#mia wolf

[starstruckkittensweets]

Chapter LX (“AWWW”)

A/N: So...I’m back, for now! Hello again everybody, I am so sorry for dropping this story out of the blue last year. A combination of work, writer’s block, and some family/personal issues made it kinda tough to sit down and focus on this story. I apologize if this chapter is a little choppy, I used it as an inspiration to crawl back out of my writer’s block, and writing it was a little therapeutic for me. It’s a slow chapter and a bit on the shorter side, but I think it’s a bit of a breather before we get into the last stretch of this story. Speaking of, I probably won’t update again until I have a majority of the remaining chapters written. It shouldn’t be too hard, I already have them planned and outlined, and now all I have to do is write them out. 

As always, thank you so very much for sticking with me throughout this long and drawn-out process. I really appreciate each and every one of you, it’s because of your constant support that I’ve gotten this far in this story to begin with. So thank you and I hope you enjoy the chapter! 

Fandom: Attack on Titan  Pairing: Levi x Mia (OC)  Words: 5.8k 

Warnings: suggestive dialogue, mentions of pregnancy and raising children, mostly fluff all around but Mia is hopeful for having children one day 

Taglist: @omg-lexiloveyou, @tootiredforyourshit3963, @super-peace-fangirl, @mr-robot-x, @unusversuscanicula, @cyborgnate, @saltypancakes 

|LX|

The summer sun was warm against my skin. A soft glow shining through the curtains, bleeding through the sheets around us. I stretched my arm along Levi’s bare chest, eliciting the smallest of hums from his throat. I couldn’t help but smile as he tightened his arms around me, as I buried my face against the crook of his neck.

Morning already? It feels as though I barely got enough sleep…

Still, it was early enough for us to laze around a bit. Neither of us had anywhere to be until later this afternoon, anyway. Maybe we could afford to sleep in, just this once.

Every part of my body felt sore; the muscles in my thighs were still burning from exhaustion, my throat was a little scratchy from screaming his name last night. By the way you were screaming Wolf, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole castle heard you. My face grew warm at the thought, and that’s when Levi shifted himself to smirk at me.

“What is it?” His voice was still raspy from sleep, sending a pleasant shiver down my spine.

“Nothing. Just admiring my handsome captain, like I do every morning.”

He didn’t roll his eyes or scoff like I expected him to, just like he’d done every other time I’d called him the h-word. Instead he slid his fingers across my forehead, brushing a few strands of hair from my face, before thumbing the little white scar across my cheek. I hummed as he cradled my face in his hands, lips fluttering over the top of my head.

Of course, his one rule in bed: No kissing before brushing our teeth.

But the bed was so warm, and his arms were so comfortable, that the mere thought of getting out and leaving him was enough to make me grimace. So I snuggled in as close as I could, pressing my face to the planes of his chest and kissing the skin below.

“Someone’s clingy today.”

“You’re one to talk,” I retorted, but my voice was muffled by his chest. “You can’t stand it when I get out of bed before you.”

“Oh, is that why you won’t let me leave?”

As if to test his little theory, he began to inch closer to the edge of the bed, sliding his leg from out of the covers and towards the floor. But I was quick to snatch him back, hooking my leg around his own and keeping him pinned to the bed below.

“Tch, come on, you little shit.” But there was no malice in his tone as he carded his fingers through my messy hair. “I have to piss. And clean up. You should do the same, too.”

“But you’re so warm…”

He groaned again, flopping back down against the pillows. I crawled up the length of his body and held myself over his chest, with my elbow propped up against the side of his head.

“Just a few more minutes, captain.” His jaw tightened as I slid my finger across his collarbone, down his chest and over his abdomen. “You’re too warm and comfortable to let go of just yet.”

“…A few more minutes. But that’s it.”

Of course. I pressed a kiss to his cheek before settling into my usual place, with my head tucked beneath his chin and my palm pressed against his heart.

Already I could start to feel myself dozing off again. It was all so surreal to me—the gentle hum of his breaths, the warmth of his sun-kissed skin against mine, and the soft tug of his fingers in my hair, lazily twisting the strands at my nape. Suddenly I didn’t feel like a soldier of the Survey Corps; soldiers never felt peaceful like this for too long.

Every morning could be like this, after this war is over.

That little voice in the back of my head was already hard at work, whispering forbidden dreams and promises in my ear. I could only press my face against his chest, as the thoughts began to run rampant within my mind.

Imagine waking up next to him like this for the rest of your life, but in a different house. Maybe one somewhere deep in the forests beyond the Walls, away from the rest of the world. Maybe we’ll live in a cottage by a lake or a river, one we’ve built together with our own hands. Maybe we’ll have a barn as well, to keep a few horses close by. And maybe when I wake up one of these mornings, I’ll find Levi’s fingers splayed across my stomach, protecting the child growing inside of me. Our child.

The thought of children made my throat close up. Fuck. I forgot I’d mentioned them to him last night…

Neither of us were ready for that conversation, maybe not for a good few years. We were still soldiers, sworn to protect the remnants of humanity from the Titans, even at the cost of our lives. We couldn’t set aside our duties for a couple of children for ten years at least, or maybe even more. And I refused to give them off to a wet nurse or another couple to raise in our stead. If Levi and I were ever going to have children of our own, we would raise them ourselves, not let another person take over. I couldn’t even bear the thought of handing my child, either a boy like Levi or a girl like myself, over to a stranger I didn’t even know.

It was best to just wait until the Titans were eradicated altogether. Then we could settle in that silly little cottage in the forest. Then we could discuss the topic of children freely. But for now, it was a possibility neither of us dared to speak out loud.

“What is it?”

I brushed my fingers along his collarbone once more. “What’s what?”

