#steeped in love

[whattheheckmidoriya]

Steeped in Love pt. 1

Description: Levi Ackerman never expected to fall in love— he didn't consider himself capable of such a thing. But what's to become of his heart when you pull him out of the flames and offer a place for him to recover? What will he do when you barely make it back to him— when he hasn't yet mustered the courage to bear the secrets of his heart?

Pairing: Postwar!Levi x Firefighter!Reader

Warnings: building catching on fire

Word Count: 1,627

Author's note: After so much anticipation, it's finally here! I'm so excited to share more of this with you all, so please enjoy!♡

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Series Masterlist

•

"One coffee, black," Levi perked up, glancing away from the delicate cups he'd been so focused on scrubbing clean only to meet a gaze he's become warmly familiar with. "And make it a big one."

He couldn't help but click his tongue, turning back to the task at hand before replying with a plain, "This is a tea shop, not a cafe, you idiot." Scarred lips quirked up subtly at the exasperated sigh that seeped into his ears.

A tired hand massaged your temples as you leaned over the counter, waiting for him to turn to you. "I can see the damn coffee bags, Levi." You sighed, "You know that coffee place down the street is ass— help me out here."

The former Captain hummed, now satisfied with the sparkling reflection on the cup in his hands. Snatching a cloth to dry his hands with, he finally turned to you. The tired pull of your brow wasn't lost on him. "I heard about last night," Looking around, he made sure no customers had been left unattended. He crossed his arms. "How are you?"

A subtle smile tugged at your lips at the note of concern in his words. Your shoulders sagged as you released a weighted breath. "Been worse," What that implied made the man before you frown. You shrugged. "But everyone's safe, and that's all that matters."

Levi would've scoffed, hadn't he bit his tongue. Did you believe he didn't notice the darkening shadows under your eyes? You seemed to waver under the weight of it all just a bit more every day. He wished you'd let him ease that pressure off your shoulders, even just a fraction of it. He'd do it in a heartbeat.

There wasn't a single person in town who hadn't heard about last night's raging fire. It'd been a while since he'd seen destruction like that. He hated that you had been risking it all, staring down at the heart of those ravaging flames while he could only idly wait and read about the more gruesome details in the morning paper. A bitter taste settled on his tongue just thinking about it.

A scarred hand placed a travel cup over the counter, nudging it over in your direction. He quirked a brow at you, prompting you to take it.

You obliged without much of a fight, curiously eyeing the drink before taking a whiff of its scent. Warm. Roasted. Bitter, but sweetened to your liking. A weak smile threatened to curl your lips. "When did you make this?"

Levi shrugged nonchalantly, carefully watching your reaction as the rim of the cup met your lips. Satisfaction bubbled in his chest as he watched you relax into the drink's warmth. "Figured you'd need it," He commented, knowing well how last night's incident had snatched any chance of rest away from your begging hands. He didn't have the heart to point out the residue ash that still stained your cheeks and lingered under your nails. "Brewed it as soon as I opened the shop."

A small breath of amusement escaped you. For someone so obsessed with his tea, he surely knew how to brew your coffee just right. "My hero," you teased, taking another sip from the cup. "What would I do without you?"

This time, Levi allowed himself to scoff. He leaned over the counter, eyeing you under dark lashes. "You'd be choking on that shitty coffee from down the street."

You sputtered as a laugh soared past your lips. He still hadn't gotten used to such a wild melody. How exciting. A new glow flashed behind your eyes, a dazzling little thing that tugged at his heartstrings.

"Hey," you smiled, adjusting the collar of your jacket before sliding some money across the counter. "Thanks for the coffee, seriously."

Levi shook his head as he shoved the bills back in your direction. "It's on me," He cleared his throat, his gaze advising not to challenge him. "This town doesn't need the Captain of its fire department passing out in broad daylight."

You grumbled under your breath, stuffing the money back into your pockets. "Then how about I pay you with some dinner?"

At that, the former Captain froze. You chuckled at the sight.

"Nothing serious, I promise," You raised your hands in feigned surrender, gaze softening ever so slightly. "Just something to show my appreciation for the best tea shop owner in town!"

Levi rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "You mean the only tea shop owner in town."

Shrugging, you leveled him with a teasing look. "My point still stands," Courage bubbled in your veins as you leaned on the counter, agonizingly close to him. "Let me pick you up tonight. We'll grab something to eat, and I'll have you back before you know it, okay?"

"Aren't you busy?" He knew how unpredictable your job could be— he also knew how exhausting it could be.

