Accidental Encounters

Accidental Encounters

Summary: You never thought that one of the most popular guys at your  university would ever be the one walking you home. Turns out he’s a big dork, and you end up falling hard for him anyway.

Pairing: Yuta x Female!Reader {College!AU}

Genre: enough fluff to make your teeth rot

Warnings: none, just some saccharine sweet fluff

Word Count: 4.8K

Note: I haven’t re-read this, so when I do I’ll correct any errors.

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Ichor

Pairing: Spencer Reid x f!reader Genre: angst, fluff Warnings: kidnapping, torture, blood, shooting, death, and uh I think that’s it. Sorry guys I didn’t hold back Word Count: 9.8k (is that too long omg this is the longest fic I’ve ever wrote. I’m sorry if it’s too long srhvoehrfvnwoinveg) Summary: (Y/n) could never have seen this coming. Hopefully, the team will have her back like always 

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It’s Not Me, It’s You

Hufflepuff!Reader X Draco

Let’s get the story straight

You left me broken

You tried to make me think

That the blame was all on me

With the pain you put me through

And now I know that it’s not me it’s you

Chapter 1     Chapter 2     Chapter 3    

Chapter 4     Chapter 5    Chapter 6    

Chapter 7    Chapter 8

Summary: Healing was a slow process that takes vulnerability. You and Draco seemed more at peace though the world around you continued to burn. There was one flaw in your plan for healing and making it out peacefully and you’ve had enough.

A/n: Y’all. This is… oh my god this is fantastic. I broke my mould a little bit so this doesn’t finish out the school year, because well a lot happens and this is already over 10K words. And I’m so ready for you guys to read this because you guys have been begging for it and who am I to say no? I love you guys so much and I know you won’t hesitate to tell me what you think (also, I start my fall semester on Monday, so I’m not sure how it’ll affect my writing habits so just be patient

Draco felt a strange relief, stepping back onto Hogwarts grounds. The castle hid many secrets, and perhaps it could hide his as well. In fact, it already did keep some of his secrets, and yours.

With a soft kiss you parted from him, heading up to your dorm to get settled in again and no doubt find Abby. He hated to watch you go, but he supposed that it had to be done. In the Slytherin common room, a few of his friends were gathered around the announcement board. A new piece of parchment was pinned, reading:

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I read your recent Levi fic and I absolutely love your writing??? May I request a canon verse Levi fic too? A fic where the reader is Levi's wife and she visits him at the survey corps and a lot of the people are in awe of her and are shocked finding out the husband she's looking for is Levi? Just some funny fluff! Bonus points for the reader being more soft and affectionate in public with him so we have a cute embarrassed Levi LOL tysm!

The Wife

Levi Ackerman x Reader (Mayyybe some Erwin x Reader?)

Summary: : A particularly breathtaking woman has decided to visit, and gossip is strife in the Scouting Legion.

Warnings: SFW / mentions of a miscarriage

Wordcount: 7.1K

Genre: Tooth rotting FLUFF

A/N: EEEKK this took soo long! But thank you for appreciating my scribbles, anon! I try :> Also, I absolutely LIVE for this request, I'm so glad you asked for it <3

Maria's Scribblings MASTERLIST

Depending on who you are, Sundays in the Scouting Legion either meant you get to finally have your once a week visit to go home and see your family, or-- if you’re Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Ymir, Christa, Reiner, and Bertholdt-- you don’t have a family to go home to, and so you get to spend Sundays lazing around and keeping post in the Legion’s base.

But it isn’t all too bad! Sundays can be quite eventful if you’ve got a good eye for entertainment. Because where Eren is glad he’s finally fucking free of that bastard Jean’s neighing, the rest of the newly minted 104th recruits of the Scouting Legion get to keep themselves up to speed in the military’s juicy, juicy gossip.

And if they’re lucky, Sundays would let them see scandal unfold! In fact, Ymir can’t tell you how many stories she’s heard of Officers’ mistresses visiting the compound. Or of Officers whose wives just visited the morning before, visiting their mistresses the afternoon later!

For Commanding Officers specifically, affairs are fairly easy to spot since most of them don’t leave the compound even on Sundays, thanks to their mountains of paperwork. No one’s judging them though; they are only human after all. And there is an understanding amongst Legion soldiers that a few trysts with prostitutes—like Squad Leader Zacharias’ happy excursions with a woman named ‘Babydoll’-- could slide every now and then considering their lifestyle. The job doesn’t exactly allow for many long term attachments.

There’s also the matter of figuring out which soldier is sleeping with who.

Did that Squad Leader’s subordinate just stay in his office all day? Not even coming out once?

Or perhaps, who may be secretly married with kids without telling anyone, including a fellow Scout that they’ve been sleeping with.

Maybe a few civilian girlfriends here and there.

Once, Bertholdt had to gently lead out a weeping woman who’s apparently fallen pregnant, and was telling a Scout that the child was his.

Now, Mikasa didn’t give a rat’s ass about it all.

Eren just does his job with an almost impressive single-mindedness, but he reacts every now and then.

Armin tries not get too caught up in it all, but he often ends up being the one to unravel whatever compelling mystery-scandal they’ve got, because of course he does.

Bertholdt just listens quietly, so quietly you can hear him praying to the goddesses that their superiors don’t catch them. But he’s also the one who would end up telling Connie, Sasha, and Jean everything once they come back the next day.

Reiner gives a snide comment or two, always trying to rationalize things before jumping to conclusions. He’s probably the only person who’s actually actively listening to Ymir.

Christa hisses at Ymir to stop gossiping about their superiors’ sex lives, that it’s not right. All while secretly curious about the gossip, but never admitting to it.

And Ymir? Ymir just laughs at Christa, and proceeds to gossip some more. She loves this shit. Lives for it even.

“Oh loosen up! It’s literally my only form of entertainment these days,” she would say.

But there was one riveting piece of gossip that’s got them all glued to every word Ymir says. Yes, even Mikasa.

“I swear I heard that Captain Levi’s got a secret girlfriend somewhere! A particularly young girlfriend, in fact.”

“We’re all but three weeks in the Scouts and already, you’re starting a smear campaign on the Captain,” Christa admonishes.

“It’s not a smear campaign if it’s true,” Ymir quips back.

"Uh huh, and who’s your ‘reputable’ source this time?” Reiner chimes in, shaking out a fresh load of hay for the horses. The cadets have been tasked to guard the main gate as well as the stables nearby for the day’s expected visitors and soldiers going in and out of the compound.

“I overheard my Squad Leader whisper about it.” Ymir’s smug snicker was all Christa needed to pause what she’s doing.

In fact, it made them all pause. If the Squad Leaders were whispering about it, then it must hold water.

Mikasa was the first to speak, nonchalantly going back to her task, “Well, I wouldn’t put it past an officer who would openly beat up a helpless man on his knees just to prove a point.” Eren responded by muttered that he was fine.

“Right? Besides, Captain Short Stack’s in clear need of a good lay!” Ymir guffawed, piling onto Mikasa’s spite. This time, it was Christa’s turn to chide.

“Don’t talk about the Captain like that! It’s not right, Ymir. We’re going to get into some serious trouble because of this.” And as long as it’s Christa disagreeing with something, you best believe Reiner would take her side straight away.

“Christa’s right,” he says, Ymir rolling her eyes at the way he puffs out his chest in bravado. “There’s no reason for us to gossip like hens. Besides,” Reiner grins mischievously to his friends, “I heard Commander Erwin's wife is coming today.”

“And so?” Bertholdt raises an eyebrow at him.

Reiner takes his closest friend in a clutch around his arm. “And so, I heard she’s a hot piece of ass, Bertie!”

Annoyed, Bertholdt shakes him off. “Call me Bertie one more time, and I’ll tell Jean you’ve been fantasizing over the girls he draws.” A threat which promptly shuts Reiner up with a conceding gesture.

“The Commander’s married?” Christa asks curiously.

“And how hot is the wife exactly?” Eren nudges Reiner. Reiner would’ve given the younger cadet the low down if it weren’t for Mikasa’s death glares trained right on Reiner’s jugular.

“Err… I’ll tell you another time, Eren.”

Waving her hands in the air, Ymir intervenes. “Yeah and who the hell cares about Commander Erwin’s babe of a wife anyways—put your hand down, Reiner.”

“And I thought you were a woman of culture,” Reiner grumbled.

Ignoring the blonde man, Ymir continued excitedly. “The meat gets juicier! Seems like Captain Levi’s young girlfriend was his lieutenant.”

There was a collective gasp.

“No.” It was the first time Armin spoke. Ymir nodded enthusiastically.

“Yup! Before Petra, she was the only girl in the Special Ops Squad. Handpicked by our esteemed Captain, of course.” Ymir looks to her friends conspiratorially, her eyes conveying what was said between the lines.

“A-are you saying she… had an affair with her superior?” Armin could barely say the words. Very dangerous words.

“And it seems like the Captain got his favorite pregnant and so she had to be quietly dismissed and sent away. My Squad Leader even mentioned catching her leaving his office well into the wee hours of the night. Even spotting matching hickeys on them both.” Ymir snorted. “Who would’ve thought, huh? Captain Levi? She must be a fucking bombshell for the Captain to even notice her. Or a saint. Because who the fuck wants to deal with Captain Scrooge McShorty? Never thought I’d see the day when I’d hear a woman is actually interested in that midget. But I suppose a rank adds a few inches, eh?”

