-7-

Morning After

Lips pressed against Levi 's forehead. He stirred and tried to speak, but he was so exhausted that his voice came out in a groan instead.

'Go back to sleep. You need your rest, ' Erwin 's voice murmured, and then a knuckle grazed his cheek.

As Levi drifted back to sleep, he heard the door click.

'Erwin? ' Levi sat upright. The room was empty. He swore he had only closed his eyes for an instant longer, but the pillow beside him was cold.

At first, he thought he had dreamed the whole encounter, but then he saw the used handkerchiefs on the floor. He wrinkled his nose as he dropped them in the laundry basket, but he was glad they were there. As unhygienic as they were, at least they were real.

It was still dark outside, but through the window, he could see a crack of light on the horizon. Even exhausted, he had still managed to awaken before reveille.

He gathered his toiletries and headed into the hallway. As he passed Erwin 's room, he wondered if Erwin would have any regrets. The gentle kiss to the forehead

'

if that hadn 't been a dream

'

suggested no regret, but he was still insecure. It wasn 't that he doubted Erwin 's interest. Uninterested men didn 't hold a hand in secret for more than an hour, or watch an orgasm with parted lips and pinched brows, as if drinking in their pleasure. Erwin was interested, no question.

What he doubted was the longevity of that interest. Ever since the turning point of their relationship, when they had left their rocky beginnings behind and Levi 's admiration had begun to grow, he had built Erwin into someone completely unattainable, someone who could have any person he chose. Aside from his unparalleled brilliance, he was tall, classically handsome, and excelled at everything he did. Why would he choose a perpetually sour, uneducated, scrawny rat of a man? Once the initial rush of hormones died down, Erwin was sure to see right through him.

Or maybe Levi 's mind was just playing tricks on him. It wouldn 't be the first time he had started to overthink everything at the start of a new relationship. It was a defense mechanism cultivated after years of heartbreak: everyone always left him or died, in the end.

He slipped into the icy bath. The scent of Erwin 's soap made his mind begin to retrace the events of the night before. The memories had disproportionate power over him. It had just been a hand job, the most innocent form of sex he could imagine, but the intensity of it made it the most memorable sexual encounter he 'd had in years. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, thinking about Erwin 's hand: its size and strength, the knotted knuckles, the deep-set fingernails. It looked and felt so good no matter what it was touching.

His eyes opened. Was thinking about a hand enough to turn him on now?

Pathetic.

The dizzying rise and fall of his mood was wearing on his nerves. By the time reveille sounded, his stomach had twisted into knots. He retrieved a clean uniform from his closet and pulled it on, then carefully tied his cravat. If he left now, he could reach the mess hall before any of his comrades, and drink warm tea until his stomach settled.

He stepped into the hallway.

'Levi. '

His heart skipped a beat. Turning, he saw Erwin standing in the hall, a towel slung over his shoulder, apparently on the way to the baths. His face was as inscrutable as always, his stance rigid. Levi 's eyes drifted down the furry chest.

Now I 'm never going to be able to see him topless without remembering how sensitive those nipples are.

'

Good Morning, ' Erwin said. 'I know you 'll probably need a few days to recover from your concussion, but we still need to do a proper debrief while the incidents are fresh in our minds. Bring Squad Leader Hange by my office after breakfast. '

'Sure. ' Levi hesitated, thrown off by his formality. 'We 're okay, right? '

Erwin paused to glance up and down the hall, then stepped in closer, his stance relaxing. 'I 'd say better than okay. Wouldn 't you? ' Was that a flicker of insecurity in that placid blue gaze? Maybe Levi wasn 't the only one overthinking things.

'Of course. This is all just a bit weird. '

'That 's to be expected while we readjust our perceptions of each other. It will take time. ' Erwin reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder, the gesture forced and awkward, but not unwelcome. 'I have some business to discuss with you, and it 's looking like it 'll be a beautiful day outside. After our debrief, why don 't we take our lunches outside and find somewhere private to talk? '

'Yeah, sure. '

Erwin 's face returned to neutral as other soldiers appeared at the end of the hall, and he retracted his hand. 'That will be all for now, Levi. Dismissed. '

With a frown, Levi moved past him. Even though it was just for show, he didn 't like being dismissed.

