#levi modern fanfiction

[gabstea]

Levi Ackerman, your history professor whose stoic and sharp figure lingers in your mind far longer than you would ever admit.

The way he carries himself, those sharp gray eyes that seem to follow you every time he moves around the classroom—even when you change seats, even when you're tucked away in the back row—they always land on you.

Damn him for having those thoughts, where his pretty little and bright student provokes heated fantasies when it’s late at night, and he’s lying in bed next to the woman who's supposed to be his wife…

A week ago he had discovered her chats with another man. Texts, photos, everything he despised coming from the person he trusted and loved. He hadn’t said a thing, he acted colder, furious, even aggressive, but stayed silent. He didn’t know why, couldn’t comprehend his own thoughts. He wanted to destroy everything in their room, scream at her and pushed her out of his life, but that wouldn’t satisfy him. Not. One. Bit.

Days passed in a blur. Classes. You. Your clothes. Your eyes. The way you furrowed when focusing on whatever he was explaining in class, the way you said his name... Fuck.

You weren’t so innocent, you caught him glancing your way every time, you lingered and stayed with him longer than you needed, full of questions—or excuses. Your head tilted just so, that subtle smile on your lips. It was driving him insane. Even more so as the betrayal he'd suffered replayed in his mind, over and over again.

Hard times… unbearable times, in which he locked himself in his room the moment his so-called wife was out of sight. A visible bulge on his pants.

"Pathetic," he muttered to himself. He couldn’t have those thoughts for a student, could he? And still, he would jerk off to images he saved on deeper parts of his mind.

He didn’t feel guilty when he finished, he would clean up, methodically as he always did.

The thoughts of his student, of you, stayed. You had become his obsession, the one thing keeping him tethered to life after the betrayal. Somehow, you'd lit a spark in him—that warm sensation in his chest he hadn’t felt in years. Maybe that’s when he realized what had to be done.

Confront his wife. He needed to end it.

An when it was over, when all his rage had burned through him, he sold the house. He packed what he wanted to keep—the necessary, and moved into a quiet, simple apartment where he could be alone.

He would still wait. Wait for the semester to end, wait for the day you were no longer his student. And then, after weeks, months of self-restraint, a simple text would pop up on your phone.

"Wanna grab some coffee?"

Wanted to write something about Levi in a modern au as a professor, so…

[amywritesthings]

press four for more options. / masterlist

After seeing your ex with his new girl at a work party, you take the not-so-smart advice from a friend to call a sex hotline to get over him. Your match? A baritone bossy dom named Levi.

READ THE STORY ON AO3

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x F!Reader (Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin) Rating: Explicit ( 18+ ) Word Count: 17k Tags: 18+ MINORS DNI - alternate universe (modern), slow burn, smut, sex work, phone sex, pet names, guided masturbation, dirty talk, dom!levi, light dom/sub, alcohol, sex toys, mention of body image

one / two / three / four

OFFICIALLY COMPLETED ON 07.25.2024

[caffeinateddino]

i wanna see Kuchel Ackerman interacting with reader SO BAD. so here it is! levi x reader modern au (Gender neutral pronouns for reader. SFW)

---

You stepped into Levi's teashop again, just like you did every morning for the past four months. Before any other customer came in, you’d arrive, order the exact same tea, flirt with him (or at least try to), get rejected, and then leave.

"Hi, handsome!" you chirped as you walked through the door, flashing him your brightest smile. "You're looking as pret-tea as usual." So proud of your cheeky pickup lines, weren’t you?

Levi sighed, his brows furrowing as he wiped the counter. "Good morning," he muttered, not looking up. "Regular?"

Oh, isn't he just the sweetest? Already knowing your favorite order—you wish. He knew a ton of things about you by now, but not because he was interested. No, it was because you reintroduced yourself AT LEAST twice a week. He knew your name, age, job, the name of your first fish, and even that middle school friend you still had beef with. He knew it all.

"Aww, look at you! Memorizing my order?" you teased, leaning on the counter to get a better look at him.

"No," he deadpanned. "It’s just the cheapest tea in the shop, and you order it every time you come in." He stepped back like you were a germ that he had to stay away from

“There’s a customer already?” an unfamiliar voice called from the prep area. You frowned—new employee? But no, as soon as she stepped out, you realized this wasn’t just anyone. She was one of the most jaw-dropping women you'd ever seen. Long black hair, steel-grey eyes, pale skin, and a sweet smile as she walked to the counter. Definitely related to Levi.

Ignoring Levi, she smiled directly at you. “Hi, what can we get for you today?”

Okay, you were persistent, but you weren’t dumb. She was obviously related to him. His sister? His mom? Either way, time to impress.

“I already got the ord—” Levi started, but you cut him off.

“Hi! I love your eyes!” you said, beaming at her. She smiled, a little shyly. “You’re so sweet, thank you.”

“I’m changing my order,” you declared, causing Levi to pause and raise an eyebrow. “I’ll have a cup of jasmine tea,” you continued, scanning the menu above. “And, uh... lemon cheesecake, and that thing.. I can’t pronounce.”

You were picking the most expensive items on the menu. Levi couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at his lips.

“Sure, dear, we’ll get it right out for you,” the woman—probably his mom—replied sweetly, turning to help Levi. Getting a smile from someone related to him? Wild. You thought his whole bloodline had to be as stoic as he was.

After you got your tea and moved to a table by the window, you glanced back at the counter. Kuchel nudged Levi with her elbow, her eyes glinting with amusement. "So... who’s that?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"Tch. No one. Just a regular customer," Levi replied with a shrug, continuing to wipe the counter as if it was his life’s mission.

“Really? They seemed interested in you,” she added, clearly enjoying the moment. Levi sighed. Maybe bringing his mother here had been a mistake. “They are,” he admitted, moving to brew a fresh pot of tea.

Kuchel’s smile widened. "They're pretty, aren’t they?" He paused, visibly uncomfortable but unable to deny it. “… I guess?”

"Alright then," Kuchel said, clearly up to something, before leaving the counter to sit across from you.

'Oh god,' Levi thought, feeling a headache coming on. He knew what his mom was about to do…

You blinked in surprise as Levi’s mom—Kuchel —sat right across from you, a warm smile on her face. You glanced at Levi, who was now standing behind the counter with the most deadpan expression, silently begging the universe to stop this.

“So, how long have you been coming to this shop?” Kuchel asked, leaning in like this was a cozy little chat between best friends.

You tried not to choke on your tea. “Uh, about four months now. I, uh, really like the tea here.”

And the view, you thought but wisely kept to yourself.

“Four months! That’s dedication,” she remarked with a knowing smile. “Levi must really enjoy seeing such a loyal customer every morning.” Levi’s eye twitched from across the room.

“Uh, yeah, it’s nice to see a familiar face,” you said, laughing nervously. Kuchel nodded, clearly entertained. “You know, he doesn’t usually get attached to customers, but I think you might be special.” She paused dramatically, then added, “He talks about you all the time.”

Your heart skipped a beat. Wait, what?

Levi nearly dropped the teapot. “Mom,” he said sharply, voice low with a warning edge. what the fuck now

“Oh, hush, I’m just making conversation,” Kuchel waved him off, fully embracing her mom duties. “He mentioned just the other day how you always come in so cheerful and—” she leaned in as if sharing a secret—“how you flirt with him every morning.”

Your face burned, and Levi’s hand gripped the counter so tightly it might break.

You stammered. “H-he told you that?”

“Well, no, but it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” she winked. “And you know, Levi here could use someone with your energy. He’s always so serious, isn’t he?” She turned her head slightly to address her son. “Levi, dear, you should take some notes—this one knows how to have fun.”

Levi groaned audibly. “Mom, please.”

You almost choked on your tea again. This was both mortifying and the best thing that had ever happened.

Kuchel continued undeterred. “He’s really sweet once you get to know him, you know? Sure, he’s got that broody, ‘I-don’t-care-about-anything’ look, but deep down, he’s very caring. Protective, too. He always makes sure I’m taken care of. Isn’t that right, Levi?”

Levi’s glare could’ve melted steel at this point. “I am right here, Mom.”

“Oh, don’t be so shy,” she teased, ignoring him completely. “What’s your name, dear?” she asked, turning back to you.

You told her, still a bit flustered but managing to smile. Kuchel’s face lit up.

“What a beautiful name! It would sound so lovely with ‘Ackerman,’ don’t you think?”

You almost spat out your tea. Levi nearly knocked over a stack of teacups. “Mom!”

Kuchel giggled, clearly enjoying every second of this. “What? I’m just saying. No harm in thinking about the future, right?”

Levi closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath, as if summoning every ounce of patience in his body. “I’m going to the back,” he muttered, turning away before his mom could cause any further damage.

Kuchel just smiled after him, unfazed. “Well, he’ll come around eventually. Boys like him always do. Anyway, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like, dear. And don’t worry—I’ll make sure he brews your tea just right.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at this point. “Thank you. I’ll definitely keep coming back.”

As Levi disappeared into the back of the shop, probably questioning every life decision that led him to this moment, Kuchel leaned in one last time. “Don’t give up on him,” she whispered conspiratorially. “He needs someone to loosen him up. And between you and me…” She grinned, eyes twinkling. “I think you’re perfect for the job.”

You were certain Levi was somewhere back there facepalming so hard, but honestly? You were starting to like Kuchel a lot.

[the-traveling-poet]

ᴅʀᴀʙʙʟᴇ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ 2024 // ᴅᴀʏ TWENTY FOUR ~ BANDAGE

Inspired by my cat :3

Content ~ Levi Ackerman x GN!Reader, Modern!AU

See @thedrabblecollective ‘s page for the challenge rules and everyone’s drabbles!

~ All Days + Borders Here!~

"Let me guess; paper cut from your book, or playing with the cat?"

"...Both..."

Sighing, Levi unwrapped a bandage from the bathroom cabinet and motioned for your hand. The wound wasn't major, in fact you'd hardly consider it a 'wound' to begin with. 

He wasn’t really annoyed, despite his light scoff. In fact you thought he was faintly amused as he disinfected the pad of your finger.

"Playing with the cat while reading your book...Is this how you spend your time at home while I'm at work?" He mused.

Glancing up, he gave a minute smile.

"There, all better, love."

[agusrkive]

having a crush on professor Levi would be so hard and embarrassing at the same time because why are you blushing while being scolded for not getting a simple formula?

you are currently in his office, seated on his chair under his desk. your hands fiddling with each finger as they nestled timidly down on your lap while he's explaining the problem you were having earlier in class. you are one of the top students and your grades in almost every subject were beyond excellent. well, almost.. except for professor Levi Ackerman’s class. his subject wasn’t even that hard, you just can’t seem to focus no matter how hard you try. it’s like he always finds his way to creep into your thoughts making it hard for you to listen attentively and keep your attention on the lesson. now you’re having trouble catching up with all the lectures you missed, thanks to your daydreaming about your hot professor who won’t leave you alone (in your mind at least)

“Did you get all of that?" his hard gaze on you makes your face heat up and you panic at the question. you just nodded, but the truth is you didn’t even understand any single word that he said. you were too focused on how close he was standing next to you. his arm resting perfectly on the back of your chair while the other flexes as he points at the screen in front of you and it’s not helping either with how good he smells, the scent of mint so intoxicating fills your senses and your breathing becomes ragged. your thoughts start to drift around dangerous waters and you can't help the image planted in your mind, you on his desk, him between your legs. your palms firmly placed against his chest while his hands are roaming at the small of your back. he pulls you against him making you gasp and he takes that as an opportunity to connect your lips with hi— you close your eyes and shake your head in attempt to push the dirty thoughts away, what the hell is wrong with you?

"tch. you’re clearly not listening again.” he flicks your forehead and that made you snap out of it.

“s-sorry sir, I was just..” you tried to reason but you couldn’t find anything to say, not even an excuse. you can’t just blatantly admit to him that the reason why you couldn’t focus is because of him and how badly you want him. you hear him let out a disappointed sigh and you feel bad. you can’t even look at him right now.