All while Ymir was yapping along, the rest of the cadets were quiet.

“…So the Captain has a kid?” Eren could barely wrap his head around what he just heard. It just doesn’t check out to him. Captain Levi, for all his singular tastes and dangerous temper, did not strike Eren as the type to take advantage of his young subordinates.

Ymir frowned. “Well. From what I heard, she miscarried.”

Armin was still, “That’s not why she was sent away w-was she?”

In a snap, Christa shook her head vehemently. “Stop that! How can you say those nasty things about another woman, Ymir?! From what I know, Squad Leader Klaus doesn’t have the best track record either, so who is he to judge?!” Christa’s little face was contorted in loathing now. And she was right. Klaus’s reputation precedes him, and it certainly isn’t a good one.

Mikasa sighs, standing by Christa comfortingly. She was no avid advocate for the Captain, but she can recognize blatant misogyny when she sees it. “True or not, talk like that has no room in our job description. The Captain’s personal affairs is none of our business, and frankly,” Mikasa’s face scrunches up in disgust. “I’d rather not know. Let’s just finish up here before the next wave of visitors arrive.”

It was then that a soldier from outside Legion perimeters hollers to the cadets to open the main gate; a visitor was to stable their horse. Bertholdt and Reiner jog to yank open the gates to let in a rider with a lady riding side-saddle on pillion as his passenger.

A very pregnant lady riding side-saddle on pillion, indeed.

Hurriedly, Reiner helps the woman down the moment he saw her condition, being the biggest of the bunch. Once he sets her down in a graceful sweep, very careful to be gentle, Reiner was immediately struck frozen to his spot.

This very pregnant lady was absolutely gorgeous.

Her beauty was only accentuated by the pretty smile she offered the strong blonde soldier, when she beamed up at him with a, “Thank you, Cadet. Would you terribly mind showing my steward where he can stable the horse, as well as where he can rest with some food and drink?”

While Reiner was slack-jawed and stupid trying to formulate a coherent answer, the woman’s steward dismounted and handed the lady a full-looking wicker basket. Most likely bearing treats and food for whoever she was visiting in the Scouts, judging by the wonderful smell of baked goods coming from it. Quickly, Bertholdt and Eren swoop in.

“I’ll stable the horse for your steward, ma’am. We’ll give him some fresh hay, too,” Bertholdt says, already getting a hold of the horse’s reins. He looks to the steward, “If you’ll just follow me, sir. I’ll show where the refreshments and the nearest inn are after I stable the horse.”

And Eren, also already dumbstruck by their new lovely visitor, immediately offered to carry the woman’s basket for her. With an equally charming smile, she thanks Bertholdt, and gratefully hands Eren the basket—whose face blooms into a blush when she said he was too kind.

“She’s… so beautiful. Like, in an elegant way,” Christa quietly squeaks to Ymir who, just as in awe, distractedly replied with a, “Must be the pregnancy glow hormones.”

But something makes her stop.

The woman had a wedding ring.

This wasn’t just any pretty visitor, this was a very beautiful married woman come to visit the Scouts who—judging by the fine horse and the personal steward—must be connected to somebody high-ranking indeed.

“Psst! Reiner!” Ymir nudges at the still stuttering oaf. Her eyes dart to the lady then back to Reiner.

“That’s the Commander’s wife!”

Before the realization fully sunk into Reiner’s ogling face, Armin and Mikasa quickly jumped into protocol.

“I presume you are here to visit your husband, ma’am?” Mikasa asks courteously.

The woman smiles kindly, “I am.” Already expecting that she would have to be escorted to her husband’s office, immediately follows with, “His office is at the Commander’s Corridor in the North Wing.”

In a wordless look amongst the Cadets, the 104th immediately recognized that this lady was indeed who they thought she was at her reply. After all, who else would she be visiting in the Commander’s Corridor of all places?

“Alright, Cadet Braun and I will just go up to inform him that you’re here so that you won’t have to climb all the way up. We wouldn’t you to strain yourself, ma’am,” Armin says, taking the woman’s pregnancy into consideration. But the woman said otherwise.

“Oh, no need for that! He’s a busy man, I understand. And he probably won’t take kindly to you kids disturbing his work. Besides,” she says with a twinkle on her eye. “I want to surprise my husband, considering he hasn’t seen me in months.” A hand smooths over her large belly, telling the Cadets exactly what she means. At that, Armin and Christa especially smile back at her, saying they completely understand.

“But do allow us to go ahead and alert him that you’re here. It’s protocol, you see,” Armin said apologetically. The woman just nods and says it’s all fine, as Armin taps at Reiner before they begin to jog up to Commander Erwin’s office.

Turning back to the visitor, Mikasa tells her that as is also protocol, the rest of them would have to escort her up; also so that they could assist her in her climb up. Hardworking as always, Eren eagerly nods with the basket in hand; always ready to serve, as the woman agrees. And so, with Mikasa and Eren leading the group, Christa walks by the woman right behind the two, as Ymir walks at the tail-end of the group.

~

As they were walking past the courtyard, Christa looks up to the North Wing—the highest of the livable offices in the base—and then looks worriedly to the woman she and her friends were escorting.

“Ma’am? Are you absolutely sure you can climb up? It’s a lot of stairs to the top of the highest office wing. We wouldn’t want to endanger you.” They’ve reached the bottom of the steps leading up to the Commander’s Corridor, cueing Christa and Ymir to flank the pregnant woman in order to support and assist her up; allowing Christa to hold her hand, while Ymir rest a ready hand at the base of her back.

The woman just laughs indulgently. “Don’t worry Cadet, I’m made of tougher stuff than you think.” She winks at Christa.

“I was once a Scout like you, you know.”

“You were a Scout?!” Ymir gasped in surprise. Mikasa gives her a sharp look for the impolite shock in Ymir’s voice. But the woman didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she humored the question.

“Oh yes, how do you think I met my husband? We were in the same squad when we did,” she smiled.

With wide eyes, Eren swivels and starts going up the steps backwards to exclaim, “Damn, you must be really good!” (An action which Mikasa promptly calls out, jabbing him in the side to make him face front.) For her to be a part of the Commander’s Squad, she must at least be an above average soldier.

The woman just gave a modest shrug, “Well, I was already a veteran when I married. So I suppose I was.”

With thoughtful eyes, Christa asks, “It must have been difficult to leave the Scouts. It’s for a happy occasion of course, but I can’t imagine it was ever easy to readjust to a new life.”

The lady purses her lips playfully, her bright eyes looking up in thought. “Weeell, having to be a Scout is pretty darn difficult, I’d say. Especially when I had to serve at the vanguard before I could become a full-fledged veteran. So setting down a Scout’s mantel was fairly easy.” It was a lighthearted but plainly honest answer. Then her face turned solemn. “But I’d say the hardest part was to leave my husband to it all.”

She looks to the young and curious eyes around her. “There’s something about leaving your spouse to the perils of being a Scout that’s terrifying. Knowing that while I’m safely cooped up with his child in my belly, he’s still out there risking his life with no guarantee that he’d make it out alive. It kept me up at night. Especially knowing how truly dangerous those perils are because I, myself have experienced them. And I would wonder, who would look out for him now? Because it was I who looked out for him.” Like a spell broken, she shakes her head, and her brilliant smile comes back to light up her face.

“Yet still, if a little bit of fear and bravery is all it takes to spend a life with him, to be the woman who gets to love him forever, then so be it. My husband is a skilled soldier. I trust that he can take care of himself.”

Christa—and secretly, Mikasa—all but swooned and sighed at how romantic their visitor’s words were. Ymir meanwhile, was eager to hear more as the group was nearing the mezzanine.

“How was it? Dating as soldiers, I mean. I can’t imagine it was particularly welcomed that you were dating the Scout’s top-dog,” Ymir says carefully assisting the woman through the last few steps. The woman wiped at the sweat on her forehead with a kerchief, and took a deep breath; the flight of stairs already getting to her. Still, she gave her usual lovely smile to Ymir.

“The relationship was certainly kept under wraps. People have suspected that I’m dating someone, but they never could figure out who.” She chuckled to herself. “I can’t imagine how not, with the many times I locked myself in my husband’s office to help him with late night ‘paperwork’ back then,” she says with air quotes, grinning at the Cadets’ blushing faces in realization of what she meant.

“And when I finally fell pregnant, and the cat was out of the bag, people couldn’t believe who exactly I was dating either, much less that he’s the father of my child. ‘How could someone like him, be with someone like her,’ they would say,” the woman laughed.

Ymir-- who was positively charmed by their visitor’s warmth and bubbly energy-- scoffed in jest. After all, it only made sense for a lovely woman to fall in love with an equally lovely man.

“Please, you’re a perfect match for Commander Erwin!”

~

Meanwhile, walking along the Commander’s Corridor, Armin and Bertholdt—who joined them on the way after he finished his errand— had the unfortunate opportunity to spend the walk to Commander Erwin’s office listening to Reiner gush about how beautiful that pregnant visitor they just had was.

“The Commander’s one damn lucky bloke!” Reiner moans, a hand rubbing his face.

“Well what did you expect? Have you seen the Commander? Of course he’d have a gorgeous wife,” Bertholdt replies blandly, already tired of Reiner’s constant groaning.