“You know what I mean.” Levi groaned as he shifted himself against the pillows; I nearly laughed when I realized the spare pillow was still propped up against what remained of the poor headboard. “What’s bothering you? And don’t say it’s nothing…because I’ll know you’re lying.”

He held me firm against his body, with my chin propped up on his chest and his palms against my shoulders. I sighed, wondering if it was worth it to come clean to him now and bring up my thoughts about our future children—if we even end up having any to begin with.

But I couldn’t get the words out. They were lodged in the back of my throat, keeping me from breathing, from telling him just how I really felt about all of this. They were right there on the tip of my tongue, and yet I couldn’t say them out loud no matter how hard I tried.

I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to retire from the Scouts when this war is over. I want us to get married, to move to a little house far away from everyone else. I want us to have children, as many as we can possibly have. A son, a daughter, whatever you want—it doesn’t matter to me. And maybe we’ll have that tea shop you told me about once, maybe in one of the outer districts close to home. I want us to stay by each other’s sides until the day we take our last breaths, with graying hair and wrinkled skin and our many grandchildren playing at our knees.

But…how could I tell him all of this without scaring him away? If there was one thing I knew about Levi, it was that he liked to take things slowly, to allow himself to adapt and adjust. I couldn’t just dump all of that on him without any warning whatsoever.

Still, I had to say something to him. So I cleared my throat and touched his cheek, tracing down to his jawline as softly as I could.

“…I just wish every day could be like this.”

Soft, quiet, gentle—absolute bliss.

His only answer was a light squeeze against my shoulders—and I had no time to think before he pulled me in close, slotting his lips against my own. Morning breath be damned, I still loved the taste of his mouth.

“I thought you didn’t like kissing first thing in the morning.”

I snickered as he rolled his eyes, before pushing me off his chest and rolling onto his stomach on the bed. His arms curled around the pillows, the sun’s rays spilling across his back. The scratches I’d left last night were still there, pink and tender, stretching along the length of his shoulders. I leaned down to press a few kisses along each one, smirking as I felt him shiver beneath my mouth.

When I was done, I lowered myself across his back and curled a few strands of black hair behind his ear. It was strange, seeing him with messy morning hair, but I loved it all the same.

“Can we sleep in, just for a little bit?” He groaned into the pillow as I pressed my lips to the shell of his ear. “I promise, I’ll make it up to you tonight…”

“With what?” He shifted his head to the side, giving me a half-hearted smirk against the fabric of the pillow. “More scratches on my back with those claws of yours?”

“Well, I could, if you want me to… But I’ll clean them up again, as many times as you want.” Just for good measure, I pressed another line of kisses down the most prominent scratch on his left shoulder—a long red line that burned brighter than all the others.

Neither of us spoke for a while after that, and for a moment I wondered if he was actually going to give into my plea of sleeping in. But then he was pushing himself off the mattress, palms digging into the pillows below. I flopped down on my back at his side, staring up at him as he stretched out his arms and rolled his shoulders back and forth.

“Let me piss first, at least. And I suggest you do the same.”

It was hard not to smile as I watched him disappear into the bathroom, leaving the door open just a little bit. I yawned and curled my arm behind my head, staring up at the ceiling above. With the effects of sleep still lingering, and the warmth of Levi’s touch still against my skin, I closed my eyes and let my mind begin to wander.

Once this war was over, we’d be able to have all the lazy mornings we wanted. Just the two of us, in our little house in the heart of the forest. There was a Forest of Giant Trees just outside Shiganshina’s outer gates, and once we took back Wall Maria maybe we could settle there—that is, unless they didn’t turn it into a tourist attraction like they did with the ones within the Walls.

I thought of the river cutting through the southern half of the Walls, through the center of Shiganshina before leading further into the territory beyond Wall Maria. As far as I knew, none of the Scouts knew where it came to an end. It carried on further and further south, even past the old castle ruins I’d explored on my first expedition beyond the Walls. I remembered staring at it with my mouth agape, watching the water flow south as far as the eye could see, before disappearing into the red horizon. Ever since then, I’d wondered what was at the end of it, and whether or not there were even more rivers in the world beyond our three safe Walls.

Once we win this war, we’ll be able to find out for ourselves. We’ll settle down somewhere, away from everyone else within the Walls; once we start exploring the Walls will surely feel a bit cramped. It’ll just be me and Levi, and our two horses of course, and someday down the line—

Before I knew it, I was pressing my palm to my stomach, splaying my fingers across the scarred skin. And I couldn’t help but frown when all I felt was stillness. Nothing was in there—not yet, at least.

Hold on—what the fuck am I thinking? I groaned into my palms and turned over to lay on my stomach, nails digging into the top of my scalp.

You and Levi aren’t ready for children yet. Hell, you don’t even know if he wants children to begin with! You guys barely talked about it last night, you know. So stop jumping into sad little fantasies of the future.

As much as I hated to say it…the little voice in the back of my mind was right. The thought was nice, something to keep close whenever the future looked bright, but we both knew the truth. Neither of us had time to spare for a child right now. And there was too much at stake right now to start thinking about our retirement from the Scouts, or whether or not we would live together once the Titans were gone. And that alone made my hands begin to tremble.

Sure, we practically lived in each other’s offices at this point, but we were still under the same roof—with roughly a hundred other soldiers living in close proximity with us. Would Levi even be okay with walking away from the base someday to live alone with me? Or did he have other plans to live somewhere else—plans that didn’t include me?

Levi cleared his throat as he finally stepped out of the bathroom, ruffling his messy hair with his fingers. I was quick to slip in after him, catching a whiff of mint from his breath as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. Clean freak already brushed his teeth, huh?

“Make it quick if you want to go back to sleep.” I gasped as he gave my ass a light smack, before making his way towards the messy bed. “I won’t wait forever.”