I 'm not your damned dog.

In spite of his annoyance, even that small conversation was enough to leave its mark. His cheeks were still burning when he arrived at the mess hall, and he was glad that neither Hange nor Mike was around to notice.

This was the exact opposite of how his previous relationships had started. Usually, there was one really good drunken fuck, then a few more casual fucks, then an awkward

are-we-dating

phase, and then he ended up in love without realizing it had crept up on him. He had never thought himself the type to blush after a simple conversation.

Lost in thought, he stayed at the table sipping tea long after his food was finished. Slowly, other soldiers began to trickle in, but there was no sign of Hange. Growing impatient, he stood.

The office that had been assigned to Hange was still empty, so he tried the bunks instead. A soldier with short blond hair answered the door, and he struggled with the name for a moment 'he was pretty sure it was Nanaba, but they had never really interacted.

'I 'm looking for Hange, ' he said, avoiding the name entirely.

'Is that Levi? ' came a gravelly voice from inside the room. He heard a book slam, then Hange appeared at the door, hair mussed and eyes sunken. 'Morning. '

He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms over his chest. 'You look like ass. '

'I 've been up all night writing out my findings. '

'All night? Really? Aren 't you exhausted? '

'No, too busy. '

'Well, you just got even busier. Erwin wants us to come by his office for debriefing. '

'Oh, good. I wanted to talk to him anyway. Let 's go. ' Hange stumbled past him, bumping into the door so hard that Levi winced.

'You need to sleep, ' he said. 'You can 't even walk straight. '

'I can sleep later. '

Levi glanced at Nanaba, who was staring after Hange with a worried expression. 'You 're scaring your roommates. '

'Bah, they 're used to me by now. Hurry up! '

With a low sigh, he hurried to catch up.

When they arrived at Erwin 's office, they found him seated at his desk, working his way through a stack of paperwork. He looked up as they entered and gave them a polite smile. 'Please be seated. '

As Levi sat, his gaze drifted across the surface of the desk. It was cluttered: papers, a few ink bottles, files, even a dismantled flare gun.

This office gets messier every time I see it.

His gaze moved to the shelf on the window, and he froze.

The one chaotic frame, Henrik 's drawing, was gone.

He felt as if he were sinking into himself, spiralling into his core. Had Erwin taken it down already, after just one hand job? His stomach twisted.

I thought we were supposed to be taking this slowly.

Did Erwin see him as Henrik 's replacement?

'Levi? Are you okay? '

He snapped his focus away from the shelf. 'Fine. '

'You look a little pale, ' Hange said, peering uncomfortably closely. 'More than usual. '

'So what? You do, too. Can we get this over with? ' He folded his arms over his chest, slumping in his chair. He could feel them watching him, and it was making him claustrophobic.

After a moment, Erwin held out a flare gun. 'Hange, last night you mentioned something about altering the flare guns to eject their canisters. Can you show me what you did? '

'Oh, that 's easy. You see this spring here? ' Hange leaned forward to poke the gun.

Levi 's head dropped back against the chair, and he let out a long, quiet sigh. He wasn 't sure what he was going to be able to contribute to the discussion; he couldn 't remember anything from the blast, and even the details of what had happened on the tree branch were a bit hazy. Besides, now his mind was humming with thoughts of that missing frame, even though he tried to block them. He was sick of introspection, and sick of guessing where he stood.

Erwin asked several questions, making notes in a file. Trying to preoccupy himself, Levi eyed the pen as it glided across the paper

in loops of graceful handwriting.

Several of the words were indecipherable. He could read printed words just fine, but sometimes struggled with the flowing script that educated men like Erwin used.

'Hey Erwin, why are you writing all this down? ' he asked, interrupting Hange.

'Any parts of a mission that deviate from the plan must be noted, ' Erwin replied without looking up. 'Any time soldiers are separated from the main body, the question of desertion or even treason must be addressed. '

'Treason? ' Hange repeated, voice faint.