“And maybe it’s best not to lust after the Commander’s pregnant wife, Reiner,” Armin reminds nervously, eyes darting around in case anyone were to hear Reiner adulations.

Reiner sighed, “You’re right. Besides, if I were husband to a woman like that, I’d make sure to get her pregnant. I’d go absolutely feral, I’d tell ya!” Reiner smirks, elbowing a wincing and a grossed out Armin and Bertholdt.

“Shut up Rei, I don’t want that image in my head,” Bertholdt deadpans.

“Okay be quiet now, we’re here.” Armin says, as the three stop in front of the Commander’s door.

Bertholdt went ahead and gave three respectful knocks.

Oddly enough, instead of the usual prompt reply of their usually prompt Commander, the cadets heard a series of muffled shuffling and a few bangs on wood. Then finally, came Erwin Smith’s—albeit slightly strained—baritone.

“Come in!”

Armin could’ve sworn he heard giggling after the Commander’s reply, but Bertholdt turned the knob and swung the door open nonetheless.

To their surprise, they found the Commander with none other than Petra Ral in his office.

“Is it just me or did we interrupt something?” Armin discreetly whispers to Reiner, eyeing the slightly disheveled appearance of their Commander as well as the hurriedly awkward way Petra is combing down her ginger hair.

“Sorry to disturb you on a Sunday, Sir. But we’d thought to let you know that you’re wife is here,” Bertholdt announces with a firm salute.

At his words, both the Commander and Petra look to each other with a funny look on their faces.

Confused, Erwin cocks a thick eyebrow. “I’m sorry, who?”

Back at the doorway, the three Cadets blink back. “Err… your wife, Sir?”

It was then that the boys heard a brisk tap on the still-open door behind them.

They pivot to see Squad Leader Miche by the door, smirking at them, and an utterly amused twinkle in his green eyes.

“Sorry to break it ‘ya, boys. But the Commander’s already with his wife,” Miche winked at a peeved Commander Erwin and the blushing ginger girl right beside him. Miche then gives the couple a woman’s name, telling them that she’s here. (He must’ve smelled her in the premises before anyone even had to tell him.)

Extremely puzzled, Reiner looks from the entertained look on the Squad Leader, to his Commander, and now apparently, to his Commander’s wife.

“Then who’s…?”

Before Reiner could finish, Miche simply threw his head back in a fit of laughter, as him and his newest piece of gossip to tell Hange, went on their merry way.

~

At the mezzanine, the woman stops.

“Commander Erwin?”

The woman blinked at the Cadets who have also stopped walking, looking back at her in confusion now.

She then turns to Ymir with a bewildered look on her face.

“Erwin isn’t my husband.”

“What? Then who are you here to—“

“Lieutenant Ackerman!”

At the sound of that unmistakable screech, the pregnant woman whirls and shrieks back.

“Hange!”

Excitedly, the bespectacled scientist ran over to the woman and gave her the tightest—but careful—of hugs. Immediately, Hange started fawning over her old friend.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mrs. Ackerman herself,” Hange says cheekily, as she went to hold her laughing friend’s hands. “Oh, look at you! Oh my goodness, you’re so big!” She exclaims giddily, gently rubbing the pregnant lieutenant’s belly.

Meanwhile, Christa stammers quietly. “D-did she just say… Lieutenant?”

“…Ackerman?!” Eren added, mouth open.

“Hell no.” Ymir gaped. There was no fucking way.

Beaming prettily, you giggled at Hange. “Well, I’m already at my third trimester!” You took a breath, and held Hange’s forearms. “It’s so good to see you again, Hange. I hope Levi didn’t sass you too much while I was gone.”

“Puh-lease! I’d say it’s Levi who’s had his hands full with me and my shenanigans since you’ve been gone,” Hange chuckles teasingly. She then tilts her head towards Eren and sighs dramatically, “I wouldn’t say the same about Jaeger over there, though.”

Now addressing Eren, Hange tells the Cadet, “Thank your lucky stars, Eren! You’re about to have a helluva stress-free weekend now that Levi’s wife is here!”

Still shocked, Eren just nods absently.

“Well, Lieutenant. I’m sure you’re here to see your Captain?” Hange loops her arms around the woman’s cheerfully. “I’ll take you to him! Let’s pass by Erwin and Petra along the way, I’m sure they’ve missed you.”

And off you two strolled, across the mezzanine and up the last flights of stairs onto the Commander’s Corridor, four flummoxed Cadets trailing behind you.

~

Reiner, Bertholdt, and Armin’s bafflement was broken by Petra’s squeal at the mention the woman’s name.

“She’s here?!”

Petra then flies out her husband’s office, the boys quickly getting out of her way. At the sight of her best friend at the end of the corridor, she calls out her name and goes, “About time you visited!”

Lieutenant Ackerman hugs Petra back, and soon enough, the three women were already thrilling about the Lieutenant’s pregnancy. Compliments on how glowing she looked, questions about how far along she was, how she was faring with the pregnancy, and if she had a clue about the baby’s gender flew about in giggles and sighs.

In a moment, Commander Erwin himself has followed Petra out to also engulf his subordinate-turned-good-friend in a warm hug.

~

At the side, Eren was still carrying your wicker basket. When he and the girls finally met up with Reiner, Bertholdt and Armin by the Commander’s office, Eren nudges Reiner sharply.

“She isn’t the Commander’s wife!”

“So we’re finding out,” Reiner grits out. Eren gives out some really painful jabs.

~

“Is it just me, or did your eyebrows get bushier, Erwin?” you tease.

“Shut up.” Erwin quips back, still hugging you. He looks down at you, smiling fondly, and feigning annoyance in his voice. “You’re lucky I missed you.”

When you finally separated, Erwin held your shoulders gently as he glanced to the flight of stairs you just traversed. “How are you and the baby? The stairs didn’t exhaust you too much did they?”

“We’re fine, and the stairs were nothing, don’t worry. I wasn’t handpicked by Humanity’s Strongest himself for nothing, you know,” You beam up at Erwin who was already nodding in relief.

“Good. Levi would kill me if I allowed you to get strained.”

You roll your eyes, “Levi fusses over me whether or not I get strained. But guess what, Commander,” you had a delicious sparkle in your eye.

“I made cake.”

And like a little kid, Erwin Smith gives a small pump of his fist; he’s always been a terrible sweet tooth. While Hange whoops in joy.

Petra looks to the new recruits who were watching the odd scene before them. It isn’t everyday they see their commanding officers act so ecstatic and carefree, after all. Incredibly far from the usual strict fashion their superiors would carry themselves. Commander Erwin, especially.

Smiling, Petra addresses the Cadets, “Look sharp, Cadets. You’re looking at one of the most exceptional sharpshooters in the three Walls! Graduated first in her class and everything. Even precedes me to the Special Ops Squad!”

“And the Scouting Legion’s finest Lieutenant,” Erwin added proudly, to which you only chuckled bashfully at, lightly swatting at his arm.

“But you kids can call her Lieutenant Ackerman,” Hange shrugged, grinning. Knowing exactly how Reiner, Bertholdt, and Armin would take the new information, despite her nonchalance.

And Bertholdt’s answer delivered just the reaction Hange anticipated.

“Wait. Did you just say--?”

“OI YOU RAT BASTARDS!”

Then like the rumbling thunder of an approaching storm, came Captain Levi Ackerman, stomping in with a smirking Miche just behind him.

And absolutely furious.

“What in the actual fuck made you brats think that letting my pregnant wife climb up the stairs was all fine and dandy?! I swear to sweet Sina’s shit, if something happened to—“

But something makes Levi stop in his tracks.

It was you. And oh, what a sight were you to behold.

The last time he saw you, your baby bump was only just showing. But in that moment, when you made that graceful turn of yours to peek up at him through your eyelashes, a playful smile dancing on your lips, Levi was convinced he must have married a goddess. A faerie woman who has quite utterly entranced him in a spell. A nymph who’s sly smile holds many a delicious promise to a simple man like him.

You looked absolutely divine with your full belly. And his wonderstruck burns deeper at the thought that it was his child that your beautiful body was growing; it elicits something primal in him. His wonderfully gorgeous wife was pregnant with his child, and Levi’s entire being ached to be near her. Ached to protect her and their baby; to provide them with everything their hearts desired.

Then Levi Ackerman quickens his pace to a sprint until finally, you were in his arms, safe and sound…

Until finally, he had you wrapped up in a kiss.

Furtively, Hange whispers to Ymir with a grin, “She’s always been the only who could calm him down.”

~

Once Levi was satisfied that he’s kissed his wife enough, he looked to you with warm eyes—warm eyes that no one else would see otherwise, if it weren’t for your presence smiling glowingly back at him.

His hands, so strong and calloused, wavered at your belly; hesitant that they might hurt the precious treasure within. Patiently, your soft hands took Levi’s hard ones—hands that have seen so much violence—and held them against the swell of your belly.

“It’s okay, Levi. Hold your baby.”

He held you so tenderly, so lovingly.

“Next time, don’t take the stairs. I’ll be coming down to you, no matter the time of day. ” Levi admonishes in a low voice, gunmetal eyes serious.

You just giggled at what the Cadets would think to be a fairly intimidating face, “You worry too much, darling. As if you haven’t trained me to be tough as nails.”