I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue at him. “Just for that, I’m going to take all the time I want in here!”

“Go ahead, but don’t be surprised when you come back to a cold bed, brat.”

I closed the door with a huff, and even through the running water in the bathroom, I could hear him snickering on the other side.

My mind was still racing as I took care of my business, washing up my face and brushing my teeth with the minty toothpaste he kept on the side of the sink. A million questions flooded my mind about the future: what would happen to us, where we would live, the state of the entire Survey Corps, and everything in between. Of course, there was also the possibility we could never end up living together afterwards, even if we wanted to; for all we knew, one of us could end up dying before then.

I shivered and spat out the toothpaste with a grunt. Stop that. Thinking about it will only get you worked up. Focus on what you have right now in front of you, okay?

And right now, I had a handsome captain waiting for me in bed—all alone, and all mine.

He was still there when I opened the door to the bathroom—of course, I knew he would never leave me—and I wasted no time climbing back into bed and throwing the sheets over our bodies. I dug my fingers into his shoulders, pulling him in as close as possible as his arms found their way around my hips.

“So clingy,” he mumbled against my hair.

“…Just sleepy.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie—I was pretty sleepy, and already I could feel my eyelids drooping as I curled into his chest beneath the covers. I made sure to keep my body almost completely still (no kicking my legs or shifting from side to side), so he wouldn’t suspect anything was wrong with me. We were both too tired to even entertain any ideas of what the future could hold for us. I couldn’t spring this up on him now.

So I kept quiet and snuggled deeper into his chest, the warmth of the sun’s rays and his arms around me lulling me back to sleep.

|~|

When I finally left his room a little over an hour later, the first thing I did was head to the mess hall to check up on my kids. Thankfully they were no longer sleeping on the floor and across the tables, like they had been the night before. Now they were crowded around their usual tables, mumbling to each other over their identical bowls of gruel.

“Never again,” I heard Gretel mutter under her breath, “no more late nights. My head can’t take it…”

I snorted as I gathered my own bowl of gruel from the main counter. If that’s how she’s acting just by staying up late, I’d hate to see what she’s like when she’s hungover. Not that I would ever encourage my cadets to drink (at least, not when they were in my presence, of course).

Which reminded me… I’d have to go check on Mike and Moblit later today. Those two could become insufferable with alcohol in their systems, and while Moblit was usually reserved and had a high tolerance (normally), it was Mike who was the more rambunctious of the two. A bad influence on Moblit, if you ask me.

And sure enough, the two of them were sitting at our usual table, with Nanaba directly across from them. She was rolling her eyes as Mike held his head in his hands, and Moblit leaned too far over the table and smacked his forehead into the book he was currently reading.

“And if you look directly ahead,” she said, smiling as I made my way over to sit next to her, “you’ll see a pair of full-grown men struggling to hold their liquor the morning after. So much for all their big talk, huh?”

“I can handle it just fine, thank you,” Mike groaned into his palms. At least he seems too out of it to tease me about using Levi’s shampoo, like last time. “Those last couple shots killed me, though…”

“Wait…you had even more last night?” My eyes darted back and forth between Mike and Nanaba in between bites of my breakfast. “When was this?”

“After we split up, these two geniuses decided it would be a good idea to break into the whiskey in the cellar and see who could last the longest. And honestly…I’m giving this one to Moblit. Sorry, Mike.”

But neither of them seemed to be interested in the verdict. Moblit was whimpering into the pages of his book, as Mike mumbled a slew of curses under his breath. Poor boys. They would be like this for the rest of the day; I’d seen them both knock back shot after shot together after a particularly successful (and rare) expedition, and they were usually out of it for the next couple days or so. Moblit was always the first to recover, given how much he was already used to drinking during the week. (Working with Hanji every hour of every day could put quite the strain on both your mind and body.) Mike was the one who had to be babied through it all, which gave Nanaba plenty of room for teasing as she took care of him—and despite the occasional complaint, there was no denying both she and Mike loved the extra attention they got from one another.

“On a lighter note,” she continued, turning halfway in her seat to face me, “any plans for later today? Since this one’s going to be out of commission for a while, I’m looking for a new sparring partner.” Mike rolled his eyes at her, only to wince and grip his head once more. “I would ask Lynne or Gelgar, but they’re focusing on their ODM training today. So, you up for it?”

I glanced over at Reggie and Evan, yawning into their hands; at Emily and Murphy, who were dozing off on either side of Eld; and finally at Gretel, and despite putting on a brave face, she was quickly nodding off in her seat above her breakfast.

Looks like Mike isn’t the only one out of commission today. “Sounds like a plan! When do you want to meet up?”

|~|

Once I was finished with a small load of laundry and some extra paperwork lying on my desk, I headed out to meet Nanaba behind the girls’ barracks. By now the sun was at its peak in the sky, beating down hard on the two of us. She met me with a smile, her boots scuffing in the dirt as she rolled her sleeves up to her elbows.

Training with Nanaba was always a mixed bag; I never knew what she would focus on this time around. Sometimes she was stronger, sometimes she was faster. She never did the same thing twice, like myself or Mike did. While I focused on speed and evading attacks, and Mike insisted on pure, unbridled strength in his blows and kicks, Nanaba was always changing it up. It was impressive, how flexible she could be in the field—a good way to keep her opponents guessing, too.

But she was careful about the way she carried herself through our warmups, as well. Never hinting at saving her arm strength for her punches, or slowing down during our laps around the base to conserve her energy. She was someone who put her all into her workouts, and that’s what made her such an exciting partner to train with.

With three laps around the base under our belt, the two of us chose a shady spot at the edge of the meadow to train. The horses were grazing beyond the fences, tails swishing in the breeze, huge noses bumping into each other’s. I could see Ivy and Misty frolicking in the distance, kicking out their legs as though they were foals once more.