“something bothering you isn’t it? you need to tell me what is it so we can fix it.” Levi says as he grips your chair, twisting it around making you face him. fuck, your faces are now so close to each other. too close, you feel like you might pass out any second. you’ve never been this close to him before and if he leans a little more, your lips would definitely touch. why does he have to be so fuckin hot?

“tell me, what seems to be distracting you that you can’t even focus in my class?”

Levi isn’t dumb. he’s actually aware of your odd behavior in his class that has been going on for months now. he’s been observing you silently, but there hasn’t been a single improvement from you at all. in fact, you actually became worse. he knows that you are smart and that you aced almost every class you’re in, so what is it about his class that has a top student almost close to flunking?

then he figured it out when he called you into his office this morning.

“am I making you nervous?” this time, he says your name. the way it rolled off his tongue so smoothly, you feel chills inside your body causing goosebumps to rise from your skin. you gulped, trying to calm yourself. shit he knows.. of course he would! but still, he doesn’t know that you like him, right? he couldn’t possibly..

next chapter

[soleilceirinen]

Be careful, darling | modern!Levi Ackerman x wife!Reader

Summary: you want to surprise Levi on your anniversary but it does not turn out the way you expect. Modern AU. Warning: nothing, mentions of blood (you get hurt and he worries). A/N: English isn't my first language, sorry if there are mistakes. Words: 1.6k

Five years.

Time flies by in the blink of an eye, it feels like it was yesterday when you got on that train and ended up sitting next to Levi, but it’s been five years since then. 

He seemed a little distant and spent most of the time frowning. During that train journey you discovered that both of you shared a certain aversion towards small children. You didn’t like them because they were little noisy humans and he didn’t like them because they were walking bags of germs. 

Three hours later he was no longer frowning. Instead, one of the most incredible smiles you had ever seen dazzled in the middle of his face.

And now you are about to celebrate your second anniversary together since you got married.

Levi is still at work but he would be arriving home soon. You want to surprise him with a homemade dinner. He likes simple things and being calm, enjoying everyday experiences as well as spending time with you. As long as you are by his side, he’ll be happy.

Everything is almost ready, all that’s left is to take the food out of the oven and serve the dishes. You’ve lit a few candles whose scent fills the living room and the golden glow of the sunset comes through the kitchen window, creating a beautiful atmosphere. By the time Levi arrives it would be dark so he won’t see the golden light but at least you have the candles.

You take out some ingredients to make a salad and put them on the counter, where you already have a big glass bowl. 

As you wash the tomatoes you hear the sound of keys turning in the lock and the sounds of Levi’s footsteps. He approaches, following the delicious smell of dinner and enters the kitchen, stopping next to you, in front of the sink. 

"How was your day?" you ask as you cut the tomatoes into small pieces.

Levi shrugs while rubbing his hands with soap over and over again under the faucet. You see him doing it from the corner of your eye but decide to say nothing, although it worries you a little bit. Once he washed his hands so many times that the skin around his fingers and wrists started to crack and peel off. 

“It was alright, Erwin wanted to go out and have a few beers but I said no”, he explains, drying his hands with a kitchen towel and moving to stand behind you. Then, he wraps his arms around your waist, leaning with his chin between your neck and your shoulder. “He kept insisting until I told him that my girl was waiting for me,” he whispers in your ear, leaving a trail of small kisses down your neck.

It makes you giggle and wriggle in his arms, and he takes the opportunity to start tickling you. “You could tell him and Hanji to have lunch together someday too. We haven’t seen each other in a while.”

Levi presses his body against you, growling softly. “I see them every day at work,” he complains. 

“Exactly, you see them. But I haven’t seen them in ages. Don’t be selfish, they are your friends, and mine too!” you joke as you grab another tomato. 

“Selfish? Me?” he asks, pretending to be offended. You smile at him over your shoulder and his grey eyes shine with amusement, small wrinkles form at the corner of his eyes.

“Yes, you are.”

Before you can react, Levi starts another tickling attack. You let out a surprised shriek as his skillful fingers slid over your ribs, making you squirm with laughter. 

“Levi! No, no, stop. No!”

His melodious laugh accompanies your frantic one until you tense and a curse escapes from your lips. Levi stops, because you never curse. He seems to be frozen in time, expectant, not knowing what has caused you to react that way. He’s aware that something had happened nonetheless. 

You drop the knife you were holding and the half cut tomato on the counter, prior to stare down at your hand. In the middle of your palm is beginning to form a red line, where you’ve cut yourself. You scrutinize it in silence, all the previous laughter gone. Levi peeks over your shoulder to see what has made you gone quiet all of a sudden and when he notices the blood, he starts cursing like a sailor.

“It’s okay,” you say softly.

It’s just a cut after all, not like you’re going to die or something. It’s starting to sting though, due to the juice of the tomatoes. 

Gently, Levi grabs you by the wrist and leads you to the sink, where he places your hand under the stream of water. Immediately, the bottom of the sink turns a light tone of red. 

“Fuck,” he mutters. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were cutting stuff. How did you cut your hand like that?” He is worried, which is evident in his voice. He grabs one of the clean dish towels and wraps it around your hand, pressing the wound to stop the bleeding.

You bite your lip and shake your head. Your voice comes out weak. “I don’t know, Lee.”

Levi stares at you with wide eyes. “Are you okay?”

You nod. “It’s the blood, you know that I don't like it. I think I should sit for a moment. I’m fine, don’t worry.”

He keeps staring at your face, which is getting paler and paler each second. Carefully so you don’t fall in case you faint, he helps you sitting in one of the chairs next to the kitchen table and sits in front of you. He’s still pressing his hand against your palm. 

“The counter looks like a mess,” you mutter under your breath and Levi frowns. He looks at the counter and then at you before shaking his head. His soft hair bounces with the movement, falling into his eyes. He brushes it out of his face with the hand that’s not holding yours.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll clean it up later,” he says. “Honestly, the counter is the least of my worries right now.”

He opens the cloth, now soaked in red, and examines the wound in silence. You look away and sigh, feeling better. 

“You know, it was my fault. I was cutting into my hand,” you admit. 

Levi raises an eyebrow and gives you a questioning look. “What do you mean? If I hadn’t been tickling you, you wouldn’t…”

You kick his shin under the table. “Stop blaming yourself, Levi! I was using my hand as a cutting board,” you explain, feeling quite embarrassed about it. 

Then, Levi understands what you mean and his expression changes. He’s still worried but in a different way. He doesn’t say anything for a while, just remains quiet with his lips pressed in a thin line. When you meet his eyes, his face reflects an unspoken question: why are you like this?

“Darling, we have cutting boards. Plenty of them, actually. How many times have I told you not to use your hand?” he wonders, not really expecting an answer from you. “Sometimes I don’t understand you, it’s as if you had no self preservation instinct.”

“I know… but it’s an old habit that I have. Most times I do it and I don’t even realize it.”

Since you were young, you had been using your hand to cut things and not even once had you cut yourself. So you kept doing it that way over the years. Every time someone witnessed you doing it they always lectured you about how dangerous it was and that one day you were going to cut a finger off. 

Levi sighs and leans with his elbows on the table. He takes another look at your wound. “It’s not bleeding anymore,” he informs you. 

“I’m sorry, Levi,” you say and without any warning you start sobbing. You can’t help it and somehow it makes you feel like a child, so you look away to avoid meeting his eyes.

“Why?” he asks softly, as he leans further across the table to hold your face in his hands. He caresses your cheeks with his thumbs and his touch is gentle. He’s not mad at you, he’s just concerned. “Hey, don’t cry.”

But this only makes you cry harder. 

“I’ve ruined our anniversary. I wanted to surprise you with a nice dinner and now look at this mess. You must think I’m a fucking idiot.”

Levi shakes his head and stands up, he doesn’t like to see you like this. He kneels next to you and wipes away your tears. You bend over him, until your foreheads are pressed together.

“I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you think,” he tells you, trying to lift your spirits. “I’m mad at myself for not paying attention. You just need to be more careful when knives are involved, after all the salad doesn’t need any piece of you in it, am I right?”

His joke makes you smile a little. He pushes away and holds your face once again between his hands. The two of you stare into each other's eyes for a while before he presses his lips against yours. Levi takes his time, not rushing it and you close your eyes, leaning into him. 

“You haven’t ruined anything,” he whispers against your lips. “Happy anniversary, here’s to many more.”

You kiss him one more time. "Happy anniversary, Levi," you whisper tenderly, noticing a strange smell in the air.

It no longer smells like the scented candles that you lit a while ago, instead, a burnt scent has taken their place. "Turn off the oven!" you suddenly scream and Levi jumps to do so. He stares at the inside of the oven for a few seconds before turning to you, biting his lip.

"I think we should order something", he says nonchalantly and you can't help but laugh.

The surprise dinner is undeniably ruined, but at least you have Levi by your side and he has you. What else could you ask for?

[spicerackofblorbos]

Chapter 1: November

☾ Pairings ➼ Levi Ackerman x fem!mute!Reader (she/her pronouns), set in a modern semi-fictional world

☾ Summary ➼ Due to childhood trauma, you find yourself an adult without the ability to speak. After years of working on it, you have found ways to live without a voice. Now here in your late 20s, you are 5 months in getting used to a new town. On a fateful day in late November, you and your adopted sister visit a local bookstore-café, unaware of the friendships about to blossom. Throughout the months, one friendship in particular develops into something more.

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ fluff, slowburn, oblivious feelings, angst, mention of minor character deaths, trauma, illness, adoption, mentions of fire, disabilities, alcohol use, very light nsfw mentions, eventual smut (these update with every chapter)

☾ Author's note ➼ Hey guys! This is my first time writing fanfiction in a loooooong time, like the last time I wrote was probably in 2011. So with that said please be kind with any feedback or comments. I hope you enjoy! (also I made Hange's pronouns she/her/them/they)

Edit (11/27/2023): Hey guys, welcome to my little world of Unspoken Words. I have quite literally used this story as a way to better myself as a writer. As you read on, you may find that I've progressed (ofc I have a long way to go) but because of that, my first few chapters might be rough. With your patience, you may find a liking to this story as I know I've loved writing every word of it.

☾ word count ➼ ~7.1k

20-something years ago 

You’re not sure how, but you find yourself sitting in the back of a big, white van. Red and blue lights danced in your eyes, and it felt like a thousand people surrounded you. Something plastic is placed on your face then you are instructed to breathe in deeply. You thought it was funny to be told to breathe, like you don’t just do it naturally, but you follow instructions regardless. It’s hard though, every part of your body hurts, chest included. Every breath you take feels like your insides are on fire.  

‘Fire’, you think.  

Everything is on fire.

Present Day

Levi stood blank faced as he meticulously cleaned the blender station for what felt like the 100th time today. The late afternoon rush had just tapered down so he took advantage of the next to empty café to clean as much as he could before closing for the evening.  

“It’s 20 degrees outside, how are people still wanting frozen drinks.” he murmurs to himself, placing the blender back in its spot. Levi turns to the front counter and slings the towel he was using to dry things onto his shoulder.  

His best friend, roommate, and business partner could be seen restocking some books on tall shelves, a gentle smile lighting up his boyish features. It’s been about a year and a half since they started this business venture together and they had no idea at the time how successful their bookstore-café combo would be in this small town.  

Erwin’s thirst for knowledge kept their shelves as variable as ever while Levi’s love for perfecting the art of tea kept the drinks flowing. The problem, however, was Levi’s lack of people skills. He was seldom seen at the register, nor would you ever see him smile or talk to the customers. He often would leave you with a grunt and a swift turn after handing off the drinks.  

No, for that, they had hired a couple of local highschoolers to do the facing work.  

“Mr. Smith, Levi?” a soft voice rang out to the left of him. Levi shifted his attention to a taller girl with shoulder length raven hair standing next to him. Being as Mikasa is his cousin, they found early on how weird it was to be called ‘Mr. Ackerman’ as they shared the same surname. It was this connection too that got them to where they are today.  

“Would it be okay if Eren and I take off a little early tonight? We have some big tests coming up and we’d like to take some extra time to study.” Mikasa shifted her dark eyes to the darkening windows as the sun set just over the horizon. Pinks and oranges flooded the partially clouded skies.  

