#levi | ex soldier

[mr-president]

manic pixie dream girl x the ex-soldier boy she was written to save

[bittersyllabub]

Ahhh my favorite part is his bigs round ears !

LITTLE LEVIATHAN...! I HAVE A FAVORITE IF IT ISN'T OBVIOUS

[pigskinmask]

Long time no s- *dies for like another 7 months*

[bittersyllabub]

Most likely all will be written at some point but for now in the main story, dear readers, what excites you? Curious to your thoughts?  ( ु⁎ᴗ_ᴗ⁎)ु.｡oO

[catboycruncher]

Fear&Hunger Acrylic charms interest check

[shiorihyugawrites]

Heavy Lifting (Levi x Plus Sized Reader One Shot)

Going to the gym for the first time was already nerve-wracking enough, but catching the attention of Levi Ackerman, an ex-special forces soldier turned personal trainer? That was something you weren’t prepared for.

With his sharp gray eyes watching your every move, you could barely focus—especially when you realized he wasn’t just watching. He was interested.

What started as a simple workout session quickly turned into something much, much hotter. And let’s just say… this was definitely the best full-body workout of your life.

18 + Only | Minors Do Not Interact

A/N: This is a little one-shot I wrote a few weeks ago and I finally got around to editing it. I figured, why not bless you all with a little treat. 😙

Also this was 100% inspired by my fantasies I have in the gym instead of working out 😂😂

The gym smelled of sweat and ambition—a heady mix that clung to the air as you pushed through the double doors, clutching your water bottle like a lifeline. The noise hit you first: the rhythmic pounding of feet on treadmills, the metallic clink of weights being racked, and the low hum of conversations mixed with occasional bursts of laughter. Everyone here seemed to know what they were doing, their movements purposeful, their confidence tangible. Your stomach churned with a mix of excitement and dread.

You glanced down at yourself, tugging self-consciously at the hem of your oversized hoodie. The baggy fabric swallowed your figure, a deliberate choice to hide the parts of yourself you weren’t ready for the world to see. Beneath it, your leggings stretched over your thighs and hips, hugging curves that you’d learned to resent more often than not. You shifted awkwardly, catching sight of your reflection in one of the massive floor-to-ceiling mirrors. The woman staring back looked out of place, a sea of insecurity amid a tide of fit, athletic bodies.

Your gaze darted across the room, searching for a safe starting point. The weight section loomed to your right, filled with men and women who moved with such precision it felt almost choreographed. On your left, rows of treadmills and ellipticals buzzed with activity. You hesitated. Which was the right choice? Which would attract the least attention?

You took a deep breath. "Just start somewhere," you muttered under your breath, the sound barely audible over the gym’s constant thrum. Your legs carried you toward the weights, your steps hesitant but determined. You were here for a reason, after all. The thought of your doctor’s words—“Small, consistent steps. Strength training is good for you”—echoed in your mind. You weren’t about to back out now.

Across the room, Levi Ackerman leaned against the cable machine, his sharp gray eyes scanning the gym like a hawk surveying its territory. He had an effortless presence, his lean, muscular frame clad in a simple black t-shirt and gray joggers. His movements were precise as he adjusted the weight on the machine, but his attention wasn’t on his routine—it was on you.

He didn’t know why you had caught his eye. Maybe it was the way you clutched your water bottle as if it were a lifeline or the slight tremor in your hands as you hovered near the dumbbells, clearly unsure of where to start. Something about your hesitance tugged at him. Your baggy hoodie and leggings left much to the imagination, but Levi’s discerning gaze noted the gentle curve of your waist and the way your leggings stretched over full hips and thighs. He couldn’t help but think you looked… soft. Beautiful, even.

“Damn it,” Levi muttered to himself when he realized he was staring. He turned his attention back to the weights, gripping the handles of the machine with unnecessary force. But his resolve didn’t last long. His eyes flicked back to you, watching as you nervously adjusted your hoodie again and hesitated near a pair of dumbbells. You looked lost, and for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, that bothered him.

You felt it before you saw it—someone’s eyes on you. The hair on the back of your neck prickled, and you slowly turned your head, scanning the room until your gaze locked with his. He stood across the gym, his intense gray eyes boring into yours. Your breath hitched. He was gorgeous—chiseled jawline, sharp cheekbones, and a stoic expression that didn’t waver even when he realized you’d caught him staring.

Your heart sank. Was he judging you? Mocking you? You’d seen that look before—the one that dissected you, decided you didn’t belong. Heat crept up your neck, and you quickly looked away, gripping your water bottle tighter. You suddenly felt like bolting.

Levi cursed under his breath as he realized his mistake. “Get it together,” he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. But his eyes betrayed him again, drawn back to you like a magnet. He told himself it wasn’t just attraction, though there was no denying you had a striking presence despite your obvious discomfort. There was something else—something in the way you squared your shoulders and took a hesitant step toward the weights despite the uncertainty etched on your face. It reminded him of soldiers he’d trained, their fear palpable but their determination stronger.

Taking a deep breath, you approached the dumbbells, picking up a pair that you quickly realized was too heavy. “Crap,” you muttered, setting them back down with a metallic clink. You tried to pretend you didn’t notice the eyes on you, the feeling of being out of place gnawing at your resolve.

Levi, still watching, felt a pang of irritation—not at you, but at the thought of anyone else making you feel small. Before he could stop himself, he pushed away from the cable machine and crossed the room with purposeful strides.

“Need a hand?” he asked, his deep voice cutting through the noise around you.

Startled, you looked up, your eyes widening as they met his. Up close, he was even more intimidating—chiseled jawline, muscular arms, and an air of authority that made you feel like you were standing in front of a drill sergeant. You stammered, unsure of what to say.

“I—uh, no, I’m just—” You gestured vaguely to the weights, your face burning.

Levi arched a brow, his expression unreadable. “First time?”

You nodded, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “Yeah. Is it that obvious?”

His lips twitched, almost forming a smile, but it didn’t quite make it. “A little.” He glanced at the weights you’d just abandoned. “You’re starting too heavy. You’ll hurt yourself.”

Your heart sank. Of course, you were doing it wrong. “Oh,” you said softly, looking down.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gentler now. “No one gets it perfect the first time. Let me show you.”

You blinked up at him, surprised by his offer. “You don’t have to—��

“I know,” he interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. “But I want to.”

For a moment, you hesitated. But something about the way he looked at you—direct, without a hint of mockery—made you nod. “Okay.”

Levi stepped beside you, his movements calm and deliberate. “Let’s start with these,” he said, pointing to a lighter pair of dumbbells. “You want to focus on form first. Weight comes later.”

As he guided you through the exercise, his voice was steady and patient, his instructions clear. You couldn’t help but notice how close he stood, the heat of his presence making your pulse quicken. Every so often, you caught him glancing at you, his gray eyes softening in a way that made your stomach flutter.

“Good,” he said as you completed a set. “You’re a fast learner.”

You smiled despite yourself, a small flicker of pride warming your chest. “Thanks.”

Levi’s gaze lingered on you for a moment before he nodded. “Anytime.”

As he stepped back, giving you space to continue on your own, you realized something surprising: for the first time since you walked into the gym, you didn’t feel quite so out of place.

Levi crossed his arms, leaning casually against the nearby rack of weights. His sharp gray eyes, which you now realized were tinged with a softness that balanced his otherwise intimidating presence, studied you for a moment. Then, he extended a hand toward you. His fingers were strong, calloused—hands that had seen their share of hard work.

"Levi," he said simply. His voice was calm and deep, yet it carried a tone that demanded attention without effort.

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden introduction. It took you a second to register that he was waiting for you to respond. Quickly, you wiped your slightly sweaty palm on your hoodie before shaking his hand, feeling the warmth of his grip.

“I’m... uh, I’m (Y/N),” you stammered, suddenly hyper-aware of how small your hand felt in his.

Levi gave a slight nod, his grip firm but not overbearing. “Nice to meet you. You picked a good day to start. The gym’s not too crowded.”

You glanced around. To you, it felt packed with people who all seemed to belong far more than you did. “If this isn’t crowded, I’d hate to see it when it is,” you replied with a nervous laugh.

Levi’s lips twitched again, the barest hint of amusement breaking through his stoic demeanor. “Fair point.” He straightened up, gesturing to the lighter dumbbells he’d selected for you earlier. “Let me show you a few movements to get you started. Basic, but effective.”

You nodded, appreciating his willingness to help despite how out of place you felt. He picked up a pair of dumbbells, rolling his shoulders back with ease, and turned toward you.

“Let’s start with something simple: Romanian deadlifts, or RDLs. They’re great for your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Watch closely.”

You did as he instructed, watching how he held the dumbbells with a firm but relaxed grip. His movements were smooth and controlled as he bent forward at the hips, keeping his back perfectly straight and his knees slightly bent. His muscles flexed with the motion, and you found yourself momentarily distracted by the way his shirt clung to his frame.

“Notice how I’m not rounding my back,” Levi said, his tone instructive as he straightened up. “That’s the most important part. It’s all about the hips. Got it?”

You nodded, though you weren’t entirely sure you did. He stepped back, setting the dumbbells down and gesturing for you to take his place. “Your turn.”

You picked up the weights, suddenly hyper-aware of how awkward your movements felt compared to his. As you attempted the motion, you realized immediately that something was off. Your back felt strained, and you couldn’t quite figure out where your hips were supposed to go. Frustration bubbled up as you tried again, unsuccessfully.

“Wait,” Levi said, stepping closer. “You’re rounding your back too much. Here, let me show you.”

You froze as he moved behind you, his proximity sending a wave of heat through your body. His hands rested lightly on your shoulders, guiding you to straighten them. The warmth of his touch was almost distracting enough to make you forget what you were doing.

“Relax,” he murmured. His voice was low, almost soothing, and you forced yourself to focus as he adjusted your stance. One hand moved to the small of your back, his palm barely grazing the fabric of your hoodie. “Keep this part straight. Hinge at your hips, not your waist.”

Your heart was racing now, and you were sure he could feel the heat radiating from your skin. You tried to follow his instructions, bending forward again, but his hands stopped you midway.

“Not quite. Here.” His grip was firmer now as he placed one hand on your hip and the other on your upper back. “Push your hips back more—like you’re trying to close a car door with them.”

You blushed furiously at his analogy but nodded. When you moved this time, his hands guided you perfectly, and you felt the stretch in your hamstrings that he’d described earlier. “There,” Levi said, his voice quieter now. “That’s it.”

You didn’t trust yourself to speak, so you simply nodded, hyper-aware of every point where his hands touched you. His fingers were steady, but you could feel the slightest hesitation in his touch, as if he were holding himself back. Levi cleared his throat suddenly and stepped away, putting distance between you both.

“Try a few reps,” he said, his voice a little rougher than before. He crossed his arms, and though his face remained neutral, you noticed a faint redness creeping up his neck.

You followed his instructions, performing the movement again and again. With each rep, you felt more confident. The weights didn’t feel as heavy now that your form was right, and you were even starting to enjoy the rhythm of it. But as you worked, you couldn’t help but notice Levi’s eyes on you, watching every move with an intensity that made your skin tingle.

What you didn’t know was that Levi was struggling to keep his composure. He told himself he was just watching to make sure your form was correct, but his gaze kept drifting lower—to the curve of your hips and the way your leggings stretched over your backside. With each hinge of your hips, your movements seemed to emphasize the fullness of your figure, and Levi found himself gripping his water bottle tightly.

“Focus,” he muttered under his breath, forcing himself to look away. He unscrewed the cap of his bottle and took a long drink, hoping the cool water would ease the heat creeping up his neck. His thoughts were anything but professional, and he cursed himself for it.

When you finished your set, you turned to him with a hesitant smile. “How was that?”

“Perfect,” Levi said, his voice steadier now. He capped his bottle and set it down. “You’re a quick learner.”

The warmth in his praise made your chest swell, and for the first time all day, you felt like you belonged here. You smiled shyly, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. “Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Levi nodded, his expression softening ever so slightly. “You’re doing fine. Just keep at it.”

As you set the dumbbells down, you couldn’t help but notice the way he was watching you again, his gray eyes filled with something you couldn’t quite place. It made your heart race all over again, though you didn’t have the courage to call him out on it.

Instead, you grabbed your water bottle and took a sip, feeling your confidence slowly build. Maybe this gym thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Levi watched as you raised your water bottle, tipping it back for a drink. The soft curve of your neck as you swallowed caught his attention, but it was the stray droplet of water that escaped the corner of your mouth that undid him. It slid down slowly, tracing a path along your throat and disappearing beneath the neckline of your hoodie.

His throat tightened, and he felt the telltale heat rising in his face. His imagination betrayed him, picturing where that drop had gone—what it might have touched. He could tell even through the loose fabric that you were curvy in all the right places, and the thought made his mouth go dry. Levi swallowed hard, willing himself to look away, but his traitorous gaze lingered.

Damn it.

