Archive of Our Own

The first time Armin came across the book, The Princess Bride, he was only 9 years old, but considering that books weren’t that easy to come by in Shiganshina, he took whatever he could find and read the whole thing in a day. At that time, he was too young to really decipher everything in the story, and never really understood the meaning of As you wish .

Soon after, Wall Maria was breached by the Colossal Titan, and he had to leave all his possessions behind to flee the city. They lost Eren’s parents, then his Grandfather had to leave to die in the suicide mission set to reclaim the Wall. Only the three of them remained, Eren, Mikasa, and himself, and the next few years were spent in training, so they'd be able to join the Scouts together one day. Reading about a stupid love story years prior was the last thing on his mind.

Of course, Eren turning out to be a Titan shifter wasn’t in their plans, but eventually, all of them ended up where they planned, working on becoming the hope of mankind. Alongside them, 16 other graduates of the 104th Cadet Corps southern division joined the Scout Regiment, and they started to build new and strong friendships among themselves.

It was Krista who has found the book at the back of the library during a cleaning assignment issued by Captain Levi. With their shared interest in books, it didn’t take too much time until she brought it up to Armin, who faintly recognized the cover. They read it together and theorized about why would someone choose to say such a simple line instead of confessing their love. Armin has known that Krista was in love with Ymir, they talked about it on several occasions, as well as about Armin’s weird crush on Captain Levi. Said crush Armin never dared to mention to Eren and Mikasa.

The first time happened unintentionally, right before Annie’s capture. After the failed 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Armin went to the Commander’s office to reveal what he thought about the Female Titan’s identity. Erwin, Levi, and Hange listened to him intently, and soon he was partaking in all meetings about the capture of the Female Titan. 

As he was sworn to secrecy, he couldn't talk to any of his friends about his torn-up emotions. He remembered Annie, his almost-friend, someone who was harsh on the exterior but had kindness in their heart. And he remembered Annie, the Female Titan, who crushed his comrades in front of his eyes, only spearing him for some unknown reason. He remembered all the soldiers they lost to the titan shifter, but it still felt like he was betraying his friend. 

Armin's mind was a mess.

Eventually, they came up with a plan in which Armin played a crucial role, gambling on the fact that Annie didn’t kill him during the fight, even though she had more than one opportunity to do so. Annie, on some level, trusted Armin. And this undeniable fact weighed on Armin's consciousness heavily. Was he even capable of pulling this plan off? Was he capable of lying, deceiving a friend ?  

They revealed the truth to Eren and the others only the night before the plan actually went into action. And their initial shock and denial only worsened Armin's own self-doubt. 

It was late into the night, and Armin couldn't get himself to fall asleep. He's been tossing and turning for hours, the other cadets snoring soundly around him when finally he decided to just give up and go for a walk to at least try to clear his head. 

He was silently roaming the corridors when he noticed the faint candlelight coming from the kitchen area. Levi stood by the stove, boiling water for his tea. He turned around as soon as Armin stumbled into the room, a seemingly uninterested gaze locking on the distraught boy. 

"Arlert? What the hell are you doing up at this hour?"

Armin felt the sudden urge to return the Captain's question, but he held back. He didn't want the Captain to get mad at him.

"I couldn't sleep." It sounded pathetic and weak, even kind of childish, but he didn't have the strength to act collected. Anyway, he'd need his acting skills in a few hours, why exhaust them now?

The Captain clicked his tongue, then turned around without a word to turn off the stove under the pot. As he started to roam around in the cabinet, searching for a cup, probably, Armin's tired brain noted how comfortingly small Levi looked in a domestic environment like this. 

"Do you want some?" Armin was startled out of his thoughts by the unexpected question.

"W-what?" 

"Tea. Do you want some tea?"

"Uh, y-yes, Sir. Thank you."

"Tch. Sit down, brat!"

