for context on how this story will go, the flow will depend either on my readers' requests from here & tumblr or on my mood (if i'm bored enough make a drabble that fits the running theme of comfort).
you can say this is a compilation of one-shots, but my challenge is to be able to make a series of interconnected stories amidst differences of requests.
Levi was sure—or perhaps just a bit too paranoid—that whatever you were doing the past few days would be the death of you. He came up with subtle ways to offer you stress relief and whatnot: asking you to come over to his place more often, cooking you dinner since you have a knack for forgetting one whenever you're busy, or just having you decide on what to watch. The greatest thing he has done, however, is to offer his place for you to work overnight. It's more comfortable than your dorm, and a bit more spacious too. The stress plastered on your features surely decreased with his gestures but is still there, hence Levi's irk at whatever you're working on would stay.
Who even gets you to work this hard? He has to find out soon if this persists.
"Yo," you tiredly beamed at his door, "delivery service from yours truly." then flashed him the dirty flowers you randomly picked up while walking.
He grimaced, or so he pretended. Random habits have been popping out of you recently—bringing dirty flowers to this door was the most recent one. He thought that it might be your own coping strategy for work stress. He was even supposed to berate you for that since he condemns dirt. But god, he just didn't think you'd be so adorable about it. He didn't see himself getting so whipped over the subtleties of it. "You didn't even pluck this off the tree." he managed to utter as he kept his cool.
"I straight up picked it up from the ground," you clicked a tired smugly smile. "See, I've been doing this to annoy you but I don't know what's clicking inside your head. Now you're trying not to smile again." then sighed in lament as he finally let you enter.
He didn't even notice he was about to smile. He rarely smiles, even. Levi gulped slightly at the realization. You're getting too adorable to handle nowadays, seems like inviting you over to his place this evening wasn't a great idea.
You gasped upon noticing what was on the table. He cooked your favorite food again. You took a glance at the living room; it's completely set up for your convenience, just as if he already memorized how you move while working.
You turned to him and squinted your eyes in doubt, "You're not having me pay for this, aren't you?"
Oh shit.
He might've overdone it this time. He even prepared a fresh towel at the bathroom sink so it'd be more convenient for you to wash up during midnight work breaks.
He was about to excuse himself to the bathroom and address the matter in question until you perked up, "The flowers!"
Oh, that too.
Levi sighed internally. There's no use trying to hide it. "I thought the flowers you were bringing smelt good. I bought the scent for my air diffuser just earlier. Come and eat now. I'm dead hungry and I just waited for you."
He's been waiting for you.
You screamed internally. Ninety percent of your life problems would be solved if your friend here knew the real reason you accepted his offer to use his house. His presence alone would boost your morale to keep going in life. Who wouldn't get boosted to work while he's there, giving his silent support? Having him cook stuff for you is a whole package, too. And now he's tweaked his house to accommodate you more.
If someone won't husband him up, you will. No questions asked.
"Sorry," Levi mused as both of you sat down, "I quite overdid it. I was bored as hell earlier, finding things to do."
"Coming here is the only thing that keeps me alive. You have no idea."
Luckily for him, you were too busy munching your food that you didn't notice the immediate curl in his lips. Now, he's not sorry he overdid it, not at all. He's rather so damn proud. The damn fresh towel in his bathroom sink will stay.
"Great," he composed himself immediately after having you wash the plates. For the next destressing activity before you finally work, "I have something to buy at the convenience store. Wanna come?"
"Of course! Ice cream, man!" you shouted from the living room as you prepared your things.
Of course, he mused. Your ice cream is the only reason he'd go out, after all. He'll just add other stuff to disguise that. And thereafter, the most exciting part comes: watching you work. He'll pretend to read something in the dining room to conceal his glances. How you would nod mindlessly while reading, puff a breath while struggling to understand something, hold the pen above your lips at random times, everything. He's not the one doing you a favor, really.
"You know, I realized something when I smelled your house earlier."
Well, he hopes the thing you realized isn't about his affection just yet. "What is it?"
"I've been so tired lately, aaah!" you stretched your limbs while walking down the pavement. "So I was jealous of the flowers."
"This is the tenth time you've said that."
"Oh god," you gasped, "seriously?" he nodded nonchalantly so you added, "See, that's the thing with the flowers. They don't have to panic when they forget something because they can't do so in the first place!"
"You didn't even panic," he gave you your ice cream and then opened his lollipop—the one he added to buy so you wouldn't realize the power you have over him. An attempt, a futile attempt. "You need something to address your memory issues, though. If you want to be an uneventful plant so bad then stop overworking yourself. Start by slouching on the couch the whole day."
"If I were a flower, I'd like to settle on one of your vases," you mumbled as you sucked on the popsicle. "No work, no pain, just 'yay I'm being watered by Levi Ackerman!'"
Here you go again. He pursed his lips to hold a quip—well, no, not for the quip. It's for his teetering patience. He swears if you get more endearing than this then he'll—
"Can I apply as an honorary dead flower in your house? I'll start by slouching on your couch the whole day."
"You can't be one, silly." he paused from walking, though fair enough because you're at the doorway already.
"Because it doesn't suit me, yeah?" you snarked, "Then what if a cactus—"
His face went nearer. You thought he was about to whisper something, but no. He had his forehead bump yours. Your breath hitched then.
"Until you tell me how I'm supposed to kiss you if you're a damned plant, then no. Not on my watch. Not anytime soon."
You were frozen in your tracks and there Levi realized he might've overdone it again.
But well, not that he's going to bother himself about it. He gave you the chance to stop being adorable in front of him—as if it'd do anything. You've been adorable to him since you met.
"You can be on my couch without being a dead flower, though." Swiftly as ever, he opened the door and then gestured for you to enter again as if nothing had happened. "You can do your work there—as usual—or slouch while I kiss you. All your choices, just not a plant."
The second chapter of this story (crossposted on my other accs) is pure shameless smut so I can't post it here. You can look it up on my Tumblr (furtherthantheuniverse) or AO3 (drearie).
I am also accepting prompt requests for modern!Levi and reader. You can comment it here or ask anonymously.