You groaned in feigned annoyance. "I'm off of work early today, and tomorrow's my day off!" A pout settled on your lips. "Please, just let me do something nice for you."

Levi sighed, glancing over to the clock on the wall. It's starting to feel like a rather slow day, he had to admit. Mismatched hues glared at you with little bite. "Be here by seven," He stepped back, returning to the task of scrubbing the dishes clean. "I won't be up all night waiting for you." A blatant lie, he knew.

A sense of victory warmed your chest, and you couldn't help but subtly fistbump the air in celebration. Levi snickered. "I'll pick you up at six-thirty," you clarified with a grin. Getting ready for your leave, you once again grabbed the travel cup. "Oh, and dress warmly tonight! I hear it'll be cold." You shouted over your shoulder before stepping through the door and out of the shop.

Levi could only shake his head and bite back a smile as he watched you walk away.

•

Anticipation pooled in your chest and spilled down to your stomach as you drove down to Levi's teashop. Lucky bastard. Of course, he would have his apartment just above his shop. What you'd give to live so close to your job and avoid the treacherous drives into the heart of town.

All day, you'd been planning the evening, fine-tuning each detail to perfection. You'd take him out to dinner, have him try out some desserts, and if his leg permitted it, you'd offer to go for a walk around the city market. It'd been made clear that Levi preferred simplicity, and you didn't mind savoring a bit of it either.

A gentle tune crackled and poured out of your radio, the sound sweet as it seeped into your ears. You smiled, glancing at the scarf you'd gotten for him. It's been cold out lately. Supposedly, it would be even colder in the evening. A small gift such as this wouldn't be too much, right? You shook your head. It'd be best not to overthink it in case your courage trickled away.

A frantic clamor disrupted the melody, flooding your car. You frowned as you watched people rush out of their houses, jumping the last few steps off their porches before going off in a sprint. How strange. Their shouts drowned out the tune of your radio, something vile and fearful twisting in your stomach as their voices echoed in the air.

"What's going o—" Your eyes widened, chest constricting at the sight of smoke. A puff of gray rose to the sky, dark and angry, showering the town in ash. Silent prayers tugged and yanked at your heartstrings as a new weight of urgency settled over the gas pedal.

When did screams of panic replace the angelic tune of your car radio? When had your anxiety gotten the better of you, pushing your foot just a little further down, the rush not enough to propel you forward as quickly as you wished? When had the home of so many smiles and fleeting glances turned into a flaming coffin?

Hastily abandoning your vehicle, you rushed through the crowds, fear clawing viciously at your back as you stood before the beloved teashop. The once comforting aroma of tea and sweets you became so familiar with now withered away under the attack of raging flames. Your lungs stung bitterly.

"Is he still in there?!" You asked the first person you could get a hold of. "Is Levi still inside?" You pressed, hating the sour taste of desperation.

Your answer came in the form of wide eyes and a choked cry.

The crackle and pop of the wooden structure snapped you out of your panic. A quick look at the upper level of the building suggested the fire hadn't fully reached his apartment as of yet. A new sense of determination overshadowed your fear as you sprinted back to your car, grabbing the scarf you'd gotten for the former Captain.

With no time to rush back to headquarters for your equipment, you came to the dreadful realization that your team might not have gotten notice of the situation as of yet. Odds dictated that the situation could worsen before they arrived.

Frightful screams rang in your ears as you rushed past the crowds. Perhaps you were thinking ahead of yourself. Perhaps you weren't thinking at all. Maybe something other than fear was pulsing through your veins, chilling and addicting in the most dangerous ways. Whatever it was, you savored it fiercely.

You promised Levi a nice evening. Making sure he was okay was vital for you to fulfill such a daring promise.

Covering your nose and mouth with the scarf, you greeted the flames like an old friend as you plunged into them.

•

🏷 Levi Ackerman taglist

@leviackermanmyhero245 @violet-19999 @celestair @ms-sin-city @ghostly-haunted @andrastesbeard @ikisstoga @izukus-gf @Bluetima @lemonboi69 @aconstructofamind @figlia--della--luna @imjustasimpxd @notgoodforlife @bubsonnobx @a10vely-yutazen   @Just-sana @Loca-raccoon @Hjnhuh @geese-goose18 @c-a-v-a-l-r-y @crbin-quinn

[bucktommmy]

They must have run out of time...They didn't cross over. They're gone. And I didn't even get to say goodbye.

