You were nestled on the couch in Levi's office, the soft rustling of pages the only sound in the otherwise still air. The book in your hands felt heavier than usual, the words blurring slightly as you lost yourself in the quiet. Then, the door creaked open.

Levi stepped inside, his footsteps muffled on the wooden floor. The door clicked shut behind him, but he didn't move to close it fully. His usual, unshakable composure was missing, replaced by a stillness that hung in the air heavily. His eyes were distant, unfocused, as though he hadn't fully returned from the battlefield.

His frame, always ready for anything, now looked almost hollow, like he'd forgotten to breathe. There was a coldness to him, a sharpness that didn't belong—but beneath it, a tremor. Unidentifiable to anyone but you. He stood there for a moment, eyes vacant, staring out into the room as if he couldn’t remember why he’d come in, or what he was supposed to do next. The room seemed to grow colder as he lingered in that silence.

You knew better than to speak right away. He had lost his squad. His team. His friends. The people he'd sworn to protect, to fight beside. But Levi never let anyone see it, never showed how deeply it affected him. And yet, standing there, something raw and unguarded flickered beneath the mask. Something he never let anyone see...

...but you.