#postwar!Levi

[sixpennydame]

Summer Promises

A one-shot for the Levi Ackerman x Fem!OC series, North Star

Read on AO3

Word count: 1.7k

Tags: fluff; post-Rumbling world; postwar!Levi feeling the healing power of nature

Author's note: While this one-shot is part of the North Star world, it can still be enjoyed without having read the series.

But the story is best enjoyed while sitting under the trees.

Levi can’t recall ever enjoying summers in Paradis. It had always been unbearably hot and humid; every shred of his uniform sticking to his body making it difficult to move. Not to mention that summer was the busiest time of year for expeditions. Riding for hours in the heat, the only time he felt a cool breeze was when he was flying through the air on ODM gear. The sound of nearby thunder from a summer storm would mingle with the footsteps of titans, and the flowers that dotted the forest ground were often splattered with the blood of his comrades. 

No, he had no good memories of summer. 

He’d arrived in Mursa at the peak of the season and with no knowledge of mountain summers.  But the moment he’d moved into your home he saw how much you treasured it: the fresh flowers neatly displayed on the breakfast table every morning, and the basket of vegetables from the garden under your arm. You opened every window in the house to let a crosswind cool the rooms, the gossamer fabric of the curtain blowing in the wind. 

He started his walk to his job at the stables in the early dawn hours, when the sun had not yet burned off the heavy dew collecting on each leaf and flower, the birds just beginning their songs. He noticed that the air was cool and crisp in the mornings and evenings here, and you’d given him a jacket when you’d seen him bristle at the chill. 

You - 

If people could be seasons then he’d decided you were summer. You were bright and warm, and had a bustling energy about you. He could hear you humming in your garden when you were pulling weeds, humming when you put laundry on the line to dry. Always humming, always singing…

…he didn’t mind it. 

“Come ride with me,” you said one day while visiting the stables. You were brushing your horse, Astrid, and she seemed to snort in approval. “You were saying you need to ride Demon more anyway, right?”

It’s true, he needed to get the stallion out and stretch its legs. 

“Ok, but just for a quick ride. I need to get back and do the rest of today’s chores,” he answered. 

“Pfft, you’ve done most of them already, the rest can wait. Besides, it’s summer!”

(This was something you often said, he’d realized -  when you wanted to sleep in a little longer on the weekends, when you’d eat an extra helping of strawberries with cream, when you’d stay up too late reading a book - as if summer was some magical pass to do things you don’t normally do.)

“He’s fine to leave for a few hours, right Mathieu?”

The old man smiles, the deep wrinkles around his mouth deepening. “Levi works so efficiently, I barely have anything left for him to do today.” He grabs a saddle and gives it to Levi. “Go, enjoy the summer’s day.”

Once both horses are saddled, you and he ride out of the stables and into the meadow. 

“Where to?” he asks, having a feeling you’ve got something in mind. 

“We’re gonna ride up into those mountains a bit.” You point to a mountain range just to the west of the stables. “I have a place to show you that I think you’re gonna love.”

You look at him with a gleam in your eye. “Wanna race to the foot of the mountain?”

He liked this competitive side of you. “You know Demon and I will beat you.”

“Not if I get a head start!” 

A gentle prod to Astrid’s and you’re off in a flash. Levi smirks and pets the side of Demon’s neck.

“Time to show off a little, eh?” Levi clicks his tongue and taps Demon’s sides, just as they’d practiced over the past week. The black stallion snorts, stomping the ground before he starts his cantor. It doesn’t take long before they’re neck-in-neck with you, but he says a command and Demon goes even faster. By the time you and Astrid reach the foot of the mountain, the other two are relaxed, Demon nibbling on some blades of grass.

“What was that about beating me?” Levi smirks.

You roll your eyes before moving past him, starting up a narrow trail that leads into the trees. He follows behind, welcoming the cool shade as you ride further up. There’s a rustling in the bushes and Levi whips his head toward the sound, suddenly on alert. A deer’s head rises, seemingly unbothered by their presence.

