Stardust (Levi x Teacher Reader)

                                    

                                          
Author's Note: Thanks for 40K votes! This story is brought to you by my intense love of "Dr. Stone", with guest inspiration by Sarah J. Maas' "A Court of Mist and Fury".  Happy reading!
                          


                          
"Alright, children," you began with a smile, "who can tell me why the sun rises in the morning and sets at night?"
                          
A smattering of hands went up, some more confident than others. Your eyes glanced over the dozen or so students sitting on the grass in front of you, until they landed on one child in particular. "Yes, Liam?"
                          
The boy stood up to give his answer. "Because the Earth rotates on its axe."
                          
"Its axis," you murmured with a grin. "Very good! Remember, that means the Earth is tilted a bit, kind of like a top spinning on an angle. And furthermore, the –"
                          
You were interrupted when the three o'clock bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. 
                          
"Oh well, I guess we'll get to that next time," you sighed. "Go have fun, kids!"
                          
The children cheered as they jumped to their feet and ran off, already starting a game of tag. You watched them go with a soft smile on your face, genuinely glad that they were so happy. They deserved it, after everything they'd been through.
                          
All the children at Queen Historia's new orphanage were from the Underground City, and before being brought here, most of them had been starving in the slums. You really felt for them, so when a representative of the queen appeared at your front door and asked you to come teach them math and science, you readily agreed. It was a challenge, considering that most of them had never had any kind of education, and you had to start from scratch. But at least they were eager to learn.
                          
"Did you enjoy the lesson?" you spoke into the seemingly empty space as soon as they were gone.
                          
Slowly, a short man with black hair and piercing grey eyes emerged from the group of trees just behind the grassy area where you had been teaching. There was a hint of hesitancy in his gaze, but otherwise, his expression was perfectly stoic. You recognized him as one of the Scouts who was doing volunteer work at the orphanage today.
                          
"You knew I was here?" he questioned, sounding slightly surprised. 
                          
The smallest smirk touched your lips. "As a schoolteacher, I've developed a pretty good sense of when and where people might be hiding. Children do love to play games, after all."
                          
The soldier rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry," he uttered. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just..."
                          
"Wanted to listen to the lesson?" you guessed, your smile broadening as you crossed the few meters of grass that separated you two. "You could have just asked. I don't bite."
                          
"Right," the man grumbled, his eyes flicking off to the side. In fact, he almost seemed embarrassed at being caught.
                          
You giggled and held out your hand. "I'm (f/n)," you chimed.
                          
He glanced at your hand, but he didn't take it. "Levi."
                          
"Oh," you gasped before you could stop yourself, the pieces suddenly clicking together in your mind. 
                          
Captain Levi – otherwise known as Humanity's Strongest Soldier – had worked closely with Queen Historia to build this orphanage, because he himself had grown up in the Underground City. But...there weren't any schools down there. And while the man before you was obviously intelligent enough to succeed as a high-ranking military officer, it was likely that he had never received a formal education. That would explain why he was interested in your lesson.