His body betrayed him next. Blood rushed southward, pooling in his groin, and he felt a telltale tightening against the fabric of his sweatpants. He cursed under his breath, adjusting his stance slightly in an attempt to hide the rapidly growing problem. But it was too late. The bulge was visible, and he knew it. His jaw tightened as he gripped his water bottle, trying to will himself back to professionalism. What the hell is wrong with me?

You, oblivious at first, capped your bottle and turned toward him, a casual smile on your lips as you wiped your mouth with the sleeve of your hoodie. But then your eyes dipped downward—just briefly—and you froze. Your mouth went dry as you caught sight of the unmistakable outline straining against Levi’s sweatpants. It was... significant.

No way. There’s no way.

Your cheeks flamed as the thought crossed your mind. Was he... turned on? By you? It seemed impossible. He was so toned and downright gorgeous, the kind of man who looked like he belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine. And yet, the evidence was staring you in the face—literally.

You quickly looked away, feeling flustered and self-conscious. Maybe it was just... a gym thing? That could happen, right? But when you risked another glance, Levi’s hand flexed around his water bottle, and the tightness of his jaw told you he was very aware of what you’d seen.

Levi shifted uncomfortably, cursing himself again. His self-control, usually as solid as a fortress, was crumbling under the weight of his reaction to you. He was supposed to be professional, damn it. But there was something about you—your soft curves, your shy smile, the way you kept pushing through your insecurities—that made his usual stoicism falter.

"Everything okay?" you asked, your voice slightly higher than usual as you tried to break the silence. You hated how awkward you sounded, but you couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Levi’s eyes snapped to yours, his expression unreadable. “Fine,” he said curtly, his voice deeper than usual. He cleared his throat, setting his water bottle on the bench beside him and crossing his arms again. “You’re doing good work. Keep it up.”

“Thanks,” you replied softly, though your voice wavered slightly. You tried to focus on his words, but your mind was still reeling.

He turned his head slightly, pretending to scan the gym, but his mind was elsewhere. His breathing had quickened, and he silently cursed himself for being so obvious. Get a grip, Levi.

You couldn’t help but steal another glance, your eyes drawn to the bulge no matter how hard you tried to avoid it. Your thoughts raced, filled with a mix of disbelief and curiosity. Was this... normal? Or was it possible he found you attractive? You’d spent so long assuming men like Levi would never look twice at someone like you that the idea seemed almost absurd.

Levi caught your lingering gaze this time, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He could see the question written all over your face, and it only made his predicament worse. He had to say something—anything—to break the tension.

“Focus on your breathing during the movements,” he said abruptly, his tone sharper than he intended. “It helps.”

You blinked, startled by the sudden shift in his voice. “Oh, uh, right. Breathing. Got it.”

The awkwardness hung heavy between you for a moment before Levi stepped back, giving himself more space—and hopefully a chance to regain control. He grabbed his towel from the bench, using it as an excuse to turn away and adjust himself subtly.

When he faced you again, his expression was back to its usual impassive state, though his jaw was still tense. “Let’s move to the next exercise,” he said, his voice steady but clipped.

You nodded, grateful for the distraction, even as your thoughts continued to spiral. As you followed him to the next set of weights, you couldn’t help but wonder: Was that really about me? Or am I imagining things?

Levi, meanwhile, was wrestling with his own thoughts, trying to push past the image of your flushed cheeks and the way you’d looked at him—like you were just as affected as he was. But for now, he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Anything to stop himself from dwelling on how soft your body had felt under his hands... or how much he’d liked it.

He led you toward one of the bench press stations, walking with the purposeful stride of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. He grabbed a bench and a barbell, quickly adjusting the weights with practiced ease. The clang of the plates echoed in the gym, drawing a few casual glances from others, but Levi’s focus was entirely on you.

“We’ll start light,” he said, his tone professional as he set the barbell down. “Thirty pounds. Shouldn’t be too much.”

You nodded nervously, sitting on the bench and adjusting your hoodie. You weren’t sure about this—lifting anything above your head sounded like a disaster waiting to happen—but you trusted him. Levi crouched beside you, his intense gray eyes scanning your face for any sign of hesitation.

“You good?” he asked, his voice a touch softer now.

You nodded, gripping the barbell hesitantly. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Alright,” Levi said, straightening up. “Lie back, feet flat on the ground. Keep your grip just outside shoulder-width. I’ll spot you.”

You did as he instructed, lying back on the bench and positioning your hands on the barbell. Above you, Levi loomed like a sentinel, his hands hovering near the bar. You tried not to focus on how good he looked from this angle—his lithe body, sharp jawline, and that unreadable expression that somehow made your pulse race.

“Alright,” Levi said. “Lift on three. One... two... three.”

You pushed upward with all your strength, lifting the barbell off its rack. At first, it felt manageable, and you exhaled in relief. “Not too bad,” you said, more to yourself than to him.

Levi nodded approvingly. “Good. Now lower it slowly to your chest and push back up. Controlled movements.”

You followed his instructions, lowering the barbell carefully. But as you pushed it back up, your arms started to tremble. The weight felt heavier than you’d anticipated, and you could feel your grip slipping. Panic set in as the bar wobbled.

“Uh—uh—Levi—”

“Relax. I’ve got it,” he said sharply, his hands moving to catch the bar just as your arms gave out completely. He grabbed it with ease, lifting the weight back onto the rack as though it were nothing.

You let out a shaky breath of relief, but your gratitude quickly turned to mortification as you realized something. When Levi had leaned forward to catch the bar, his hips had shifted—bringing the unmistakable bulge in his sweatpants directly against your forehead.

HOLY SHIT.

You froze, your breath catching in your throat as your mind spiraled. The contact was brief, but it was enough to make your skin feel like it was on fire. And to make matters worse, you couldn’t help but notice how amazing he smelled—a mix of fresh laundry and something musky and masculine that made your head spin.

Levi stiffened the moment he felt the faintest brush of contact, his entire body going rigid. A jolt of something he refused to name shot down his spine, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. His brain screamed at him to move, and he quickly stepped back, his face unreadable but his ears visibly red.

“Sorry,” he said gruffly, keeping his voice steady despite the turmoil in his head. “Didn’t mean to get that close.”

You sat up quickly, avoiding his gaze as your face burned with embarrassment. “It’s fine! Totally fine! I wasn’t paying attention—”

“Neither was I,” Levi cut in, his tone clipped. He grabbed his water bottle and took a long drink, trying to calm himself down. His hands flexed around the bottle as he fought to suppress the vivid memory of the accidental touch—and the way it had made his heart race.

There was a heavy silence between you, both of you too flustered to say anything. You fidgeted with the hem of your hoodie, sneaking a glance at him. His jaw was tight, and he seemed to be staring at a distant point on the wall, avoiding looking directly at you.

“Thanks for catching the bar,” you said finally, your voice soft.

Levi glanced at you, his gray eyes still sharp but less guarded now. “It’s my job. You did fine.”

You gave him a weak smile, still too mortified to feel any real pride in your effort. “I don’t think ‘fine’ is the word I’d use.”

He arched a brow, his expression softening just a fraction. “You didn’t drop it on your face. That’s a win.”

A nervous laugh escaped you, and Levi’s lips twitched in what could almost be called a smile. He grabbed a nearby towel and handed it to you. “Take a breather. We’ll try something else in a bit.”

You nodded, grateful for the chance to recover—not just from the workout, but from the overwhelming heat still coursing through your body. As Levi turned to adjust the weights again, you couldn’t help but let your eyes drift downward. The bulge was still... present, though he seemed to be doing his best to ignore it.

There’s no way, you thought to yourself, your stomach doing somersaults. There’s absolutely no way he’s... because of me!?

Levi, meanwhile, was giving himself a silent pep talk. Keep it together. You’re a professional. Act like one. But as he glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, catching the way your chest rose and fell as you caught your breath, he felt his resolve waver again.

“Focus,” he muttered under his breath, gripping the barbell so tightly his knuckles turned white. For both your sakes, he needed to pull himself together.

…

The rest of your workout with Levi passed in a blur of effort and determination. His sharp, focused instructions kept you grounded, and his hands—though thankfully staying professional this time—helped correct your form when needed. His stoic demeanor made him seem almost unflappable, but every now and then, you caught him glancing at you with a softness in his eyes that sent your pulse racing.

By the time you finished your final set of bodyweight squats, your legs felt like jelly, and your hoodie was damp with sweat. You flopped onto a nearby bench with an exhausted groan, clutching your water bottle like it was your lifeline.

“Done already?” Levi asked, standing a few feet away with his arms crossed. His tone was teasing, but his face betrayed a flicker of concern.

You glanced up at him, your chest still heaving from exertion. “Already? I feel like I’ve run a marathon,” you said, your voice breathy but laced with humor.

Levi smirked—a barely-there expression that somehow felt like a victory. “You’ll get used to it.”

“Will I, though?” you shot back, wiping your face with your sleeve. “Because right now, I feel like I’m going to collapse.”

He shook his head, walking over and crouching in front of you. “You did good for your first day,” he said, his voice softer now. “You pushed through, even when you were nervous. Most people don’t make it past that.”

You blinked, surprised by the unexpected compliment. “Thanks, Levi,” you said softly, your gaze dropping to your lap. “I really appreciate all your help today. I don’t think I could’ve figured this out on my own.”

He shrugged, standing back up. “That’s what a good trainer’s for.”

You felt a pang of disappointment at his words. Did he see this as part of a job? Maybe he was trying to recruit you as a client? You weren’t sure why that idea bothered you, but it did. Shaking the thought from your head, you forced yourself to smile. “Well, you’re a really good one.”

Levi tilted his head slightly, studying you for a moment. Then, without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Your brows furrowed in confusion as he unlocked it with a quick swipe of his thumb.

“What are you doing?” you asked hesitantly, watching as he scrolled through his apps before handing the phone to you.

“Add your number,” he said simply, his tone calm and direct.

Your jaw dropped. “W-what?”

Levi arched a brow, his gray eyes locking onto yours. “You’ll need it if you have questions about your workouts,” he said, his voice steady but with a hint of something warmer beneath. “Or... anything else.”

Your heart practically leapt into your throat. Was he serious? Was this actually happening? You stared at the phone in your hands, your fingers trembling slightly as you opened the contacts app. Your mind raced as you typed in your name and number, trying to ignore the heat rising in your cheeks.

“Okay,” you said finally, handing the phone back to him. “All set.”

Levi glanced down at the screen, his thumb brushing over the name you’d entered. “Good,” he said, pocketing his phone. “I’ll text you so you have mine.”

You nodded, trying not to let your nervous excitement show. “Thanks. That’s... really helpful.”

He smirked slightly, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than necessary. “Just don’t text me at three in the morning asking about squat form,” he said, his tone dry but laced with a subtle warmth.

You laughed, the sound bubbling out of you before you could stop it. “No promises.”

Levi’s smirk widened ever so slightly, and for a moment, you could’ve sworn his gaze softened again. “Good. Now go home and rest. You earned it.”

You stood up, wobbling slightly on your tired legs, and grabbed your things. “I will. Thanks again, Levi.”

He nodded, watching as you turned toward the exit. But just as you were about to leave, his voice stopped you.

“Hey.”

You turned back, your heart skipping a beat. “Yeah?”

Levi’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes held a quiet intensity that made your stomach flip. “Don’t quit. You’ve got potential.”

The words hit you harder than you expected, and for a moment, all you could do was stare at him. Then, slowly, you smiled—a genuine, radiant smile that made Levi’s chest tighten.

“I won’t,” you said softly. “See you around, Levi.”

With that, you walked out of the gym, your heart racing and your mind spinning. You glanced at your phone as soon as you stepped outside, a small thrill running through you when you saw the new message:

Levi Ackerman:Here’s my number. Don’t be a stranger.

You couldn’t stop the grin that spread across your face as you saved his contact. Maybe—just maybe—this gym thing wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

After leaving the weight area, you made your way to the locker room to change out of your sweaty hoodie. Peeling it off, you glanced down at the fitted T-shirt you had on underneath. It hugged your figure more than you liked, clinging to your curves in a way that made you self-conscious. You tugged at the hem nervously, wishing you’d brought something looser. But it wasn’t a big deal—you were leaving anyway.

Grabbing your things, you headed out toward the exit. That’s when you noticed something odd: Levi’s phone was still sitting on the bench where you’d been earlier. You frowned, looking around the gym. He was nowhere in sight. Just as you were debating whether to leave it there, the phone started vibrating, the screen lighting up with an incoming call.

You bit your lip, glancing around again. Surely Levi would come back for it soon. But after two minutes passed and the phone kept buzzing, you couldn’t shake the feeling that the call might be important. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to miss something urgent.

“Okay,” you muttered to yourself, picking up the phone. “I’ll just find him real quick.”

Clutching the device, you scanned the gym. Finally, you spotted him walking out of the cardio area and disappearing into a private door near the back. The sign read: Exclusive Members Sauna.

You hesitated, unsure of what to do. Surely he’d notice his phone was missing soon and come back out, right? You leaned against the wall, waiting awkwardly as people passed by. Five minutes turned into ten, and still, Levi didn’t emerge.

