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pickalilywrites · 6 years ago

Note

Heeey there I saw you're taking requests again, so I'd like to ask for Rivetra slow dancing in the middle of the night (no nsfw) if that's not too much

Thank you for requesting. I am grateful you asked me to write for such a sweet prompt ^^

Last Dance of the Night

Rivetra. Canonverse.

2097 words.

Buy me a ko-fi!

He watches her from the corner of his eye as she waltzes across the room, the skirts of her pale blue dress swishing against her ankles. He’s not sure if he’s ever seen her smile so widely before – an open-mouthed smile that is sometimes accompanied by a delighted laugh whenever her dance partner says something particularly clever. He should be happy that she’s enjoying herself at these military balls. He finds them a nuisance – dressing up and trying not to scoff at every military policeman that he comes across – but he can understand why she likes them so much. After all, it’s not often that members of the Scouting Legion are allowed to drink and dine so lavishly and dance across such pristine marble floors as an orchestra plays in the background and glittering chandeliers hang overhead. Even if he can’t appreciate it, he should be happy Petra can, but the sight of her smiling only seems to irritate him. The worst of it is that he knows exactly why, and the reason is so childish that it frustrates him even more.

“You know, you could always just ask her to dance with you,” Eld points out.

He’s right about that, but this does nothing to lighten Levi’s mood. If anything, it only makes the Captain’s frown deepen even more and he scowls at his subordinate.

“As if I’d ever want to dance at one of these shitty balls,” Levi sniffs, but his eyes still follow Petra wistfully across the room as she takes yet another dance with Auruo.

Had it been a few years ago this statement would be true, but his mind has changed about military balls and dancing after seeing Petra gliding across the dance floor into the arms of other men. He doesn’t even want to claim her for the entire night; he would be content in just having even a single dance with her, but he’s never danced before and is too cowardly to try. He realizes it’s ridiculous to shy away from dancing when he goes out on expeditions to slay Titans that are fifteen-feet tall, but there’s a reason. At least if he dies in battle, he would be a hero. If he were to trip over his feet on the dancefloor, he would just be a laughingstock. No, he’d rather just sit in his seat and grumble all night instead of making a fool of himself in front of everybody.

Eld simply shrugs, used to the Captain acting like an unhappy child whenever they attend one of these events. As the next piece begins to wind down, he waves over Petra who is slowly making her way over there with Auruo.

“Let me have the next dance, Pet,” he tells her with a grin, already standing up from his seat and holding out a hand for her while Auruo slips between them and takes up the empty chair.

“Ah, be careful. She’s going to beg you to keep dancing with her until you dance your feet off,” Auruo says, loosening his bowtie and slouching in his chair. Although the dances had been at a moderate tempo, there are a few beads of perspiration at the top of Auruo brow and he dabs them away with the handkerchief that he fishes from the pocket of his blazer.

“Don’t make things up! You were the one who was begging me to keep dancing,” Petra says, but she doesn’t scowl at him like she usually does when they bicker. She’s still grinning, and it makes Levi wonder if her cheeks hurt from smiling so much tonight. “I’m pretty sure I might get blisters after tonight,” she adds, but she still accepts Eld’s arm when he offers it to her.

Eld tilts his head as he listens to the music start up again. It’s faster this time, more upbeat, and he smiles over at Petra, pulling her back on to the dancefloor. “Are you ready for a foxtrot, Ral?”

“Oh, I could out-dance you any day, Ginn!” she laughs, but she doesn’t come with him right away. She slips away from him for just a second, hanging back to return to the table and ask Levi, “Will I have a dance with you later, Captain?”

He was sure he would be able to give her a firm “no,” but he finds himself struggling to find that simple word as she looks at him with her flushed cheeks and her inviting smile. He thinks maybe if he dances with her, it won’t be so bad. It won’t be impossible if he just copies what everybody else is doing, right?