[casscainmainly]

I know people love saying 'Bruce is a girldad' and I totally get it, we want to show how much he loves Cass and that she's his daughter. But Bruce's initial love for Cass was largely predicated on how not girly she was. He openly dislikes her girlhood throughout Batgirl 2000 (including but not limited to: dismissing her civilian identity, berating her for any romantic attempts, weakening her friendship with Stephanie, undermining her relationship to Babs, etc. etc.). Cass' femininity interferes with his ability to project onto her, so a lot of the time he just dismisses it. Is it really a coincidence that Bruce's only adopted daughter is one who wasn't raised as a girl?

[nipuni]

Some photos from our short trip north last week! Santiago de Compostela, Ourense and A Coruña 😊

[goodold-fashioned-killerqueen]

born to draw block people making out... force to draw houses....

[milquetoad]

of the many injustices put forth toward the show by fans i think the most overall damaging and telling of a complete lack of critical viewership is the idea that sam riegel builds his characters with nothing more than the bit in mind. like you are only telling on yourself if you think characters like scanlan shorthalt and veth brennato are one-dimensional and depthless

[brawlite]

look my dudes you don't gotta love everything, but you ALSO don't need to shit all over something people love as some kind of Hot Take™. you simply don't need to do it!

free yourself from needing to have a hot, negative take about everything—stop spreading negativity and spread some joy instead!!

[chipfunk-art]

IT'S DONE HUZZAH

Drawing that I started of @beebopurr 's lighthouse au on Christmas when I first got an official drawing tablet but I'm the world's slowest artist so Happy New Year everybody!

Took some creative liberties sorry. April is injured... somehow. I was gonna add blood but I didn't have the heart to hurt her too bad so it's not that bad don't worry!

Warm-up doodles below and thanks to beebopurr for making an awesome ass au that's just knarly !!!

👍

[tabithatwo]

up late thinking about lottie longing for a connection with callie, because callie represents both the baby that lottie once put all of her hopes into, and because callie represents a time and place that lottie misses so deeply (because all of them miss it, don’t they? even the ones who it hurt the most?)

and about callie longing for a connection with lottie, because lottie could be a mother, she could care, she does seem to care, after just seconds she cared, because she saw who callie was, she told her she was powerful, she not only noticed what callie wishes so desperately that shauna would but she voiced it, and because lottie knew her mother before, before the wilderness, before she lost jackie, before she turned into this shell of a woman, and all callie has ever wanted was to get a glimpse of the mother she could have had without that baggage.

and shauna seeing lottie and callie connect, even just briefly, and it causing the instincts of fear and of protectiveness to kick in when they’ve been absent for so long, when she’s barely, if ever, been able to apply those instincts to callie, because she just started to realize that callie was real, like, a few hours ago, so give her a break, okay?

because lottie wanted shauna’s baby then, and it terrified shauna into even greater madness. and lottie wants shauna’s baby now, but it might just terrify shauna into greater clarity this time.

because the wilderness that lottie proclaimed sentient and powerful, that she said was something to be thanked and respected? whether mystical or mundane, it doesn’t really matter: that wilderness took jackie. it took the baby. it took shauna’s sanity. and shauna’s maternal instincts, the ones that would tell her to protect callie from ordinary things, like loneliness and predatory men and feeling unloved, never kicked in. because shauna’s mind is still out there. with jackie, with the baby, with dangers far greater than suburban new jersey could ever know. that is what’s real to her, that is still her reality.

but lottie did something. she brought that reality back, and she allowed it to seep into civilization. and that might be more disorienting, more confusing, to some. but shauna has been existing wholly in civilization, with a mind so fractured it conjured pieces of the wilderness every single day and let them penetrate everything, until life became murky and unnavigable. but this? now? the threat of the trappings of the wilderness cropping back up is real and present, and suddenly shauna’s fears aren’t all in her head. reality has shifted, and she’s come out ever-so-slightly more sane for it.

so now shauna is pretty certain that callie is real. and she’s very certain that the threat, the same threat that took jackie, that took the baby, is real, too.

so I think that shauna might start trying to be a mother just yet, because if anything could do it, it’s the feeling that the wilderness is trying to take someone from her again.

[minnow-doodle-doo]

a few seconds before the click of Tim’s camera

[autisticrosewilson]

So do you guys actually think that Jason's entire story, relationship to the others, and philosophy amounts to him being a rebellious teen who wants his dad's attention? Like are you 100% serious? I thought you were joking about that but too many of you are saying it with your whole chest.