”Tch.” Levi could not help but roll his eyes. He raised a brow at her and leaned back against the counter behind him for support. “Sure, I guess,” he continues. “But do you really need it or is it for that blockhead?”  

As if summoned by his words, Eren comes up from behind Mikasa and wraps a red scarf around his girlfriend’s neck, both of their jackets hanging off one of his arms. Eren is a good kid, always on time and followed directions, but the amount of sass he held in his body was something else. Levi and Erwin did not mind though, as he added a certain energy in the café that the customers seemed to enjoy. The two men wouldn’t say it out loud, but they really appreciated having them both on the team.  

“Hey, I heard that. And yes, I need to study desperately. Econ is so hard and for what?!” Eren’s teal eyes widened for emphasis. To add to it he even put on a fake pout.  

“I-”  

“Just take the trash with you on the way out and you’re good to go.” Erwin piped up from behind a bookshelf.  

Mikasa nodded in acknowledgement towards the voice, a silent thank you. Like Levi, she was not one for many words. He once thought it was an Ackerman thing but then he thought back to his annoying uncle and changed his mind quickly.  

With that, she and Eren both untangled the aprons from their bodies, grabbed their belongings, and picked up the trash bags that were already taken out of the cans. They opted to leave through the back since the dumpsters were located that way. Again, Levi wouldn’t say it to anyone out loud, but he really did like those kids.  

Erwin could be heard stacking more books into the shelves which left Levi to polish the counters again. It was the last hour before they closed so it stayed quiet for the most part, only interrupted by the sounds of scuffling shoes and books being placed on hard surfaces. Light jazz filled the rest of the silence. Then the bell signifying new customers rang from the front.  

“Levi, can you grab that?”  

The raven-haired man just huffed in response then stepped over to the register. His eyes fell on two figures right in front of him. A frazzled brunette and... you.  

Due to the season, you are bundled up in a thick parka and knitted beanie. A big scarf wraps around your neck and face so that all Levi could see is your flushed cheeks and thick lashed eyes. Truthfully, you reminded him of a marshmallow.  

“What’ll it be?” he asks, deadpan. The brunette is the one to respond, the voice loud enough to make him wince.  

“Hmmm... well one English breakfast tea latte with lots of room for sugar aaaaand I’ll take a peppermint hot chocolate. Oh, and extra whip! We’ll drink it here.” She fished out a card with a dramatic thwip and handed it to Levi’s outstretched hand.  Their café is one of those where if you were to stay, they offered washable cup ware as to keep the prices down on disposable cups. Not to mention the lessened ‘environmental impact’ as Erwin would say.  

Levi glances at you before turning to make both orders. You give a small wave and smile a little, but he was already working quickly on the drinks. 

He went into autopilot as he steeped the tea and steamed the milk. He really appreciated customers that ordered anything outside of coffee, especially when it came to tea. It’s not that he hated coffee, though it’s not like he liked it either, but it just wasn’t his thing. Coffee offered a different kind of bitterness that he wasn’t very fond of. With extra whipped cream in one and extra space in the other, he whirled around to place the drinks on the counter.  

The one with glasses is the one that picks them up and they promptly walk in the direction of where you currently sit, one of the tables in the back corner by the window. You were stripped of your big parka and scarf, though the beanie stayed. Your eyes were wandering around the café in wonder, and Levi was pretty sure this had to be your first time here. But truthfully, he wouldn’t know, he didn’t make it his business to know his customers. That was Erwin’s and the kids’ job. 

“The shelves are full and I’m exhausted.” Erwin came around the counter with a couple of empty boxes in his arms, heading straight for the back to the dumpster. Levi stepped back and leaned against the counter once again, his own black tea that had steeped while making yours cradled in his fingertips. He kept looking at his only customers while he sipped the black liquid. The teacup almost slipped out of his grip as he saw you dumping a large amount of sugar into your cup.  

 There you sit, extremely focused on the cup in front of you and lips pressed together tightly, almost as if you were afraid you’d put in too much. The sight would have been funny if you hadn’t just ruined your entire tea, he thinks to himself. You smile to yourself in satisfaction and put the sugar jar back where it came from. While you stir the sweetener in gently, the brunette in front of you talks animatedly. Hands were flying everywhere, and Levi could practically feel the energy radiating from the corner of the room.  You were doing the same, silently laughing. 

Suddenly the front door flew open, the bell ringing loudly with it. Levi grits his teeth, steeling himself for yet another customer interaction. But his shoulders dropped in relief at the sight of only Carly, Erwin’s girlfriend. She saunters up to the counter with a big smile aimed towards Levi and without even asking she slid behind the bar. Erwin had already made it from the back and was in the process of putting away the leftover ingredients from the day. Carly wraps her arms around her boyfriend and plants a big kiss on his face, to which Levi quickly looks away. It wasn’t weird for her to come in right as they were about to close.  

What was weird, he thought, was the shock that flooded your face as you eyed the very public display of affection. Levi knit his brows in confusion as the brunette pivoted in her seat to see what you were staring at. Their face fell, any evidence of a good time completely erased.  

“Carly?”  

The person in question whipped around so fast at the voice and the panic that exuded from her was palpable. She quickly unwrapped herself from Erwin’s embrace.  

“Hange.”  

If it wasn’t for the jazz in the background, the lengthy silence that followed would have been deathly.  

Carly clears her throat and laughs awkwardly.  

“Uh, why are you here?”  

The person named Hange just lifts their hot chocolate cup awkwardly, not really saying anything. Their eyes shift between Carly and Erwin, clearly understanding what had happened.  

“I-I’m sorry, you guys know each other?” Erwin sounds cautious, like he already knew the answer. Of course, he would, he isn’t dumb. His piercing blue eyes survey the situation, going back and forth between the two.  

“Well, uh. I-” Carly stutters, clearly at a loss of what to say in the predicament she found herself in.  

“She’s my girlfriend.” Hange claims calmly.  

This admission makes Erwin sigh heavily, confirming what he had pieced together. Levi stared at him in bewilderment as the man just chuckled quietly.  

“Well. I suppose that’s it then.” And with that he turns on his heel and stalks off to the back room. 

“Wait, Erwin I can explain!” She follows right on his heels and disappears into the back room as well. A minute later you can hear hysterical crying and calm retorts reverberating from the back. If Levi could shrink into the cabinets to get out of this situation, he would. Instead, he focuses on the other party who were having a very quiet and rushed discussion. Well, a one-sided discussion, as he only heard one voice.  

Levi, realizing it was almost time to close anyways, rushes to close the distance between him and the front door. He really did not want to have to deal with other customers while the drama unfurled. So, he flips the door sign to ‘Closed’ and unplugs the ‘Open’ neon sign hanging in the window. A couple walks by about to open the door, probably out for a café date from the looks of it. But they were only met with a dead stare from the sharpest eyes they’d ever seen. With that, they briskly turned around and left down the sidewalk.  

Levi spins around and from here he gets a better look at the two trapped customers. You were moving your hands all over the place like you were earlier. But with an even closer look he realizes you weren’t just talking animatedly with your hands; you were talking with them. You were signing. 

You reacted to your partner’s conversation just fine, so it was clear you had some sort of hearing. Your scarf now hung loose around your shoulders, and it looked like you had tears brimming in your eyes. Levi swiftly walks back to the counter; this is obviously not a conversation he needed to be a part of.

“Hey, don’t worry about me. It’s only been a couple of months. Really, it’s better to find out now than 3 years from now.” They laughed without humor. You know when Hange was saving face for your sake, she was never as sly as she thought she was.  

‘You don’t need to be strong right now.’ You sign then reach your hand out to touch her cheek softly. Physical touch had become your second language early on, if only to emphasize. Fortunately, Hange was okay with that and often embraced it with open arms.  

“I know, my little strawberry. I just need some time to process everything.” They pat you on the head lightly with a small grin. You swat their hands, blushing at the nickname you were so graciously given so many years ago.  But you nod back, knowing they would not change their mind.  

The tall blonde glides through the back door, alone. His face was grim as he tugged loose the tie around his neck.  

“Hange, was it?” He started walking towards you and your very startled sister.  

“U-uh yeah. That’s my name! Listen I had no idea, I’m so sorry. I would have said something obviously but-”, they take a deep breath. “I’m sorry. What’s your name again?”  

“Erwin Smith. There is nothing to apologize for as I can only assume there’s only one blame to be given. I hate that we must meet under such a circumstance, but it is truly nice to meet you.” He raises a hand waiting for a handshake.  

Hange takes it after a second of processing, shaking the hand vigorously with both hands.  

“Well, unfortunately it is what it is. I’m sure Carly and I will be speaking soon. I’m assuming she’s not just hiding back there.” They flick their gaze to the back door he had just come through.  

“Ah well, yes. Long gone... how long were you two...?”  

“Only like, 3 months or so. You?” 

He flinched at that and murmured, “3 Years.” 

Thinking back to her comment not 10 minutes ago, Hange bit their cheek.  

“Oh man I’m so sorry.”  

“No, please. It’s alright. None of this is yours or my fault. We couldn’t have known, but now we do.” Erwin chuckled to himself. You wonder if he’s trying to save face the way your sister did. His gaze now shifts to you. He is a very handsome man. To your extreme surprise, he starts signing to you. 

‘I'm sorry, who might you be? I noticed you signing earlier. I know a little from the books I have read.’ His crystal blue eyes sparkle at you as he signs. You can’t help but break out into a huge grin. You sign your name back and compliment him on his raw signing form.  

‘I am of hearing, though. So please feel free to talk, and I will sign back.’ You clarify to Erwin, the smile not falling from your face.  

“That sounds like a plan. Levi, stop hiding behind the counter and come say hi.” Erwin calls out, not bothering to look over his shoulder. You hear a grunt in response and not 10 seconds later, the barista stands cross armed next Erwin. He nods a hello to each of you.  

You knew he was shorter than you, at least a couple inches, based off the interaction at the counter earlier. But seeing him side by side with his friend was almost comical. But as short stature as he was, it did not keep him from holding himself with such authority. It made you nervous.  

‘Thank you for the tea, it was very good.’ You sign, your sister translating in real time for you.  

“Tch, are you sure? I saw you dump enough sugar in it to make it syrup.” Levi retorts dryly.  

That makes you smile sheepishly. His fixated stare unnerved you a little, but you stare back regardless. Now that he was closer, a glass case no longer between the both of you, your eyes traveled along his face in close inspection. 

He’s beautiful, you think to yourself. His features are sharp and angled. Steely gray eyes pronounced a permanent exhausted look. It was a shade of gray you’ve never seen before, and they were mesmerizing. As if he could feel you staring holes in his face, he flicks his eyes to the side, clearly uncomfortable. But you can’t help it, because really the most intriguing thing about him was not his metallic eyes. It was the scars that marred his porcelain skin.  

A couple of scars ran down the right side of his face. The prominent of the two trailed from the top right of his forehead all the way down to his chin, cutting into his right eye and both lips. You’re pretty sure his eye was quite damaged due to the slight muted discoloration of the eye color.  

He’s beautiful, you repeat to yourself. You glance over to Hange, and they just look over at you with a knowing look. You know she was just begging to ask Levi too, but she just shakes her head. So, you fold your hands together and pinch your lips together.  

“Well!” Hange yells out, breaking the silence. “This human really needs a drink. Let’s all go! Erwin, I demand you let me treat you to a couple drinks!” She wraps an arm around your shoulders and laughs.  

“A drink sounds fantastic; I will gladly take you up on that offer. Let me just close up rea-” He’s cut off by Levi raising both of his hands up in protest. You notice the two missing fingers on his right hand. The pointer and middle were gone. Whatever this man went through, you just had to know. But you toss those questions onto an ever-growing pile and bite your cheek.  

“Erwin, I can close up. You go ahead.” Your sister just smiles widely and practically jumped up and down. The blonde man just clapped his hand Levi’s shoulder and smiled at him.  

“Thank you. You’ll join us after? The usual place?” Levi just shrugs his shoulders in response.  

Part of you hoped he would. You couldn’t place a singular reason why though.  

.