Armin obeyed the command and sat down at the small table. Levi put a steaming cup in front of him and sat opposite Armin. They stayed silent for a long time, alternating between sipping on their hot beverages and looking at each other. Levi's eyes looked softer in the dim light of the candle, his gaze thoughtful, calculating. 

"I thought she was my friend." Levi didn't respond, so Armin continued. "She was my friend, and it feels like I'm betraying that friendship by doing what I have to do tomorrow. If I am being honest, Sir, I'm not even sure I can pull off something like that. I never really had to lie before. That one time, when Eren first transformed, and they wanted to kill us like we were the enemy, Eren and Mikasa trusted me to save us all by talking. But I didn't have to lie, and honestly..." Armin took a moment to look up at Levi. The Captain's gaze was unwavering, and it was clear that he was listening to Armin. "I'm not sure that we'd be alive if Commander Pixis didn't show up at that exact moment. I can’t help but think that the plan's success entirely depends on me..."

Levi's answer came after a few moments of silence.

“You are smart and capable. It's not about whether you can or cannot do it, it's about your willingness to at least try. Erwin believes in you, your friends believe in you." Armin straightened up from his crunched-over position, eyes wide with surprise. "Shit, even I believe in you, brat.”

Armin pondered over the words for a bit and took his time to soak everything up into his mess of a brain. The thought of Levi, Humanity's Strongest, thinking of him as someone smart and capable left an inexplicable warmth in his chest. His worries and insecurities were still there but dimmed a bit. Only a bit, but it’s something, and Levi actually went out of his way to make him feel better.

"Thank you, Captain."

"Tch, no need for thanks." And as Levi finally looked away, he added, "You should get to bed now, try to sleep a few hours."

Armin rose to his feet without another word, quickly rinsed his now empty cup, and started to head back as he was ordered. He hesitantly stopped in the doorway, looked back at the Captain still sitting in the same position, and Armin muttered the only thing that came to his mind as a farewell.

“ As you wish , Sir.”

The words just felt right.

Way later, after they captured Annie and things died down a bit for the Scouts, Armin finally had the time to reread the book and as he thought back at the warmth he felt when Levi was comforting him (in his own way, at least), he finally started to understand Westley's interactions with Princess Buttercup a bit more.

The second time it happened, Armin was in the middle of a mental breakdown over killing a human being.

Fighting and killing titans were alright, it was his job, and he could do it. But killing another person? Someone living and breathing, someone with friends and loved ones? That was too much for him.

After being rescued from their captors, everything sped up, and it all happened in a frenzy. Mikasa just told them what the Captain said about them potentially fighting humans in this battle, then the next moment they saw Levi slicing up a soldier. The whole situation left them shocked, but the next order came immediately, and they didn’t have time to process what just happened before their eyes.

Armin and Jean got to the wagon as ordered, rescuing Historia and Eren was their number one priority at the moment.

Armin saw Jean being knocked to the floor and saw the woman aiming for the kill shot. He was sure that it was too late, the trained soldier being faster with a gun than him, but he didn’t hesitate as he pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang, the gun kicked back in his hand, and the woman fell to the floor. Above her lifeless body, Armin met Jean’s terrified, but alive eyes.

There was no time to ponder over the situation, as new soldiers popped up out of nowhere, and they lost the wagon, Historia, and Eren with it. Levi ordered a retreat, holding back a desperate Mikasa. Only when they got into a safe distance could Armin finally decipher the past hour or so. Being sexually harassed, then committing such an inhumane act, suddenly all caught up to him. As his mind processed everything he started to panic, and his stomach flipped, but not in that usual pleasant way Levi’s unexpected praise would make him feel.

Armin doubled over the canal and started to retch, throwing up everything in his stomach. It took the blond a little while to calm his body, Mikasa’s touch a constant anchor on his back.

