doing the one question per turn rule." He rolls his eyes, tapping his index finger on the table. "It was war. Every mission I lost soldiers. I lost my comrades, and my friends."

"You had friends?"

"Shut it." His eyes were half lidded and narrow as he spoke. "I lost most of my squad. I almost died. Hence..." He pointed to his eye, then his hand.

When you looked down at his hand, you saw how cold he looked. His pale skin underneath the bandages, the way his thumb slightly shakes.

You bring your hands to his, taking it gently as you inspect it, your touch so gentle like he was a fragile flower petal. Then you look at his face, the scars that haven't fully healed, but are on their way.

You press the pad of your thumb to the scar, closing your eyes when you make contact with his skin. Almost as if you could feel all the pain he's been through.

He closed his eyes, taking a sharp breath in as you touched his face. As you lean in closer, your eyes flutter open to look at his skin a bit closer.

"Did you ever find love?" You whisper, your hand almost trembling. "In the scouts, did you?"

Levi's eyes softened ever-so-slightly, leaning into your touch before shaking his head. "No time for love in war."

You roll your eyes, moving back slightly as you place your hand back on the table. "So you were just going to sleep with me? Just like that?"

"I've always wanted my first time to be with you."

You freeze. First time?

Your heartbeat quickened as your breathing got slight sporadic, your eyes darting around his face. "There's no way. You didn't -"

"I'm serious." He looked at you, a piece of his hair in front of his eyes as he sighed, rolling his shoulders back. "Not something I'm necessarily proud of, but -"

You look away from him, a frown on your face as a blush graces your cheeks. "I never thought you would want me after what I've done. The men -"

"Hey." He brings his hand to yours, holding it gently to get your attention. "You're no less of a person because of what you do for work."

You gulp, looking in his eyes before nodding slowly, not moving your hand from his. "I've... never made love before."

"Made love? Yes you have. You -"

"No." You immediately shake your head, moving your hand away from his to take another sip of your tea, which is almost cold at this point. "Making love and having sex are different. When I... do my job, I have no emotion. I'm there for a transaction. But making love... well, I've heard its much better. You and your partner are in sync, emotions are involved, and everything is just better."

Levi nods as he listens, mentally taking notes. "So you've never made love."

"Right."

He nods again.

Then, you nod.

As you mimic him, he gives you the slightest smile. You took a mental picture of the view. His blue-gray eyes, the way the corner of his mouth turned up, his bangs in his face.

"I've missed you." You whisper, leaning in slightly closer to him, leaning over the table as you push your tea cup slightly.

His eyes wander over your face, drinking it in as you lean in closer to him. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper. "You have no idea -" He gently pressed his hand to your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin. You shudder slightly at the contact, not used to being touched with since gentleness.

As you lean in more, feeling like a magnet to him, the door to the shop swings open.

"Captain Levi! I didn't know today was opening day!" A man with a buzzcut pushes his way through the door, raising an eyebrow at your table. "Captain? Who is -"

Levi gently pushes himself away from you, clearing his throat as he stands up. "Connie, has anyone told you you're too damn loud." His back is now to you, almost shielding you from Connie's curious gaze.

Soon, a handful of other people showed up - presumably members of the scouts since they all addressed Levi as Captain Levi.

You heard the names Jean, Armin, Annie and Mikasa. You take one last sip of the tea before bringing the cup to the counter. The group looked at you, then at Levi.

"If you brats know what's good for you you won't ask me any dumb questions." He nodded at you, taking your cup as he looks at you apologetically.

Gabi and Falco come back out, smiling as they talk to the group of scouts. You wave goodbye to them, then giving Levi a timid wave.

When you leave the shop, you turn around once more to take in the view of the shop-front. The people of Marley started to trickle in, all of them excited for this new tea shop, some of them there just to be in the presence of the amazing Captain Levi Ackerman.

In a sea of people, Levi's only looking at you.

[lumosinlove]

Vaincre

Finals part i

(It's been a long time coommingg... Thanks for sticking with me everyone <3 Ended up splitting this chapter up because it got so long, so the next update will not be in two months, but around two days...)

~

[NHL on ESPN theme song plays and we zoom into a studio desk with Sam Levi, Kevin Becks, and Hank Mairier]

LEVI: Welcome back to NHL on ESPN, we’re in Game One, New York Rangers take on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, Colorado. I’m Sam Levi here with two who don’t need introduction, Kevin Becks and Hank Mairier. It’s a Rangers alumni studio! What are we thinking, boys?

BECKS: This is going to be a fantastic series, I’m calling it now.

MAIRIER: Absolutely.

BECKS: I mean, the Rangers have acquired some serious fire power this season. The Avalanche is fresh off a whole slew of wins. It’s going to be a fiery one, that’s for sure.

LEVI: Yes indeed. Some top news, MacKinnon back in the lineup after a brief scare. As is Alex O’Hara who was being watched for an upper body injury. He will play tonight, and Montague will get the start. We’re going to go down to the benches where our very own Cassie Baker has Percy Marshall. How’s it going, Cassie?

[Cut to NHL on ESPN logo]

[Cut to Cassie Baker on the New York Rangers’ bench. Percy Marshall is on the ice side of the boards, leaning in to her shot and microphone—He’s wearing no helmet, grinning, and chewing gum]

BAKER: Thanks, Sam. Percy, your team has gone through some changes this season, which include the acquisition of you, and, not one, but two of your old college friends and teammates, Logan Tremblay and Will Morgan. What’s it been like to all play together again and especially to make a run for the Cup?

MARSHALL: Well, aren’t you going to mention you were there, too?

BAKER: I—ha, yes I was there, too. Not playing hockey, though. Could we have imagined this, back then, do you think?

MARSHALL: I certainly would have had high hopes. Seriously, though, it’s amazing to be back with Morgy, Tremz. I mean, wrong O’Hara, but close enough. Accidentally call him Finn all the time. We’ve really pulled together as a group, um, and we’re hoping to start this round off—

[There’s a shout that goes up from somewhere on the ice, a blur of motion, and MARSHALL catches a stray puck in his glove]

BAKER: Oh—Oh my God.

MARSHALL: Whoa there, Baker. Careful out here.

BAKER: I—Thanks. Wow. I…

MARSHALL: Wouldn’t be the first time I saved you, though, would it?

[Marshall skates away before she can reply]

BAKER: [Flustered and smiling] Um. Well, that was eventful, guys. Percy Marshall’s reflexes are obviously game ready. Back to you, Sam.

[Cut back into the studio]

LEVI: What do you think, guys, are we gonna get the story of the first time he saved her?

MAIRIER: Can we see a replay of that? My God.

[Cut to a slow motion replay—Percy Marshall’s gaze moves towards where the puck’s coming from off screen. Cassie Baker flinches into Marshall’s shoulder just as the puck finds Marshall’s glove. Marshall grins, looking down at Baker as he offers her the puck]

BECKS: Wow. That’s amazing, that was really coming for her head! Percy Marshall, life saver.

LEVI: All right, but you know what the funniest part of that is? If you look in the background, you can see Tremblay and Deveaux—two very stoic guys—look, let’s look again.

[The clip replays. In the background, Tremblay and Luke go from worried, to looking at each other before laughing hard]

LEVI: Look at them cracking up! Have you ever seen Luke Deveaux make that face?

BECKS: What, smile? Ha, maybe not often.

~

Logan covered his eyes as he laughed. “Oh God.”

“That was both sort of smooth,” Luke said, then shook his head. “And so awful.”

“Have you met Percy?” Will asked dryly as he slid onto the bench beside Logan.

Logan caught Cassie’s eye through the glass that separated the rink-side media box from the two benches. He shrugged, not sure what else to do, and she held up the puck and mouthed fuck enthusiastically, miming it hitting her head. Beside him, Will pointed at Percy and Cassie discreetly held up her middle finger.

Logan turned back to the ice, smiling. He tapped his glove on Will’s knee. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. Where are the boys at?”

“They’re here,” Logan said. “Decided since it was the finals it was safe for them to actually be here.”

Will snorted. “Safe?”

“Not “Lions betrayal” as Finn says.” Logan rolled his eyes. “I told them they didn’t have to, they could watch from the hotel, but…”

Logan raised his eyes to the steep wall of seats that surrounded them. He wouldn’t be able to pick them out, but knowing they were in the building sent a warm pressure through him.

“Probably sitting with my family,” Will said. “Yours?”

“They’re coming to New York for next game,” Logan said. “Because Finn’s family is also there, we’re going to have a big family dinner at some point. Minus Leo’s parents, but they’ll be at the wedding.”

“The wedding,” Luke chimed in. “Like royalty or something.”

“I mean, technically, yes,” Will said.

That really made Logan laugh.

“It’s true,” Will said. “If you think about it, in our world, Sirius Black…”

“Well, I’ll text the King and tell him what you guys think of him later.” Logan took a final drink of water before standing and throwing one leg over the boards.

~

MCDONALD: Welcome to our coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoff Finals. I’m Sean McDonald here with former Rangers Captain Ryan Connors. What are you thinking, Ryan?

CONNORS: I’m thinking this is going to be a hell of a show. We’ve got big players on both sides.

MCDONALD: That we do. We’ve also got Shay Fanarro between the benches. How’s it looking down there, Shay?

FANARRO: Thanks, Sean. These are two teams who really, really want it. Percy Marshall and Alex O’Hara especially are getting the Rangers bench going. Those are loud individuals—and also leaders. Especially O’Hara. He’s been on this team before, he got his start here when he was just eighteen years old.

[Cut to image of an eighteen year old Alex O’Hara, looking young with his hair shorter than it is now. He’s mid-stride in his first NHL game, wearing number 28]

FANARRO CONT: It’s got to be an emotional night for him, almost like a time warp.

[Cut to a live feed from the ice. Alex O’Hara and Logan Tremblay are stretching on the ice, talking]

FANARRO CONT: There’s O’Hara and Tremblay—of course, not the O’Hara that Logan’s used to! You know, that was such a sudden trade this season from the Gryffindor Lions. And Sean, Ryan, I’ve never been shy about saying that I was not in agreement with that move.

MCDONALD: No, you certainly have not been shy about that, ha! What do you think about that Connor? Trading such a core player mid-season?

CONNOR: I think…I think there must have been a plan. Whether or not that plan paid off or is still in the works would definitely be up for debate—I mean, if we’re looking at it bluntly…Tremblay knocked the Lions out of the play-offs. I mean, ouch.

MCDONALD: Talk about backfiring!

CONNOR: Exactly. The Lions brought in strong D men when they let Tremblay go and that can only make me think that Gryffindor management was thinking about how deep their defensive holes used to run, back in what I know people like the call, you know, the time before Sirius Black came in to captain this team into what it is today. Tremblay was a big part of that turn-around, especially in more recent years. I mean, speaking of old Harvard buddies, you got to know that Tremblay was brought in to play with O’Hara.

MCDONALD: That is, Finn O’Hara, younger brother to Alex.

CONNOR: Exactly, Sean. I mean, those two are magnetic, it almost seems insane to split them up and I think that’s part of the reason why Lions fans had such a strong reaction to losing Tremblay. Feels a bit like a car with two wheels. And it did cost them, I mean, O’Hara—this was not his best season, he looked like a fish out of water for some of it. Tremblay, on the other hand—I mean, he’s fresh off a Cup with Gryffindor so it’s hard to compare but this season with the Rangers has been explosive for him. I’m not saying he was happy about the trade—he’s been quiet about it—

MCDONALD: He’s quiet in general.

CONNOR: He is, he is. He’s been quiet about any bad feelings he’s had towards this trade, but he has played like he can’t lose, it’s incredible to watch. So, great for Tremblay, not so great for the Lions. If I was their GM, I’d be kicking myself quite a bit.

MCDONALD: Indeed. Indeed. All right, we’ll be right back for puck drop, don’t go anywhere.

~

After the game, Logan hissed as he put tentative weight on his knee in the locker room.

“Fuck,” he whispered, reaching down to unwind the tape around his socks.

“Is it bad?” Alex asked.

“How the fuck do I know?” Logan sighed.

“It looked bad.”

“It felt bad.”

Their 4-3 loss didn’t help matters.

“52 took your fucking feet out, didn’t even get called for it,” Luke said. He was half-dressed, pads unstrapped around his chest and hanging loose. “That sucked.”

Him and Alex both considered Logan’s knee as he shed his pants. It was swollen. Not the worst Logan had ever seen, but enough to make the three of them wince.

“Yikes.” Alex reached behind him for his water. “Hey, at least you’re about to get fucking babied to all hell.”

Logan laughed. “Am I?”

“Please.” Luke threw his sweaty towel in Logan’s face. “You know you are.”

Logan just lowered himself back into his stall, stretching his knee out.

“Want ice?” Luke asked.

“Ouais, think so.” Logan framed the worst of it with his fingers. “Thanks,” he called after he realized Luke had already walked away.

Alex was leaning over to see as well. “What are you looking for?”

“I…” Logan shrugged. “Just looking.”

“Can you bend it?”

Tentatively, Logan tried. It felt tight, but it wasn’t all together as painful as putting weight on it was.

“I think if I ice it…” Logan trailed off. “I don’t want to sit. I don’t want coach to take me out.”

Behind him, his phone began to ring. Finn’s name.

Logan held it up to his ear, prodding his knee with his free hand. “Salut. Be out soon, sorry.”

“Are you talking yourself out of being injured right now?” There was a smile in Finn’s voice.

“You got ice on it, honey?” Leo asked.

Luke reappeared, tossing Logan the bag and looking pointedly at the phone.

“They gonna carry you out of here?” he asked. “Calling to check which pillows you prefer?”

Logan gave him a shove, which Luke only returned with a sharp grin.

“Yes,” Logan said to Finn and Leo. “I mean, yes to I do have ice. It’s fine. It just needs to be left alone for a second.”

“Oh yeah.” Finn let out a ha. “Like you’ve ever needed to be left alone in your Logan Tremblay life.”

“I said my knee,” Logan said. He drew his shoulder pads over his head before replacing the phone. “As in I need to keep my weight off it.”

Luke, catching Logan’s eye, pretending to pick Alex up, who proceeded to pretend to jump into Luke’s arms and nearly sending both of them toppling to the ground.

Logan folded the fingers holding his phone until only his middle one remained. “Where are you?”

“We’re in the lounge,” Leo said. “It’s so nice, I mean, they got an espresso bar in here.”

“D’accord,” Logan said. “Going to shower and then I’ll find you.”

