Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jean Kirstein was annoying, Levi decided. 

Levi’s eyes were glued to the dance floor where Jean had just twirled you for the second time in this song. You laughed as you spun around and wobbled back to him, dizzy. Levi was annoyed at the first twirl, but a second one? It’s a jazzy rendition of Jingle Bell Rock, not Dancing With the Stars. It was excessive… but it wasn’t – it shouldn’t be — offensive. That was what annoyed him the most. Jean wasn’t overstepping or crossing any lines. He was just… there. Dancing with you. Making you laugh.

Jean’s arms reached out to your shoulders to help you keep your balance and Levi felt his fingers tighten around the rim of his glass. He leaned in to say something to you and Levi’s jaw clenched.

“I don’t get it,” Levi muttered aloud.

“Get what?” Levi didn’t even bother to turn around as he heard Eren sidle up beside him, leaning his elbows back on the wood of the bar.

“What the hell can be so fun about dancing?” Levi took a sip of his drink. “To jazz, nonetheless.”

Eren shrugged in response. “Usually the company. It can be fun with the right people.”

“That horse-faced brat’s not graceful enough to be a dancer.”

Levi turned to glare at Eren, who laughed at his jab. “True,” he conceded. “But you don’t need to be a good dancer to be a good dance partner. You just have to be there.” Eren raised a smug eyebrow at Levi.

The glare on Levi’s face remained fixed even as he turned away from Eren. It’s true. He didn’t really have a reason to be upset. You wanted to dance, and Levi didn’t, but Jean did. It was simple. It was just a dance, nothing more. And it wasn’t like Levi hadn’t seen you dance with Jean before. Friends dance together. Levi knew all this, but years of writing cliches reminded him that love (is that what this is?) is not rational.

Eren spoke again. “You could always cut in, you know?”

“They’re fine where they are.”

“Are you?”

As if things couldn’t get more annoying, Levi watched as Eren did just that. He sauntered up to you and offered his hand out, sneaking a smug glance over to Levi as he replaced Jean on the dance floor. Levi huffed at the brat’s audacity.

The song didn’t last too long after Eren cut in. Levi took it as a consolation prize from the universe. He watched as you spoke to Eren and gestured over to the bar. Eren nodded with a grin and followed you as you made your way toward him. The second you got close enough to spot him, he felt his chest tighten as he watched your eyes light up. “Levi!” He loved the way his name sounded in your voice. “You made it!”

Levi huffed, but he couldn’t stop his lips from quirking up at your excitement. “I told you I’d be here.”

“So you did. You didn’t want to dance?” you asked with furrowed brows. His heart seemed to skip a beat. Did you want him to dance with you?

“Levi doesn’t dance,” Eren interjected with a laugh. Levi rolled his eyes and shot him a glare.

“It seemed like you already had a line of partners,” he attempted to correct. He didn’t miss the way Eren’s eyebrows raised with an amused smirk.

You waved your hand dismissively. “It was just Jean and Eren,” you rolled your eyes. He felt something like relief, suddenly, as if his previous worries dissipated. Did you have any idea how much power you held over him? 

It wasn’t really jealousy he felt—at least, not entirely. It was something harder to name, something deeper. Watching you with Jean, with Eren, felt like staring at a world he couldn’t quite step into. They were comfortable with you in a way he wasn’t. Where Jean was effortlessly charming and Eren was boldly confident, Levi was quiet, reserved. He wasn’t particularly outgoing, and he wasn’t good at being vulnerable.

But now that he’d had glimpses of what it could feel like—those fleeting moments when your smile was just for him, or when your laughter rang out at something he’d said—it was harder to ignore how much he wanted more. The realization was terrifying, heavier than admitting he had a crush on you. That was simple. He could like you from a distance and that was enough. But this… this quiet longing for something deeper, for the kind of familiarity you so easily shared with others… it felt out of his reach. 

“Oh yeah,” your voice cut through his thoughts. Your eyes lit up again as you turned to look at Eren. ”Eren was telling me about the band. I didn’t know you wrote most of the songs.”

