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damn-stark · 4 months

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Chapter 35 Can’t catch me now

Final chapter of Cherry

A/N: Thank you, I’m going to cry now that it’s over

Warning- FLUFF, mentions of pregnancy and birth complications, angst, and swearing

Takes place during- The final chapters special 2

Pairing- Jean Kirstein x fem!reader

————

What does he mean by talk?

Does he have a girlfriend back in Marley? One Connie, Levi, or Pieck mentioned?

Or maybe he’s going to say that he’s totally just over you. He doesn’t love you anymore.

You can’t take it, the anxiety is killing you.

“You look nice,” you interject and hide your nervousness well. “I like your hair, it’s different, it’s good.” You peer over your shoulder and flash Jean a smile.

He meets your gaze and a soft smirk tugs on his lips. “Thanks. You look nice now—I mean you look beautiful, but nice because the last time I saw you, you looked—”

“Bad?” You say to him with a small teasing smile.

Jean squints and parts his lips to argue, but you cut in again.

“It’s okay, it’s true,” you assure him. “I was in a bad place. Now I’m not. I’m okay now. Better than good actually, I’m great.”

You slide the door open to a secluded cabin on the train and walk in first before he follows you inside and closes the door behind him, letting you finally face each other.

“So I’ve read,” he says.

You study his handsome face and smile wider. “You look very nice. Is that okay to say?” You ask to get what you want to know from him. “Or should I hold back because of a special someone?” You wiggle your eyebrows and hope it isn't true.

Jean scoffs and shakes his head. “Nah…I tried it,” he admits, and you feel your heart clench—“but none of them worked out, I guess,” he rolls out and glances at the ground as he puts his hands in his pockets. “They weren’t you.”

Your heart skips a beat and your eyes widen. “What?” You gasp with disbelief.

Jean looks up at you and exhales deeply before he pulls his hands out and strides over to you with confidence. “I know I’ve been an ass and not written, but I wanted to give you space.”

“Jean,” you try to interject, but he grabs your shoulders and looks at you with a soft look that makes your face begin to burn.

“Listen okay?” He continues and looks into your eyes. “I love you, I always will no matter what, but I don’t want to just be your friend. I can’t be just a friend. I can be your best friend if we’re together, but I can’t live my life and pretend that we didn’t live a life together. That I didn’t love you with my entire being. I can't do that, I'm not that big of a person.”

Tears fill your eyes, but they’re not born from an ache, they’re tears of disbelief and shock.

“So,” he goes on softly and slowly places his hands on your cheeks. “That’s why I'm saying it now, it might be brazen and too much for you, but it’s the truth and if I didn’t say it I would be bothered and mean, you don’t deserve that. And well,” he sighs. “Too much shit has happened for us to be patient, and I’m afraid that if I continue to be patient, I won’t be able to say what has been stuck in my throat for years.”

You smile softly and gently slide your hands over to hold his arms. “Jean,” you whisper. “I love you. I do. I never stopped loving you. I never thought about anyone else but you, but,” you cut in and make his breath falter. “You can’t rush into this. We’ve hardly talked over the past 3 years, I don’t know you anymore. You don’t know me. We know a past of each other, but not who we turned into. You understand? I mean what if you don’t even like who I am now? I don’t want you to waste your time with me, I—”

“Shut up,” Jean cuts you off and pulls you closer to him, making your breath hitch and your eyes fall on his lips—“Just shut up you’re talking nonsense. All you’re saying is crap because I do know you,” he says. “I’ve read all the letters you sent me. All the letters you sent our friends, and I’m looking at you now and all I see is my future. I’ve fought for a long time, I know life isn’t long, and I don’t want to wait. We can get to know each other as we date. Just please be with me. I miss you.”

Your bottom lip trembles and all you feel is your heart race as butterflies flutter like crazy inside you.

Your life doesn’t feel complete because Levi still isn’t with you, but you feel safe and like the stars finally returned to orbit to give light to the world. Yes, you did heal from your deep wounds without him, you couldn’t have him with you, but the one thing that didn’t change throughout it all was your feelings for him; they burn just as hot, and drive you just as crazy as the first time.

“I miss you too,” you redirect sweetly. “I love you too. I’ve only loved you, I will only love you. I can’t love anyone else but you,” you confess, making him smile and lean in.

Yet just as you’re going to relish in the taste of his lips finally on yours, a knock raps on the door.

“Y/N?”

Eric?

Eric!

“What do you want?” You sneer and don’t bother to open the door right away.

“Ben is looking for you. He says it’s urgent.”

You groan and look at Jean one last time. “Let’s continue this later, hm?” You ask.

Jean sighs deeply and has no choice but to give in. “Fine. Just,” he trails off and slams his lips on yours to give you one quick but deep kiss before he pulls back to open the door for you.

“Hey man,” Eric greets Jean with a smug smile.

You storm out of the room and Eric follows after you.

“Why are you still mad, huh? Did I interrupt something?”

When you step out to the main cabin you stop in front of Ben and quickly interject. “What do you want?”

Ben looks away from Reiner and slowly looks at you with concern. “Do you have an extra pack of cigarettes? I left mine in my other coat.”

You clench your fist and give him a tightlipped smile. “That was urgent?” You say through gritted teeth.

Ben nods and glances at Jean sitting down before looking back at you and giving you a cheeky smile. “Yes.”

“I do not carry cigarettes because the last box you had me carry you finished last week. Am I done now?” You sneer. “Or?”

Ben glances at Eric sitting down next to him and they share a look before he nods. “Yeah.”

You let out a deep huff and turn to return to your seat. Jean tries to settle down next to you, but you quickly throw your arms over the empty seat. “Sorry, this seat is taken,” you let him know sweetly.

Jean turns and looks at you with a pointed look. “What do you mean? It’s empty,” he points out.

“It’s Honey’s seat,” you sass him. “She demands to have her own seat. Sorry.” You smile and point at the seat across from you “You can sit there. Mikasa is with Armin. And Eric—”

Just as you say his name your brother slides in the seat across from you as if trying to cockblock Jean from even looking at you.

“…is there,” you finish under your breath and then look back at Jean still baffled by your cat's privileges.

“You’re not serious,” Jean retorts.

“She’s so serious,” Eric rebuttals for you. “Her cat thinks it’s royalty or something. It’s weird.”

Jean glances at your brother and then at the empty seat, and is going to ignore you, but just as he’s going to sit down, your brown cat comes over and hops back on her seat next to yours. She sees Jean too close so she looks at him with her green eyes and lets out a long meow.

“See,” you exclaim with a smirk. “Her own seat. I don’t make the rules.” You shrug.

Jean rolls his eyes and picks up the cat, making her let out an annoyed meow.

“I bought you damn thing now hold it before I accidentally sit on it,” he sasses and plops the cat on your lap as you watch him sit down with bewilderment.

Over the past 2 years, you've been breaking your head wondering, and constantly asking Levi and the others to reveal who gifted you the cat, but no one would say a thing.

Sure sometimes you did think Jean was the one, but since he barely wrote you back he quickly fell off that list. For some time you thought it was Reiner since he seemed to still be fawning over you, but he would’ve said it, so your guess was Levi or Mikasa, but they never said a thing so you were left wondering for 2 years. And now you finally know, and you should’ve known.

“You got her for me?” You probe softly as you hold onto Honey.

Jean drifts his gaze to the corner of his eyes and looks at you as if it’s no big deal. “Yeah,” he responds nonchalantly. “Made Mikasa pick her out to give it to you.”

You scoff softly in disbelief and lean closer to him. “Why didn’t you say so?” You press him.

Jean shrugs. “I was. The cat is a…apology present for how I acted before you left, but then at the last minute,” he sighs. “I chickened out and thought it was better if you didn’t know until I saw you.”

Your heart skips a beat and your smile tugs to a grin before you quickly let go of the cat to lean over and throw your arms around Jean.

It's kind of an awkward hug since you're sitting side by side, but you still hold onto him.

“Thank you,” you whisper softly and gently run your fingers through the ends of his hair, making him shiver and squeeze you gently.

“I knew you'd like it,” he whispers in your ear as he tilts his head closer to you to draw in a small breath as he catches a whiff of your fragrance clinging to your skin. “You smell nice,” he shares.

You smirk and slide your hands down to feel his biceps hiding under his suit. “You do too,” you redirect smugly before you pull back and hug your cat again.

“You know,” Eric adds and taps the table in between you and him. “Back in the city, there’s this guy named Fedric, who is heads over heels for my sister here.”

“Eric,” you try to cut him off.

“No, no, just listen,” he ignores you and smirks. “He’s, like, tall, and buff and has crazy blue eyes. I’m telling her to give it a shot, but she refused. Maybe, you,” he points at Jean. “Can advise her otherwise, considering you’re her best friend.” He shrugs.

You glare at your brother and kick him in the shin under the table, he flinches, but he keeps on a straight face.

“Why don’t you date him,” Jean rebuttals sassily. “Considering the way you’re describing him.”

You snort and smile at your brother, but Eric doesn’t share the same enthusiasm, he fakes laughs instead and mutters. “Funny, funny.”

You snicker at him and then turn to continue talking to Jean. “I hope you got enough sleep—”

“Hey!” Connie cuts in and slides into the empty seat next to Eric. “Does your cat have a diamond hanging off her collar, or am I going crazy?”

You lift your cat and nod. “Yeah, she does. Isn’t she so pretty?” You smile.

Connie squints and then he bursts out laughing. “You’re so weird! It’s a cat!”

You roll your eyes and set your cat down on your lap. “So?” You quip. “What's your point?”

“My point is that it’s an animal,” he explains himself. “It’s weird that you put that shit on her.”

You don’t get his point nor do you want to spend your time arguing, so you drop the subject and return to what you didn’t finish saying. “Anyway! I hope you guys got enough sleep, you guys have a busy schedule today. Plus, a little welcome back celebration hosted by me.”

“What?” Connie gasps.

You smile proudly and nod. “Yeah, after you get finished with all your introduction meetings, we’ll go get ready, have dinner, and then go to a cantina. How fun is that?” You exclaim.

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Eric mutters. “Mikasa is going to get annoyed.”

You flick your wrist to wave him off. “It’s okay. I planned it. I couldn’t hold it in! There’s gonna be dancing, music, old military friends, new friends we’ve made, and drinks. It’s gonna be fun! And who knows Connie, maybe finally you’ll become a man tonight.” You smile sweetly and bat your lashes.

Connie snickers. “Cherry girl, I am a man. I left many ladies crying back in Marley.”

You scrunch your nose in disgust as you don’t find this funny anymore. “That’s gross.”

“You started it,” he snaps.

You groan and glance over at Jean to ask if it’s the same for him, but you catch him already looking at you with a soft smile on his face that makes you wonder.

“What?” You query.

Jean blinks in surprise as he snaps from his stupor, but he doesn’t grow flustered, or lose his smile, he simply shakes his head and interjects softly. “Nothing. You’ve just changed, that's all.”