There was a rustle, and then Finn’s voice came much closer, whispering right into the speaker. “Save a shower, ride a—”

“Oh my Lord, Finn, not here. See you soon, Tremz,” Leo said, laughing, and the line cut off.

~

[NHL on ESPN theme song plays and we zoom into a studio desk with Sam Levi, Kevin Becks, and Hank Mairier]

LEVI: Welcome back to NHL on ESPN, we’re in Game Four between the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche and we are back here in the big apple. I’m Sam Levi here with Kevin Becks and Hank Mairier. This has been a wild sort of series. Momentum has been swinging back and forth like a wrecking ball—but the Rangers after losing game one, came back and won game two and three. We’ll see how this plays out. Becks, who has been the most noticeable to you on the Rangers’ side of things?

BECKS: That would be a few. Percy Marshall and Will Morgan have an old chemistry that’s hard to beat. Like Tremblay and Finn O’Hara had on the Lions, really, it’s fantastic to see two guys so familiar with each other. Saint Montague—Sebastian—he’s just a brick wall. I mean, we can go back and watch that power play save from last game a million times but it still boils down to Deveaux making a solid play in front of him, and yes, fine, the puck sneaked through, but Saint was there when the Rangers needed him the most. And, I mean, come on, boys we can’t forget Tremblay. I mean, let’s think about it—this is a guy who was all but raised—career speaking—in the company of guys like Pascal Dumais, Kasey Winter, and, of course, his former captain, Sirius Black.

~

Sirius was slightly concerned that Hope Lupin might begin to think he was just a little bit insane. He knew the way he watched Logan play was not exactly normal—especially with the Rangers not being his team and all. He stood without moving until an icing broke the spell. He crossed his arms, uncrossed them when the Avalanche scored and switched to sitting down with his palms pressed to his knees.

From beside him, knitting needles moving in a steady, easy rhythm that Sirius appreciated, Hope laughed.

“Does Logan know how hard you’re rooting for him?”

A TV break began at that moment—which Sirius was grateful for. He wanted to look at her while he spoke to her. He’d been the victim of sentences half-thrown in his direction too many times for his liking.

She looked so much like Remus right then. Sun-gold hair clipped back loosely. Eyebrow slightly arched as she posed a question to him. Sirius glanced in the direction of the kitchen, where he could hear Remus, James, and Lily laughing as they cleaned up dinner.

“I think so,” Sirius said. “It’s not really…I can’t talk to him yet.” He laughed. “I know that sounds stupid.”

“Oh, honey, you’re talking to the wife and mother of Lyall and Remus Lupin. Stupid isn’t the word. Intense, maybe. Faithful. Sweet.” She reached forward for her glass of wine. “Besides, this is quite the series, I don’t blame you. Who’s the handsome one again?”

Sirius frowned. “Ah. Which one?”

Hope laughed. “Oh, yes, that’s true. Oh, there he is—Morgan.”

Sirius looked to where they were showing Will Morgan. “Oh, Morgan. Will Morgan.”

“You know him? He’s playing very well.”

“Not really,” Sirius said. “I’ve never played with him. But he went to college with Logan and Finn. And Percy Marshall, who’s next to him.”

“Well, isn’t that a little class reunion.”

“What’s a class reunion?” Remus had emerged from the kitchen, floor creaking beneath his bare feet. He smiled at Sirius as he crossed in front of the television to fall into the couch cushions beside him. Sirius hadn’t even realized he’d broke his superstitious hold on his knee until his arm was already lifted and Remus was under it, fitting into place.

“Morgan, Marshall, Tremz and Finn—well, not Finn, but sort of.”

“I think it’s funny that Alex is sort-of-Finn to you and all these announcers,” Lily laughed. “If someone called my sister ‘sort of me’ I would actually just drop down a hole somewhere.”

“I mean he’s around, like off the ice,” Sirius said, smiling. “Not that they’re the same person.”

“They’re not twins, right?” Lyall asked, settling beside his wife with a kiss to her head. “They sure do look it.”

“Alex is older,” Remus said. “By…I don’t know, a couple years.”

“Speaking of brothers,” Sirius said. “Where is mine?”

“Talking to some girl on the porch.” Julian came bounding in from the driveway, sweaty and with his roller-blades still in his hand. He thrust them out to Remus. “I think one of the wheels is sticking, what do I do?”

Remus took the skates, spinning the wheels with his hand before setting them on the ground. “I can fix it in the morning, bud.”

“A girl,” Sirius repeated, staring in the direction of the porch.

“Some of us do like those quite a bit.” James, coming in from the kitchen and wiping his hands on his shorts, walked behind the couch. When his hand appeared out of the corner of Sirius’ eye, Sirius couldn’t help it. He flinched, just a little. The second his shoulder raised up, he tried to push it back down again. Remus looked up at him, feeling the way he went tense.

James’ hand, which had indeed been about to tap his cheek, froze. Slowly, he placed his hand on Sirius’ shoulder and squeezed gently.

Sirius turned to look up at him, apologetic, and found an equal apology in James’ face.

“Regulus has a girlfriend?” James asked. “I mean—not to assume anything. Made that mistake before, huh?”

Sirius snorted. “Ouais, you really did.”

When the game came back on, Sirius’ attention kept sliding away. Towards the porch, towards Regulus. Did he flinch like Sirius flinched?

Reading his mind, Remus’ hand smoothed slowly up his chest, giving him time to settle into the motion before it reached his neck. His fingers scratched gently through the hair at his nape, thumb smoothing under his jaw. Sirius closed his eyes briefly, at least until the shouts from the television made them open again to find the Avalanche celebrating. They were about to win this game in an unsettling almost blow out of 5-2.

“Well, damn,” Hope sighed. “New York really is going to make this hard on themselves, huh?”

~

“Hey, Tremblay,” Finn called from the kitchen. “Captain Sirius Black of the Gryffindor Lions is calling you.”

Logan closed the glass shower door. He’d been standing under the spray for a good ten minutes, trying to will all the aches in his muscles away. At Finn’s voice, he looked up from where he’d been rubbing at his damp hair with a towel.

“What?” he called.

“Sirius is calling you,” Leo answered.

Logan wasn’t sure why he ran, but he did. His bare feet slipped just a little on the floor, still damp and probably leaving footprints. He slipped again when he reached the the kitchen counter and nearly took out one of the stools before catching himself and snatching up the phone that was blinking Sirius’ name up at him.

Finn and Leo were laughing so hard they’d turned silent.

“Why did you—run like that?” Finn put his head down into his folded arms on the counter, shoulders shaking.

“You—” Leo gasped through a laugh. “What?”

“Shh,” Logan said. “Shh.” He pressed answer. “Hi? Salut.”

Leo rested his chin on his hands and grinned in an exaggeratedly dreamy way. “Salut.”

Finn had to crouch down behind the counter.

“Salut,” Sirius said, oblivious. He spoke in French. “How are you?”

“I’m being made fun of,” Logan said. He reached forward and pressed a quick thumb into Leo’s left dimple, then yanked his hand back when Leo made to nip at his fingers. “And bitten.”

He could almost feel Sirius’ eyebrows raise. “Should I call back?”

“Non, non,” Logan said. “I’m—you know. Feels stupid, a game like that.”

“You guys were fine, they just outplayed you at the end. Starting Saint next game, do you know?”

“Think so.” Logan took the phone into the bedroom closet, putting it on speaker as he reached for clothes. Sweatpants. He walked over to where Leo’s suitcase lay open and picked out a t-shirt. “Away crowd—he always gets fired up for those, so.”

Sirius didn’t say anything, but Logan could tell he was nodding. Logan waited, nose tucked against the collar of Leo’s shirt.

“How’s wedding planning going?” he asked finally, when Sirius was quiet. He flicked off the closet light, took the phone off speaker, and went back into the living room. Finn was on the couch already, book in hand, and Leo was sitting with his on the floor, back to the sofa, doing something on his computer. Finn’s free hand was in his hair.

Sirius laughed. “It’s good. I mean, for myself, it just matters that Remus is there, but I’ve been told cake and stuff is important.”

“Cake is very important.”

Leo snorted, looking over at him.

“What?” Finn whispered. “What’d he say?” He tightened his fingers a little in Leo’s hair and Leo grinned when he gently pulled his head back to look at Finn upside down. “What?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sirius said in Logan’s ear. “Hey did you tell them about the cabin yet?”

“Cake is important,” Leo whispered.

Finn pulled a face. “Okay?”

Leo turned, kneeling, and took Logan’s bent knee, gently flattening it along the edge of the couch, pressed up against Finn. He held up a silent finger—one second—and crossed into the kitchen.

“Not yet,” Logan replied. “But soon.” Logan met Finn’s eyes when he curled a warm hand around Logan’s ankle. “It’s going to be amazing. Really, I can’t believe you pulled this off so fast. Oh, hey, we hung out with Reg a few nights ago, he seems good.”

A tisking sound came from behind Leo, and then he appeared, still translating Logan’s French. “Don’t gossip to his big brother!”

“Oh,” Logan said. “I’m not supposed to gossip about him to you, apparently.”

Sirius laughed. “Tell Leo I understand. But you’re right, he does seem good.”

Logan jumped when something cold pressed to his leg, then looked to see Leo carefully molding an icepack to sit comfortably on his knee.

“So, I’m actually calling…” Sirius began.

“Hm?” Logan said. He was half-preoccupied with reaching up to pull a smiling Leo into a kiss.

“I said I wasn’t going to say anything until something was actually—like, accomplished, but I was watching you play and thinking about what happens if this season turns out the way the Rangers want, and I’m thinking about how I could get you home again this summer.”

Leo and Finn couldn’t hear him, but they both looked up before Logan even said anything. He’d tensed, or maybe his face showed something, something like pain, or maybe longing, or surprise. Leo started fussing with the icepack. Finn sat up a little and pulled Logan’s other ankle towards him, draped over his thigh, and settled a hand behind his unbruised knee.

“What?” Finn whispered. “What’s wrong?”

“You…” Logan swallowed. “You’ve been thinking about that?”

“Ouais, so. So basically.” There was the sound of a door slamming somewhere in Sirius’ background, and then a soft rustle of wind against the speakers. “So, there’s really not much more this game can give me in terms of—”

“You’re retiring?” Logan burst out.

Leo gasped, then slapped a hand over his mouth.

“What?” Finn hissed.

“No, no, no,” Sirius said, laughing a little. “No.”

“Oh. Merde, Sirius.” Logan shook his head at Leo, who dropped his head back in relief, hand on his chest.

Finn sat up a little more. “Oh my fucking God, what is he saying?”

Leo gave a half-hearted shrug, watching Logan intently.

“I was going to say money,” Sirius said. “I want to see what management says if I tell them I want to take a pay cut in order to allow you to come back. Or at least open up the options.”

Logan wasn’t sure if he heard right.

“We’ve got a lot of big names on our team. Worthy names,” Sirius continued. “So, it’s not enough if it’s just me. But I wanted your permission to ask something similar of Finn.”

Slowly, Logan raised his eyes to Finn, who snapped his book closed and mouthed silently, frustratedly, what?

“Not Leo,” Sirius said. “It’s so early in his career, I wouldn’t ask that of him. But Finn. Finn could be very helpful towards something like this. And he loves you—I mean, we both know how much that—what does Natalie say? That freckle loves you.”

Logan felt his brow furrow, though he knew Sirius had meant for him to laugh. He stared at Finn. Those brown eyes. Helpful. Could he ask something like that of Finn? He already knew Finn would say yes in half a heartbeat, but could he ask? It was his career. It was his life, he deserved every single part of it. Logan had once been willing to give Finn up entirely so Finn could get what he had worked so hard for.

“Okay,” Finn whispered harshly. He looked a truly upset now. “I really can’t do the silent looks while on the phone. I really can’t do it. Logan. Speak English right fucking now.” He dropped the whisper. “Talk to us right now, I can’t do this.”

“Is that Finn, too?” Sirius asked.

“Sorry, yes.” Logan reached out and took Finn’s hand, kissing his palm. He switched to English. “Sorry, I should have told you, not on speaker or anything, but Finn can’t understand me, um…Okay, hold on. Can I…”

“Call me back whenever you want,” Sirius said. “I really didn’t mean to—ah, throw it on you, I just…”

Sirius lapsed into one of his long silences again. Finn and Leo were staring at him, Leo a little nervously glancing towards Finn, whose ears and cheeks were pink, his mouth set into an unhappy frown. He didn’t pull away from Logan, though.

“I just…I want you to win.” Sirius’ laugh shuddered a little. “I want the Rangers to win, I really, really fucking do, because I wonder if that make them see it like they got what they wanted from you…and as stupid and senseless as it sounds, maybe they’d give you back.”

Logan wanted to stare at the phone where the words had came from after Sirius hung up, but he tossed it down, letting it get lost in the cushions, and took both of Finn’s hands in his own.

“Rouge. I’m sorry. Come here, everything’s fine.” He brought his knuckles to his mouth, then reached forward a put a hand against one of his cheeks—he was hot to the touch. “Finn. Everything’s fine.”

Logan set the icepack on the table, drawing his legs in to give Leo more room to settle against Finn’s side. Finn let out a long breath and pushed his face against Leo’s neck.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Leo said, rubbing Finn’s back. “Jesus, Lo, you gave him a nervous fever practically.”

“I’m sorry,” Logan said. “I didn’t—Sirius surprised me. Finn, I’m sorry. Finn?”

“I’m not mad,” Finn said. “I just…Fuck. I don’t know, I couldn’t understand what you were saying and last time you were looking at me like that and a phone was involved…”

“Here’s what we said.” Logan scooted forward so Finn and Leo’s outer thighs bracketed him. He settled his hands on theirs. “It’s not—Sirius wants to try to get me back on the Lions.”

Finn lifted his head. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but said nothing.

Leo, though, just let out a long, exhausted breath and closed his eyes. “Thank God.”

Leo looked flushed now, like the mere thought of it had set his heart pounding. He rubbed a hand over his chest and looked at Logan. “Fuck. What else did he say?”

Logan, still staring at the pink of Leo’s cheeks set against his blue eyes, fumbled over a few sentence starts.

“Well. C’est—It’s a lot. He wants to take a salary cut.” Logan looked to Finn. “And he was hoping you’d do the same, Rouge.”

“Yes,” Finn said instantly. “Fucking yes. Yes, they can pay me ten fucking dollars a month, see if I care. In fact, I don’t need money actually.”

“Finn,” Leo laughed.