Levi’s eyebrow raised as his gaze flickered to Eren. “I… write some. But so does Eren.” He wasn’t sure why he was downplaying his contribution to the band, but he felt his cheeks flush at the idea of you finding out he’d written two songs about you in the span of a little over a month.

“Please,” Eren rolled his eyes. “Not nearly as much as stone cold Mozart, over here.” The nickname earned a laugh from you, and Levi found that he didn’t really mind it.

“Mozart?” Levi scoffed. “I don’t think he’d make it through one of our band rehearsals.”

Eren groaned and grimaced at the mention of No Name ’s rehearsals. “One time Levi had us rehearsing in Hange’s apartment for 6 hours because one chord felt off.”

“Six hours is an exaggeration,” Levi assured you as your jaw dropped in shock. “It was Hange really, who was dissatisfied with the chord. But we eventually got it right. Just had to tweak some things.”

Eren scoffed. “It paid off,” he gestured over to Levi, who took another sip of his drink. “All thanks to Levi. You wouldn’t believe how serious he gets when we’re working on a song.”

Levi shrugged. “That’s because someone has to take it seriously.” He sighed internally. This wasn’t helping his case. 

“Well, lucky you’re here,” you said with a grin, your tone softening just slightly. Levi felt something like warmth in the way you said it, and for a moment, the sounds of the party began to quiet. He mirrored your grin with a soft smile of his own and only managed to tear his eyes from you when he heard Eren clear his throat.

“I think Mikasa and Armin are looking for me, so I’ll let you two talk” he smirked as he tipped his glass to the two of them before walking away. The two of you watched him walk away to where his girlfriend and friend and Jean were. Jean raised a thumb up to him and when Eren mirrored it, Jean clapped him on the back. A wave of silence washed between the two of you.

Levi listened as the beginnings of a new song, the Christmas Waltz, filled the silence. “Sitting this one out?” he nodded towards the dance floor where couples were beginning to form. Jean and Connie, Eren and Mikasa, and Armin and Annie.

“I think I’m fine here for now.” His heart did a flip. A part of him knew that you wanted to be out there. You looked like you were having so much fun on the dance floor with your friends. It wasn’t that he wanted to keep you all to himself all night – well he did, kind of. But not if it meant you were giving something up just to appease him. You made it seem so easy to meet him in his comfort zone and he wished he could do the same for you. But Eren was right. So he chose to take a step too. To meet you in the middle. His gaze fell back on you gently and before he could overthink it, his hand stretched out to you.

“Come on,” he said simply, his voice steady but softer than it was before.

Your brows lifted in surprise, but a smile quickly found its way to your features. “I thought you didn’t dance, Ackerman.”

“I don’t,” he admitted, still waiting for you to slip your hand in his. “But I will with you.”

You stared at him for a second longer, your eyes searching his before you tugged your bottom lip into your teeth and slipped your hand into his. “Well how can I say no to that?”

The warmth of your hand in his sent a jolt through him, and he couldn’t suppress the smile on his face as he led you to the dance floor. He found a space for the two of you and felt his cheeks blush as you dropped his hands to rest them on his shoulders. His hands found your waist and he fought his anxiety and forced himself to relax. He allowed his senses to fill themselves with nothing but you, and the soft waltz playing in the background.

“This isn’t so bad, is it?” you noted, your voice soft.

Levi’s lips twitched into a small smile. “I have a good partner.”

He let the silence sit between you for a moment. His movements were simple and he kept his hands on your waist steady, but loose enough to let you lead him around the dance floor with ease. You were right, it wasn’t so bad. He followed your lead with just a bit more grace than a newborn deer, but it wasn’t bad at all. Even if his steps were clumsy, there was something about you that invited the messiness, the chaos, that he tries so hard to sweep away. You were here, inches away from him, and he wondered if your heart was beating as fast as his. 

“For someone who doesn’t dance, you’re not bad at all,” you complimented him with a smile.

Levi felt his eyebrows raise in amusement. “Your bar is too low,” he scoffed. “I just haven’t stepped on your feet yet.” He looked down at his own feet, making sure to avoid yours. He hoped you couldn’t tell how hard he was trying to not look clumsy. It wasn’t until he heard your voice again that he finally looked up.