Sighing, you debated leaving the phone at the front desk and heading home. But just as you were about to turn away, the door to the sauna opened, and Levi stepped out.

Your breath caught in your throat.

Levi was wearing nothing but a towel, loosely wrapped around his waist. His lean, muscular frame was glistening with moisture, droplets of water tracing the lines of his defined abs and the sharp contours of his chest. His ink-black hair was damp, plastered to his forehead in a way that only made him look more effortlessly attractive. His posture was relaxed, but the moment he saw you standing there with his phone in hand, his gray eyes widened slightly.

“(Y/N)?” he asked, his voice low and rough, the surprise evident. His gaze flicked to his phone in your hand, then back to your face.

You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came out. You were too busy staring—shamelessly staring. Every inch of him looked like it had been sculpted from marble, and the way the towel hung precariously on his hips was doing unspeakable things to your imagination. Your cheeks burned as you tried to force your brain to function.

“I, uh—” you stammered, holding up his phone as if that explained everything. “You left your phone on the bench, and it kept ringing, so I... thought you might need it.”

Levi blinked, processing your words. “Right,” he said after a pause, stepping closer to take the phone from you. His fingers brushed yours briefly, and the warmth of his touch sent a shiver down your spine. “Thanks. Didn’t realize I’d left it.”

As he took the phone, his eyes fell to your shirt. The fitted fabric clung to your body in a way your hoodie hadn’t, accentuating the soft swell of your breasts and the curve of your waist. Levi’s throat tightened as he felt his body respond yet again. The dampness of the sauna and the sight of you standing there, looking so effortlessly gorgeous, was almost too much.

His gaze lingered, drinking you in. You looked delicious in his eyes, and the way the fabric stretched over your curves was driving him insane. He knew he shouldn’t be staring, but he couldn’t stop himself.

Your eyes met his, and the air between you shifted. The surprise in his expression faded, replaced by something darker, more intense. His pupils dilated slightly as his gaze held yours, and you could feel the heat radiating off his body—not just from the sauna, but from the tension that now crackled in the space between you.

Neither of you spoke, caught in a moment of pure, shameless lust. Your lips parted slightly as you tried to find something to say, but your mind was blank. All you could think about was how close he was, how good he smelled—a mix of clean soap and something deeper, more masculine—and how the towel around his waist seemed dangerously close to slipping.

Levi’s jaw clenched as he struggled to keep his composure. He’d always prided himself on his self-control, but with you standing there, looking at him like that, he could feel his resolve slipping. His gaze dropped briefly to your lips before snapping back to your eyes, his chest rising and falling slightly faster than before.

“You...” he started, his voice rougher than usual. He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself. “You didn’t have to wait for me.”

You swallowed hard, trying to focus on his words instead of the way the water droplets on his chest seemed to glisten in the light. “It—it’s okay,” you said quickly, your voice barely above a whisper. “I just thought it might be important.”

Levi nodded, his eyes softening just a fraction. “Thanks,” he said again, his tone quieter now.

Neither of you moved, neither of you spoke. The space between you seemed to thrum with something unspoken but undeniably intense. Your breath hitched as you saw Levi’s gray eyes flicker to your lips, his gaze darkening with an intensity that made your heart race. Then, slowly, deliberately, he licked his lips.

The action sent a wave of heat coursing through your body, and you were sure he could see the way your chest rose and fell with each shallow breath. His movements were careful, calculated, as he stepped closer. You could feel the energy radiating off him, the air growing thicker with every step.

By the time he stopped in front of you, he was so close you could feel the faint warmth of his breath against your skin. His damp, black hair clung to his forehead, framing his sharp features, and his voice was a low rumble when he finally spoke.

“Can I kiss you?”

The question made your head spin. You didn’t respond with words—your body moved before your brain could catch up. You reached up, your hands finding his chest, and smashed your lips against his with a desperate kind of hunger.

Levi froze for half a second, clearly surprised by your boldness. But then his arms were around you, pulling you flush against him as he responded with equal fervor. His lips were soft but insistent, moving against yours with a passion that made your knees weak. His hands slid down to your waist, squeezing gently as if to ground himself in the moment.

He hadn’t planned this—not even close. But from the second he saw you walk into the gym, Levi knew you were different. And now, with your soft body pressed against his, your lips moving against his like you’d been waiting for this as long as he had, he didn’t care about plans or professionalism or anything else.

His hands tightened around your waist, his fingers digging into the soft curves he’d only been able to admire from a distance until now. He loved the way you felt under his touch—soft, warm, and so very real. The towel around his waist felt dangerously precarious as his body responded to you, but Levi couldn’t bring himself to care.

You moaned softly into his mouth, your hands sliding up to grip his shoulders. The sound drove him wild, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against yours in a way that made your head spin. His chest pressed against you, firm and slick with moisture from the sauna, and you felt the heat between your legs grow unbearable.

Levi pulled back slightly, his lips still hovering over yours, his breath ragged. His gray eyes were dark with lust, and his voice was low and rough when he spoke.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

You couldn’t help but smile, your own breathing just as unsteady. “I think I have an idea.”

He chuckled softly, the sound more of a rumble in his chest. His hands slid up your sides, his thumbs brushing against the curve of your waist. “You’re dangerous,” he murmured, his lips grazing your jaw. “Soft... and dangerous.”

You shivered at his words, your body arching into his touch. “And what about you?” you shot back, your voice breathy. “You’ve been staring at me all day.”

Levi smirked, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. “Can you blame me?”

Before you could respond, his lips found yours again, and the world around you disappeared. It was just him—his scent, his taste, the way his hands felt on your body—and you never wanted it to end.

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look at you. His sharp gray eyes flicked downward, and that’s when he saw it. The damp spot between your legs. Levi felt a jolt of heat shoot through him, and he cursed softly under his breath. You were soaked, and the knowledge sent his restraint spiraling further out of reach.

His gaze shifted upward, catching the way your hardened nipples poked through the fabric of your fitted T-shirt. He licked his lips, his mind racing. He knew he shouldn’t—knew this was crossing every line he’d ever drawn for himself—but the sight of you, flushed and trembling, was enough to make him say to hell with it.

“Fuck it,” Levi muttered, his voice low and rough.

Before you could process what was happening, he grabbed your hand, his grip firm but not forceful, and pulled you toward the empty changing rooms near the sauna. “Levi—” you started, but your words died on your lips as he glanced back at you, his intense gray eyes filled with pure, unfiltered desire. The look in his eyes made your knees weak, and you let him lead you without resistance.

As soon as you stepped into the changing room, Levi shut the door behind you, the lock clicking into place. The small, enclosed space was quiet except for the sound of your breathing, both of you already panting from the intensity of the moment. You barely had time to register the faint smell of clean linen and cedar before Levi was on you again.

His hands cupped your face as his lips crashed into yours, and you couldn’t hold back the soft moan that escaped you. Levi groaned in response, the sound low and guttural, as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. His tongue slipped into your mouth, brushing against yours in a way that sent shivers down your spine. You kissed him back just as eagerly, your hands tangling in his damp, black hair.

Levi’s hands left your face, moving down to your waist as he pulled you closer, his grip firm and possessive. He squeezed, his fingers digging into your soft curves, and you felt him press against you—hard and unrelenting. The sensation made your breath hitch, and your hands slid down to grip his shoulders for support.

“You’re so soft,” Levi murmured against your lips, his voice rough with need. “So perfect.”

You opened your mouth to protest—you were still sweaty, still flushed from your workout—but Levi silenced you by trailing kisses down your jaw to your neck. “Don’t,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t hide from me.”

His lips found the sensitive spot just below your ear, and you let out a sharp gasp, your hands tightening on his shoulders. Levi smirked against your skin, clearly pleased with your reaction, and began kissing and nibbling along your neck. Each touch of his lips sent a jolt of electricity through your body, and you could feel the wetness between your legs growing.

Levi pressed you against the wall, one hand slipping under your shirt to grip your waist directly. His fingers brushed against your bare skin, and you shivered at the contact. He pulled back just enough to look at you, his gray eyes burning with intensity.

“Tell me to stop,” he said, his voice hoarse and almost pleading.

But you didn’t want him to stop. You shook your head, your hands sliding down to his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle beneath his skin. “Don’t stop,” you whispered, your voice trembling but certain.

That was all Levi needed to hear. His lips were on yours again, hungrier this time, as his hands began roaming over your body. One hand slid down to your hip, squeezing gently, while the other moved up to cup your breast through your shirt. You let out a soft moan as his thumb brushed over your hardened nipple, and Levi groaned in response, his mouth moving back to your neck.

“You feel so good,” he murmured against your skin, his voice thick with desire. “Better than I imagined.”

You barely registered his words, too lost in the sensation of his hands and lips. Your own hands moved down to his waist, brushing against the edge of the towel that still hung loosely around him. The thought of what lay beneath made your core throb, and you bit your lip to keep from moaning again.

Levi’s kisses grew more urgent as he pressed you harder against the wall, his body flush against yours. He didn’t care that you were still sweaty, didn’t care about anything except the way you felt in his arms. His hands slid back down to your waist, gripping you tightly as he rocked his hips against yours. The friction sent sparks of pleasure shooting through your body, and you couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped you.

“You’re incredible,” Levi said softly, his lips brushing against your ear. His hands tightened on your waist, his body trembling slightly as he fought to keep control. “I’ve never wanted anyone like this before.”

You looked up at him, your breath hitching at the raw vulnerability in his eyes. “Me neither,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

Levi’s lips curled into a small, almost disbelieving smile before he kissed you again, pouring everything he couldn’t say into the kiss. His hands roamed your body with a reverence that made you feel like the most beautiful person in the world, and for the first time in a long time, you believed it.

His hands roamed lower, his fingertips teasing down your sides before settling on your hips. His grip was firm, commanding, as if he wanted to memorize the shape of you, to make sure you knew just how much he wanted you. His fingers flexed slightly before he slid them lower, cupping the full, soft curve of your ass in both hands.

You gasped, your body jolting at the unexpected touch, and that was all the opening Levi needed. He seized the opportunity, tilting his head and slipping his tongue into your mouth, deepening the kiss in an instant. His tongue moved against yours, hot and hungry, tasting you in a way that made your knees weak.

A moan escaped you, swallowed instantly by Levi as his hands squeezed, molding your plush curves in his grip. He groaned into your mouth, the sound vibrating against your lips, sending heat pooling between your thighs. He pulled you even closer, grinding his hips against you just enough to make you feel the full extent of how much he wanted you.

You whimpered into the kiss, your fingers tangling in his damp, black hair. He was devouring you now, kissing you like he had no intention of stopping, like he wanted to drown in you. You responded with the same desperate energy, pressing your body against his, reveling in the heat radiating from his skin.

Levi let out a sharp exhale through his nose, his breathing ragged as his hands kneaded your flesh, his thumbs brushing against the curve where your ass met your thighs. He was losing himself, every ounce of his usual restraint slipping away with each second your body was pressed against his. He wanted you, needed you, and for the first time in a long time, he didn’t give a damn about holding back.

His kisses grew rougher, more urgent, as he trailed them from your mouth down to your jawline. He nipped lightly at your skin before soothing the spot with his tongue, his breath hot against your flushed skin. His hands were restless, tracing patterns over your curves, committing them to memory as if he were afraid this moment might disappear.

“You feel so damn good,” he murmured against your neck, his voice husky and strained, filled with something dangerously close to desperation. “Soft… perfect.”

Your breath hitched, your fingers tightening in his hair. The way he spoke, the way he touched you—it made your stomach flutter, made the wetness between your thighs even more unbearable. You never thought someone like Levi—strong, stoic, disciplined—could lose his composure over you, but the evidence was undeniable. His kisses, his hands, the way he pressed himself against you—it all told you exactly how much he wanted you.

Levi’s hands slid back up to your waist, gripping you firmly as he guided you further against the wall, pinning you there with his body. He kissed down the column of your throat, his lips warm and demanding, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. He paused at the base of your neck, his teeth scraping lightly against your sensitive skin before he sucked gently, drawing a sharp gasp from you.

Your head tilted back against the wall, your breath coming in quick, uneven pants. “Levi…” you whispered, your voice trembling.

He groaned at the sound of his name on your lips, his hips pressing into yours with more intent. He could feel the heat radiating from you, the subtle, almost imperceptible way your thighs pressed together. He knew. He knew you were soaked for him. And the thought nearly shattered what little self-control he had left.

Levi pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark and unreadable, but his breathing betrayed him—deep, heavy, as if he were barely restraining himself. His hands smoothed over your waist, his thumbs rubbing slow, teasing circles against your sides.

The tension between you was unbearable. Every touch, every heated glance, every stolen breath between kisses only fueled the fire raging inside you. You didn’t just want him—you needed him. The restraint that had kept you tethered to reason was gone, replaced by pure, unfiltered desire.

Your fingers dug into his shoulders as you whispered, voice breathless and shaky, “Levi… I need you.”