“That wasn’t me asking,” Logan said. “That was me telling you what Sirius said, I—I can’t ask you to do that.”

“But you know we would,” Leo said.

Logan smiled slightly, shaking his head. “Those are your careers.”

“And you’re our life,” Finn said. “Don’t you go telling me I wouldn’t chose you over hockey, you know I would, Lo. You know I would have when I first met you, and you know I would now.”

“It’s not even him over hockey,” Leo said. “It’s a pay cut.”

“And it’s not about choosing, it was never about choosing,” Logan said—then realized what a lie that was. What an old, habit of a lie. “I mean…”

“Yeah-huh,” Finn said. “For a second there, it was.”

“Ouais. Fuck, okay, but I would never have let you do that,” Logan said.

Finn looked at him for a long moment, then nodded minutely. Logan didn’t like that this was still hard for them to talk about.

“Sirius wouldn’t have you be one of the players to take one,” Logan said to Leo. “He said so. And I wouldn’t either, Le, you’re worth a—a contract that is incredible, you’re worth everything—”

“Maybe I want to,” Leo said, chin up. “If it’ll get you home, maybe I’ll tell them to take it all back and give me an entry level salary. What the hell is all that compared to…” Leo sighed. “Lo, I would do anything if you could come back. I know we’re figuring it out and I know we’re better for it, but—I mean, can we make it work if you’re in New York next year? Well, yeah. But that’s not what I want.”

“Of course it’s not,” Logan said. “I know that.”

Leo let out a huff of a breath. “So—then—I just…” Leo’s lip trembled a bit through a smile and he reached out to brush a hand through Logan’s damp hair. “I want you home so bad. So badly. Distance is… Look at your beautiful face, you’re not made for distance. I’m not. We’re not. You’re Logan Tremblay, and I need you close to me.”

Logan caught his hand before it got too far away.

“I know we haven’t done the distance for a whole season yet,” Leo continued. He turned to Finn and passed a hand through his read hair. “And—I know it’s going to get really hard. I mean, it’s a really long time.”

“Don’t say that,” Finn said softly.

“It’s true, honey,” Leo said. He brushed a thumb under Finn’s eye at the high of his freckled cheek. “It’s okay, it’s just true.”

“Compromise,” Logan said. “Okay? Ready?”

“Comprom-ise,” Leo corrected gently. “But you’re right, we should say it like ‘promise’ and, yes, I’m ready.”

“Compromise.” Logan liked the way Leos’s eyes narrowed at the imitation of his accent. That nice, slow ‘I’ sound.“If Sirius even begins to pull this off, and if he needs you, then okay.”

“Deal,” Leo said. He leaned forward and kissed Logan, once and sealing. “Now, cheer Harzy up.”

Finn was indeed sitting very still. He was laid back, messing with the corner of his book, gently ruffling the pages with his thumb.

Logan gave Leo his spot on the sofa and knelt on the rug beside the couch. He did as Leo had, taking Finn’s face gently in his hands and turning Finn’s eyes to his.

“Look at me.” He swiped his thumbs over the warm, flushed parts of his cheeks. “Regarde moi, look at me.”

Brown. The richest brown.

“It’s you,” Logan said. He carded his fingers through Finn’s hair, dropped his palm to rub gently against his back. “It was you in the ocean, when I couldn’t say it, and it’s you now, when I will say it to everyone who will listen to me.”

Finn let that sit for a moment. He closed his eyes like it was sun to bask in. He let the pressure of Logan’s touch tilt his head back slightly.

“I know that,” he whispered. “I just thought something was wrong. I thought you weren’t telling me.”

Logan let Finn’s forehead rest against his shoulder and looked at Leo. He was watching them with a soft expression, his elbow slung on the couch’s arm, temple against his fist. Logan kept his eyes on him, even as he felt Finn’s hand flatted over his chest, like he wanted to touch where Logan felt most. He kept his eyes on Leo as he covered Finn’s hand with his own.

“You know that, whatever happens next season, I’m going to be here for you this time.”

The tips of Finn’s fingers dug into Logan’s chest. he saw Leo’s chest rise sharply with a surprised inhale.

“I don’t care how far away I am,” Logan said. “I would drive through ever single night. I’m going to be here for you whenever you need me.”

Logan knew they needed to hear them. And he’d said it to them before, in different ways. But this, hearing them when he was right here, just the three of them, pressed so close together, felt different. Heavier. True.

“Even if you don’t need me,” Logan said. “I’m there.”

“Don’t need you,” Finn repeated, the words heavy with utter disbelief and so soft that Logan wasn’t even sure Leo heard him. He pushed his forehead harder into Logan’s shoulder, huffing out a breath like something hurt.

“You’re not gonna shut us out again,” Leo said.

Logan shook his head. “Non.”

“When it gets hard,” Leo said. “When we can’t see each other for weeks at a time—”

“You’ll get so sick of your phone ringing, you’ll want to throw it away,” Logan said.

“There…” Leo pressed his lips together and sat up. He put his hands on Finn’s bent knees and Finn straightened them, nearly cradling Leo between his thighs. Logan felt Finn turn his head to look at him. “I was comparing this year’s schedule. Earlier on, there are weeks when both teams are on the road one after another, us, then you—”

“Every morning,” Logan said. “I call you every morning.”

Leo shook his head. “The time zones don’t always—”

“Leo,” Logan cut him off softly. “I promise you.”

Leo’s mouth pulled to the side.

“I won’t shut you out,” Logan said softly. “Ever again.”

“Or Harz,” Leo said. “No matter what happens?”

“Or Harz,” Logan said. He turned down to look at Finn. “No matter what.”

Logan wasn’t sure he could have explained it if someone asked him to. All the ways he’d found a new home, and all the ways he felt like he’d never quite be home again, not until they were in the same city. How he didn’t completely know if he would survive next season without them.

“I’ve been so focused on making it around this year,” Logan said softly. “I mean—non, what is it?”

“Through,” they answered in unison.

“Through this year. And then Sirius just went and talked about how maybe I could…come home. And I realize—I realize that there’s a real chance that I can’t.”

He looked at Finn and he was watching him drive away again from the OKN house. He looked at Leo and he was being yanked back from the elevator and into his arms.

“I could be in New York for the rest of my career, or somewhere even farther, any of us could—” Logan said in French to Leo, then closed his eyes and, in English, “I could be in New York for the rest of my career—”

Finn leaned forward and pulled Logan up the way he knelt in front of them. He pressed his palms to the back of Logan’s thighs, pushing him down onto the couch, his back against Leo’s chest, before leaning forward to hover over him. Logan’s breathing hitched at the easy way Finn moved him, handled his body.

“And you’ll be ours…” Finn settled into the V of Logan’s thighs. Leaning on one forearm, sunk into the cushions, he took Logan’s chin between his fingers and pulled him into a hard kiss, running his tongue along Logan’s lower lip until they could meet. Logan’s world began to tilt in that slow way, especially when he felt Leo’s mouth press to his neck. “For the rest of our lives.”

Leo’s arms went tight around his waist, low on his stomach. Large, warm palms holding Logan’s hips as surely as Finn’s body pressed down on his.

“I’m trying to comfort you,” Logan groaned.

“The rest of our lives,” Finn said again against his mouth. He pulled back with a last kiss, and then Logan was blinking up and watching Finn’s pale throat and jaw move as he kissed Leo. Flashes of tongue, teeth when Leo smiled, and the feeling of Leo going slack and sinking into the cushions beneath him. Logan put a hand on Finn’s jaw, feeling the way he kissed, and then behind Leo’s neck, arching his back upwards until his mouth could reach the underside of Leo’s jaw. The position, though slightly awkward, pressed his chest against Finn’s and caused Leo to break his kiss to catch Logan’s mouth—a lopsided kiss that Logan chased.

“Mm…” Leo mumbled. Because Finn was there, too, bringing his mouth to both of theirs. It startled Logan for a moment—only a moment. And then he was lost in it. He was turned in a way that, had they not both been grasping hands around his back, he would have fallen, and he knew he was doing very little to support himself anyhow. He traded one of their mouths, their tastes, for another without even having to turn his head. It wasn’t even a trade. Both of them, at once. Their warm skin, breath, and teeth, at once. He lost his breath enough that he had to look, had to see. Leo’s fair eyelashes fluttered, brows drawn together at Finn’s kiss—and then he was turned slightly, hardly at all, and Logan found himself lost all over again.

“Fuck,” Finn breathed, and Logan realized his grip on him had been reduced to only his sweatshirt. “Wait, wait, Lo, c’mere—”

Logan was kept from falling from the couch only by Leo’s quick hands. His arms scooped around Logan’s waist again and held fast.

“Ah,” Finn whispered, pressing himself forward to get at Leo’s neck. His arm secured itself around Logan’s waist, too. “Nice save, One.”

Leo’s blue eyes opened from where they’d closed in pleasure, delighted. “You’ve never called me that before.”

“One and ten makes eleven,” Finn said, pulling back to look at them. “Which…I can’t think of a reason for right now because that was…” Finn’s smile was one of Logan’s favorites—sharp, though his eyes held the glass of arousal. “Really, really hot.”

“Why did we stop?” Logan asked.

“You were falling off the couch,” Leo replied, laughing.

“We could have all fallen to the floor and continued.”

Leo clicked his tongue twice, smiling and taking Logan’s chin in his hand. He saw Finn’s smile out of the corner of his eye and let him hook Logan’s leg up around his waist.

“That’s why you are rarely in charge,” Leo whispered. He brushed their lips together, tongue darting out to trace Logan’s lower lip. “And why you have the two of us to catch you,” His eyes went soft, no longer talking about the sofa or the floor or the kiss, “when you feel like you’re going to fall.”

Finn exhaled slowly from beside them. He tilted his chin forward and Leo kissed him gently before turning back to Logan.

“And you for us,” Leo whispered. “No matter what happens.”

“You’re there,” Finn said. “You’re there for us, Lo. You’re so there for us, you sit there and torture yourself when you haven’t been.”

Logan couldn’t help the laugh that spilled out of him. He let his head fall back against Leo’s shoulder. He reached up and back, tangling his fingers in Leo’s hair.

“I love you,” Logan said in French, then realized, but Finn merely smiled.

“That one I got,” Finn said.

“Okay, come here,” Leo said, and heaved Logan so that he was on his other side in the stability of the couch and their bodies again. “There.”

“Wanna hear something funny?” Finn asked.

Leo and Logan looked at each other, then laughed.

“Sure, Harz,” Logan said. He sat up a little until he could wrap an arm around Leo’s shoulders and turn his face into his hair.

“Any time a book in school had a character, figure, whatever, that started with L, my essays that I’d turn in would always accidentally have Logan in there instead at least twice.” Finn curled a palm around the back of Logan’s neck. “One class, I did it so much, the professor wrote, okay, who is this? in the margins.”

Leo’s laugh tilted his head back. “Oh Lord, I can see that clear as day.”

Logan on the other hand felt stunned. “I didn’t know that.”

Finn just grinned. He turned his gaze towards Leo “Little did they know, I’d have two Ls. Jokes on them, I’ll never see that letter the same again.” Finn was still smiling as his eyes closed and let his weight go against Logan’s chest. Leo, beneath them both, made a content sound. “That letter…That letter is my heart, that’s what it is.”

~

We’re back in Colorado boys, and the Rangers look like they’re staging a third period come-back to finish off Game Five of the Stanley Cup playoffs—either that, or we’re in for a very tense over time.

Tremblay—God he’s playing like a man on a mission. Did this somehow turn into a Game Seven when I wasn’t looking? He’s on the puck like he’s going to win it all tonight!

And with a nose he keeps having to get stopped up at the bench. That was quite a fight with Henderson, but that’s what happens when you get into the blue paint. Tremblay’s always been a goalie defender, if I ever saw one. All right, Rangers face-off win and it’s brought around by O’Hara, now to Marshall. Picked off by the Avalanche captain—oh! Back on Tremblay’s tape. Oh, this stadium doesn’t like his skills one bit. Pass up the ice, O’Hara, that was close! Hit the post. Tremblay, racing, step behind, finds the scramble for the re-bound, and he scores!

What do you say? I say come-back complete and I’m ready for a Game Six in New York to close this for good. The New York Rangers are one game away from becoming Stanley Cup champions.

~

“I thought you said you weren’t going to tell him yet,” Remus said. His voice was a little strained, his hands high above his head as he fastened a delicate row of lights, small bobble ones all spaced out along their dark chord, to one of the posts they’d erected by the dock.

“I don’t know what happened, I was just suddenly telling him.” Sirius rested with one elbow on his knee, looking down at the boards he was laying for a makeshift dance space along one square of the beach. It wasn’t big, but Sirius only had one dance planned. He was half-wondering how much dancing would distract everyone else while he stole Remus away. “I called him to talk about playoffs, if he was as hurt as I thought he was, that hit to his knee…and then I was suddenly saying how I could maybe get him home.”

Remus eased himself down the ladder, jumping the last two rungs. “And he said?”

“He wanted to talk to Finn and Leo.”

Remus nodded. “Well, that makes sense.” He knelt down near Sirius, knocking his knuckles on the wood—or, plastic, maybe. It was a hard, durable material at least. “Lily keeps asking me what I’ll do if it rains.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow. “What you’ll do?”

Remus laughed. “We. But don’t lie, if we could say our vows only to each other and then just throw a big dinner party, you wouldn’t say yes, but you wouldn’t say no, either.”

Sirius straightened a little, elbow resting over his thigh. “You think I don’t want to dance all night with you right here?”

Remus pressed his palms to the makeshift floor, examining it. “I think you want to be with me all night, but I know you don’t want to dance.”

Sirius watched as Remus got up again, going back to his ladder, this time to hang the banner he and Lily had been working on. A painted S & R. Sirius watched him manage the fabric carefully, admiring their initials beside each other. Remus tilted his head back to consider the side of the house. It drew his shoulders back and bunched his t-shirt where they met strongly at the top of his spine.

Sirius could have lived in a loop of this. Wake up. Run. Breakfast with everyone. Swim. Lunch. Swim. Dinner that they all cooked together, too many people in the kitchen, Lily getting lime juice in her eye and James kissing her red cheeks. Harry on Sirius’ hip, babbling into his shoulder and looking at Remus as he talked gibberish to them. Regulus and Julian coming in sweaty from playing street hockey in the driveway, Sirius not quite getting up the courage to ask about any late night phone calls taken on the porch.