Your face begins to burn and you’re the one that grows flustered now. “Well,” you whisper. “Yeah.” You laugh and nod. “Yeah. And you don’t stutter anymore. You used to stutter. Is it all the practice back in Marley?” You tease him.

Jean scoffs and grows cocky. “Natural talent, that's all.”

You giggle and shake your head. “Natural talent my ass. I know you, you’re not as smooth as you think you are.”

“Am so,” he quips and tries to slide his hand around your seat's headrest, but his arm slips and falls on your shoulders. He quickly tries to recover but it was too late you proved your point.

“Super smooth,” you say sarcastically.

Jean shrugs and nudges your shoulder with his fingers hovering over it. “You like it.”

You can't help but smile as you look away. And the moment you do you catch both Connie and Eric watching Jean and you with disgust, so you ignore their negativity and just look out the window with a happy smile on your face.

Levi is still missing but you feel content, and your heart feels at ease with the rest of your family finally back home.

——

*LATER THAT NIGHT*

After a long day of waiting for Jean and the others to go through their long meetings, and after a short and kind of chaotic dinner you’re finally living through the part of the night you’ve looked forward to all day, considering you weren’t in their dreadful meetings.

You can’t say that you can party like when you were a soldier—it’s not that you don’t enjoy it, you just can’t bring yourself to get your mind too clouded just in case, but! You do enjoy the music and the vibe!

You just have to back away when Connie and your brother Eric try to force more wine down your throat.

“Jean can do it, I believe you,” you throw him under so he can take your place.

“Hey! Hey!” Connie exclaims and points his finger at you. “Those are not the rules. Coin flipped on you, you, drink!”

He's incredibly drunk.

“Hey, hey!” Eric cuts in and stands up. “You can’t force my sister to drink!” He exclaims and faces Connie with a pointed look.

“Whoa—”

“I can! Drink girl!” He shouts at you and swings his cup at you, causing Connie to burst out laughing.

“That’s what I'm talking about!” Connie exclaims and jumps up to throw his arm around Eric, making them both sway.

You roll your eyes but you still can’t help but smile softly over the fact that they’re getting along well.

However, you use this moment that they’re distracted to back away and escape before they keep pressing you to drink, leaving Jean to deal with them instead.

Sure there’s only so many places to hide in a small place, but you keep moving in between the crowd and actually catch Armin and Mikasa trying to dance along to the music. However, they’re tipsy so it’s not going well.

And luckily they don’t notice you so you keep moving along, but stop when you spot Reiner all by himself in some secluded corner of the cantina.

You haven’t talked to him since he got here, and you’ve been meaning to. You’ve been dreading it but you want to talk to him—should you though?

Yes! You’ve grown up, matured, pondered, and had three years to be upset! You need to make peace with this. He’s the last piece left.

So you walk over to him and casually sit beside him as you keep your eyes on Mikasa and Armin dancing.

“There’s a lot of pretty women out there,” you interject and smile proudly upon seeing your cousin's joy—“Why aren't you dancing? Do you have a girlfriend back in Marley?”

Reiner scoffs. “No,” he mutters. “I can’t seem to find the right one…” he trails off and you feel his stare on you. “You, do you have a…boyfriend?” He whispers hesitantly.

You shake your head. “No, but…” you sigh and glance at Jean, and catch him looking back at you. “…I have my eye on someone.”

You smile at Jean and look away to finally look at Reiner who hasn’t taken his eyes off you.

“Hm,” he hums and averts his gaze to clear his throat before he changes the subject. “Uh, how are you? I mean with everything. The reason why you left,” he says.

You let out a deep breath and shrug. “I’m…fine,” you hesitate to answer. “I’m not angry anymore,” you mention and continue because regardless of other things, he was still there. Once. But enough to motivate you to escape.

“I have nightmares here and there, they won’t go away. And sometimes…it crawls up on me, the fear that someone is around trying to get me…but,” you sigh and smile softly. “I’m okay now. I’m actually doing quite a lot with Historia and my brothers for the Underground. So I’m good.”

A small smile crawls on Reiner’s lips and he nods softly. “That’s good. I’m happy for you,” he says softly and averts his gaze.

“Thank you,” you whisper and shift in your seat to face him with determination to finally address the one thing that matters between him and you. “Reiner.”

Said man slowly meets your gaze and seems to look hopeful.

“I…can forgive you,” you jump straight to the point so he doesn’t get some false expectations about where this is going. “I can forgive you for taking away my best friend. I can forgive you for looking me in the eye all those times and lying to me, I can forgive you because I don’t want to hate you. Because I don’t want that in my heart anymore, but,” exhale deeply and look at him with a long frown. “I won’t forget. I’ll never forget what you did. And I know it might be stupid maybe, petty, but you still lied, and you still took him away from me. He was my best friend. I loved him,” your voice quivers. “And I…liked you, and it hurt.”

Reiner looks as if he was just shot, even though he expected you to say this, your words still wound him and finally make him realize that he and you will always live in the past.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters and scoots forward, making you raise your chin and nod in comprehension.

“Yes, I know you are and I forgive you. I can see us maybe being friends, but nothing else,” you admit the truth. “Do you understand?” You probe so he can get the right idea and not be delusional.

“I,” he breathes out heavily. “I understand.”

You offer him a kind smile and nod. “Good. That’s all I wanted to hear.”

Reiner looks away and quickly cuts in bluntly. “Do you love him?”

You blink in confusion and follow his line of gaze to see him looking at Jean walking over here.

“I…do,” you respond honestly and look back at Reiner curiously. “Why?” You ask.

Reiner snaps his eyes to you and leans forward to grab your hand and offer you a small smile. “Does he make you happy?” He asks.

You laugh softly. “We aren’t together at the moment, but, yes…why?” You probe.

Reiner draws in a deep breath and his smile falters. “That’s all I ask. That’s all I want for you. Even if it’s not with me.”

A pitiful frown tugs on your face. “Reiner,” you whisper.

Said man tugs his smile wider. “I’m happy for you, y/n. I really am. I hope you get everything you want out of life.”

You genuinely smile and nod. “You too, Reiner,” you redirect kindly. “You deserve it.”

Reiner breathes hitches and his smile falters, but he doesn’t break. Especially because Jean reaches the table.

“Sorry, Reiner but I need to talk to y/n,” Jean cuts in, making you let go of Reiner’s hand to twist around slowly and look at him with a quirked brow.

“Need to?” You inquire.

Jean meets your gaze and nods. “I’m not asking. Let’s go.”

Your heart skips a beat and you offer Reiner one last smile before you follow Jean outside.

“What is this about?” You probe without waiting to be away from all the noise. “Are you going to propose to me after our first day back together?” You tease and glance up at the sky, noticing the thick clouds that are quickly rolling in across the canvas, but missing the way he slowly steals a look at you.

“You know,” you add with a smile. “It’s good you didn’t have a girlfriend because I visit your mom often and have occasional lunches with her. It'd be weird.”

Jean scoffs softly. “Well it’s not really your fault, she loves you,” he reminds you of the fact. “She’d be nagging you and me if you didn’t visit.”

You look down at him and smile softly. Jean holds your gaze, and you grow the need to remind him how much you missed him even though the only time you’ve been apart since he’s gotten back was when he was in a meeting room. “I’ve missed you, Jean. I’ve missed talking to you. I…I’ve missed you.”

Jean’s lips curl to a smile. “I’ve missed you too,” he doesn’t hesitate to return to you. “Now come on, just a bit further.”

You shoot him a puzzled look but don’t question him, you just hook your arm around his, and enjoy the peace in the silence at this time of night. You relish in the moist smell of incoming rain and smile at the feeling of his surreal presence.

“You know I think Ben really likes me,” Jean interjects making you look back at him. “Eric though…I think I need to work on him.”

You giggle. “Why?” You mess with him. “We aren’t dating or anything.”

Jean stops, forcing you to do the same and look at him with a playful smirk.

“No? So what are we then?” He quips.

You shrug. “You tell me,” you counter sweetly.

Jean swallows thickly and glances down before he grabs your face and leans in to slam his lips on yours, causing you to gasp softly out of shock, even though you crave the taste of his lips.

He then pulls away to cut off this interaction, but you pull him back in to really remind yourself of the feeling of his soft lips that desperately fall in sync with yours before he takes control and leads you in for an open-mouth kiss, as if he had been starving.

Then again you can’t say you’re any different, you throw your hands around his neck and run them up to clutch onto his hair to keep his mouth on yours as you tease him for a moment, before you slide your tongue over his bottom lip for him to take it in and suck on it as his hands grab onto your face.

You try to make a sound, but he takes your breath away and all you can manage to do is pull away to catch your breath, making him lean in to press gentle kisses on the corner of your mouth.

“Jean,” you whisper between pants.

Said man pulls back and licks his lips as he holds your gaze with a darkened gaze full of lust. “What about now?” He rebuttals. “Do you know what we are now?”

You glance at his lips and smirk as you shrug again. “Tell me.”

Jean grabs your chin and tilts your head up so you can meet his gaze. “You’re mine,” he clarifies. “No amount of space or time ever changed that. Sure I was upset, but I was stupid, and now I know you leaving was for the best,” he admits. “Because look at you. I’m proud of you, my love.”

Your eyes water and your smile trembles as your heart fills with bliss.

“And I like to think I’m a better man too,” he continues. “I’ve grown, matured, and I’m finally ready for a commitment that I was not ready for then.”

You grin and he leans in to press a soft kiss on your forehead before he steps back and slides his hand down to grab yours and tug you with him. “Come,” he points up the road.

However, just as you take a step in that direction drops of rain begin to sprinkle down, making Jean stop and look up.

“We have to hurry,” he cuts in.

Alas, that sprinkle changes to a pour that makes Jean let your hand go and drop his head.

“What?” You quire and grab his arm. “What's wrong? It’s just rain.”

Jean slowly looks up and shakes his head with an annoyed look on his face. “No,” he argues. “I had this entire thing planned with the stars, flowers, and all the stuff you like, but it’s ruined now because of the rain!”

You glance up up but quickly look back down when rain falls in your eyes, and beam at Jean through the thick raindrops. “I like the rain! I like the sound, and I like the sight of it when the light reflects over it for a second before it hits the ground!” You assure him through the pattering. “So, it’s okay!”

You tug him to continue forward, but he doesn’t budge, instead, he stays there and you notice his lips are parted and he’s looking at you with a softened gaze that makes you confused.

“What?” You ask. “What’s wrong?”

Jean's smile wobbles before he blurts, “marry me!”

Your confusion falls and you gasp.

Jean continues to grab your hands and falls on one knee. “I-I know this is our first day back together, we have a lot to catch up on, but I don’t want to waste any more of my time without you,” he exclaims. “I love you. Deeply. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, actually, every time I picture my life, you’re in it. I want to spend the future we fought so hard for to be spent with you. Forever. So please…marry me,” he whispers.