'Don 't worry. I 'm documenting the event in enough detail to ensure treason will never be a consideration. ' Erwin dotted the paper, then looked up at them. 'As you two get familiar with the higher ranks of the military, you 'll come to realize that a good deal about Survey Corps leadership is making sure the Interior is comfortable with us. Every time we come back with fewer troops, they begin to question us. '

'We didn 't need to lose that many people this time, ' Hange blurted.

Levi 's eyes snapped to the Squad Leader.

Are you really going to do this now?

Erwin set down the pen and lifted his chin. 'Something on your mind, Hange? '

'The perimeter was spread too thinly, and there weren 't enough scouts on high ground. If we had settled in the forest first and then sent a team down to ground level to retrieve the silo supplies, we could have minimized the loss of life

'

' The confidence faded from Hange 's voice as Erwin 's face hardened.

'These things are always more apparent in retrospect, ' he said quietly. 'We will learn from this and ' '

'But I knew we weren 't positioned well before the attack happened. ' Hange turned to Levi. 'Remember? '

He shrugged, the memory a bit fuzzy. 'I told you to take it up with Erwin. '

There was a long pause.

Erwin folded his hands on the desk and leaned forward. 'Hange, I 'm sorry if I led you to believe that you didn 't have the right to question me. I am just one man, and my strategies are subject to human error. If you ever find yourself questioning any of my decisions, it 's your duty to notify me immediately. We may have a hierarchy, but every member of our team has a responsibility to minimize casualties. Ignoring your doubts could mean endangering your comrades, and that is something you must never, ever, do. That goes for you too, Levi. Ultimately, the weakness in our strategy was my mistake, and I take full responsibility, but one or both of you should have raised your concerns. Understood? '

Levi sank deeper into his chair. Beside him, Hange 's head was bowed.

After a pause, Erwin lifted his pen again. 'Let 's continue. Please explain to me in detail how you took out that last group of titans. '

As Hange tentatively began to speak, Levi 's eyes drifted back to the shelf, to that missing gap where the frame had once stood. Was it realistic to try to build a relationship that was equal in private, but imbalanced in public? Or was Erwin just desperate to fill the space Henrik had left behind?

He clenched his teeth, doubts crowding his mind.

It took more than an hour, but at last, Erwin was satisfied that his report was complete. Just in time, too: Levi looked bored out of his mind, and even Hange was getting antsy. Erwin felt a pang of sympathy. It couldn 't be easy to relive such a difficult night in great detail.

Now it was his turn to debrief them. Keeping his update short, he gave them a few details about Anke 's death, then updated them on the other casualties.

'I 'll be heading to the Capital in four days for my induction ceremony, ' he continued. 'Once the paperwork is finalized and I 've formally been promoted, I 'll be meeting with you and the other Squad Leaders to talk about how we 're going to structure ourselves, and what our next goals will entail. Given that we 've had a change in leadership and a great deal of personnel loss over the past several expeditions, we 'll be rebuilding the squads from the ground up. Give some thought to what type of squad will fit your leadership style best, and which soldiers will help you achieve our goals.

'That covers everything I wanted to tell you. Does either of you have any questions for me? '

'Actually, sir, I 'd like to talk to you alone for a few minutes, ' Hange said.

'Of course. ' He nodded at Levi and said to him, 'You 're free to leave. I 'll see you at lunchtime for our meeting; please close the door behind you. '

Levi stood and left the room without so much as a word or a glance back. Erwin 's brow furrowed.

Did I say something to upset him?

As much as he wanted to chase after him and make sure everything was okay, that discussion would have to wait. He turned his attention back to Hange, who was leaning forward in the chair, legs bouncing.

'Now then, ' he said. 'What did you want to speak to me about? '

'Research. I 've been writing down my observations from the past couple expeditions, and it 's all pointing at one fact: we know absolutely nothing about the titans. For example, the ones we met during the last expedition were sluggish. Was it the cold? Were they abnormals? I have some theories, but for now, they 're all baseless conjectures. '

This level of interest was exactly why Levi had suggested they promote Hange in the first place, and Erwin leaned back in his chair, intrigued. 'What do you propose? '

'Research expeditions. Small teams. I 'd like some time to study titans in the wild. Maybe we could even capture one and study it in detail. Oh, and weapons 'we need to develop better weapons and research tools. The current ' '