Yes. There had been a time when Sirius would have taken something quiet over a party with speeches and audiences watching rings being exchanged. Back when parties meant smiling and agreeing, and speeches meant performing so his parents could boast, and audiences only asked him questions rather than let him talk, and and rings caused cuts that stung for days.

And kitchens were places kept out of sight, and kisses were lipstick to be wiped away, and holding a baby against him meant someone else had to endure his terrible, terrible world, and you didn’t play hockey in the driveway, you went to the rink at five and ran drills until seven.

Sirius rose from the new ground he had lay, and walked across it to where Remus was draping the banner over the top of the ladder, ready to climb. Before he could, Sirius caught him by his hips and stepped closed to him from behind. He set his mouth on the tanned and freckled skin of his neck.

“Yes, I do,” Sirius said against him. “I do want to dance with you.”

Remus leaned back against him. His hand covered Sirius’. “Oh, baby, I didn’t mean—I didn’t mean that in a bad way at all.”

“It doesn’t matter how you meant it, I’m just telling you.”

“I mean, I’d marry you in a deserted—uh, desert. I’d marry you in a courthouse or in the locker room, like between play-off games, if that was how this all worked out, I’d—”

“You know, when you’re around your mom, your sentences become twice as long.”

Remus laughed and turned in Sirius’ arms to lay his hands on his chest. “You don’t want to dance in front of everyone. I know you.”

“D’accord.” Sirius put his hands on either side of Remus’ face. “So, yes, it’s not my first choice of things to do in my free time.”

“I just meant that I…I know you,” Remus said. “That’s all.”

“But you want to dance,” Sirius leaned down to brush a kiss to his mouth. “You want banners and lights and a dance floor. Cake, flowers…”

“I want you.”

Sirius smiled, shaking his head. “Yes. But you want banners, lights, dancing, cake, flowers, and all the rest, and so that’s what you’ll have.” Sirius took step back, drawing Remus with him. “You’re never going to miss anything ever again.”

Remus’ eyes fell down to their feet, which Sirius had begun moving in a slow, synchronized circle. “Tall order.”

“Just watch me make it happen.”

Remus put his arms around Sirius’ neck, letting himself fall into Sirius’ slow dance. “Competitive.”

“But you already knew that.” Sirius drew one of Remus’ hands into his own and guided him into a spin, before pulling back against his chest. “Did you know I was forced through dance lessons?” Before Remus’ face could fall even a little, Sirius guided them into a turn, their arms crossed lightly one way, then the other. “I don’t think it ever occurred to them that I’d use it to dance at my wedding to my husband.”

Slowly, feeling his way back to ease through Sirius’ true smile, Remus let himself be spun again, and when his face came back into Sirius’ view, his smile was true, too.

“Best use in the world, I think—oh my God, you can dance? I’m gonna make a fool out of myself, Jesus. But, I don’t—” Remus broke out in a laugh as Sirius spun him again. “Are you trying to disorient me?”

“I’m trying to show you how good I am at everything. Including giving you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

When Remus laughed, Sirius added it to the loop where he wanted to live. This summer, and that sound.

“Shut up,” Remus sighed, putting his arms around Sirius’ neck again. He let them sway. “All I am saying is that I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. I don’t care how much I want it.”

“And all I’m saying is that I used to wonder how long I had before it looked weird that I didn’t have a girlfriend. Wasn’t getting married. And now I have my boy who wants to dance at our wedding…”

Sirius thought about dipping him, he could, but he wanted to keep him close. The setting sun cast Remus’ skin in pinks and oranges, and it occurred to Sirius, so suddenly and all-at-once that it nearly made him lose the rest of his sentence, that this was what Remus would look like when he said yes to the rest of their lives.

“You…” Sirius found his voice tight. “You think that I am going to do that?”

“Oh—” Remus pressed forward. “God, come here.”

No sooner had Remus’ mouth found his, than music was blasting through the new speakers—the beginning chords of Back In Black. Remus jumped, nearly biting Sirius’ lip.

“Jesus fuck,” Remus cursed.

“James,” Sirius shouted, looking towards the house.

All he was met with was a cackle.

“Try again!” Regulus’ voice answered them.

[alltimecharlo]

maybe something along the lines established relationships and one of a new guy/rookie on the team slowly figuring out that willmack are a thing and codependent bastards at that too 😭

fun fun fun!! i went with an oc rookie's pov for this because the thought them being like 'wtf are these guys doing' was so funny to me lol. fic under the cut!!

The first time Levi sees it, he thinks he imagined it.

He’s sitting in the Sharks locker room after a morning skate, still in his damp gear, trying to look like he belongs. He’s the new guy—newest rookie on the roster, straight up from the minors, still getting used to the feel of NHL ice under his skates. Most of the guys have been cool. Toffoli nodded at him once, which felt like some kind of spiritual initiation. He thinks one of the equipment managers gave him a protein bar with a nod that might've meant "you'll survive."

And then there’s Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

They’re already legends in Levi's head. Not just for the stats and the highlight reels, but because they move through the locker room like planets caught in the same orbit. They’re always around each other.

That first weird moment: Mack walks into the room, hair still wet from a post-skate shower, and without even saying anything, drops a coffee in front of Will, who just accepts it like it's owed. Will grunts a thanks and takes a sip, then makes a face.

"You did two sugars, right?"

"Obviously," Mack says, rolling his eyes. "I’m not a monster."

Will smirks and takes another sip. Mack sits next to him, shoulder to shoulder, even though there are six empty spots around them.

Levi glances around to see if anyone else clocked it. No one seems to care.

Okay. Weird, but whatever.

He doesn’t think much of it until a week later, after a win. The room’s loud and chaotic. Someone’s blasting bad EDM, Toffoli is half-naked and chirping guys across the room, and Mack and Will are off in their corner—again.

Will’s sitting on the bench, unlacing his skates, and Mack is standing between his knees, talking quietly. Too quietly. Will laughs at something, leans forward a little, close enough that Mack has to tilt his head. Levi watches Mack grin, bright and unguarded, and reach out to brush something off Will’s jaw. It's soft. Domestic.

"Dude," Levi mutters, turning to Collin, who’s changing next to him. "Are they…together? Like, is that a thing?"

Collin shrugs. "I dunno man. They're just always like that."

"Like that? That was some rom-com shit."

Collin laughs. "Yeah, but it’s Mack and Smitty. That’s just how they are."

Levi’s brain does not compute.

A few nights later, he sees it again. After practice, they're all heading out, and Will yells, "Mack, you coming?"

"Two secs!" Mack calls, then grabs Levi by the elbow.

"Hey, you're not walking back alone, right? Take the shuttle or wait with someone. It's a sketchy block past the lot, especially late."

Levi blinks. "Uh. Yeah. Okay. Thanks?"

"Don’t mention it." Mack gives him a pat on the shoulder and jogs to catch up with Will, who’s already holding the door open for him.

Levi stares after them.

He mentions it to Toff the next morning.

"I think they're together," Levi says, whispering like it’s a state secret.

Toff doesn’t even look up from taping his stick. "You think?"

"So it's…a known thing?"

"They’ve been dancing around each other since before they hit the league. No one says anything because it’s more fun to watch them not say anything either."

Levi is spiraling. "They, like, finish each other's sentences."

"Yup."

"Will loses his mind if Mack takes a hit."

"Yup."

"Mack almost fought someone on the bench last week for chirping Smitty."

Toff smiles. "Welcome to the team, rookie. You’ll get used to it."

Levi watches Mack walk into the room five minutes later and bump Will with his hip. Will leans into it without even blinking, like it’s muscle memory.

Yeah. Sure. Totally normal teammate behavior.

He sits back and shakes his head. These guys are unhinged.

And clearly, desperately in love.

Everyone else just seems to be waiting for them to figure it out.

♡

[marsh-idiot]

Vampire! Levi Ackerman

cw: vampires, kídnapping, slightly possessive levi, slight drúgging. Levi is Mikasa's caretaker, ackermans are vampires. wc: 5,024

pt. 2

Paradis, a small English speaking town in the middle of nowhere Germany. It rarely gets many visitors– and those that it gets don’t stay for very long. The close knit town knows everything about everyone there, to some of the residents' dismay. The town consisted of old gothic style houses, a small church at one edge of town and a fountain in the exact middle with a statue of a woman holding a pot that poured water every moment of every day. 

At the other edge of town sat a beautifully elegant gothic house, vines and moss had grown up the sides over time. Stained glass windows with iron bars over the outside of each one– was it to keep things out or in, no one knows. The house had been there for as long as anyone in the town could remember, passed down from family member to family member. Everyone in the town could tell you the residents kept to themselves, but when they would get the occasional glance of the dark haired family members– they moved like shadows. 

The eccentric family looked as if an old photo came to life, their skin pale white and their outfits stark black. Despite the monochromatic appearance of their outfits they were enchanting to look at, almost as if people couldn’t pry their eyes off of them when they walked by. Shadows seemed to draw them out, their pale complexion attesting to such. Any chance of sun that day meant no sightings of the family. 

The daughter was seen the most, usually carrying a big black lace parasol. Her outfits black like the rest, with red accents accompanying the black lace contrasting her almost paper white skin. She had a few friends within the town, her being the most sociable of the family, one being a short nerdy blond boy who was about her complete opposite, and a high strung brunette boy who was known throughout the town for being loud and rather brash. The two boys would stumble their way through town on sunny days, knocking at the door and waiting for her caretaker– a short pale man with a sour expression– to open the door for them to go inside. On cloudy days she would join them outside, usually sitting by the fountain in the extra shade from the large tree cascading over the fountain and its surroundings. 

Her caretaker, the town assumed to be her older brother, was a short pale man who was known for rarely speaking to people unless necessary. He would wander the town during the early winter sunsets– a black overcoat covering his white button up, a cravat expertly tucked into the collar of his shirt. Townspeople referred to him as an old soul, cursed to look young forever. The family had slowly dwindled during the years, only two were ever seen leaving the house nowadays. 

Knock Knock Knock! 

The giant iron knocker on the front door sounds, the sun long gone from the sky and the moon starting to ascend from the east. 

The door swings open quickly, the short sour man standing on the inside of the elegant house– looking at the stressed individual in front of him. 

“Hi, I’m really sorry for bothering you this late. But do you know where I can get my car fixed? I’m visiting friends in town and my GPS was going insane when I got here, and then my car broke down, and then my phone died when I tried calling them for help and… I just don’t know what to do. Could I possibly come inside and charge my phone just enough to call them?” You ask, your head feeling suddenly light from how many things you could see from just the doorway of the old beautiful house. 

“Hello, that sounds rather… unfortunate. Come inside, and I will fetch a cord for your phone.” The man steps to the side, inviting you in. You thank him and introduce yourself, extending your hand for a handshake as you catch your reflection in a mirror right by the entrance, along with the back of his head. 

He nods at you, “Levi. Welcome in.” He leads you over to the living room, the room looking like a time capsule of old gothic furniture, a small lamp on the table next to the couch illuminating the whole room effortlessly in a warm yellow glow. 

“Thank you, you know– I think this is the most vampire-like house I’ve ever seen. Apart from the mirrors that is.” You point to another mirror on the wall. The living room housed a wall entirely filled with bookshelves, books spanning almost the entire lifespan they could– some brand new, looking to be unread from how pristine they are. And some books looked like they had been there since the house was built– as if the bookshelf was made for them entirely. 

A small chuckle leaves the short man. “Ah yes, family house– no reason to change the look of it if it works.” 

“Well I think it’s beautiful.” You say, stepping further into the room and taking in the almost overwhelmingly grandiose decor. 

“I’ll be right back with that… phone line for you.” He waves his hand around as if trying to remember the correct word for it before disappearing down the hallway. You slowly look over the room, the lamp shade even having an intricate design, however you’re drawn to the bookshelf– curious as to the old books that were there. 

One title you recognize immediately as a classic, however the cover is one you’ve never seen before. Dracula. Bram Stoker. A bit on the nose for the vampire-esque house, no? Your finger draws up to the top of the book like a magnet– unsheathing it from its colleagues to get a good look at the cover. Hand bound it seems, the cover velvet and fraying– a test to how old it truly was. You turn it around to the back and are met with German text. A moment of confusion before remembering what country you were in, however your friends in town said German was the secondary language spoken– usually only the older generation here spoke it. 

A floorboard creaking pulls you from your thoughts, you look over expecting the short man but are met instead by what looks to be a gothic teen girl staring at you, unblinking with a tilted head. 

“Hello, you don’t live around here.” She says very matter-of-factly, the sentence almost chilling your body more than the dark night you had just walked out of. 

“Uhm, you’re very right. I’m here visiting friends.” You shift your weight from foot to foot. 

“Levi has a friend? How strange, could’ve sworn he was a shut-in.” 

“Oh uhm, no. I-my car broke down and Levi is grabbing me a phone charger so I can call my friends.” You hold up your phone, which was basically an expensive brick as of now. 

“That makes more sense. Levi doesn’t enjoy talking to people, surprised he let you in.” She says, her skirt swaying as she rocks from the heel of her foot to the ball and back again. 

“I uhh-I like your outfit. You look nice.” You say, suddenly feeling small in her gaze. Her skirt was red with black lace hanging over it, her shirt black with lace sleeves trailing her arms. Tied together with a deep red stain of her lips, accentuating the cracks of her lips as she stared at you with the same eyes as the short man. 

“Why thank you, took me quite a while to find such perfect clothes.” She says. “So you’ve never been here before?” 

“Nope, first time. However if all houses are like this I might just move here.” You say, finding the distance between you two a bit off putting yet making no move to change it for yourself. 

“It gets quite… homey after a while. Centuries don’t change much here, been the same for a while.” She says, almost as if she was the one experiencing it rather than the likely answer of the older generation saying it or her seeing it in old pictures. 

“Well… that’s a good thing, right?” You respond, the house must be big if Levi is taking such a long time finding a phone charger. 

“No new comers enjoy it, but we do. Townspeople mind their business enough.” She says, taking a single step closer– you feel almost claustrophobic at the small step despite her standing barely through the door frame, a good five feet away from you yet the feeling still creeps up your throat. 

“Mikasa, don’t stay out too late. And don’t scare the company.” Levi says as he rounds the corner, holding a phone charger in his hands like he was offering it to the gods. 

“Didn’t mean to scare your company. Have a good dinner, I’ll be home by morning.” She turns and walks away from the living room and out of your line of sight. 

“Four at the latest.” Levi calls out, walking closer as the door opens. 