Levi froze for a moment, his forehead pressed against yours, his breath heavy and ragged. You could feel the tension in his body, the way his muscles tightened at your words. His hands, which had been gripping your waist with controlled force, now trembled slightly as if he were fighting some inner battle. But it was futile.

He exhaled sharply, his gray eyes dark with something primal, something dangerous. “You have no idea what you do to me,” he murmured, his voice a low growl.

Before you could respond, Levi’s hands were at your waist, his grip firm and commanding. With one swift motion, he hooked his fingers under the waistband of your leggings and tore them down your thighs. The cool air against your heated skin sent a shiver up your spine, but it was nothing compared to the way his hands moved over your exposed flesh, mapping out every curve like he was memorizing the shape of you.

You barely had time to process before he grabbed your thighs and effortlessly lifted you, wrapping your legs around his waist. Your breath hitched, hands scrambling for purchase against his damp skin as he backed you up against the cold tiled wall of the locker room.

“You feel so fucking good,” Levi murmured against your neck, his lips brushing your pulse as he held you up like you weighed nothing. His fingers trailed up your thigh, teasing, until they found the thin barrier of your underwear. He pressed his palm against the heat between your legs, and the sensation made you whimper.

Levi inhaled sharply, his body tensing. “So wet,” he groaned, his fingers rubbing slow, deliberate circles over your already sensitive core. The friction sent shockwaves through your body, and you couldn’t stop the way your hips instinctively bucked against his touch.

You could feel him, all of him, pressing against you through the thin fabric of his towel. He was hard—achingly so—and there was no ignoring the way his length throbbed against your inner thigh, barely restrained. The sheer size of him made you gulp, and heat pooled in your stomach at the realization.

Without thinking, you reached down, your fingers grazing against the outline of his manhoodl. The moment you made contact, Levi’s entire body shuddered, his breath hitching.

“Shit—” he hissed, his grip on you tightening.

Encouraged by his reaction, you slid your hand lower, palming him through the thin towel. Levi moaned, his head dropping against your shoulder, his breath hot and uneven against your skin.

“Fuck, (Y/N),” he groaned, his voice raw with need.

Your fingers worked under the towel until you could fully grasp him. The moment your hand wrapped around his heated length, Levi let out a sharp, almost desperate curse.

“Goddamn it—” he bit out, his hips jerking into your touch, completely losing the control he so fiercely held onto.

His skin was hot beneath your fingers, smooth and throbbing with need. You stroked him slowly, teasingly, watching the way his body reacted to your touch. Levi's breath grew heavier, his jaw clenched tightly, and his fingers dug into your hips as if grounding himself.

But then—his control shattered.

With a guttural curse, Levi tore your underwear aside, his fingers wasting no time as he slipped two thick fingers into your drenched pussy. You cried out, your back arching against the wall as pleasure shot through you like lightning. His fingers curled inside you, slow at first, then faster, exploring you like he wanted to memorize every inch.

“You’re so fucking tight,” Levi growled, his lips brushing against your ear. “So perfect.”

You gasped, your nails digging into his shoulders as he worked you open with precision, his thumb rubbing slow, deliberate circles against your clit. Every movement was calculated, designed to make you unravel completely.

You whimpered, barely able to form a coherent thought. “Levi—”

“Say my name again,” he ordered, his voice rough with desire.

You moaned, tilting your head back, completely at his mercy. “Levi—please—”

Levi groaned at the sound of your voice, his movements growing rougher, more desperate. He wanted to feel you come apart, wanted to watch you lose yourself to him, and only him.

And god, you were already so close.

But just as you were about to reach your peak, trembling in Levi’s arms as waves of pleasure built up inside you, he suddenly pulled his fingers away. The absence was immediate and jarring, leaving you gasping at the loss. A desperate whine left your lips as your body clenched around nothing, the high you had been so close to shattering right in front of you.

"Levi—" you panted, frustration thick in your voice as you squirmed in his grasp.

Levi smirked, his gray eyes dark and filled with something wicked as he took in your wrecked expression. “Tch. What a brat,” he muttered, amusement lacing his voice. He let his fingers drag along the inside of your thigh, teasing, but never giving you what you wanted.

Your breath hitched, heat surging through you again, but you pouted, pushing at his chest weakly. “That was mean…”

Levi leaned in close, his lips ghosting over your jaw as he whispered, “You’ll survive.” His voice was low, teasing, yet filled with something undeniably heated.

But before you could whine again, your breath caught in your throat as you felt something new—something much thicker, much harder—pressing against your core. Your entire body tensed, your hands gripping his shoulders as realization hit you.

He was lining himself up against you, his heavy length brushing against your soaked entrance. You swallowed hard, nerves and anticipation intertwining in your chest. He was big, and the idea of him stretching you made heat flood through you like wildfire.

Levi, noticing your reaction, ran his hands over your thighs, gripping them firmly as he held you against the wall. His voice was rough, strained with his own desire. “Relax,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”

You nodded, trusting him completely as he slowly pushed forward, the head of his length breaching your entrance. A sharp gasp left you as the stretch burned, your fingers digging into his shoulders. Levi froze immediately, his jaw clenching as he fought for control.

“Too much?” he asked, his voice tight with restraint.

You took a shaky breath, adjusting to the size of him, before shaking your head. “Just… give me a second.”

Levi swallowed hard, his muscles tensed like a coiled spring, his fingers flexing against your thighs. “Take all the time you need,” he said, though his voice betrayed just how hard it was for him to hold back.

After a few moments, the initial discomfort began to fade, replaced by something deeper, something intoxicating. You met his gaze, heat swirling in your belly. “You can move,” you whispered.

Levi exhaled sharply, his control barely hanging by a thread as he pushed deeper, filling you inch by inch. The stretch was intense, but the pleasure that followed made your body shudder. He let out a low groan, his forehead dropping against yours, his breath hot and ragged.

“Fuck,” he gritted out, his hands tightening on your thighs. “You’re so—damn—tight.”

You whimpered at his words, at the way his body pressed so perfectly against yours, stretching you in a way that had your toes curling. But you could feel him holding back, keeping himself reigned in when all you wanted was for him to lose control.

“Levi…” You gripped the back of his neck, pulling him closer, your lips brushing against his ear. “Harder. Faster.”

His entire body tensed, a shudder running through him at your words. He tilted his head back, his gray eyes meeting yours, searching, as if making sure you meant it. And when he saw the desperate need in your expression, something inside him snapped.

His grip tightened, and without another word, he adjusted his stance and slammed into you. A loud, gasping moan tore from your throat as he buried himself to the hilt, the force of his thrust pressing you harder against the cold wall.

“Shit—” Levi growled, his voice strained, his self-control completely shattered. He set a brutal pace, his hips snapping against yours, the sound of your bodies colliding filling the room. Each thrust sent shockwaves of pleasure racing through you, your hands clinging desperately to his shoulders.

Your head tilted back, your eyes rolling at the sheer intensity of it all. “Levi—oh my God—” you gasped, your entire body trembling as he hit deeper, his pace unrelenting.

Levi groaned in response, watching the way you unraveled for him, how your body took every thrust, how your mouth hung open in pure bliss. His fingers slid down, finding your clit, rubbing tight circles as he pounded into you, pushing you closer and closer to the edge.

“Come for me,” he murmured, his lips brushing against your ear, his breath hot and commanding. “I want to feel you come around me.”

The coil inside you snapped, your back arching sharply as pleasure exploded through you, your vision going white. A strangled cry left your lips as your body convulsed, waves of bliss washing over you in an overwhelming rush.

Levi let out a harsh groan, his movements growing sloppy as he felt you tighten around him. His grip on your thighs bruised as he chased his own release, his breath ragged.

“Fuck—” he gritted out, his rhythm stuttering. With one final, deep thrust, he pulled out, his jaw clenched as he spilled himself all over your stomach, his body shuddering violently as he came undone.

The air in the changing room was thick with heat and the lingering scent of sweat and something far more intoxicating. Your body trembled in Levi’s arms, your skin still tingling from the waves of pleasure that had crashed through you moments before. Your breaths were uneven, desperate attempts to steady yourself after what could only be described as the most exhilarating experience of your life.

Levi’s forehead rested against yours, his damp black hair sticking to his skin. His chest rose and fell with deep, measured breaths, but his arms remained firm around you, keeping you locked against him as if he wasn’t ready to let go just yet. His grip was possessive, his fingers idly stroking over your thigh where they still held you in place.

You exhaled a shaky laugh, tilting your head slightly so your nose brushed against his. “That was…” you trailed off, searching for the right word, but nothing seemed to do it justice.

Levi huffed out a quiet chuckle, something rare and utterly intoxicating to hear from him. His lips, still slightly swollen from kissing you, curled into a smirk. “Tch. You can say it,” he muttered, his voice rough from exertion. “Best workout of your life?”

You let out a soft laugh, your body finally beginning to relax against him. “Understatement of the century,” you admitted, your fingers tracing lazy patterns over his shoulder.

Levi exhaled, finally loosening his grip just enough to let your legs slide down from his waist. Your feet touched the cool tile, but your knees nearly buckled beneath you, and he caught you effortlessly, his grip tightening at your waist.

“Easy,” he murmured, a teasing lilt to his voice as he steadied you. “Did I wear you out that bad?”

You gave him a pointed look, your cheeks still burning from everything that had just transpired. “A little.”

Levi’s smirk widened, his hands not moving from your waist. “Consider it your post workout stretch.”

You rolled your eyes but didn’t bother denying it. Instead, you rested your forehead against his shoulder for a moment, your body still humming with the aftershocks of what had just happened. Levi let you stay there, his hands rubbing slow, soothing circles against your hips, grounding you.

After a moment, you pulled back just enough to look up at him, your eyes searching his. “So… is this a one-time thing?” you asked softly, unable to keep the hesitation from creeping into your voice.

Levi’s expression shifted, the teasing edge fading. His sharp gray eyes locked onto yours, and for a second, you saw something deeper, something raw beneath his usual stoicism. He reached up, brushing a few strands of hair from your face before letting his fingers linger against your cheek.

“No,” he said simply, his voice lower now, more certain. “I don’t want it to be.”

Your breath hitched at his words, at the quiet certainty in them. A slow smile tugged at the corners of your lips.

Levi sighed, finally stepping back fully, though his hand remained on your waist as if reluctant to break contact completely. His eyes flickered downward, and his smirk returned when he saw the mess on your stomach.

“We should probably clean you up,” he muttered, though there was amusement in his tone.

Your face burned again. “Yeah, you made a bit of a mess.”

Levi just shrugged, grabbing a clean towel from the nearby shelf and handing it to you. “I couldn’t help myself… not when you look like that.”

He grabbed his joggers, pulling them back on and leaned against the wall as he watched you clean yourself up. His gaze remained on you, softer now, less intense but still filled with something unreadable. Once you were done and put your clothes back on, you turned to him, still slightly nervous despite everything that had just happened.

“So…” you started, shifting your weight from foot to foot. “What now?”

Levi studied you for a long moment before shaking his head slightly, as if you’d just asked something ridiculous. He stepped forward, reaching to grab his phone. He unlocked it, tapped at the screen a few times, then turned it to face you.

It was a text message. From him. To you.

Levi Ackerman: Next gym session. Tomorrow. Same time.

You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms. “Is this your way of asking me out?”

Levi smirked, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “It’s my way of making sure you don’t quit.”

You scoffed, shaking your head. “I can’t tell if you’re being sweet or bossy.”

“Both,” he said smoothly, reaching down to grab his shirt and pull it over his head. “Get used to it.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at your lips. “Guess I don’t have a choice, huh?”

Levi stepped closer, his fingers brushing against yours briefly before he pulled away. “Nope.”

Your heart stuttered at the simple gesture, at the way his fingers lingered for just a second too long. This wasn’t just a heat-of-the-moment thing for him. You could see it in his eyes, in the way he looked at you even now, in the way he wasn’t trying to rush out the door.

This was something more.

Levi exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck before giving you one last glance. “Go home. Get some rest,” he muttered, his voice softer now. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You bit your lip, nodding. “Tomorrow.”

As you turned to leave, you felt Levi’s gaze on you the entire time. And just before you stepped out of the changing room, you glanced over your shoulder.

Levi was still standing there, watching you, his expression unreadable—but the way his jaw clenched, the way his fingers twitched like he was holding himself back from grabbing you again—it told you everything you needed to know.

This was only the beginning.

~

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[jeankirsteinsgirl]

The AOT Guys on Your Period

a/n: I'm on my period rn and its so awful and just wanted to imagine what the aot guys would be like when reader is on their period <33

CW: fem reader, pure fluff, periods (duh), slight mention of blood

Jean:

Literally the sweetest

totally watched a bunch of youtube videos and listened to podcasts about the "female experience" so he can try to understand what you're going through

"I'm right here baby, I'll lay with you as long as you want" then proceeding to let you be the little spoon all night long

gives you the best back rubs when you're cramping to soothe your muscles

Puts on your favorite movie to distract you

Lets you cuddle into him while watching said movie and strokes your hair the entire time

just the most gentle ever.

soft delicate touches, he's scared of accidentally hurting you when you're on your period

Would stop by the store after work to get you flowers and chocolate becuase he knows it's a rough time for you.