Erwin held up a hand, recognizing the growing light of obsession in the bespectacled eyes. 'Your goals are lofty, and your imagination is admirable, but the timing isn 't right to launch large-scale research operations, so let 's take small steps. I 'll allow you to stay on the sidelines and make observations during our next few expeditions. We 'll make sure your Team Leaders support ' '

'No. '

He blinked. 'Pardon? '

'Observations aren 't good enough. ' Hange looked up, brows low. 'The time for large-scale research operations is now. You 're a man of reason, Erwin, so you must see that until we understand what we 're fighting, we 're just throwing away lives. If we figure out what the titans are, we can build better weapons, attack them more efficiently. Lives could be saved. '

Erwin could indeed see it, and moreover, he was motivated to learn more about the titans, perhaps more than anyone else in the Corps; it was the reason he had joined up in the first place.

Even so, he knew they had to time their research carefully. For one thing, Shadis ' warning about the Survey Corps ' shaky future made him suspect that throwing resources onto a new project would only give the Interior more reasons to shut them down. Furthermore, he had deep suspicions that uncovering the nature of the titans would cause a whole host of new problems, and they weren 't ready to handle those problems. Not yet.

'The timing isn 't right. '

Hange 's eyes flashed. 'People are dying. If we drag our feet ' '

'The timing isn 't right, ' he said again. 'We 'll revisit this in one year 's time. '

'A year! '

He closed his report and opened a drawer to file it away, but he heard a slam. When he looked up, Hange was leaning forward on the desk, palms planted on its surface.

'Erwin, I didn 't come here to watch people die while I sit on the sidelines. ' The brown eyes narrowed. 'I didn 't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. I demand a dedicated research team and permission to perform research expeditions. I also demand resources to begin prototyping and testing new weapons. '

He raised his brows, more confused than intimidated. 'And if I refuse to meet your demands? '

'I go to your superiors with some unsavoury information about you. '

'You 're going to blackmail me? ' He struggled to keep a smirk off his face; instead, he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. 'What information do you have? '

'I know about you and Levi. '

'What about us, exactly? ' he asked without missing a beat, even though his chest tightened.

'I know the real reason you were going to mount a rescue operation, and it wasn 't for me. ' Hange leaned closer. 'I know about the affair. '

'Affair, ' he repeated.

So that 's what we 're calling it. '

Do I strike you as someone who would risk his career for an affair? '

'Not intentionally, but people can 't think straight when sex is involved. Relationships between superiors and their subordinates are heavily frowned upon, are they not? You will meet my demands, or I will begin to spread my information. '

Hange 's bravery and resolve were so admirable that Erwin almost regretted what he was about to do, but he couldn 't leave this end loose.

'Say you were correct, ' he said. 'Say I foolishly succumbed to my lust and put my career in jeopardy. What proof do you have? '

'I saw you on the rooftop, the night before the expedition. '

'You saw? Your word against mine? A newly-promoted Squad Leader with noted discipline issues speaking out against a Commander with more than a decade of good service ' whose word do you think holds more weight? '

Hange 's eyes widened just a little, a flicker of awareness that he had plucked a loose thread and was about to unravel the entire plan. Erwin tilted his jaw to look down his nose.

'Well? ' he asked, secretly hoping that there was more to the threat. He enjoyed a challenge.

'Levi admitted there was something between you, ' Hange said, sounding less confident.

That surprised him, but he kept his face neutral. 'If Levi was a willing participant in an affair, do you think he would be willing to testify against his supposed lover? '

Hange 's mouth flattened into a straight line. 'Oh. '

'Whatever strange air there was between Levi and me has been resolved and is no longer in play, so your threats hold no sway over me. What 's more ' ' He gave a polite smile, letting a hint of a threat shine through. 'Blackmail only works if your information outweighs your opponent 's. If they have information to use against you, they might turn the tables on you, and your attempt to control them might end up indebting you to them instead. '

Hange 's head tilted, eyes narrow, as if trying to size him up. 'Are you saying you have information about me? '