I was so enamored with the sight I almost didn’t see Nanaba’s fist aiming for my cheek. I let out a breath as I dodged her attacks, batting her wrists away and slinking to the side when she went for my head.

She’s fighting dirty today. Well, if that’s how she wants to play, then so be it!

Fists pressing into palms, a swift sweep of the leg—in no time the two of us were panting hard, foreheads slick with sweat beneath the cool shade of the trees nearby. She caught my wrist in her hand with a smirk, before tugging me close and bringing her knee up to my stomach. I grit my teeth against the pain, trying my best to break free from her grip, but she only snickered and wrapped her fingers around the collar of my shirt…and suddenly my back was pressed against the dirt, with Nanaba’s knee hovering over my chest.

“…No fair!”

“All’s fair in hand-to-hand combat, my dear.” She shifted herself off of my chest, before plopping down in the dirt beside me. I sat up with a groan, immediately reaching for the pair of canteens resting beside us in the shade. “You’re not as speedy as you usually are—still tuckered out from last night?”

“Fuck off.” I could only hope my blush added to my already-burning face from our workout.

“No, I’m serious.” Her smile was softer as she took a swig of her water, brushing her blond hair away from her forehead. “What’s on your mind?”

And suddenly it was coming back to me, so fast I could barely react: lying side by side with Levi in his bed, drawing lazy circles on his chest, dreaming about a future for the two of us beyond the Walls.

“…Nothing, I’m fine.”

But she was persistent; those bright blue eyes were cutting into my skin, poking, prodding for me to elaborate. Damn it, even without saying anything, she’s still so intimidating.

I wasn’t as close to Nanaba as I was with Hanji, but I still considered her one of my dearest friends. But how often had I actually sat down and talked with her like this? How many conversations did we have without the occasional joke thrown in, or with our fists flying during a training session? Nanaba was never the one I went to when it came to talking about my insecurities, or my dreams and fears of the world around me. It had always been Hanji, and later on Levi. But never Nanaba.

Still, there was a weight on my chest that I couldn’t get rid of, a nagging voice in the back of my head that demanded I talk to someone—and as much as I wanted to, I knew I couldn’t go to either Levi or Hanji this time.

“Come on,” she was leaning against the tree now, her legs crossed at the ankles, “spill already.”

I took another drink from my canteen, fingers trembling against my knees.

“…Do you have any plans…once this is over?”

“Once what is over?”

“You know…this?”

It wasn’t until I gestured to the base around us, to the soldiers training among the trees and the horses grazing in the fields that she seemed to understand. The soles of her boots dug into the dirt, her pointer finger tapping rapidly against the crook of her elbow. I clung to the canteen at my chest, waiting for her to speak.

“Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it.” She shook her head with a smile, which did little to quell the feeling in my chest. “Maybe I’ll tag along with Mike, if he goes back to his parents’ home up north. I don’t think they’d mind all that much.”

Of course they wouldn’t. Mike’s mother simply loved the company whenever we made the trip to Wall Sina, but there was always that sneaking suspicion that she loved Nanaba just a hair more than the rest of us.

Still, there was a forlorn look in her eye, a soft breath passing through her lips as she leaned further back against the tree. Almost as though she didn’t believe her own words.

“That sounds nice,” I whispered, but her eyes drooped to the ground, where she was scuffing up the dust with the heel of her boot. “…Doesn’t it?”

“I guess you could say that.” Her smile was back, but that look in her eye remained. “Now it’s your turn. What do you plan to do after this?”

Every word I could think of was on the tip of my tongue all at once; every silly dream I’d harbored since I was a child, right up until this morning as I curled up into Levi’s side, nestled comfortably in his bed. My cheeks were burning, my voice no more than a hushed mumble. But Nanaba leaned forward eagerly, urging me to speak up. And I knew better than to hide from those soft blue eyes.

You brought this on yourself, Wolf. So own up to it.

“…I want to marry. Maybe have a kid or two…”

I glanced up at her, waiting for a smug smile or a snarky comment about Levi (I know Hanji would absolutely go for it, but Nanaba had a bit more class than her). Instead she was gazing down at me, drumming her fingers against the crook of her elbow, and nodding along to the sound of my voice.

“That sounds nice, too.”

That sad look in her eye was back again, stronger than ever. And suddenly I was starting to feel a twinge in my chest, a gaping hole stretching itself wider and wider as our conversation began to truly sink in.

The question was hanging between us in the air, too heavy to say out loud. Too terrifying to confront head-on.

Do you really think you’ll live long enough to see the end of this war?

It was a question every soldier had to face at one point or another. From every cadet learning how to wield a pair of swords for the first time, to every veteran silently counting down the days with a smile on his face. There was always that lingering fear in their minds, that little voice that held too much weight to be ignored. That constant reminder of the reality of this world, and how cruel and unjust it could be.

We all had our dreams and goals and fears. Hopes for the future, regrets of the past, promises made to one another when all seemed lost. Little things to tell ourselves to get through the day, even if they consisted of unobtainable dreams we would never be able to reach in our lifetimes.

For Nanaba, it was going back home with Mike. For myself, it was settling down with Levi and having a child.

Sweet dreams to cling onto when all seemed lost, that little flicker of light at the end of the tunnel to help us keep pressing on. But all of that meant nothing when staring down the maw of a Titan, its beady eyes filled with rage.

How many of our comrades had held similar dreams? Dreams of returning to their homes and starting a new life for themselves? And how many of those dreams had died alongside them, at the jaws of the Titans beyond the Walls?

A bitter pill to swallow, but necessary nonetheless. It would be a miracle if we all came out of this war alive. We couldn’t afford to waste time wondering about what the future held for us. The best we could do was make the most out of what we could with our lives now.