Your favorite kind of flowers of course (he knows all of your favorite things bc he's so thoughtful)

Constantly compliments you because he knows you feel disgusting

"No baby I mean it, you're so beautiful like this"

"There's no better feeling than having you lay on my chest"

"I can't believe I have the most beautiful girl in the entire world"

His big strong hands rubbing little circles on your belly omg

Would run you a hot bath for your cramps (see soft jean for more ;)

bought you one of those stuffed animals that you heat up for cramps and was so excited to give it to you.

Literally smiling like a 5-year-old when he told you he had a surprise for you and got so excited when you like his present.

only calls you babe and baby because he doesn't wanna accidentally hurt your feelings by calling you by your name

looks like a big teddy bear, is a big teddy bear

snuggles all the time

always worried about you

would definitely be one of those guys with an "i love my hot girlfriend shirt"

Eren:

Likes to joke about you being on your period when you're off of it but is always super considerate when you're on it

"Ts okay babe I'm right here" while he kisses your forehead to make you feel better.

Drapes a blanket around you on the couch to make sure you're comfortable

brings you food from your favorite restaurant to make you feel better

knows what you order of course, he pays attention

Frowns and acts all tough when you call him a cutie pie

"I am not. I'm just being a good boyfriend- I'm tough okay"

sure

You have ex fuckboy Eren totally wrapped around your finger

He's literally at your beck and call, not because you asked him to be but because he's so in love with you that he just wants to do all the sweet cheesy things with you

Would never admit all the cute things he does for you in front of his friends

Used to be a firm believer that getting kicked in the balls hurt more than period cramps until he met you and you changed his ways

lets you hold his hand and squeeze it when you're in pain

If you get nauseous he stays up with you all night, telling you little stories to distract you

Reluctantly holds your hair back when you throw up

Gives you his clothes to sleep in because they're looser and more comfy.

Adores seeing you walk around in his t-shirts and pajama pants becuase they're so big and it's so cute

the next time he wears them they smell like you

Would offer to rub your back but can't do it without getting horny so he doesn't :(

"Hey a real soldier isn't afraid to get blood on his sword that's all im saying..."

Levi:

Just like Eren in the way that he acts super tough most of the time, even more than Eren.

Rarely calls you cute names like "baby, honey, sweetheart" but totally does when you're on your period

The fact that it's so rare for him to do this makes it even more special when he does

Makes you blush every time

Would hold your hand as often as possible, rubbing little circles into it with his thumb

Not a fan of PDA but would hold your hand in public and let you kiss him on the cheek

If you're feeling especially emotional that day he'd put his arm around you and rub little circles into your shoulder with his slender fingers

Shows his affection in the most subtle ways

Would go grocery shopping bc you were out of food and come back with a stuffed animal he thought you might like from the store

"Yeah whatever, 'ts not a big deal just thought you might think it's cute"

You would wrap him in a bear hug and he would secretly blush, determined to maintain his "tough guy" exterior

Would'nt pick up food for you but would cook for you instead

Your favorite food of course

Doesn't get horny easily like a teenage boy so he could give you a massage whenever you wanted wherever you wanted

would offer to get things for you so you don't have to leave bed

Loves being the big spoon and would be wrapped around you all night

Like I said earlier, when you're on your period he tries to subtly be more sweet (he thinks you don't notice)

speaks so much more softly to you when you're on your period

is just more gentle in general

you're so needy for him both emotionally and physically and you'd want to be wrapped around him all week

and he'd let you

Armin:

Ik I said Jean's the sweetest but I changed my mind its Armin

THE CUTEST EVER

super smart so never had the misconception that periods were a walk in the park

knows all about hormonal cycles and how things would affect you differently

"I got you some dark chocolate, it's really good for soothing the cramps because of the high concentration of magnesium which eases the uterine lining so-"

"Thank you Armin" is all you'd say and giggle at the research he put into helping you

Constantly touching you, not in a sexual way but in a romantic, protective way

Holding your hand, arm around your shoulders, forehead kisses, cheek kisses, his hand on your knee when you're sitting down.

Constantly checking in on you making sure you're okay

always asking you to tell him how you're feeling and what specifically was wrong, kind of annoying but very endearing.

Would sit with you and watch whatever you wanted all day as long as it made you happy.

Would bring you whatever you want. Coffee? picked up. Blanket? on your lap. Heating pad? Plugged in. Takeout? Ordered already.

Genuinely the most thoughtful boyfriend

does everything you want before you even have to ask him it's like he reads your mind

Lets you lay on his chest and fall asleep, not moving until you wake up on your own even if his arm is asleep

Whispers sweet nothings in your ear when he thinks you're asleep but sometimes you hear them

"You're the most beautiful girl in the world, I'm so lucky to have someone like you"

"Watching you sleep takes my breath away every time"

CEO of cheesy love-sick boyfriend

Reiner:

Acts like Levi on the outside is actually Armin on the inside

Always so worried about you all the time, ESPECIALLY on your period

hates seeing you in pain so does whatever he can to make it better

constantly reminding you to take advil

one of those boyfriends who thinks drinking water will make it better "Just try it babe it can't hurt. It works, I saw it on TikTok"

Totally captivated by you

actually thinks you're really pretty on your period bc he loves seeing your natural beauty

picks you up to carry you to bed so you don't have to walk

Gets you flowers as often as he can to remind you how much he loves you

clueless about periods but very enthusiastic!

"I was talking to Armin and he said vitamin C was good so I got you a bunch of oranges from the store!"

thanks babe...?

Always calls you babe or baby, sometimes princess

you're mainly princess on your period, he wants to make sure you feel special

adores cuddling it's like his favorite thing ever and is so excited when you want to cuddle more because you're on your period

loves feeling how small you are against him and smelling your hair as you're curled into his chest

so possessive

would buy you things constantly

his love language is definitely gift-giving and physical touch

smothers you with hug all. the. time.

not opposed to period sex

would share a hot shower with you to ease your cramps

he'd wash your body for you and kiss the top of your head and your shoulders

would kiss every inch of your body to make you feel beautiful

the most protective boyfriend in the aot universe I said what I said

looks like a big scary grizzly bear on the outside but is a teddy bear on the inside just for you

[onigiri-dorkk]

My other fixation has been Final Fantasy (both 7 and 16!), and today FF7 Ever Crisis just released video of young Angeal, who looks so much like Levi -- so I ran to make an edit of Levi as a Shinra SOLDIER... Ex-SOLDIER. Hehe

I adooooored making this. I have always always always wanted to see Levi in FF7 graphics and Angeal was the literal perfect canvas to bring that to life at long last! (I know we got the graphics from the AOT ride? and I loved that, but my love for FF7 still made me crave this)

Enjoy!

Here is my reference image, as well as other shots of Angeal that brought this excitement <3

And bonus is this FF7 x AOT Rivamika crossover art I did so long ago!! I really manifested young Angeal’s design!!

[cosmicjoke]

How "Attack on Titan" Advocates Through Levi and Jean the Superiority of Remaining Human over Becoming a Monster:

There’s an idea presented early on in “Attack on Titan”, which revolves around the concept of needing to become a monster in order to defeat monsters.

At its earliest suggestion, we hear it from Armin, and it’s obvious what it means within the context of fighting titans. Titans are, after all, literal, giant monsters that go around eating people.

But of course, later on, this idea becomes much more complex, what it means becoming more vague and abstract, just like “AoT” itself.

We again hear Armin speak about it with Jean, and also Levi speaking about it during his monologue to the 104th, during the Uprising Arc.

But what I think people tend to misinterpret and misunderstand about “AoT” is that the story very clearly advocates against this idea, and instead promotes the opposite, which is the idea of maintaining our humanity in the face of a cruel and merciless world.

And I think the two characters that it demonstrates this most powerfully through are Levi and Jean. That also makes sense to me, as Levi is the character that perhaps has the largest impact and influence on Jean and his development.

Delving first into Levi and how he demonstrates and, ultimately, I think, proves how “AoT” wants its audience to understand that it’s better to retain our humanity than to become a monster, it’s necessary to talk about Levi and Erwin.

Levi admires Erwin and, indeed, thinks of Erwin as a superior human being to himself. I think, initially, Levi even seeks to emulate him.

The reason Levi admires Erwin and considers him superior to himself, the reason he trusts so much in Erwin and his vision, is because Erwin is able to remain detached from all sentiment in the performance of his duty. He’s able to remain hard-hearted, to make cold and calculating choices and decisions, divorced from any, personal feeling. This is a quality of Erwin’s that Levi both admires, but important to note, is also repulsed by. We see Levi remark several times throughout the story about Erwin’s “creepiness”. He seems often unsettled by Erwin’s lack of emotion and we also see Levi express disgust and ambivalence over several of Erwin’s plans which generally involve sacrificing human lives in order to succeed.

The reason Levi ultimately admires this quality in Erwin, though, and why he believes it makes Erwin superior to himself, is because he believes that ruthlessness in Erwin is built upon a foundation of altruism.

He believes Erwin’s intentions are pure and selfless, and that Erwin himself is a good man.  That he only behaves coldly because he genuinely cares about people and prioritizes them above all else, and that a certain level of detachment is necessary to succeed in his goal of bettering their lives.  Levi himself thinks that Erwin’s ruthlessness, his ability to remain detached and unpersuaded by personal feelings, is a necessary quality, excusable because Erwin utilizes it in order to achieve a better world, by securing humanity’s victory over the titans. 

This is an important distinction to understand, that Levi sees Erwin as a good and compassionate man, but one who is able to detach himself from emotion when a particular circumstance calls for it. So we know that Levi doesn’t view compassion as a weakness. He wouldn’t trust in Erwin if he thought he was a heartless man.

He sees Erwin as superior to himself because Erwin doesn’t struggle in the same way as he does to remove his personal feelings from his choices

And we see this struggle, and ultimately, this inability in Levi to detach himself from feeling, from compassion, and to let that compassion influence his choices, again and again and again, from beginning to end of the story.

He comes across at first as a cold and efficient soldier, able to cut down titans with greater precision and ease than anyone else. His demeanor seems to speak to a cold, unfeeling personality, his lack of expression adding to the effect.

But then, to fly directly in the face of his initial appearance as a cold and efficient killing machine, he turns around and shows exceptional compassion and kindness and a deep ability to empathize with others, tragic even in how affected he is by their pain and suffering.

We see this seeming contrast in Levi’s very first appearance in canon, when we first meet him cutting down titans and remarking upon how ugly they are, expressing disgust when he gets their blood on his hands.

But the very next thing we see Levi do is comfort a dying soldier, grasping his blood-soaked hand without hesitation and listening to his dying words, promising the man that he won’t let his death go in vain. Promising that he’ll use his sacrifice to fuel his own strength and determination to rid the world of titans. We then see Levi ask Petra, in an almost childlike way, if she thinks the soldier heard his vow before passing away, seeking Petra’s reassurance that he was able to bring the man some comfort before his death.

So, it’s shown to us immediately what kind of person Levi actually is.

Levi is all heart, unable and unwilling to abandon compassion toward others, even in the face of a cruel and merciless world.

Again and again we see this, and we see Levi’s attempts to emulate Erwin and his ruthlessness failing as a result.

For example, during the Female Titan Arc, when Dieter begs to be able to go back to retrieve his friend’s corpse, and Erwin and Levi tell him he can’t, and begin to walk away, despite Deiter’s anguished protests. Dieter accuses them both of being heartless, and then decides to strike out on his own to retrieve Ivan’s body, in the process leading a group of titans to the retreating Survey Corps, endangering their lives.

Despite Levi appearing earlier to be deaf to Deiter’s despair, and despite Dieter’s reckless actions endangering the whole group, causing them to have to abandon the bodies they were able to recover, including those of Levi’s squad, and despite his own unkindness toward Levi in accusing him of being heartless, rather than scolding Deiter or showing any sort of anger toward him, Levi instead gives Petra’s badge to him and tells him it belonged to Ivan. We see through this that, despite before walking away with Erwin from Deiter’s emotional breakdown, again, attempting to emulate Erwin’s professional detachment from the situation, Levi was never actually closed off or deaf to Diether’s pain; that he was in fact deeply affected by it, and he’s ultimately unable to keep himself from trying to comfort Dieter by giving away his own memento by which to remember Petra and saying it belonged to Deiter’s friend.

Again, we see Levi’s great humanity in these moments, which is directly at odds with the idea presented, of having to become a monster in order to defeat monsters.

Levi views his own sentimentality as a hinderance to his ability to perform his duty and be a good soldier. Again, it’s why he both admires Erwin, but is also, at times, repulsed by him. Because he views Erwin’s ability to detach himself and not give into emotion as a necessary and positive quality in a leader, while at the same time, such detachment and lack of emotion rankles against Levi’s own nature. It feels wrong to him, to ignore another person’s suffering, and he’s unable himself to do so.