A “yes” is on the tip of his tongue, but he makes the mistake of glancing at the couples behind her in the ballroom as they gallop across the room, moving together so perfectly and without mistake that Levi remembers why he has never stepped foot on the dancefloor.

“No,” Levi finally says, clearing his throat. “I’m tired enough as it is. I’d probably be a shitty dance partner in the state I’m in. Go dance with Ginn.”

For the first time that night, Petra frowns. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but she’s promptly whisked away by Eld, who insists that they’ll miss most of the dance if she keeps standing around like that. Levi can only watch as she disappears into the crowd of overdressed nobles and military figures, enjoying herself without him, and spends the rest of the night regretting his decision.

He had planned on going straight to sleep that night, but the images of couples twirling around on the dance floor keep him awake and Levi finds himself fumbling for the light in his room. He stumbles to the center of his room, frowning and feeling more and more foolish with every passing second because he’s thinking about practicing the same waltz he had seen the men and women dance to that evening. Still, it’s not as if anyone can see him, and he ends up shuffling across the floor awkwardly, his arms outstretched as he dances with his invisible partner.

It should be easy, he thinks. All he has to do is move in the same way that all those other people did – a step here, a step there, a twirl, a step back – but it proves to be far harder than he could have ever imagined. Although he wouldn’t consider himself a graceful man, he’s not the type to bump into things and yet Levi finds himself repeatedly bumping into his desk and shelves as he tries to navigate himself around the room.

It must be the room, he’s sure, that is preventing him from dancing properly. It’s not a small room, but it’s not spacious either. It had always been enough for him until tonight. Now, the room seems too cramped and crowded with his few possessions, leaving him hardly any floor space to glide across the room. Instead, he must be content with mimicking the waltz with horribly constricted and stiff movements.

Even though he isn’t practicing for all that long, he becomes more frustrated with every flubbed step he takes. He’s red-faced and muttering curses under his breath after a few minutes of practice. Really, he’d prefer fighting a hundred of those shitty Titans to dancing any day.

Thinking that perhaps music will help him to dance better, he foolishly begins humming under his breath, but it doesn’t change anything at all. If anything, it’s as if he’s become worse and he bumps into everything twice as much, even colliding with the wall at one point because he’s having too much difficulty focusing on so many things at once. When Levi bumps into the sharp corner of his desk, he lets out a loud curse only to regret it immediately afterward when he hears his door crack open and a familiar voice ask, “Captain?”

Petra stands there at his door, a sleepy but confused expression on her face as she wonders what on earth her captain is doing at this time of night. She tilts her head at him and brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear, her brow furrowed. “What are you doing?”

He could probably lie and say that he’s cleaning, but even he knows that it’s ridiculous to be cleaning at this hour. He could make up some other nonsensical lie. It doesn’t matter how silly it is. Somehow, nothing can be more humiliating than telling her about his midnight dance practice, but he can’t bring himself to lie to her either.

“I’m…dancing,” he finally tells her, looking down at her feet because he can’t bear to see the expression on her face. He’s sure that she’ll laugh at him for being so strange, but not even one giggle comes from her.

“Oh? I thought you didn’t like dancing, Captain,” Petra says. She lingers at the door for just a second more before slipping inside after she sees that the captain hasn’t chased her away yet. She smiles at him kindly and asks, “Are you just shy about dancing in public?”

“No,” he scoffs, but his cheeks flush and he folds his arms defensively across his chest. Turning away from her, he faces the wall, his gaze fixated on the shadow of her because it’s easier than looking at her directly. “I just…never learned how to dance.”

“Oh…!” the solider says, finally understanding. She steps towards him with the same warm and inviting smile she had when she had asked him for a dance earlier that evening. “Would you like me to teach you?”

He should say no. After all, he’s already practiced on his own and confirmed how poor of a dancer he is. He’s sure that having a partner won’t change any of that. He’ll probably just step on her toes the entire time and embarrass himself further. It would just be best if he told her to forget about it and leave him alone.

