Levi x Reader Oneshots 2

One Night in Paris (Levi x Reader Reincarnation AU)

Author's Note: Hello, lovelies! This one was inspired by the Eruri fic "chasing ghosts" by shinzouing on AO3. (Please be advised, if you decide to look it up, it does contain smut.) Also, this has tiny spoilers for the end of the manga, but honestly, you probably wouldn't even notice. Besides, I think the internet has pretty much spoiled everything for everyone by this point. 😂 Anyway, enjoy!

When you agreed to travel to Paris for an international conference related to your job at an American museum, you'd expected to see some priceless artwork, try a crêpe, and visit the Eiffel Tower. What you hadn't expected was to see Erwin Smith walking down the private hallway of the Louvre where the conference was being held. Walking toward you.

You'd dreamed about him, about many others, about a dangerous life that had ended too soon. Every night since you'd turned eighteen, your mind had become like a movie theater for scenes from that world – or were they memories? They'd been so detailed, so cohesive, that you had to believe they were real. Yet, you'd never expected to have tangible contact with that reality, to actually see...

"Erwin?" you gasped, dumbstruck, as the man stopped in front of you. He appeared exactly as he always did in your dreams – tall, muscular, with golden hair and bright blue eyes, as well as a charisma that radiated from him like the sun radiated warmth. Yet, instead of a uniform, he now wore a crisp grey suit and black tie, looking more like a corporate CEO than a military commander.

He smiled softly, murmured your name. "It's good to see you again."

"I..." you stammered before swallowing against the sudden dryness in your throat. "Again? So you mean...the dreams really were...we've actually...met before?"

"We have," he confirmed gently. "And yes, the dreams are memories of a past life, as far as we can tell. We've all had them since we were eighteen."

"We?" you breathed, so stunned that you couldn't muster more than a whisper. Because that meant he'd interacted with others before he'd approached you. Were they here? In this world, right now? Had you all been...?

Erwin nodded, still smiling. "I've managed to track down dozens of our former comrades already. A few of them had to take care of business elsewhere, but most of them came to Paris with me. To greet you. They're waiting at our hotel as we speak."

Your heart leapt into your throat. Your friends – people you'd never interacted with in this life, yet felt so deeply connected to your heart anyway. They were real. And they were here. Waiting for you.

You blinked back the tears that pooled in your eyes. "You know, I suddenly feel too sick to attend the rest of the conference," you told Erwin. "I think I need to go back to the hotel."

Erwin's lips quirked, immediately catching on. "Understandable. I'll walk you there," he murmured before offering his arm.

You took it slowly, almost as if your fingers might pass through it like smoke. But you were met with solid muscle, and for a brief moment, your mind flashed back to the memory of a titan snapping its jaws around that arm – and of after, when the only thing left was a bandaged, bloody stump. Your breath caught.

Erwin must've read the swirl of emotions in your eyes, because he placed a hand over yours, and when you glanced up, he was smiling warmly. "This life has given us a second chance in many different ways," he murmured. Then he gestured toward the exit. "Shall we?"

You nodded, and he guided you out of the Louvre, past the glass pyramid, onto the gravel paths of the Jardin des Tuileries. It was a beautiful greenspace – and not too crowded despite being in the middle of the city, though there were quite a few people walking or riding bicycles. You also noticed several vendors with blankets set up along the sides of the main path, selling hats and various souvenirs.