Fifteen minutes later, the three of you found yourselves in a well-lit and very crowded bar. Somehow Erwin had snagged a table near the back wall. Heavy rock blares loudly from a live band maybe 20 feet away. Overwhelming was an understatement, but you grit your teeth and sit down on one of the stools.  

“Whatcha want, my darlings?!” Hange yells over the music, slapping both hands down on the table and staring at the both of you.  

“Whiskey neat, whatever they offer is fine.”  

You sign the words ‘apple’ and ‘juice’ followed by a ‘thank you’. You’ve never been one for a drink. While it was tolerable to be around, you’d rather not have to taste it if you could help it.  

Looking around, you see all manners of people surrounding you. Something about it makes your stomach turn but you shift in your seat to quell it down. You’re sure it’s only so crowded because of the prospect of a Friday night and the promise of no plans the following day. The town of Jinae was not anything special, but it was quaint. You and your sister found out quickly it was a place where everyone knew mostly everyone. After only settling down here from your hometown 5 months ago, you were still learning of all the local spots.  

From the looks of it, this bar was one of those. “The Scouts” was an inviting place, decorated with dark greens and wood tones. The walls were littered with many frames of a lot of different people. You imagine it might have been local residents in various locations of the town. All of the wood was worn down, so it was clear this place has been in business for a while. A neon sign hangs above the stage where the live band played, something that resembled blue and white wings. It makes you wonder what the significance is.  

Your thoughts are disturbed as a glass is placed in front of you. Realizing the dryness in your throat, you pick up the glass and take a big swig of the amber liquid. You’re met with a burning sensation, and you gag. This alerts Hange of the unfortunate mistake.  

“Ah I’m sorry my little strawberry!! They do look quite similar though, don’t they?” They switch the glasses quickly and laugh. You notice the very noticeable cup size differences between the two and you stare at her quizzically. “I may have taken a shot while at the bar, sorry.” she adds on. It makes you shake your head, but you grab her hand reassuringly and chuckle.  

‘I’m sorry.’ You sign at Erwin, and he just smiles back.  

“Not a problem. But I have to ask, how was it?” A bushy eyebrow raises at you in amusement.  

You just stick your tongue out and make a gagging gesture at him. You laugh though, not really upset.  

Two apple juices in, the live band ends. Hange and Erwin are very deep in conversation, which you suspect might be about Carly. You can’t really hear what’s being said though. With the absence of music, chatter quickly fills the air. Honestly it was really starting to get to you. So, after tapping on the pair’s shoulders and signing where you were going, you find yourself leaning over the guard rail just outside the bar’s door.  

The sun was already far gone. A crescent moon sits high in the sky and a smatter of stars surrounds it. The cold air felt very welcome on your very flushed face. You exhale a big sigh, which garners a puff of steam. It makes you laugh so you do it again. Then you start to wonder how long you might be able to last out here before getting frostbite when suddenly a body starts leaning against the rail next to you.  

With a start, you whip your head to face the newcomer. Instantly you relax at the sight of Erwin’s friend. He was adorned in a big peacoat and his casual slacks. A tan turtleneck sweater peaks out from the jacket’s collar. His face was flushed as well, no doubt from the cold.  

Levi. 

He wasn’t paying you any mind though, instead his gaze laid upon the sky above, at the stars. You wave at him anyways and offer a small smile. He glances at you with a side eye and returns a curt nod.  

Not one for words. 

So, you both stand there in silence, staring up at the twinkling lights above. It wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest. Something about his presence radiated a sort of calm, and you were happy to bask in it.  

After a few minutes, he shifts his weight in your direction, so you face him. He’s staring up at you and it makes you swallow hard. His eyes glowed silver from the moonlight. Truly you have never been this fascinated with a person until now.  

“You like the stars.” It wasn’t a question, more like a statement.  

You nod in agreement, smiling to emphasize your love for them. He purses his lips at that. It seemed as if he wanted to say something else to that, but nothing came out. It just makes you frown a bit. You just have more questions that keep piling up. Everything about him just emanated mystery and it made you want to know all about him.  

‘Are you okay?’ You sign to him, exaggerating your frown to show your concern. You’re only met with a look of confusion. You forget that he does not know much if any sign. And you kick yourself for leaving your communication tools at home. To be fair though, this is not where you expected to be tonight.  

You then get an idea to use your phone to type to him but before you even reach into your pocket, you’re interrupted by a sudden blast of warm air as a couple stumbles out of the bar, both in a giggling fit as they cling to each other. They take off down the road, laughing even harder. The brief warm air makes you shiver, reminding you of the cold outside.  

As if thinking the same thing, Levi catches the door before it closes and holds it open for the both of you. You’re suddenly well aware of the very loud singing happening from within and your eyes widen at the familiarity of one of the voices. You and Levi make your way to the voices and are greeted with the sight of Erwin and Hange duetting a Backstreet Boys song.  

What a sight it was. The tall brunette, face flushed and glasses askew, had their arm around Erwin. He his blonde hair was quite tousled, and he looked like he was having the time of his life. They both swayed together as they belted out the lyrics. As if their smiles were contagious, you felt yourself grin. It was kind of cute. So, you pull out your phone and snap a quick picture, sure to show Hange in the morning. It was a good thing too, because the song ends right as you put your phone away in your bag. Levi clicks his tongue and huffs. You glance over at the noise and notice a small upturn to the corner of his scarred mouth. Noticing your gaze, his face vacates itself from any emotion as he stares back ahead.  

“Oi! Eyebrows!” He calls out to his friend. Levi starts making his way to the stage, walking with a slight limp. Yet another question to add onto the pile. “I’m gone for 45 minutes and you’re already singing.”  

“I’m fine! Just a couple drinks in.”  

You all make your way to the table you had laid claim to earlier. You survey the table and count at least 6 more glasses, not counting your two. It was hard to see who drank what.  

‘Are you okay?’ You sign to your sister, concern etched on your face. They just nod lazily and give a thumbs up with both hands. Levi is regarding you with a look of understanding, and it seems he realized that you had asked him outside.  Music starts playing over the speakers again, and people start making their way to the dance floor. Hange squeals and downs the rest of her drink quickly.  

“Erwin let’s go!” She grabs his arm, not waiting for a response. He gives a mock salute to the two of you and follows without question. Levi just clicks his tongue again and heads to the bar to get himself something. So, you plop yourself down on the stool and stare out into the room. Out of nervous habit you start fidgeting with the napkins in front of you. A moment later, Levi’s hobbling over with a tray of drinks. 

“I got the idiots some water, they look like they need it.” He places the glasses down with a thud, including one of his own housing some sort of caramel liquid. Then he’s sliding something over to you and you’re about to protest that you don’t drink but you realize it’s not a glass. It’s a notepad and pen.  

“If you need something, this might come in handy.” is all he says.  

You’re quick to show your appreciation with a bright smile. You also note to yourself that you could have very well have used your phone to communicate but you were not one to disregard someone’s thoughtfulness. It makes something bloom in your chest, warm and comforting.  

Your many years of not having a phone of course meant writing – a lot. Your handwriting evolved plenty with time so that meant it was extremely neat. It had to have been so that the reader would be able to read it without an issue. 

First you write your name, as you realize no one had really said it out loud while at the teashop. Following that you add ‘I think your shop is wonderful, and I really did enjoy the tea you made.’ You also want to jot down the questions from earlier that were still swimming in your mind, but you hold yourself back. You tell yourself maybe later, granted if there would even be a later.   

When angling the paper so he could see it, his eyes flit across the words quickly and you’re given a grunt in acknowledgement. Pulling back the notepad, you bite the inside of your cheek. While it wasn’t awkward being next to him, he sure made it hard to talk to. His cold demeanor gave you the feeling he wasn’t the type to talk about himself, especially with someone he just met. So, asking questions about him or his life was out the window. Likewise, he did not really seem interested in hearing your life story, not like you were planning to spill it anyways for fear of being met with disdain. You had plenty of experiences with that growing up.  

Tapping the pen against your chin, your eyes drift around the bar room. There a multitude of people lingering about, shouting over each other to be heard. A couple sits in a corner, whispering who knows what to each other. Both of their cheeks are flushed and eyes heavy with lust. A handful of people are on the dance floor grinding away, your sister and new friend sticking out like a sore thumb as they dance with reckless abandon. All of this gave you an idea, remembering something you’ve read before many moons ago. You start scrawling on the paper again.  

‘Are you a gambling man, Levi?’ 

You shift the pad back over to him and he glances down again after taking another sip of his spirit. He was holding his glass in a way you’d never seen before and honestly it was a little weird.  

“Tch, hardly. Why do you ask?” He looks hard at you as you scratch something else down.  

‘I propose a game to pass the time. Let’s make some bets about the random people in this room.’ 

He looks at you incredulously. You stand your ground, not averting your gaze even a little. When you don’t back down, he just scoffs and shakes his head at you.  

“I literally could not care less about these people,” he clicks his tongue. “But I suppose there’s not much else to do so I’ll bite.” Knocking back the rest of his drink, he moves around you to lean back against the wall so that he is facing the rest of the crowd. You shift so that you are doing the same. You don’t overlook the proximity to the shorter man, nor the fact that your arms are almost touching. You start to scribble once more.  

‘Winner gets to ask the loser one question.’ As his eyes fall on your words, he seems a little taken aback. Levi seems to think for a moment, like he’s weighing his pros and cons.  

“One non-personal question.” He amends. You both nod in agreement. So, your eyes travel around the room, looking for your first target. It falls on a group not so far away.  

‘I bet that gaggle of young girls over there are here for a bridal party.’

You point in the direction of the said group. Currently they were taking tequila shots, lime and all. All of them sparkled and were dressed up to the nines, save for the silly little hats adorning their heads. And they were having so much fun.  

“No way,” Levi scoffs, “That has to be a 21st birthday. They all look like babies.”  

Suddenly someone comes through a parting in the crowd with a tray of assorted colorful drinks garnished with cute little accessories. They all yell in excitement at the sight. One of the girls raises her glass and starts shouting.  

“To Estelle! May your married life be full of infinite love, happiness, and orgasms!” They all cheer and take big gulps of their drinks, followed by more giggling.  

Levi glances art you, his gray eyes dull in the dim bar light. An eyebrow lifts at you as well.  

“How did you know?” 

You do a sweeping gesture starting from one shoulder down to the opposite hip. He looks back over to the women and conveniently the soon-to-be-bride had faced your direction. She was indeed wearing a white sash sporting the word ‘BRIDE’ in bright pink letters. He huffs as he rolls his eyes, and you smirk at him in return. You press the pad over to him, already equipped with your question.  

Levi scoffs at your question. As promised, it wasn’t very personal. You figured ice breaker like questions were a good start. But his pause made you question if this was a good idea, you didn’t want to run him off or make him uncomfortable. Then he clicks his tongue, and his face softens ever so slightly.  

“My favorite hobby, huh? It would have to be cleaning.” He simply states. 

Cleaning?  

‘Like mopping, dusting, all that jazz?’  

“Yeah, it brings me peace. I like the control. Plus, I can't stand filthy things, people, or places. It’s repugnant.” He scrunches his nose at the last statement. A laugh bubbles up and you can’t help but let it loose. You’re shot with a glare and a sharp tone.  

“Funny?”  

You shake your head no and smile lightly while your hands move adeptly on the pad.  

‘Not funny, just amusing because it’s not something I would have expected. It’s different. If it makes you happy then it is an admirable hobby.’ 

Levi’s looking away from you now. If it wasn’t so dim, you would have seen there was a light dusting of pink color his cheeks and ears. He clears his throat and scans the room for his victim. His eyes land on the couple in the back corner whispering to each other. He notices their not-so-subtle hand movements as they felt each other up. Nodding in their direction, he looks back over to you, leaning close so you can hear.  

“I bet that couple will get up in the next 3 minutes and excuse themselves to somewhere private.” Your eyes travel in that direction, only to look away hastily at such an intimate scene. You’re not able to think of a counter-bet because honestly, you’re thinking the same thing. Your eyes settle back to his face, but he’s already looking back at the couple. If he noticed you staring, he didn’t say. Suddenly his face is filled with a satisfied look, only to be replaced quickly with a look of horror. You follow his gaze again, afraid of what you might see.