There are numerous other examples of Levi being unable to detach himself or remain emotionless throughout the story, but for now let’s move on.

We see again Levi’s attempts to be more like Erwin during the Uprising Arc, which I think he expresses most openly during his monologue to the 104th. He talks about being willing to take on the role of a “lunatic who kills people”, as long as it means nobody else ever has to take on that role themselves. Now this is important, because we see expressed here a foreshadowing of Levi’s decision during the RtS Arc, of letting Erwin rest, of his unwillingness to let Erwin become a monster for their sakes.

Levi wants to be more like Erwin because he wants to keep others from having to become monsters. He wants to help others preserve their humanity.

Levi grew up in an environment which forced him to do bad things in order to survive. He had to learn to kill and steal and be violent just to make it from day to day, and yet, that’s what makes it all the more remarkable, and what serves as a true testament to Levi’s compassionate nature, that instead of becoming bitter and vengeful and wanting to give the world back the same cruelty and unkindness he was forced to endure, he wants rather to prevent it and shield others from the same sort of experiences and from having to resort to the same extremes he did in order to keep living. He wants to be able to promote kindness and compassion, rather than violence and cruelty.

Again, he thinks at this point in the story the only way to achieve that is by taking on the role of monster himself and, again, being more like Erwin, cold and detached. But there’s an inherent contradiction in that belief and in Levi’s own goals. The very reason Levi is so determined to prevent others from having to become monsters and engage in violence themselves is because of his own compassion and kindness. He doesn’t want to see other people suffer. He isn’t okay with other people suffering. And he isn’t okay with inflicting suffering on others. It’s that very fact about himself that Levi doesn’t quite realize makes him a superior person.

We see this demonstrated in the aftermath of Levi’s and Hange’s torture of Sannes. Levi is visibly disturbed and upset at the orders he’s just had to carry out. We know this because we see how it’s discombobulated Levi’s normally very sharp awareness. He forgets entirely the reason they were torturing Sannes to begin with, which was to extract from him the information about who the true heir to the throne was, that being Historia. We know he forgets, because he forgets to inform Historia herself of the information they’ve gathered, and then when he does remember to tell her, and she initially refuses to even consider taking the throne, he lashes out in frustration and anger at her selfishness. Levi loses himself in this moment to his own discomfort, preoccupied as he is with the realization that he’s had to cause suffering in another human being.

We see here, again, Levi failing to be like Erwin, failing to remain detached and unaffected by human suffering.

He talks about being a monster, or a lunatic, but just as we’ve seen from the beginning, Levi is truly anything but. He’s a deeply empathetic and kind person who again and again is unable to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, no matter the cause. As he says, he's willing to "play" the role of a lunatic, but Levi is never able to actually become that. He's never able to do anything but play-act, to pretend at it. And when moments arrive in which he's actually faced with another beings torment, again, the facade of that role drops away, and we're left with who Levi really is, a kind and compassionate man.

And still, Levi thinks Erwin is the superior person, because Erwin’s detachment is in service to the greater good and he can make choices toward that end that Levi himself struggles with.

Only soon Levi, along with the audience, finds out that’s not actually the case.

Erwin’s ability and willingness to remain emotionless, it turns out, was never in service of any such altruistic or selfless goal, but rather in service of Erwin’s own personal and selfish dream.

We find out that as a result of this years long detachment and the secret, personal motivation underlying it, Erwin is in fact ridden with a sense of deep guilt and remorse, but still unable, despite that guilt, to willingly abandon his dream.

Ultimately, he needs Levi to make that decision for him.

Erwin, whom Levi had considered to be a stronger and better man than himself for being able to make the “hard choices”, is too weak morally to do the right thing on his own, even as he very desperately wants to.

And here I think we see the first, clear demonstration of how “AoT” wants its audience to understand that sentimentality and compassion are not, in fact, a weakness, but rather a strength, and that it’s better to retain ones humanity, rather than allowing oneself to become a monster.

We realize that, all this time, it was actually Levi who was the superior one. That you don’t defeat monsters with monstrosity, but with humanity. That being a monster isn’t what makes you strong, but being human. Levi is stronger than Erwin, not in the physical sense, but in the moral sense, and that strength finds its roots in the purity of his heart and intentions. He never betrays what he feels is right, not for anything, and that’s how Levi lives with “no regrets”, as he says. Whatever the outcome of his decisions, Levi is able to have no regrets because he knows in each of those choices, he chose what he genuinely believed to be the correct and just course. Erwin’s ability to make the “hard choices” and remain detached from feeling never made him the embodiment of the Survey Corp’s ideal, rather, it was Levi’s inability to abandon his humanity is that made him the true embodiment of that. Because, after all, what does the SC fight for but humanity itself?

We see Levi’s continued humanity play out when he’s forced to make his decision atop that roof, of whether to give the serum to Erwin or to Armin. He chooses, ultimately, not to give the serum to Erwin because, in alignment with his earlier statement about wanting to prevent others from having to become monsters, he refuses to let Erwin become a monster for them. That encapsulates Levi’s strength. His unwavering resolve to do what he believes is just and right, no matter what.

Erwin was a good man. We see this I think most clearly when he promises the family of Dimo Reeves that his true killer will be brought to justice. He isn’t without feeling or sentiment. But he was in danger of becoming that way, of becoming a “devil” as Floch calls him, and Levi refused to let that happen. He refused to let Erwin’s humanity be sacrificed for a cause. And, again, it’s because of Levi’s own, great humanity that he refused it. He couldn’t condemn a fellow human being to further suffering, or to monstrosity. That refusal to waver in his morality, that refusal to betray his own beliefs and heart is contrasted directly with Erwin’s own weakness and inability to stay true to what he knows is right, and is meant, I think, to demonstrate once more why compassion and kindness are in fact what makes a person strong.

And we know this choice rooted in compassion is ultimately the right choice, and that the narrative wants its audience to see it as the right choice, (unlike what some of the characters in the story, or even some obtuse readers/viewers insist upon) because it leads to humanity’s eventual salvation. Armin, through his own innocence and purity, is able to convince Zeke to get off his ass and actually help stop the Rumbling, something Erwin would have been incapable of as a result of his own, tainted psyche and guilt in relation to his dream.

It’s more than implied that forcing Erwin back into the role of Commander, when his psyche was already breaking down as a consequence of his guilt, would have resulted in Erwin becoming a true monster, willing to do anything and foregoing compassion entirely in pursuit of victory. And if you need an example of where that would have led, look no further than Zeke or Floch, both characters who indeed abandoned any sense of humanity in favor of succeeding in their ideological goals.

There’s a reason the narrative frames Floch and Zeke in a negative, villainous light. We’re meant to see their abandonment of humanity as a bad thing, just like we’re meant to see Erwin’s detachment from feeling as bad, with the way it pushes him to the precipice of madness and drowns him in self-hatred. Again, the implication is that, were he forced to continue on in that role, he would have eventually fallen to the same folly and monstrosity that gripped Floch and Zeke.

That brings me to Jean, and how he, like Levi, also serves to demonstrate the importance of retaining ones humanity in the face of a cruel world.

Jean’s humanity is, in fact, directly contrasted during the raid on Liberio with Floch’s lack of humanity. And I’ll get into that soon.

But first it’s also necessary to go back and talk about what it is Jean learned from Levi and how that influences Jean to retain his humanity moving forward.

I’ve spoken before about how Jean is initially very judgmental toward Levi and even views him as being a bad person for killing other people, right up until the moment Jean himself is forced into a position of kill or be killed. He learns that judging others for their actions without understanding the context is bad, because you can very easily end up in the same position and having to make the same choice. He learns that he and Levi aren't so very different, that Levi doesn't kill because he wants to, but because he has to, and that being forced into a position of having to kill and being willing to kill doesn't in itself render someone without compassion or feeling, or indicate their morality, or a lack of morality. And, in fact, I think, Levi and Jean actually share some very core characteristics with one another. I think both of them are, in truth, the most morally strong characters in "AoT". Even still, in that moment of having to kill, Jean hesitates, and in doing so, forces Armin to take on the burden of becoming a killer for him.

Jean thinks, in the aftermath, that Levi is going to scold him for his failure to do his duty and so he apologizes to him for judging him and vows never to hesitate in taking the killing shot again. Jean expects Levi to chastise him, and maybe even gloat about his own correctness in killing, but instead, Levi tells him that he can’t say whether Jean was wrong or right for hesitating to kill, that he only knows that his failure to do so put all their lives in danger, but that Jean is entitled to and must decide for himself going forward what he believes is the correct course of action in any, given situation.

Jean’s earlier assumption about Levi being a bad person because he kills other people is proven wrong. We see that Levi, in fact, takes no pleasure in and doesn’t at all want to kill people, or even influence others toward that course of action. Indeed, again, as Levi later states in his monologue, he wants to prevent other people from having to become “lunatics”, from having to commit violence, and in that speech, it’s also clear to me that Levi laments the fact that the members of the 104th have, as he says, been exposed to too many abnormal things, forcing them into situations where they have to make those sorts of decisions at all. Again, Levi has grown up in a world that’s taught him that his survival and the survival of others often depended upon his willingness and ability to take life, but that doesn’t mean he views killing as a good thing or even that he tries to justify it. Levi applies no moral judgment to the act of killing. He doesn’t call it right or wrong, and he doesn’t attempt to influence Jean to see it in any, particular light either. Instead, he encourages Jean to form his own opinion and, in the process, to retain his humanity. Again, I think this speaks to Levi’s own humanity, that even though he knows certain situations and circumstances require violence to gain a favorable outcome for himself and those he cares about, he doesn’t attempt and doesn’t want for Jean to specifically learn that lesson or embrace violence or killing as a solution to every problem. Levi would rather have a world in which nobody ever had to kill at all.

I think this is further borne out in regards to the situation with Marlo and Hitch, and how Levi allows Jean to again choose for himself what his path is going to be, whether he’s going to become mercenary, or if he’s going to retain a more humanistic approach and avoid violence where he can.

Remember, Levi is going to let Marlo and Hitch go without harm, telling them he’ll leave them tied up and free to go once he and his squad clear out. But Jean intervenes and asks Levi if he can be allowed to deal with the two of them. This interaction between Levi and Jean is really important, I think, because it shows that Levi trusts in Jean to make the best decision for the situation. This is coming off of their earlier interaction when Levi told Jean he would have to choose for himself what he felt was right and wrong. Again, remember, Levi didn’t scold Jean for failing to kill, and didn’t attempt to guilt trip him over endangering their squad, either. He allowed Jean to maintain his sense of compassion without derision.

Marlo and Hitch don’t pose any physical threat to Levi or his squad at this point, and I think Levi’s initial decision to let them go without harm is also demonstrative of how Jean’s earlier assumption about Levi being a bad person for killing was wrong. Levi only kills when there’s absolutely no other option. He doesn’t kill indiscriminately or for any reason other than preservation of himself or others. Killing isn’t something Levi has grown desensitized to or unfeeling about. He isn’t a cold-blooded or ruthless killer or murderer. He only kills when a failure to do so will get him or others killed.

And so I think it speaks volumes that Levi agrees to let Jean “take care of” Marlo and Hitch. Jean’s wording here would seem to indicate that he’s planning on killing the two of them, but I’m certain that Levi understood in that moment that that wasn’t what Jean was doing or planning at all. He looks at Jean and tells him okay, and lets Jean take Marlo and Hitch off into the woods. I’m certain also that if Levi believed that Jean truly intended on killing Marlo and Hitch, he wouldn’t have allowed it.

Instead, I think Levi understood that Jean needed to test for himself whether his earlier hesitation to kill would always result in a bad outcome, or if there were truly moments when showing mercy and compassion could still work out to the benefit of both parties. If there was any hope for his moral beliefs to survive in a cruel world. And that’s exactly what Jean does. He trusts in his instinct that Marlo is genuine in his declaration of wanting to join the Survey Corps and fight for humanity, and allows himself to be put in a vulnerable position to test whether his instinct is true or false. It pays off for Jean, and for the rest of Levi’s squad, because Jean’s instinct was right and Marlo and Hitch are able to help lead them to the headquarters of the Miliary Police, and to then find out where it was Eren and Historia had been taken.

We see here a clear demonstration of how making a choice of compassion can and does lead to a positive outcome. And again and again we see the same, with Jean allowing his compassion to lead him even in circumstances which, on their face, would seem to require ruthlessness, only for those choices to work out and later bear beneficial fruit. Like Jean wanting to spare Reiner during the RtS arc and Reiner, of course, later becoming a key weapon for the alliance in their attempts to stop the Rumbling. And the same applies, also, to Jean seeming to intentionally miss his shot with the thunderspear against Pieck and Falco, allowing for both of them to, like Reiner, serve as key weapons for the alliance, and in Falco’s case, to become an integral part of their eventual victory.