Levi sighs. Even after all these years, it’s hard not to think that any movement in a forest is a possible threat. He keeps his eyes on your back as you ascend, the trail too narrow for you to ride side by side. But it’s a well worn trail, Levi notices; whether it was you or someone else that created it, it’s been used often. You don’t speak a word the entire trek until suddenly the ground evens out and you stop.

“Here we are,” you declare in a sing-song voice, “my little hideaway.”

The dense foliage of the pine and elm trees has given way to a small clearing dotted with white and blue flowers, their petals open towards the sun as if greeting its warmth. It was almost perfectly circular, like it was cleared of trees and specifically made. 

“Martin and I would come here when we were kids.” You step into the clearing. “We thought fairies made this place - it’s always felt so magical.”

“Fairies?”

“Magical beings that live in the forest.” Levi looks at you, perplexed. “There aren’t forest spirits where you’re from?”

“Not that I’m aware of. But there were plenty of things that wanted to kill us,” he replies. 

“Fairies can be mischievous, but they’re usually kind and benevolent. Especially if you give them a gift.”

You take out a peach and a small bottle from your saddle bag and place it under a large tree next to the clearing. “They particularly like wine and fruit.”

“Who doesn’t,” Levi says, slightly to mock but he must admit, his interest has peaked. “Now what happens? Do they jump out of the trees or something?”

 “No! That’s silly,” you answer. Your eyes shine as you take his arm and pull him into the center of the clearing. “I know you don’t believe in any of this stuff, but..”

You sit down, pulling him down with you. “...you’ll see, there’s something special about this place.” 

Before Levi can respond, you’re lying down in the grass, your face towards the sky, just like the flowers around you. “Just lay down. Close your eyes. Listen.”

There’s something about the calm and confident way you voice those three commands, and the next thing he knows, he’s lying beside you, his arms crossed against his chest.

One final sigh of resignation, and he closes his eyes. He waits a few seconds, wondering if something will happen, and laughing at himself internally for even entertaining these kinds of foolish thoughts. 

But then his breathing steadies, and he notices that it’s in rhythm with the breeze blowing through the trees around him: an in and out, as if the trees are also breathing. 

He feels a tiny insect - probably an ant - walking across his hand, the tall grass brushing against his body.

He smells the scent of pine in the air, sweet and woody.

He hears the bird song around him - the same melody he hears every day, but now, he notices every note. It’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard.

There’s another sound - a voice in the air, but it’s not yours. 

“Rest..” it says..

…

…

Levi opens his eyes to the sound of you humming in the distance. He sits up, blinking a few times to adjust to the changing lighting.

“You felt it, didn’t you?”

You’re picking some flowers next to a tree, twisting their stems into a flower crown.

He rubs the back of his neck before standing up and wipes off the grass from his pants. “How long was I out?”

“Oh, for about an hour. I didn’t want to wake you, you looked so peaceful.” 

Levi walks over to the tree you’re sitting under and leans against the trunk. You look up and smile at him.

“The fairies tend to give us what we need most. Apparently, you needed rest.”

Levi does a mental scan of his body. He does feel rested, more than he has in a long time. His muscles are relaxed, and even his knee isn’t aching as much. He’s never been a superstitious person - he believes what his eyes and other senses tell him - but he has to admit, there is something special about this place.

He wants to ask you what you were given during your time in the clearing, and what you need most. And why you brought him, of all people,here.

Instead, he looks away, his face apathetic. “Yeah, well, an afternoon nap is never a bad idea.” He glances down to see you smiling at him. “What?” he asks defensively.

You smile so sweetly at him, he feels a slight heat to his cheeks. 

“Oh…nothing…nothing,” you reply, standing up as you hold the flower crown. “Thanks for coming with me today.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Would you…come here again with me some time?’

He can feel the blush growing across his face now and he turns away, walking towards Demon, who’s grazing nearby. “Sure.”

