Levi x Reader Oneshots

Roses and Thorns (Levi x Independent Reader)

At a young age, you realized that you couldn't count on anyone to save you, so you would have to save yourself.

Unlike the other nobles who expected to have life handed to them on a silver platter, you worked hard to become self-sufficient. As a result of that discipline, you were able to master any skill you put your mind to. Your intelligence was years ahead of other children your age. You were adept at music and dancing. You became well-versed in areas like politics and agriculture, so that you would actually be able to wisely rule your region one day, rather than leaving everything to advisors. And when you decided to join the military, your strength and skill quickly earned you the rank of captain.

The only thing that you didn't have to work for was your beauty. That, along with your poise and noble birth, often caused people to compare you to a rose. However, they forgot that roses had thorns, and you were no exception. Because you were determined not to rely on anyone, it was extremely difficult for people to get close to you. Most people you met didn't care enough to try – which was the whole point, in your opinion.

Later, you developed another reason for being strong – protecting the few people that you cared about. It started with your little sister. Then that sphere grew to encompass your comrades once you joined the Scouts, and finally...the man you fell in love with.

At first, you couldn't understand why you fell in love with Captain Levi, since he was infuriatingly bossy and usually rude to you. (Although, to be fair, he was rude to most people.) But later on, you realized that it was because you and Levi were the same. Like you, he was extremely strict, with himself as well as others. He worked hard to be strong, and he didn't rely on anyone. Although he kept people at arm's length, he truly cared about his comrades, and he did everything in his power to keep them safe. Like you, he had his thorns, but there was a beautiful rose underneath.

You tried to ignore your feelings as much as possible. As a result, you were often (unintentionally) as cold with Levi as he was with you. But it couldn't be helped. After all, you had already dedicated your heart to saving humanity – as had Levi, for that matter – so romance was off the table. But then, you would find yourself subconsciously training harder every time you thought of him. Because you did care, and you wanted to be strong enough to protect Levi, even if Humanity's Strongest Soldier didn't need protecting. And although you were loath to admit it, you wanted to get stronger so that you could be worthy of Levi – worthy to stand next to this brave, selfless man as his equal. You didn't want to add your own burden to his already heavy shoulders. But that worry was pointless, because you were never getting into a relationship anyway, so you didn't know why you bothered.

Once again, you found yourself thinking about all of this as you cleaned the shelves in the library. While balancing several books in one hand, you stood on your toes and dusted their shelf with the other. It was a bit much, but you managed. After all, you would rather hold the books than set them on the dirty floor.

You heard the library door open, and you wondered who it might be. Probably Captain Levi, coming to inspect your work, as he often did with soldiers who weren't even his subordinates. But it wasn't like you were bitter or anything.

You doubled your focus on the shelf and kept dusting. So what if it was Levi? Let him look. Your cleaning was impeccable, even by his standards.

Sure enough, you heard the sound of approaching footsteps, followed by his trademark "tch."

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes and snapped, "What do you want, Levi?" You didn't bother with formalities. The two of you held the same rank, so it didn't really matter.

"You're going to drop something," he growled back. Then, "Give me those books. I'll hold them for you."

You blinked – your only visible sign of shock. Levi was offering to...help you?