“Hey,” you prodded. “Don’t overthink it.” You smiled at him softly and Levi let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He nodded simply and tried again to focus on you.

“You’re…” he paused and took another breath before continuing. “You look like you’re having fun.”

“I am,” you replied quietly with a small smile. If Levi was any further from you, it would have been lost in the swells of jazz behind you. “Thanks to you.”

Before he could speak again, you leaned in slightly, lowering your voice as if sharing a secret. “You know, I didn’t think you’d actually say yes to dancing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

You shrugged, your smile turning playful. “You seem more like the ‘watch and judge’ type.”

“Maybe I am,” he admitted, his voice steady but softer than usual. “But sometimes it’s better to… try.”

Your grin widened, and you slid a hand down to take one of his from your waist. His own eyes widened as you raised your now entwined hands above your head and twirled away from him. He let out a quiet huff of surprise, his other hand coming to rest back on your waist to steady you as you came back to him.

“There,” you said, laughing. “Now you’re an official dancer.”

Levi shook his head, but he couldn’t fight the small smile tugging at his lips. “If you say so.”

As the song began to wind down, the two of you slowed your movements, but neither of you made a move to let go. For the first time that night, Levi felt the tension in his chest ease, replaced by a warmth that was equal parts comforting and terrifying.

“Thanks for this,” you said softly, your gaze meeting his. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

He hesitated, his voice catching slightly. “Me too.”

The words hung in the air between you, carrying more weight than either of you acknowledged. The room around you seemed to fade entirely, leaving just the two of you in the moment.

“Do you want to stay for another dance?” you asked, your voice light but hopeful.

Levi glanced toward the bar where Eren and Jean were watching, both pretending to mind their own business but clearly invested. With a soft huff, he looked back at you, his gaze steady.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I think I do.”

How do you do it?   he wondered. You make it so easy to invite him into things he’d never had interest in doing before, things he’d find himself doing were it not for you . In the span of only a few months his heart had grown a soft spot in the shape of your hand in his, a feeling that he’d keep chasing far into the unknown no matter how it scared him.

He wasn’t sure how much time actually passed when the band finally announced their final song, but he noticed a slight ache in the balls of his feet that wasn’t there earlier. He let you lead him back towards the bar for one final drink. He wasn’t thirsty, not really. He was much too focused on the way you kept his hand in yours all the way to the bar or the way you let his slip out of yours slowly rather than all at once.

“Are you heading out soon?” He finally managed to tear his attention away from you and towards the doors where your friends were gathering their things. You turned your head towards them as well.

“I think so,” you hesitated, your gaze meeting his. “You?”

“Soon,” he shrugged.

For just a moment, the two of you let the silence linger – something warm and not awkward. Suddenly, your eyes lit up as if just remembering something.

“There’s a holiday market opening near campus tomorrow,” you began to explain. “It’s supposed to be really nice, and I was thinking of checking it out.”

“You’re going alone?” Levi raised an eyebrow. He found himself asking before he could even think the question.

You shrugged, but smiled at him playfully. “I was ,” you began, drawing out the last syllable. “But then I remembered I have a psych partner who’s obligated to spend time with me.”

Levi scoffed at the challenging tone of your voice. Right, the psych project that he’d almost completely forgotten about… that was due at the beginning of next week. “What time?”

You grinned and the warmth in your expression was enough to relax him. “I was thinking around 3? Since the sun seems to go down around 5.”

“I’ll see you at 3,” he said simply, not resisting the smile that crept onto his face as you nodded back.

As you turned to finally leave, you hesitated for just a beat before turning to wrap him in a quick hug. Long enough to feel you linger even after you’d let go, but gone too fast for him to be able to return it. “Goodnight, Levi.”

“Goodnight,” he replied as he watched you disappear into the crowd.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Did you know you had him wrapped around your finger?

The next afternoon, the air was crisp and the streets were lined with shoveled snow that muffled the usual hustle and bustle of the city. The sun bounced off the mounds of white and Levi squinted at the glare. He adjusted his scarf as he approached the entrance to the market. The scent of the winter – of warm baked goods and pine – wafted through the air and mixed with the sound of commercial holiday pop songs. He took a deep breath before pulling out his phone.