It could be nothing else but sorcery, the Cadets think. Absolute witchcraft! How in the world could this tiny woman turn the Captain’s temper up on its head just like that? They were like a tableau of the sun and the moon come together—a bright and bubbly girl, with a cold and aloof Captain. And much like the sun and the moon, one’s lightheartedness bounces off the other.

Now, Ymir understood why the Scouts couldn’t believe who she was dating back then. She couldn’t believe her eyes even as she watched Humanity’s Strongest himself envelop the woman in an embrace! But hey, Ymir was at least right with two things—Captain Levi’s lover is indeed both an angel and a bombshell of a woman.

Suddenly, Levi’s soft expression turns sour.

“I’ve also been filled in by Miche, you brats.” Levi’s menacing eyes flash to the Cadets that have accompanied his wife. A look which has promptly frozen the soldiers into attention.

“What kind of dimwit-loving maggot ate at your brains for you lot to think to bring her to Erwin’s office, huh?”

Briefly, Levi wondered if it was a breach of military decorum to smack these nitwits up the head for assuming his lovely wife was Erwin’s and not his.

The Cadets only stood frozen, not daring to say a word. The Captain certainly wasn’t a man whose anger they wanted to incite; even accidentally.

“Hey, hey, Levi, please,” you speak up, cupping your jealous (and adorable) husband’s cheek to make him face back to you, treating him once again to your tinkling laugh. “It’s my fault, I didn’t exactly introduce myself properly. Besides, it’s for the best. We both know that once you’ve got in me in your clutches, who knows when you’ll let me see Erwin and Petra anymore?”

And with your magic touch, the Captain visibly calms down. A little embarrassed (and blushing) that’s he’s been so easily rendered love-struck by his wife’s laughter, Levi sighs. He reaches to stroke the luscious locks of your hair, “And for good reason.”

Levi glares up at his blonde friend’s grinning face.

“He’s gonna finish up all the cake.”

~

Once the Cadets have been dismissed, you distribute the quaintly packaged boxes of cake to the Smiths, Hange, and Miche. Before you and Levi left for his office, Hange tells you to drop by her lab before leaving so that she can do a check-up on you.

“I know you have a good midwife and doctor back home, but you can never be too sure, eh? I also want to make sure you’re okay enough for the travel back.” She says to you and Levi, something you very much appreciated. You thanked her as Levi, after putting some serious thought into it, begrudgingly promised to bring you over despite the fact that it would leave him with even less time with you.

With an arm around your waist and a hand resting securely on your hip, Levi takes your wicker basket, and leads you to his office at the other end of the corridor. At the back of his mind, Levi knew that news of his wife would spread like wildfire now that the new recruits have met you. But he didn’t mind, because all he wanted was some much needed alone time with his wife.

Even now, on the way to his office, aides and squad leaders have already taken notice of you and the way he was holding you. Stares—both curious and disbelieving—followed them as these poor Scouts wrapped their heads around the fact that their fearsome Captain was being tender to a woman.

A woman who was delightedly telling him about the special carrot cake she made him—his favorite. As well as the artisan jasmine and ginseng teas you got him from Wall Sina. You even brought Levi’s favorite cleaning wax!

But when Levi finally had you behind his office door, all these treats were effectively forgotten. Because in a single husky order from your Captain, he’s got you melting like putty beneath his hands. Moaning his name and whimpering for him to come closer, to kiss you deeper.

And Levi, happily obliged.

~

The next morning when you woke up, your husband was nowhere to be seen. That didn’t alarm you though, knowing full well that as Captain, he often had a full schedule and has always liked to start his day early. So he’s probably somewhere working out, or overseeing training if he wasn’t in his office doing early morning paperwork.

And then something heavenly hits you. Something deliciously heavenly, to be exact.

You heard your stomach rumble, as the smell of butter, maple syrup, and freshly roasted nuts rouse you from bed and into your maternity clothes. With the morning dew still hanging in the air, you waddle across the courtyard to reach the mess hall where all the food you were craving was, when you heard a horse’s familiar neigh.

Looking up, you find Levi looking every inch the battle hero he was, as he gracefully rode on his great steed, Midnight, whom he’s slowed to trot and then finally to a halt beside you.

“Good morning, Captain,” you greet your husband cheekily.

“Good morning, why are you up so early?” Levi asks, thin eyebrows crunched together in concern. You haven’t even done up your hair yet.

Shyly, you bit your lip, and shrugged. “I got hungry.”

At that, Levi’s eyes widened in realization. Already mentally kicking himself that of course his pregnant wife would be craving for some food. He hasn’t lived with you for so long that he’s forgotten to ensure that you had breakfast by your bedside once you woke up.

‘Duh Levi, you dumbass,’ he thinks to himself

Quickly, he swings himself off his horse, and while firmly holding the reins, goes to you. He cups your face with an earnest and apologetic look in his face.

“I’m sorry, darling. I should’ve brought you up some food, you shouldn’t have had to come down.”

You give him a peck, “Shh, it’s alright. You wouldn’t have known which one I was craving for anyways. And exercise is good for pregnant women, Levi.”

Levi looks back to you softly. “Okay,” he concedes. “But you have to kiss me again.”

And so you did.

Passionately. Devotedly.

~

It would have been unmistakable to those who witnessed you and your Captain kiss as to exactly who you were to him. Especially once they’ve noticed your matching wedding rings and your very pregnant condition. And it was nice, you think, to finally be able to wear your heart on your sleeve around the man you love; free and unafraid of judgment after years of secret rendezvous and feigning innocence.

It was certainly a thrill for a young woman like you to have unexpectedly attracted the interest of her handsome, older, Captain. And not just any Captain, Humanity’s Strongest, no less! The flirting behind closed doors, heated gazes across rooms, the innuendos, and the whispered promises; it was all as if your life has turned into a novel.

But you and Levi prefer this—to love unrestricted, and for Levi especially, to care fuck all who saw him kissing his lovely wife.

Yet still, when Levi lead you to the mess hall where many Scouts were already having their early morning breakfast at, you once again felt like the foolish young lieutenant that’s gotten herself pregnant, and even worse, has lost the baby. The stares and whispers following you both as you entered the hall took you back to time where stares and whispers felt like a weapon against you. And for a while, walking into the mess hall was like walking into a battlefield with the way you had to hold your nerves together, and desperately tried not to freeze up.

You felt well and truly disgraced back then. There was no denying the quiet but stifling judgement of seemingly all seeing eyes that trailed the girl who dared let Levi Ackerman fall in love with her. Who dared be as careless as to lose their esteemed Captain’s baby, on top of pretty much being branded as a whore.

Of course, Captain Levi promptly and adamantly married you after you miscarried and were safe enough. Levi was the one who convinced you to at least take a break, if not to retire completely, from being a Scout in order for you to safely have your pregnancies. It would kill him, Levi said, if anything bad happened to you while on the job. And he’d be damned if he’d let even a sliver of a chance where you or your baby could get hurt. Not again.

And so while your ordeal as the Scouting Legion’s newest scandal has long since been a bad memory now, you still couldn’t help but anxiously and unconsciously walk a half step behind your husband in order to hide yourself behind him.

Noticing this, Levi takes your hand, and gives it a firm and reassuring kiss.

I’m right here, it said. You’re safe.

But the dread would soon dissipate, as Levi carefully lead you to a table where his squad was already beaming up at you in greeting, morning coffee in their hands.

“Lieutenant! Good morning!” calls out Eld. He was always a morning person.

“I knew you were here! The Captain hasn’t rang us for paperwork all night!” Oluo jibes good-naturedly.

“How’s the mini-Captain going along?” Gunther added smiling, referring to your big baby bump.

“You mean mini-Lieutenant,” Levi says to his squad pointedly. He’s always hoped for a girl. You once joked to him that he only wanted a girl because he wanted to be able to kick their daughter’s future boyfriends’ asses. Levi scoffed at you then, “No shit.”

You just rolled your eyes, “The baby is going along well, Gunther. Healthy and strong just like their father.”

At that, Levi kisses the top of your head tenderly. He then looks to his men, “She’s too good to me.”

Gunther and Oluo chuckle fondly while Eld just raises his coffee cup in salute, “Cheers to that, sir.”

Once you’re settled, Levi asks you quietly, “Will you be alright? I’ll just go and get your food for you.”

You smile up at your indulgent husband, “Yes, I’ll be alright. I’m sure Oluo’s itching to share me the latest gossip, anyways.” You then proceeded to tell Levi what you want to have. “I want the potatoes with lots of butter, okay?” You all but gave Levi your best puppy dog eyes, knowing that he’d protest at you wanting unhealthy food.

Alas, the Captain sighs in defeat. He can’t say no to what his pregnant wife wants. Especially when she looks at him like that. “Alright, fine. For the baby.”

You beam up and give him another peck, “Thank you, darling.” And off Captain Levi went, with you watching the confident strides of his retreating form.

“Who would have thought, huh?” Eld’s voice breaks your reverie. “That our very own Captain and Lieutenant would be married. With a baby on the way, no less!”

“Yeah,” Oluo chimes in. “Who would have thought-- our lovely Lieutenant and our err… less than lovely Captain,” he says patronizingly. Oluo, perhaps more than anyone, would agree that Levi is an exceptional man. But even he could recognize the funny little couple you and Levi made.