You wipe the tears and the rain off your face, but it’s pointless because more tears and rain stream down your face, leaving you drenched. So you just proceed to throw yourself on him and cry on his shoulder out of pure joy your heart is oozing out.

“Yes,” you cry happily. “I do. I want to spend my life with you too! I want forever with you.” You pull back and grab his wet face, “I love you, Jean Kirstein. You are my sun, you are my moon and my stars. Without you, it’d be like living underground in the dark again. So yes, I want forever with you too.”

Tears mix with the rain on Jean's face and his smile turns to a wide grin before he seals your distance with a passionate kiss, assuring you both of your desires.

——

*15 YEARS LATER*

The air underground isn’t as thick and suffocating as it once was. That stench of moisture, piss, and dirt has somewhat disappeared—that or you’ve grown used to the smell after thirty years.

Then again you would have heard complaints by now if it reeked under here. They wouldn't have kept quiet about that.

Regardless, the darkness underground doesn’t lurk in every corner like before. The houses that once stood tall are left abandoned and only used for criminals and the homeless.

6 years ago thanks to Historia’s help, your brothers, and you were finally able to give everyone a better life they deserve, a chance to live a longer life and not be stuck underground because of greedy people who got your ancestors stuck down here in the first place. Now only criminals run their businesses down here in a crumbling abandoned society.

And the only reason you’re down here is because you want to show your children where you and Levi were born, and that life can be tough but you can move past it, like Levi and Furlan did with you and their lives. Sure your kids don’t like the idea of being down here in a dirty place, they’re used to the sun on their skin, the grass under their toes, and the wind unfurling over their flesh. All they grew up with was a life of full bellies, common colds under warm beds, and attainable medicine. Jean nor you ever let them know suffering.

“When are we leaving? Eirene is coming over today!” You hear your first complaint, and of course, it’s from your six-year-old daughter, Star. She’s just like Jean. Even if Levi says she’s Kenny’s twin, in both appearance and personality.

Which, you don’t know if you should be offended by that or not. He’s your father, but there were also many things wrong with him.

“Aunt Mikasa and your cousin Eirene are not coming over until way later,” you correct Star. “We’ll be back home by then, so,” you sigh. “Why don’t you come help your grandpa here, hm?”

Levi peers over at you with a side glare, so you counter with a smirk.

“Okay!” Star exclaims and leaves her father's side to run over and throw herself on Levi’s lap which is the opposite of what you wanted her to do.

“Girl,” you argue, “that’s not—”

“It’s okay,” Levi cuts you off. “She’s fine.”

“Yeah,” Star groans and lays her head back against Levi’s shoulder. “He’s too heavy, I can’t push him. My arms will break! They almost did so yesterday.”

Jean and you share a teasing look, and just as you're going to play along, someone else cuts in.

“That’s impossible! You can’t break your arms by pushing a wheelchair, isn’t that right, pa?”

Levi shrugs. “I don’t know Lucian, I saw it happen once. But I also saw someone’s hands fall off because they were lazy.”

Lucian, your ten-year-old snickers, whilst Star’s jaw drops.

“That’s impossible,” she argues this time with a pout. “Right…dad?” She peers over at the man walking by your side and her blue eyes fill with worry.

Yet he does a horrible job at consoling her in between his stifled laughs. “Yeah,” he assures her. “Not true…maybe.”

Star sees through his mask hiding his stifled laugh and glares at him before she turns around and hugs Levi’s neck.

“You need a better poker face,” you scold Jean. “You suck and I’m a bad liar.”

Jean clears his throat and shifts the baby in his arms to his other side to let his eyes fully take you in. “I didn’t start it.”

“Yeah and we both know she can’t take it,” you rebuttal.

Jean laughs at the ground before he looks at the baby on his hip to offer her a teasing smile.

“No one appreciates a good joke do they?” He talks to the 8-month-old baby watching him with her deep brown eyes wide-eyed, and full of curiosity. “Will you?” He asks and scratches her little chin, making her laugh.

You smile in awe and grab his arm to lean over towards your baby. “Is your daddy being mean to you, Marceline? Tickling your cute chins, hm?”

The baby coos and stretches her fat arms over to try and grab you, but Jean hugs her against him so you wouldn’t take his little girl from him.

Marceline squeals and pushes herself up to hook her arms around his neck, making Jean press a kiss on her tiny dark curls.

And it seems she knows the reaction she got and what it means because she snuggles her face in the crook of his neck like she tends to do when he gives her any kind of affection. She just loves Jean, even if he and you aren't her biological parents.

Actually, you adopted her not so long ago, six years after the doctor told you that having a third baby would kill you due to your weak immune system. That was actually the reason why you were left in a bad state for weeks after you had Star.

Jean said he didn't want to put your life at risk and live through his worst fear, so you opted for adopting a few months back. And albeit you did worry that she wouldn’t be able to bond with either of you because of the lack of blood connection, you were proven wrong; the three of you instantly connected, and Star and Lucian didn't fail to do the same. Albeit it did take Star some time to get used to her new sister…she…hated her for some time.

But now! She adores her, even if she gets jealous of all the attention the baby gets.

“That’s no fair,” you complain and hug your husband's arm. “She likes you better.”

Jean turns his head to drop his eyes on you and shakes his head with a smirk tugging on his lips nonetheless. “You know that’s not true...but, it’s probably true.”

You know well it’s all a joke, you just like to tease him like now as you roll your eyes, and he reacts by throwing his other arm around your shoulders to keep you at his side the closer you get to your destination.

“But,” Jean whispers. “You’re my favorite girl.”

You can’t help the smile that tugs on your lips, and your heart from skipping a beat. “Good save,” you retort and slide your arm around his waist. “Smooth.”

Jean chuckles lightly. “Always am.”

You giggle and pull away to skip ahead when you approach the rock. The special rock under the gap on the ground that welcomes the sun inside, that was once a shining hope for Levi, Furlan, Isabel, and you.

“We’re here,” you announce proudly and turn to face your family.

Star studies the area and when she sees nothing but dirt and a rock, she scrunches her nose in disgust. “Ew,” she groans.

“Star,” Lucian scolds her. “That’s not nice.”

Your daughter ignores her brother and interjects. “What is this?”

You spin around and rush over to climb on the rock, finding it easier to climb it than when you were a little girl.

“This!” You exclaim happily. “Is a window into my past when Levi and I lived down here.”

You proceed to look around and see that a part of the ceiling has caved in so the gap is more like a decline that lets you come and go outside as you please, and that lets the sunlight shine brighter inside than ever before.

“Why here?” Lucian asks out of genuine curiosity.

“Well,” you sigh. “Back when I was young, people who lived underground couldn’t just go above ground. We needed special permits to live up there. And a lot of people here didn’t have the money, or the right connections to get those, so the only piece we had of the outside world was through gaps. Just like this one.”

Lucian glances up at the gap, making his light brown eyes gleam because of the sun's beam casting inside.

“You’d be here too, Pa?” Star asks Levi.

“Hm,” he agrees and picks up Star to get off his chair and walk towards the rock. “Your mom would love coming here. So we tried to come every weekend.”

Star stares hard at the gap, and Lucian finally breaks away from his spot to climb on with you.

“Do you think Uncle Eric and Uncle Ben came here?” Lucian asks.

You shrug as you take a seat. “I don’t know. We’ll have to ask….what do you think of this?”

Lucian studies his surroundings and he’s not as brazen as Star, you can see the wheels behind his turning as he tries to figure out something nice to say.

“It’s not the best place, not what you’re used to,” you whisper. “But you see that?” You point at the puddle of water across the rock. “At night when the moonlight hits here, all the puddles glimmer, and in the spring, because of the rain, clovers, moss, and wildflowers sprout on the dirt under the gap, and on the rock. In the winter, snow collects inside and people would come to enjoy it even if it was cold.”

Lucian looks at you and flashes you a sweet smile. You grin at him and ruffle his light brown hair.

“I don’t get it,” Star interjects.

“There’s nothing to get,” Levi rebuttals.

Star groans and drops out of Levi’s arms to run to the decline and look up at the sky for a moment before she smiles and runs above ground.

“Sorry,” Jean says as if it’s his fault she doesn’t get the appeal, but you’re glad she doesn’t.

“Well,” Lucian struggles to say. “It’s nice.”

You laugh softly and without having to be told you point your head outside. “You can go too.”

Lucian's eyes widen with guilt, so you offer him an assuring smile. “Go,” you insist. “It’s okay. We’ll be out in a minute.”

Lucian grins at you and quickly slides off the rock to chase after his sister and leave this cave.

“Well I think Marceline likes it,” Jean interjects and stands at the side of the rock.

You look down and just as you’re going to comment, a distant cry breaks in the air, and you know it comes from Star, so Jean and you share a knowing look.

“I’ll go,” he says. “Take the baby.”

You drag yourself to the edge and reach down to take the baby from Jean’s arms.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Star cries out, making Jean shout back.

“I’m goin’!”

You watch Jean jog out of the cave, and lose his figure when he’s above ground. You keep quiet and wait until you don’t hear Star stop crying when Jean tends to her to look down at your baby girl.

“You like it?” You ask her.

Marceline blinks and then begins to gnaw on her own fist.

“Cute,” Levi deadpans.

You snort and look back at him, and catch him carefully climbing up to join your side and look up at the blue sky thousands of miles above you.

“They don’t get it,” he says softly.

You turn Marceline around and let out a soft sigh. “No,” you say. “But I’m glad they don’t…it means we did good…right?”

Levi slides his hands in his pockets and nods in agreement. “Yeah. You did.”

“We did,” you correct him. “You won this war too. We did good. They don’t have to find beauty in this cave to try and stay hopeful. We fought for that.”

Levi hums and peers are you. “Why did you ask if you already know the answer?” He asks with a small smile.

You shrug. “I just wanted your opinion, but I should’ve known better.” You laugh softly and watch the sun ray that shines over the rock, and catch a beautiful orange and black monarch butterfly flutter inside.

“Would you look at that?” You muse to Marceline.

The baby is obvious to the insect until it surprisingly lands on her arm and startles her.

“It’s okay,” you coo. “It won’t hurt you.”

Marceline begins to breathe heavily as her eyes stay trained on the butterfly, but then she abruptly reaches for it.

Luckily though you catch her arm before she can snatch the delicate creature. “Careful,” you warn her sweetly and with a laugh. “Gentle. You have to be kind,” you whisper. “Remember that?”

Marceline shrieks and scares the butterfly away. She doesn’t let that discourage her though and squeals as she leans over to try and capture the butterfly already too far from her grasp.

“It’s gone,” you tell her. “Why don’t you say goodbye, Hm? Goodbye, butterfly.”

Marceline stays quiet for a moment as her eyes follow the butterfly out of the cave. And only once it’s out does she begin to open and close her hand as she mumbles. “Buh-byyy.”

