Never Let You Go ▶A Levi Ackerman X Reader◀

Chapter Sixty-Four

I hear footsteps downstairs. The sound of boots against hardwood. I furrow my brow in confusion. One of the survey corps members must be paying me a visit. Or maybe my Aunt has discovered a new flower to show me.

I climb off the bed and stand upright, smoothing my dress. I walk down the hall, listening for the sound of voices. But all I hear are the footsteps, but slower. As if taking in their surroundings.

I take each step at a time, the breeze coming in from the open door floating up the stairs and causing my dress to flutter around my legs.

I see a figure standing in the main hall, their back turned to me. They look older, with greying black hair.

"Hello?" I say curiously, watching as the stranger turns around.

"(Y/n)..." They whisper.

"Levi!" I gasp.

I run to him, throwing my arms around his neck. He seems stunned at first, as if in disbelief. But he quickly melts, holding me as tight as he can manage. If I had to breathe I'd surely be suffocating in his grasp.

I peer at his face, now adorned with soft wrinkles. He looks older than the last time I saw him. In seconds he grows youthful again, but he looks even younger than when we last locked eyes.

"If you're here that must mean..." I trail off. I don't feel sadness here. Just peace.

"I died." He says. "I think I had a heart attack. The last thing I remember is Kuchel trying to save me."

"Levi, tell me about them. I miss them."

"There's so much to tell." He says, smiling.

"It's a good thing we have the rest of eternity to go over it." I say, and he holds me tight in his embrace once again.

"You didn't die in vain. I made sure of that. The world is finally at peace. And Historia remains queen."

"I have missed you so much." I tell him. My world feels a little more complete, but not quite.

"I missed you more than anything." He tells me, his eyes shining. "I was never the same after I lost you."

"You have me back. And I am not going to ever leave your side again." I tell him, my voice soft. I run my fingers through his hair. It's a silky as I remember.

"Don't speak like your death was your fault, love. It was an accident. And we can forget it ever happened. We're together again. I've dreamed if this day."

We kiss, our lips fitting together like matching puzzle pieces. The moment is bittersweet, knowing our children are grieving, but we are rejoicing.

"Shall I show you around?" I ask him, his body still in my arms.

"Please, dear."

I take his hand and give him a tour of our house. Having him here makes it feel more like a home. I show him my old pet cat. She immediately takes a liking to him.

Then I take him to his old friends. Erwin is the first one to greet him with open arms. If I could shed a tear watching his reunion with his old squad, I would. It's been decades since they last saw each other alive. Time moves fast here, but it has still felt like a lifetime.

Our last stop is down the path behind our house. I am not clumsy and move with ease through the overgrown grass and weeds. We come to a little clearing in the trees. Levi's eyes widen.

"How did this place get here...?" He trails off.

"This is what I've spent the last few decades recreating." I tell him. "Our little spot. I even planted the orchids by the stream."

"You're amazing." He says to me. He leans his head back, his eyes closed, breathing in the fresh air. The breeze blows his hair back out of his face.

He walks over, wrapping his arms around me, kissing me passionately under the dancing shadows from the leaves overhead.

"I can say one thing with absolute certainty. And I meant it all those years ago when I said it." He whispers. He rests his forehead against mine.

"I'll never let you go."

~End of book One~

(Sequel out now)