Later that night, as they sat around a little fire eating their rations in tense silence, he has finally been able to voice his thought. Over the blazing flames, he met Levi’s cold, certain eyes, and listened as the Captain thanked him for saving Jean’s life. Thanked him for his sacrifice. Nothing was comforting in what Levi was telling him, but nonetheless, what his superior was saying actually started to calm his conflicted mind.

After eating, Levi went out to check the premises, just to be safe, and Armin followed. Even though Levi looked a little lost in his thoughts, Armin knew that he was aware of his presence, which was confirmed when the Captain turned to regard Armin with a mildly interested gaze.

“What do you want, brat?”

Armin knew Levi, so he wasn’t disheartened by the rude question.

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me for what?”

“For what you said inside. It really meant a lot…” Armin trailed off, a slightly crazy idea forming in his head.

“Tch, I only told you facts-” Whatever Levi wanted to add, he couldn’t finish it, because Armin moved and enveloped his superior in a tight hug before he could talk himself out of it. It felt like the right thing to do.

Levi stood there stock-still, shocked by the sudden physical contact. Just as Armin started to regret acting on his impulses and let go of the man, the Captain relaxed, and lightly curled his arms around the small figure hugging him. Only this once , he told himself.

As much as he enjoyed the contact, Armin didn’t want to overstep his boundaries, at least not more than he already did, so he stepped back and looked up at the man standing in front of him. A soft smile played on his lips.

“Thank you.”

They looked at each other for a tense second, an inexplicable expression settling on Levi’s face.

“There’s no need for gratitude. Go back inside and rest. We have work to do tomorrow.”

Armin nodded and turned away from Levi.

“ As you wish , Sir.”

He didn’t look back, but he could still feel Levi’s intense gaze following him all the way to the door.

The third time wasn't that grand at all, but with it came the realization that Armin might just know exactly how it feels to fall in love with someone. 

After Historia took her rightful place as Queen, the Scouts were given permission to put together a mission to take back Wall Maria and Shiganshina with it. By now, Armin was a permanent member around the table when it came to planning with his higher-ups. 

With the permission granted, Eren was taken away by Hange to condition his newfound hardening ability. Mikasa spent most of her time with them, leaving Armin to spend his abilities the best way he could. Along the way, and with one arm short, Commander Erwin Smith started to mentor Armin, giving him more and more responsibility with decision makings, listening to every idea the blond boy came up with, and putting him in the position to lead smaller operations alongside Jean.

Armin started to grow into someone he never thought he could be during the long months of planning. He noticed the change in how others acted around him - the positives and the negatives as well. Eren and Mikasa became more withdrawn, but whenever they had the time to see each other, they were still attentive. Only in a different kind of way than before. It felt like they craved Armin's ever-shining presence after hard days of training and sleeping under the stars.  

He and Jean grew closer together, and the newer recruits started to look up to them. Armin suspected it had to do something with Erwin, but finally, even only for a little, he could let go of some of the self-doubts he carried within himself in the past.

The most significant change Armin noticed was his relationship with Captain Levi. It wasn't like Levi changed at all, but their interactions felt easier, more natural, and sometimes straight-up comfortable. And the more time they spent together, the more Armin got flustered in an entirely different way than before. 

During the months spent hunched over maps, books, and past reports, Levi arriving late and staying up with him even after Erwin retreated back to his room to sleep a little before getting back to work in the morning, the two of them somehow grew closer than Armin ever thought they would. They started to eat dinner together every day, which was an awkward event at first, but over time they started to talk more and more. 

Armin talked a lot about the outside world he wished to see one day, and surprisingly he learned a lot about Levi himself. In exchange for learning about what Armin read about the ocean, the desert, and the world beyond, the Captain talked about the Underground. At first, he only shared the information about how his work with Historia went, saving the orphans, but after a while, he started to share personal stories about his childhood. He told Armin about the shenanigans he had with his two friends, Isabel and Farlan, how the girl rescued a small bird, and they had to find a spot to be able to free it all the way up to the surface, how they actually self-taught to use the ODM gear (the gear being stolen came up only once), and one time he even mentioned Kuchel, his mother.