“Promise?”

He looks back at you to see that you’ve now put the crown upon your head. The breeze blows some of your hair across your face, and he almost reaches out to push the strands behind your ear, but you beat him to it. Of all people, why would you want to spend time with him? You'd only just met him a little over a month ago. And what is it about you that makes him want to say yes to whatever you ask?

He can’t explain what it is about this place that makes it feel so special. Maybe it’s some natural phenomenon, maybe it is fairies.

Or maybe it’s just you.

He reaches out and straightens the crown on your head.

“I promise.”

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[ackermansbest]

Imagine Levi calling you "little brat l" before pressing you into his mattress

[leviackermansjewess]

Postwar! Levi is so incredibly excited when you’re pregnant, it overwhelms him. It makes his heart hurt. It makes his stomach turn every time he thinks of it.

He’s had strong emotions before of course, he’s had his stomach turn with an anxiety, he’s had his heart hurt with sadness, he’s anticipated things good and bad, but he’s never felt excitement, let alone to this extent.

Seeing the round of your stomach slowly grow over the months makes tears well in his eyes. They well in his eyes at the fact that he finally created life instead of destroying.

But he still can’t help but feel a little proud when he feels your guys child kicking in your stomach, knowing that his child will be strong, that they will inherit a least a little bit of their father’s strength.

But he is so excited when he is setting up the nursery with room, even if building the crib irritates his leg. He loves placing his hand on the small of your back as you paint some small birds on the nursery walls. He loves organizing and cleaning everything so perfectly that it has an unnatural shine.

He is so excited that it makes him nervous during his final day of your pregnancy. He loves seeing how big your stomach has gotten, he loves packing the hospital bag with you, he loves the final moments of his child moving inside of you.

(Though he isn’t excited about the actual labor, he’s quite nervous actually.)

But when his little baby girl is placed in his arms, all that excitement melts away into realization.

He’s a father. He helped bring life into this world. He now has someone that depends on him. He has a little baby that loves him unconditionally. He has someone that sees him as completely clean and pure.

He has a child.

“Hello little Kuchel.” He says softly to the sleeping child, the excitement creeping back into his gut.

Tags: @lucysarah-c @humanitys-strongest-bamf @levi-ackerman-ds @shayewrites + any other mutuals

Join my taglist.

[stillackerman]

postwar!levi x reader

You're preparing for the event, which requires formal clothes.

You're watching how Levi is trying to fix his white ascot. He's been fighting with that piece of fabric for a few minutes now, still not satisfied with the result. You can almost sense his frustration in the air. You always can. And you also know that he won't ask you for help. His pride will never allow him.

You're getting up from the chair and coming closer. You look at his mirror image, your eyes meet, and you smile a little before speaking:

“Let me help you.”

Levi doesn't say a word, but he turns to you, giving you a free hand. You focus on the task, and slowly take care of this, everything must be perfect, the way he likes it.

You feel his eyes on you, focused the same way on your beauty as you're on the ascot. You're almost blushing; even after all this time, his gaze makes you feel weak on your knees.

When you've done, you look at him, putting your hand on his cheek and tracing his scars with your thumb.

“You look really handsome,” you whisper.

“Tch...” You know Levi resists the urge to roll his eyes.

“I mean it!” You assure him, and to confirm it, you give him a sweet kiss. You feel how he relaxes at the touch of your lips.

And when you pull away, you see he's even more handsome than before. His skin gains some color, and he has happy sparkles in the eyes.

“We should go,” he says. “We can't be late.”

You nod. Levi takes the cane in one hand, and he gives you the free arm. You grab it, and both of you leave the room, looking like the most beautiful couple in the world.

[starrylevi]

🐚 A tiny bit of dadvi! Inspired by this tiktok 🐚

You watch Levi as he wheels his way across the boardwalk, stopping every once in a while to pick up something buried in the sand. You wait for a few seconds before walking over to him, gently putting a hand on his shoulder and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. “Hey, whatcha doing?”

