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Erwin read Levi 's assignments aloud over breakfast. They sat at the table in the hotel room, sharing a loaf of bread with honey and a fresh pot of tea. It wasn 't unusual for them to share a meal together 'even since their separation, they had continued to take their lunches and dinners together, often just the two of them. But something was different. Maybe it was the way Levi looked at him with focus instead of his usual indifference. Maybe it was just the knowledge that they had spent the night just as intertwined as they had in the days when they had been lovers. The wall between them had crumbled, and now they stood on either side, trying to decide if they should cross the line where the barrier had stood.

Once Erwin finished the list, he sipped at his tea and grimaced; it was cold. Levi swallowed a mouthful of bread, then spoke.

'You 're going to be okay here? '