And what the fuck is this "Bruce antagonizing Jason is fanon!" Shit I've been seeing? You guys are aware that a parent can love their kid and still be a shit parent right? I know you guys don't want to fathom the thought that maybe your blorbo might also occasionally have to face responsibility for consistently endangering children but let's not start being delusional now.

Bruce does love his kids, that doesn't mean that he hasn't hurt them. And I'd also argue that for the most part he feels in the right for it, and he's said multiple times that he believes it's for their own good, so you can't even argue that he's sorry about it. It's okay for you guys to admit that your PERSONAL INTERPRETATION of the character wouldn't do that but don't sit here and pretend that it's not a facet of the source.

[rhymaes]

The Untamed (2019) // “Snowdrops,” Louise Glück

[leolithe]

Something I find really interesting about the Lotus' dialogue after the Lotus Eaters is her use of the word 'witch'.

"I was the Daughter. I became the Mother. In time, I shall be the Witch, blind once again, empty of all but wisdom." -Lotus

'Witch' has very specific connotations. Close enough to another similar word that I can't help but feel like it has to be a deliberate reference to the Triple Goddess ─ Maiden, Mother, Crone. These are figures from neopaganism that symbolizes the stages of a woman's life. Eleanor (proto-Nyx) even outright calls her the triple-faced goddess. While it definitely could just refer to Lotus, Margulis and Natah, what if we have yet to see her final form?

She was first Natah, the daughter of Hunhow. Then she assimilated Margulis' form and became the Lotus, mother to the Tenno. And now, she is to be the witch. Even urging us not to mourn should she turn into something we don't recognize. I'm very excited to see what exactly that will look like for her and how her role could potentially change. The quest made a point that the Operator will be staying behind while Drifter is the one chosen for the quest to 1999. Maybe instead of the mother-child dynamic that we've had for a decade, we'll get to see what kind of relationship she might have with the Drifter (<-copium)

I'm not much of a Greek Myth Lorehead but I've read up a bit on The Triple Goddess Hecate (who I've been told that, in Hades 2, was voiced by Amelia Tyler... who is now also voicing our dear Eleanor Nightingale. Worth mentioning cuz u just know rebb was kicking her feet and giggling at being able to pull that together). Hecate's status as a gatekeeper type figure, as i understand it, is very interesting when u apply it to the Lotus...

I'm just thinking about how meta the whole "Lotus' ascent to godhood" plot thread is. It's like a direct parallel to her voice actress' "intern to creative director" journey LMAO. It's a bloody golden opportunity and i hope they're cashing all in on Goddess!Lotus and everything it'll entail...

Not to mention lorewise and what it means for the Lotus' own arc!! To be someone constantly being pulled around by others to fulfil their own purposes, having her own wants neglected, shamed, belittled... To becoming a Witch/Crone/Gatekeeper a la Hecate -- now the one potentially capable of denying or approving others' needs and goals...? Ugh, that's so fucking JUICY. What a bloody incredible character.

Lotus mentions becoming "empty of all but wisdom", and I've seen someone theorize that she'll become even more emotionless and distant as a shield against Wally because it thrives on emotions. This theory scares me because it could very well happen... Not like Space Mom already has a history of being distant and reluctant to tell us how she's feeling... *Sniffles*...

There's also the theories about assigning Natah/Lotus/Margulis as the Maiden/Mother/Crone...

The most surface level reading would be Margulis = Maiden, Lotus = Mother, Natah = Crone, but imo when people make this read they're kinda hinging on their appearances lol. Pretty Margulis, "Ugly" Natah... Maybe even just "Good mom who can do no wrong" and "evil Sentient who led part of an assault on the Origin System".

I would like to think that it isn't that shallow, buuuut their personalities do fit the bill when u bring the "phases of a woman's life" theme to it.

Margulis' naivete, or the shattering of it, as the Maiden:

"No, Ballas, no more destruction. Maybe they're meant to save us."

"You lied to me, Ballas. You're no different than the rest of them."

Natah's headstrong wisdom, or her desire for it, as the Crone:

"I am the witness, the victim, the judge. My family has returned. Your trial, soon to begin."

"The times ahead will need decisiveness. Power."

And Natah does die in TNW. Her death is a very big part of the quest lol. The "End of life" theming of the Crone fits her very well... And the very first "gatekeeper/crone judges and makes the decision for you" thing she did was killing ballas. So i get it!