You giggle and nod. “Yes! Good!” You encourage her and look up at Levi with pride before you look back at your daughter as she keeps her hand out as she notices the sunlight dancing on her chubby fingers.

“That’s the sun,” you let her know and put your own palm out.

Marceline glances at the sun on your palm and slaps her hand against yours as if trying to capture it.

“No, silly,” you interject. “It’s the sunlight. You can’t get it. Trust me I’ve tried.”

Marceline studies her hand and slowly turns it before putting her palm over yours so the sun would kiss her hand again.

“Sunlight,” try to make her say it. “Sunlight.”

Marceline giggles and doesn’t dare move her hand so the sun can keep clinging onto her, making you look at her with pride, whilst Levi looks down at the both of you in awe.

This is all he wanted. For you to have a good life, to be happy.

You have that now and much more. He sees that every day and all he can feel is pride and awe for you. He feels grateful that you had a chance to have the world. And yes, it started a bit painful, you knew suffering for some time, but you have all he wanted you to have, love, a future, a legacy, pure joy, and hope and he’s grateful for that every day he sees you.

However, what brings the most pride is that he kept his promise to Kenny, and himself, he took care of you. And that’s why you are and will always be his favorite achievement. You are his pride, his joy, and his hope. Forever.

A/N- Thank you, thank you and thank you a hundred more times to everyone who came along in journey with me and supported this fanfic series!! I really hope you all liked the ending, and I will always be grateful to all of you!! I hope to keep seeing you all around!!

Tagged- @expectoscamander @greenygreenland @that-soft-lesbian-friend @dai-tsukki-desu @usernamehere91 @avocadopoosae @romancried @victor-criss-bish @moo-moo-meadow @stareatceiling @padfootii @ravensleepyeyes @thanosisadilf @dawneee @babyyblueey @leahseclipse @ifimnotabushimnoone @luvelyxp @ameliabs-world @dragon-master-kai

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precious-ketchup · 6 months

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"Goodbye Eren..."

#attack on titan #attack on titan the final chapters #attack on titan the final season #snk spoilers #aot spoilers #attack on titan spoilers #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman

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cadriox · 5 months

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To confess, I’m not great at drawing eren.

Despite the amount of times I had drawn him, I still don’t fully get him. It could be that I’m too dumb or too much of a casual fan for deep analysis, but AOT has failed to conclude his character for me.

To me Eren is a deeply traumatized individual who failed to mature. He’s a self-righteous man child. But there’s also some ancient evil yadayada messing with his head that isayama couldn’t clear up it up for me, so at this point I still don’t know why eren committed rumbling.

Interestingly, this shows in my art HAHA.

Most of my eremin art is seen from armin’s POV, eren remains either a mystery or partially seen. Eren from Armin’s POV works better in my drawings bc he’s an incomplete character, a huge mystery even, he makes no sense to me sometimes, but above all he’s a symbol of doom and rage.

(“POV” is rather vague in illustrations esp when a lot of them can be objective. To me POV applies when the drawing leans toward one character’s bias, feelings, and how they see things.)

Here’s an example of Eren from Armin’s POV:

Altho one thing I understand for sure is his relationship with armin, the way he idolizes and adores him, putting him on the pedestrian (and doom him in the process)

My Eren’s POV art:

#my midnight thoughts lol #in conclusion eren is a weirdo #snk #aot #attack on titan #armin arlert #eremin #eren yeager #eren jaeger #shingeki no kyojin #erearu #aot 139 #snk 139 #attack on titan the final chapters

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thena0315 · 1 month

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#armin arlert #connie springer #attack on titan #aot finale #aot final chapters #attack on titan final season #attack on titan the final season #attack on titan season 4

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nikakistos · 3 months

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Did Mikasa (re)marry?

Exactly three years ago, i wrote a post with the title "Mikasa will kill Eren". I haven't written a lot about AoT since then. I still keep AoT in my heart and i read news and posts about it daily. Although i do not participate that much in discussions about it, i still read what other people have to say. This is about to change. Yes, i know that the anime ended 3 months ago and i know that AoT's time in the spotlight is probably gone for good, with very few events ahead of us. In time, people will move on to other works. That is the cycle of life for fans of stories of any medium. And yet, now, more than ever, i want to start writing about AoT and my favorite characters (Mikasa, Eren etc) again. I will begin by offering my view on whether or not Mikasa married or, more accurately in my opinion, remarried after Eren's unfortunate end.

Why remarry?

Why do i use the term remarry? After all, Mikasa and Eren were never officially married. There was no ceremony, no rings, no nothing. If anything, in the physical world, the last time Mikasa and Eren spoke was when Eren told her he hated her. That is indeed true. However, Mikasa and Eren spent quite some time in the paths together (be it months, years, or a few minutes). The realm of the paths is (was) not a dream place. It wasn't something fictional. It was reality, just like Armin described it in chapter 136. It is a different dimension where time goes by very differently compared to the physical world.

Eren brought all of his friends in there to speak to them and reveal his true intentions. With Armin, he also went on a journey, visiting all the places they wanted to see. With Mikasa, after talking to her about his plan, they decided to forget it all and spend their time together. They replayed the "What am i to you" scene from chapter 123 and Mikasa chose to express her true feelings to him, while also telling him to run away together. Eren then grabbed her arm and they escaped to the mountain cabin. From the way they act towards each other, it is easy to tell that they viewed themselves as husband and wife. This is also showcased by what Mikasa wrote in Eren's tombstone. The last word is "あなた", which typically means "you" in japanese, but, when used by a spouse to her husband, it means "sweetheart, dear etc". So, it is obvious that for Mikasa, Eren was her husband and the same holds true for Eren. This means that if Mikasa were to marry, it would be her second marriage, or, at the very least, this is how it would seem to her. For all intents and purposes, Eren and Mikasa were husband and wife in the Paths and after his death, Mikasa is presented as a widow.

The extra pages and the songs

Anyone who was reading the manga during its run knows that the original ending, the one shown in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, had Mikasa thanking Eren for wrapping the scarf around her while the bird was flying away. The bonus pages expanded the original ending and showed Mikasa visiting Eren's grave again and again, once with a man and a newborn child, still young, and once accompanied by two couples and their young children, while old. The difference between the two is also reflected in the episodic format of the anime ending, where the bonus pages do not appear and the closing song is different. Instead of "二千年… 若しくは… 二万年後の君へ・・・", which played in the special version, the episodic format uses "いってらっしゃい".

The episodic format provides an emotional closure for the relationship between Eren and Mikasa. The lyrics of the song reveal that Mikasa wants to and believes that she will meet Eren again. The original animation of the ED song implies that Eren and Mikasa do meet again in the afterlife after Mikasa's death. They are now free to be with each other for eternity.

The special format represents the theme of "life goes on". Wars never end permanently. They are just interrupted by long periods of peace. The same applies to Mikasas' life. In the anime, Eren's grave is visited by all of his friends, exactly 3 years after his death. Exactly 11 years after his death (7 winters and 8 springs after his friends visit his grave, slow it down as much as possible and count the season changes), Mikasa visits his grave with a man and a child. This scene has 2 very popular interpretations. One is that Mikasa married someone (Jean) and had a child with him and the other one says that Mikasa remained single and virgin forever and that the kid is adopted and that the man is Armin.

Let's start with the second option. The major arguments are that (in the manga) Mikasa still covers her Hizuru tattoo with the bandages and that she she offers roses to Eren's grave and that the number of the roses signify that she never found someone else. Some people also argue that Mikasa loving someone else romantically goes against her character.

I do not agree with this interpretation. Covering her tattoo does not mean that she didn't pass it down to her children and even if she didn't pass it down, it doesn't mean she didn't have kids. Also, in the anime, the flowers she offers are not roses. I would agree that it would be out of character for Mikasa to find someone else, but only as long as Eren was alive. It would probably take her a very long time, but if the right man appeared, maybe she could fall in love again.

During Eren's crying tantrum about Mikasa to Armin, he mentioned that if she were to find someone else it should take her 10 years at least. The anime went out of its way to show Mikasa appearing with her new family, a man and a newborn kid exactly 11 years after his death. This points towards Mikasa remarrying. The anime also added a ring to her left ring finger during her funeral scene. The lyrics that play during Mikasa's visits to Eren's grave with her new family are these "時が運んだ穏やかな日々手向けた花のように秘めた言葉は誰にも告げず逝く". This means that the time brought gentle days to Mikasa and she kept her feelings for Eren to her heart, with the flowers and the words on the tombstone revealing their true extent. In my opinion this showcases that Mikasa spent peaceful days with her new family, but she kept her feelings to Eren deep in her heart, as shown by her constant offering of flowers to his grave and the words she wrote in the gravestone.

For me the biggest indication that Mikasa did remarry is the fact that these scenes exist in the first place, both in the manga and in the anime. Isayama felt the need to show these images, when the Magazine ending was very open to interpretation. There would be no point to adding these scenes, only to make the ending more ambiguous. The bonus pages are there to clarify what happens to Mikasa's life and the island in the long years after Eren's death, not to muddy the waters. If Isayama wanted the ending to be completely open to interpretation, then there would be no reason for the new pages.

Why Jean?

Shipping wars are part of most fandoms and the AoT fandom is no exception. During its run, the biggest rivalry was the one between the EM and EH supporters. Now it is between EM and JK fans. EH was never a thing in the story, but the relationship between Eren and Mikasa was the most important in the story. The entirety of Attack on Titan is built based on the relationship between its male and female leads. They are the backbone of the story and without them there would be no AoT. Of course, a tragic conclusion for them hurts people. Especially when Mikasa eventually gets married to someone that, during the duration of the plot, she didn't show any interest. But, this is not really relevant. The moment Eren died, the plot pretty much ended. The plot does not follow Mikasa's healing process and family life, because it doesn't affect anything. Also, it is so far into the future that the characters involved are practically different people. Maybe in the future Isayama will show this development in a short story, like he will do with Levi in vol. 35, but, for now, this is just an additional detail that is only 3 panels long.

Even without mentioning the physical aspects of the man shown next to Mikasa, Jean, throughout the story has been presented as the "Eren-lite". He is second best to Eren and he compares himself to his "rival". He is jealous of how much Mikasa cares about Eren, he places directly under him in training, he views him as more courageous, strong and cool than him. On the other hand, Jean is presented as a mentally stable person, while Eren is not. Jean of course can never be as passionate as Eren and he can't match Eren's kindness when Eren is kind, but he could also never be as cruel as Eren. He disguises as Eren throughout the story and he is presents himself as the best successor for Eren's titan. Most importantly, Jean shares a special connection with Eren, he understands him and he loves him.