I leaned against the tree with a sigh, my shoulder touching Nanaba’s beneath the shade. Across the meadows I could see Murphy and Evan, letting their horses out for a quick run. And close behind was Emily, with Ivy galloping after Misty and Gus as fast as her legs could carry her.

And suddenly it clicked—that was the future we were all fighting for. Not just for the good of humanity, for the safety of the people within the Walls, but for the chance to give those kids a better life.

Reggie, Gretel, Evan, Murphy, Emily—even Eld and Gunther, and Petra, Oluo, and Nifa. And every single one of our fresh-faced recruits, and even the cadets still in training at the southern tip of Wall Rose. Even the littler ones who played in the outer districts, who went to school in the heart of Wall Sina, who still got in trouble with their parents for playing too roughly with their siblings.

Those kids were the ones who mattered the most. The ones that were here and now, living and breathing—the most precious people within these Walls.

Maybe I couldn’t reach my dream of having children of my own in this life. But I could damn well do my best to make sure those kids woke up in the morning, without fear of what was lurking beyond our little haven.

|~|

The weight in my chest had eased up as the day carried on. By the time I retired to my office for the night it was no more than a little lump in my throat—easy to choke down when Levi came to visit me, a stack of paperwork under one arm, and a tray of tea in the other.

Neither of us spoke as we settled into our usual routine: the two of us seated across from each other at my desk, the only sound between us being the scratch of our pens against the parchment.

In a way I was relieved; at least neither of us seemed eager to mention my slip-up last night. It was for the best, anyway. The sooner I stopped thinking about it, the sooner it would leave my mind altogether.

But as I filed my papers away for the night, that strange feeling came back like a raging inferno. I grimaced at the culprit: the box set of books Moblit had gotten me for my birthday last night, resting on the edge of the file cabinet.

Where Mom Lives.

My mother’s favorite books to read as she waited for Dad to come home, curled up against the arm of the couch with her elbow propped up on a stack of pillows. She would always shake her head whenever the three of us would climb into her lap and ask her to read aloud to us. “You’re too young,” she would say, but she would still open the blanket and allow us to come cuddle with her. “You won’t appreciate it until you’re older. Much older than you are now.”

Before I knew it I was standing in front of the file cabinet, staring up at the three books above. Red, bronze, and green, each with fine gold trimming along the edges and spines. The pages were crisp and clean, and yet when I took the first book and opened it up, it still had that soft dusty smell to it.

Just like home, and my throat closed up all over again.

A pair of arms came to rest around my waist, and I bit back a smile as Levi pulled me backwards, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “I hope you’re not planning on keeping those all to yourself.”

“Oh, would you like to read them when I’m finished?”

But he only shook his head, before leading me away from the cabinet, with his arms still around my waist. This time I laughed as he flopped us down on the couch, side by side, with the pillows pressed against my arm. Wordlessly he stole a pillow from the stack, placed it against my lap, and pressed his cheek to the soft fabric. A few seconds passed before he glanced up at me, the slightest trace of annoyance written across his face.

“Well? I’m waiting.”

With another laugh, I leaned down and kissed his forehead, brushing his long bangs out of his beautiful eyes. Then his nose, his cheeks, and finally his lips. And when I was done, I leaned against the cushions of the couch, turned to the first page, and began to read aloud.

And all the while, as selfish as it was, I thought of sharing a new life with him, just the two of us away from the world, with a home of our own and children in our arms.

[miramelindamusings]

Ever since David Tennant came back as the fourteenth doctor, I always wondered what would happen if Rose saw that iteration especially when she's with Tentoo. And tentoo and family sketches because I always love thinking about/reading fanfic where Rose and him get to know each other, and his own individuality is discussed and explored. Maybe Tentoo ends up looking a little scruffier as he ages than Ten perhaps would but he's still the doctor in all the ways that counts.

[nymphaearie]

[elbiotipo]

I've made this post before but it's really awful that the Aguará Guazú or Lobo Guará has this reputation as the Lobizón/Luisón (you could call it the South American werewolf, they are Tupí legends syncretized with European conceptions of werewolves, quite interesting), people used to kill it and some still do because of that idea.

There's also this misconception that they are predators. In reality, Aguará Guazú or Guarás eat mostly fruit, in particular Solanum lycocarpum, which is so associated to it that it's called Lobeira in Portuguese, and small rodents and birds at most, it's not a hunter at all. It's a weird but shy animal and certainly not a threat at all to humans. It's strange to think that people would have such a poor view of it.

But then you see one in movement:

And yes, that does look like a human pretending to be a wolf.

Imagine seeing that at night.

[princess-pine-cone]

Girldad Doctor makes so much sense, and I'm glad its canon

[metacrisisdoctor]

2.10 | 2.13 | DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF THE WOLF (2021)

“Moments from a much quieter life, lived with the man who put her on this path. Their adventures were perhaps of a more ordinary sort, but no less important.”

(#aka mia being loved before she was a possibility)

[prickly-pickle-cat]

[Watches my moldy babygirl fail to catch a fish with a knife] "I want that one."

[sandsu03]

Yay yay 30th celebration of my crime cuties

[delaneytalks-tostatues]

My only contribution to podcast girls week is. Uh.

I cosplay podcast girls sometimes. I guess.

Some of these photos are ancient--

[bestmothertournament]

Propaganda Under Cut:

Melissa McCall (Mother of Scott): Tries to support her son and instill boundaries and despite being shaken by the news of her son's transformation into a werewolf she continues to do her best to support and provide for her son and his pack.

Donna Sheridan (Mother of Sophie): Raises her daughter on her own whilst running a struggling bussiness. Wants the world for her daughter and tries to advise her daughter.