You pointed at him, looking past Gunther’s arm which was pouring you a cup of coffee. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”

Soon enough, Oluo and Gunther started telling you the buzz now that the new recruits have met you. Apparently, the cadets have been convinced that Levi was dating Petra. So you were quite a surprise to them. Eld even tells you how some of the recruits that haven’t met you yesterday—Connie, Jean, and Sasha, he said their names were—even walked up to this table this morning with very determined faces, asking if it was all true.

And with that, you and your old squad just laughed, feeling very much at home with the company.

~

Levi decided not to comment on the knowing smirks that the cooks met him with as he requested for extra portions for his wife. Levi knew he was sight to behold— their formidable Captain, gathering as much food as he can for his pregnant wife.

Levi’s used to it all now, the surprised looks and the gaping stares of soldiers at the sight of his undeniably dazzling wife. He’s also used to the confused looks of eyes darting between him, then to his wife, and then back to him, as if the bastards were trying to compute fucking rocket science. And he gets it. Even he has to pinch himself sometimes that this isn’t all a dream; that he’s actually married to the most riveting woman in the Legion.

But as he walked back, tray of all your favorite food in hand, the sight of you laughing with a hand contentedly resting on your belly was all a man like him needed to be satisfied that you’re real. You’re here, you’re real, and you’re his.

Once he’s sat back down beside you, he can’t help but kiss your temple again.

“Eat up,” he says, and it nearly fucking kills him the way your eyes lit up at the sight of the food.

Fucking adorable.

There was once a time Levi was convinced that he would never be one to have a family. That things like that just aren’t meant for men like him. But seeing you happily doing your little dance at how delicious you thought the food was (a truly very funny sight, considering this is Scouting Legion Mess Hall food.) He wonders what other preconceptions Levi had that you, and now your new baby, would be shattering for him.

After all, it was his own little miracle that you chose to love him at all. And at that, Levi has to agree with everyone else—

Who would have thought, indeed.

A/N: I had so much fun with this one, as usual. Maybe too much fun. I guess I'm incapable of writing short fics huh? Also, my inbox has been filling up, and I'm thinking back on writing The Wingman and The Paramour again so I'll be closing requests.

But hey, if you have any thoughts and questions, do hmu! My ask box is always open, and I love talking to you guys. Far better than talking to myself, I'd say. lol.

Edit: Requests Re-opened! HERE are the rules!

Glass House

Hufflepuff!Reader X Draco

I got people blamin’ me for shit they did to me

Lots of people shamin’ me for shit they didn’t see

So point the finger, pull the trigger, throw them off your trail

You’re diggin’ me my grave, but keep the shovel nearby

Dig your own right next to mine

I got people sayin’ take an eye for an eye

I just turn the other cheek cause you ain’t worth my time

‘Cause you see in black and white

But there’s more than just wrong and right

Chapter 1     Chapter 2    

Chapter 3    Chapter 4

Chapter 5     Chapter 6

Summary: Lines start to blur between wrong and right as you and Draco try to make it through the first semester of sixth year alive. Can you both keep up the charade long enough to survive? Can laughter and smiles hide what’s lurking underneath?

A/n: Y’all know what’s up. I’m so excited for this chapter honestly because there is so much character growth in our power duo as well as side characters and ugh I would die for Pansy. Also, I haven’t quite decided what to do with Snape yet… I don’t really hate him, not that I particularly like him either. Anyway, let me know what you think! I love seeing all of your comments you have absolutely no idea!! Stay strong and always keep fighting: this chapter deals with some dark stuff. I hope that you all see how to find a ray of sunshine in the midst of hell by reading this. ((I also cleaned up my taglist and got rid of the ones that tumblr wasn’t letting me tag anymore, so if I accidentally deleted you, lmk and I’ll add you back!! And Tumblr still isn’t allowing me to add a lot of you and I’m sorry ://// It’s not that I don’t love you bc I’m trying here))

Prologue:

“Cissy, you must not do this, you can’t trust him —”

“The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn’t he?” Narcissa snapped back at her sister.

“The Dark Lord is … I believe … mistaken,” Bella panted, and her eyes gleamed momentarily under her hood as she looked around to check that they were indeed alone. “In any case, we were told not to speak of the plan to anyone. This is a betrayal of the Dark Lord’s —”

“Let go, Bella!” Narcissa snarled, and she drew a wand from beneath her cloak, holding it threateningly in her sister’s face. Bella merely laughed.

“Cissy, your own sister? You wouldn’t —”

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do anymore!” Narcissa breathed, a note of hysteria in her voice, and as she brought down the wand like a knife, there was another flash of light. Bella let go of her sister’s arm as though burned.

“Narcissa!”

Keep reading

Superior

Her being captured is a problem. Him being captured is a bigger problem. But both of them? That’s just shitty, and she doesn't care for it.

starring: reader and levi care about each other and some people wanna be assholes about it, they love each other but they're also professionals, goddammit, and a little torture isn't gonna make them break

warnings: the torture isn't overtly graphic by any means, but content warning for zapping with an unnamed device and a knife cutting into the skin.

a/n: and now all three oneshots are uploaded!! stay tuned for the first chapter in the next part of the series. again, reminder that all these oneshots can be read and enjoyed without reading any of the other works in the series.

Her back aches.

God, it aches bad.

They’ve only been here for what, an hour? Two hours? But they haven’t spoken - in fact, Levi has not even thrown a single glance in her direction, despite their close proximity in the cell. Good. She knows that the worst possible situation has finally come to their doorway. Her being captured is a problem. Him being captured is a bigger problem. But both of them? That’s just shitty, and she doesn’t care for it.

They couldn’t speak even if they wanted to, because there’s two guards at the door and a man whose gaze makes her blood run cold, both because of his reputation as a mad scientist and because he keeps looking at them like he can’t wait to cut them up and see what’s inside.

She finds herself afraid. She hates it.

Why did Levi have to come after her? She can’t even glare at him like she enjoys doing most of the time - instead, they can only sit and stew. She wonders what he’s thinking. Knowing him, he’ll find a logical explanation for why this is her fault, but the blame only extends for getting herself captured. As far as she is concerned, Levi could have easily escaped. So he can blame himself, the asshole.

“Are you in pain?” the scientist - she decides to call him Dick - asks, looking at her.

“She’s fine,” Levi answers for her.

Dick does not seem to like this response. “Captain Levi, while it is an honor to have you with us, I do want to ensure that that lieutenant is not feeling uncomfortable.”

Levi gives the man his most deadpan look, and she winces before he even starts speaking. “I’m her superior, and I didn’t fucking train her to be uncomfortable.”

Well, that much is true. Countless drills at 4 AM in the morning definitely made this jail cell seem like child’s play. But the scientist must have received information that Levi hasn’t. Before he had arrived on the scene, she had taken a rather hard blow to the back, and the sting (both the one on her back and her ego) is still acting up. There’s no need to tell him that though, she doesn’t need the lecture on top of the biting remarks that are going to follow.

“Regardless.” Dick waves a hand, and looks at her with a gleam in his eyes. “If she’s uncomfortable, perhaps...perhaps we should change her position.”

She knows what that means. It means that the torture is about to begin. Apparently she’s going first, oh goody! She is up on her feet before the guards even reach the cell. She doesn’t look at Levi, and she knows that he is certainly not looking at her. This was inevitable, and neither of them are idiotic enough to not prepare themselves for this.

As they drag her out, she does her best to not let the heavy pounding in her chest get to her. Surely, surely, all those times that her trainers beat the absolute shit out of her - as a lesson, a punishment or just because - would be worse than this. She survived those, she can survive this. Right? Right?

None of the uncertainty plays out on her face. It remains impassive, and this time, when Dick asks her once again whether or not she is in pain, she responds before Levi can be an asshole about it.

“No.” It’s simple, no need to make him mad. Her goal is not to gain the upper hand, it’s to survive.

Dick radiates sick positivity as a wide smile grows on his face. “Oh? But I heard that one of our soldiers had delivered a rather well-placed kick to your back. They said they heard a crack.”

“Nothing’s broken,” she says loudly, more for Levi’s benefit than anything else. She will not have him think she’s not ready to fight the second he needs her to. “I am absolutely fine.”

“Is that so?”

With the snap of his fingers, one of the guards moves, and within a few seconds has her pinned against the wall. Her cheek presses against cold stone, and she does her best not to tremble. Her uniform is yanked off, followed quickly by her shirt. Thankfully, none of them are ripped, so she’ll be able to wear them again. The nasty voice in her head tells her that she’s going to want to cover up very soon.

“Well, you were correct, Lieutenant. Nothing appears to be broken, but you may want to get that bruise looked at.”

She is turned back around harshly, Dick picks up some sort of device that looks like it’s crackling with static. She grits her teeth roughly, and gets ready.

He raises the device, she closes her eyes, and -

Nothing happens.

A second passes.

“Now, this won’t do.”

She opens her eyes, confused, and notices he isn’t even looking at her. He’s looking at Levi with a frown, shaking his head.

“Now you see, I can’t do this until you look at her. How else will I get you to talk and spill your dirty secrets?”

Finally, her gaze goes towards her captain, who is standing as well and looking at the wall next to him pointedly. His whole body is tense, with clenched fists and narrowed eyes.

“I don’t plan on talking. You can continue. This isn’t a performance, so you don’t need an audience.”

Dick clicks his tongue. “If you don’t look, I’m going to make this twice as hard on her.”

“Go ahead,” Levi mutters, still not looking. “That’s her problem. Not mine.”

Thanks, she thinks without any real bitterness. She doesn’t want him to look either.