So, it is no suprise that Isayama would have him end up with Mikasa after Eren's death. There really is no one better for Mikasa. Jean is the best option if she can't be with Eren. He cared for her throughout the series, protected her once and he even tried to paint Eren in a better light after the latter offended Mikasa. He is also the only one who can understand her love for Eren and still be with her without getting jealous over the fact that she would never be able to love him as much as she loved Eren. This is something that even Jean's voice actor expressed in the recent Attack on Titan festival that celebrated the 10 years since the beginning of the anime. He felt that Jean got to be with Mikasa and he was comforting her, but he knew that he could never replace Eren in her heart. Yui Ishikawa, Mikasa's voice actress, also said that for Mikasa, no matter how many years pass and how many things she experiences throughout her long lifespan, Eren will always be the number 1 in her heart.

Does that diminish her love for Jean? Does that mean that she never truly loved Eren? No. It simply means that Mikasa fell in love again, 10 years after Eren's death, with a man who is as close to Eren as possible. Jean most likely won her over. She didn't marry him out of some desparate need to be with a man, but because she found the strength in her heart to love someone again, even if it wasn't to the same extent as before. That doesn't make her dirty or impure, like some fans want to believe. This obsession with virginity is frankly stupid. First of all, Mikasa, by the time the she remarries, is, probably not a virgin. Unless she only spent a few minutes with Eren in the world of the paths, the two of them probably did more things than just talking and fishing. Even if she were, virginity is nothing special. Mikasa marrying someone else and having kids with him does not mean Eren got cucked. It doesn't mean that Jean won against Eren Mikasa still loving Eren does not mean that Jean got cucked by a dead man, nor does it mean that he got damaged goods. These points of view are ridiculous and are only expressed by very immature individuals and/or incels. Jean is probably somewhat sad that Mikasa and Eren didn't get to live the life they wanted together and he is probably thankful to Eren for giving him the chance to live his dream life. Jean is not the type to gloat or ridicule his dead comrade, nor the type of guy to be bitter, because Mikasa loved Eren so much.

Mikasa moved forward with her life (not moved on, widows hate this term, because it is closer to forgetting your previous spouse), without ever forgetting her big love or changing her feelings for him. And in the end, after spending many decades with her new family, she passed away peacefully and reunited with her most beloved person in the world in the afterlife. For some, Mikasa reuniting with Eren in the afterlife means that she didn't remarry, because her husband should be her soulmate and if she is with Eren she didn't have a second husband. I disagree here as well. There is no information about how the afterlife works and making assumptions about it based on real world theology is dumb. People can love more than once. If your last spouse is your soulmate, then what happens to people like Grisha? The only thing we can do is go by what is shown and what is shown is that Mikasa both remarried and met Eren in the afterlife.

The same goes for those who believe that Mikasa should not meet Eren in the afterlife, because Eren is a criminal. Attack on Titan does not pass judgement to the actions of its characters that much. Of course, Eren's actions are horrific, but the entirety of the cast and the narrative tries to shift the blame to many more people than just Eren. Eren is not the only one responsible for how things turned out. All the characters sinned. Not to mention, Mikasa expressed her certainty that she would meet Eren again in the end in the final ED song and this is what is shown. Furthermore, after Mikasa's death, the lyrics that play are these "レクイエムレクイエム檜には君た花を罪を散すなら暁よ照らせ". This means that if sins are to be forgiven, then dawn will illuminate the flowers under the cypress. Eren's sins by the time Mikasa died have, probably, been forgiven. In any case, repeating my previous words, we can only go by what is shown and what is shown is that the two of them do reunite in the end.

What is the point of the debate?

The debate is probably meaningless. Whether or not Mikasa married does not affect the story in any way. It simply concludes Mikasa's story. Of course, this means that i wrote close to 3 thousand words for nothing, LOL. Nonetheless, i find it ridiculous that large amounts people still debate about the frankly obvious context of 1 panel. This toxic debate should have stopped long ago. What matters is that Mikasa got to live a long and happy life with a person who loved and respected her, just like Eren ultimately wanted and she then reunited with her most beloved. Sure, it hurts that we couldn't see more of Eren and Mikasa as a couple, after being introduced to them from the very first page of the story, but this is no reason to slander other parts of the fandom or the voice actors who did their best to portray these characters for over a decade. Mikasa was lucky enough to be loved so much by two men. She got to spend her time on Earth with one of them and infnity with the other. Despite all of her shortcomings and the bad luck she faced in her life, Mikasa rose stronger from each challenge and earned her happily ever after. This is what's important. In the future, we might get to see more of her family life with Jean and the time she spent with Eren in the paths and her next meeting with him.

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mikayeagers · 6 months

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2013 - 2023

Thank you Isayama, good bye AOT.

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hotstreak2k3 · 6 months

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Some people said they love the irony of Eren losing his life in a titan's mouth in season 1.

Looking back to that moment felt like a foreshadowing peak of Eren’s last moment before Mikasa severed his head to put a stop to the Rumbling.

Once again, Isayama have crafted an incredible story with hints AOT fans have overlooked or have reached beyond expectations!

#attack on titan final season #attack on titan the final season the final chapters part 2 #aot the final season #attack on titan #aot spoilers #forshadowing #eren yeager #shingeki no kyojin #hajime isayama #進撃の巨人 #snk spoilers

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sinnamonrollcat · 6 months

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And that's how it works,

That's how you get the girl.

#bro got that i need a haircut rizz #im so sorry 💀#aot memes #snk memes #taylor swift lyrics #aot shitpost #shitpost #aot #attack on titan #snk #shingeki no kyojin #eren yeager #mikasa ackerman #aot spoilers #aot special 2 #aot final chapters special 2 #aot last episode #my posts #sinnaspeaks

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liveinsaturn · 1 month

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i think zeke and mikasa have something in common, you see, mikasa freaked out when she saw lousie using her scarf, even though she was dying, just like zeke freaked out when he realized he lost ksaver’s glasses after fighting with levi i think they both have some kind of strong and special attachment towards their loved ones’s gifts, no matter how small or banal they might look to others, both zeke and mikasa will always take dear care of that gift for their entire life, which is exactly what they both did with Ksaver’s glasses and Eren’s scarf

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prettyshon10 · 6 months

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Rest in peace to the homeboy who eventually wifed up Mikasa—I know he must’ve been SICK looking at that scarf around her neck every day.

#attack on titan #aot #shingeki no kyojin #final chapter #season 4 #mikasa ackerman #eren yeager #eremika #she settled for you bro

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chaotic-on-main · 8 months

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Chapter 8 June - Part 5 [Final]

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

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

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ fluff, slowburn, oblivious feelings, romance, angst, mention of minor character deaths, trauma, illness, adoption, mentions of fire, disabilities, alcohol use, very light nsfw mentions, references to child abuse, smoking and alcohol abuse mentions, domestic violence, light assault, eventual smut

☾ Author's note ➼ brb I'm sobbing. Mainly because look at my little characters and my story... I DID THAT. But also, because I actually finished something. Can y'all believe that?? Anyways. I hope you all like this chapter and I hope y'all enjoyed my story as a whole. I had a lot of fun thinking up this little world. I'm sure I have places where I can improve but considering this was my first fanfic in like, 10 years?? I'm taking it as win. Thank you to anyone who has spent their actual time to read my delusions, I appreciate y'all so much. I couldn't have finished without the support of my friends, moots, and you, my readers. Okay that's enough being mushy. I'm gonna go watch One Piece now. See y'all around hehe :3

☾ Word Count ➼ ~8.5k

The first thing you’re greeted with the moment you stir awake is the smell of clean laundry laced with traces of pine. The sound of seagulls squawking away in the distance comes muffled through Levi’s bedroom windows and you can feel the gentle morning sun that filters through caressing your skin. You keep your eyes closed, reveling in the moment of peace you find yourself in.

As each of your senses wake up with you, you can’t help but smile softly into the raven hair tickling your face from underneath. Levi is fully tangled with you and the sheets, legs sprawled all over the bed. His strong arms wrap around your waist and hold you close as he breathes deeply into your chest, the warmth of his body begging you to fall back asleep. You lift your hand and delicately rake your fingers through his soft hair, but he doesn’t rouse. He’s dead to the world in your arms.

The memories of the night before pop into your mind slowly like bubbles rising in the ocean – none of them unpleasant. Levi made sure to clean you up before dressing you in one of his shirts and pulling you into the bed with him for the night. Not much was said during this but as always, there never was any need for words between the two of you. His intentions all night were clear.

The phantom pressure of Levi’s lips on yours sends warmth up into your cheeks. You were not expecting an outcome like this, yet you were not disappointed in the slightest. Flashbacks to the things he did to you fly through your mind and you can’t help as your legs shift under the sheets at the thoughts.

“Mm?” You hear from your sleepy companion.

You allow your eyes to flutter open, having to squint initially at the pale light pouring in through the glass – the sun just broke through the horizon. You can tell it will be another beautiful day out just from the sight of the fluffy white clouds that drift lazily in the orange sky.

You attempt to pull away to sign something but it’s of no use as Levi only tightens his arms around you and pushes his face more into your plush chest. Your face was already warm enough, but this ensured it would not go away any time soon. A small, amused huff escapes your lips, nevertheless.

“No.” Levi mumbles against you. His voice is thick with sleep.

You nuzzle into his hair with a smile as you’re not sure what else to do at the moment. You needed to get up before Hange or Erwin did, but you weren’t ready to say goodbye to this haven you both created – and neither was Levi.

“Don’t leave… want you to stay.”

You like this sleepy and clingy Levi, another version of him that you feel must be reserved just for you. You place small kisses on the top of his head in response, holding him closer into your chest as you do. There’s a heavy sigh from him, a telling one that sounds content. His warm hands slide under your shirt and up your back as he continues to hold on to you for dear life. Your blinks start to slow and suddenly you’re drifting off again.

You’re not certain how long you were out, but the next time your eyes open, the light trickling through the windows is brighter. Your arms still wrap around Levi, this time around his chest as you rested on your side and he on his back. An arm circles your waist, holding you close, with his hand sitting gently on your hip. You don’t know how you both moved so drastically, but you still appreciate it because now you can see Levi’s sleepy face.

His porcelain skin contrasts greatly with his tousled hair, miles away from his usual style and yet one of your favorites on him by far. Dark, long lashes sit on his soft cheeks and his pale-pink lips form into a small pout. He’s so at peace when he sleeps, leaving you wondering what he might be dreaming about. You hope it’s full of nothing but good things.

Slowly, you pull your hand up and trail your fingers down the side of Levi’s face, feeling the slight roughness of his stubble poking into your skin as they pass. His eyes don’t open but you can tell with the shift in his breathing, he’s waking up again.

You hook a finger around his chin and tug it down gently so that you can see his sleepy face better. Dark gray eyes open in slow blinks, staring into yours. Pulling his chin down more, you press your lips onto his, your movements slow and lazy and with little urgency. It sends tingles down your spine and into your toes – something you believe you won’t ever get used to.

When you pull away, Levi’s quick to place his hand on the side of your face to hold you still so that he can steal one more kiss. His fingers then tuck away rogue strands of your hair behind your ear before running his thumb across your bottom lip which is now pulled into a smile.