[starstruckkittensweets]

“Winter Waltz” (Levi x Mia)

Summary: In the winter of 858, Mia takes Levi’s hand and leads him into the nearby town for a midnight walk - as well as a surprise in the square. 

Fandom: Attack on Titan Pairing: Levi x Mia (OC)  Words: 3.5k 

Warnings: post-Season 4 Marley setting, some spoilers for manga ending (no deaths mentioned), mentions of scars and war injuries 

Hello everyone! I know I’ve been absent on here for a little while, between work and writer’s block it’s been one heck of a few months. Hopefully things will start to settle down now and I’ll be able to focus more on writing and smoothing out my schedule, at least for a little bit. 

So I’m back for Christmas with a little Levi fic, as part of @levi-supreme’s Happy Birthday Levi 2022 celebration (featuring my OC Mia from my story A Wolf with Wings)! Rei is an absolute sweetheart and I was so excited when she announced she would be bringing this little event back this year! So go and show her some love! 🥰 Thank you for letting me participate again this year Rei - and I tried not to make it too similar to my fic last year! Writing this fic was a lot of fun and it helped me with my writer’s block after so long, so thank you for helping me get back into writing just in time for our special captain’s birthday! 

Aside from the warnings mentioned above, this is supposed to be a feel-good fic, a possible ending to my AWWW series for both Levi and Mia (as well as their little family). Not sure if this is going to be canon but just in case, possible slight AWWW spoilers ahead! I hope you enjoy! 

(Also, the titular waltz at the end of the story was written with Marriage d’Amour in mind!) 

“Come outside with me.”

Levi glared at me from over the rim of his teacup, and I could tell he was already poised to say no. But as I slipped my coat over my shoulders and grabbed my mittens, he gave a heavy sigh and pushed himself out of his seat. I met him halfway in the kitchen with his coat, just so he wouldn’t put any extra strain on his bad leg.

“Any particular reason you’re dragging my ass out in the snow close to midnight, brat?”

My cheeks grew warm at the old familiar nickname. “Only to show you something real quick. It won’t be long, I promise.”

“The kids—”

“They’ll be fine, Ada’s already agreed to watch them for the night. She should be here any minute now.”

Of course, his biggest worry would be the three little bundles in the next room over, tucked away for the night and already sound asleep. But they had been my first priority when planning for tonight; a quick request to Ada earlier in the week (with a promise of bringing her and her family freshly baked cookies and pastries), and she was ready to play babysitter for a couple hours on Christmas Eve. Gabi and Falco would’ve been my first choice, given how much the young boy enjoyed playing with the kids whenever they visited, but they were already busy with their own families. Our neighbor Ada was already taking a late shift at her family’s little shop, so she agreed to swing by on her way home to watch them for a little bit.

“Here, I got it.” As Levi tucked himself into his coat, I draped his scarf across his neck and began wrapping it around his collar. He didn’t grumble or mutter under his breath about how he didn’t need my help, he could handle it just fine on his own. He was getting more worn out these days, his eyes always soft with sleep.

But it was a good kind of tired. The kind where you could snuggle up in bed and fall asleep almost instantly. The kind of tired that almost felt…peaceful.

It was a good look on Levi. He deserved it, after everything he had done for us—not just for me and our three kids, but for his fellow soldiers, and the five kids across the sea on Paradis. He had fought so hard for so long, he deserved to have some peace and quiet for a change.

Finally the two of us were bundled up, with Levi tying on the last accessory of his outfit: a black patch over his right eye, covering the majority of the scar on his face. As often as I told him he didn’t need it, that he looked beautiful with his numerous scars, he insisted on wearing it whenever we left our little home, especially when the kids were out with us.

“They don’t need to see that shit.”

Never mind that our little boy of five years still crawled into his lap to press his tiny hands to Levi’s face, tracing the ridged lines down his cheek and over his lips. Or our two girls who took turns kissing him right on his scar and babbling away in their own little language. They didn’t seem to care in the slightest; never scared of how he looked, never shied away from his clouded eye or the missing fingers on his right hand. To them he was still their father, scars and bruises and all.

There was a knock at the door, and once Ada had greeted us (and practically rushed us out the door, encouraging us to have fun for even a little bit), Levi and I were on our way. The walk to town was mercifully short, just down the path and over the stone bridge that stretched across the river. I took Levi’s arm in my own, the snow crunching beneath our boots with every step we took.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Some place special,” I said with a wink. “But I’m not telling you where.”

He rolled his eyes but snuggled deeper into my side. Even through the sleeves of his coat and the wool of my mittens, I could feel his body heat pressing into my skin. But he grumbled as his forehead knocked into the earmuffs resting on the top of my head, before adjusting his position and continuing his walk. He had given them to me as a gift the first winter we lived here in Marley, on the morning of the first snowfall of the season. Most of the other women living here took to wearing them whenever it got too cold, and I had to say, they did the job well. I could finally enjoy the long winter nights without the tips of my ears burning red.

The river was calm beneath the bridge, curving around the rocks in its path, lapping gently at the shores. The town was just in sight, the faint lamplight illuminating our path. With a spring in my step I tugged on Levi’s arm—but still mindful of his injured leg. Even after all these years it could still give him trouble if he wasn’t careful.

It wasn’t too different from Ahorne, or even Shiganshina back on Paradis. We had the surrounding forest to thank for that; unlike some of the newer cities that had been constructed in the last few years, this little sliver of land could handle being a bit sleepy and old-fashioned. Travelers didn’t see fit to drive their fancy cars through the dirt road, opting for the traditional horse-drawn carriage to get around the town. Levi was always grumbling about how long it would stay that way though, about how long we would have until we were forced to adapt to the new way of life. He hated cities just as much as I did.

But I always brushed it off, smiling as I told him, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Let us enjoy this quiet little town while we still can.