All of this, as I already mentioned, is directly contrasted with Floch and his intentional murder of civilians during the raid on Liberio. Floch is what happens, what it looks like, when all sentiment is abandoned and we allow ourselves to be purely dictated by logic and cold calculation. It always ends in tragedy and devastation.

This is where I think people always make such a fundamental mistake in their interpretation of Levi’s choice to let Erwin die. People who say it was the wrong choice are looking at it from a perspective similar to the one Floch or Zeke holds, that is, this idea that everything, including human compassion, human connection and empathy, is expendable in the name of “the greater good”. Like Floch and Zeke, they think compassion is a weakness, and that abandoning ones humanity is a good thing. It shows how they’ve bought into the idea earlier presented that to defeat monsters, we must become monsters. And so, they call Levi’s decision “selfish” and “wrong” and say he “doomed humanity” because he wasn’t willing to let Erwin become the devil humanity supposedly needed to attain victory. But to say that requires them to also ignore all of the core themes of “Attack on Titan” itself and the message it tries to convey about the importance of retaining our humanity in the face of a cruel world. By their logic, one would suppose “AoT” is telling the reader/viewer that we have to abandon empathy and kindness in order to succeed and flourish. But of course that’s completely the opposite message that “AoT” tells us. It instead tells us that the only way humanity has any chance of surviving and breaking free of the cycle of hate and destruction it over and over seems to get caught in, is to hold on to our empathy, kindness and humanity. It shows why, through Levi and Jean particularly, and how their refusal to compromise on what they feel is right, their refusal to compromise their morality, is so important. How that empathy, kindness and humanity that they have is what actually makes us strong, what actually makes us better.

[ampheenix]

Marina: an Epilogue

F&H MARINA X LEVI FIC, TAGS: romantic fluff, angst, flashbacks, oneshot

SUMMARY:

“Marina left Prehevil, her ties to it severed by the festival. She would settle down in Valland, in the red lights district of the capital. She would find kindred spirits there. She had a good life, using her occult skills for a living. Though a certain person was always following her…”

Or, what happened to Marina after winning the Terminal festival… along with a glimpse into her memories, and what happened along the way.

Marina had a sneaking feeling her hair had been paler as of late. Her curly locks seemed less silky and smooth, more… subdued, and the bags under her eyes had been growing darker too. 

Every time she came across her reflection in the mirror, it felt like being doused in cold water. No matter how much she powdered her face, no matter how much lipstick she slathered on, she still seemed pale, ghostly and shrouded in a sense of misery.

It wasn’t a good feeling. She’d always been one to take care in her appearance (it started with fear of others realizing her secret, and then she’d soon started finding enjoyment in the process), but as she gazed into the mirror… the fear she could see in her eyes, shaky and brittle… she didn’t like it at all.

In the very least, it wasn’t exactly a shock… after the scarring events of the Termina festival, Marina wouldn’t have been surprised if her hair turned white.

Her hands still started to tremble every time she thought back to just a few weeks ago- sweaty fingers in a white-knuckled grip on the trigger of a trench gun as she would shoot, and shoot, and shoot again with a desperate sense of knowing you’re just an inch from death, clothes drenched in filth that made Marina want to peel off her skin and take it to the laundry-

Marina stopped, nails digging into her fists hard enough to draw blood. She… she a handful of good memories from the festival at least, so it wasn’t all shit (though 99% of it was horrors beyond comprehension).

After all, it was Levi who had taught her how to shoot in the first place, how to defend herself with something aside from a kitchen knife and sanity-sapping spells. A wan smile made its way onto Marina’s face at the bittersweet memories…

At the beginning of the festival, all she’d known about the Eastern Union ex-soldier was that he had hurriedly made his way off the train, in a rather suspicious manner according to Karin (but the journalist had seemed rather biased, at the time).

It was honestly a surprise to find out that they were both the same age, when they met again in the basement of Restaurant Bílý Vůl. Marina was hesitant to approach at first, seeing a young, dishevelled boy in overalls curled up in a ball, and despite all this was rather attractive- even when shaking from withdrawal symptoms.

Marina was questioning her taste within that moment, yet she couldn’t help but extend a hand. And not because she thought him cute, alright- she genuinely wanted to help him out.

Levi… he carried himself with an air of constant paranoia, the deep bruises under his eyes and black marks on his arms a dead-giveaway to his chosen poison. So, when she offered heroin, a momentary ease to his suffering, they became tentative friends.

Levi was rather quiet. All he did at first was constantly scan the area with his gun at the ready, and occasionally glance at her when he thought she wasn’t looking- letting out a small sigh every now and then.

He followed her instructions instantly during battle, with unblinking faith in Marina’s judgment- and with their combined strength, they won every fight they came across.

The disturbing sights of Prehevil’s residents scarred both their minds, and neither of them judged when one found themselves nauseous and losing their lunch after a particularly disgusting foe…. After encounters with things like the fecal hound it was often commonplace.

And if Marina passed him a blue vial and some herbs after a battle, and their fingers touched briefly for a moment, who could blame her for hiding a smile at the pink in his cheeks?

By the end of the first day, when they settled down to rest in the bookshop, Marina couldn’t help but ask about the interaction… and yes, alright, maybe she said it in a rather teasing manner. All-mer forbid a girl flirt in these trying times.

And gods, it was worth it. Marina couldn’t help but let a laugh bubble up at how red Levi’s face turned, but it wasn’t a mean laugh or anything- and Levi could tell, as he buried his face in his hands. He had apologized, stumbling over his words, and she just smiled, shuffling closer…

And then, before she could think about it too much, Marina kissed his cheek. Her lips lingered there for a moment before she drew back, seeing Levi gazing at her complete and utter shock in his eyes, flustered beyond belief.

It was… it was a really nice moment, amidst all the death and gore. Those moments tended to be few and far between, and this had been the sweetest yet.

The next day, Daan had joined them, and he was more blunt and dry in his teasing than was Marina’s style but it was nonetheless effective.

That second night, he had taken a long, slow drag of his cigarette with a small smile, before calling out the stolen glances they were sending eachother- which Marina would vehemently deny (like a lying liar who lies), and Levi would nod along with her with crossed arms.

And the third day… everything went to shit, and Marina found herself at the tower, alone. Her memories are a hazy, fucked up blur from that point onwards.

And all that…

That was in the past now. Marina’s soft smile slowly faded, as she rested her hands on the sink in front of her. After everything that had happened, in the festival…

Gods.

Her grip tightens on the sink.

She had never thought she would win. The first few days after it all ended were spent in a daze, body on autopilot whilst her mind was in overdrive, staggering off that wretched FUCKING train that had brought so much blood and misery.

Winning had never been her intention, she wasn’t the type of person to sell out everyone else and murder them just so she could go free. That was something her father would probably have no qualms doing, but not her.

And all the days after staggering off the train at a random stop in Valland were filled with the sickening weight of guilt and grief, for the friends she hadn’t saved. Marina knew it wasn’t her fault, but… their lost souls still weighed on her.

Marina stared at her reflection in the mirror as she ran a shaky hand through her hair, greasy from neglect.

Tried to pretend she was a normal girl, living a normal life in the red lights district of Valland, who had never seen a town of people scorched by the light of an old god. Tried to pretend that she was just your average occultist who had only the right sorts of secrets, the scandalous ones that make your friends giggle and go “ooh,” and “aah.”

Marina held her piercing gaze on the eyes of the girl in the mirror, a girl who looked tired beyond belief, like she hadn’t truly rested in a long while. And Marina let out a long sigh, like the ones Daan used to do whenever she and Levi did something particularly stupid.

And Marina took a step back from the mirror, planting her hands on her face as she breathed in deeply. In, and out. In, and out…

She’d be okay, as time went by. Marina had to believe that, because what else was there?

When you’re a participant in a festival like that…

Where all you have are the enemies who want you dead, the creepy Bremen soldier who wants to see under your skirt, a doctor who was forced to use his skills to murder instead of heal, and the ex-soldier who you may or may not have been crushing on… that is, before he was viciously slaughtered by a monster right in front of you.

No one walks out of something like that without a few scars.

And… well.

She hadn’t been the only one to walk out, apparently.

A certain someone had followed her to Valland’s capital, though Marina still had no idea who- or what- she was. She, or it, bared an uncanny resemblance to the girl from the festival, the one that was supposed to be dead.

Marina just barely recalled her name… Samarie.

Her face was one of many that showed up in her dreams each night. Greasy black her, sickly pale skin, and swathed in a sense of desperation… the girl who had said she loved her, the girl who had stabbed her father, and the girl who had apparently been a part of the ninth circle (that Marina had only ever heard sick and twisted rumours of).

Marina still struggled to even comprehend her.

And now, a version of Samarie had managed to follow her here, even though the rules of Termina had dictated only one may walk out. So either the black-haired girl managed to break the rules somehow, or she had been replaced by some twisted creature from Prehevil.

Samarie hadn’t been that bad company to be honest, aside from being a tad delusional and creepy. Marina definitely knew which option of the two she preferred, but unfortunately, she also knew which one was more likely- some kind of doppelgänger, no doubt.

Calmer now, she let her hands fall back down by her sides, letting out a deep exhale. Even now, she had a niggling feeling that Samarie was watching her…

Well, could be worse.

She could have jumped down that damn toilet at the beginning of the festival and have rotted there in faeces for the rest of her days, like some idiot. (Shit, imagine if she had done that? She’d never live it down… and she’d never live, period.)

Marina walked out of her cramped bathroom and let herself fall with a “thwump!” on a lumpy couch, courtesy of one of her newly-made acquaintances- she’d met some kindred spirits recently who also studied occultism, and they were nice, she supposed.

All she could do now was wait and see if “Samarie” ever revealed herself, and attempt to scrub her mind of the scarring memories from the festival. She didn’t even want to think about that bastard Per’kele and his twisted games ever again.

And just… hope, that everything would turn out alright.

But she knew one thing- she was never doing rituals in the name of that bastard Rher ever again.

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

Angst Masterlist

all angst, no comfort: 💔 hurt/comfort: ❤️‍🩹

hi i think the original post is getting too long and tumblr won't let me save it so this is my attempt at compromising

main masterlist

hcs/drabbles:

➼ fighting prior to a deadly battle (dystopian!au) 💔 ➼ forbidden love with levi 💔 ➼ levi being mad about being called Humanity’s Strongest Soldier™ 💔 ➼ levi comforts you after you think he’s sick of you ❤️‍🩹 ➼ levi removes you from a mission 💔 ➼ levi telling you that you’re perfect just the way you are ❤️‍🩹 ➼ meeting at a party on the arms of someone else (ex-boyfriend!levi) 💔 ➼ post-war!levi grieving you 💔 ➼ you grieving levi's death 💔 ➼ you wake up with amnesia 💔

oneshots:

➼ Don't Leave Me 💔

Wanting to focus on his duties, Levi breaks up with you, wanting to wait until after the war to be together. Unfortunately, you don't get to survive until the end of the war.

➼ His Last Hope 💔

After the tragedy that was the 57th Scouting Expedition, Levi is unable to determine your fate.

➼ Just Go ❤️‍🩹

After a fight, you're convinced that Levi's going to break up with you.

➼ Keeping You Safe ❤️‍🩹

You get hurt during the 57th Scouting Expedition and are confronted by Levi.

➼ Purpose

After surviving in the Underground on his own, Levi finds it difficult to continue moving forward.

➼ Stolen 💔

Levi finally decides to confess his feelings to you. However, before he could, disaster struck.

➼ Surprises ❤️‍🩹

You were convinced that Levi was cheating. He instead comes home with a surprise.

➼ Take Me Back 💔

After losing you in battle, Levi mourns you at your grave.

➼ You're Safe ❤️‍🩹

Levi raises his voice, which triggers your previous memories. Aware of your past, Levi helps you through it.

➼ Your Promise 💔

It's the night before the return to Shiganshina. Afraid of losing you, Levi attempts to take you off the mission.

➼ Your Safe Space ❤️‍🩹

You struggle holding back an incoming mood swing. Levi encourages you not to hold it back.

➼ Your Worth ❤️‍🩹

Upset about constantly coming in second place, you request to get removed off Levi's squad, and Levi isn't having any of it.

Last updated: June 24, 2024

© humanitys-strongest-bamf & rydenkat | Do not repost or plagiarize my work. Do not translate or edit without my permission. Do not feed my work into AI. My work is currently posted exclusively on Wattpad, AO3, and Tumblr. Feel free to recommend my works on other social media platforms!

[chopzoe]

Something that just came to my mind... I feel like there is not enough fanfics about how all the trauma and fucked up stuff happening in aot should really fuck up the libido of people, especially the scouts.

I just watched a video the other day about ex soldiers talking about their experiences and mental health and there was a lot ptsd and depression and them telling how it basically killed their sex life. And I came to think about how I haven't taken that into account when writing tit for tat for example: Levi had a perfectly normal sex drive, wanting to bang Erwin from the get go and now I wondered whether I got a little too quick with that, considering the plot is set only two months after a major traumatic event in Levi's life when she watched Farlan and Isabel get killed. Not taking into account how her life up until there was pretty much just as fucked up.

