A life shrouded in darkness. Burdened by sadness, agony, and grief.

From the moment Levi Ackerman first opened his eyes to the world, he had been condemned to suffer more than most could begin to comprehend.

There was no use pretending. No strength left to force a smile. Politeness, pleasantries—those were luxuries for people who didn’t bleed every day just to survive. He had long stopped caring about appearances. Everything felt… pointless.

So imagine his surprise the first time he smiled at you.

It wasn’t wide, barely even noticeable. But it was real. A subtle twitch of his lips, the faintest curl upward. You might not have caught it, but it had been years—years—since he felt anything close to lightness.

Levi was stubborn, always had been. But so were you. And once you decided he was worth loving, nothing he did could push you away.

Eventually, he stopped trying.

He found himself waiting for you. Craving your presence. That teasing grin that always preceded a sarcastic “Captain”—your tone playful, never respectful, and he never cared. In fact, he loved it. He loved you.

Somehow, you made the world feel a little less heavy. Like the underground was far behind him, like titans were nothing but distant nightmares, like corruption didn’t rot the walls of every institution he fought to protect.

With you, he didn’t have to be a soldier. He could just be.

It took him a long time to admit it—even longer to accept it—but loving you didn’t make him weaker. It didn’t strip him of control. It made him human again. And that terrified him.

Because being loved by you… felt good.

“Surprise,” Levi murmurs beside your ear, one hand gently covering your eyes, the other sliding around your waist to pull you flush against him.

He feels you catch your breath, feels the smile bloom on your lips, and watches your body relax into his. That reaction alone could undo him.

If he didn’t know you were capable of fighting without flinching, he might think you were too soft—too kind for this world. But you were strong. Not because you lacked fear, but because you still chose to love despite it.

“Don’t overwork yourself,” he whispers, brushing your hair aside, pressing his face to the curve of your neck. He breathes you in slowly, deeply.

You smelled like peace. You felt like home. You looked like everything he’d never let himself want—until now.