“Seashells.” Levi mumbles to you.

“Hm?” You don’t quite hear him.

Levi sighs and repeats himself. “Seashells.”

Your eyebrows knit together in confusion. You glance over and see a small pile of seashells in his lap.

Levi answers your silent question as he follows your gaze. “They’re not for me. They’re for Armin.”

You take in his words and remember that Armin’s birthday is tomorrow. “That’s so-“

“Don’t. Please don’t.” He cuts you off before you make a big fuss and you giggle in response.

“Okay.” You snicker. “Do you need help?”

“Maybe.”

“I can carry the seashells for you.” You offer him.

He seems to contemplate it. “Okay…Thank you.”

You give him a beaming smile. “You’re welcome.”

You see a hint of pink on his cheeks before he mumbles a couple more words. “Love you.”

[happybird16]

Postwar!Levi prefers to sleep with you on his right side, although sleep is often a relative term for him. Most nights, haunting nightmares keep him wide awake for hours - visions of burning red flames and monstrous faces that linger even in the bedroom's darkness. These dreams leave his ears ringing, adrenaline coursing through his veins, and his heart threatening to burst from his chest. Yet, he finds solace with you on his right side, despite it being his blind side, as it makes him feel safer, especially in his unaware moments. This positioning allows him to twist to face you, ensuring that his scarred eye is nestled into the pillow, while his good eye catches a glimpse of your sleeping face. He traces the lines of your brow and the curves of your cheeks, the presence of you helping the terrifying shadows fade from his periphery.

[levilxvr]

comforting postwar!levi after he wakes up from another nightmare🫠

it’s not uncommon for both of you to experience nightmares especially after what you’ve been through the past month. But sometimes what worries you the most is how bad levi’s nightmares are. He would shoot up in bed in the wee hours of the morning, gasping for air with his eyes wide open and heart racing like crazy. Sometimes you would even wake up to see him with tears streaming down his cheeks.

You’ll stir beside him, quickly realising the situation as you sit up and take his trembling hand, placing it over your heart. It’s your way of reminding him that you’re there and that everything’s alright. Sometimes he just needed to physically feel you to remember it’s all just a dream.

And it always works. You can immediately feel levi become less tense, then ease him back down onto the pillows as you wrap your arms around him and bury your face in his shoulder. “I’m here,” you whisper, “it’s alright.”

“I dreamt that I lost you.” he squeezes his eyes shut and grabs your waist, pulling you close so your bodies were pressed against each other. You close your eyes and rest your forehead against his, assuring him that he didn’t and never will lose you because you’ll always come back to him no matter what.

He’s repeating your soothing words in his head, steadying his breathing as his palms rest on your face. You stroke his dark hair, sweeping the damp strands of fringe off his forehead.

“I love you.”

three simple words that hold such deep meaning. you know levi takes love seriously and for him to allow himself to be vulnerable around you like this..

“I love you too. always. never forget that i’m always here.”

when you look at him minutes later, his eyes are closed again, breathing softly in his sleep with your comfort easing the turmoil in his heart.

[the-milk-anon]

aot recommendations

works by gee 💙 @levmada

fluff

canon!levi | being a father figure for the 104th’s

canon!levi | saying “i love you” for the first time

canon!levi | reader has trouble sleeping

canon!levi | he returns from a mission

asexual!levi | his relationship with an asexual male!reader

modern!levi | him dealing with reader’s fears

levi | making him breakfast in bed

levi | cooking for reader

angst

canon!levi | surviving a freezing night in the underground

hurt/comfort

postwar!levi | re-building his self-worth

canon!levi | having a breakdown

smut

canon!levi | soft sex with injured!levi (postwar)