“Fine. Have fun with your… company.” She calls out before the door shuts. Levi hands you the phone charger awkwardly, as if he had never held one before this very moment. 

“Thank you, uhm…” You look around for an outlet you could plug it into. He walks out of the room with a glance back as if to tell you to follow him, which you do.

“Don’t mind her, she’s just a peculiar teen.” He says as he leads you down the hallway and into a kitchen and dining room. The tiles of the walls have beautiful details of flowers. Old paintings covering the walls along with many a hanging plants hanging from the exposed rafters. 

“Oh don’t worry, every teen has a phase like that, some never grow out of it. Just be lucky she tells you when she’s going out.” You say as he points to an outlet, plugging the charger in and setting down the book you had kept a hold on to plug in your phone.  

“Yes, well, I must say our whole family has always been a bit peculiar. Dracula?” He picks up the book off the counter as you spin back to look at him, setting your phone against the cold marble countertop.  

“Oh yeah, sorry I was just curious. It seems old. Must’ve been expensive.” You look into his cold stormy gray eyes. 

“It’s been in the family for a while.” He says, handing the book back to you before gesturing back to the living room and you two make your way back there. 

“So, do you speak German?” He asks, pointing to the book as you walk further into the living room. 

“Uhm, the smallest little bit. I took it in school, but I didn’t retain much.” You confess as he stays standing in the doorway, his hands shoved inside his pockets. 

“Would you like some tea?” He asks and you try to remember what the polite thing would be to do– is it a culture of accepting or not inconveniencing the host? 

“Uhm I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you or anyth-” You’re interrupted by a dry cough leaving your throat, quickly covering your mouth with your elbow. 

“I’ll make you some tea. Rest, whilst I do so. Make yourself comfortable.” He turns and walks back to the kitchen and you sit down on the sofa, a dark red velvet soft to the touch. 

“I’ll be right back with that… phone line for you.” He says, walking down the hallway, past the kitchen and to the bolted basement door. Unlocking it and closing it behind him swiftly before descending the dark staircase. Reaching the bottom of the stairs and flicking on the light, glancing over to the completely drained body from the town over– a shame really. The man fought so much just to die in the basement, and Levi thought he could’ve been added to the family– so nice at first.

Walking past the body and over to the shelves, opening one and searching through it. One of his meals had one on them when he brought them back home. It’s around here somewhere. He rooted around in the shelf, slamming it shut when he realized it wouldn’t have been in that one. He organized the relics from each of his meals based off a few things about them: age range being the first, how far he traveled to get them being the second, and the third was how much of a fight they put up. 

He throws open the correct drawer, fishing out the cord easily and glancing it over a moment. Blood, of course. Why wouldn’t there be blood on it. Making the whole drawer dirty this entire time, but he’ll deal with that later. 

He grabs a rag and wets it in the sink, wiping away the dried blood from the white cord. Tossing the rag into the sink he’ll deal with that later. Glancing at the body chained to his wall he’ll deal with that later. 

Flicking the light off and ascending the stairs quickly. Locking the door behind him as he hears Mikasa’s voice. He knew she would, she always tries to get to his home meals before him. 

“No new comers enjoy it, but we do. Townspeople mind their business enough.” She says, taking a step into the living room, slowly cornering you– exactly how he taught her. 

“Mikasa, don’t stay out too late. And don’t scare the company.” He says, turning the corner– directly challenging her and indirectly telling her to back off you. 

“Would you like some tea?” He asks, thank god you didn’t point out the many sedative plants growing in his kitchen– his plan would’ve been ruined if you did. 

“Uhm I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you or anyth-” You’re interrupted by a dry cough leaving your throat, quickly covering your mouth with your elbow. More the reason to make you some tea while your phone charges. 

“I’ll make you some tea. Rest, whilst I do so. Make yourself comfortable.” He turns and walks back to the kitchen, taking a teacup from the cabinet and putting a pot of water on the gas stove. He glances to your phone as the screen lights up displaying the time and a notification, reading “Yo! Hows the drive coming?” He recognizes the name of one of the townspeople Mikasa had talked about hanging out with, apparently he was very cocky and loved to challenge one of her other friends to random competitions. The plug next to that one doesn’t work, what if he… 

The plug comes out of the wall easily, he plugs it into the broken outlet. But it turned on, how do he get it to not. Tapping it? He fetches tea leaves from their container, the good tea, he must like you. He sets up the tea leaves in their cage, placing it into the cup while he waits for the water to boil. He opens a small container of Valerian Root, dosing just enough into the tea leaves to where the taste of the strong tea would overpower the taste but not the effects. 

He waits for the water to boil in his brass tea kettle, tapping at the screen display of your phone until it went dark. Tapping it a few more times just for safe measure as the kettle started to ring out. Pouring the water over the cage of tea leaves and dried valerian root, watching as the water slowly turns darker as the tea steeps. Once the water was tinted black he pulls the cage out, setting it in the sink, he’ll deal with that later. 

He walks the teacup over to you carefully, not to spill any as he makes his way to you. Setting the tea cup on the coffee table in front of you on a coaster. He may be planning to eat you, but he won’t ruin his table for it. 

“Thank you, you’re very kind.” You take the tea cup and blow on the steaming brew– without a second thought as to what he could’ve put in there. If you continue being this nice he’ll have to train you to be more weary in the future, but for now it was helpful. 

“It’s no big feat, wouldn’t want to leave you outside in the cold night all helpless.” He sits down on the other end of the couch, crossing his legs and adjusting his cravat as he looks at you gently blowing on the hot tea. 

“Well I’m thankful you opened the door. Your neighbors didn’t, probably because it’s late at night.” You say, taking a small sip of the tea. 

“They’re old, go to bed early. You wouldn’t want to talk to them anyways.” He dismisses with a handwave and a tilt of his head. 

“Tea is great, what kind is it?” You ask, blowing on it again. 

“Care to guess? It’s a blend of a few.” He can’t help but hide a smirk as you give him a perfect way to get you to continue drinking it. You hum before taking another sip, this one longer. 

“Black tea.” You say with a small smile. 

“Can you tell what kind?” He tilts his head, adjusting his dark overcoat as he interlocks his fingers and rests his folded hands on his lap. 

“Oh I really only know Earl Gray and English Breakfast.” You confess, your cheeks heating up a little from the heat of the drink. The copy of Dracula discarded onto the coffee table along with the book Levi had been reading before you knocked. 

“Ceylon. And what other kind?” He leans towards you just enough to be noticeable but not reactable. 

“Uhm…” You take another sip, this one big– holding it in your mouth for a moment. “Green tea?” You guess, not being able to place it. 

“Close, guess again.” He prompts and you take a few more sips, your confusion growing as you try to figure it out. Your tiredness from the day slowly hitting you as you relax onto the couch. The warmth from the tea being a comforting presence after the stressful night you had before entering this house. 

“Rooibos?” You guess, your nose scrunched up as you await his response. 

“Not quite.” He smiles at you, if you didn’t know any better you’d be stumbling out a compliment at how good he looks when he smiles. Instead you drown out the comment with a big swig of tea, swishing it around in your mouth before swallowing. 

“Would I be crazy for saying raspberry leaf tea?” 

“No, there is some in there, good job. One more.” He praises, and you feel your body start to turn warm just from the tea though, not from the praise or anything else. You quickly take another sip, the tea having cooled significantly since your first small sip. 

“It smells like my cherry blossom tea I drink, but I don’t think that would go well with these other ones.” You laugh, taking another sip. 

“I’m intrigued, I don’t think I’ve ever had that kind of tea before.” He scoots towards you a little, covering it by leaning forward to readjust. 

“Oh it’s wonderful, it’s green tea I think, might be floral. Anyways, it’s really good. I usually drink that or vanilla black tea in the mornings.” You smile at him. 

“Sounds good, I might have to find some just to try it.” He grins at you, entranced by your smile and the way you talk about the tea you love. You take another sip of the tea, now a third of the way through the cup– your movements slightly slowed. 

“It’s earthy, but in a good way.” You bite your lip in thought before taking another sip. “My lack of knowledge is really hitting me here I think. It’s not cinnamon, it’s not cherry blossom, it’s not lemon balm is it?” You ask, trying to remember all of the tea offered at the cafe near your house. 

“It’s not lemon balm.” He states, his arms crossed under his black overcoat. The button up he was wearing, pristinely white almost to a fault. Your blinks slow just enough to where you don’t notice, but he does. 

“Hmm.” You hum before finishing the tea off. “Damn, tell me what it was.” You set the cup down on the coaster again, making sure it was align before sitting back against the couch. 

“Chamomile.” He stands, grabbing the cup. “I’ll go wash this out and check if your phone is on yet.” He says. He knows the phone will not be on, but you don’t. 

“Thank you, really. It means the world you’ve let me in, let alone given me tea.” You thank as he walks towards the doorway. 

“It’s really no problem at all. I’m happy to.” Happy to dine well for the next few days. His meal was delivered right to him nonetheless. Maybe even another member to the family. The house does get a little lonely when Mikasa goes out for the night– no matter how much he didn’t want to admit it.

He rinses out the cup, scrubbing away all the germs you left before setting it to dry on the mat. Taking the cage of tea leaves and emptying it out of the window into the compost below. Walking back to the living room and sitting closer to you this time. 

“Phone is still not on.” He says as he sits down. 

“Dang, I’m sorry it’s taking so long.” You say, folding your hands in your lap– going to raise your feet to sit criss cross but being reminded you’re wearing your shoes still. “Oh, I didn’t take these off when I came in. Should I have?” You ask, worried about mucking up the beautiful carpet underneath your feet. You might be perfect to keep as an extra family member, but Levi really shouldn’t get his hopes up– he needs to see what you’re like after you’re in the basement for a bit. 

“Oh, here I’ll put them by the door. Thank you.” He gets up and waits for you to slip your shoes off, making a big show of placing your shoes in a noticeable enough spot to make sure you wouldn’t forget them when you leave. As if he was letting you leave, such a cheeky man really. 

He sits down again, this time even closer, leaning forward to grab the copy of Dracula. “Have you ever read it?” 

“Once, I was trying to read through all the classics. I got through Dracula and Frankenstein before I got sidetracked. I wish I had the time to finish all of them however.” You confess, smiling at him. All the more reason for you to become a family member, all the time in the world to read the classics– and anything else you possibly want. He opens the book, flipping through the pages to find a particular passage. Chapter three, when Johnathan realizes he was trapped in the castle. Perfectly on the nose, and they won’t even notice. 

“Als ich entdeckte, dass ich ein Gefangener war, überkam mich ein wildes Gefühl. Ich rannte die Treppe auf und ab, versuchte, jede Tür zu öffnen und spähte aus jedem Fenster, das ich finden konnte; aber nach einer Weile überwältigte mich die Überzeugung meiner Hilflosigkeit und alle anderen Gefühle traten in den Hintergrund. Wenn ich nach ein paar Stunden zurückblicke, denke ich, dass ich in dieser Zeit verrückt gewesen sein muss, denn ich verhielt mich ähnlich wie eine Ratte in einer Falle.” He reads out, watching as your eyes start to droop and you lean back into the couch as your body grows tired. 

“Wow, that sounded almost melodic. Your German is really nice to hear.” You compliment, your body relaxing against the grandiose red velvet couch with a smile on your face. 

“That is very nice of you. You mentioned you took German in school, did you recognize any words?” He asks, if he distracts you from how tired you are– you won’t try to fight the growing tiredness. 

“Uhm… I recognized the word ‘ich’.” You laugh at only recognizing such a simple word like ‘I’ 

“Is that all?” He asks, a small smile on his face. Why is this person making him smile so much, dear Dracula, draining you will be hard. Hopefully you’ll agree to become a family member, having someone like you around would be nice. 

“Yeah… I didn’t retain much from my classes. You know it’s funny, the gothic house and Dracula. It would be almost too perfect if you were a vampire.” You laugh at the absurdity of that even being a possibility. 

“Too perfect.” He agrees, watching as your body grows tired in front of him. 

“Good thing I saw your reflection, otherwise I’d probably be freaking myself out with the thought of vampires existing.” You say, remembering you had seen the back of his head in the mirror when you walked in. 

“That is a good thing, wouldn’t want you freaking out over such a thing while waiting for your phone to charge.” He places the book onto the couch where he had been seated before he got up. Folding his hands and placing them in his lap. His posture almost annoyingly perfect, never slouching even when sat on such a comfortable couch. You wouldn’t register the fear properly anymore, and he knows it.

“You know, if vampires were alive today, they would have reflections in most mirrors.” He tilts his head to the side as he delivers his fun fact. 

“Oh really, why is that?” You ask, curling your body up on his couch.

“The reason old vampires couldn’t see their reflection was because mirrors were made out of silver. Now mirrors are made out of mainly glass. However some still have silver inside them.” He reaches out and adjusts your hoodie string, smoothing it out gently before pulling his hand back. 

“That’s really cool. Why are vampires in mythology weak to silver?” You ask, tucking your arms around your waist as you nuzzle into the couch. 

“It’s a holy metal. Just like garlic is a holy food. Vampires are unholy, devil reincarnate vampires used to be called.” He watches as you yawn, you barely register it happens as you pay attention to his words.

“Seems like twilight changed that perception though, most teen girls would’ve killed to be vampires.” You rub at your face with your balled up sweatshirt sleeve. 

“That you are right. Mikasa enjoys those movies and books, made me put her copies on the bookshelf.” He nods over to the middle of the three large bookshelves, Mikasa had made him put the five books on display. 

“I enjoyed them, teen drama is a good genre. Even if their vampires weren’t fully accurate.” You mumble as you turn back to look at him, resting your head against the back of the couch. 

“According to what she told me about them, they’re very wrong. Sparkling in sunlight, how wrong can you actually write vampires.” He grumbles, remembering the glittery skin of the so-called vampire on the movie screen. You laugh at his grumblings, fighting to keep your eyes open. 

“Yeah, that was a dumb decision. Especially around the time body glitter was a big thing, so easy to pass off. But how else would the hundred year old teen go to school?” You giggle, your head lolling forward for a second before you force it back up. 

“If you’re feeling tired it’s okay to close your eyes for a moment. It is getting quite late after all.” He rests his hand on your shoulder, this meal was falling asleep rather fast– he couldn’t help but be nice about it. 

“No, no. I don’t want to fall asleep on your couch. That would be rude.” You sniff and try to blink the sleep induced blur from your eyes, bringing a hand to rub at your face again. You’ll be falling asleep somewhere much less comfortable for a while after this. 