2:45. He was early. He hoped he didn’t come off as too eager, but if you asked… he’d tell you he likes to be punctual. Which was true, but it didn’t matter to him nearly as much in this situation. He huffed out a breath, watching his breath form into a cloud in front of him. 

Thankfully, he didn’t wait long. At 2:53, he spotted you weaving through a crowd of people. When your eyes met his, a smile formed on your face and Levi couldn’t help but feel much warmer than he was before. He smiled back at you as he took in your rosy cheeks, flushed with cold. 

“Levi,” you called out as you finally approached him. “You’re already here!”

“You said 3,” he replied simply. His tone was even, but he felt his heart skip at how excited you were to see him.

You shrugged with a smug smile. “It’s 2:55.” 

“It’s 2:55,” he echoed as his eyebrow raised in amusement. Guess you were both eager. Levi scoffed as he shook his head to hide the blush that was definitely evident on his cheeks. He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked up to see you nodding towards the market. He followed your lead.

The inside of the market was any child’s holiday fantasy. There were human-sized gingerbread houses with giant-sized gift boxes and plastic candy canes lined around them. The trees were strung with lights that Levi was sure would look warm once the sun set. 

“You come to these places often?” Levi asked as he continued to look around the crowded center. If there were less people, he probably would feel much more of the holiday spirit. With one glance over at your giddy face, however, Levi realized the amassed crowd was not a deterrent for you.

You nodded with a grin as you eyed the various stalls, searching for something. “I started coming here after my first semester,” you explained. “Armin had suggested it as a way to get over post-finals depression, and it’s become somewhat of a tradition since then.”

Levi hummed as you spoke. “I think it would be nicer if there were fewer people,” he confessed.

He looked over to you as you chuckled. “Somehow I think you say that often,” you mused. Levi scoffed out a laugh in confirmation. “Ah– there it is.” He looked over to where you were pointing at a rustic looking wooden stand, strung with garlands and ornaments. There was an off center blackboard sign with the words “HOT COCOA” handwritten in red and white chalk marker.

“Two Mexican hot chocolates, please,” you announced to the worker who was dressed in an elf costume and smiling brightly. Before you had even reached for your wallet, Levi had beat you to the punch and placed his card in the machine. You looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

Levi blushed in response and turned away. “You uh, you paid last time.” He was well aware that it had been over a week since the last time you were at the cafe with him, and he was the one who bought the last round of tea, but knowing you… it meant he’d see you again so you could treat him to something else.

“Your two cocoas,” the cashier announced and handed over two to-go cups to you and Levi.

“Now we can look around,” you announced as you took a sip of the cocoa and sighed. The two of you were in front of a shop filled with artisan tree ornaments, but instead of walking in, you paused and turned to him. “Have you tried it yet?”

He was skeptical of the warm beverage in his hands, honestly. He wasn’t big on sugary beverages, much less on those served to him at a place marketed to young children excited for a holiday sugar rush. He looked to see your reaction before taking a sip of his.

As if noticing his apprehension, you let out a chuckle. “Try it,” you pushed. “I promise it’s probably not what you’re expecting.” 

Now he was facing a losing battle to his own curiosity. He cautiously took a small sip and immediately understood what you meant. He was expecting something sugary and artificial, but this tasted like it took hours to make. It was sweet, but not saccharine, with a hint of cinnamon and… wait, is it spicy?

Levi must have made a face, because you chuckled as you took another sip. “Good right?”

It honestly was. He took another sip and nodded back to you. “Ready to head in?”

The inside of the ornament shop was just as whimsical as Levi expected. The shelves were lined with glass ornaments of various shapes and colors. It was clear that most, if not all of the ornaments were handmade. Levi reached a hand out as he walked through the small, cramped store, letting his fingers trace over some of the glass baubles.

He turned to you with a soft smile. “These are really nice, huh?” He asked as he held up a clear ornament with a snowman and some styrofoam turned snow, like a mini snow globe. He shook it gently to watch the snow gently fall around the smiling snowman.