Armin never asked the Captain how he lost these people from his past, and in return, Levi never asked Armin why all his personal stories include only Eren, Mikasa, and sometimes his Grandfather, but in the past tense. 

As their bond grew, Armin's feelings began to bloom. To be honest, he didn't notice it at first as the warmth in his chest while in the company of the Captain was a constant for a year now, but somehow it was evident for the others around them. At least Erwin was subtle about it, him leaving a little earlier whenever Levi showed up to help out wasn't weird at all, but the same couldn't be said about Hange.

"I see you harboring a little crush there, Armin." 

Armin blushed, and Hange's teasing smile only widened by the reaction. They weren't sure at first, but with the blond boy's face turning redder by the minute, their theory was confirmed. 

Armin internally thanked all the Walls that Levi just left for fetching a note from his room. He didn't know how the Captain would react to something like this. Levi never treated him as more than a comrade, or dare he say, a friend, so revealing this development would definitely be damaging to their blossoming friendship. 

"I-it's not like that at all." 

"Hm, no? Is it love, then?" 

And Armin's mind went blank suddenly. He never entertained the idea that his admiration towards the Captain could go beyond the childish crush he discussed with Historia years prior. But it felt different. It felt more. It felt... Could it be love?

Hange looked at the boy's expression changing rapidly by the minute. Embarrassment to wonder, then panic, then something inexplicably soft, then panic again.

"It's okay, you know. Levi's a nice guy if you take the time to really get to know him. Rather, that is, in case he allows someone to get close enough for that to happen. But he is a perfectly decent choice to have a crush on."

Armin didn't answer, and for once, Hange let the blond boy get lost in his thoughts. If the faint blush visible on his cheeks were any implication, he'd get it one day.

Hange's reassuring words clicked in Armin's brain only hours later when he was tossing around in his bed after he bid his goodnight to the Captain. Levi picked up the habit to accompany Armin to his room after their long nights of working and talking. Their last conversation was still on his mind.

"Good night, Sir." Armin already started to open the door when Levi's voice made him stop. 

"Levi."

"Uh, excuse me, Sir?"

"Call me Levi."

Armin felt a strange tingling feeling in his chest by the request, but he answered with a smile, "As you wish, Levi."

The words felt natural by now, the meaning behind them undeniable. Yes, a perfectly decent choice, indeed. 

"Good night, Armin."

The fourth time was the worst. Ever. 

Only nine of them came back from Shiganshina, every one of them broken and mourning in a different way. 

Ever since Armin woke up at the top of the Wall and learned about how he was basically resurrected by the titan injection, he felt sick.

He felt sick because he had to turn into a titan and mindlessly eat Bertholdt.

He felt sick because he was damned to become a ticking time bomb, the God of Destruction.

He felt sick because every time he closed his eyes, he relived being burned alive by Bertholdt's Colossal Titan. On even worse nights, he dreamt about the Titan crying, waking up feeling lonely and inconsolably sad.

But most of all, he felt sick because he was still alive. He, and not Commander Erwin Smith, their leader. Humanity's only hope. The only capable person to lead them to victory over all the new revelations they came to find in that cursed basement. 

He could still hear Floch's hateful, but true words in his head from the day of the ceremony. Most nights, he wished his 13 years would be up already.

He saw a deep set of sadness in every one of the survivors. They all changed in an irreversible way.

Levi was more closed off than ever, mourning his longtime friend took a real toll on the Captain. 

Hange literally lost everyone except Levi. Armin could recall how they all speculated a few months back whether Hange and Moblit have something going on between them. Now the other soldier was gone for good. 

Armin felt extremely guilty over being alive, so for that, he tried to ignore the others whenever he could. He just couldn't face them after costing them Erwin's life, and most of all, he couldn't face Levi, who had to make the decision in the end. 