Still, he hesitates when he sees her expression and instead tells her, “I’m a shit dancer…gavotte, foxtrot, waltz…it doesn’t matter. I’m shit at all of them.”

“That’s alright,” Petra assures him. She reaches out a hand to him, inviting him to take it, and says, “We’ll start with an easy one – it’s one my dad taught me when I was a child.”

He’s sure that she says this to make him feel better, but the thought of having to begin at the level of a child makes him frown. Still, he takes her hand and allows her to guide him.

Petra pulls her towards him, guiding his hands around her waist while she rests her hands gently on his shoulders. They stand much closer than the other couples did at the ball tonight, Levi notices, but he doesn’t object. With Petra so close to him, he can count the light freckles across her cheeks and even count all her long lashes. He’s so distracted by her that he’s hardly listening to her as she instructs him on how to move. Luckily, the dance is as simple as she says, and he doesn’t struggle at all as they move slowly across the floor together.

It’s not dancing like he had seen before. It’s more like holding each other and rocking side to side, he thinks, but it’s still pleasant in a way. He likes the steady rhythm at which they move together and the little song she hums as they sway. He had been stiff and unsure in his movements before, but he’s become more relaxed after having Petra gently encourage him and offer him little bits of advice.

“I’m sorry you have to have such a shitty partner for your last dance,” Levi tells her. Although he hadn’t trod on her toes and she’s kept that pleasant smile on her face the entire time, he can’t help but feel that this dance is nowhere near as fantastical as the dances she had during the ball.

“What do you mean? You’re the perfect dance partner,” Petra says, looking up in surprise, “and this is the perfect dance to end the night.”

He’s so surprised that he doesn’t respond, but she must not need a response because she simply smiles at him again and continues dancing with him, closer this time so that she can rest her head on his shoulder.

He thinks she’s wrong about him being the perfect partner – he wouldn’t even call himself good – but does agree with her on one thing. This is the perfect way to end the night.

#rivetra #snk #canonverse #petra ral #levi ackerman #asks #answered #dorkwolf-nightmare #requests

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everypetrapanel · 3 years ago

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“Every Petra Panel”

Volume 5, Episode 22: Long Distance Enemy Scouting Formation, Page 2

#every petra panel #volume 5 #episode 22: long distance enemy scouting formation #page 2 #og levi squad #squad levi #special operations squad #petra ral #eren yeager #eld ginn #oluo bossard #gunther shultz #aot #snk #attack on titan #aot manga #manga caps #snk manga

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ladymacbethsspot · 6 years ago

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How excited are you for animated smol Levi?

((I am so excited Anon. So, so, very excited. Have a drabble. It’s only vaguely related, but your ask made me think of it.))

“Oh, I’m just so happy you both were able to come visit!”Mrs. Ackerman’s voice trilled from the kitchen behind them, the soft shushingand gentle clink of teacups and shelves accompanying the joyful notes.

“Yeah, well,” Levi answered, still looking flustered fromthe bone-crushing hug his mother had greeted him with, “you know. Petra andOluo still live here for some reason. Can’t pass up their invitation.” Erwinscooted closer to his husband on the couch, wrapping an arm around his waist. Despitethe obvious ill-ease Levi always slipped into in Kuchel’s tiny home, Erwinfound it welcoming, warm, and spotless, if somewhat out of the way.

“Of course not!” Kuchel admonished, the perfectly-timedwhistle of the kettle signaling tea and shortbread cookies. The best shortbreadcookies, as Erwin remembered- firm, but melt-in-your mouth, andbuttery-beyond-belief. “But if it takes a wedding to get you two back out here,then I’ll have to start setting your old friends up! How about Eld? Is hesingle? Gunther?” With tray in hand, Kuchel entered the room, placing tea andcookies on the coffee table as she sat down next to Levi.

Before anyone could reach for refreshments Kuchel wasleaning over Levi eagerly, smiling at Erwin. “Do you know any nice girls? Orboys? I don’t want to assume, but if that’s what it takes, I’d set that EldGinn boy up with a tree!”