Fortunately, it’s nothing risqué, as you catch the tail end of the couple slipping into one of the public, unmarked restrooms. But the thought of their future actions was enough to gross you out. Looking back at Levi, you scrunch your face up in disgust. He nods in understanding.  

“This is why we don’t use public restrooms, especially in a bar.” He pinches the bridge of his nose with his good hand. “When I said somewhere private, I meant like a residence or something. Filthy animals, unbelievable. They better scrub that bathroom down. Maybe I should tell the bartender when they’re done. Maybe I should help clean.” 

His retorts crack you up, your shoulders bouncing from silent laughter. He just stares at you impassively as he runs his fingers through his hair to get it out of his face.  

“Well, it’s not like we should ruin their fun. Anyways I suppose I won. Let’s see... what’s your favorite color?” 

You part your lips, dumbfounded. This was never an easy question, as you found joy in a lot of different colors. You bite your lip and start writing, but after a couple minutes Levi rips the pad from your hands out of impatience.  

salmon 

turquoise? 

canary yellow! 

orange 

dark forest gre- 

He just looks at you in alarm.  

“Just pick one.” he scolds. 

You snatch the pad back and scribble down, ‘It’s not that simple!’  

“It is to me. White, easy.” You just stare right back at him, not believing what you just heard. Out of all the many shades and hues out there, this man decides the color white.  

‘Why?’ 

“It’s clean.” is the only response you get.  

It makes sense, you think. But seriously, this man was so weird. But like you said earlier, it was different and that made it refreshing to you. You start searching for your next bet.  

As if in a scene from a movie you’ve seen a dozen times came to life, your eyes snap to a lone woman sitting at the bar, nursing a drink and playing on her phone. A couple seats down, you spot a few men chatting. One of the men is staring hard at the very oblivious woman. You nudge Levi with your elbow, not unnoticing the slight flinch from your touch. You point to the scene, and he is quick to understand.  

“I bet when he walks over to her, she’ll get up and leave.” He says confidently.  

Trusting your instincts, you scrawl back quickly as you notice the man started making his way towards the woman. Sticking your tongue out at him, you angle the pad to him so he could see.  

‘Absolutely not. She’ll tell him off right away.’  

To both yours and his surprise, not one moment later she throws the rest of her drink contents onto the man’s head. She gathers her belongings, throws a wad of bills on to the bar, then stomps out of the establishment. The rejected man staggers back to his friends, and they applaud him for his supposed gall. This event left you both stunned. There’s a moment of pause where you and Levi just stare at each other before all hell breaks loose as he starts talking and you start scribbling furiously.  

“She walked away, I win.”  

‘She threw that drink on him, that’s practically telling him off. And that happened before any walking off.’  

“That hardly counts, no words were used.” He scoffs and folds his arms across his chest as he stares hard at you. You weren’t sure if the indignation was real or not, but it was evident in his face.   

‘Words are not always needed to convey intent.’ You shoot back at him, shifting your weight to tap your foot defiantly. You would know this of course.  

This makes Levi pause. He opens his mouth to say something but then Erwin and Hange came crashing into the little bubble you two had made. Suddenly the sounds of clinking glasses and mindless chatter came rushing in and you took a step back.  

“Um, I think Hange might have had a little too much tonight.” Erwin says, to which your attention is drawn to a very drunk Hange. They were a blubbering, sobbing mess. Whining about things that ranged from Carly to her work stress and everything in between. Your sister rarely got this drunk, but you imagine the events from earlier might have been her breaking point. This was a sign to get her home.  

You hastily round the table to wrap her arm around you and prop her up. Then after whipping a $20 out of your purse and throwing it on the table in front of the boys, you give them a grateful smile and sign to Erwin.  

‘Thank you both for tonight. She and I had a lot of fun. But I need to get her home before she gets worse.’ As if on cue, they let out a loud wail and start sobbing into your shoulder. You shift your body to hold them closer so that you don’t drop them. Erwin grabs your $20 and shoves it back in your purse before zipping it up. He had left you no time to protest as he places a large hand on your shoulder and stares intensely at you.  

“Please, let me take care of this. Tell them this was an exceptional time. And to please stop by the café again, we owe each a good, sober talk.” His bright blue eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled at you warmly. “It was a pleasure meeting you too. I hope you join Hange on the café visits as well. I think Levi has warmed up to you just nicely.” He wiggles an eyebrow at his friend. Levi just shoves him back and rolls his eyes.  

“Tch, fuck off. She’s alright, I guess.” He’s staring at you now, not as cold as before. “You owe me an answer next time we meet.”  

You purse your lips at him and shake your head in disagreement. 

‘I totally won that, don’t even think otherwise.’ You jot down lazily on the notepad still on the table. It wasn’t as neat, but you were propping up a whole human, you couldn’t help it.   

“Are you sure you’re safe to get home okay? We can he-” You cut Erwin off with a wave of the hand. Their spot of choice was actually very lucky, as you only live a few minutes away. And to be honest, you needed the cold air. So, you sign a quick goodbye to your new friends and make your way out. 

Walking down the snowy sidewalk, you pat Hange’s head as she grumbles about random things. She opted to walk herself, but you kept your hand in theirs to lead them in the right direction. She only stumbled a few times but overall, you were able to keep a steady pace. You note that before you left, her glass of water had been untouched, so you make a mental reminder to hydrate her before throwing her in bed.  

‘Alcohol was not kind to those in their 30s’ you heard their voice say in the back of your mind.  

As your steps left crunching noises in their wake, you peer up at the moon and glittering stars. A certain raven-haired and silver-eyed man etched in your brain. You wonder how soon it will be before seeing him again.  

‘Levi’ you sign to yourself with a free hand. A smile cemented to your face the whole way home.

☾ Next Chapter: December

[abiatackerman]

Detective Levi x Doctor Reader

Warnings: Description of sexual fantasy and sexual teasing. (NSFW)

Levi is the most famous detective if your country. He's the best when it comes to manipulation, physical combat, figuring out hard puzzles and riddles, catching even the smallest clues that are left by the criminals. Not to mention pulling out information from people or making the criminals admit their crimes in the most unpredictable way possible, just through talking. Every single criminal in the country is scared of him because if he's the one who's taking the case, that's the end for them.

You were just a normal doctor, working in the same organisation with him. And since it's not rare for him to get hurt, you two meet each other often. You are gentle, friendly and a soft person who always takes care of his wounds with a smile. Since he never experienced these kinds of soft behaviours in his life, he helplessly starts to fall for you.

Slowly but dangerously...

You smile, entering the infirmary as you find bruised Levi sitting on the bed.

"Ah, Erwin did tell me you were beaten up pretty badly.... I'm really surprised that you're still sitting straight in this state."

You speak softly and offer him a sweet smile as you start to prepare the equipment for his treatment.

"I'll be fine."

He speaks in his usual dry tone as his piercing eyes fall on you. The eyes, everyone is scared of, yet you don't seem to feel even a bit uncomfortable under his intense stares.

"Of course, after all you're getting treated by me."

You say smugly as you chuckle and look directly into his piercing blue eyes.

"Take all of your clothes off without your underwear. I need to know how much of a bad state you are in."

Levi can't resist any of your demands, so he does as you ask without saying a word and gets undressed for you to examine him. You hum as you roam your eyes around his whole body.

"One gunshot, several deep stabs, lots of bruises.... What the heck happened? How many people did you fight?"

You ask in a slightly worried tone as you fill the injection with muscle relaxant.

"Does it matter?"

He speaks, in a blunt tone, as always.

"Nah, just curious about the person who has beat you up like this. Sounds unbelievable...."

You ask him with curiosity as you slowly inject his shoulder, where he is shot.

"It's not important."

Levi repeats, his tone of voice still rough. He's suddenly feeling an urge to kiss the cute face because he missed you so damn much. But he's not gonna tell you or let you know this, unless the situation isn't much needed .

"Seems like your ego is bruised? I mean, your words are showing a slightly pissed emotion."

You ask, chuckling again as you lean over his shoulder and start to clean his wound making Levi freeze. He can feel your body heat and smell your shampoo, which is making his cock hard.

"You want to try my ego?"

He asks in a gruff voice as he tilts his head to look directly at your beautiful face.

"I have no reason to."

You say as you pick up the bullet extractor and lean on his shoulder more and concentrate on pulling the bullet.

"Don't move."

You speak in a commanding voice, your eyes are stuck on his wound.

"Make me."

Levi challenges you, his rough voice filled with hidden emotions that he tries to hide behind his usual tough demeanor. Every time you lean against his side, it is hard to keep his body from aching with desire. He wants to pull and kiss you senselessly and make love to you until you'll beg for him to stop... And when he's done, you will be covered with his love bites and won't be able to walk properly.... But being completely oblivious to his feelings, you smack his chest.

"Shut up.... I don't want to accidentally cut any of your nerves. So stay still and don't be a brat."

You say as you slowly start to pull the bullet out. Your words make Levi grunt as he tries to focus on keep being still as you pull the bullet out of his wound. You huff and sigh.

"The bullet is out. Now I'll stitch you up, ok?"

You say as you put the bullet on a tray and take the medical needle.

"Do whatever you want."

He let out a rough huff of air making you chuckle. You hold his chin, making him look up in your eyes.

"Whatever I want?"

You ask, looking into his eyes as your expression softens.

"Are you deaf?"

His words are stern and rough.

"What if I want to fuck this body?"

You keep looking into his piercing greyish blue eyes as you speak, making him freeze.

"I wouldn't resist."

He speaks in his rough voice, his breathing has become heavier.

"I know that. You can't...."

You say pointing at his bludge and smile making Levi freeze again. His heart starts to pound faster as his breathing becomes more shallow as his cheeks blush a little. A little....

"Just do something, already…"

He mumbles making you smile. You push him back and he ends up laying flat in the bed.

"Should I?"

You ask seductively, leaning down on him, placing both of your hands to his waist's both sides, strangeling him.

"Go ahead, I don't care anymore…"

You smile at his words and put your hands on his bulge over his boxer.

"Of course, you don't.... You're too whipped for me. You thought I haven't noticed? I'm not that fool."

Levi is clearly too aroused to put up any resistance, and you know it. He despises how weak you make him feel, but at the same time, he enjoys the feeling of your hands playing over his hard cock. He speaks as you feel his cock twitching against your hand, begging for your touch and release.

"I don’t know what you're talking about or what you're trying to do... But I surely know, you're enjoying this."

Levi tries to keep his tone of voice even and neutral. But even he can hear how weak he sounds. He tries desperately not to groan and buck his hips to your hands.

"You're so damn hard... Is it because of me? Tell me."

You ask as you keep stroking his tip softly and slowly with your index and middle finger.

"You know it’s because of you…"

Levi speaks as he releases a heavy breath and his hips accidentally bumps against your hand, making you chuckle. You remove your hand from his cock as he looks at you with disbelief. You know now it's useless to tease you just to make him confess for you because he can control his emotions well. He won't beg for you nor he won't moan the words " I love you" even if you make him cum in your hands. So instead of that you take the needle again and start to stitch the wound of his shoulder.

"So when are we going on our first date?"

You ask, chuckling, to make him more pissed.

"I'm not going on a damn date with you…"

Levi speaks in his usual rough voice. He is trying to regain his composure after you have removed your hand. He's seriously pissed.

"Ok then.... I'm going with someone else. I can't keep stuck on you forever if the feeling is not mutual."

You speak as you keep stitching his wound.

"That's fine. Go be with whoever you want. It’s not like I care."

He speaks in a sarcastic tone, his voice is full of pure jealousy and he doesn't even bother to hide it.

"I see. Then don't you dare to blackmail or beat the boys up who I'm gonna date. I swear, I'll poison you if you're gonna do that!"

You say as you poke his lip softly with the needle. A silent warning.

"Then don't date anyone else. I won't do anything."

His voice is calm and nonchalant this time, as always.

"Wow! You won't date me, or even let me date anyone.... Is that fair, Mr Ackerman?"

You ask sarcastically, in a pissed tone as you finish stitching him and clear off the blood.

"There is no fair and unfair in life, Dr. Y/N. There is only what is and what isn't."

