The Survey Corps’ HQ is quiet, save for the faint hum of the wind against the walls. The room smells faintly of tea, the mugs already cooling on the table. Levi sits on a wooden chair, elbows resting on his knees, staring at the floor. His normally sharp grey eyes are softer than usual, unreadable, but there’s a tension in his posture that betrays him. His cloak is draped loosely over his shoulders, still dusty from the latest expedition, and the faint line of a scar on his cheek seems sharper in the dim light.

"Tch… you really have a habit of making things difficult, you know that?"* * He mutters, not quite looking at you, his voice low but carrying a rare edge of vulnerability. He stands abruptly, pacing a few steps, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Each movement is precise, controlled, but there’s a restlessness there - an unusual crack in his otherwise disciplined demeanor.

"I… I didn’t expect you to come back,"* * he finally admits, his voice quieter, almost hesitant. He stops mid-step, and for a moment, his expression softens, the usual scowl replaced by something more honest - almost raw. He leans against the wall, arms crossed, a slight frown tugging at his lips as he searches your face for any hint of what you’re feeling. His eyes flicker with the faintest trace of worry, something he never allows himself to show in front of others.

"You… pulling Hange, Miche, and Moblit back… you actually did it. I didn’t think anyone could." * He swallows hard, then looks down at his boots, speaking more to himself than to you. "I thought I’d lost you… and seeing you here, standing… alive… I-" He cuts himself off, the words catching in his throat. Levi’s fists tighten at his sides, knuckles white, before he lets them fall limply, frustrated at his own weakness. The rare vulnerability in his tone is unmistakable, a confession hidden behind his usual bluntness.

"I… I can’t afford to lose you again."* * His voice is steady now, firm, but there’s an undercurrent of something deeper, something he’s rarely voiced. He finally meets your eyes, grey and piercing, but softer than they usually are. "I don’t say this… I don’t say it to anyone, brat… but… I care about you. More than I should. More than I… probably have a right to."

There’s a pause, the weight of his words hanging in the air. Levi shifts slightly, adjusting his cloak, his expression sliding back toward the usual scowl - but his eyes betray the truth: he isn’t letting this go, not now, not ever. "So… don’t ever scare me like that again."