Erwin chuckled, shaking his head. “No, Mrs. Ackerman, unfortunatelyI don’t know anyone that’s eligible right now- man, woman, or tree.”

“Oh, poop.” Kuchel frowned prettily, her graceful eyebrowsdrawing together in a way that made Erwin’s heart clench- just like Levi. “WellI’ll just have to make the most of it while you’re here!” She leaned over,rummaging under the coffee table as Levi sat back into the couch and groaned. Alarge album emerged, stuffed with more pages than it could hold, the strainclear in the tendons of Kuchel’s thin arms as she pulled it from beneath thetable and offered it to Erwin. “Let’s start with this. What good is having yourson and his handsome husband over for the weekend if you can’t embarrass him alittle?” The cheeky wink that followed the statement made Erwin grin evenharder- he’d been looking forward to this almost as much as the shortbread:Ackerman family photos.

They came out every time he’d visited, and though Levi hadgotten less red and huffy with each occurrence, it hadn’t lost its charm yet.The arms still crossed instantly, lines between thin brows growing deeper asLevi tried to fold himself into the couch. Erwin took the album, opening itover both his and Levi’s lap, letting it fall to whatever page it would, secretsand hints at distant pasts spilling out.

Levi in a soccer uniform, his knees and high socks coveredin grass and mud stains, scowling at the camera. “Oh, he was so good atsoccer,” his mother breathed, tracing the curve of young Levi’s face with athin, small finger. “Though I couldn’t go to many games, I was too sick then.”Her nail lingered, the fine lines at the edges of her eyes showing for a momentas she blinked quickly.

“Who took the photo?” Erwin asked.

“Probably Kenny.” Kuchel leaned in, studying the frownchild-Levi was making in the photo. “Definitely Kenny. That face.” She smiled,barely a quirk of thin lips. Erwin’s breath caught- like mother, like son.

Turning the page, Erwin found more photos. There was noorder to the album, something he’d always loved. Each page unpredictable in itstimeline, a mystery unfolding through mere glimpses and literal snapshots. Allstrung together in a haphazard smattering, the good right next to the bad. Itwas a precious thing; the most honest book Erwin had ever seen.

Levi didn’t talk about his childhood, and Erwin had gatheredthrough overheard shouting matches with his uncle and hushed conversations withdoctors over his mother’s health that it hadn’t been the easiest. Still,looking at a surprisingly chubby-cheeked baby-Levi swaddled in a blue blanketin Kuchel’s arms as she gave the camera a weak but genuine smile, Erwin knew ithad been full of love.

“I look awful there,” Kuchel murmured.

“You look fine, Mom.”

The quiet words surprised Erwin, and he turned to see thatLevi was looking at the photos too. Grey eyes trained on his mother, she lookedso young in the baby photo. Erwin wondered if Levi saw himself in her- healways had. Their similar complexions and small statures were obvious, but themannerisms they shared gave the likeness dimension. To Erwin it was charmingand incredibly endearing, but it was difficult to read Levi in situations likethis- impossible to know what memories the photos dredged up from hidden depths.

Erwin noticed the tightness in Levi’s leg next to his, howLevi’s lower lip pinched in- he was biting it. Reaching beneath the album,Erwin’s hand sought between them until it came to rest on Levi’s thigh, givinga small squeeze as he turned the page again.

A family photo this time- everyone dressed in what lookedlike a slightly-ragged Sunday best. Levi was probably in middle school, grown enoughthat his rumpled grey slacks didn’t quite cover bare ankles. Hair parted andslicked to within an inch of its life, he stared straight at the camera,expressionless. Kuchel stood behind him, wearing a simple dress, barely tallerthan her son even at his young age. Uncle Kenny towered over them both,frowning and dark, his face not quite as lined or leathery as Erwin remembered,but still craggy. There was another person in the photo, a very old man Erwindid not recognize.