“How do you get more beautiful every time I see you?” He whispers down to you, voice husky from sleep.

You respond back with an eye roll and a shrug, but his words echo in your mind. You stare as his soft skin glows in the warm, morning sun. He’s one to talk, you think. Levi trills his lips as he exhales heavily, pulling you more into him with his arm.

You take this opportunity to place your free arm around his stomach and rest your head against his warm chest, the steady rhythm of his heart reverberating through your skull. Leaning down, he places a gentle kiss on the top of your head. His lips linger against your scalp as he talks, coming muffled through your hair. It tickles.

“I suspect the idiots will be up soon if they aren’t already.”

As if on cue, you hear the faint clinking of metal out in the kitchen. Someone was up and working on getting breakfast ready. A sinking feeling comes with the realization that you would have to face your sister and Erwin about last night. You pull away slowly, sitting up so that both hands are free to sign then turning towards Levi. He shoots you a subtle pout at the absence of your body, and you don’t stop the soft laugh that escapes you.

‘What do we tell them?’

“We don’t have to tell them anything.” He sits up on his elbows and furrows his brows, a steely resolve deep seated in his gaze.

‘They’re going to ask questions.’

“You don’t have to answer anything.” He reiterates. “We can just go out there and ignore them.”

‘You know Hange, that won’t-‘ Levi reaches over with one hand and closes it over your moving fingers, making you stop. His hand then trails up your forearm before wrapping his fingers around it and pulling you down – making you collapse onto his bare chest. He then wraps his arms around you and holds you in a vice grip, despite your silent giggles and squirming.

“I’ll handle it. But let’s get you some pants, first.”

The moment you step out of the bedroom, the smell of cooked bacon hits you full force. Hange and Erwin are in the middle of talking as they stand by the stove, turning to look at your already flustered face at the sound of the door opening. You take a few steps out of Levi’s room and sheepishly wave at them. Erwin raises an eyebrow but Hange, on the other hand, drops the spatula they were loosely gripping. It falls into the pan of cooking meat, splattering oil everywhere.

“Whaaaaaat??!” Hange runs over to you with bugged eyes, leaving Erwin to clean up the oil splatter before it starts a fire. Their hands reach up and cup your cheeks, squishing your face in the process as they squeal more.

“I was wondering where you’ve been! Canoodling with Levi was not my first thought, I admit.” Your face begins to heat up more in embarrassment. You knew this was inevitable, but you were still not prepared in the slightest. Levi brushes past you and Hange towards the kitchen but Hange shoots a hand out and grabs him by the arm, their other hand still against your face.

“Oh no you don’t, we’re talking about this!”

“Let go of me, four-eyes.” Levi demands.

“Hange, they just got up. Give them a moment.” You hear Erwin muse from behind your sister. You flash him a look of gratitude as Hange drops both hands and sets you and Levi free with a huff.

Erwin had outdone himself with the feast he prepared for everyone. Crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, and bouncy pancakes. But despite the delicious food, the palpable awkward silence and dense tension that followed was stronger. You ignore the burning stare aimed directly at the top of your head as you dug into your plate, knowing full well it was from Hange. The only noises that filled the space were the clattering of utensils and soft chewing of food.

It doesn’t go unnoticed how Levi chose to sit next to you this time, something he hadn’t done prior to this morning. You dare to look up for a second in his direction, catching his eye as he sips his morning tea. There’s a small smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth as he looks away and back to his breakfast.

“I can’t believe the festival is tonight. This trip has gone by so quickly, don’t you think?” Erwin pipes up after wiping his mouth carefully with a napkin.

“Did you both make up?” Hange blurts out.

“Hange, come on.” Erwin gives them an exasperated glare.

“I deserve to know. She was so upset yesterday and now she’s not and I need to make sure they’re okay!”

When you look back up to your sister, you can tell right away they are bursting at the seams. Eyes wide, face almost purple, and their fingers clenching their fork so tightly the knuckles turn white. Not much has been eaten off their plate, which shakes gently from their knee bouncing under the table. With a heavy sigh, you lean back in your chair and glance over to Levi. There’s a brief pause as he considers it, but then he nods ever so slightly.

“What do you want to know?” He grumbles, arms folded over his chest as he also leans back.

“Are you both on good terms now? Did you sleep together? How was it? Were you safe? You know, I have a whole bag of condoms in my bag if you need more!” Hange’s eyes bulge out of their face with every question, and you feel your face heat up more than it already was. You sink down in your seat further and hide your face behind both hands. Of course, Hange would go straight to those questions.

“Yes. Pass. None of your business. I do not need to know that and why do you even have that many?”

“Just in case! You never know.” Hange picks up their fork and shoves a bite of pancakes in their mouth before talking again, voice muffled. “You can’t answer the questions like that, Levi! Be serious.”

“I have nothing else to give you. It’s none of your business.” Levi shrugs as he goes for another sip of his tea.

“Fine, I’ll ask my sister. She can’t say no to me.” You feel something hit your shin under the table and you jump up with a squeak. Peeking through your fingers, you see them staring hard at you.

“Spill.”

Hange was right. You were bad at hiding things from your sister. Eventually you always relent. Like the time at the spa, or the day after the ball so many months ago. But this time, you find yourself not wanting to share. It was your memory to keep, and you didn’t want anyone else to know. Your fingers clenched into fists as you think about what you want to say, Hange’s stare burning holes in your face the whole time.

“Oi, would you leave my girlfriend alone and let her finish her breakfast first?” Levi sighs as he pokes his fork into the last of his eggs. Hange chokes on their water.

Your head whips in his direction at his words, but he’s staring out towards the ocean with his mouth moving slowly as he chews. Girlfriend. You and Levi didn’t discuss what last night meant for the relationship. After everything, you were sure there was more to you and him than just friends. But to say that term so brazenly… it gives you goosebumps.

“Gir-?!” Hange starts out but is then cut off by Erwin, thankfully.

“The weather looks like it will be nice all day, so we need to make sure we dress appropriately. Look at all of these activities. According to this article, the fireworks display is the best show on this side of the coast.”

Your eyes shift over to his blue gaze, which peeks above his phone that he was scrolling on. You mouth a thank you and he winks back before going back to the webpage he was reading off. You feel Levi’s hand reach over from under the table and squeeze your thigh gently, his attention still on the ocean.

Girlfriend.

You liked that.

After that morning, you had all gotten dressed and ready to celebrate what the town had been preparing for all week – the summer festival. It was like if you had taken the energy from the past few days and then combined them all into one night and multiplied that by ten. The streets were crowded all day and straight into the evening, only getting more intense as the night went on. Sometimes Hange and Erwin would break off from you two and you don’t know if it was intentional or not, but you were grateful for it regardless.

With everything so new, you weren’t sure how Levi felt about PDA outside of leading each other where to go, but as always, he answered that for you. He wasn’t shy about taking your hand and lacing his fingers in with yours. Nor did he hesitate to grab your waist and pull you into him while walking or waiting in line for something. It felt as if he wasn’t letting anything get in the way of what he wanted anymore.

As sunset approaches, you and Levi meet up with the rest of the group at the beach where people were preparing paper lanterns. According to Erwin, Liberio’s lantern release is one of the main attractions for their summer festival, right next to the fireworks show which took place about an hour after. You’ve never taken part in anything like this before, so you were very excited.

When you and Levi step up to the table that your sister and Erwin were standing around, you notice that they’re writing something on the sides of their lantern in black marker. You can’t make out what it says, so you tap your hyper focused sister on the shoulder to get their attention. They turn to you with bright eyes and an even brighter smile.

“There you are, my little strawberry! You better hurry up and get your lantern, it’s almost time.” They jerk their head backward towards the shoreline and you look over to see people standing with their lanterns lit as they chat away in wait.

‘What are you writing?’

“The locals say to write your wishes and dreams for the future. They say that once you release them, they fly into the sky and the gods above pluck them up and grant them when the time is right. Isn’t that fascinating?? And get this! I had to ask around but they’re biodegradable! A lot of people were a little offended that I asked, and I think it has to do with them really believing they got plucked out of the skies! How silly of them, but who am I to tell them otherwise.” Hange looks like they’re having one of the best days of their life and you just smile back. They reach over to ruffle your hair before going back to the paragraph they were writing on their lantern.

Looking over to Erwin, you notice he had written a singular line, but of course you can’t make it out. He stands tall, lantern in hands, as he stares out to the setting sun. His blue eyes trail over to you before smiling at you softly, the sea breeze blowing through his fine hair.

“This place is quite lovely, don’t you agree?” He asks.

Nodding back, you hum in agreement. Despite the intense moments, you can’t help but feel grateful for this trip and everything that accumulated to get you to where you are now. If it meant going through the anxieties of the unknowns to get here, you would do it all over again.

Levi says your name and when you turn in his direction, you notice he’s holding out a blank lantern. Golden hour is in full swing as it casts soft shadows on him, highlighting the sharp angles on face. There's a glint of something in his eyes as he watches you, though the rest of his expression gives nonchalance.

‘Thank you.’ You sign before taking the lantern and marker from his hands, your fingers lightly brushing against his as you do.

“Hm.” He picks up his own lantern from the table and scrawls something on it as he uses his hand to block you from seeing it. You force yourself not to pry though it killed you to not know what was on his mind. You figure he might tell you what he asked for later down the road. As for yours though, you write what you hoped wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

More days like this one, forever and ever. With the ones I love so dearly.

When you look up in satisfaction at your wish, you notice your friends staring back at you with what you can only assume is love in their own way. A sense of warmth lights through your veins like the sunshine on your face and you find yourself smiling so brightly that it scrunches your eyes and hurts your cheeks.

As Levi steps away from the table, he holds his hand out to you – his own version of a smile tugging on his lips as he waits for you. Fingers clasping over his as you secure your wishes in the other hand, you’re led down to the shoreline with everyone else.

You never saw it even as he released it above him, but if you did you would have seen that Levi’s lantern had one simple sentence. Something so full of conviction and confidence, written in neat letters so that if there were gods, they would be able to see it so easily and hopefully grant it without hesitation.

To spend the rest of my life with her.

That night, you didn’t fully intend to return to Levi’s room but as you passed by it on the way to your own, his arm had shot out and latched around your wrist to hold you there. He didn’t offer much in terms of words, but it was there in his metallic eyes. Unspoken.

Stay.

So, you did. And that night after, when you were all spent from your last day at the beach and Liberio as a whole, Levi didn’t even have to ask, nor did you have to look at him to know. You followed him like you always would as long as he wanted you to, right to his bed and straight into his arms.

Before you know it, you’re on the long flight back home with soft music flowing through your earbuds. You watch as the early morning clouds float by from down below, casting various shadows on the dark blue water of the ocean underneath. Your head sinks into the stuffed strawberry that sits sandwiched between you and the wall of the plane. Your hands, however, find themselves preoccupied in Levi’s fingers. Levi is half-asleep with his head resting against your shoulder, his warm breath tickling the skin that is exposed from your tank top.