“I insist it’s fine. But if you would like, I’ll go check your phone to see if it is on yet.” He reminds you of your phone being charged in the kitchen. 

“Oh, thank you. Please, that would be wonderful.” You say, he pats your shoulder before standing up and walking out of the room. The silence that befalls the living room is dragging your consciousness from your body– and it was as if you had nothing to grab onto to keep it from dragging you. You curl up further onto the couch, your breath evening out as you vow to yourself that you’ll wake up when he walks back in the room. 

A minute passes, and you’re curled up on his couch, and he’s not back in the room yet. He is down in the basement removing the body from the shackles, tossing it into the crawlspace which he sealed off from the rest of the house– the smell being too dirty to allow any air to escape. 

Five minutes pass and he’s cleaning up the area quickly, scrubbing the disgusting germs from that man off the floor and chain. He takes the sheet off the thin mattress and tosses it, along with the rag from earlier, into the laundry room. Retrieving a fresh pair of sheets and a thin blanket for you before making the bed up. 

Seven minutes pass and he’s walking back upstairs and into the living room, where you are passed out on his velvet couch. He laughs and picks you up, without a moment of apprehension. 

Carefully walking you down the stairs to the basement and laying you out on the thin mattress, clicking the chain closed around your ankle. He takes a step back to look at you, peacefully laying in his basement. He leans back in and covers your body with the blanket, brushing your hair out of your face before he ascends the stairs, locking the basement door behind him. 

tell me if you want more! <3

[louellaby]

「 When Spring Arrives and Flowers Bloom 」

GN!MC × LEVIATHAN

Happy Birthday, Dear Levi!

FLUFF | 2.5k words

content warnings: implied trouble with people, a bit of sad levi

M C

Hey, Levi! Clear your schedule for this Wednesday!

LEVIATHAN

What? Why so suddenly?

Are you bringing back a new game from the human world, and you want to play it with me as soon as you get back?!

M C

No.

I mean, I'd love to, but I have nothing of the sort.

Just clear your schedule for the day!

LEVIATHAN

Tell me why first!

I can't give up my anime and games for something I don't know!

M C

Fine, I'll clue you in a bit.

This Wednesday, I'll summon you to the human world. You better look forward to it!

Oh, and don't tell your brothers!

LEVIATHAN

You mean you want to spend time alone...

WITH ME?

M C

Can I not?

LEVIATHAN

O-Of course you can! I'd love to!

M C

Great!

Remember: keep it a secret from your brothers!

I'll summon you after breakfast, so go to your room and pretend to shut yourself in for the day.

LEVIATHAN

Will do!

M C

See you then, Leviachan!

Leviathan could feel his heart thumping, threatening to beat straight out of his chest if he didn't calm himself down soon enough. On the gaming chair in his bedroom, he sat, hunched over his lap, watching the clock on his D.D.D. change its every minute — the device almost sliding off his fingers due to the sweat that coated the entirety of his palms.

"Have you seen Levi acting weird just now?"

"Isn't that just him being him?"

"Sure, he's already pretty weird in general, but there was something about him earlier."

Leviathan had heard his brothers talking as he was walking away from the dining table. But he didn't have the time to listen to their observations of him. He had plans with his favourite person, and he would not miss the chance to be alone with them again after so long of not seeing each other and being worlds apart.

"Yeah, he looked nervous during breakfast. He barely touched his food, and he didn't even react when Beel swiped it."

"Do you think he's feeling alright?"

"Should we go cheer him up?"

"No, leave him alone for now."

"Lucifer! Why?"

"Everyone head to RAD. You're going to be late. Leave Levi alone for today."

"Wait, do you know somethi--"

"Head. To. RAD. I will not be repeating myself."

"Yes, Lucifeeeeeerrr."

Leviathan leaned back in his chair, making it squeak softly, and placed his phone on the desk to his left. He briefly glanced at his reflection on the black screen of his computer monitor, seeing himself a little dishevelled than how he had prepared himself the hour before. He tilted his head back straight with his body, leaned his head back against the headrest of the chair, closed his eyes, placed his hands on his knees, and clenched his fists as he took a deep breath. Then a few more.

He jumped in surprise the moment his D.D.D.'s screen lit up and buzzed with a notification. Before he even realised what he was doing, he already had his phone in his hands and opened the message he received as he once again hunched over his lap.

M C

Are you ready to go?

LEVIATHAN

I've been ready for the past hour!

You're late!

M C

I'm sorry!

Something came up, and I couldn't ignore it.

LEVIATHAN

What happened? Are you okay???

M C

Perfectly fine!

I'll go ahead and summon you now, okay?

LEVIATHAN

OK.

The demon clenched his phone in anticipation, hurriedly fixing the slight flyaways of his hair and wiping the sweat that previously formed from his worried thoughts. He closed his eyes once again as he felt a warm feeling spreading through his body — a feeling of safety and so much longing. Leviathan sighed in relief as he let the familiar light engulf him, pulling his entire being through time and space, bringing him into another world different from his own.

"Welcome back to the human world, Levi!"

The moment he heard your voice, Leviathan slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the sudden sunlight he wasn't used to. When he finally got his vision clear, there he saw you in front of him — with the smile on your face that he loved, your adoration for him that you showed through your expressions, and the beautiful outfit you were wearing for the day you planned to spend with only him.

"Come on and follow me!" Your smile got brighter when you held out your hand to him, and he took it without hesitation, showing you his own grin as he finally felt his whole body relax.

"Where are we going?" He asked, stealing glances at you as you gently pulled him along by hand. "I hope it's not too tiring, I don't have the energy for something like that." Leviathan knew deep inside his heart that even if whatever you had planned would be tiring compared to what he was used to, he still would have done his best to keep up. He knew he would put in every effort as long as he could keep seeing you smile.

You chuckled at his reaction to his own assumptions and turned your head to look at him. He thought his heart would stop for a moment. "We're going flower viewing."

"Flower viewing?" He repeated in question. He raised an eyebrow, not being able to believe what he had just heard. "Couldn't we have done that in the Devildom? The flowers there are also blooming by this time of the year."

You showed him a pout, and he flinched. "Sure, but today's a special day, and I wanted to spend it alone with you. And besides, I already prepared us a picnic, and you need to spend time outside."

He watched as your pout turned into a smile once again. That's when his heart skipped a beat. "What better way to spend your outing than to go on a date with me, right?" You asked.

Leviathan felt his face heat up, his heart thumping louder. You saw him turn red and felt his hand get warmer. You internally chuckled as you watched and listened to him babble his words, him not being able to form a proper sentence. In the end, he gave up on talking at all and just held your hand tighter, interlocking his fingers with yours and nodding in answer.

It didn't take long before the two of you reached the park filled with vibrantly blooming flowers of every shape, colour, and size; each one gently dancing along to sway of the cool breeze, collectively creating soft rustling sounds as they collided with one another.

Leviathan couldn't help but look at whatever caught his attention. First, it'd be the flowers; then the children running around with excitement, their parents either going after them or staying on their picnic blankets. Next, the bees in the distance, flying and buzzing from bloom to bloom; the rustling of the white and pink flowering trees; the bright blue sky with hints of white fluffy clouds. And at last, the sun shining so brightly, and the way its light was illuminating your beautiful face.

You were too focused on guiding him through the crowd that you didn't notice how he kept his eyes on you. He had a smile on his face, a smile he himself didn't know he could ever make. He questioned it, but not for long. Not when the answer was right there in front of him, firmly holding his hand in theirs. At that moment — for a little moment — he thought nothing could ever make him happier than that.

"Well? What do you think?"

Leviathan took in the sight on the ground in front of him: a picnic mat with a baby-blue gingham pattern spread on the bright green, slightly prickly, grass; on the mat laid two more blankets to make surface softer and more comfortable to sit on. In the middle was a big and round cream-coloured rattan tray where small plates, utensils, and a couple of glasses were set to use; a small glass flower vase accompanied the rest with a blooming mad acacia in it. On one side of the blanket, directly next to the tray, was a picnic basket of the same colour; waiting to be opened, its contents ready to be served.

Glancing around the area, he noticed how there were only the two of you. The people you both passed by previously were far well in the distance, but the flowers and trees nearby were just as radiant — if not more — than those at the main area. He thought and thought about how hard you must have worked for that day; to prepare everything that laid in front of him, to cook for him, to find a place where he didn't have to be anxious of people's gazes.

Leviathan felt his heart skip a beat once again. He felt himself hold his breath. For a moment, he felt nothing. His mind was blank, and he froze. Then, time started again for him when you reached for his arm and gently tapped it. He didn't know what expression he was showing you, but he saw how your eyes widened when he turned to look at you. He saw how you hastily stepped towards him, wrapping your arms under his and around his torso. You may have been the one to start the embrace, but he was the one who pulled you in deeper.

You felt his arms enclose you; one hand resting itself on your back, the other finding its way to the back of your head, as he leaned and buried his face into your shoulder.

"Are you alright?" You whispered gently in his ear. You felt him nod in reply, his hands slightly trembling against you.

"You did all of this... for me?" He breathed. You could tell from the sound of his voice that he was fighting back tears. You felt how warm his face was against your shoulder and smiled at how he tightened his hold on you after he asked his question.

You breathed a chuckle from your chest, and with pride evident on your face, you hummed in confirmation. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." He said that with no hesitation. Leviathan managed to compose himself after a few minutes and with the help of your gentle strokes against his back. He slowly pulled away from you and watched your expression, keeping his arms and hands supporting yours as they rested on top of his. He mirrored the smile on your face, but his got even brighter the longer he looked at you and thought about how much he loved you.

"Shall we start our peaceful date?"

He nodded eagerly.

"Yeah!"

"Hey, MC," the demon beside you spoke up after he swallowed his recently taken bite of food. He then looked at you with curiosity and nervousness in his eyes. "I've been meaning to ask you this since earlier, but, uhm... Why were you late?"

Without looking at him and just staring at the half-eaten sandwich in your hands, you continued chewing silently. Leviathan got even more anxious due to your silence. He started assuming that you're getting annoyed because of him, when in reality, you were just replaying the scenes of what happened earlier in your head that it took your complete attention.

After a moment, you snapped back to your senses, looked to your side, and saw a dejected demon. Leviathan was hunched over his sandwich, gripping it with slightly shaking hands. He was biting his lip, and you couldn't see his eyes through his hair.

You reached out and placed your hand on top of his — this took him out of his thoughts. He looked at you, and he looked like he was about to cry as he whispered, "I'm sorry..."

You shook your head, placed your sandwich back on its plate, scooted over until you're sitting right next to him, and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, resting your chin on one of them.

"It's not your fault, Levi. Please don't be sorry." You said before pulling yourself back. "I'm not mad at you or anything like that, okay? I was just deep in thought, wondering how to answer your question." He paused for a moment. Then he tilted his head in curiosity without saying anything.

"You were wondering why I was late, right? Well..." You trailed off, tilting your head to the side, rubbing your neck with your hand — and you scrunched your face, as if you were disgusted by something. Finally, you sighed and pursed your lips when you made the decision to tell him, but your brows were knitted tightly together, which made the demon wonder if he should just take his question back.

"There were people here with me earlier," you started. "Don't get me wrong, I didn't steal this spot from them — I was here first. ... When I was setting everything up, they..."

In front of you, around you, and by your feet; laid broken plates, cracked cups, and freshly-made food scattered and wasted all over the ground. As you stood with your fists clenched, you could hear nothing but the sound of the wind and the laughter behind you. You then felt nothing else but the flow of magic surging through your body — from the centre of your chest, through your arms and legs, and to the tips of your toes and fingers. Your mouth then moved on its own, words spilling out as you were blindly consumed by your rage.

"...Nevermind, it's not important." You huffed and shook your head. You found out it was difficult to tell him what had happened. Especially when you know how he would then react. "All that matters now is that they won't be coming back here again if they know what's good for them."

You puffed your chest out in pride as the demon blinked in curiosity. He hesitated for a moment before nodding once. "As long as you aren't hurt..."

You looked at Leviathan again and smiled as you reached up and poked his cheek. His response was to pull back with a bright red face and stuttered words of exclamation. You then let yourself lean on your arm closest to him, inching closer before speaking.

"Happy Birthday, Levi."

The wind blew harder at that moment — the rustling of the tree branches and their leaves became louder. Normally, from how quiet your voice was, along with the increased noise from your surroundings, Leviathan wouldn't have heard what you said. That's how it went in the animes you watched together. But that wasn't the case at this moment.

You beamed as the demon's eyes widened in surprise. You saw how different emotions raced by and filled him alternatingly. You knew that he had the tendency to forget his birthday if he's excited about something happening on the same day. And you used that to your advantage.

You watched his face redden, and he looked like he was once again about to babble. Without waiting for his response, you closed your eyes and the distance between you. You pressed your lips onto his, and for the first time: he didn't pull away first.

LUCIFER

The party preparations are complete.

M C

Thanks!

I'll keep him for a little bit longer.

We'll be on our way home afterwards.

LUCIFER

Alright.

Did those bastards ever return to bother you?

M C

Nope, all good!

Thanks for helping me drive them away.

Thank the others for me, as well.

That barrier Solomon casted is still going strong!

LUCIFER

Good to hear.

I'll tell the others you thanked them. Again.

M C

Ahaha! Thank you!

LUCIFER

We'll see you both soon.

How would you react when someone does something nice for you?

[heavenssins]

Miles Teller as Levi in an exclusive clip of “The Gorge”

(thank you @gretagerwigsmuse for telling me his name haha)

CLOSE ENOUGH WELCOME BACK BRADLEY ‘ROOSTER’ BRADSHAW

[m-jelly]

The new room

Levi x fem reader

Sheriff Levi and you are having your first baby. The two of you decorate the new room together.

Levi tapped his thumbs against the wheel as he drove home from his shift at work. He glanced at the passenger's seat and saw the cake, flowers and some new paint rollers. He smiled to himself, glanced at his wedding ring and felt pride fill him. Levi had married you, his childhood sweetheart, a few years ago and was the happiest man in the world.

You met as very little kids and as soon as six-year-old Levi saw you, he said to you, your mother and his mother that he wanted you. The two of you were joined at the hip and when you were old enough, you started dating. You were each other's first in everything. You got married in your early twenties and you helped him become sheriff.

The two of you were the most talked about couple in the town, the true love married couple that was made of dreams. You had your moments where you'd have tiny fights, mainly because Levi was overly protective of you and you were incredibly friendly too.