“That’s Grandpa Ackerman. Levi’s great-grandfather,” shesaid, pointing out the elderly man. “And Kenny. You know him.” She sighed, theonly hint at displeasure Erwin had ever seen her give in to. “Levi was soskinny as a child, you’d hardly know he nearly ate me out of house and home.”She picked up the plate of cookies from the tray, offering them in an amusingcontrast. Erwin took two before she placed them back on the table. “He didn’tgrow any of these muscles until high school- thank god he at least got theAckerman strength, even if he got stuck with my height.” She emphasized herpoint with a sharp poke to Levi’s abdomen.

“Thanks, Mom,” Levi deadpanned, clearly unamused.

“Well, Mrs. Ackerman, I’m glad he did.”

“Did what?” she asked.

“Get your height. It suits him,” Erwin added.

Kuchel beamed. “Doesn’t it?”

Erwin could almost feel the sheer force of will Levi exertedto not roll his eyes as the man stared blankly down at the book before them. Suppressinga chuckle, Erwin waited for his husband’s mood to thaw while Kuchel ignored it-paging absently through the book. School photos, candid shots with friends, aglimpse of what might have been a high school dance with friends, and grouppictures taken at holidays. They contained no vacations, nothing staged by aprofessional, and few family members appearing besides Kuchel and Kenny.

It didn’t matter, these were special moments, nonetheless-the shining gems of Levi’s rare smile, a tiny family looking happy and whole,friends who brought them joy. As the pages slipped by the years did too, andErwin saw it mirrored in the subtlest changes on Kuchel and Levi’s faces.

They fell quiet. Looking. And seeing.

After a few moments Mrs. Ackerman took a deep breath andstood. “It’s getting late. You always get here so late,” she added. “Now, offthe couch, you two, I can’t very well sleep on it before wiping up those cookiecrumbs.”

They stood, Erwin becoming more sheepish as he realized howmany more cookies he’d snuck while looking at the photos. There was only oneleft on the plate. “Mom, you don’t have to be on the couch,” Levi stated, “Wecan sleep in the living room.”

“Nonsense!” She waved them away, almost pushing them in thedirection of the tiny hall. “You’re guests and I won’t have anyone saying I don’tknow how to treat guests!”

With minimal grumbling they gave in, Erwin secretly relievedthat he wouldn’t have to try to fit himself onto the small couch for the night.

After showers, on clean sheets under warm blankets, Erwinpulled Levi close. It was a necessity on the bed barely large enough for two,but it felt like a luxury when Levi didn’t protest.

“How does it feel to be home?” Erwin whispered, nosing atthe damp hair behind Levi’s ear.

“Don’t be silly.” Came the reply.

Erwin hummed a question, pulling the blankets higher as Levi’sfeet wormed between his legs. Wrapped up in each other, the quiet dark of thecountryside outdoors fell over them like a curtain of calm. He breathed deep, savoringthe smell of shampoo and scrubbed-clean skin. The words Levi spoke echoed inhis marrow as they were muttered sleepily into the cocoon of warmth-

“This isn’t my home. You are.”

#eruri #levi ackerman #erwin smith #shingeki no kyojin #snk #Anonymous #i dunno anon i know this is only slightly related #i thought of smol levi #and then it spiraled out of control #this is very schmoopy #maximum schmoop #drabble #my writing

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sonderlivra · 7 years ago

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Dea(r)th - An SnK (Eruri) Canon One-shot

Summary:

Erwin Smith suddenly finds himself with a dearth of several things -of soldiers, of words, and of ways to help his grieving Captain.

Angst, Graphic Descriptions, One swear word ahead.

Read on Ao3

“We have to be quick. Take Dominic's squad with you.”

“Understood!”

The man practically runs away, purposeful and energetic. Erwin can't help but wonder what it is that makes the man so zealous, so eager, even, to do such a vile task. Perhaps it was him, the fact that it was his command. Perhaps that was a good thing.