You always assumed he didn’t sleep much, so to see him pass out so easily as he held onto you was a welcome surprise. In the past few days, Levi’s energy had shifted. It was different and you couldn’t explain how, but it was there albeit subtle. Those prominent dark circles under his eyes were still there, but they didn’t cut into his skin like they used to. And his ever-present scowl rarely made an appearance, at least from what you saw.

Erwin and Hange saw it too. They didn’t say anything, but you could tell Hange was just begging to say something to Levi.

“When are you two getting married?” Your sister had joked to you while you were both waiting in the security line at the airport.

At that time, you rolled your eyes at it. It’s not like it wasn’t on your mind, since they were the ones that brought it up in the first place. But now, it felt so real. There was an actual chance for it.

To be honest, you never gave much thought to settling down with someone. The language barrier proved difficult for the very few suitors you’ve had in your life, and they were always gone before you knew what happened. So, the prospect of marriage wasn’t something you thought to worry about.

Then Levi came back into your life.

Levi cared for you in ways that no one else did. Levi was patient and put in the work for you instead of adapting to what was. You never had to ask with him – he just knew. And as always, he made everything easy.

Without looking over, you gently squeeze his hand a few times. A few seconds pass and you think he might be in a deeper sleep than you thought, but eventually his fingers reciprocate with the same pressure and your smile reflects back at you from the window.

Even though Levi had promised he wouldn’t leave, you still hope that whatever life had in store for you that he would indeed be a part of it for as long as you lived.

About a week had gone by since the small plane touched back down into Jinae’s local airport. Hange hit the ground running, staying at the lab late at night to catch up on what they missed. Erwin and Levi were quick to get the café back up and it was surprisingly busy – a lot of regulars equally worried and interested to hear about where they’d been for the last week. And whenever Levi wasn’t at work, he was with you.

While making dinner together at your apartment one night, Levi threw out the suggestion of going to see his mom with him sometime over the weekend. You hadn’t seen her since before you both had left for Liberio, so you were eager to accept the offer. Whether it was your quick response to going or the genuine smile that graced your soft lips as you were signing away about how excited you were to see her again, Levi found himself pulling you away from the lettuce you were chopping and into his arms before kissing you so deeply that you saw stars.

You never knew, but Levi’s brain clicked, and a decision was made right then and there.

When Saturday comes around, Levi swings by the apartment to pick you up that afternoon. You had offered to drive but he was quick to decline and that was that. You won’t complain though, you liked watching him from the passenger seat. The way his bottom lip would jut out in focus, how his eyes would flicker between each mirror every once in a while. His hand resting against your thigh and squeezing it gently.

After pulling into a space at the front of Riverside, Levi puts the car in park and glances over to you. In both hands, you hold a large bouquet of flowers that you had picked out specifically for Kuchel. Giving them a big sniff, you gaze over to Levi with a smile.

“She’s going to love them.” He says as he reaches over to touch your face softly. You don’t hesitate to lean into his warmth. “Ready?”

You nod before unbuckling yourself and sliding out of the passenger seat. Levi does the same and makes his way to your side, his fingers finding your hand as he locks the car with a few clicks of the key fob. His thumb rubs against the side of your palm while he leads you through the wide doors and into the facility.

According to the staff, it was a really good day for Kuchel. A fleeting thought of what a bad day might look like flashes through your mind, but you’re quick to shake it aside. Levi guides you down a couple of different cozy hallways that lead to the side of the building that held the patient’s living suites.

Like the hallways that led to the outside courtyard, the ones you walk down are just the same. Various acrylic paintings pass by in colorful blurs as your hands fidget with the plastic that holds the bouquet together. Even before Levi had warned you that his mom might have trouble remembering you, anxiety gnawed at you. The need to be liked by someone so important to Levi was ever present. He glances over to you at the crinkling of plastic and squeezes your hand a few times in reassurance.

Eventually, Levi stops in front of a white door with a hanging sign decorated with various colorful flowers and a cursive letter A in the middle. He knocks gently and through the heavy wood, you hear a muffled ‘Come in!’

When he opens the door, your mouth opens slightly in surprise.

Kuchel’s room looked as if it was taken out of a Victorian cottage catalog. For a moment, you forget that you’re in a medical facility as you take a few steps into the room – Levi closing the door behind the two of you once past the door frame.

First, you notice the soft bed on the right side of the room, fitted with tan sheets adorned with floral patterns. There are a few decorative pillows propped up against the backboard. Along the walls are sketches of people that are too small to make out, but from what you can see they are drawn beautifully well. The window in the far back is wide open, letting in the afternoon summer breeze that makes the sage green curtains dance on each side. A dresser sits under the sill that houses a couple bottles of what you think might be perfume and a few glass trinkets.

Then your eyes drift over a pale woman in the corner of the room.

Kuchel is sitting in a plush lounge chair with her feet up on an ottoman, a charcoal pencil between fingers and she’s sketching away on a pad. Her dark eyes snap up from her paper as you walk in, greeting you both with a big smile. Carefully, she places her things on the table next to her and pushes herself up from the chair, the leather squeaking at the shift in weight.

“My little Levi.” She sighs happily.

“You don’t need to get up.” Levi scolds as he walks over to help her. She’s frailer than you remember her being, but her eyes and smile remain the same – bright and full of life. She wraps her arms around Levi and holds him close as she mumbles how it’s been a while since he last came to visit. He pulls away and gives her a smile, but there’s sadness in his eyes. You know that she was the first stop for him when he got home about a week ago.

“I’ve heard you’ve been drawing again.” He says, craning his neck to the sketch she was working on. An eyebrow raises at it and then his gaze flickers over to you.

“Mom, I don’t know if you remember…” He holds his hand out for you to take as he calls your name.

Kuchel turns her attention to you now, and at first, you’re wondering if you would need to reintroduce yourself but there’s a small flash of recognition in the same eyes she shared with Levi. She studies your face as well as your hand that holds onto her son’s. After a moment of thinking, your name finally comes tumbling out of her mouth in a question as she makes her way over to you. She wraps her arms around you in a tight hug, squishing the bouquet you had brought in the process.

“Oh wow, look how much you’ve grown. I haven’t seen you since you were just a little thing.” She says softly. You hug her back carefully, aware of how much smaller her frame is to yours. Her hugs are so good you want to cry again, but you hold them back and instead relish in her warm embrace before pulling away with your own beaming smile. Levi reaches over to take the flowers from you, a handful of petals falling to the vinyl flooring as he does and sets it on Kuchel’s nightstand.

‘It’s nice to see you again.’ You sign, Levi interpreting for you as you go.

“Oh, are you deaf honey?” She watches you with intrigue. You shake your head no.

“She’s mute, but she can hear you just fine.” Levi pipes up softly. He looks to you as if to apologize but you smile back in reassurance. There was nothing to apologize for.

“Oh dear me. What happened?” She places a soft hand over yours before leading you to one of the chairs next to the one she got out of just moments before. Her eyebrows furrow at you in concern, the same way Levi’s does – it makes you laugh.

“I don’t think we should take up this whole visit with such a long story.” Levi suggests, shooting you a nervous glance again. You wouldn’t mind explaining the situation at some point but truthfully, you didn’t have the energy to dive into it right now. Especially when there’s only so much time to be with Kuchel and you would rather shift the attention something more pleasant. Levi picks up on this.

“What have you been working on lately?” He points to the piece of paper that Kuchel was currently sketching on, and she starts talking animatedly about her newest project.

The visit with Kuchel goes well into the early evening. The time was spent talking about Levi when he was younger, which surprised you a lot, but you remembered him mentioning how people with dementia can have a harder time recalling recent memories compared to older ones. Levi, of course, was not thrilled to be the topic of conversation but he didn’t fight it.

From her anecdotes, you learned that the moment they moved to Jinae, Levi had done everything he could to help supplement their income so that his mom didn’t have to work as much as she used to. That meant doing odd jobs here and there – working late into the night sometimes and at such a young age. It makes you sad to think of such a young Levi losing parts of his childhood to survive. But you get the sense that Levi would do it all over again if it meant being where they are today. Despite the struggles, they did what they could - together.

You were having such a wonderful time getting to know more of Levi’s past as well as Kuchel’s life that you barely register him squeezing your hand to get your attention.

“We need to get going soon. It’s almost time for mom’s dinner and we have one more stop to make.” Levi says gently, pursing his lips. He wasn’t ready to leave either. Squeezing back, you nod to Levi and stand up slowly from your chair. You offer Kuchel a small smile and lean down to hug her again so that she doesn’t have to get up.

“Go ahead, I’ll be right behind you. There’s something I need to talk to my mom about.” Levi says, nudging his head to the door behind him. Nodding in understanding, you then reach up to touch his face gently before turning on your heel and starting for the door.

“Wait, dear. Take this with you.” Kuchel calls out to you. She goes over to the wall closest to her and pulls down a sketch. She considers it for a moment then stretches it out for you to take.

When you grab it from her fingers, your eyes widen at the different sketches that filled out the paper. There are a few drawings of flowers growing out of empty space, some with little bees or butterflies hovering from above. There’s one of what you assume is a teenage Levi as he straddles a motorcycle, a scowl shooting straight through you. Finally, there’s a smaller sketch of three kids sitting on a porch step as they eat ice pops together. Levi, you, and your brother.

How wonderful of an artist Kuchel is, you think. The lines are crisp and so full of detail, you can easily feel yourself transported back to when these memories were made. You don’t remember much about your brother, but you feel like that day was a good one. A feeling of warmth travels through your body as a blast of blind nostalgia hits you. You told yourself you weren’t going to cry but you already feel the heat in your eyes as they threatened to make an appearance.

Instead of saying anything, you throw your arms around Kuchel, almost knocking her over in the process. She laughs softly as she holds onto you as tight as she can, her hand rubbing circles on your back affectionately.

“I’m so glad you found us again.” She whispers as she pulls away from you. Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at you, smiling so much so that her eyes crinkle in the corners. “Don’t be a stranger.”

With that, you squeeze her in one more hug. Pulling away, you mouth an ‘okay’ with a toothy grin before turning on your heels and out the door, closing it with a click behind you.

“Something on your mind, Levi?” Kuchel turns her focus on her son who hasn’t moved an inch from his seat. Levi props his elbows on his knees and folds his fingers together to rest his chin on it.

“Mom, what do you think about her?”

“Well, I’m not the best person to ask about that.” She chuckles as she leans back into her soft recliner.

“I know, but-“ Levi’s leg starts to shake with anxiety.

“I think she’s lovely. She’s grown into quite the woman, reminds me a lot of her mom. From what I can remember, you know.” Kuchel teases. “Why do you ask?”

Levi’s fingers unlink from each other, and he starts to fidget with the fabric of his jeans as he looks away shyly.