'The official military background checks are too lax for my tastes. I always dig deeper when someone is about to be promoted. Much deeper. ' He leaned forward, his voice low. 'I know you were born Zo ' Kerr, the illegitimate child of high-ranking weapons scientist Hange Lise and a soldier by the name of Calvin Kerr. Your father died in combat before you were born, and your mother was too heartbroken to raise you, so you were adopted by your paternal grandmother. The two of you lived in abject poverty in a small village inside Wall Rose, subsisting on the small stipends your estranged mother infrequently sent your way. In spite of the distance between you, you idolized her and patterned your life after her, going so far as to lift her name and, when university wasn 't a possibility, her academic credentials. Your attempts to follow in her footsteps by working in research were cut short when your negligence caused a tragic accident ' '

'Stop, ' Hange said, voice tight. 'Please, stop. '

He waited. Slowly, Hange sank back to the chair, head slumped.

'Your personal history will stay with me and me alone, ' Erwin said quietly. 'Everyone has their secrets, but I need you to understand: if you plan to reveal my secrets 'if you even pretend to reveal my secrets and spread falsehoods instead 'I will not hesitate to reveal yours. Fair is fair, right? '

In response, Hange gave him an uneasy smile. 'Mike warned me you were ruthless. '

He returned the smile. 'I had a feeling you were, too. For what it 's worth, I admire your nerve. Threatening your Commander during your first week as Squad Leader ' ' He shook his head. 'That 's commitment to your cause.

I can already tell you 're going to help push the Survey Corps to new heights.

'

Standing, he straightened the papers on his desk. 'You 're correct that we need to pursue research: the sooner, the better. Unfortunately, we are bound to a delicate balancing act: if we push too hard or do anything too radical, we could lose our right to leave the walls entirely, particularly now that our leadership is in flux. The Interior is easily spooked. We have to give them time to grow accustomed to us. '

Hange frowned. 'So we just let people die in the meantime? '

'Any deaths that result from playing their game are on their heads, not ours. ' He clasped his hands behind his back, ready to close off the conversation. 'Start preparing for the future now: as you plan to build your squad, choose soldiers who can eventually move into research roles. You might want to identify a candidate as a research assistant and start training them, too. As for weapons research, we might be able to arrange a room for you to do so on your own time, but you must provide the funds and source the resources yourself. We 'll revisit this in one year 's time. Understood? '

Hange still looked uneasy, but only said, 'Sir. '

'Good. Dismissed. '

As Hange left the room, Erwin sat back in his chair, smiling to himself. In some ways, Hange reminded him of himself as a Squad Leader.

Though the prospect of paperwork was dull in comparison to matching wits with Hange, there was still a mountain of it to get through, so he returned to work. It seemed that for every paper he filled out, two more resurfaced. He was going to have to figure out how to streamline the bureaucratic aspects of being Commander; otherwise, he wasn 't going to have any time to strategize. Perhaps the restructure should include a Commander 's assistant.

He was so engrossed in his work that he didn 't realize it was lunchtime until a knock sounded at the door. 'Come in. '

Levi entered, holding two bagged lunches and a thermos of tea. He dropped a bag on the desk. 'Here. '

'Thanks. ' Erwin rose. 'Are you still interested in eating outside? I have a spot in mind. '

'Sure, whatever. ' Levi 's gaze drifted to the window.

'Levi, are you okay? '

A shrug. 'Yeah, fine. '

It 's going to be like pulling teeth to get him to talk.

Erwin frowned and grabbed his lunch. 'Follow me. '

He led them down the hallway and took a sharp right, toward the maintenance store rooms. This hallway didn 't get much traffic, and when it did, it was usually with muddy equipment and booted feet. He glanced back and saw Levi looking around, nose wrinkled. 'Filthy. '

'You 're welcome to organize a cleaning crew, if you like. Might be a good way to teach the new recruits some discipline. ' Erwin turned down a dark hallway and approached an old wooden door. A latch held it closed, the padlock rusted.

'I thought we were going to eat outside, ' Levi said, sounding a bit wary.

'I have a particular spot in mind. Did you know this was a Garrison outpost before the Survey Corps was formed? There are several old areas of the barracks we don 't make use of anymore, and this is one of them. ' He tugged on the doorknob. A screw had been removed from one side of the latch, invisible to anyone who was unaware; the padlock was only for show. The door creaked open, revealing a dark, musty-smelling room on the other side.