It wasn't a hard task to ignore Levi, since the Captain used his grief to jump back into work, recruiting new soldiers with Hange, training, and cleaning. 

That was, until one day late at night, they run into each other in the library. Armin spent most of his days in the room, so it was kind of suspicious, why would the Captain choose that exact place to wander into in the middle of the night, but with only one door, there was nowhere for Armin to hide from his superior. 

Levi's searching gaze found him as soon as he closed the door, and Armin jumped up to salute, "S-sir..."

"At ease, Cadet." 

Armin lowered his hand but didn't move to loosen his posture any more than that. They looked at each other, immobile until Levi finally started to speak. 

"You've been absent in the past few weeks. Care to explain?"

"I-I, Sir, I ju-" Armin stuttered until Levi sharply interrupted him.

"I told you to call me Levi."

"I know, I'm s-sorry, Si-Levi. I just..." Armin choked on his answer. Here stood the man he loved with all his heart, the one who saved him. Him , and not the greatest Commander of all time. He loved this man, his Captain, and at this moment he felt like he could throw up because of his own feelings. 

Armin lowered his head and muttered out the next sentence, almost inaudible. "Why am I here?"

He could hear Levi's silent steps as the Captain came closer.

"It's the fucking library, you love to read, brat."

Hearing Levi's emotionless, nonchalant answer made Armin clench his fists at his side. Does he seriously not understand? All the pent-up self-doubt, anger, and desperation bubbled up to the surface at that moment. His whole body started to shake, and he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He was beyond furious.

"Why the fuck am I here, Levi? Why am I alive? Why me ?" Armin never dared to raise his voice to any of his superiors before, but his frustration overpowered any self-restraint he ever felt. He hated Levi at that moment, for acting like nothing was wrong like he didn't just make the biggest mistake of his life a few weeks prior. He hated the whole situation. He hated himself.

"Becau-" As Armin snapped up his head, Levi took a surprised step back at the pure fury radiating from those ocean-blue eyes. 

"I am not Erwin, and I'm never going to be him ! I am not some big hero, nor a leader. I should have died in Shiganshina. I was okay with dying, I was okay with sacrificing myself for the others!"

“Armin, calm down,” Levi tried, but Armin snapped.

“I will not calm down! Don’t you understand? I tried to talk to Bertholdt, tried to reason with him, and that’s why everyone died on our side of the Wall. Because I am just that naïve . After Bertholdt transformed, I fucking froze and couldn’t even think. I had to ask Jean to take over…”

Armin’s voice broke at that moment, tears started to well up in his eyes, but he wasn’t finished yet.

“I made a mistake, and now everybody’s dead. My sacrifice was the only option to save the ones still alive. And you… You fucking saved me .”

“Fuck, Armin .”

Levi’s voice sounded hoarse and weak for a moment, and he acted on instinct as he closed the last few steps between their bodies and pulled Armin’s trembling body into his own.

At the physical contact, Armin started to sob.

" Why am I here, Levi? "

Armin's broken question was whispered into Levi's neck as he held onto the Captain tightly, his whole body shook from the cries he finally let out. Levi clutched Armin's back just as strong as the younger boy clung to him, face buried into Armin's gold locks. His body was still, but Armin could feel the wetness on his bare skin. Levi cried with him silently. 

“Erwin is dead.”

“I know ,” Levi took a deep, shuddering breath and continued. “I’m sorry you are hurting, and I’m sorry I forced you into this situation, this life… It was my choice, and no matter whether it was the right one or I just fucked us all, I'm never going to regret saving you .”

Even while crying, Levi's voice became more and more certain as he spoke. 

"You have to understand one thing, Armin. Erwin was an amazing leader, and I will always admire him for all he's done, but in the end, he sacrificed everyone for one cause only. You, on the other hand, only tried to sacrifice yourself, to save everyone else. And that fact makes you worthy of being saved. You are never going to be Erwin, that's true, but you have the potential to become someone even greater."

