Work Text:
The soft coo of a bird tickles your ears, urging you to open your sleep filled eyes. The room has a chill, only accompanied by early mornings, but you feel warm bundled under the blankets. The thick comforter adds weight on top of you, grounding your consciousness as you slowly leave the sleep filled fog.
Opening your eyes just slightly, you take in the room without much thought. With every blink your thoughts slowly start to come back. The bedside table and couch filling your vision were the final pieces of memorabilia needed to clear your brain.
You sit up slowly, careful to keep your movements quiet and light in order to not wake him up. It was rare for you to wake up first, but the lack of a man staring you down from said couch was clue enough that you did. Almost every morning he’d be there, book or tea cup in hand, watching you wake with stone cold softness.
When your feet touched the ground, the slight chill you expected woke you up further. The wooden planks creaked slightly under the new found pressure, but held firm as always. You rose your arms above your head, relishing in the way your muscles stretched and tightened.
Looking back, the sight you saw was nothing less than swoon worthy. There he was, sprawled across the bed, cheek mushed up against the pillow, mouth slightly open, and hair sticking out in different directions. His face was relaxed and, for once, devoid of the careful mask he usually wears.
You took a moment to admire the sight before quietly slipping out of the room. Since the sun was barely rising, the halls were empty of scatter-brained cadets and gossip-filled veterans. The walk towards the mess hall was peaceful, allowing you to bask in a moment of stillness before reality bore its head again.
The doors into the mess hall and attached kitchen opened with some difficulty. The prospect of letting Erwin know he had something to fix made you giggle. He would take any chance to prove that he was, in fact, a handyman.
A warm light provided by the ever growing sunrise filled the kitchen, casting hues of yellow and orange onto the normally grey pans. Instead, you bypassed all of these utensils in search of the one thing that kept constant in your life. The tea kettle. The fire lit easily and the water boiled in no time. The steam and low whistle rising from the spout filled the comfortable silence surrounding the kitchen.
You prepared a cup for him and one for yourself. The steaming herbal liquid was encased in his favorite cup and yours in a similar one. The aroma of black and earl gray tea filled the kitchen, leaving evidence of your early morning endeavors.
Taking one cup in each hand, you shuffled your way back out of the kitchen and through the, still deserted, hallways. You opened your bedroom door silently, cracking it just enough to shimmy your body through. You tip-toed as quietly as you could through the room, hoping that he wouldn’t wake.
Setting his tea cup down on the meticulously cleaned desk was difficult. You tried your best not to clank or spill any of the contents inside the ceramic.
When the tea finally settled and a glance towards the bed affirmed he was still asleep, you made your way over to the tiny couch. While setting your own tea cup down, you looked around for the book you left unattended last night. The plot was thickening right before you were called out to deal with an emergency. Cadets seem to be less competent nowadays.
You finally found the tattered cover laid on top of some leftover paperwork. Sighing in relief, you finally settled into the couch, tea and book in hand.
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Shifting sheets and quiet grumbles pulled your attention away from the book. The white sheets fumbled slightly, revealing ebony hair and tired eyes. Setting your book aside and finishing the remaining tea inside your cup, you turn your attention to the unfocused eyes watching you.
“Mornin’ sunshine.” You mumble gently.
“Why are you sitting right there?” He asks, voice raspy with disuse from the night.
“I was reading a book I didn’t get to finish.”
“No, I mean, why aren’t you laying in bed with me right now?” He grumbles out. His hair splayed across his forehead, tickling his cheekbones and pillows alike. You sighed, scanning the relaxed details of his face that were only present during the mornings.
“Would you like me to join you?” You asked, giggling slightly.
“Didn’t I just say that?” He rasps before shoving his face back into the cotton covered pillows.
“A ‘please’ would be nice.” You mumble, only getting a muffled response from him in return.
You walk closer to the bed, enjoying the soft rug that warms your feet on the way there. The blankets feel heavy in your hand as you pick them up, reminding you of the comfort oasis lying just in front of you. When you finally lift up the covers and slide in, bare skin and strong hands immediately reach out for you.
His arms loops around your waist, turning you over and pulling you back against him. The speed of his actions are surprising, but not unwelcome. The solid yet soft, firm but warm body against you is comforting, immediately causing you to relax against it. He entangles your legs with his, seemingly wanting no space between you two. He finally starts to settle once his face finds itself mushed up against your back.
He breathes in deep and exhales away the stress residing in his shoulders, contentment seeming to follow soon after. A hand that once occupied your waist now rubs gentle lines up and down your slide, limp fingers delivering the faintest of touches. Being surrounded by so much comfort allows your, once awake, mind to drift back into a hazy state. His fingers continue their path, soothing you with touches that feel almost too light to be real.
“Levi...If we stay like this...” You mumble, fighting the sleepy urges plaguing your mind once again. “...your tea will get cold.”
“Why would I worry about cold tea if you’re this warm?” He questions.
The slight giggle that escapes your mouth doesn’t attest to the warm feeling blooming inside your stomach from his words. A comfortable silence fills the room as you both bask in the presence of each other.
“What were you reading last night?” He asks, voice rumbling through your back.
“It’s on the nightstand. Let me grab it and I’ll show you.” You reached across the bed, temporarily disrupting the peaceful stillness encompassing you both. The leather cover was firm in your hands as you adjusted yourself in Levi’s arms. Laying on your back with your head on his chest allowed both of you to clearly see the book.
“What’s it called?” He whispered into your hair.
“I don’t know. The cover is too worn to read the title.” You answered, delicately opening it to the page you left off on.
The rest of the morning was filled with silence. Levi read the book with you in his arms, sometimes just watching the way you reacted when you read. He was content. For just this moment he could forget about the loved ones he’d lost, or the titans looming outside the walls. He was… happy.
You relaxed in his arms, forgetting entirely about the, now cold, cup of tea resting patiently on the bedside table.