Levi parked up and grabbed everything before approaching his perfect home. A gentle smile spread on his lips when he heard music coming from the home. He hurried inside, took his hat off and slipped his boots off. He sprinted upstairs to the new room.

There you were in all your beautiful glory wearing dungarees dotted with paint and a six-month belly standing out. He leaned against the doorway and just watched you dance around the baby room as you painted the walls.

He placed his gifts down on the painting table before approaching you. He pressed his chest against your back and wrapped his arms around you. He placed one hand on your belly and gently rubbed it. He placed loving kisses up your neck and along your shoulder.

You hummed a laugh. "Welcome home, Levi. Good day at work?"

"Mm, it was okay."

You placed your brush down before turning to face Levi. "Let me guess, it was boring because I wasn't there?"

He wrapped his arms around you. "You know me so well."

You tilted your head and kissed him. "I do."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

He picked you up making you giggle. "You're so sexy." He sat you in the window and purred. "Every time I look at you I keep thinking about how we made our baby."

You ran your hands up and down his body. "I do too." You grabbed his belt and yanked him close. "You were a passionate animal."

He kissed and sucked your neck. "You just do things to me."

You tangled your fingers in his hair as Levi covered you in kisses. "Oh, wait." You pulled from him. "What's that?"

Levi looked over at the gifts on the table. "I bought you some flowers and cake. Oh, also new rollers to help us paint."

"Thank you, that's so sweet of you."

Levi took your hands and showered them with kisses. "Shall we have some cake and tea? How many cups of tea have you had today?"

You hummed as you thought for a moment. "I don't think I've had one yet."

He lifted you off the seat and pulled you close. "Let's have a cup then."

You played with his hair a bit. "Sounds lovely." You giggled. "You'll have to let me go to do that though."

He tilted his head and kissed you over and over. The two of you melted as your tongues moved together and bodies pressed as best as they could with your bump. Levi slipped his hand into your dungarees and under your shirt.

You panted and purred. "Levi."

He released you. "Sorry, sorry, cake and tea."

You giggled as he ran off. "Thank you." You followed him down to the kitchen and sat at the island. "You're very excitable today."

He placed a slice of cake in front of you and your tea. "I'm just a man deeply in love."

You sipped your tea as you watched Levi. "What would you have done if I said no to you when we were kids. When you proudly claimed I was yours."

He ate a bit of cake and hummed. "Impossible. I'll always have you."

"You'd make it your mission to always have me?"

He nodded and gulped. "I became a man of justice for you, a sheriff. If you would have said no, I would have become a criminal for you. I'd steal you."

You giggled. "You're cute." You reached over and caressed his cheek. "Levi. I'm so lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one."

You nibbled your lip. "How about you steal me tonight?"

Levi growled. "I'd love to."

@ladycheesington @levisbrat25 @nyxiieluna @li-anne @galactict3a @youre-ackermine @thebobaprincess @2moth-anon2 @cypidity @nbinairyn @bts-spnlvr12 @darkstarlight82 @emilyyyy-08 @levistealeaf @pelicanpizza @hideandgopeep @notgoodforlife @demonic-bird @searriously @anti-cupid @abiatackerman

[roseofdarknessblog]

Family gathering (Postwar!Levi Ackerman x Reader)

Word count: 3 140

Disclaimer: english is not my first language, I apologize in advance for any mistakes

Summary: You and Levi finally introduce your baby to the rest of the family.

This story can be read on its own or as a part of my little post-war series: Learn to live again

Family gathering

Being back in the tea shop after giving birth felt even better than you expected. Even if you only came to visit Levi for short periods of time. But it was enough time to make sure that he really had everything under control even without your help. At least for a couple more weeks.

Being new parents wasn't easy, not even the slightest, but you were adjusting. Learning every single day, that having a tiny little human living under your roof was about changing or adjusting one too many things.

Despite that, Levi and you couldn't be happier. In your newborn daughter, you saw the reason why you fought so hard all those years. She truly was a beautiful representation of the future you wanted humanity to have.

„I think they know something is up,“ Falco said, when he walked into the kitchen, that was at the back of the tea shop. Here, you used to bake many of your sweet and savory goods, which were then sold alongside the best tea in the whole town.

„Yeah, probably. But that's fine, something really is up,“ you said, smiling at the boy.

Until now, only he, Gabi, Onyankopon, and Yelena knew about the little Ackerman baby you and Levi welcomed into this world seven weeks ago. Nobody else from your friends knew you gave birth, or even that you were pregnant in the first place. You and Levi decided, that it would be better not to tell anyone and let things unfold on their own.

However, now it was finally time to introduce your precious little miracle to the rest of your family. To all your beloved friends, who fought alongside you these past few years. To the people, who helped you create a safe world to bring your daughter into.

„Is everybody here already?“

Falco nodded, gently taking your daughter's hand. She loved him so much and lately always smiled when they were together. „Yeah, they're talking, having tea and sweets but you can definitely tell they suspect something. Mainly because you're not there.“

„I think we should go see them, right?“ you asked your daughter in a sweet voice, stroking her chubby little cheeks. In some way, they very much reminded you of Levi's. Just like her silky black hair, her blue-grey eyes, or her cute little nose. She was the sweetest little copy of your husband in the cutest ways possible. „You're gonna love them, darling. And they're gonna love you.“

When the little girl looked at Falco and smiled, both of you smiled right back at her with so much love. The boy truly loved her as if she was his little sister.

„Hey, Y/N! Come and join us finally!“ Jean screamed for you from the tea shop, making you chuckle and kiss the top of your daughter's head, who tried grabbing the collar of your shirt.

„I'm coming, settle down. All of you!“ you called back, taking one last deep breath. Falco walked back to the shop before you, giving you one more moment alone.

The moment felt almost surreal. Holding your baby and getting ready to introduce her to so many important people. Not even that long ago, you would never even dream about doing something so magical.

„Now, I have a very special surprise for all of you. Can you close your eyes?“ you asked them before opening the door.

When you walked into the main part of the shop, everyone was there – Armin, Connie, Jean and Mikasa. Even Reiner, Annie, and Pieck came, along with Gabi, Yelena, and Onyankopon who didn't even need to close their eyes. Together with Falco and your husband, who was smiling at you ever so slightly.

„What do you think? What is this big surprise?“ you asked them excitedly. But before anybody said a word, your daughter let out a loud cry to get everyone's attention, before she smiled up at you. Almost as if she knew what was happening. „Okay, I guess it's not a surprise anymore. Open your eyes,“ you said, smiling happily at them.

The awe on everyone's face was so worth keeping this whole thing private until now. Connie and Armin looked at you as if they'd never seen a baby in their life before. But that was probably because of their last visit when you were five months along and still barely showing. Under the right pieces of clothing, they had zero chance of noticing anything. And now, half a year later, you were standing in front of them with a baby in your arms.

„So... we called you all here today, because we wanted you to meet someone very special,“ you said, looking over at Levi. With a slightly pained expression, he stood up from his wheelchair and walked a few steps to stand next to you. „She'll be two months old in a couple of days. I hope you can forgive us that we kept such a big thing a secret until now. It was...“

„We wanted to make sure everything will turn out okay,“ Levi said when you couldn't find the right words. „And then we wanted to soak up every little moment with her. Just the three of us,“ he added, wrapping one of his arms around your waist. It was a gesture full of love and also a way to help him stand more securely because of his leg.

It almost seemed that everybody was too shocked to speak. The first one to stand up and come up to you was Jean. He smiled, looking at both you and Levi. Then his soft light-brown eyes wandered to your baby, looking her over very carefully. He offered her one of his fingers, which the little girl took with such excitement, seeming happy that she was seeing a new face.

„She's beautiful, Captain, Y/N,“ he said proudly and with a happy smile.

„Oi, where did you get that baby, Y/N? When me and Armin were here a few months back, you surely weren't pregnant,“ Connie shouted, hurrying to you as well.

„I can assure you, that I was pregnant at the time. Five months pregnant, to be more specific. I just hid it too well,“ you chuckled, stroking your baby's hair. Her eyes were wide open with curiosity while her tiny hands were playing with Jean's fingers.

„Was she, Captain?“ Connie asked Levi, not wanting to believe you.

„Where do you think we got a baby that looks like me if she didn't give birth to it?“ Levi questioned him, his brows furrowed. He may looked annoyed with all the commotion, but by the tone of his voice, it was obvious, that he was enjoying having them all here.

„She really does look like you, Captain,“ Armin said, coming to stand between Jean and Connie.

Behind him, Mikasa followed a little shily. You gave her a warm smile and motioned to her, to come even closer. „Would you like to hold her? You're blood-related, after all,“ you said to her, looking over at Levi, who nodded at your words.

She seemed a little hesitant but eventually nodded in agreement. After showing her, how to safely hold the baby, she took her from you and carefully cradled your daughter against her chest. The little girl looked confused when she first looked up at Mikasa, but after she grabbed a strand of her hair everything was okay.

„She's adorable, congratulations to you both,“ Mikasa said, smiling at both you and Levi warmly. You've barely seen her since the Rumbling, because she went back to Paradis, so her presence right now was even more precious. „What's her name?“

You knew this question would come. And you were preparing yourself to answer it without too much emotion. But suddenly... when they were all here, standing around you and waiting for your answer... it felt almost impossible to explain the meaning of your daughter's name without making everybody way too emotional.

She got her name after a person, who was very dear to you and Levi. And to all of the 104th as well. It was a person, who was supposed to be here today with all of you as well. And also the person, thanks to who you got one more chance to fight the Rumbling and win.

„We named her after Hange,“ Levi said in a calm voice, seeing you struggling a little. „Zoe. Zoe Ackerman.“

„The meaning of her name is... life,“ you added in a quiet voice, reaching out your hand and stroking your baby's back. „I guess it's more than fitting, don't you think?“ Feeling your eyes welling up with tears, you looked at your friends. A wild range of emotions was seen on their faces – sadness, surprise, and also happiness.

Armin was the first one to speak up, leaning closer to Mikasa and taking the baby's hand, shaking it very gently. Such a sweet gesture made all of you chuckle. „It's more than fitting,“ he smiled at her warmly. „Nice to meet you, Zoe. I'm sure we'll be very good friends once you grow up a little.“

The sweet tone in which Armin talked to your baby melted your heart completely. Feeling unimaginable happiness, you looked over at Levi and kissed his cheek. The way he was watching the scene right in front of you, was more than beautiful. His expression was relaxed, almost completely pain-free. The look in his eyes was soft and loving towards all the people standing around you and introducing themselves to your baby in the funniest, yet most adorable way possible. She was all smiles, while she was looking around and taking in all the new people.

So despite looking so much like Levi, she surely didn't get her personality from him.

Connie was the one, who made her the most excited. Mainly, when he held her in a way that she was able to pull Jean's hair. But he truly couldn't be angry with her for even a second.

„Hey, you three. Come on, don't be shy,“ you said to Reiner, Annie, and Pieck who were still standing a little to the side, only watching the others happily fuss around your baby, who was making a lot of loud excited noises.

Once they were your enemies, they wanted you dead. Now they were here amongst your closest friends and family. In a way, you forgave them for almost everything. After having a couple of difficult talks, mainly with Reiner, you gained a new perspective of them all. And through that, things between you and them started changing. Gabi and Falco also helped a bunch, too.

„It's okay, we wanted you here and we're happy that you came,“ you said to them, stroking Reiner's arm and smiling at the girls.

„In a twisted kind of way, but we're all here thanks to you, too,“ Levi said to them, his grip around your waist tightening. His knee was starting to trouble him after standing by your side for a few minutes.

So after you made sure, that your baby was truly in good hands, you helped Levi walk outside the tea shop and sit down on a bench right next to the door. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth when he finally sat down and took the weight off his left leg.

„Good? Are you okay?“ you asked a bit worriedly, sitting down next to him. While your left hand started rubbing his back comfortingly, you leaned closer and kissed his cheek.

„Yeah, sure,“ he mumbled, taking a couple of deep breaths to ease the pain.

„It went well, didn't it? They were all so surprised and happy,“ you chuckled, resting your head against his. The voices and laughter from inside were heard pretty clearly, so you didn't have to worry. „And right now, they have probably a couple of minutes before she starts crying. Either because she'll be hungry or because she won't be able to find us.“

Levi smirked, wrapping his arm around your waist again, to keep you close. Despite the pain, he still seemed relaxed and content with the way today turned out. Everybody's reaction made it certain, that you and Levi did the best thing when you kept your pregnancy private.

„It's all so bittersweet. Having so many of them here and still missing a bunch of people,“ Levi said, his fingers gently stroking your side.

„They are here with us. In a different kind of way, but still.“

You could see all of your fallen friends and comrades in your baby's eyes and in her every smile. All the things they did and for what they sacrificed their lives, made it possible for little Zoe to be born. You and Levi were grateful to them every single day. For their bravery, resilience, and determination to make the world a better place.

Hange, Erwin, Sasha, Miche, Nanaba, Nifa, Furlan, Isabel, Moblit, Petra, Eld, Oluo, Gunther... Eren...

All of them and many, many more gave their lives a long time ago, so you and your friends could have this life. In one way or another. Looking back, there probably wasn't a way to save them. To spare them from death. All you could do was continue living your best life and honor them by being happy.

„Who would have thought, really? That we would make it here all the way from the Underground,“ you sighed, running your fingers through Levi's hair lovingly.

„We made it far, that's true. And...“ he shrugged, smirking at his own words, „I'm kind of excited to see what's next, now that we have our little girl. She's going to turn our lives upside down so many times.“

„That's what parenthood is about, right?“ you chuckled, grabbing his free hand and holding it tight. „We're doing good. Learning and making mistakes. I'm so glad that everything worked out in the end and that we have her.“ Having a baby was an adventure like no other. In the end, all the sleepless nights were worth it, when you saw your little angel smile at you, with her eyes full of innocence and pure love.

„Just wait until she starts walking and running around. That's gonna be a disaster.“

„We'll just have to keep up with her.“ You gently took Levi's chin and turned his head, so you could see his face.

He was still very handsome, no scars or a missing eye could change that. For you, he was the one and only. Since you were a teenager to this very day. All those years, it was Levi. And you were more than sure, that it would stay like this for the rest of your life. Nothing and nobody would be able to change your mind, because Levi was all you'll ever need – with all of his disabilities, which sometimes still made him feel a little self-conscious or worried, that he wasn't good enough for you. He was more than enough and you never failed to remind him that. A day never went by without you reminding him, just how thankful you were for his love and his presence in your life.