The scientist decidedly likes her more than he likes Levi. Maybe that’s because she acts like a normal human being who is in captivity and not a smarmy asshole who knows he is always in control of his emotions and lords it over people.

He sighs, as though talking to a child. “Now, this doesn’t make sense. There are widespread rumors that you and Lieutenant (L/N) are more than superior and subordinate. I put faith in people’s words, Captain. Is that not true?”

“Please.” Levi scoffs. “That woman has been a pain in the ass since the day I met her. You think I’m interested? I’m not. And just so you know, the sound of your voice is torturing her more than that stupid toy is going to. So if you want this to work, go ahead, keep talking.”

Dick sighs again, and motions to the other guard. The imposing man walks into the cell, grabs a fistful of Levi’s hair and shoves him down on his knees, yanking his head up so he can’t take his eyes off her.

A flare of anger rushes through her at the sight. Levi could take that man down, easily , but there’s no point. There’s about thirty more outside, and they can be replaced fairly easily. But still, the humiliating sight of her captain on his knees, forced to watch the shit they’re about to do her, enrages her. This was worse than anything else they could possibly dream of.

Levi’s face is blank, but his eyes are scarier than normal.

“Now, let’s begin.”

And then her stomach is on fire.

She clashes her teeth together, hard, and barely stops herself from screaming. Instead, her legs buckle and she topples over, a hiss barely escaping her lips. In a second, it is as if nothing happened - she even places a hand on her stomach just to make sure.

Above her, she hears a disbelieving, almost disappointed sound from Dick. When he speaks, he sounds like one of her early professors about to tell her that she could do so much better if she only applied herself.

“Surely you’re not that weak, Lieutenant (L/N)? A woman with so many titan kills to her name can’t even take a little pain?”

She was wrong, dead wrong. Just that small bout had been about fifty times more painful than any time someone had ever kicked her in the stomach. She dares not look at the captain, but a spark of anger rises knowing that he is watching, that these dirty bastards are making him see this. She looks up, prepares, and spits at him.

Dick only chuckles.

She is brought to a standing position by the guard, and is then jolted again. And again.

And again.

“What is the scouts’ next move?”

“Where is Eren Jaeger now?”

What does Commander Erwin mean to do with him?”

“Have tea with him,” she spits out harshly, panting, “I hear human-titan hybrids like oolong.”

He holds it to her skin for just two seconds longer as punishment. This time, she can’t help it - a cry escapes her, and her head falls forward as her eyes shut in pain.

“Do you want to answer, Captain?”

There is a few seconds of silence. God, she can usually tell what he is thinking, but right now all she can focus on is how bad it stings, how much she wants it to stop. An image of her bed back home, warm and soft, flutters through her mind, and she shoves it back down as firmly as she can. She can do this. She can take this a thousand times if she has to.

“She seems fine to me,” comes his uninterested response.

And so it continues. On one hand, she is relieved that they never change the weapon and continue to use the small hellish device. It gets her accustomed to it, and as much as it hurts like a bitch, at least it is not breaking the skin. Certainly burning it, though. Or something. She can’t think straight. It hurts. It hurts.

Cries turn to screams as the questioning is drawn out.

The screams that sound terrible even to her own ears, honestly. With the guard’s vice-like grip on her arms, she can’t even catch a moment’s relief. She has no time to catch up with the pain, to reel herself back in control. Instead, her screams get louder, and her fists clench so hard that her palms burn, and her hair starts coming loose from the tight bun it’s been in.

Half an hour later, or four hours later, they finally stop. The guard lets go, and she falls to the floor in a heap, panting harshly. Every inch of her chest and stomach stings so bad that she is scared to touch the skin in fear that it will turn to ash under her touch. Instead, she struggles to reach forward and grab her uniform, fingers trembling.

With a humorous chuckle, Dick tosses it to the side.

“Fetch it.”

It doesn’t matter. None of the shit they’ve done to her in the past few minutes (hours?) matters. Her pride is still intact, thanks very much. With hateful eyes and her teeth bared furiously, she looks up at him, remaining exactly where she is.

He doesn’t like this response, but lets it go, maybe because he is tired too. Poor guy, she thinks, having to stay up past his bedtime just to torture her.  She hears a grunt to her right - the other goon has let Levi go, and the two of them go stand by the door again without a word. Damn, she bets that her captain wishes she was as silently obedient as these two.

Dick helps her up, and then throws, actually throws, her into the cell. She feels her back hit the wall and remembers that she was injured before as well. Right, both front and back are in pain! This will be such a fun night for her, she thinks bitterly as she crumples to the ground. Her uniform is thrown on the floor in front of her, but her shirt is kept outside the bars. That’s probably fair. Her life for the cause and all that noise.

Except it’s too far and she can’t reach for it. She doesn’t want to try only to collapse and appear more pathetic than she already is.

The cell is slammed shut in front of them, and her eyes meet the scientist’s, who watches the two of them hungrily. “That didn’t quite go the way I was planning. So, tomorrow…” He licks his lips. “We’re going to switch the roles.”

Her fingers twitch angrily, but she can do nothing but glare at him.

“Lieutenant,” he coos in a way that makes her skin crawl, “I know you’re in pain. But I want to assure you that for every bit of pain I’ve inflicted on you, I intend to inflict tenfold on your precious superior. To not spill your secrets would be insubordination!” He laughs as though he’s told the world’s greatest joke.

“Honestly,” Levi drawls, “you really are as stupid as you look. She’s going to enjoy that, dumbass.”

“We’ll see,” Dick responds simply. He whistles a merry tune before picking up his Toy From Hell and leaving the room.

She hears his footsteps as he gets farther and farther from the room, but she still refuses to look at Levi. Besides the humiliation she has just suffered, she’s not sure if she physically can turn her neck to do it. Every movement feels like a burden right now. She closes her eyes, willing herself to push through the pain. This is nothing. This is nothing.

Suddenly a hand is on her bare back, pushing her forward gently. She lets him do the work and move her forward, just a bit. Her uniform is flung over her shoulders and tears spring to her eyes. What is this? If she can go through the entire torture session, then she can certainly deal with Levi being gentle without crying. The tears don’t fall.

Arms are wrapped around her, and a kiss is pressed against her temple before he murmurs, “You are so brave.”

A small cry of anguish escapes her lips and she buries her face in his neck. His arms tighten around her as much as they possibly can, and she can tell he’s trying not to squeeze her too tight.

“He’s gone,” Levi whispers, raw anger creeping in his voice, “he won’t be back until morning. He’s done, he won’t hurt you anymore. Someone is gonna find us soon.”

He keeps going on like this, whispering reassuring things. He doesn’t seem to realize that his close presence is enough to keep her from panicking. She finds what little strength is left in her arms and clutches onto his shirt, closing her eyes and pressing as close to him as she can. This is the easy part. This is Levi, and Levi means safety, there’s no one in this room that she needs to fear anymore.

Still, she chokes out, “I’m not crying.” She simply refuses to.

His fingers are shaking a little. “Why not? You have every right to.”

“I won’t,” she hisses, and this time she means it. She pulls away despite her mind and body both protesting - he’s warm, he’s safe, and it’s him. But she needs to show him she’s not going to break and she needs to show him why.

“I don’t know if you remember.” She sits back against the wall, wincing in pain. “But...before I joined your team, before the Garrison and all that shit, back when I was still training…” She groans, realizing that there really is no comfortable position. “You told me something. When I got that letter from my mother, remember?”

Levi remembers, she can tell by the way his eyes soften, but he lets her continue.

“You told me to stop crying. You said…” She grunts, but manages to finish. “You said that you were the only one allowed to make me cry.”

“That was for training,” he mutters, taking off his own uniform and placing it behind her back so that she has some kind of cushion. “You have full control of whenever you want to burst into tears now.”

She laughs, making him raise a brow. “I have no control over anything whenever you’re around, Captain. Joining your squad was equivalent to selling my soul to you.”

“Then you shouldn’t have done it.”

Her eyes close - she focuses only on his voice. “How could I not, when you were begging?”

“Tch.” She smiles when he sounds like himself again. “I didn’t beg, you insolent minx.”

It still hurts. But her hand finds his and she squeezes and she manages to keep everything in. There is no outpouring of tears. Just him and her, communicating through silence just like they have always managed to do oh so well.

“It’s going to be me tomorrow. I don’t suppose I need to order you to keep your mouth shut?”

She thinks about it. She imagines what it will be like tomorrow, when they’ll force her down in Levi’s place, yank her up by her hair and make her watch as they hurt him, over and over. The thought of it makes her nauseous, but if she can handle it, then he can handle it better. She knows that. Between the two of them, he’s seen more shit, purely due to being in the Scouts longer. And a hard childhood, as opposed to her rather comfortable one.

“You know I’m more likely not to listen if you order me. I’m interesting like that.” She opens her eyes, managing to crack a grin at him.

His shoulders sag, and he gently brushes her cheek with his knuckles. His touch is so soft that she wonders if he thinks it’s going to hurt her. “I like when you joke around. Lets me know you’re okay. Tell another one,” he requests.

Having Levi request one of her jokes makes her wonder if she’s dreaming, because for one thing, Levi never requests anything, he mostly demands and orders and grumbles. And second, he has made clear exactly what he thinks of her jokes - and she’s lucky if he doesn’t roll his eyes or make a scathing remark about her poor sense of humor every time she tries. Which is ridiculous, because her humor is amazing.