“Yeah,” Levi watched your eyes crinkle as you returned his smile. You picked up another ornament, this one like hand blown glass, a swirl of reds and greens. “I think these ones are really nice…” You continued to talk about your opinion on holiday colors but Levi found himself distracted by a blur of frenzied movement in one corner of the store where Jean and Eren were undoubtedly trying to remain inconspicuous. He let his gaze shift slightly in their direction and he watched as they quickly turned around. Ah, he realized, they’re following us. Levi was impressed by how badly they were failing at this.

Idiots, he thought, though the word carried less bite than usual. Whatever reason they had for not wanting to be seen, Levi didn’t really care. They weren’t planning anything dubious. He knew that much. Eren and Jean were nosy, sure, but there was a kind of clumsy earnestness to their antics that Levi couldn’t entirely begrudge.

Levi turned his attention back to you. “... and that’s the brief history of the art of glass blowing.” You finished and he gave you a sheepish smile. He’ll have to google for himself later whatever you just told him about. You turned to him with a smile. “Anything catch your eye?”

“Not quite yet,” Levi mused. “But we haven’t seen it all.” He continued to push through the crowd further into the store, resting a gentle hand on your back to guide you along with him. He thought back to the night of that party when he held your wrist in his, the buzz that felt electric at the time. This felt like something else entirely, like he’d come to step into something new, something warm and something soft. 

He watched as you paused in front of one of the ornaments, another snow globe style ornament. This one had stars mixed in with the snow and in the center of it, a couple. You picked it up in your hands with a smile.

“What do you think about this one?” you asked him softly. The soft smile that spread across your features and the twinkle in your eye made Levi feel that he liked it a lot.

“Beautiful,” he murmured. He hadn’t even really looked at the snow globe, honestly.

A thud behind him interrupted his thoughts, and before he could turn at all, he heard Eren’s voice. “You idiot, they’ll see us.” Levi let himself scoff under his breath. Maybe they’ll fall and knock each other out, Levi thought in amusement. 

“A gift for us,” your voice brought Levi’s attention back. He watched as you grabbed two of the ornaments and held them gently in your hand by the strings, careful not to let them fall. His heart skipped a beat when you smiled at him, holding them up by your face with pride, as if you’d discovered a new treasure.

Whatever Jean and Eren were trying to accomplish, Levi decided, wasn’t worth the effort of confrontation. Let them stumble around in the background. This – your quiet smiles, your babbled history about the history of something something, the way your voice cut through all the noise– was what mattered.

Unfortunately for him for the rest of the evening, Levi realized that he wasn’t going to be able to shake the pair of idiots tailing the two of you. Somehow, you hadn’t noticed them.

At a shop selling knitwear, they were there, strangling wrapping each other with various scarves.

At the stand selling snacks, they were there, three people behind Levi in line, arguing about whether to split a cinnamon pretzel or a cup of roasted chestnuts.

At the photo set with Santa, he heard their obnoxious laughter and whispers, “Do you think he’ll tell her while he sits on Santa’s lap? Do you think they’ll mistake him for an elf?”

Finally, Levi had had enough. After the elves guided you out of the set and handed you a card to pick up your picture, you left Levi alone at a quieter section of the market  as you went to the restroom. Once you were out of earshot, he let out a loud sigh.

“Come out, idiots one and two,” he called out with a grimace.

Obediently, Jean and Eren left their spot from behind a tree and walked sheepishly to Levi who had his arms crossed, like an annoyed father, catching his kids sneaking back into the house after curfew. Jean ran a hand across the back of his neck and Eren fidgeted with the ponytail holder that sat on his wrist.

“Listen–”

“It was Eren’s idea–” 

Levi raised a hand up, cutting them off. “You two suck at this,” he sighed. “Care to explain why I’ve earned a pair of dumbass shadows?”

Jean rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Levi’s piercing gaze. “We were just, uh, keeping an eye on things. You know, in case you needed backup.”

Levi’s lips twitched, the faintest hint of an amused smile breaking through his otherwise impassive expression. “Backup? From what? A rogue snowman?”