„I love you,“ Levi said, leaning in for a kiss. His soft lips pressed against yours, making you forget about everything else.

„That's really good to know because I love you too.“ With a smile, you brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead and kissed the tip of his nose. „I'm proud to call you mine and be yours.“

His sweet little smile had a very strong effect on you every single time you got the chance to see it. Mainly, when said smile reached his eyes and made him look so carefree and young. Seeing him like that, nobody would be able to tell how many horrors he had to suffer through.

Levi rested his forehead against yours, reaching for your left hand. He brushed his thumb over your wedding band, finding your lips in another sweet and love-filled kiss. Time seemed to stop around you at that moment.

But only until you heard a loud cry from inside the tea shop. Just moments later, Connie hurried outside, eagerly trying to return your baby into your arms. „Guess she doesn't like when someone pinches her cheeks. But they're so adorable and chubby, I couldn't resist.“

„They remind me of someone else's cheeks,“ Mikasa added, standing in the open door, her eyes focused on Levi with a playful smirk. You bit down on your lower lip, trying not to laugh, while Connie was grinning so hard, he had to turn away.

Levi, a little flustered, shook his head upon them and took his crying daughter into his arms. You watched him gently cradle her against his chest, planting a couple of kisses on the top of her head, while he rubbed her back.

„The brats made you cry, huh? Don't worry, you'll get used to them,“ he said to the baby, looking back at Connie. „And you'll have them wrapped around your finger in no time,“ Levi added and kissed her forehead in the hopes of stopping her from crying more. But little Zoe knew exactly what she wanted and cried until Levi didn't hide her in his embrace from the rest of the world, while he lovingly started scratching the back of her head. Lately, this has become the most efficient way to calm her down.  „There, sweetie. That's better, right? No need to cry.“

Connie chuckled at the sight. „Well, Captain. Seems you're already wrapped around her finger. I've never heard you talk so sweetly to anyone, not even to Y/N.“

Jean and Armin came to stand by Mikasa, all of them watching the sweet sight of Humanity's Strongest being a completely different person when it came to his own daughter. All of them changed so much during the past few years. But when you looked at them in that moment, you still saw the kids they were, when they joined the Scouts. The kids you grew to love and swore to protect. The kids, who became your family long before such a peaceful life was even a possibility for all of you.

What a shame not all of them made it this far.

Not having Sasha and Eren here felt strange and painful. It felt like you failed a little. But just until you looked back at your daughter. Her cheeks were still wet from tears, while she was so adorably clinging to Levi. In her still teary eyes, you saw Sasha's dedication and Eren's bravery.

And that was what mattered the most.

Having your family here with you and showing them just how much they meant to you. How much you loved them and how happy it made you, that they came here today to meet little Zoe Ackerman.

[djarinova]

╰─▸ ❝ Levi Ackerman ❞ ˋ*ੈ*⁀➷

content - gn reader has passed out (unspecified reason), levi is worried for them + cares for them when they wake

words - 700

"look at me." levi whispers, his voice strained. he presses a cold compress to your head, beads of water trickle down his hands and his fingertips feel numb from the iciness, but he hasn't dared to move since you fell. the fear for your wellbeing eating him alive, rooting him to the spot next to you.

your eyes flutter, barely open long enough for you to get a glimpse of the man above you.

"angel, please, i need you to look at me." levi pleads, his free hand is clamped down on your upper arm, hard enough that you'd feel the need to scold him if you were more awake.

your eyes flutter again, but this time you manage to force them to stay open. the light floods your sight and you try to move a hand up to block the bright beams that hit you, but you find that your arms are achy, and when you try to move them they feel more like dead weight than something attached to your body.

"wha—" you begin, but levi cuts you off before you have the chance to say more.

"don't speak. i need you to take a sip from this glass of water, angel. can you sit up?”

you hum, but when you try to follow through on levi's request your head spins. you had managed to sit halfway up by yourself, but you fell backwards again as soon as you reached level head height with levi—who was still knelt next to you, the compress discarded and his other hand pressed firmly on your lower back.

“it's okay, it's okay, take your time.” levi’s voice soothes your racing thoughts, but you can hear the worry slip through the cracks, the recognisable signs of tension on his face are noticeable now that you have your eyes trained on him, and it makes you feel unreasonably guilty.

“im sorry.” you whisper, your voice small. but levi isn't having it, he shakes his head at you, gently pushing your back upwards and towards him so that you can lean your body against his for support.

“don't be silly. now drink this.”

levi brings the glass to your lips, and you shakily rest your hands on top of his, taking small sips of the icy cool liquid. you hear gentle whispers of encouragement from the man next to you, which brings a slight smile to your lips.

levi brings the glass away from you after only a few sips, not wanting to overdo it, and he places the glass on the ground next to his leg.

he wraps his arms around you, pulling you slowly towards his chest. his mind is beginning to settle now that you are conscious and talking again, but he can still feel remnants of his anxiety clawing its way through his head, the terror not yet subsiding completely, and his need to have you as close to his body as he can overwhelms him.

he presses a hand to your forehead, testing your temperature. when he finds that you're not burning up he takes a small breath of relief, and he allows himself a minute reprive from worrying as he buries his face in your hair. while taking your hand in his, he begins to rub circles on your thumb, and you hum at the contact. levi welcomes this reminder that you're okay, and he takes another breath of relief.

“you scared me for a moment there.” levi murmurs against your head. you feel his arms tighten around your body, and your eyes squeeze shut at the comforting contact. you bring the hand still clasped by levis upwards, and place a soft kiss to the back of it.

“i know. I'm sorry.” you whisper in return.

the two of you sit like that on the floor for what feels like hours, levi doesn't dare move you and you can't bring yourself to ask him to, since he seems wracked with his own guilt and worry. so you sit, wrapped in his embrace, occasionally taking sips of water—the ice long since melted.

[youre-ackermine]

⋆⁺₊❅. Sweater Weather ⋆⁺₊❅.

❅ Prompt 27 "Ugly sweaters"

❅ Characters Levi x Gn!reader - Hange - Moblit - Miche

❅ Content Modern AU / SFW / Non-binary Hange

❅ Warning Swearwords / Slightly suggestive

❅ Wordcount 845 approx.

❅ Requested by @littlerequiem

“I’m not wearing this.”

Perched on the edge of the bed, Levi was scowling at the woolen monstrosity in his lap.

The hideous, garish knitted crap was not the only reason that got him so grouchy. As if the icy roads and blinding snow weren’t enough torture, the car heater breaking down halfway through the drive to the chalet had pissed him off to no end.

Yet, it was nothing compared to the sensory overload that had hit him like a slap in the face as soon as you had finally crossed the threshold together, snow melting off your boots and chilled to the bone.

Hange had welcomed you with a beaming smile, their reindeer antlers headband bobbing ridiculously as they had pulled Levi in a crushing hug that had knocked the wind out of him.

They had plucked your suitcase off your hands and shown you around the house with unconcealed pride, raising their voice to cover the Christmas songs blasting away in the living-room and blabber about how long it had taken them and Moblit to decorate, the poor man failing to tone down their festive enthusiasm, thus ending in an eyesore of multicoloured blinking lights, glittering tinsels and kitschy ornaments.

Visibly weary after hours of dealing with his friend’s antics, said man was currently slumped in the couch, nursing a glass of amber liquid as he stared into space, barely waving as you greeted him on your way to the stairs.

“We need help for the food and other stuff down there, so don’t fool around too long!” they had said -with what they intended as an impish wink but ended up blinking instead- before closing the door of your bedroom upstairs.

You turned from the wardrobe where you were hanging your coats, raising an eyebrow at his statement.

“I don’t think you have much of a choice, given you agreed to come,” you smirked.

“And I already regret it,” he groaned, fingers clutching at the fabric.

“Oh, c’mon Vi!” you urged him on, plopping down on the bed and prodding him in the ribs. “It’s festive!”

He grabbed your hand to push it back.

“What’s festive about my best friend roping me into this kind of crap whenever they get the chance?” he spat, his brow furrowing deeper with irritation.

“Don’t be so dramatic!” You scooted closer to him, your hand now resting on his thigh.

Your voice softened.

“You knew the sweater contest was the highlight of Hange’s party, right?”

He cursed under his breath. “Course I knew, but…”

His face puckered into an adorable pout.

“But what?” You whispered, gently drawing circles over his thigh with your thumb. “Why did you agree if it miffes you so much?”

“Tch, as if I could say no,” he sighed. ”Ever.”

“What?” You chuckled. “Why?”

He seemed reluctant but replied nonetheless.

“Hange’s my friend, my best friend, and you..” he trailed off.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.” He pointed a finger close to your face. “You paired up with them and pulled me down into your shitty trap!”

As much as you wanted to act offended, you laughed and moved closer to him instead.

He didn’t resist when your hand slid up his toned chest to push him down slowly.

“You mean you can’t resist me?” you teased in a low voice, crawling over him as soon as he lay on the comfortable mattress.

A faint blush crept up his cheeks and he averted his gaze, muttering something unintelligible.

“So… you’ll wear it?” you whispered with your sultriest tone, your hot breath tickling his ear.

“Nn-noo,” he moaned, trying his best to resist the soft caress of your thumb on his lower lip.

“Please, Levi,” you murmured, “do it for me!”

“Wh-why would I?” He was panting now.

“Because you love me,” you breathed seductively before kissing that sensitive spot under his ear.

He gasped.

“Ff-fuck! O-okay, I’ll wear whatever you want but…” his hands rested on your waist and his lips sought yours, “but just kiss me already!”

You couldn’t help but smile at the endearing desperation in his tone and leaned in to kiss him.

As your lips met his in a soft touch, the door burst open, allowing both Hange’s off-key caroling -which had been conveniently muffled so far- and a blond hairy mug to invade your bubble and stop you dead.

“The hell you doing, sasquatch?” Levi snapped. “Never learned to knock?”

You rolled over the bed and stood up, smoothing down your shirt.

“Glad to see you too, midget,” he smirked. “Everybody’s here by now, so drag your pretty ass downstairs and make yourself useful for once!”

“Shit!” Levi hissed between his teeth.

⋆⁺₊❅.

Five minutes later, you dragged Levi downstairs, his ugly sweater matching yours, his face sourer than you had ever seen.

Bursts of laughter broke through the loud music from the living-room.

"This is hell," he muttered, pinching his nose.

Before stepping in, you squeezed his hand in yours and placed a kiss on his temple.

“C’mon, Grinch,” you spurred him on. “We’ve got a party to crash.”

❅ A/N Not beta or proof read / English is not my usual language

❅ All graphics by me

❅ ❤︎ REBLOGS APPRECIATED ❤︎ ❅

Holiday drabbles Masterlist

[allthelovenina]

The graveyard

(Levi Ackerman x reader)

This is the first chapter of a series of drabbles, and I apologize in advance for my broken English. :")

Levi Ackerman x f!reader

The raindrops hit the gravestones, making a sound louder than any desperate prayer of the remaining friends and lovers. The graveyard was almost empty. Almost. The mourning families had left their gone beloved ones in the cold soil a few hours ago, before dusk.

The only remaining one in the graveyard was Levi, or so he thought. The names "Isabel Magnolia" and "Furlan Church" were carved on the grey stones that he was sitting nearby. His eyes were locked on the ground, empty of anything. The man was lost in his thoughts.

As he heard the footsteps approaching, he looked in the direction of the voice. Another soldier. He'd known her name, and that was all. She stood next to Levi after leaving bouquets on the graves, staring at the names on the graves. She whispered the names a few times as if she was memorizing them.

"Piss off." He barked.

"I don't want to." He was too tired to argue back. "Levi...right?" He only gave her a look in reply. "I'm y/n. Y/n L/n."

"I don't care. Leave." He snapped at her.

She raised an eyebrow and knelt next to him, in front of the graves. "I already told you, I don't want to. I shall mourn each comrade. Even the newcomers who are gone too soon." He didn't reply. At least for the next following minutes.

She broke the silence neither, there were at least ten different thoughts at the same time in her mind. However, all were regarding the bodies six feet under.

"Why?" He asked. "You hypocrite. You didn't even know them! You barely knew my name."

She looked at him and sighed. "Yell at me all you want if that helps you cope. I don't mind." She was starting to shiver from the cold. "I recognise them. The ginger girl and the tall blondie. But you're right...time was too tight for me to get to know them, however..." She lifted her head high enough to look at the sky. "I...think everyone deserves someone to mourn for them after their death, don't you think?"

"They already have me. Your histrionic, hypocritic altruism is not welcome here."

"Right... you're right...how am I fooling...?" A raindrop touched just the corner of her eye. She looked back at him. "I stay by the grave of every soldier after each mission outside the walls. It's never about their sacrifices, though..." she leaned to the grave of Isabel. "They are...were lucky for having someone like you...you stood longer than any family by their graves. I...It's really hypocritical of me to stay here by their grave without really knowing them. It's just that..." She swallowed and hesitated for a moment to read his expression, which seemed to be softer than before. "It's just that I mourn these people only in hopes of having someone after me to stay by my grave."

The two soldiers were soaked. Levi sighed and stood up after a few seconds of deep thinking. "Let's go back...to the barracks." This was the first time he wasn't aggressive with her.

***

Once they reached the barracks, Levi was gone and she was by the fireplace in the common hall. Most soldiers were gone to their families and the rest were in their beds already. She had no intention of going to bed as her insomnia had kicked in harder than ever.

After half an hour or less, she heard footsteps. It was Levi with two cups in his hands. "Take it." He handed her the cup. "Black tea?" She raised an eyebrow in surprise before giving drinking a sip. "Thanks." Of course, he didn't reply.

He never replied, looking at the burning fire.

Levi was never good with his words nor his emotions. However, for the first time in a while, he felt something...reassuring. Perhaps his new life wouldn't be so bad, maybe he could find what he had with Isabel and Furlan in the Survey Corpse too. 'Friendship'? 'A new family'?

A part of him was guilty, never wanting to move on from the duo. The other 5 craved such a thing again. Closeness, sense of belonging, purpose or whatever those fancy bastards wanted to call it.

He looked at the woman next to him. Maybe it was the grief of his gone friends that made him soft or maybe it was her gesture, regardless he knew she had just gained his trust.

"If you die...I'll stay by your grave. For hours."

Her eyes widened as she'd been caught off guards. She smiled.

"Thank you."