Levi says bluntly. He hates that he feels possessive of you. To lose you to someone else would be losing his life... So he'll beat up every guy to the group if that's needed.

"Tell me, Levi. You don't like me."

You speak as you lean down on him. Both of your faces are so close that both of your lips touch others with every word. The touch is soft and sweet, making Levi's heart beating faster and sending his emotions into chaos.

"I hate you"

Levi's words aren't convincing and you can see it in his eyes. You smile and kiss his lips softly, closing your eyes, letting both of your breaths hitting each other's faces.

"Do you?"

You nuzzle your nose with his as you speak, kissing his lips softly again. Levi freezes for a few seconds, feeling your lips on his. But he doesn't kiss you back, instead replies in a soft tone.

"I hate that I can't hate you…"

He says as his expression softens, and then he finally kisses you. The kiss is so gentle and soft that you can't help but smile against his lips. As he removes his lips from yours, you start to work on the stabs of his body as he keeps laying flat on the hospital bed.

"Why do you hate yourself for that? It's not one sided."

You ask curiously after a while while still taking care of his wounds with soft touches.

"You know me. I hate being vulnerable."

"I really don't know how expressing your love to someone can make you vulnerable."

"Because it makes you vulnerable to the person you love. You'd do anything for them, you trust them to the end, and would let yourself get hurt because of them… How is that not a form of weakness to you?"

You raise your brows at his words.

"Why do you think I'll hurt you?"

Your words are soft, filled up with affection.

"Isn't it obvious? Look how I react to you when we're together. I can't stay rational or calm around you, I'm always an irritated mess when we're together."

Your eyes soften more as you sense the insecurity in his voice. You smile softly and lean down again, to kiss his forehead.

"But I absolutely like that... Seeing the greatest detective being a mess around me. I'll deal with that in exchange of you dealing with my mess. Like my drawer's?"

Your soft tone and kiss change Levi’s mood a bit. He wants to organise your drawers... Organise you... Organise the bond of you two.

"So are they like... really messy?"

He asks curiously making you laugh.

"It's just... I don't get enough time to organise my clothes."

You finally finish taking care of his wounds and move away from him.

"I'm finished.... About the other bruises, they'll get healed themselves. Most importantly, rest your shoulder for at least 3 days."

You speak in your "Doctory Vibe" tone as he chuckles a bit and nods.

"Can I come over and help organize them while I'm resting? I can't stand messy stuff like that, especially clothes."

He asks as he sits up on the bed.

"So, you're willing to be my boyfriend Otherwise why my apartment's disorganised clothes should bother you?"

You ask, chuckling, making him freeze again. Levi doesn't know if you are serious enough to consider this a dating opportunity. But if that's the case, he'll gladly accept.

"I want to be more than your boyfriend…"

You laugh again this time, but more happily and softly.

"Oh? What happened to your 'I hate you' earlier?"

You question him with your playful voice as he sighs.

"You should've known that my words weren't true. I can't hate you."

You roll your eyes at his words and throw his clothes at him.

"Yeah yeah. Now get dressed.... I'll text you my address later."

You say as you walk towards the sink to wash your hands, making Levi happy and excited with your words.

He's not just gonna clean, he'll definitely take revenge of your teasing earlier. Hell definitely make sure to cum inside your damn womb. Definitely.

"I'll be waiting for your text…"

[levihandynasty-archived]

Headcanons for the everyday life of Modern! LeviHan.

- They own a tuxedo cat together. The cats name is also Levi, named so by Hange due to his "cravat-like" white neck area. Levi and the cat share quite a lot of traits, and most often, when alone, the cat will be resting on his father's shoulder while he goes about his day.

(Yes, they once made him an actual mini-cravat to match his dad)

- They live in a pretty small apartment, but they both like it that way. It's easy to keep clean, and they are always able to tell where the other is. Their bathroom is pretty stuffed as Hange demanded they have a bathtub.

- their bathroom is filled to the brim with expensive soaps and perfumes, these belong to Levi. He hasn't bought a single one of them himself, but often, his friends do not know what to get him during gift-giving seasons. However, he puts them to good use

- Whenever Levi is in mental or physical pain, he knows exactly what is needed to momentarily fix whatever ailment he suffers. And Hange knows exactly where to find him shall he not be where they left him.

In the shower, washing away each and every bad thought and heating up each sore muscle, Levi doesn't only shower when he considers himself physically filthy.

- Hange has a bad habit of overworking themselves. More often than not, Levi will be seen carrying them from their office and back to their apartment/bedroom.

Hange always curls up in his arms, and sometimes they manage to trap him there and like that helping him sleep as well.

- they show their love through many means, but most notable to their guest is how Levi often brings Hange a cup of his own favourite tea. And how Levi always eats his fill of whatever food or baked good Hange serves, no matter the quality of it.

Hange is not a bad chef, but sometimes they get distracted, and this can lead to the food being slightly burnt.

They also love baking, and even though Levi does not have the biggest sweet tooth, he always takes the biggest slice of cake or helps himself to a second cinnamon bun.

- Hange is Levi's first. They don't have sex very often, but when they do, they always take their time to enjoy every moment of it.

Levi always thought himself to be Asexual, but with Hange, he came to the realisation he was more of a Demisexual.

Hange had some experience at the time they started seeing Levi. They and Moblit had never been dating but had an FwB arrangement Levi was. However, Hange's first proper relationship

This has caused insecurity and jealousy on both ends, but they are always there for each other and manage to speak through it.

[samoankpoper21]

Observant/Protective Levi

A/N This is a follow up scenario to Levi finding out you're pregnant ^^ also I'm horrible at titles :,) enjoy~!!

The months were zooming by and your belly was swollen beyond recognition. Despite your protests, Levi made it a point to work from home, only opting to go into the office if it was absolutely necessary. He hated leaving you alone, knowing that you're suffering random bouts of pain made him anxious, causing him to think about his mom.

It never failed to amaze you how whenever you would peer over admiring him with his face scrunched up, glasses perched on his nose, keyboard clacking, steaming cup of tea next to him, how one second he was busy, the next second he's beside you retrieving the cup you were trying to reach earlier. All the mundane tasks were suddenly impossible.

Unbeknownst to you, he sat there watching you bend down and pick up the blocks that he told you not to open earlier.

*Moments earlier*

"Tch. Why would you open it now if the baby isn't here yet?"

"Because it's so freakin' cute!" you replied with glee.

"Y/N don't open it and just put it back." you began to mimic him causing his annoyance to rise. "Tch. Fine. Don't say I didn't say so."

"Don't say I didn't say so." you mockingly replied. You could see the vein slowly popping out on his forehead and you stuck your tongue out and began to open the blocks.

*Currently*

You winced, inhaling sharply, Levi gritting his teeth. He understands that you were bound to get sharp pains but it still bothered him. He sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his laptop. You looked over and said, "Hey good lookin', what's cookin''?" He chuckled, pulling you towards the couch laying you both down. "Levi what about your work?"

"I'm practically done. I'm waiting on them to send their responses."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to fall behind." He glanced down at you and asked, "Do you know who you're talking to? I wait for no one. If anything I'm dealing with a bunch of idiots who apparently don't know how to type fast enough." You laughed and glanced up at him, your hand reaching up to caress his face, Levi kissing your hand gently.

"Ooh," you wince and inhaled sharply.

"What is it?" Levi asked. You looked at him and smiled. To most people, Levi showed no emotion but you could tell he was genuinely concerned. "It's noth-oh! Baby the baby's kicking! He's kicking!" Levi's eyebrow shot up. "Come here. Don't be such a werido. Give me your hand." He cautiously extended his hand and you quickly grabbed it placing his hand on your belly. Levi's eyes rounded and you started to laugh. "He's like a basketball huh?" Levi sat there feeling your baby kick at his hand. You gently said, "He's always active like this whenever he hears your voice or feels you near me. I've wanted you to feel this for the longest but I didn't want to bother you while you were working."

Levi leaned forward causing your foreheads to touch. "I'll always make time for you." He gently said. You closed your eyes and smiled, reveling in the moment. Your son kept kicking and you laughed and said, "You just have to ruin the moment don't you son." Levi leaned down and kissed your stomach causing you to blush. "Hey, it's your dad. You know you're a little shit right?", the kicking intensified causing you to laugh. It tickled so much. Levi peered up at you as you were laughing. He loved seeing and hearing your laugh. "Listen here, once you're out, you're going to pay for causing my wife to be in pain."

"Oh my gawsh Levi!" you playfully slapped his shoulder. "I'm serious," he said. "I'm thinking of making him run laps all day."

[solemnlyswear93]

Hard at work on chapter 6 of You’re Not My Type! Just over 3K words are down on virtual paper. It’ll be uploaded for your consumption before Sunday. 🫡

Here’s the smallest of sneak peaks:

[amywritesthings]

Hotliners, you've been so good to me. Have a preview of the upcoming finale (ish) of PRESS FOUR FOR MORE OPTIONS, coming to you Thursday, July 25 🍻

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

"get me a damned matcha" | Chapter 1: June I

{{ Chapter 2: July I }} Chapter Directory

I'm so excited to finally publish this jdkflsjd. I'll get this chapter up on AO3 later this weekend or on Monday since my parents are in town, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to be on! If you're interested in getting tagged for updates, fill out this new form here: x :3

EDIT: this is now up on AO3 as well!

✧ pairing ➼ levi ackermann x fem!reader, college x coffee shop x roommates!au ✧ summary ➼ After you find yourself plagued with misfortune due to struggles in your personal and family life, you find yourself needing to move last minute. As a junior in undergrad with little money and little social support, you considered yourself lucky when you found a sublease that was close to campus and was relatively cheap. Unfortunately, it seemed that your roommate did not seem to be so excited regarding your presence. ✧ content/warnings ➼ fluff, slowburn, enemies to lovers (sorta), strangers to lovers, fem!reader, eventual smut, ex was originally porco but i accidentally made him too much of a dick so i replaced his name with zack, no it is not a reference to zeke i'd rather puke, only adding tags/content warnings that are applicable to each chapter so people can skip around if need be!, will continue to add as more stuff comes up ✧ word count ➼ ~3.9k

College was difficult enough without having to worry about money, housing, and relationship issues. Unfortunately, you were not one of the few lucky students that could just get through those four years in isolation. In addition to worrying about school, you also had to deal with a last minute housing change after some recent bullshit regarding your now ex-boyfriend. Your dynamic had gotten to the point that you couldn’t afford to wait for another two months as leases began expiring and apartments would open up for prospective renters again. You’d rather live on the streets when compared to having to live with him for another day. 

Given the fact that it was June and your only remaining family was out of the country, you were left with no choice but to desperately try to find a sublease that wasn’t ridiculously expensive. That, plus the fact that you didn’t have a car and would be forced to live near campus, meant that you were ready to rip your hair out by the time that you finally found a sublease.

You knew it was due to nothing other than pure luck when you found an apartment complex that was a ten-minute walk to campus, close to a bus stop, relatively cheap, and had a tenant that moved out the week prior.

Unfortunately, your luck ran out when you found that you'd have to take a 2-hour bus ride from your ex-boyfriend's house to your new apartment. It wasn't that far from the two destinations, but the bus routes looped around the town multiple times, making your commute much longer than if you had gone by car.

As a result, you found yourself leaning your head back against the glass window at the rear end of the bus.

This really is Zack's last "fuck you" to me, isn't it?

You anxiously tapped your foot against the floor as you pulled out your phone for the millionth time. The previous tenant that set up the sublease had given you the contact information for your new roommate to set up the exchange of keys along with getting everything set up regarding who's paying for what utilities and how rent would be split. You already knew this was going to be a pain in the ass to handle. What you weren't prepared for was the lack of a hasty response when you sent a text to the number that Miche had given you.

> [you (12:35pm)]: hey, miche said you'd be free this afternoon so i can get your keys? does 3:00 work

You had sent that text message to your mysterious roommate roughly an hour ago when you had boarded your first bus back towards campus. You were now about half-way through your trip and had boarded your third bus, which was finally your last one before getting dropped off roughly a block away from your new apartment. 

You shot a frown towards your phone. Your roommate had still not answered. Frustrated, you began typing again, in case the urgency in your first text was missed.