Eren grinned, clearly amused by the jab. “Hey, you never know. Markets can be dangerous places.”

Jean elbowed him in the ribs, shooting him a glare. “Shut up, Jaeger. You’re not helping.”

Levi shook his head, a quiet sigh escaping him. “You’re both idiots. If you’re going to follow someone, at least try not to get caught. This is pathetic and you still haven’t told me why .” His face formed into a stern glare. “You’ve got  a few minutes before I stop feeling so generous.”

“This is you being generous?” Eren grumbled, earning another glare from Jean.

“Okay, we… we’ve been trying to see if you… like… if you have feelings for…” Jean trailed off, folding under Levi’s raised eyebrow and unimpressed stare.

“Right… so following us around was the best way to do this?” He remembered that night at the gala too, when Eren seemed to be egging him on, and that day at the cafe where they were muttering nonsense. “You guys have been at this for a while.”

“It was Eren’s idea?” Jean offered with a sheepish smile.

“What? No it wasn’t,” Eren shot back. “For the record, Levi, I was the only one against this idea. I even said you don’t have feelings for them.” He crossed his arms in defense.

Levi’s glare silenced them both, but he felt the edge in his mood soften. A few months ago, he probably would have snapped at Eren and Jean for so blatantly invading his space. He would have murmured a line about not needing their help. 

But since that night at the gala, he’d started to see what you saw in them– their relentless loyalty, their ridiculous but genuine attempts to look out for you. It was messy, sure, but it was also… comforting. He didn’t need to force himself into this bubble of yours. You were already inviting him in.

“I do,” he replied simply, taking a metaphorical first step. As expected, Jean and Eren’s eyes went wide. 

“I freaking told you,” Jean told Eren smugly. 

“Shut up,” Eren shoved Jean before turning back to Levi. “Wait– you’re serious?”

 Levi held his hand up again. “I… need your help,” he muttered, quieter now.

“ Our help?” Eren echoed as Levi shot him a glare.

“Yeah.” Levi looked away, the flush creeping up his neck betraying his calm tone. “I want to tell them. How I feel.”

Jean blinked. “You… want our help to confess? Like, us ?”

Levi’s glare returned, though it lacked its usual sharpness. “Yes. You two idiots clearly can’t keep a secret, and the last thing I need is for them to hear about this from someone else.”

These two idiots, as clumsy as they may be, cared about you. And judging by their terrible, terrible attempts to sneak around today and their readiness to fess up under any minute pressure, Levi did not trust them to hold a secret from you. He paused, his shoulders stiffening slightly as he pushed the words out. “Besides… You’re their friends. You know how to do this kind of thing.”

Eren stared, momentarily stunned. “You’re serious about this.”

Levi nodded, his jaw tightening. He pressed a palm to his forehead. “If I wasn’t, do you think I’d be asking you two for help?”

Jean grinned suddenly, his confidence restored. “Don’t worry, Levi. We’ve got your back.”

Eren smirked, leaning slightly toward Levi. “This is gonna be fun.”

Levi sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is going to be… interesting.”

That night, Levi found himself on the phone with Hange. He sat on his bed with his guitar in his lap and his phone resting on the bed, Hange’s voice cutting through the otherwise silence of his room. His lyrics notebook was in front of him, propped up against a pillow. He had just finished catching them up on the events of the day, including Eren and Jean’s ideas for how to confess.

“Oh Levi,” Hange squealed. “I knew you had Hallmark-holiday-movie love interest potential.” 

He let out a quiet sigh, but a smile crept on his face despite himself. “Do you want to hear the song or not, four-eyes?” 

“Duh,” Hange replied. “Go and sing, music man.”

Levi scoffed and cleared his throat, strumming against his guitar gently and beginning the song. He felt almost… giddy, as his fingers strummed the last chord and he sat quietly, waiting for Hange’s reply.

“That was great,” they sighed. “Makes me wish I was in love.”

“Hange you’re in love with a new person every week,” Levi chuckled.