There is a commotion on the edge of their clearing, and Erwin suspects its reason almost instantly. Sure enough, when he makes his way through the huddled men, he finds two soldiers right in the middle, swords drawn, breathing heavily.

Levi's face is a dangerous, emotionless mask. He holds to his side, quite casually, a slimy bundle that is very clearly a human being. The next second allows Erwin to focus on the face through the slime.

“Eren,” he breathes.

The girl next to Levi speaks up, her voice clear and ringing. “We need to help him-”

Two or three people surge forward, one of them Hange, and they grab Eren from Levi's grasp.

“What happened?” Hange gasps.

“He's fine now. Clean him up,” Levi says wearily.

No one else questions him, not when he speaks in that tone. The girl with the red scarf leaves them abruptly, trailing behind Eren with poignant emotion on her face.

Mikasa Ackerman, Erwin reminds himself. Eren's childhood friend, his fearsome protector, the girl already being touted as the Levi of her generation. A small, blond boy joins her as they hurry past, his face etched with even more worry than the girl.

Ah. Eren's other childhood friend. His name slips Erwin's memory for the timebeing, but it can wait. There are more pressing issues at hand.

Levi hasn't moved an inch as he watches them take his underling away. He is still breathing heavily and his cloak is still faintly steaming.

“Levi,” Erwin begins, “what-”

“Are we retreating?” Levi cuts in, his voice still even. It is almost insolent, and with anyone else, Erwin would have taught them their place, immediately. But this is Levi. Erwin is acutely aware that no one else seems to have accompanied him and the Ackerman girl, and he can somehow tell from his blank expression that he doesn't seem to expect anyone else to join them.

He has never seen his eyes so dead before.

“In some time,” Erwin answers him. “We're trying to retrieve the bodies-”

“Is there another cart to spare?” And that is it, that is all Levi has to say. For a split-second, the world seems to rotate around Erwin in a slow, dizzying, sick circle. Then it stops, and he is standing tall and firm in the gloomy forest and Levi is looking up at him with dead eyes.

“Yes,” Erwin manages to say. They have more than enough carts, now that they've used up all the snares and the cannons that Hange so painstakingly put together.

“I need thirty minutes.”

“Would you like me to come with you?” Erwin blurts. But then he finds he doesn't regret asking. His soldiers can handle themselves, and there is little else left for Erwin to do at the moment, other than waiting for his men to bring back the eviscerated remains of his dead soldiers.

Levi is already walking to the closest empty cart. Erwin hears his low “Yeah” and nods, oddly relieved.

Mike is never far from him and handing him the command is a matter of seconds, something he has done many times before. Mike, being the excellent friend and excellent subordinate that he is, asks him nothing, only grasps his hand in a quick, reassuring grip.

And then they are off.

Levi doesn't use his gear. He sits at the head of the cart and drives the horse, Erwin sitting beside him. Neither of them say a word.

When he stops the cart, the huge trees around them are strikingly devoid of blood or human remains.

“It's further in.” Levi mutters. “The cart won't be able to go.”

Erwin nods and draws his triggers from his holsters. They shoot into the trees at the exact same moment, but unsurprisingly, Levi takes the lead two swings in. He is lighter, faster, and more skilled than Erwin could ever be, and Erwin has known this for a long time.

When the first figure comes into view, hanging feet up from the wires, Levi turns to Erwin. “I'll cut, you catch,” he says, and Erwin nods again.

Just before the wires are snipped, Erwin almost misses him say, “Watch the neck.” Almost. He leaps at the figure just as Levi swipes at the wires, and when he swings down with the body, he cradles the head carefully in the body's own bloody cloak.It is not difficult; Gunther Schultz was a light man.

They fly back to place the corpse carefully in the cart, arranging his head so it looks like it is still completely attached to the rest of his body.

Then, without another word, Levi takes off again, and Erwin follows him, silent as well.

They find some mangled, bloody mess that could have been Eld Ginn’s legs when he was alive. Without discussing it, they decide to leave it there and only take his torso back to the cart.