canon!levi | first time with male!reader

canon!levi | rough sex after calling him cute

sub!levi | edging him

sub!levi | fucking him into subspace

sub!levi | giving male!reader head for the first time

kitty!levi | lactation kink

kitty!levi | building a nest while in heat

kitty!levi | giving him a collar + levi wearing lingerie

kitty!levi | he gets jealous

kitty!levi | breeding with male!reader

kitty!levi | feeling guilty during his heat

kitty!levi | dealing with his heat

omegaverse!levi | breeding

virgin!levi | taking his virginity

virgin!levi | giving him head

trans!levi | ftm!levi being body worshipped

trans!levi | sfw and nsfw headcanons for ftm!levi

trans!levi | taking ftm!levi’s virginity

trans!levi | winter cuddles with ftm!levi

trans!levi | giving ftm!levi head

levi | riding him

levi | cum eating

multiple parts

merman!levi | canal (five chapters)

trans!levi | canon world ftm!levi headcanons (part 1)

trans!levi | canon world ftm!levi headcanons (part 2)

trans!levi | canon world ftm!levi headcanons (part 3)

modern!levi | period sex (part 1)

modern!levi | period sex (part 2)

modern!levi | period sex (part 3)

levi x furlan

levifar | bathing together

levifar | having their first time together (part 1)

levifar | continuation with bottom!levi (part 2)

levi x erwin

eruri | trans!levi and erwin are stargazing

check out their ao3 as well <3

[youre-ackermine]

[levitiquee]

It felt wrong to touch you, to be near you.

You were so soft, so gentle under his rough, calloused fingertips. He's always scared he might hurt you.

He touched your face sometimes.

Only for him to remember the scarred tissues on his own. The bumpy edges that came all the way from his forehead to chin . The damaged eye.

He can't give you what you give him.

He wants to embrace you, hold you, fucking devour you.

He hates himself for it.

But he could never help it.

Never was able to pull away when you touched him. How could he?

You had soothed the pain in him. The only one to ever bother.

You took your time to find his dark, dark heart and pushed every nightmare away.

Something so pure shouldn't be near something so disgusting, he thought sometimes as he lied beside you. He watched you as you sleep, curled up against him. You'd look so in peace.

He never understood why.

He wished you'd leave him.

He wished he could tie you down and make sure you never leave him.

It was a sin, he knew.

To look at you like that.

To have such thoughts.

But your lips were his salvation.

He fed on you for an escape.

You were going to drag him to hell, he knew.

But your eyes were heaven, he thought.

You laughed sometimes.

"We're the same, you and me."

No.

No, no, no.

He wanted to tell you.

No, we're nothing alike.

You're the angel and he was the devil who invaded you.

Don't look at me, he wanted to say to you sometimes.

Don't look at me like that.

Like I'm the most beautiful thing in the world.

He's scared to look at you sometimes.

Afraid that maybe finally you'll realize all that is damaged in him.

That he's the most ugliest thing in the world.

Maybe you'll stop touching him. Stop looking at him. Stop loving him.

The thought terrified him.

But you're his.

He knew he shouldn't feel like this.

He had no right. He never did.

But still.

Still.

You were his.

[ackermansbest]

Imagine Levi spending the nights watching you sleep next to him, with a soft smile on his lips

[leviackermansjewess]

I feel like cannonverse Levi would feel very awkward around fathers day when he becomes a father.

A whole day devoted to him where you and your kids praise him? You bit through blush reaches his ears.

But seeing your guys kids trip over their own feet to make him happy on that day, it makes him thankful for everything he’s done in life.

[leviismybby]

Watching postwar!Levi setting up the crib for your baby, he is kneeling and focusing on putting the wood pieces together. You watch as you lean on the doorframe with a smile, your belly is getting bigger by the day, the baby will be here in two months. He looks so attractive like this, his sleeves rolled up, his eyes are fully focused on setting up every piece correctly. "You look so attractive like that..." You say as you check him up and down, he did look good. He has been taking care of everything in the nursery, it made you melt.