'Erwin? ' Levi asked nervously.

'This way. '

They stepped into the room, and Erwin closed the door, immersing them in darkness.

'Shit, ' Levi muttered. 'If there are rats or bats in here, I swear ' '

'There aren 't. ' He gripped Levi 's arm and led him toward the far wall. 'If you feel along the wall, you 'll find a series of metal rungs embedded in the brick. ' He gripped his lunch bag between his teeth and began to climb.

The makeshift ladder was longer than he remembered, and his forearms were aching by the time he reached the top. He felt for the hatch and, finding it, threw it open. He emerged into sunlight, Levi on his heels.

They let the hatch fall closed as they took in their surroundings. The ladder had taken them to the top of a small platform overlooking the city. A small wall, about mid-thigh height on Erwin, encircled the platform, giving them some privacy. A sea of clay roofs sprawled before them, and above them, the sky was wide and blue.

Levi 's eyes widened. 'You can see the whole city from here. '

'This was a guard tower, back in the time when the walls were new and the military kept a vigilant watch on the citizens at all hours. It hasn 't been used in decades. Since it 's one of the highest vantage points in this area, not counting the walls, I thought it might appeal to you. '

Levi did a slow spin. 'Not bad. Not bad at all. '

'No one else seems to know this spot exists, so it 's private. ' Erwin sat down, leaning back against the wall. 'The view 's nice at night, too. '

'You come up here a lot? '

'I used to, years ago. '

Levi 's face twisted. 'With Henrik. '

Erwin fell silent.

Suddenly, everything came pouring out.

'It 's barely been a day since we first kissed, and you 're already pulling down his picture frame and taking me to your secret spot? I 'm not just a replacement. You can 't force me into the hole he left behind. '

For a moment, Erwin stared, taken aback by the outburst. Levi leaned against the wall and tightened his arms around his chest, his brows low. A breeze drifted between them, ruffling his dark hair and his cravat.

'Levi, ' Erwin said quietly, 'while it 's true I used to come here with Henrik, I continued to come here alone long after he was gone. My only thought was that you would enjoy the height and the view. As for the picture, I took it down last night before I came to see you. Through your words, I came to realize that I was hanging on to a ghost of a memory, mourning him out of habit. I promise you, Levi, it never once occurred to me to replace him. You 're so unlike him that I couldn 't possibly compare the two of you. '

Levi stared at his feet, his jaw clenching. 'Unlike him how? '

Erwin hesitated. He considered it rude to talk about a past partner, but Levi seemed to be waiting, so he gave in. 'My relationship with Henrik was strange. I disliked him when we first met 'he was a clown, a man who had no qualms throwing his dignity aside for a cheap laugh. I found him obnoxious. Over the years, and after countless drunken nights that I usually regretted the next morning, he finally wore away my resistance and began to win my heart. It was hardly a traditional love story, and the only reason we were so close in the end was because we had years for our relationship to grow. '

'So what about me? '

'Completely different. The moment I first ' ' Erwin stopped, cheeks warming. If Levi was feeling skittish, he shouldn 't dump this on him.

As if sensing his hesitation, Levi said, 'I need to hear this. '

'Well, obviously your skills piqued my interest immediately. I enjoy a worthy opponent, and your resistance was attractive. I 'd be lying if I said I didn 't find you physically attractive then, too. '

'While you were having Mike kick the shit out of me? You sadist. '

'Not exactly at that moment, but when I first saw you, yes. When I saw you take down your first titan, my admiration began to grow, but you were still so hostile that I swallowed everything back. Even as we interacted more, even as you began to warm up to me, I was still able to deny my feelings. Then came the day you broke down in my office. I don 't know what possessed me to hold you, but ' ' He shook his head. 'Whatever this is between us, Levi, it 's completely unlike what happened with Henrik. With him, I needed time to appreciate him. With you, I 've been trying to suppress my feelings since we first locked eyes. '

There was a long pause. Levi still wasn 't looking at him, but his stance was more relaxed now.

'Are we okay? ' Erwin asked, carefully selecting the same words Levi had given him that morning.