For their next run, Erwin is glad he thought of taking along one of the shrouds. Compared to Eld Ginn, Oluo Bozard is whole. Compared to Eld Ginn’s torso, Oluo is… not.

It has been a while since Levi has spoken a word. Concern is pounding in Erwin's chest, thrumming through his veins. But he knows there's no point talking to Levi now. He knows they have one last run left.

Petra Rall is on her knees, gazing sightlessly at the sky as if with veneration. The image is sickening. Erwin knows, from years of experience, that this -this will forever be branded into his head, another image that will be dredged up in his dreams to taunt his sanity.

But it is nothing, Erwin knows. It is nothing, because Levi sees it too. Levi stands before Petra Rall, as still as a statue, alive and breathing before her mangled corpse. What Erwin will take away from here, now, is nothing compared to what Levi will forever be burdened with.

They stand in silence before her for several long moments. Erwin simply waits for Levi's lead. In this moment, Levi commands him, not the other way round.

When Levi finally speaks, Erwin can only hear the crack in his voice but not his words.

Before Erwin can ask him, Levi repeats, “Her father.” He clears his throat and continues, “She wanted me to meet her father. She said he'll be waiting for us this time. She said he has something to tell me.”

For the first time in many years, Erwin is at a loss for words. Not a single word in his extensive vocabulary seems apt for the moment. Instead, he simply takes a step closer to Levi, hoping that at least this, his presence, will mean something. He knows it is too hollow a hope, though. He has been a soldier in the Survey Corps long enough to know that.

“I…” Levi finally turns around, finally looks at Erwin again. His eyes are dead, they are lifeless, lightless, tiny pinpricks of screaming, dark void.

“I don't know what to tell him.” The voice is low, quiet. He could be muttering in a meeting back at HQ. He could be whispering something in the quiet of a dark stable so as to not wake the horses. But he isn't. And Erwin still has nothing to say.

“I…” His eyes close, the lines around them weary, tired, betraying his age in an otherwise smooth face. “I don't know what to tell him, Erwin.”

Erwin steps closer, places his hand cautiously on his shoulder, says the only thing he can. “Levi…”

“I don't know…” Levi lists forward, as if he is falling, but Erwin is already too close. Perhaps he knows this, because when his forehead touches Erwin's arm, it does so gently. Erwin stretches his other arm around his shoulders and they stand there, frozen, rooted to the forest floor in grief.

When they break apart neither of them says anything. Levi gathers up Petra's body and leaves, with Erwin scrambling behind to catch up. When they reach the cart, Levi places her gently next to her comrades, wraps her up in her shroud as if he is putting her to bed. When he steps away and walks to the front of the cart, something catches Erwin's eye.

“What's wrong with your leg?”

Levi halts, shoots him a glance over his shoulder. “What?”

“You're limping.”

Erwin barely hears the soft “Tch.” He climbs up on the seat next to him and begins resolutely, “If you need a medic-”

“It's nothing.”

“You're limping.”

“It's nothing. I'm fucking limping, Erwin. It's a limp. It's nothing.”

The horse begins to trot as Levi guides it back to base.

“You're going to have to slow down.”

“After we return. Fine. I get it.”

Erwin thinks he heard an inflection of something at the word 'return’. He glances at Levi's hands, knuckles stark white against the reins of the horse.

“I can speak to him,” Erwin says softly. “If you like.”

There is a pause. It hadn't seemed possible, but Levi's knuckles clench more, turn more pale. “No.” Another pause. “It's gotta be me.”

Erwin sighs soundlessly. “Understood. But if you want me, I'll be there.”

“Okay.” He glances at him and then glances away. “Thank you.” Those two words are filled with more meaning than anything else Levi has spoken in a while.

His twisted, heavy heart seems to lighten in his chest, and a sudden lump finds itself in Erwin's throat. He nods, and swallows the lump.

“It’s nothing,” he says.

#snk #eruri #shingeki no kyojin #levi #erwin smith #delivras

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