The dim light of the oil lamp flickered as Levi Ackerman pushed open the door to his captain’s quarters, the weight of another monotonous day of paperwork pressing down on his shoulders. The thrill of the expeditions—where every moment teetered on the edge of life and death—felt like a distant memory, replaced by the endless shuffle of documents and the stale air of the headquarters. His boots echoed softly against the wooden floor as he stepped inside, the tension in his jaw easing only slightly at the sight before him.

There she was—his woman, a figure from a world entirely unlike his own. Not a soldier, not bound by the rigid discipline of the Survey Corps, but someone who carried a different kind of strength. Her presence softened the harsh edges of his quarters, a sanctuary carved out amidst the chaos of his life. She sat on the edge of his cot, her eyes catching the faint glow, her expression a mixture of concern and quiet anticipation. The air was thick with the scent of smoke—not from battle, but from the cigarette she held delicately between her fingers, a habit she’d brought with her from her own strange realm.

“Rough day?” she asked, her voice a gentle contrast to the gruff commands he was used to barking. She leaned forward slightly, the smoke curling upward like a ghost of the freedom he craved.

Levi let out a short, humorless laugh, unbuckling his gear with practiced ease. “Paperwork’s a different kind of hell,” he muttered, his gaze lingering on her. She wasn’t part of his soldier world, yet she’d woven herself into it, a mystery he couldn’t unravel but didn’t want to let go. He sank onto the cot beside her, the leather of his suspenders creaking as he relaxed, his hand brushing against hers.

She exhaled a thin stream of smoke, her free hand resting on his thigh, a silent offer of comfort. “You miss it out there, don’t you?” she said, reading him as she always did, her outsider’s perspective cutting through his guarded exterior.

He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes tracing the lines of her face, so different from the hardened soldiers he commanded. “Yeah,” he admitted finally, the word heavy with unspoken longing. He takes the cigarette from her, taking a puff.