After that, no more words were spoken. They just stood there, for Walls know however long, and hold each other like never before. All their sorrow and grief poured into the physical contact they shared. They parted as Armin slowly calmed down, Levi's words settling in his consciousness, and only then Levi started to speak again. 

"Come tomorrow to the meeting, brat. We are planning to check out that ocean of yours," and with an unreadable, but obviously soft expression, he raised his hand and started to wipe away the tear streaks on Armin's face with a gentle caress. Armin stared back at him openly whilst answering. 

" As you wish, Levi ."

The fifth time, Armin really wanted to say the actual words, the real ones Levi would finally understand.

With Eren gone and Mikasa closed off, Armin felt like he lost his closest friends for good. He hung out with Jean, Connie, and Sasha from time to time, but the trio reminded him too much of the times he spent with his two friends, so instead of pondering over what-ifs and good times, he put himself to work.

He spent most of his time in the library, or one of the many offices working on strategies, cooking up new projects to improve their life on the island, and planning their future because the war was undeniably coming one day. 

Even after years passed, Levi kept his habit to accompany Armin to his room after a long night spent in the office. 

That's how their first kiss happened. It wasn't premeditated, but somehow it wasn't unexpected either. They've grown even closer, spending not only their working hours together, but sharing their meals, and their free time as well. From time to time Hange would join them, when they weren't out with Onyankopon or Yelena, or attending meetings in the city with the other leaders.

On those rare occasions, Hange would take it upon themselves to tease Armin and Levi endlessly. The Commander's knowing looks and remarks didn't bother Armin as much as they would before; the blond knew for a while now that he was irreversibly in love with his Captain, there was no point in being upset about it. 

But with all the new tasks that came with working closely with the Marleyans, his feelings kind of got pushed into the background.

That is, until one night as they were bidding their usual goodnight, Armin, who was by now a few centimeters taller than the Captain, bent down a bit and without hesitation pressed a soft kiss on Levi's lips. 

It wasn't long, or passion-filled, only a touch of lips for a second. But it felt right. 

Armin shared a timid smile with his Captain, then without further explanation entered his room and closed the door. 

He spent all night waiting for the panic to set in, but it never came. As morning came, and Armin got ready for the day, he pondered over all the possible options for their future, and how things would go from now on. He was fairly certain that his feelings were reciprocated at some level, but knowing Levi's easily closed-off nature, he simply couldn't ignore the possibility of being rejected in the end. They definitely needed to talk things through, preferably that day.

As soon as he set foot in the dining hall, he met with Hange's grinning face. 

"So, Armin, do tell. Is there any reason why our dear Captain Levi walked back to his room last night with a smile on his face after the two of you parted? I heard some of the cadets that saw him were actually freaked out by his unusual expression..."

"O-oh, that..." Armin started to blush. He had no idea Levi left his door smiling, and even after spending all morning thinking about their relationship, he had no idea how to address their situation publicly. Levi and he haven't talked about things yet, so what could he say to that question? Fortunately, he was saved by the Captain himself. 

"Shut it, four eyes! It's none of your fucking business." Levi bit out from behind Armin, one hand resting on the blond's shoulder, glaring daggers at the Commander.

"I see..." Hange smiled knowingly, their eyes focusing on Levi's hand touching the younger man. "It's about time, I'm happy for you. You both deserve some happiness in these shitty times."

Levi sat down next to Armin, way closer than usual, and nodded at Hange. Armin looked at him from the corner of his eye. The Captain wore an inexplicable expression, but the lack of denial and his thigh pressing into Armin's were all the confirmation the younger man needed for now. They'd have time later to figure out all the details of their relationship. 

What Armin didn't expect was how easily they adapted to this new type of relationship.