> [you (1:45pm)]: im on the bus ride over. i don't have a car, so would we be able to handle this so i'm not stranded outside?

By the time you arrived, your roommate had still not answered. You had spent the entire two-hour ride anxiously bouncing your leg up and down, checking your phone every 5-10 minutes to see if you would ever get an answer. 

You didn't.

When the bus driver finally announced your stop, you found yourself more anxious than you were relieved at finishing your annoyingly long bus ride. You stepped off the bus in a dejected manner, with your right hand holding onto your phone and your left hand holding onto your backpack strap that was a bit too tight on your shoulders. Your back ached from lugging it around all day. It was packed with the basic necessities that you would need to survive the week, with your ex-boyfriend, Zack, promising to drop off the rest of your stuff next week—although you knew that translated to "shit he didn't want". That's just how your dynamic was. 

You unlocked your phone and typed in the address for your new apartment complex again, navigating your way through the fairly empty streets. It was a residential area and given the fact that it was near a college campus—and therefore primarily made up of university students—and it was in the middle of June, most of the tenants had gone home for the summer.

The new apartment complex wasn't bad. It certainly couldn't compare to a house, but it had an indoor lobby with mailboxes on one side and a recreation room on the other with some vending machines, and even a small kitchenette. 

No wonder the rent was so expensive.

You stepped inside, a relieved exhale escaping your lips as you felt the cool air from the air conditioning unit wash over you. Although you were definitely still irritated, seeing the lobby and escaping the heat brought up your mood slightly.

Your resolve renewed, you began to climb up the stairs, trying to figure out the best way to greet your new roommate without being overly frustrated. 

Maybe their phone was off. Maybe they took a nap and couldn't see the texts. Maybe you got the wrong number from Miche. 

You thought of all the reasons as to why they wouldn't respond. You shook your head, knowing that you should just brush it under the rug. As long as your roommate was home to let you in and give you your keys, there shouldn't be any more issues—for now. 

"Unit 217," you mumbled to yourself as you walked down the hallway, looking up at the door numbers.

Once you appeared in front of Unit 217, you frowned, noticing that the lights inside were off. That wasn't good news.

Maybe there's enough lighting from the windows that they don't need lights.

You gently knocked on the door.

There wasn't a sound—no movement, no noise, no talking, nothing.

You knocked again a bit harder. 

Nothing.

You knocked again.

They're not home. Of course they're not home. What a wonderful start to this already shitty situation.

You rested your forehead against the door, tempted to smash your head against it out of frustration. Your eyes finally shot open when you heard a door open. You glanced over to the side and saw a tall blonde man with a beard and glasses walk out.

"Locked out?" he asked as you made eye contact.

"You could say that," you mumbled with a frown. "You wouldn't happen to know of anywhere within walking distance that has wi-fi?"

If you couldn't get ahold of your roommate, you might as well get some writing done until you can return later in the evening when your roommate has to be home. 

"There's a café roughly a block down, if you were wanting to hang out there, although I'm not sure when Ackermann will be home. His schedule's been all over the place recently."

"Hmm," you muttered, indicating the lack of interest in learning about your roommate's backstory, although you now at least had a name.

Ackermann, huh? What a pretentious sounding last name.

~~~~~

These damn undergrads...

Levi Ackermann currently stood behind the doorway that led from the breakroom and into the main seating area of the small, local café that he currently held a part-time position as a barista at. 

He wasn't supposed to be here. He had purposefully given himself the week off so he could catch up on some lab work, yet he still found himself here. One of the new hires—a sophomore named Marlo—called out roughly 20 minutes ago when Levi was headed home from his immunology lab after spending the entire morning chatting with his mentor about whether he'd be able to graduate with his PhD on time.

To make things worse, since he was new, Marlo's shift meant that Levi was stuck working at the registers to take orders, which he easily considered the worst part of the job. If his shift just consisted of making the specialty brews that came his way, he'd be significantly less grumpy. That way, he could just tuck away in his corner and do the one aspect of the job that he enjoyed—making tea—instead of having to deal with the irritation that came with dealing with the undergrads that frequently visited.

"For fuck's sake," he whispered underneath his breath as he shut the door to his locker, ignoring his phone that kept on lighting up. He had it on silent for everyone except for the two people that mattered in his life—Farlan and Isabel—and they wouldn't contact him unless it was an emergency. 

The fact that coming into this shift was one of the smaller annoyances in Levi's life simply poured more salt onto his wound. He wasn't even supposed to be working this much since it took away from his school time to do his research, but the graduate program's financial aid office fucked up his stipend and he was left to fend for himself. It was only for this month, so it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but then his housing situation got all fucked up.

He had been living with Miche for roughly a year and they had a decent partnership as roommates, until Miche left to live closer to the city after freshly finishing a Master's program. Miche had moved out about two weeks ago, telling him that his new roommate would be reaching out soon. Levi's stipend situation couldn't come at a worse time, as Miche moving out meant he had to cover this month's rent on his own unless his new roommate magically showed up within the next day and was willing to cover rent when they hadn't even really started living there yet. 

After shooting a death glare at the front register for a few more minutes, he finally decided to step up to the counter, hoping that it was at least a slow day so he could get home and pretend the grievances in his life weren't as bothersome for a few hours.

His shift had just started, so he was more than a little annoyed when he already heard the door open. The semester had just ended, which roughly translated to all the undergrads leaving for summer break. Other than the few stragglers and the unfortunate PhD students that were forced to work through the summer, everyone should have gone home. He glanced up as he saw someone walk inside. 

An immediate frown appeared on his face. He could immediately tell that they were an undergraduate student, and likely an oblivious one at that.

Levi watched as you stumbled in through the door, dragging in a backpack that was slightly too large and overpacked. You looked like you had been running around with no sense of direction or purpose. You were all disheveled, as shown by how chaotic your hair looked and through how much you struggled stepping away from the door frame and towards the coffee bar.

He felt his eyes begin to roll before seeing you approach him.

Taking over Marlo's shift means I'm working the registers and have to talk with the undergrads. What a pain in the ass.

He stared at you with a neutral expression on his face as you plopped down at the coffee bar in front of him.

"Can I get you something?" he finally said, in a tone that indicated that customer service was not one of his skills in this profession.

You looked past him at the menu that was hung up behind him. Although you had passed this café a bunch whenever you found the time to travel off-campus and explore the town that surrounded the outskirts of Paradis University, this was the first time you actually found yourself in Chosahei Café. You squinted at the menu, furrowing your eyebrows in confusion at some of the options.

"Why are the specialty coffee drinks unavailable?"

"Ah?" mumbled Levi before turning around to glance at where you were looking. "The barista that specializes in those stepped out. I can get you one of the standard ones or I can get you one of the specialty teas."

You blinked at him for a few seconds as if you were struggling to process what he was saying.

"You're a barista and you can't make coffee?"

"Tch," he muttered, already beyond irritated as he frowned at you. He knew that he was likely biased against your presence and simply lumped you in with the rest of the undergrads that constantly drove him up the wall with their obsession with cheap iced lattes that he couldn't be bothered to care about making. "Did you not hear what I just said? I can get you a standard one or—if you were really wanting one of the house specialty drinks—one of the teas."

"You must get top remarks for your customer service skills," you said with a monotonous tone.

Levi placed his hands on the counter, leaning against it as he stared at you.

"This isn't some retail café like Starbucks—which is down the street, by the way," he said, pointing towards the door as a gesture to indicate that you could leave if you weren't satisfied. "The house drinks were all created by the employees and the barista that made the specialty coffees stepped out. Now are you going to order or not? I have other customers to attend to."

His eyes raised off of you and towards the back of the café, where a line of about 3-4 people gathered as they impatiently waited for you to order.

"Hmph," you said, letting out an irritated exhale. "Get me a matcha."

Levi raised an eyebrow at you.

"Out of all the specialty ones here, you go with something as basic as that?"

You were beyond confused over why this random barista in a small, local café was giving you this much grief.

"Oh what the hell? Just get me the damned matcha, you asshole," you snapped at him as you tossed your card towards him.

He quickly grabbed your card and put in the order with an unamused look on his face.

You kept your gaze on him as he begrudgingly prepared your drink. After about a minute, you glanced towards the door that opened as a tall gentleman that also wore the barista apron stepped inside. He was average height, but seemed much taller, likely due to the fact that the barista in front of you that decided to chastise you for ordering a matcha barely rose above you in terms of height—and you were not a tall person.

The new barista went behind the counter and started taking the other customers that had gathered behind you, removing the "unavailable" sign that covered up the specialty coffees. You frowned as he smoothly chatted with the customers, with your expression quickly turning into a scowl as you saw him remove the sign.

"I'm guessing he's the barista that actually knows how to make coffee?" you said, shooting another unamused look towards Levi as he walked back with your cup of matcha. 

You heard a quiet grunt from the grumpy barista you had the misfortune of being served by and you sighed as you picked up the cup and took a sip of the matcha that he reluctantly made you.

You paused, a little taken aback by the taste.

It was pretty damn good—much better than any you've ever gotten at Starbucks, anyhow. 

"Onyankopon brought over some specialty recipes that he apparently grew up making over at Marley," Levi grumbled to you. "That is why I couldn't make the specialty coffees."

After he said that, he subtly scowled at himself. Why he was even explaining himself to you was beyond him. You were just some random undergrad that stopped by and said annoying undergrad things. He had literally no reason to explain himself or justify his actions.

"So what brought you in? You're undergrad, right?" Levi asked, prompting you to look up at him. "Didn't classes just end? Most of you are back at your parents by now."

You sighed and pursed your lips, with a dark look entering your eyes. Levi was able to tell that you were biting your tongue on some information that was relevant, but that you didn't feel like divulging.

"Yes," you finally said. "I had some shit come up and had to move last minute, so I'm stuck on campus for now."

You took another sip of your matcha as a frown grew on your face.

"But at this point, I'm pretty sure it was a fucking mistake."

"Oh?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

"I had to take a two-hour bus ride here since my asshole of an ex just happened to be busy on the day I need his car, but as luck would have it, my roommate also happens to be out, so I can't even get my damn keys from them, hence why I'm here getting chastised by you because I ordered a damned matcha instead of being in my new apartment and getting settled in."

You looked up at Levi upon hearing his silence.

"How unfortunate," he finally responded in an uninterested tone.

You rolled your eyes at his response.

"God, talking to you is a pain in the ass," you spat before quickly finishing the rest of the matcha and throwing a spare dollar onto the counter as a tip before getting up.

You paused before walking away, turning slightly towards the grumpy barista.

"You should probably consider the fact that people don't order your teas because they don't want to order from you."

"Ah?" Levi muttered as he took the dollar off the counter.

"People generally don't like interacting with someone that acts like a dick right off the bat."

~~~~~

Levi frowned to himself as he kicked off his shoes upon walking in the front door, placing them neatly upside down on the shoe rack next to the door. He sighed as he flipped on the light switch to his empty apartment. He didn't particularly mind living on his own, but Miche was a good roommate and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little on edge over who his new roommate was going to be.

He walked over to his bedroom, pushing the door open as he lifted his barista apron over his head to put away for the night. Seeing the apron reminded him of the café, and in particular, the conversation he had with a certain undergraduate student that he was forced to serve and insulted him right before they left.

Tch, he thought as he recalled the comment you made.

I'm not a dick. What the fuck.

He shut his closet after he put the apron away, his mood soured by the recollection of your conversation, although he wasn't in a great mood to begin with in the first place. He looked at the clock on his nightstand and saw that he had a few hours before he was supposed to "go to bed". Being a notorious insomniac, "going to bed" basically meant laying down and staring at the ceiling for a few hours. He rarely ever got to actually sleep, but the few minutes he can occasionally catch were enough to keep him going.

He walked over to his desk, turning the switch on his small desk lamp and pulling out a folder from his backpack that was hung up against the side of his desk. He pulled out a stack of paper and neatly placed them at the center of his desk. He took a seat in his chair and flipped through the packets, frowning at the sheer number he had yet to go through. His original plan for the day was to get home and read through some of these papers that Erwin had assigned him to read before he went back to lab on Monday—it was currently a Friday. He knew Erwin had high expectations for him. Erwin would even occasionally say that Levi was the best student he's ever had, which made Levi immediately want to shrivel up in discomfort.

