A Few Ways to Say "I Love You" // Levi Ackerman x Reader One Shots

"It reminded me of you."

Aot universe (after war)

Levi walked slowly, taking his time. The freshly mown grass, still dewy from the light rain that occurred a few hours before he arrived, entertained him in a few ways. He watched his footsteps as his canvas shoes got wetter at each passing moment. Looking up, he saw that the sky was crisp and clear. No clouds were visible at the moment and he was genuinely happy about the fact the weather turned good before he reached his destination.

It has been 3 years from the last battle humanity had against the titans and the people against humanity. The walls have been wrecked down, every expedition devoted for exploring the world beyond the walls. It has also been 3 years from the moment he last saw his beloved wife alive. Well, almost wife.

Ever since he lost her during the final war, he stopped joining the following expeditions. Instead, he stayed at the headquarters and helped in planning and in training the scouts. Of course his usual demeanor has not changed. He still ordered around the new recruits in cleaning routines and schedules, but he sure did learn to sleep more. It was ironic how his loss made him sleep more despite the fact while she was still present, he wouldn't sleep when she asked him to. He would remember being hit with pillows as he was sitting, doing paperwork. He remembered the voice that once called him when she was desperate for him to go to bed. And he remembered the ring she bought for him. The stupid ring she bought right after an expedition.

Levi walked towards her tombstone and laid the flowers he bought in front of it. Levi stared at the name carved in the marble for a moment before sighing and bringing something out of his pocket. He then placed a small ring beside the flower before smiling and closing his eyes. "Last week was our anniversary, wife." He opened his eyes before sitting down beside the grave, his pants wetting in an instant. "Sorry I couldn't come brat, last week was loaded as shit. Four eyes had further experiments about the snake she captured during the recent expedition."

Sighing once more, he took the ring on his hands and let it sit on his palm. "This is not the ring you gave me. It's something I bought for you. I still have that stupid ring on my finger though." He faced the tombstone and played with the ring. "There has been this shit spreading around, saying that there was a certain ring that would help you remember anything. Being a curious me, I bought it and tried it." The ring was made out of opal and it was magnificently beautiful. "But with this ring all I could remember was the stupid ring you gave me. I bought one for you and now we match brat, two stupid rings."

But deep in his mind, her ring was not stupid. It really did work, unlike the ring she bought for him. The ring he was wearing was given by her right after an expedition. She saw one signage by the road that says 'authentic sleep ring'. She told him how she thought it would be effective for him, but it was not. He may be sleeping a lot more now, but it is not because of the damned ring, it was because of her.

Her ring, on the other hand, was rumored to allow the wearer to remember anything. He did not buy the damn ring because he believed in the bullshit, but because it reminded him of her. It reminded him of how gullible she was in believing these type of advertisements. It reminded him of how she was concerned for him. It reminded him of how she loved him, and he to her. It reminded of him of how she showed gentleness in every way possible, despite being a strong soldier.

But it also reminded him of pain, bitterness, and regret. It reminded him of how he was not able to save her. It reminded him of how he did not listen to her pleas. It reminded him of her just being his almost wife. It reminded him of how he was not able to propose to her. It reminded him of how he would say to her they would get married right after the final war ceases. It reminded him of how she liked to think about their future. Of how she would tell him their life after the war.

"After the war...We'll sit by the cliff that they say, and I'll buy you a ring so beautiful you would not comment shit about it anymore."

Levi remembered how she has spoken those words to him. It was so painful to remember. He looked down and started saying, "They say you would not remember shit once you're just a floating soul." He placed it back on the tomb before laying down on the now dry grass. "This is for you, so that you'll remember."

Levi closed his eyes, letting himself get lost at the abyss in his brain. He breathed slowly, imaging the pace of her breathing underneath the earth that separated him from the long decayed body of the girl he loves. "I bought that because I miss you so fucking much, (y/n)." He whispered.

"And because it reminded me of you."

__________

unedited