A soft glow of lamplight drifted through the streets. Shops were lined across the sidewalks, most of them closed down with a sign plastered in the window, promising to open again the day after Christmas. Further down was a bustling tavern, with cheering patrons and hearty laughter spilling from the open doors. Levi scoffed under his breath as one pair of partiers stumbled their way out of the tavern, a young man with his arm slung over his girl’s shoulders, both of them blissfully lost in each other’s presence.

“They’ll freeze out here if they’re not careful.”

I rolled my eyes and pulled him closer, fingers pressing into the sleeve of his coat. “Let them be. We were kind of careless like that, once.”

“What do you mean ‘were,’ brat?” I couldn’t help but laugh as he swooped me into his arms, pressing my back against his chest as he ran his fingers up the hem of my coat. “You’re still like that, you know. Still a pain in my ass.”

He was faster than I expected, his countless years of training still fresh in his mind as he slid his hands up and down my sides. I was giggling uncontrollably at the ticklish sensation, boots crunching against the snow as I tried to wriggle out of his tight grip. But he was persistent, snatching me by the wrist and following me as I led him further into the little sleepy town.

“Come on, I’m not that bad! Besides, we’re almost there, so try to keep up!”

Our destination rested in the heart of the town, closest to the cobblestone square where citizens and travelers alike preferred to flock. An old, run-down building that had definitely seen better days, but it wasn’t the worst-looking place I’d seen. I think it had been in business before the fall of 854, but the previous owners had left since then, and the entire shop had been left in shambles since. If I remembered correctly, it used to be a candy shop—one Gabi and Falco spoke of quite highly.

I could feel Levi’s gaze burning into my back as I began to lead him inside. “And you brought me all the way out here because…?”

I gave him a smile from over my shoulder as the door creaked beneath my palm. Good, it’s still unlocked. “You’ll see.”

The inside was only moderately better than the outside. An aging wooden counter on the far side of the room, with a little flap nestled towards the center for easy access. Shelves lined every other wall of the room, freshly dusted and wiped down—which didn’t go unnoticed by Levi. I could already sense his growing unease as he shifted from one foot to the other, as I slipped my hand into my coat pocket.

“Listen, I know it’s not much, but that can change. Gabi and Falco already agreed to help me out with this, and I’ll take care of the paperwork so you don’t have to worry about it. But I was thinking…if you’re up to it, of course…”

My mouth was suddenly dry; my tongue twisted around itself, teeth chattering in the chilly air. Come on, not now! You’ve thought about this moment for months now, so don’t screw it up by acting stupid!

I’d thought of the words I’d say, how I would say them, what I would do once I was done. I’d rehearsed them both in my head and out loud, sometimes even in front of Gabi and Falco. (And while Gabi tended to roll her eyes and point out my many faults, Falco was the calmer of the two, always offering me encouragement and support.)

With a light scoff, I wondered if this was anywhere close to how Levi felt when he gave me that little silver ring on the beach of Paradis, just over eight years ago—the one currently resting on the fourth finger of my left hand, right beneath my dark green mitten.

I cleared my throat, my face warming up beneath his stare. “So, I was wondering if you’d want to…you know, open this place up with me…”

I slid my hand out of my pocket, unfurling Levi’s fingers with my own. His visible silver eye grew wide as I place a little bronze key in the center of his palm.

“We can have that tea shop you always talked about. And maybe I can make some pastries and snacks to go along with it. The kids volunteered to work here—if we paid them, of course—and they’ve already been helping me clean it up for the last couple weeks or so. And Onyankopon already offered to help me with the paperwork. I know everything’s been a bit hectic in the last few years or so, but he said it shouldn’t be a problem getting our names on it, as long as we pay the monthly rent—and it’s quite cheap too, from what he’s told me. And if everything goes well, maybe we can open it up by next Christmas. …Levi?”

He was still staring at the tiny key in his hand, his face unreadable. Already I could feel a horrible twist in my gut, that tiny damning voice in the back of my head as loud as ever. He doesn’t want this, you’re so stupid, you should’ve waited a while before dropping this on him—

“…Levi, if you don’t like it, we can just forget about—”

“Tch, come here, you dumbass.”

Suddenly his hands were on my cheeks, pressing my mouth against his own in a fierce kiss. I squealed as a gust of wintry wind blew in through the doors—damn it, I forgot to close them behind us, didn’t I?—but he was quick to wrap his arms around my waist and shield my body with his own. I could feel my eyelids drooping, my heart racing as I slid my hands through his hair as best as I could (it was a little hard to do with mittens on).

“It’s fine,” he finally breathed as he broke away from me. “No, shit—it’s more than fine. It’s perfect.”

Almost at once, that warm familiar feeling began to pool in the pit of my chest. “I’m glad you think so, because it’s yours, captain.”

“You mean ours,” he mumbled, pressing his forehead against my own. “Like hell I’m doing this without you by my side.”

I couldn’t speak, not with the way my throat was tightening up. So instead I took his hand in my own, the little bronze key still pressed between our palms, and nestled my face in his chest. His other hand came to rest at the small of my back, his warmth comforting in the chill of the night.

Even through the sound of the wind streaming through the open doors, I could hear the merry tavern music from next door playing on loop. People were cheering and clapping along, basking in the warm glow of yet another Christmas Eve.

Eventually, as the night passed on, the music grew quieter, the chatter of the partiers lulled to a soft hum. The two of us were still wrapped up in each other’s arms, standing like idiots in the middle of our soon-to-be tea shop.

Idiots in love, and the thought had me giggling against his chest.

“Come on,” Levi was the first to speak, pulling me towards the door with both hands outstretched, “let’s head home before you freeze. Your cheeks are getting red, you know.”

Oh well, I could deal with a little bit of windburn if it meant spending more time with him. Nevertheless, I followed him out the door and back into the square, down the familiar cobblestone path ahead.