Inversely... You could also assign Natah as the Maiden and Margulis as the Mother because of the simple "Natah was the Daughter, now I am the Mother" quote. After all, Lotus before TNW was living very much under Margulis' shadow, assimilating into her like you mentioned. This read leaves Lotus to be the Crone; the empty, wise Witch we have yet to see.

The more i write this the more I wanna say: Damn. These 3 were always meant to converge into each other. Their stories are all sides of each others' respective coins and it almost feels arbitrary to chuck them into strict roles, even if symbolic.

I definitely think we're gonna see her "Triple Goddess Final Form" in the future. It's too good a story beat. Too sexy. DE HAS to do it. I have my platinum ready. Give me all the skins.

As for the DrifterLotus copium....... Hehehe. I don't think DE will ever do anything romantic/sexual with them. i think they're just gonna cap their relationship off at "they care immensely for each other" because they might be concerned about the questionable pseudo incest implications looming over anything to do with Lotus and the Tenno.

Like don't get me wrong; Drifter is their own person and Lotus of all people would be comfortable with the concept of "people having identical faces won't make them the same person". I just feel like DE might not be willing to play with them in that way. For perfectly understandable reasons... The Player Tenno are very much "colouring book" characters for the OC lovers so it seems smart to keep them relatively open-ended.

But. Don't worry. Check my AO3 at the end of the week. I hope you'll find something that brings u even a little bit of cheer ;3

[penguuthegentoo]

Taking a pause from my mouse posting to drop some concept sketches for my high fantasy take on my clangen cats 🙈

Introducing Juniperwhisper! A childhood friend of Redsmoke. He's rather soft spoken and good natured and often finds Redsmoke's rare prickly nature rather amusing.

SO inspired by the idea that Redsmoke was actually an ancient starclan cat reborn-- I ran with it. Putting it under a readmore cause it's _a lot_. Can you tell I've been playing a ton of dnd lately lmao??

In this wc world, there was a mythos about cats back at the dawn of the clans that were blessed by these great mythical beasts. The Unicorn, the Chimera and the elusive and unknown Phoenix.

Cats blessed with by the horn were made to be great healers, using some inate magic within the horn to convert their own life and spirit into intense healing. Tragically, that life transference lowered the life expectantly of those blessed by the horn.

Cats blessed by the claw were born with intense strength and battle prowess and were often given the role of guards and warriors. They were the ones tasked with defending the clan against threats of harrowing size (like wolves and mountain lions and other large, dangerous creatures.)

Cats...er... the cat blessed by the flame, sports a wing like pattern on his shoulders and has the ability of the Phoenix to be reborn again. In actuality-- he has an ability similar to the protag of Erased LMAO. Bit of a groundhog day situation where he has to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it before the day/moment repeats itself. No one other than him really understands the power of the Phoenix and don't really piece together the work he's done for his clan.

Fast forward to modern day. The clans are returning to their territories after the Ashen Plague hit and made the entire area unlivable. Feeling daring and adventurous, a young warrior begins to explore the barren ashen wasteland that was the Great Tree and stumbles upon what she thought was a dead petrified cat-- but was actually a living warrior! Redsmoke! How curious...

[cryptocism]

Do you by any chance plan to draw anything Loustat related your art is amazing and I'd love to see smt with them too if you can😊😊

maybe! probably! life is busy atm but Louis is such a top tier character 4 me its kinda wild i havent drawn him by now. im still knees deep in the vampire obsession so its v likely i'll do some art of him with a non-zero chance of Lestat being included

[padawansuggest]

Just because Obi-Wan is pregnant/sick/whatever your fetish is, doesn’t mean he has to give up caffeine, not all tea has caffeine in it. He could go herbal. He could go rooibos crazy and use the time without caffeine to find the perfect blend of tea to additives that he’ll love forever. He could have -*gags*- peppermint, he could have decaf black, he could have minimal caffeine white tea if he can have a small amount, he could have so much. Y’all ain’t know shit about tea and he doesn’t have to full stop his tea if he’s pregnant or sick or fuckin dying or whatever your fetish of the month is. You can make tea with cocoa, and I mean multiple types of that. You can also buy things like rose hips and orange peel shavings and vanilla pods and lemon shavings, ginger pieces, all this other shit. I think you could hand him some super high class caffeine free or low caffeine tea bases (loose leaf for his sensibilities obviously) and then a package of additives and he’ll just go crazy methodically trying new blends every time he wants tea and it’ll put some pep in his step to get to try lots of fancy things.

Is he super tired tho?? Yeah probably.