Levi looks back at you. "Do I?" You approach him. "Yes, you do. This one isn't even out yet and you already make me want another one." He almost snorts at that. "Weren't you complaining just yesterday that he was kicking you in the rib?" You sigh and rub your belly. "That doesn't mean I don't want more." Levi stands up and walks over to you, he reaches out to gently hold your belly. "Let's take care of this one first. I'll give you as much babies as you want." He kisses your temple. "Unless you aren't ready to deal with more Ackermans running around..."

[starrylevi]

Thinking about civilian!reader falling in love with postwar!levi. He would tell you the events that occurred before you met him as you softly brush the scars on his face. If he didn’t have permanent reminders, it would be difficult for you to believe the person he was before and what he’s gone through. The man in front of you now is so soft and so gentle. He was slaying titans before and now you’re wheeling him out onto his porch, sharing a cup of tea with him and admiring the garden you helped him grow. You would accompany him to his weekly trips to his favorite tea shop and he’d educate you on all the blends. Every once in a while he’d pull you onto his lap and give you a soft kiss on your cheek, making you giggle. He’d do little things for you that make you happy. His past would be nothing but a ghost. And every time it would dare come back to haunt him, you would be his light and bring him back to the present with your comforting arms.

[happybird16]

Levi x reader, post-war hurt/comfort drabble

Red fills his vision, dark and angry clouds of burning crimson, while the smell of smoke scorches his nose, searing his lungs with acrid heat. The explosion's deafening roar reverberates through his frame, shaking his bones, and leaving his ears ringing with a high, metallic sound that drowns out everything else. Even beneath his eyelids, the burning red persists, a reminder of the fire, scorching heat, and pain.

Beneath the ringing in his ears, Levi hears someone yelling—a deep, rough baritone muffled as if it's underwater. Or maybe he's the one submerged.

Another voice breaks through, “Hey, Levi! Come on, come on, open your eyes!"

The yelling grows louder as the ringing fades. Something brushes his face, slowly trailing up from his chin to his cheek. His frantic mind can only think of shrapnel, bits of metal painfully digging into his skin.

Surging forward, his forehead collides with something, resulting in a painful yelp. Awareness filters in, sleep fading as his heart continues to thunder.

“Levi,” you hiss urgently, tugging at his shoulder. “It's just a dream. It's just a dream. Everything is okay.”

His limited vision drags across the room, reality setting in as his heart slows. A small bedroom with a too-large mattress, rumpled and twisted stark white sheets, and his wheelchair positioned too close to his side of the bed. You.

He's home, Levi realizes. The war is over, and he's home, in bed with you. Red still lingers behind his eyelids, even as reality sets in.

“Sorry,” his voice is rough, like he's swallowed sand. He must've been yelling in his sleep. Hovering half over him, you're rubbing your forehead and wincing. Emotion wells in his throat, a thick and heavy ball. “Sorry, I’m so sorry-”

“It was just a nightmare,” you reassure him, waving off his concern. “Was it the last fight again?”

Frowning, Levi shakes his head. “It was the explosion,” he croaks, his eyes stinging with tears welling along his lash line. “Fuck, I’m sorry-”

“There's nothing to be sorry about,” you assure him earnestly, scooting closer and placing a comforting palm over his chest. “Your heart is still a bit fast. It's been a while since you've had a night terror.”

“I hurt you- I- I-” he trails off, his voice shaky.

“You bumped me, if anything. You have a hard head, don't worry about it.” Tugging him forward, you pull his head to rest on your chest. Levi sighs, letting out one long shudder, while the remnants of red still linger behind his eyelids. “Do you think you'll be able to go back to sleep?”

“No,” his voice cracks. “I never can, you know that. The dream will just continue where it left off.”

Levi feels the warmth of your lips linger on his forehead, a soothing touch that eased some of the lingering tension from his nightmare. He can't help but marvel at your unwavering support. He doesn't deserve you. As he shifts on the bed, his good knee presses against the mattress while his injured one protests with a slight hiss. "You can go back to sleep. I'll find something to do. I think laundry needs to be done-”

“Your knee hurts,” you point out, your observant eyes filled with concern. Gently, you push him back, urging him to lie against his pillow. “Your wounds always ache after a nightmare, and you always try to hide it.”