“Yeah, but classes are almost over,” they replied casually. “No more longing stares across the classroom with the blue haired sorority girl in my o-chem class.”

“Glad she’s finally safe from your wild eyes,” Levi huffed. “Anyway, back to the song.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hange continued. “It’s good. It’s honest and I think it’s obvious. But… can I tell you something else?” They asked, their voice softening. Levi’s silence gave them room to continue speaking. “Don’t get too in your head about this, but you’ve changed a lot in the last few months. Not in a bad way, but just… it’s nice to see you like this.”

Levi nodded, even though they wouldn’t be able to see. “Yeah, I see it too. I feel different.”

“I’ve known you for a long time, Levi. I’ve always had a friend in you… I’m glad you’re letting us be your friends now.” Hange cleared their throat before continuing. “You let me know if you want the band playing with you, and I will ditch my lab report and thesis for you.”

He let out a soft chuckle. “That won’t be necessary,” he assured them. “I think I can do this on my own. But thanks for reminding me I don’t have to.”

“Make sure Eren gets a video,” Hange called as they muttered a final goodbye.

The next night, Levi felt his heart in his throat and a slick sheen of sweat on his palms. Maybe he couldn’t do this alone. No , Levi shook his head, then shook his hands. You’re literally a performer, you do this every other night , he reminded himself.

He looked around the cafe. It wasn’t very crowded tonight, but Levi didn’t really care. He was looking for you . Eren and Jean had promised to lure you to the cafe under the promise of free coffee. That was the first part of their plan , which involved Levi confessing his love for you after singing you a song at an open mic at the cafe. It was cheesier and much more public than Levi would have wanted, but they assured him that you would love a grand romantic gesture.

But he was on next, and he still couldn’t see you, and he felt as though he was about to hurl. He’d never experienced stage fright quite like this. What if Jean and Eren couldn’t convince you? What if they tried and you decided not to come? Oh god, what if–

Like a switch turning off in his brain, the jingle of a bell caught Levi’s attention and he found your eyes, and suddenly…things were quiet. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and he let himself smile as you waved at him. He watched as you muttered something to Eren before walking his way, and he felt his heart skip. He was sure he would go into cardiac arrest somehow with the way you seem to have a hold on his heart rate. 

“Levi,” you called his name as you approached. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Levi replied with a soft smile. 

“I didn’t know you’d be here,” you told him. He watched your gaze fall to his guitar in his hands. “You’re playing?”

He nodded in reply. “I perform here sometimes when I want to test run a song.”

“You have a new song?” you asked him with a smile that made him want to kick everyone out so he could play it only for you.

“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s… I’m really proud of this one.”

“Well I can’t wait to hear it,” you assured him.

Before he could reply, he heard his name called by the emcee, and he turned his gaze to the stage. “I’ll find you after,” he promised and you waved him off with a nod.

From the stage, he could follow your figure as you found Jean and Eren again. The three of you sat at a table near the door. He smiled to himself as he watched Eren pull out his phone to record. He took a seat on the barstool at the center of the platform and tapped on the mic, setting his guitar in his lap. 

Any trace of nervousness he felt earlier was gone. He was in his element. Much like how it felt to sing at Erwin’s wedding, he felt as though everyone else seemed to disappear. This was just between him and you , his own version of a love letter. He wanted to laugh at how loud his thoughts seemed to feel earlier.

“Hey everyone,” he called into the microphone. He drew the stand closer to him and adjusted the height to sit right at his lips. “I’m Levi, and this is a new song I wrote about someone special to me.” He caught your eye across the room and let himself smile before taking a deep breath. His fingers, sure and steady, plucked against the strings.

His eyes fluttered shut as he leaned into the microphone, letting his lips graze the metal as he sang.

I hate to dance, but I'd dance with you
'Cause I'd do anything to feel your touch

He felt himself smile as he lead into the chorus, his hands strumming a bit louder.

It's what you do to me
I'm wrapped around your finger and I can't stop
You know I got a soft spot for you

He pulled away from the mic as he got ready for the next verse. He let his gaze move from the neck of his guitar and across to you. He bit back a grin as he watched your eyes sparkle in delight as you watched him. You had to know right? That this was all for you? That every song he’s ever written… it was leading to you?

