Levi x Reader Oneshots 2

The Moon and the Sea (Siren Levi x Reader)

"Levi, I appreciate your dedication," Erwin – siren king of the Cerulean Sea – told his Captain of the Guard while the two of them took their leisurely morning swim around the palace, "but you don't need to sacrifice your happiness for us. Nothing threatens us at the present time."

"But that could change at any moment," Levi retorted. "We still don't know if our enemies from the previous lifetime are in this one as well. They could be out there somewhere, just waiting for the opportunity to attack."

He wasn't about to let them succeed, wasn't about to let Erwin or anyone else die a second time. They'd been given another chance here – a chance to live long, peaceful lives. Levi would protect that, no matter the cost.

"Besides, I'm not sacrificing my happiness," the captain continued. "You're here. And so are Hanji and Miche, and all the other Scouts. Furlan and Isabel. I'm not about to throw all that away just so I can chase some fantasy. I'm content with the way things are now."

"You bring us happiness as well," Erwin replied, smiling warmly. "But there's no reason you can't have both the old and the new. A mate is the greatest gift a siren can receive. I don't want you to miss out. You've been feeling the pull for – what, three days now? You need to follow it, before your mate returns to land. Once they do, they might never set out to sea again. This could be your only chance."

"Tch. I said no," Levi insisted. "I'm not going to lose everyone I care about just because I got greedy. I went through that hell once. Never again."

Erwin sighed, then put a hand on Levi's shoulder. "Just think about it. Please. It likely wouldn't take more than a single night for you to find them and bring them back. All of us here will be fine without you for one night."

Levi averted his gaze, his stomach knotting at the other reason why he couldn't bring himself to go meet his mate. "And what if they don't want to come?" he asked quietly. "What person in their right mind would willingly jump into the ocean to be with a creature most humans view as a monster? Even if they did jump, what if..." He swallowed, unable to finish.

What if they decide they don't want me? What if I'm not good enough?

Erwin, intuitive as he was, discerned the words Levi didn't say. He knew that deep down, his friend struggled with abandonment issues from his previous life, always worrying he wasn't good enough for the people he held dear. "Levi, the match is made by the shared wisdom of the sea and the moon. Mating bonds are reflections of their own perfect relationship. Of course, they'd pick someone who will be open-minded enough to recognize you for what you are, someone who will jump into the sea for you – and not regret it for as long as they live. The proof is in the pull you feel, for just as the tides feel the pull of the moon, we sirens feel the pull of our mates. Trust me, it will work out, just as it did for me and so many of our friends."

Levi chewed on his lip. "I suppose...if you say so..." he acquiesced.

Erwin squeezed his shoulder. "Excellent. Go on, now. We'll all be waiting here when you return – with a lavish party to welcome your mate, I'm sure."

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By the time Levi reached his destination, night had fallen. A large, metal ship moved at a snail's pace through the water before him, and the pull told Levi his mate was on that ship, somewhere. He closed the distance carefully, watching for any sign that the humans aboard had detected him, watching for their harpoons and nets.

Human legends had turned sirens into monsters whose songs enticed sailors to jump into the ocean, where the sirens would drown them before feasting on their flesh. In reality, a siren's song – while ethereally beautiful to the human ear – did not put humans under a spell or force them to do anything against their will. Rather, it was a call that only one fated to be a siren's mate would understand, an explanation and a request and a promise all rolled into one. The human then had the choice of jumping into the sea and accepting the siren's kiss, which would turn them into a siren as well. As Erwin had said, it was unheard of for a human to reject the call, because they would feel the pull just as much as the siren did.