He always thought of himself as someone awkward and easily embarrassed when it came down to matters of the heart, hence his implied love confessions in the past, and he got to know Levi as an emotionally hard-to-reach and cautious person, so naturally, he expected them to develop their connection in a much slower pace. 

What Armin definitely did not expect was that it would take only one week of officially being together for Levi to lose his mind, so to say. 

Armin arrived at the office after dinner as usual. With Hange absent, Levi and he had some reports to go over, so they could present the Commander with already outlined ideas when they returned from the city. They've been on the task for a few nights now, and as their teamwork was excellent, they were close to finishing up the documents.

He knocked, as always, and Levi opened the door almost immediately like he was waiting for Armin to arrive at the other side of the door. The blond leaned in for a welcome kiss with a soft smile, and that's when Levi surprised him. As their lips met, the Captain grabbed Armin's waist with intent, pushed his body into the door with his own, and started to deepen the kiss. Armin froze for a moment, then as his brain finally caught up with what was exactly happening, he reacted. He circled his arms around the Captain's neck, one hand running through the black locks, the other pulling, bringing their bodies even closer, and started to kiss his boyfriend back, pouring all his emotions, and pent-up passion into the kiss.

Somewhere, in the rational part of his brain, Armin knew this should feel like moving too fast, but as their bodies pressed closer and closer together, he simply didn't care. 

Levi broke the kiss but didn't stop there. He moved lower and started to tease the younger man by alternating between kissing and sucking on the sensitive skin of his neck. 

" Levi... " Armin moaned as the Captain's hands found their way under his loose shirt, touching his bare skin. His voice sounded breathless and pleading in the silence of the office. 

"Fuck, Armin," Levi panted the words into Armin's throat, then he bit down on the flawless skin there. "Tell me to stop."

Armin moaned again, and threw his head back, giving more access to Levi's administration on his neck. " Please, don't... "

Levi froze at the words and started to back away when Armin realized how equivocal his words might have sounded. No matter how certain the Captain's advances seemed from the moment Armin stepped into the room, he was still insecure about how far he could go. This just made him more endearing in Armin's eyes, so without hesitation, the blond tightened his hold on his Captain, and brought him in for another searing kiss.  

"I meant, don't stop ," he murmured as they parted for a second. He gathered all his courage and thrusted his pelvis forward, his hardening bulge meeting Levi's in the process, to emphasize his words. 

"Brat," Levi smirked into their next kiss, meanwhile he took out one of his hands under Armin's shirt and grabbed his butt instead, bringing their lower parts together again. "Are you sure?"

"Mmm…yea-"

Levi let Armin go with one last kiss, then stepped away, and interlocked their fingers instead. 

"Let's go back to my room."

Armin's answering As you wish wasn't vocalized, but he followed his Captain with a sincere smile, his stomach tightening with anticipation and a tiny bit of nervousness. 

Eventually, they didn't go all the way that night, but it was a pleasant start to their physical relationship, which only developed more and more from that night on. Armin spent a few hours almost every night with Levi after they finished up their work for the day, only going back to his own room in the early hours of the morning. 

A few months flew by like this, and Armin finally felt at peace. However, as natural as their developing relationship felt, he still had his insecurities deep down. He was a hundred percent sure that he was more in love with Levi than ever, and it was obvious that the Captain felt something as well because actions don't lie, but somehow he wasn't able to put his feelings into proper words yet.

They were laying in Levi's bed, naked bodies cuddled together under the sheets. Armin was rumbling about how not only Hange, but Jean had also started to tease him since they'd run into each other a couple of days ago as Armin was going back to his room. Levi pulled him closer and kissed him softly, stopping the blond mid-sentence.

"Stay. From now on, just stay here."

Their gaze met, Levi's eyes calm and certain, Armin's widened, and his breath caught for a moment. As he slowly processed Levi's words, his chest tightened, all the pent-up emotions threatening to blow up any minute.