[hangeslefteye]

Aot but survey corps is a mafia family (Marley included)

My shitpost time has arrived :D Feel free to disagree.

Boss:Erwin,he is the the highest ranked person of the family known as the father.He values his family more than anything and wants their peace and freedom.Loyalty is everything to him.

Acting Boss:Zeke,his entire point is to look like the boss to public eye to guarentee Erwin's safety.He would have been assassinated already by now if not for his capo brother Eren's attention.

Counselor:Levi,he only and directly works for Erwin usually spies the underboss and capos in secret.Also he's the icon of the family and very greatly known although only by name.He often visits his old ghetto to make sure his friends Farlan and Isabel are alright.

Underboss:Hange,she rules the capos and takes orders only and directly from Erwin.She's known by her 'experimental' torture methods among the soldiers.Also she has an secret involvement with counselor Levi that can get her killed if noticed.Zeke seems a little too interested in that affair of hers.

Hitman:Reiner,he usually only works for Hange but Erwin can reach out to him aswell.His duty is to kill strayed capos and soldiers.On this matter he killed many of his friends and often wishes to be killed than to kill.Despite his terrible mental health he recently adopted 2 streets kids named Gabi and Falco yet they are unaware of Reiner's real job.

Capo1:Jean,rumors say he has the brightest future among all the capos because of his great leading abilities and understanding of the family.Also very close friends with Reiner but hides it from Hange.He's somehow popular among city's women aswell.

Capo2:Armin,many says he's the smartest capo of them all and Hange will leave his seat to him.On this matter everybody thinks he is rivals with Jean but in reality they are best friends since soldier days and they move up together.

Capo3:Floch,even though his leading abilities are well respected and he is loved among the soldiers he's known to cause unnecessary chaos in the city.He's a big trouble for Hange so he might end up as being Reiner's new target.

Ex-Capo:Eren,once a skilled capo,he betrayed the family and almost got killed.Some say Erwin forgave him while others say Reiner showed mercy but reality is unknown.His whereabouts are also unknown.

Soldier1:Mikasa,known for her incredible fighting skills she's actually quite famous in the city very much like Levi.Only reason she's not a capo already is because she's very individualistic.Also acklowledged by Levi,she was quite involved with Eren but she proved her loyalty by staying with the family.

Soldier2:Connie,he's rather known by his loyalty and selflessnes towards family than skills.He is heavily relied on by Armin and Jean,gets sent off to most trust required jobs.

Soldier3:Sasha,she is greatly noticed for her sharp shooting skills.Hange wants her to be an Hitman but everybody knows her sweet spot for her friends so she's likely to stay as a soldier to protect the family.

Political representor:Historia,she's a young business woman comes from a rich family.Recently she made it into city council and makes sure to bend council decisions for the family's benefit.

Guardog:Ymir,an ex soldier she is,makes sure Historia is safe and keeps the communication between Historia and the family.When needed she handles Historia's dirty work for her and only actually loyal to her, even though she knows she's closely watched by Reiner.

Associate1:Annie,she's an police officer with an everyday life but occasionally she destroys crime evidences for the family.She taught Reiner how to shoot and Eren to fight when they were all streetkids.Known by very little,she got involved with the family in the first place to make sure her favorite capo is out of police's eye.

Associate2:Pieck,she's a popular courtesan that usually seen with the upper society of the city.For enough money she can do whatever to whoever,including 'accidental' coke overdose.

Associate3:Bertholdt,sells hunting equipments in his everyday life but secretly he traffics guns and whatsoever for the family.

Associate4:Porco,he wanted to be a soldier but due to his brother's sabotage he missed the chance of being one.Nowadays he gathers 'taxes' from clubs and casinos for the family.He secretly steals large amounts of that 'tax' and causes discomfort to the owners.

Associate5:Marcel,he is a journalist that works for the city newspaper and he is responsible from family's reputation and public representation.Even though back then he was very protective of his brother nowadays they are known to be in bad terms.Rumors say they both crush over the city's most popular escort.

[bittersyllabub]

Would you like to read a fic.

Levi x Marina.

Vote for your favorite dilf. In the comments. *wonk ;)*

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/47264161"><strong>She Wants to Attend Midnight Mass.</strong></a> (1033 words) by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bittersyllabub"><strong>Bittersyllabub</strong></a><br />Chapters: 1/10<br />Fandom: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fear%20*a*%20Hunger%20(Video%20Games)">Fear &amp; Hunger (Video Games)</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fear%20*a*%20Hunger%202%20Termina%20(Video%20Games)">Fear &amp; Hunger 2 Termina (Video Games)</a><br />Rating: Mature<br />Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death<br />Relationships: Levi | Ex-Soldier/Marina | Occultist<br />Characters: Levi | Ex-Soldier, Marina | Occultist, Samarie (Fear & Hunger), Abella | Mechanic, O'saa | Yellow Mage, Daan | Daniël | Doctor, August (Fear & Hunger), Per'kele (Fear & Hunger), Karin Sauer | Journalist, character death - Character, Blood - Character, missing limbs - Character, violence - Character<br />Summary: <p>( A follow-up to my story "It's been a long day, witchcraft is the answer." You don't have to read the whole thing. You can CRTL+F+Search "And that was how" and read past that to get the gist of it. or not read it all, whatever.)</p><p>“Never thought I’d take a girl to church like this.”<br />He's looking at the other ruined stump, the 90-degree cut took more flesh than bone, leaving a jagged fleshless point of yellowly/red hard mass sticking from what had been the elbow.</p><p>Levi and co. go to church.</p>

[bittergirlsworld]

My thoughts on Erwin Smith as a character (very badly elaborated, I fear) after reading again the Uprising Arc and RTS Arc

Been thinking and I don't believe he wanted to know if his father was right or not, because being killed by the government was an answer to this itself; he wanted to prove the "world" that his father was right therefore innocent, so his life was taken for nothing. It explains his mental state and the reason why he saw himself as a first class con man (Isym also describes him as a con man, so it was probably the true about his person) because you need to have insane manipulation skills and a very loose sense of attachment to ascend in a military hierarchy while keeping secret of something this heavy. It surprises no one how much of a mad man he was in his last months. This kind of guilty wouldn't scratch a second thought in a actual evil person but he was not evil at all. He was never flippant about the lives that died under his command; he single-handedly created the formation that cut human losses expedition after expedition, so the argument that he didn't cared about casualties does not stand for too long.

I think it's also never taken in consideration the setting where erwin was made commander: the reputation of the Survey Corps was in flames due Shadis bad admin + public outburst, Shadis was the first commander that left the chair before dies and in the day Erwin assumed, Wall Maria fell; short after, the government sent that mock expedition to "reclaim the wall" that was just population control and it was under his commandership but he didn't had a single say in this matter.

It was crucial to the Paradis rulers that the general public hated the scouts and saw them coming back every expedition dead and broken: it kept them compliant with living trapped within walls and every time someone questioned this (ex: Eren) was just use the scouts as an example of what happens when you venture outside the walls: you either get insane, broken or you die. The SC was part of the propaganda the government used to keep their population alienated and on a leash (also burning books, murder thinkers and revolutionaries; the conversation Kenny has with grandpa Ackerman where he says that they even killed their own to avoid questions on why existed diversity within people [implied in-walls genocide?])

Yes, he was a master manipulator, ruthless and a political genius, orchestrated a coup on his own with two or three allies, the man was brilliant through and through. But I think people get these traits and paint him as someone who slaughters and coerce and that's just not the truth. He was very honest with the adversities that the scouts faced it, from the casualties to the tight budget. Who did he coerced into staying? Erwin is portraited as someone who spent so much time lying to himself that he started to believe his own lies so they became his twisted truth. It was to prove his father, yes, but it wasn't for humanity too? Wouldn't humanity benefit of it? Wouldn't they all be as free as you can be? Wouldn't people stop to die over limited resources, Wouldn't the underground become pointless, Wouldn't land be available? Wouldn't humanity benefit?

Erwin was also a character created to serve a purpose in the story (a foil to the MC, a counterpart to the important captain, a political genius to establish the queen, a inspirational commander to follow, a reliable leader to expeditions, a good soldier when you need to see him fighting, a professional yapper when you need a speech) every appearance of his was very plot driven. He would be more of an inconvenience being alive, so he needed to go now he served his purpose: lead them to shinganshina. He was always meant to die in that roof. Having a presence that feels this large compromise a lot of the personhood of a character. More of a tool, less of a person. He was only humanised when people saw him through Levi's eyes (and this is not a "eruri" comment. See their relationship as soldiers, friends or lovers, the only time Erwin is human, it's when Levi decides to free him).

(On a side note: Erwin was extremely suicidal on his last months alive. He had little regard for his life and physical integrity, going as far as to say "I am replaceable" and "Use me as a bait". Of course, plot wise was crucial that he was present on Shinganshina, he needed to die and also the mission as it was projected would not succeed without him. His last speech, as a iconic as it is, sounds pretty much as a depressed person telling you life is meaningless. He recovers himself, barely, in the second part of said speech when he talks about the fallen comrades, even then, it's a man burdened by guilty talking. When he loses his arm, he doesn't allow himself the pain of it. His answer is that he deserves it.

Doesn't escapes me that in all the manga, almost every interaction Erwin has, people make sure to remark how evil he is, how ruthless and inhuman and cruel, for things he had absolutely no control over. Added with the guilt he already had since a child, his mind was in a state of decaying for decades when the main events of AOT happen.

It hurts more because (and I am aware that's an unpopular opinion) he had absolutely no fault on what happened to his father. Who gives knowledge that can get both of you killed to a child and doesn't even instruct them to keep it shut? His father failed him. He would be offended if people point this, tho. Pixys' reaction to his story shows a bit how outsiders react to it when he tells him.

The most heartbreaking line is when he smiles after Connie tells about his family (which wasn't right of him at all, but then again, he wasn't in his right mind) and Levi says he makes him sick and his answer is a sigh and a "I've been told this since I was a child". That man had such a twisted sense of self that he was miles away to even be considered a shell of a person.)

In a way, I'm glad his character ended as it did. I'm genuinely glad he never reached that cellar. The truth of it all was not only disappointing but cruel and staying alive he would be the one leading them into this unknown hell and the one burdening the blame for all these things out of his control. Prove his father right would be the most pyrric victory ever. As they say, thank you, Levi.

[ramblingmoon]

pavlevi :3

Not a romantic fic but I'll give you something.

No boots, no style, no personality.

Pav wasn't so much toying with the other side's ex-addict-heroin-child-soldier, Levi, as pissed. After all this shit, both sides of this war killing each other killing themselves. They even started throwing kids out to fight like starving dogs. Destroying everything living, they could have at least provided the damn kids some goddamn boots!

No goddamn boots for the children soldiers!

That was totally the reason why Pav was so pissed. Definitely had nothing to do with the needle injections on the kid's arm and that vacant look on his face. This kid was only looking for the next rush to give himself relief. Pav knowing damn well it was the adults in the kid's life that gave him the drugs in the first place.

Well Pav wasn't going to let Levi die without looking like a damn soldier that the kid was. So was not because Pav want to keep an eye on him like some older brother or more like a mother hen.

But Levi followed him. His eyes open not focusing on anything and shuffled on by. He was like a zombie. Hell, if someone had told Pav that the kid was a zombie he might have believed them even without the brain eating.

They made their way to the destroyed shopping district. Pav spotted a cobbler store and dragged Levi in. There Pav grabbed any boots that he thought was appropriate for a soldier. There was some in the store and Pav was going to make them fix!

“Take your shoes off and try these on.” Pav tossed a pair over to Levi.

They landed at Levi's feet. The kid was still standing in the doorway, the sunlight still on his back . Levi just stood there staring.

“No,” Levi finally spoke.

Pav spun around and if looks could kill Levi would be 10 times over. After Pav had taken the time out of his grand revenge story to help this damn kid. The nerve of the brat.

“And why the hell not?” Pav didn't even bother trying to keep his voice even.

“Because they are a size 8 and I'm a size 13. Also this is a woman's store so something will fit me in here.” He said it so monotone Pav wouldn't have thought a human could sound so dull.

“Well then…”

There was a long awkward silence.

“Guess those,” Pav pointed to Levi's shoes. “Will have to do for now until we get to civilization and a mall. How are you at sniping?”

“Good.” No emotions, made Pav's skin crawl.

“Want to help me kill the Kaiser?”

“Okay”

“Okay, really okay is all you have to see when someone ask you to help them kill the most powerful man on this earth?”

Levi gave a shrug and didn't say anything.

Pav gave a long sigh and rested his head in his hand. This was not gong to be a fun partnership with someone so dead.

“Remind me to get you a personality.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, okay? For fuck’s sake doesn't anything get into that thick skull of yours?”

“Do you want help with killing the Kaiser because of your lack gun abilities or not?”

Pav was so stun that he fell so the ground. His mouth hung open.

“Holy shit, was that a joke. Hold the presses there is a personality in there..”