Levi nods, appreciating your understanding more than words could express. He manages a small smile, grateful for your presence in his life. Outside the window on the far side of the room, pure pitch black darkness lingers in a heavy shroud. "It's the middle of the night," he points out. The remaining fingers of his hand curl hesitantly around your forearm, his grip firm but still a bit shaky. "You should get some more sleep, at least."

Running your fingers through his hair, you offer, “How about this: I'll make some tea for us. It'll help your throat too. You can tell me everything I did wrong, and then we’ll try to go back to sleep?”

His smile grows, the corners of his lips curving softly. Your kindness never fails to amaze him. His hand finds its way to your arm, a gentle, reassuring touch. “Okay,” he says, his voice filled with gratitude and love, realizing once again how lucky he was to have you by his side. “Love you..”

[myloveismylevi]

Just a lil weepy thinking about post-war dadvi, his little boy (5? 6?) wanting to make tea for his Dad the way he’s seen him do it a million times, because he just loves him so much and admires him and wants to make him the happiest Dad in the world, but he’s still so little compared to the world around him, so he pulls a chair over to the counter and climbs on it, putting water in the teapot, opening the canister of tea leaves, and pulling a teacup - Levi’s favorite teacup - out of the cabinet. but his hands are small, and when he tries to climb down from the chair the cup slips from his hand and breaks on the kitchen floor.

So, naturally Levi comes hurrying (as much as he can on his stiff knee) into the kitchen to see what produced the noise, and finds the chaos his little one has produced on the counter, and him, kneeling on the ground, with shards of porcelain in front of him. And when his father stands in the doorway, he looks up at him, tears collecting at his lash line.

“I’m sorry, Daddy…” he’ll whimper.

“What happened?” Levi’ll ask in his usual monotone voice, but there’s a softness behind it.

And the boy will try to explain, tears rolling down his face, feeling so awful for making a mess, and for breaking his Dad’s favorite cup, and for not being able to take care of Daddy the way Daddy takes care of him, because he’s got Levi’s same bleeding heart beating in his chest, the one that wants to take care, the one wants to be strong and independent. But also his introspection, his emotion, his sensitivity and empathy.

And Levi’ll be transported back to his own childhood, the teacup that belonged to his mom, the one that they had to sell, the one he tried to get back, but couldn’t. And his heart will ache so bad to think that his child, his sweet perfect angle of a thing, feels even a fraction of the hurt he felt over a piece of porcelain, because of his utter devotion to him.

And he’ll take the boy in his arms, and he’ll hold him close, and he’ll tell him patiently and gently, in his Levi way, that a cup is just a thing, and what matters most is that he wasn’t hurt. And how much he appreciates the boy wanting to do a nice thing for him, but that what he was doing was dangerous, and how important it is that he be more careful, because stoves are hot, and chairs can tip, and broken porcelain can cut one of his 10 miraculous sweet little fingers, and there are thousands of teacups to replace what broke but nothing in all of eternity could replace the boy, living and breathing, that he holds fast to his chest. (His voice is quiet, words grammatically simple, and his tone is steady but his heart is physically ACHING and flailing in his chest from how much love is trying to squeeze into it rn)

And Levi tells his son, in plain English (Eldian? Idk?), that he loves him, and that he always will, because with a tiny mind and heart at stake, there’s no room for beating around the bush with that talk like he often does. And he tells him that his parents will help him to do whatever he wants to do, and to ask for help next time.

Because if only someone’d told Levi, when he was that small, that they would help him. If someone has just loved him, and ALWAYS been there… how much easier he could’ve breathed all those years. The prospect of not having to constantly be afraid to feel. To fail.

It’s all he can think about - how he can do better, give more, than what he had - even in a moment as seemingly small as this.

(I’m sorry.)