“Mom. I’m going to marry her.” Levi whispers quietly.

“Oh honey, I know.”

“You know?” Levi glances back up to his mom incredulously.

“Yes. I’ve known since you were both kids. I’m pretty sure she even exclaimed at one point that she was going to marry you when she was old enough, to which you scoffed. It was very adorable.”

“Mom, I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or surprised that you remember something like that. It’s just something kids say.”

“The way you look at each other now is the same way you did before. Stars in your eyes, like nothing else mattered.” Sitting up, she reaches over and places her palm over Levi’s busy fingers. “Do me a favor. Go to my nightstand and grab that blue box inside the drawer.”

As always, Levi does what he’s told and makes his way to the wooden nightstand by her bed. He expects something decently sized but instead, he is met with a small pale blue box. A ring box. He picks it up carefully and turns it around to his mom with it pinched between two fingers, leaning back so that the drawer closes behind him.

“What’s this, Ma?” Levi asks as he brings it over to his mom’s awaiting hand.

Kuchel pops it open and turns it to Levi. It’s something he’s seen once, many years ago; A bridal set, one that was passed down from her mom. In the middle of a gold band sits a dainty oval ruby surrounded in “vines” that are beset by smaller diamonds in the shape of leaves. An engagement ring and wedding band – fitting together perfectly. Kuchel had shown Levi the set when he was really young, but she never wore them – which he suspects was to keep it safe from his father’s clutches. The gemstones sparkle brightly off the sunset that floods through her window.

“Mom…”

“Now listen here. I won’t be around forever – don’t look at me like that. I want you to have this now. I’m not saying to get married right away or even propose, but it would make me feel better if I knew you had this for when the time comes. And I trust you way more than I do Kenny.” With a snap, she closes the lid and shoves it in Levi’s direction.

He takes it reluctantly, not really sure what else to say. The thought dawns on him that his mom might not be around for his wedding day whether it be mentally or physically, and an ache shoots through his chest. But just like him, his mom’s decision was made. And there was no going back.

“Okay, mom.” He says back finally, closing his fingers around it tightly before standing up to slide it in his jean pockets.

“Don’t disappear on her again.” Kuchel stands up as well and places both of her cold, delicate hands on each side of Levi’s face as she stares hard at her son. “Promise me.”

Cupping his own hands over hers, he nods back as he says, “I promise.”

“Ms. Ackerman? It’s time for dinner.” A voice rings out from a staff member that stands in the open doorway of her room. It seems they have come to collect Kuchel to take her to the dining hall.

“Yes, one moment.” Kuchel wraps her arms around Levi once more and holds him close for a moment before letting go. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Of course Ma, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He says quietly then leans over to kiss her warm cheek.

“Can you get her a vase for those flowers, please?” Levi asks as he steps towards the staff member currently blocking his path.

“I’ll see to it, Mr. Ackerman.” They bow slightly and move aside.

As he brushes past, he sees you leaning against the wall as you scroll through your phone with his mother’s drawing pinched between tight fingers in the other hand. The golden rays from the sunset reflect off the white building and through the windows, sheathing you in a shower of sunlight like a spotlight. You are blissfully unaware of how breathtaking you are to him.

“Are you ready to go?” Levi asks, startling you from the video you were silently laughing at. You lock your phone and slide it into your back pocket before stretching a hand out to him to take. Your smile never fades as he laces his fingers through yours without hesitation and leads you out of Riverside Assisted Living, mumbling about where he would like to go for the evening.

That night, Levi surprises you with a picnic date.

By the time Levi pulls into his apartment, the sun is all but gone – leaving indigo and navy blues behind it. He told you that he wouldn’t be long and to stay in the running car. A few minutes go by until you see him again, bounding down the steps with a large blanket roll in one arm and a picnic basket in the other. As the overhead lights pop on while he opens the back door to unload what was in his arms, he shoots you a small smile. Then he holds something small out to you.

“Will you hold this for me?”

You hold your palm out for him, and he places a small box in the middle of it. It’s black with mesh wire on each side and a few little buttons on the top. It’s a bluetooth speaker, you surmise. When Levi hops back into the driver’s side, you raise an eyebrow at him.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to eat dinner in silence.” He says as he reverses out of the parking spot then heads for the main road.

It doesn’t take very long to get to Jinae’s downtown – just minutes away from their café. But instead of turning down the street that would lead to it, he keeps driving until he gets to the park that once held the Sakura Festival so many months ago. The trees are all but green now, not even a small trace of pink hanging from the branches.

After parking in a small lot provided for park goers, Levi takes your hand and leads you down the subtle hill towards the bank of the river. It’s a lovely evening where the air is just warm enough with a light breeze. Fireflies start to flicker in and out of the whole park, illuminating whatever happened to be near it in a warm, yellow glow. And the only noises you hear are distant crickets and frogs coming from the river – which flows so gently that it doesn’t even look like it’s moving. The city lights reflect off the water like its glass.

There aren’t that many people out tonight as well, which is surprising given the time of year. But what surprises you even more is the one single tree lit up with a string of lights that encircle the trunk and up into the branches above. There’s nothing else next to it but you know it was meant for you.

This was the same tree you and Levi sat under while you waited for your friends at the festival back in April. Where the urge to kiss him was burning through your whole body. Where you felt your feelings for him concrete themselves into your mind.

Levi hands you the basket before letting go of your hand to roll the blanket out under the tree. In mere moments, his shoes are removed and placed neatly in the grass. He beckons you to join him as he stands in the middle of the blanket, the soft glow of the tree lighting up his face.

Kicking off your own shoes, you then step over to Levi with the basket dangling in your fingers. As he reaches over to take it back from you, he takes a step forward to plant a gentle kiss on your lips – one that lingers even when he pulls away.

“Is this okay?” he asks. At first, you think he’s referring to the kiss, but you realize his eyes are bouncing around you. There’s a subtle hint of anxiety in his gaze that wouldn’t be detectable by most people.

‘This is perfect.’ You reassure.

Despite how small the basket looked from the outside, you find out quickly that it held more than you thought. Once you and Levi settle down, he starts to unpack a myriad of items, mostly all food related. A plate with what looks like chicken salad sandwiches comes out first, all cut into small triangles. Then comes a small bowl of chopped up melon, a bag of chips, and a tall bottle of amber liquid – apple juice, Levi assured you. Finally comes out a small pillow that you recognize from Erwin’s couch. You can’t help but laugh as you sit up straight to get a better look at everything.

“What?” Levi asks with a frown.

‘It’s nothing. When did you prepare all of this?’ You inquire before picking up the chips to inspect what kind they were.

“Earlier this morning.”

You look up to see Levi eyeing you warily. Behind that façade of nonchalance, you see a very anxious man waiting for what you thought about all of this. You never took Levi to be the type to care about what other people thought, which means he really cared about what you had to say.

‘This is fantastic. Thank you for putting in all the effort.’ You lean over to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek. With a light blush, he hums back in response as he looks away to fiddle with something on his phone – at a glance, it looks like a music app. That reminds you about the speaker you had shoved into your bag before leaving the car, so you reach in and pluck it out. Levi takes it from your hand and a moment later, soft rock plays through each side of the box. Despite the small build, it sure is mighty in sound.

“There. Hungry?”

‘Starving.’

As Levi watches you nibble on your last piece of melon, he can’t help but think how perfect you are to him. Vulnerability wasn’t something that came easy to him but when you walked into his café and back into his life, it was like a scab that had been reopened. As uncomfortable as it was, he found the rawness that came with it very refreshing. What would it mean to stay by your side forever, he wonders. To wake up next to you for the rest of his life.

These thoughts raced through his mind earlier as he packed the basket and you waited in the car. The ring box burnt a hole in his pocket as he stood by his desk contemplating his choices. Tonight would be a perfect time to propose to you but still, something held him back. This was new to not only him, but you as well. Were you ready for something so life-altering? Was this even something you wanted? These were not topics that are generally brought up in casual conversation after only a week of officially dating.

No, he would know when it was time. For now, he was content with what he had, and he would wait for as long as you needed him to.

“Are you happy?” Levi leans back on a hand as he looks over to you.

You glance over to him in surprise at the question. Just as quickly, it dissolves into a big smile that lights up your eyes. Popping the rest of the fruit in your mouth, you sit up so you can sign easily.

‘I am. Are you?’

“I guess. It’s nice here.” He smirks at you, remembering that this is what he said to that same question months ago. “With you.” But he never got to say that to you then.

“You told me a while ago that words were not always needed to convey intent.”

‘I did, yes.’ Your face scrunches in confusion at the sudden statement.

Levi sits up before reaching into the basket with his left hand. For a moment you think he’s about to bring out dessert of some kind but instead he takes out a small paper bag, no bigger than three inches in width. He turns it upside down above his palm and out comes a gold chain necklace. A small cherry blossom pendant dangles off the side of his hand, glinting in the lights next to you. You scramble up on all fours as you inch closer to get a good look at it, knowing full well what it was.

“At first, this was bought as an apology. But now, I think this was also my way of saying that I love you, without me realizing it.” Levi mutters softly. Your wide eyes flicker from the pendant over to Levi’s face, lips parted in amazement. The necklace looks as if it was never broken, much less worn with the fresh polish it had received.

Before leaving Liberio, Levi had snuck away to a jeweler in town to see what they could do to fix it. In terms of damage, fortunately it was minimal. ‘For something so delicate, it sure is hardy.’ the jeweler had told Levi as they inspected it. He knew the jeweler was talking about the chain, but his mind drifted to you instead.

‘You fixed it for me.’

“It was important to you. I couldn’t leave it behind.” Levi gets up on his knees and scoots so that he’s behind you. Gingerly, he loops the chain around your neck and a few seconds later, it’s locked tight. You pinch the small metal pendant in between two fingers as you sigh in relief at the familiar weight hanging on your neck once again.

‘Thank you, Levi.’

You turn to face Levi and throw your arms around his neck as you lean in to kiss him. He startles at the abrupt movement but is quick to reciprocate as he places both hands on your waist and pulls you closer into him. He can feel you smiling into the kiss as it deepens.

As you both break apart, breathing heavily from the lack of air, you don’t lose your smile. Your hands raise to cup Levi’s face, your thumbs stroking his cheeks as you stare into those slate gray eyes of his that you loved so much.

“I don’t really have much else planned for tonight, so I can take you home-” You’re quick to cut him off with a shake of your head, much to Levi’s relief. He wasn’t ready to let you go either.

“Okay.” Levi muses. “We can stay here until you’re ready.”

The night carries on as you both lie on your backs, Levi holding you close in one arm. At some point, he started humming along to some of the songs that flowed through the speakers. The fireflies had gone to bed soon after. With your head resting on Levi’s chest, the gentle beating of his heart threatens to lull you into sleep.

As sure as the twinkling stars drift above, Levi Ackerman loves you.

And oh, how you love Levi Ackerman back.

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