Credits/Disclaimers: Only the idea is mine, everything else belongs to their respective creators. Headcanon from Tumblr user: redscarfedsoldier – "Levi waking up one morning to find his mother dead from her illness, so when he's with Mikasa, whenever she's sick, even when she only has the common cold, he'll stay awake next to her all night watching her and keeping a careful eye on her breathing, just to be sure she's still okay."

It was very cold and he was shivering. He tried to turn around and cozy up against her, but it was still too cold. The sounds indicated that everything was quite outside too, for there were no tell-tale signs of those his Mama always referred to as 'dear customers', who were never turned away even if he occasionally was.

He was forced to open his bleary eyes and paw around in the dark for his rugged blanket. He found the piece of cloth soon enough and pulled at it gently. It did not come to him. So, he pulled again, a little harder this time. Still nothing. So, he felt around a little more and discovered the reason for the obstinacy of the blanket. His mother's arm and part of her body had captured it. She must have been cold too. He thought to himself that his Mama must have wanted to cuddle with him while sleeping – it was a heartwarming thought. He felt his lips break into a smile even in his sleep-doused state. His Mama.

He slid closer to her to give her the snuggle she had probably been wanting. He went to lift her hands to– suddenly, the room seemed distant from the rest of the world he knew and the little boy felt himself sinking in dread. He did not know what the dread represented, but it was terrifying. His Mama's hand still in his, he nudged her to wake, "Mama, you are veyy cold."

Of course, his tiny, raspy voice wasn't enough to rouse his mother, so he tried again, "Mama. Mama! Youa veyy cold."

"Mama. Wakup." She wasn't listening to him. At all. And now his tiny hands were slapping her even-colder face. Slapping, perhaps, was not enough. So, the little boy, in his innocence, kicked his mother gently on the side to wake her up. But be it gentle or innocent or desperate, nothing can awaken those who are not meant to be awakened.

And in a few extended minutes, when the hubbub outside their rundown nest declared the arrival of, what his Mama called "the morning", the little boy learned that there were more subtle pains in life than being cold at night. More subtle pains that would never leave him. More subtle pains like never feeling his Mama wake him up with a tender kiss to the a forehead and a soft "Levi – wake up, little love."

There was a storm raging outside and the wind had it's mind set upon shattering their little abode. The window boards were clattering against the glass and the swishing and swashing of leaves sang of the arrival of heavy rain. Lightning and thunder danced above as if it were a celebration of the night. But Levi was far from being in a celebratory mood. His wife of two months, was sick and coughing, sneezing relentlessly. In the past thirty-six hours, she had thrown up everything that had gone down her throat.

She was finally asleep. Very lightly, he was sure, but that damn wind outside! He knew one thing for sure, he hated Nature. He was quietly pacing up and down by the foot of the bed in their room, when he heard her shift and reach out for something. In under an instance, he was by her side, coddling her and asking her what she needed. She had barely opened her eyes and her face was very swollen. She did not look very good and Levi's heartbeat raced harder.

"What is the time?", she wondered out loud.

"Just a little past three, you want something to eat or drink?" He gushed out. She was sick, she should not be wasting her breathe on useless questions and tempting a coughing fit. This woman was always a handful.

She opened her eyes wide. Due to the dim light from the hall, he could see that her eyes were still red and she was in need of sleep. Much of it. Her eyes went from first-awareness-after-waking-up to what-the-hell in very little time and Levi wondered what could have possibly triggered that.

"Past three? And you are awake? Still in your day clothes?" She looked at him – somewhat bewildered – or as much bewildering as her personality allowed. "Why?"

He sighed. Relief and a small happiness flooding him. "Mikasa…"

She waited. He stalled.

"I wanted to make sure that you were doing alright and I was just about to go to bed too." He fibbed, hoping that her sickness would be enough to prompt her tired body to drop the argument that was sure to ensue. But she must have been feeling better to even notice. That was good. Very good.

And Mikasa was not Mikasa just like that. She leveled him with a semi-glare and grabbed his collar. Using it as leverage to slowly pull herself up to her husband, she settled herself at the closest possible without breathing into his mouth. Levi immediately cocooned her in his arms and tried to peer into her eyes as if searching for lost treasure.

"You were not about to go to bed. I am sick not stupid. Why were you up?" Said in a perfectly flat tone with a no-nonsense attitude, she instantly jolted him back into the reason why he had fallen for her in the first place.

She did not hide behind false consolations.

"I am worried. So, I stayed up. Don't worry about me, I will go to bed soon." He replied feeling touched at the fact that even through her illness, she had not failed to bare his soul with nothing but straight, simple words. Mikasa softened in his arms and brought her fingers to the back of his head to cast a net of an embrace.

"Were you thinking about her again?" She asked kindly. It was not as much a question as it was a reaffirmation of what she already knew.

"Yes." He replied, almost ashamed. Ashamed at being seen through so easily or ashamed that he could not leave it behind, he wasn't sure. He felt her lean into him and rest her head against his shoulder, "Levi." That one word was his baptism, his red thread of destiny, his mere existence that tied him to Mikasa.

He kissed her forehead and leaned her back into the cushion of blankets and pillows. She was falling asleep again, which was a good sign. Her hands slipped from his back down the front of his shirt, but she hooked her fingers with his on the way. Levi picked up their joined hands and kissed hers once before letting go. He decided to sleep, after all.

Walking around the bed, he adjusted the blankets and plopped down beside Mikasa. She snuggled up to him and Levi felt a pang of something sting his heart, but he concentrated on holding her closer – which, happily enough, made that sting go away. She mumbled something into his shirt before sleep overcame her and Levi found himself cradling her as if his life depended on it. Perhaps it did.

Morning broke and Mikasa struggled to stretch her arms and yawn. It felt good to wake up feeling less groggy, without a stuffed nose and aches everywhere in the body. Especially, when she could feel her husband holding her so close. She opened her eyes to look at him and sure enough, he was awake. She smiled and got one of his rare ones in return.

"Good Morning. You didn't sleep, did you?" No preamble. That's how they lived.

"Good Morning. No, I didn't. Are you feeling better?" That's how it was going to be. No lies. No pretenses.

"I am. Like I told you. This is only the first time, I may be sick again." She shot back.

"I know." He replied without breaking rhythm.

"Will you stay up again?" She challenged.

"I will." He confessed.

What seemed like forever later, Mikasa blinked and Levi closed in to kiss her forehead. She did not need to convince him to sleep, he would not be able to give her that anyway. But seeing the man she loved with every single fibre of her being, tormented by demons of the past, obviously hurt her as well. Not that Levi did not know that, but this was something they both knew was never to be resolved. People did not get over the death of their only family at the mere age of five, that easily. People did not live through turbulent times and survive despite praying for death everyday. People did not find love in life that could soothe the pains of years past. People did not discard fear and live in ignorant bliss.

Her eyes were reflecting the storm that had somewhat passed by now and Levi could see that she was unhappy. He pulled up his hand to brush back a strand of her silky hair and tuck it behind her ear. Not quite knowing how to reassure her that he was alright, he said the only words that would come out of his mouth.

"Wake up to me. Always."

She looked up abruptly at that – a little astonished, a little poignant. Her lips, in all their chapped glory and faded colour, parted and sealed up in succession, before she exhaled heavily and made him a promise.

"Stay with me. Forever."