Too late, don't wanna fall, baby, I just
Don't need somebody else to throw me aside
But I'm up all night, thinkin' 'bout how
It could be you to change my heart, but I

Don't like anybody, tell me why it's different with you
Don't believe in love, but no one makes me feel like you do

As the song came to a close, Levi pulled away from the microphone and nodded his head to the strums against his guitar. He felt the familiar rush of performing, the anticipation of applause, and his heart thudding in his ears like a metronome. He’d expected to feel exposed, but at the end of it all, he felt his chest was light, as if sharing this song with you was what he needed all along.

The next part of the plan was to declare his feelings from right here on the stage. But as he caught your eye once more… “Thanks for listening.” was all he said.

The room was still buzzing as he walked off the stage. The emcee was moving on to the next act and the audience turned their attention away from him, but Levi was still only thinking about you . He made his way towards your table with his guitar in his hands and his heart pounding in his ears. 

You were sitting at the table he’d spotted you earlier, but Jean and Eren were nowhere to be found. He was going off script now. He watched your eyes light up with a familiar gleam as he approached. His footsteps slowed to a stop as he arrived, less than a foot from where you sat, a now empty mug of tea in your hand. His breath hitched as he hesitated, not sure how to bridge the silence that sat between the two of you like a sea of half formed thoughts and things waiting to be said.

He found his fingers fidgeting over his guitar strings, thankful when you took the first step over the metaphorical bridge. “Levi,” you breathed his name out and he felt like melting. “That was…” He’d never allowed himself to be this vulnerable before, but he wasn’t really… scared. “That was beautiful,” you finished.

A smile formed on his lips. He didn’t even know his cheeks could raise that high. “Thanks,” he shook his head sheepishly. “I’m… glad you liked it.”

“Was it… really for me?” you asked softly. Your gaze fixed on Levi with an expression he couldn’t quite name.

He swallowed. “Yeah,” he confirmed. “It was.”

Your lips parted slightly, surprise flickering across your face before your expression softened into something warmer, something brighter. “Levi…”

He watched as you tentatively reached out your hand, crossing the distance between the two of you. His own hand came to meet yours halfway, intertwining your fingers, the bridge crossed. 

He took a deep breath as he steadied himself, rubbing circles against your skin as he took a step closer. “I’m not good with words,” he began, letting his gaze drop to your joined hands. “But I needed you to know. You’re important to me. And I care about you, more than I know how to explain.”

The words hung in the air between the two of you as he waited for your response. Each second felt like it went on for minutes and he was worried he didn’t say enough. But then… but then you smiled. Not just a polite smile, or even a joking one that he’d seen before, but something deeper… something just for him.

“I care about you too,” you said softly, and Levi could feel the earnestness in your voice.

Levi felt himself breathe again, like his whole body suddenly remembered how to exist, how to live. He smiled softly at you.

The chattering crowd around the two of you seemed to fade away to the sound of music as he stood there with your hand safe in his as the two of you smiled at each other like idiots. Something had changed, and the air was electric with the warm promise of a new beginning.

For a moment, neither of you said anything. Neither of you needed to. The silence no longer felt like a chasm, but rather a warm blanket that covered the both of you in a comfortable embrace.

Finally, a soft laugh escaped your lips as you spoke. “Do you want to get out of here?” you asked, your voice just barely a whisper over the sound of music.

Levi nodded, giving your hand a squeeze. “Yeah,” he replied softly. “I do.”

As the two of you made your way outside, the sharp cold of a December night was a striking contrast to the warmth that lingered between the two of you. His gaze was fixed on you and how you glowed like something ethereal under the lights. Maybe he could come to like the holidays, if it meant he’d see you under the glow of warm string lights. You’d already changed him so much, what’s one more?

He didn’t even notice the snow beginning to fall, the first of the season, until he watched a flake land on your eyelashes. He didn’t notice there was music over the speakers until you laughed. He didn’t notice how cold it was until you reached your gloved hands to tighten his scarf.

And for the first time in a long time, Levi felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.