The tavern was closed now, the streets dark and quiet. Everyone had left for home it seemed, eager to sleep and prepare for Christmas morning in just a few hours. We had to do the same, before Ada began to worry about us getting lost out in the cold.

“Wait one minute…”

Levi quirked an eyebrow at me as I held him in place, just outside the door of our little future tea shop. I pressed a finger to my lips (as best as I could in the mittens I wore), urging him to listen to the wind around us.

And suddenly we heard it: the soft sound of a piano being played, in one of the apartments towering over us in the square. A beautiful melody with gentle taps of the keys, expert fingers stringing along a song of love and peace. It was almost enough to make me fall asleep right then and there on the cobblestone path.

But then I had another idea—one that brought a wicked smile to my face. I pulled him back into the empty room of the tea shop, keeping the door wide open to let in the chill, as well as the beautiful music above.

“What are you—?”

“Dance with me.”

The rational part of my brain was scoffing right now, urging me to stop being so childish and start heading back home on that old familiar path. But I was hopeful, begging for Levi to indulge in this one silly wish of mine before we reached our tiny little home in the heart of the forest.

There was a glimmer in his eye, one I hadn’t seen since the end of the war—and suddenly his hands were nestled on my waist, tugging me into his chest with a huff.

“If you insist, brat.”

I slid my hands around the back of his neck, leading him into a dance I knew all too well. He was no longer clumsy on his feet like he was when I’d first tried to teach him; now he was confident in his steps, holding me close as he dipped and bowed along with me. It was a little hard with us both bundled up in our winter clothes, but our movements were still in sync, even after all this time.

When was the last time we danced together like this? Probably when our son was just a newborn baby, sleeping away in his crib with his little hands tucked into fists. Exhausted but unable to go to sleep, Levi had brought me into the living room of our shared cabin and led me into a dance—the same one I had taught him back at the Survey Corps base on that rainy night in the year 848. The same one my father had taught me and my siblings, and the one I hoped Levi and I would be able to teach to our own kids once they were older.

Everything’s changed, and yet nothing has. You’re still the same captain I fell in love with—the same silver-eyed Scout from the Underground City.

I glanced up at his face, pulling away just enough to slide one of my mittens off. His lips pursed together as I reached around the back of his head, tugging on the little thin string of his eyepatch. Within moments it was hanging between my fingers, revealing the beautiful scar and clouded eye beneath.

“You’re still so handsome, captain,” I leaned in close, my lips trembling against his own, “scars and all.”

The kiss was brief but sweet, as Levi pressed his palms into the small of my back. When he pulled away with a huff, I was pleased to see the faintest tint of pink splashed across his cheeks—and I knew better than to think it was because of the cold air around us.

“I love you, Levi.” A kiss to the jagged scar on his cheekbone, just below his right eye. “I love you. I love you.”

I love you.

With each whisper came another kiss, until I reached his lips once more. Something warm dribbled down the length of his cheek and onto my own—but he was wiping it away with the back of his hand before I could ask what it was. He cleared his throat and shook his head, the softest smile I’d ever seen splayed across his lips.

“Love you too, sweetheart.”

The music from the apartment above had died down to a low hum; whoever had been playing seemed to be getting ready for bed. I curled my hand around Levi’s, offering the bronze key to the tea shop in my other one.

“Wanna do the honor?”

He was quick to take the key from my grasp, despite the roll of his eyes and scoff under his breath. Within moments we were outside in the cold once more, with Levi locking the doors to the tea shop with a soft click.

“It’ll look so much better once we give it some color,” I told him as he took my hand in his own. “You get to decide what it’ll look like, okay? Oh, and don’t forget a name—I don’t really have any ideas, so it’ll be up to you to come up with a good one, alright?”

He remained silent as I rambled on all the way home, but the way he squeezed my fingers told me he was listening to every word I said. Through the forest, across the little stone bridge, all the way down the familiar path that led to home—he was holding me as tight as he could, with the little bronze key dangling from his fingertips.

It wasn’t until we were within our little fenced-in yard that I realized I was still holding onto his eyepatch; he had made no move to take it from me, to cover up his eye on the entire walk home. Sure, there was no one out on the streets at this time of night, but it was a tiny step forward.

Maybe someday he’ll realize he doesn’t need this silly thing to begin with, that he’s perfect without it.

“Thank you.”

The words were sudden, cutting through the chilled air around us. His hand was warm around my own, his breath fanning across my mouth as he leaned in close. He still clung onto that silly bronze key, almost as though it would slip through and disappear into the snow if he wasn’t careful.

“You didn’t have to… I mean, it’s so…” He groaned, swiping a hand through his hair and mussing it all up. “…Thank you.”

Oh.

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling like a schoolgirl, heart thumping in my chest like a nervous rabbit. “You’re very welcome, captain. Now come on, let’s get you all warmed up inside.”

He took my hand in his own—but not before pressing one last kiss against the skin of my cheek, right against the little white scar below my left eye. I giggled as his nose brushed against mine, as I reached behind me to unlock the door to our little home.

“Come on, the kids are waiting for us.”

And together the two of us retreated into our little home in the heart of the woods—the home we had built together after all these years—with the little bronze key to our newly-owned tea shop still pressed between our palms.

[nwellighs]

Happy Father’s Day to him. ❤️

[elbiotipo]

I didn't know there were still wolves in italy. I somehow thought they had been hunted away like in other countries. I'm glad. That's where they should be.

[allweknewisdead]

How to Have Sex (2023) - Molly Manning Walker

You're right, I should have said something.

[yalnizligamahkumbirkiz]

Stiles&Lydia

[thepromiseofsin]

“their adventures were perhaps of a more ordinary sort…”