He glanced up from the papers in his hand. His room was "empty". Miche had commonly made fun of him and said that Levi always made his space look like no one actually lived there. The top of his desk was always empty, his bed was always made, and not a single article of clothing was in plain sight. Levi Ackermann was just that type of person. It heavily contributed to why he was so on edge over who his new roommate would be and if they would even be compatible in terms of living style.

He turned on his phone to check the time, having ignored it for the entire latter half of the day.

7:30pm. That meant he had time to get at least a few papers reviewed. 

He frowned as he looked through his notifications and saw an unknown number appear. The texts were from this afternoon, so he knew it was long past an appropriate time to respond.

> [unknown number (12:35pm)]: hey, miche said you'd be free this afternoon so i can get your keys? does 3:00 work > [unknown number (1:45pm)]: im on the bus ride over. i don't have a car, so would we be able to handle this so i'm not stranded outside?

He sighed as he locked his phone and placed it onto his desk. It was just his luck that he went into a last-minute shift right as his new roommate contacted him. He knew that this new roommate was going to be irate with him since it's been around 6 hours since they sent that text. This just added more things onto Levi's plate that he really didn't need right now.

Before he could move to pick up his phone to shoot a reply at this unknown number, he heard not-so-gentle knocking on the door. Knowing that this was likely his new roommate that he had unintentionally ignored all day, he internally groaned to himself before forcing himself out of his chair.

He heard another knock as he made his way from his bedroom to the front door, bracing himself as he unlocked the door and pulled it open.

A frown appeared on his face as he looked at the person in front of him in confusion. 

"What the hell?" he muttered as he saw an equally confused expression appear on your face. 

That annoying undergrad from this afternoon?

"Did you follow me home?" 

You raised an eyebrow at him. The last person you had expected to be greeted with was the grumpy barista that you had the misfortune of interacting with earlier in the day.

"Did you?" you retorted.

Levi scoffed.

"How the hell would I have followed you home if I was here first?"

He cursed to himself as he recalled the monologue you gave him earlier on in the day.

You had said that you had to suffer on a bus ride and couldn't get in contact with your new roommate to get keys to the unit. Now that you were standing in front of the door to his apartment, his frown only grew.

Your eyes widened as you finally put together the pieces.

"Wait," you asked, shaking your head slightly. "Are you-?"

"I guess so," Levi responded with an unamused sigh.

"Fuck."

#: @levisbrat25 @gothgril69 @sckerman @berrijam @notgoodforlife @meowjaa @averysmolbear @roseofdarknessblog @bejewelledd @hhighkey @ayame236 @sad-darksoul @velouria17

[the-traveling-poet]

OH MY GOSH! That modern!au was so beautiful???😭😭 I’m not a sucker for moderns au cause I like to keep things as canon as possible but saying that I loved this would be an understatement. 🤩 Please write a pt 2?? 💕

Phone Call

After successfully arriving at the Cast Meet and Greet event a couple hours away from your quaint apartment, you were able to meet your idol at long last. Though you had been awkward in greeting the man of your dreams, you planned to make up for ‘lost time’. With his phone number tucked securely in your phone’s contact list, you anxiously awaited the right moment to send that first text.

Pairings: Actor!Levi x Fan!Reader

Warnings: modern!AU, language, fluff

Taglist: @21aurora @deepzombieyouth @braunsbabe

A/N: thanknyou so much Anon, and also AGREED. I’m not one for modern!AU aot fics, but the request kinda struck me and I thought ‘why not?’ And I’m content with how it turned out?? So I’m happy to do a follow up :3 I’m so sorry it took me forever! Hope you enjoy pt. 2!

Part 1 | Part 3

That hour had passed you by surprisingly quickly, with how often you’d space out staring over the crowd of fans to fantasize your interaction with Levi Ackerman all over once more in your hazy mind.

Just what had happened? Your babbling and jumbled words, earning you a receipt of his own personal number??

The more you thought about it, you figured this had to be some grueling joke. It had to, right? This never happened outside of fiction. Perhaps he had given you a public number of his, and if you texted it you might just end up embarrassing yourself.

But the look he’d had in his eyes when he glanced up at you before signing those ten numbers under his signature onto the very paper he held…surely he wasn’t one for cruel practical jokes, right?

Tucking the paper away for now, you brought yourself back to the present as the interview began.

For the entirety of the event, you couldn’t keep the giddy grin from your face as your favorite actors and actresses posed as their beloved characters to answer popular questions across many social media platforms. They would quote the author’s original scrip for accurate answers, as well as adding their own personal takes on the topics as the character’s roles.

How could this event have been any more enthralling; you had thought, just before managing to meet the gaze of Levi from the back of the room. Your breath stuck in your throat once more as you quickly diverted your stare.

But upon hearing the man start to speak into his small microphone to answer some questions on a cue card he held, your gaze snapped back up in an instant to find him. You could listen to his voice all day and never tire of how husky and yet smooth he sounded. While the questions were indeed interesting, and provoked curiosity within every fan present, you found it hard to focus on the words.

You pinched your thigh to make yourself concentrate less on the paper held securely in your hand, and more on the event you’d paid a good amount to come see.

The hours ticked by all too quickly, as much as you were anxious to get a chance to text Levi’s number. But finally the moment arrived when the cast all took a stand and thanked the audience for showing up.

Shaking hands grabbed at your belongings as you stood to clap alongside the hundred or so fans. The room was slow to clear, prohibiting you from leaving through the double doors just yet.

Realizing you’d be stuck in the exit line for some time, you let your anticipation get the better of you and pulled out your phone. You hesitated when the contact screen popped up, wondering just what you would say, should this in fact not have been a joke.

“Fuck it,” You whispered, hitting send.

Hey, Mr. Ackerman, this is Y/N from earlier. Loved getting to meet you today!

With a shaky sigh you pocketed your phone, fighting with your bag as you scanned the dispersing crowd. Your eyes naturally drifted back towards the interview table, watching the cast clear their things and be led back through a single door liking the back wall.

Surprisingly, Levi hadn’t departed yet. He stood beside two guards, arms folded and leaning casually against the table as they chatted.

You’d nearly looked away when his posture straightened. He pulled a thin black phone from his back pocket and unlocked it. You nearly lost your breath when he seemed to be reading the screen closely as his nimble thumbs ran across the lower half of the screen.

Daring to hope, you ducked down in the crowd slightly and checked the message you’d sent. And there at the bottom of the screen appeared a bubble icon.

Biting your lip, you were slightly saddened to see the line moving along. But now, you had a bit of a bounce to your step as you left the building and re-emerged back in the extensive parking lot.

You had to remind yourself to look away from your phone screen and watch for passing cars as you passed the walkway. Hastily unlocking your car, you slid inside and locked the door after you and picked up your phone.

I’m glad you enjoyed the event. But please, just Levi is fine. Seems you were anxious to test the validity of this number?

Who knows how long you sat there, shaking in your seat as your thumbs flew across the screen to form a response. But after some time discussing the event, Levi brought up the situation in which you hadn’t been able to say all you had wanted; what with the time limit per fan and your awkward stumbling.

With a burning face and shaking fingers you replied ‘yes’ to his suggestion for a quick call, as he had nothing left on his schedule after the interview, at least for a few hours.

You drove off with a tight grin, awkwardly taking the call once it rang. It was slow to begin with, you trying to be formal and Levi trying to convince you to just be yourself.

An hour into the drive home, you’d hardly recognized just how easy it had been to open up and ask the things you really wanted to know. He answered every question you had, to the best of your ability.

He never once sounded annoyed, nor distracted as the call progressed. In fact, he started asking you simple questions of his own.

Are you from around here?

No? Where at, then?

How damn long did you drive to get here?

When did you get into the show?

Why was my character your favorite? He’s kinda a dick.

All too soon you’d pulled into the lot outside your apartment, and bade him a hesitant goodbye. You’d have continued the call, if it hadn’t already been two hours of conversation and he had a shoot he had to attend for the company.

Offhandedly, he mentioned thinking on letting you have the first look how the photos would come out before he hung up, leaving you with an explosive feeling of butterflies in your gut.

Climbing the straits towards your room, you unlocked the door and flipped onto the couch with a barely contained scream.

You were living a reality you hardly thought feasible, how could you not be over the moon?

Just when you’d thrown your phone to the side some time later to grave dinner, your phone buzzed one last time.

*Attachment : 4 images.*

Never thought I’d give my number to a fan. Coffee at Highland Cafè around 2 o’clock next week? That’s closer to you.

[firefly--bright]

Blooming Hearts.

a jean kirstein x reader story - the edited version.

*the reader is implied to be fem, she/they pronouns used.

you never thought that the scent of spring flowers and the routine of freshly brewed tea would take you home - take you to the one person you wanted to meet the most.

your meeting with the universe was commemorated by him giving you his name.

✿

in other words ; a reincarnation a.u. where the characters remember each other after hearing their names for the first time.

warnings ; angst, aot spoilers, canon-typical violence and gore, death and grief.

!!!important a/n!!! ; this is a rewrite of my original story that was posted almost two years ago because I wasn't satisfied with the way I wrote it and how so many things were unexplained. the old series is still on my page, but I've decided to turn it into something that's hopefully a bit better.

series masterlist ;

✿ seeds

✿ germination

✿ growth // act one

✿ wilting

✿ rebirth.

✿ fic playlist ✿ fic visuals ✿ main masterlist is in pinned post! ✿ enter my taglist! ✿ also on ao3 and wattpad ✿

taglist ; @holding-infinity-and-a-book , @mrsnobodynobody , @hopeless-anti-romantic , @jeanscremebrulee , @berrijam , @happxme , @cherrypieyourface , @imgayandshesanime , @moonmalice , @kivernova , @potaho3frog , @xakilicious , @katestrophes

line dividers by @strangergraphics

[agusrkive]

under the New Year’s Eve mistletoe

Coldest Winter (Levi Ackerman)

summary: a soldier’s heart and a man’s will is tested when war breaks out leaving him stranded and finds himself far away from the life he only once dreamed of the moment he met you.

There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs, for war does not determine who is right— only who is left.

ELD. 848 PL.

December 24, 1942

under command/ FADM Erwin Smith

Sgt. Annie Leonhart wounded

Sgt. Pieck Finger wounded

Sgt. Marco Bott wounded

T/Sgt. Connie Springer wounded

1st Sgt. Armin Arlert wounded

1st Sgt. Jean Kirschtein wounded

1st Sgt. Bertolt Hoover wounded

M/Sgt. Miche Zacharius wounded

T/Sgt. Colt Grice killed in action

1st Sgt. Porco Galliard killed in action

1st Sgt. Marcel Galliard killed in action

1st Sgt. Reiner Braun missing in action

1st Sgt. Logan Magath missing in action

M/Sgt. Zeke Jaëger missing in action

M/Sgt. Levi Ackerman missing in action

December 31, 1942

to my dearest,

I wrote this letter to you on the 14th of July, Year 1942. It is with a heavy heart I bring this news to you. Today, the platoon had decided to send our unit to the north of Kolberg, Germany for the next operation. It seems like the war won’t be stopping anytime soon and by the time you have received this, it will be around late December. I miss you and not a single day goes by that my thoughts weren’t plagued by you.

I missed you and think of you even at times I shouldn’t. I have you in mind all the time and I haven’t forgotten about the promise I made to you.

I might not be able to come home soon, but I will come home to you and run with my feet if I have to. Right now, it must be the eve of the 31st of December when you’re reading this.

Please, don’t worry about me and I’ll do the same. There’s a lot of things for me to say that the tip of my pen won’t be able to suffice and before I forget to tell you, there’s an odd spot at your place where I seem to have grown fond of, especially with my last visit a year ago. At the backdoor where the scenery of nature can be witnessed, there’s something that I would like to do. I won’t go into details, but I hope when the next winter comes, I’ll be there by your side. Then we’ll settle the rest of things under the mistletoe.

The world is cruel and full of danger, but it’s merciful enough to have led me to you.

- L.A