I love you.

He snuggled even closer to his lover, one leg thrown over Levi's hip, so there'd be no space left between them, and as Levi moaned from the contact, Armin used his momentum to flip them over, straddling the Captain. He leaned into the next kiss, smiling, his whispered answer crystal clear in the silence of the room. 

" As you wish, Levi. "

Levi and his small crew arrived back from the city only a few minutes ago. He had a really tiring two days behind him already, the meeting with the Queen about the developments with the Marleyans went well, and he still had to fill out the report papers and talk to Hange. But first, he had to find Armin.

It wasn’t a hard task, since the younger man usually spent his afternoons in the library, reading books brought in from Marley, or doing some research Hange entrusted to him.

The door was wide open, so he silently peeked into the room. He took a moment to admire his boyfriend from afar. Armin looked peaceful, lost in the book he was reading. They only spent two days apart this time, but Levi undeniably missed the blond. Usually, they traveled together, Levi's authority and Armin's intellect were the perfect combinations on most missions, but with both Jean and Mikasa out, Hange needed one of them to stay in case the newer cadets needed assistance.  

As he stepped inside the library, Armin raised his head, and seeing his lover, his lips immediately turned up into a warm smile. Levi’s lips twitched upwards as well.

“You are back!”

“Yes, we got in not long ago. The crew is still unpacking.”

Levi walked over to the blond, and Armin met him halfway, throwing his arms around the Captain. They shared a welcome kiss, which turned into two or three more, but Levi pulled back shortly, not letting the mood shift into something steamy yet.

"I want to show you something. Come with me?"

"Oh? Of course," Armin linked their hands together, and Levi started to lead him out of the library. “How was the trip? How is Historia doing? Is the baby alright?”

“The Queen is fine, the baby too, as much as I can tell. They are getting bigger.” Levi paused, then looked at Armin out of the corner of his eye. "We also had a private talk after the meetings were done."

Armin hummed.

"She asked me to send you next time. She doesn't have much time left, only a month or two." Armin nodded excitedly.

"Yes, I'd like to see her before she gives birth. I might talk to Commander Hange about a trip soon."

In the meantime, they arrived at the stables. They haven’t needed as many horses since the train was up and running, but they kept a couple dozen nearby in case of an emergency. The rest of the horses were kept at the farms around the inner city. 

Levi took the blond all the way to the end of the stable, where a beautiful black mare stood calmly in the last box.

"I asked the Queen to send back a few more horses. Lately, all the missions overlap, and it never hurts to have a safe number of horses on standby." 

Armin stepped closer, and gently extended his hand, so the mare could get used to him. The animal pushed her muzzle into the extended hand approvingly, and the blond started to pat down on her neck softly. 

"She is beautiful." Armin looked back at Levi with a beaming smile.

Levi smiled back at him tenderly, and stepped up to him, one hand resting on Armin's waist, the other rising up to cup his cheek.

“I named her Buttercup, she is yours.”

Armin's eyes widened for a split second, immediately understanding the reference. The Captain's gaze remained unwavering while he waited for his lover to react. Armin let go of the mare, and he turned completely towards Levi. 

Their eye contact was charged, full of meaning and emotions, and Armin knew at that moment that Levi understood his feelings. He understood all his hints and implied confessions. Levi finally understood what Armin meant by saying As you wish .

So at that moment, without further hesitation, Armin finally let the words out,

" I love you, Levi. "

Levi carefully wiped the tears from Armin's face, smiled up at him, and pressed a soft kiss on his lover's lips before answering. 

"Tch, I know that, brat. I love you, too. "

Of course, their happiness couldn't last long, not in this crazy world. Eren's first letter arrived only a few days later, soon followed by many more. Their life suddenly sped up, with rushed meetings and late-night plannings, and not long after they had to gear up to travel to Marley and fight Walls know who to get the freedom Armin's childhood best friend sought so desperately.