“You don’t even like my jokes.”

“I promise I’ll like it, no matter how shitty it is.”

“Okay,” she agrees. “Um…” She bites her lip, thinking. “What do you call a…” She shakes her head. “No. Wait. Wait.” Her stomach is still too sensitive to touch. “How many…” She furrows her brows, trying to focus. Captain Levi is requesting a joke. This is big, feeling pain can wait right now, “Oh, I have one!”

“Tell it to me,” he says encouragingly.

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there.” When she gives him a look, he asks in a proper tone. “Who’s there?”

“Colossal Titan.”

Levi sighs, shaking his head. “Colossal Titan who?”

“ Pew, ” she says, waving her arm a little.

He stares at her blankly and she pouts. He said he would like it. She makes the motion again, miming the titan breaking down the wall.

A hint of a smile comes upon his face, and he lets out a low chuckle. She looks at him crossly.

“Don’t fake laugh.”

“I’m not.” He looks down and laughs, genuinely. “I get it. It’s breaking down an outer wall. But it knocked first. It’s funny.”

“No, that was bad.” She sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “Because then everyone dies.”

Levi tilts her chin down so that she’s looking into his eyes. No matter what else, she loves how truthful, how genuine he seems at all times, even when he’s not trying to be. His eyes bore into hers, leaning in just close enough that she could lean forward and catch his lips if she tried.

“Knock knock,” he says, his voice low.

“Who’s there?”

“Armored Titan.”

“Armored Titan who?”

“I’m not sure, we haven’t figured it out yet.”

She actually laughs, and then winces, squeezing her eyes in pain as her body protests. How was laughter going to be the best medicine when she couldn’t even laugh? What a stupid saying. Levi’s general negativity is getting to her, honestly.

When she opens her eyes, he is still gazing at her as though he has never seen anything so captivating.

“You look your prettiest when you laugh,” Levi murmurs, “don’t ever stop making your shitty jokes and laughing at them. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Any other time she might have been snarky, cocky even, asking in a singsong voice if he really thought she was pretty , just to annoy him. But being snarky requires effort, and she spent the last of it on that amazingly stupid joke.

Levi notices. He can’t seem to help himself. Still trying his best to be gentle, he wraps his arms around her, moving her just a little so that she’s resting against his chest instead of the wall. She doesn’t mind, he’s much more comfortable anyway. And the day’s events are catching up with her, as evident by the yawn that escapes her as much as she tries to fight it.

“Go to sleep,” Levi orders, no room for argument in his voice. “Come on.”

“Mm...don’t want them to find us like this…”

“They won’t,” he says firmly, “now sleep . That’s an order, (L/N).”

Hearing her name from him only makes the sleepiness worse. A wave of calmness washes over her, and she presses her face in his chest and breathes in against his shirt. It feels impossible to be scared like this, feels ridiculous to think that anyone could possibly hurt her when he’s holding her like this.

Still, she tries to hang on. The logical but dire part of her brain reminds her that this is fleeting. Within a few hours, maybe less, they’ll be woken up and he’ll be snatched from her and they’re going to hurt him and he doesn’t deserve to be hurt and can’t they just leave him alone -

Levi starts stroking her hair. God, her eyes are closing without her consent, goddammit , this is a dirty trick on his part.

“That’s…” She feels her consciousness slipping. “My move...thief...”

She knows she mumbles more, but she can’t tell what she’s saying, or whether it’s even coherent or not. She doesn’t make out his response either, too busy losing herself to his soothing touch and to the welcoming arms of sleep.

Her last thought is that he is way too good at this.

A thud to her head is her wake-up call, and she wakes up with a gasp. The ugly guard from yesterday is in front of her, and before she realizes what is happening, her and Levi are both on their feet, pressed against the wall and made to look at the scientist, who looks like he certainly had a good night’s sleep.

Gratefully, she notices that she and Levi had indeed no longer been sleeping in the same close proximity. Bless him, he didn’t give them away. Even though she misses and craves his touch, waking up in his arms just isn’t a luxury they can afford right now. She also notices that her hair is tied up again, and a rush of love for her captain swells inside her.

“So!” Dick says in his grating chirpy voice. “Did you sleep well?”

Neither of them answer. She is simply too groggy to come up with a clever response right now, and she suspects Levi is too busy trying to kill the man with his glare. Dick does not seem to be bothered - in fact, he looks even more eager than yesterday.

“Let’s give you two a proper wake up call. Are you ready, Captain?”

Her heart beats a little faster, but she prepares herself. Levi can handle this, he’s going to be fine.

“Just get it over with,” Levi mutters dryly, “I’ve been ready for hours.”

“Good!” Dick smiles widely. “Bring her out.”

Her head snaps up, and she gasps in pain as the guard shoves her forward roughly.

“What?” Levi growls angrily. “No, it’s my turn! You said it’d be me!”

Dick finally likes Levi’s response. He lets out a hearty chuckle, motioning for the guard to pin her against the wall. Her breathing quickens, but this time, she’s ready. This is the best option she could have hoped for. As much as she was sure that seeing Levi hurt wouldn’t break her resolve, she is glad that her mental fortitude does not have to be put to the test.

Damn it all, she can do this!

“She’s had enough!” Levi shouts. She hears a movement behind her, and then the guard holding her up leaves her side, knowing she doesn’t have enough strength to struggle. Without looking, she knows that Levi is putting up a fight now. If he doesn’t stop, he’s going to give them away.

She understands the anger. The bastard pulled a clever move last night, letting them prepare for something that wasn’t going to happen. Levi must have spent the night readying himself for this, and so he had no time to consider what would happen if they continued on with her.

An arm presses her further into the wall and a sharp pain explodes from her stomach up to her chest, making her vision go blurry a little. Levi shouts protests that end with a thump and him on his knees again. God, she could kill these sons of bitches.

She feels Dick tug her bun upwards, exposing her neck and making her wince in the cold. “This is your favorite part of the body, isn’t it, Captain?”

“Don’t you fucking dare -“

She’s not sure what’s happening until she feels her skin break right over the nape of her neck, and she lets out a hoarse scream.

“Stop it! Stop it! ”

Red hot blood drips down her back from her neck, pouring from an alphabet-shaped slice. Her world is spinning - she wonders if this is karma sent from the titans themselves.

L.

“I think I’ll leave her a somewhat memorable scar,” Dick crows, “how about your name, Captain?”

“ You’re going to kill her, you bastard, stop it!”

E.

God, now that she knows what he’s carving into her neck like it’s a tree bark, she can feel it all the more keenly. She’s written his name several times, after all, whether it be in copious amounts of paperwork, letters responding to people’s inquiries about how the good captain is doing, or her own notes that she’ll leave next to a cup of tea that will be as simple as dear levi, i accidentally put salt instead of sugar in this, sorry and she’ll see him roll his eyes but pocket the note anyway before forcing himself to drink her godawful beverage.

Dick’s handwriting is nice, she thinks hysterically. The scars will look pretty on her corpse.

V.

Levi keeps screaming and she hears the doors open as more people rush in to contain him. If only he had his gear, he could probably take them all on, but there’s only so much one guy can do without any weapons against ten or so people, even if it is Levi Ackerman.

Right before he writes the final letter, Dick stops, keeping a firm hand on her back just in case she was some kind of immortal goddess and could run away in this state. She’s closed her eyes by now, but her ears are still listening, and she can hear Levi panting harshly. She tries to imagine him, but it hurts to think.

“You can end this, Captain. Tell me what I want to know, and I can get her medical treatment in an instant. It’s your choice.”

There is a pregnant pause in the air, and she assumes all eyes are on him. The tip of the knife rests against her neck, ready to resume when need be.

“Tell me,” he presses, and she feels the blade dig into her skin a little. “What is the commander planning?”

There is more silence for a couple more seconds.

She hears the slightest hitch in breath, and it’s a credit to how well she knows Levi that she knows he’s about to say something. In a split second, she finds a will inside herself that she didn’t know existed until now, and she screams.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Dick laughs this off, digging the knife in a little deeper as punishment. “Well, Captain?”

Everyone waits. Her heart pounds loudly against her chest and she wonders if they can hear it.

“Burn in hell,” Levi hisses, and with a sigh relief she allows herself to submit to the pain.

I.

Several things happen all at once.

Someone screams - besides her - and the door is all but blown apart. From her left, she hears Levi yell something. She thinks a full on brawl has started, how does he hope to come out on top?

The weight that had been pressing her against the wall is gone, and she hears a voice that sounds suspiciously like Major Hange saying, “Let’s see how you like it!”

With nothing holding her up, she feels herself fall, fall, fall until her knees hit the ground hard. The room erupts into chaos around her, and she can only make out so much of it. She tries taking it one at a time. Behind her Hange is waving around a knife like a madwoman which is pretty on-brand of her so it’s not too alarming. Outside the door, it seems like the guard dogs of this hellish lab-place are engaged in combat with the Scouts. People fighting people. Huh. Seems a bit refreshing. At least no one was planning to eat her in this situation.

She’ll take what she can get.

Finally, at the center of the room, shouting something at Hange and throwing punches, is Levi. He looks slightly unhinged and wonderfully furious, with his feral grey eyes (who even has grey eyes) being the only warning any of the poor chaps get before slams into them with his knuckles.

Wow. All this for her sake? She’ll have to tease him if she lives through this.

It doesn’t feel like she will, though. Pain seems to be radiating from every part of her body. She can’t differentiate between areas of her body that are actually injured versus what’s hurting by association. This is actually more than a bit embarrassing, after fighting titans for ages, it was going to be one man with too many toys that was going to take her out?

No, fuck that. She decides, losing consciousness, as Levi elbows his next victim in the face and then finally makes his way to her, his face contorted in anger and his eyes focused, that she absolutely has to make fun of him for this.

In the ten minutes since she’s woken in the infirmary, Hange has asked her about a million questions. Truthfully, she has no problem answering - she even adds hand gestures and extravagant details to entertain the woman more. After all, Hange had led the charge that saved her life, the least she can do is give her something to write about in her collection of horror stories. Hearing about a human monster seems to thrill Hange enough to hang onto her every word.

Besides, it’s much better than sitting and idly twiddling her fingers in her hospital bed.

Eventually, Hange sighs, standing. “Sorry. I’d love to keep you company longer, but there’s a load of work calling my name.”

“It’s fine, Major.” It’s so not fine, she’s going to be damn bored holed up in here. “Er, I was wondering…”

“Short stack hasn’t come in here since after they confirmed you were gonna make it.” She scoffs. “Truthfully, I was surprised, considering how he carried you in here like he was ready to say his vows right then and there.”

Her nose wrinkles. “I’m not a married woman now, am I?”

Hange laughs, shaking her head. “Not yet. Next time, try getting your entire head sliced off and I’ll bring a white dress for you.”

See, this is why she likes Major Hange - at least someone in this military has a sense of humor, she can’t be expected to pull all the weight herself.

“If you see Captain Levi, can you tell him I’m up?” She relaxes back against the pillow. “I want to talk to him.”

Her savior agrees, and leaves with a wink and encouragement to get better. Now that she has time to actually sit back and think, her thoughts are sour.

Levi is avoiding her? She takes two beatings, lets him coax her to sleep using her own genius move, gets his fucking name carved into her neck, stays alive out of pettiness, and this is the thanks she gets? He’s not that cold. She doesn’t know what it is she’s done that made him want to stay away, and she knows that Levi never does anything without his reasons, but that doesn’t stop her from being irritated.

Nearly half an hour later, he arrives - well, he sure took his damn time walking there. He’s in his stupid suit and his stupid cravat, looking as unperturbed as ever, as though him screaming bloody murder and punching people out left and right wasn’t the last thing she saw before she fell unconscious. She thinks she catches the briefest flash of relief in his eyes, but then he looks as bored as she’s been feeling while waiting for him.

She puts her hand to her chest and salutes, because he’s still her superior first and foremost.

“You’re awake, good.” He steps up to the front of her bed. “There’s a shit ton of paperwork with your name on it.”

She waits, but that’s all he says, and she realizes that he’s waiting for her response.

“Yeah, I’m glad to see you alive too, Captain. ” She crosses her arms, glaring daggers at him. “Do you want some tea while I get to my chores?”

“Your tea? No thanks, I’d rather drink Jaeger’s disgusting titan blood than whatever the hell you manage to brew every time you touch a kettle.”

Asshole.

He turns to leave, and not able to contain herself, she squawks out angrily, “Captain! Aren’t you even going to ask if I’m alright?”

Her captain doesn’t even stop walking. Without looking at her, he says, “You look alright to me.”

“Levi!”

There. That stops him in his tracks.

He turns back to her slowly, and she matches his cool irritation with her own, defiantly jutting her chin out, just daring him to punish her for being informal when she’s in this condition. Besides, who was the one cuddling her in a jail cell less than twenty four hours ago? If he reports her for being informal, she’ll report him back even harder and then they’ll be stuck in an endless cycle trying to out-report each other.

He starts walking right up to her and she leans back on the bed a little and raises her hands because if he plans to fight her she needs to prepare her defenses, hold on -

Levi is suddenly crushing her in a hug, his arms around her waist and her face looking over his shoulder. She freezes up as he buries his face in her neck, and squeezes her like she’s going to disappear as soon as he lets go.

Well, she thinks, tearing up for the second time in the past few days, now he’s being even more informal.

“This is what got us in this mess in the first place, (F/N).” He breaths into her neck and without further encouragement she slides her fingers in his hair, keeping him close. “Because apparently we’re so fucking obvious that everyone’s caught on.”

“So what?” she protests stubbornly, eyes narrowing. He’s the best thing that’s happened to her and she doesn’t plan to let him go just because some psycho had too much fun with a knife. “We held out. We’re not stupid or weak - neither of us broke.” She can’t help it, and presses a kiss to his cheek. “I know I didn’t get the chance to show you, Levi, but I could have done it. I would have held out, I swear.”

“I know.”

“But then, why are you -”

“Because I didn’t hold out.”

And there it is, the big confession. She forgets how to breathe for a split second, thinking back to how quiet the room had been, everyone waiting for Levi’s response, seeing if he’d choose to keep his secrets or whether he’d choose her.

And he’d been about to choose her.

“If you hadn’t screamed right then, I don’t...” He sighs, frustrated, holding her even tighter. “I don’t know what I would have done. I was ready to tell them anything just to make it stop.”

“ Levi ,” she whispers softly, not sure how to react to what is such a raw display of love for him, humanity’s strongest, the one who never lets himself care for anyone anymore. “He fucked with your head. I know you’re stronger than that, it was just a bad day.”

He chuckles mirthlessly, repeating her words incredulously like he always does whenever he thinks she’s just said something ridiculous. “A bad day.”

“Yes, a bad day.” She pulls away so she can look up at his face. His expression tightens when he sees the tears pooling at the corner of her eyes, before he reaches up and brushes them away with his thumb. She wonders how he manages to keep his touch so light after all the fighting he’s been thrown in. “And don’t worry, I’ll be there to scream at you next time too.”

This promise seems to only make him even more miserable. “And what happens the day you’re not?”

She opens her mouth to answer, but there is really no good response to him asking what happens when she inevitably dies. It probably will happen, and she doesn’t want to lie to him. She’s made her peace with it.

“Then that day you don’t have to worry about having a weakness anymore. It’s a win-win.”

It’s a dark, fucked-up answer to give him, and she knows that. But Levi doesn’t appreciate bullshit responses, and that’s probably half of why he likes her in the first place (the other half is her strikingly good looks). She’s always been blunt if nothing else - she would always rather tell him the truth than a pleasant sounding lie, as much as she is tempted to do the latter at times, if it would make the haunted look in his eyes go away. Still, she says what her conscience dictates.

Levi nods, closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening them with a newfound sense of peace. Nudging her shoulder, he gestures for her to move aside. “Let me sit.”

“You sure, Captain? This is a hospital bed, you know - think of all the germs and sick people that have crawled all over it.”

He rolls his eyes and pushes her to the side himself, climbing on and leaning back against the pillow. Without an invitation, she lowers herself down until her head is resting against his chest, hand on his waist, and basks in his comfort. In turn, Levi slides his arms around her back and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“I’m still mad at you for stealing my hair-stroking thing,” she mutters, rubbing circles against his hip with her thumb.

He smiles against her skin. “You didn’t invent hair-stroking.”

“Yeah, but it was my tool to put you to sleep.”

“And it works annoyingly well, so I was seeing how you liked it.”

“I did like it,” she admits shyly, hiding her face against his chest. “But still, you’re a damn thief.”

Levi reaches up to the hair tie keeping her hair in a far looser bun than he had tied it in. With a practiced motion, he takes it off, letting her hair sprawl against his chest and running his fingers through it. She feels him press his fingers to her nape and she swallows nervously as his thumb and index finger start stroking his own name on her skin. That’s right, he is touching the scar for the first time, a scar that’ll last pretty damn long if not forever. His Adam’s apple bobs when she places her hand over his, squeezing his fingers gently, letting him know it’s okay, that she’s fine. There were worse things that could have been marked on her skin. This she can deal with.

“It’s easier like this,” he mumbles, “with you.” She understands.

She wants to tell him everything is easier with him there. But the words die on her lips, afraid of pushing him away. If he figures out that she’s ready to die for him, her superior, one day, then he’s going to keep her from doing just that. Instead, she raises her head and gives him a kiss with his fingers still tangled in her hair. She tries to convey everything, and it does feel like he understands, as he cups her cheek with his free hand and kisses her back fervently.

His lips are always such a treat for her, a rare delight that she gets to have when he’s feeling generous or particularly longing. She takes advantage of these moments, pouring her all into it, showing him just how much she adores him. How much she loves him.

Levi hooks their legs together to keep her close, and her heart thrums at this unspoken message that he needs her as much as she needs him. God, fuck , she wishes he could stay this close always. From his low groan and the way he tugs her even closer to deepen the kiss, she knows he feels the same.

Somehow, he pulls back first and makes a small tsk at the pout she sends his way. “I’m not going to make out with you on a hospital bed. Who knows how diseased you are already?”

Just for that, she kisses him again, and smirks victoriously when he kisses back again.

This time, she pulls back, grinning victoriously. Levi makes a show out of rolling his eyes at her obvious desire to have the last word, but doesn’t comment. He pulls her back against his chest, and seems content burying his face in her hair and finally letting himself relax.

Which, she decides, closing her eyes and intertwining her fingers with his, is all she needs for now.