'Yeah. ' Finally, the grey eyes locked onto him. 'Yeah, we 're okay. '

For a beat, their eyes held, then Erwin smiled. 'Then why don 't we have some lunch now, and then we can move on to the business I need to discuss with you? ' He cocked his head to his right, inviting Levi to sit next to him.

Levi 's nose wrinkled. 'There 's bird shit everywhere. '

'I can bring some old sheets or a tarp next time, if we decide to come here again. For now, use this. ' He took off his jacket and set it beside him as a makeshift seat.

Levi eyed him for a moment, then sat. Without warning, he lunged to grab the Commander 's pendant, pulling himself in for a kiss. The force of it slammed Erwin 's back against the wall, knocking a grunt from him.

Levi barely pulled away to murmur, 'That 's for offering your jacket. ' He kissed him a second time, hard, then released the pendant. 'That 's for looking so fucking hot without it. '

A bit dazed, Erwin looked down at his plain dress shirt and 3DMG straps. 'It 's all standard issue. '

'Take the damned compliment. ' Levi flopped to a seat beside him and pulled a sandwich out of his bag. The small mouth was still in its standard frown, the expression bored, but somehow, Erwin could tell that his spirit was lighter. He was learning to read Levi on a level he couldn 't quite identify.

They began to eat. Erwin watched Levi out of the corner of his eye, fascinated by his eating habits: small bites, delicate chewing, a dab with the cloth napkin after every bite. Where did a boy growing up on the streets learn those manners? He already had a suspicion that the abridged personal history Levi had given him the week before was missing a few key chapters, and small details like this only made his suspicions grow.

Swallowing his last bite, Erwin wiped his mouth, then poured them each a mug of tea from the thermos. 'I want you to come to the Capital with me. '

Levi 's gaze slid to him. 'When? '

'This week. When I was a Squad Leader, Shadis often brought me along to acquaint me with the duties of high-ranking positions. I have an eye on you as our future Captain, so I think it 's important to start exposing you to the bigger picture. You 'll accompany me to the inauguration and gala. I 'll introduce you to others of your ranking, and

'

' He leaned forward. 'You 'll be helping me with some research. '

Finishing his meal, Levi set his bag aside. 'What do you mean by research? '

'What I 'm about to say is highly classified: do not repeat this to anyone. ' Even though there was no way they could be overheard, Erwin 's voice dropped. 'You were right about the supply silo. Those red chests we found contained gold belonging to the King. Someone led us to believe we were retrieving vital supplies, knowing we would find the King 's money instead. We need to root out the source of the lie. '

'Good. So we 'll be doing an interrogation? '

'Before we do anything drastic, I want to politely question an old friend and see if we can dig a little deeper. ' He paused. 'I 'm also thinking we might be able to find out what happened to your aunt. ' He studied the other, watching for a reaction.

'I know what happened to my aunt, ' Levi said flatly, and the defensiveness only heightened Erwin 's suspicions that the story he had been given was incomplete.

'You said she was arrested, but that was years ago, ' he said carefully. 'If she 's still imprisoned, I may be able to pull some strings to free her. I can be very persuasive. '

With a sigh, Levi gathered his legs, his knees casually lolling against his elbows. 'Look, Erwin, you told me last night there 'll be things you can 't tell me, right? The same goes for me. Don 't dig into things that should stay buried. I swear you can trust me. '

Erwin realized he had been trying to manipulate him instead of treating him like an equal, and his stomach sank.

It 's been so long since I 've had a partner 'or even a friend 'that I 've forgotten how to interact with people. '

Okay, Levi. '

After a pause, Levi moved closer, casually draping an arm across Erwin 's upper back. 'So the inauguration and then a gala, huh? '

'Yes. I 'm planning to head into town tomorrow to buy your soap, and I thought you might like to come along and purchase a suit for the gala. I know a good tailor. '

'I can 't afford a suit. '

'Your salary should more than cover it, shouldn 't it? ' Their pay was modest, but they had almost no expenses.

Levi sighed. 'Don 't tell anyone this, okay? You remember my friend Farlan? His sister had a bad head injury about ten years ago and never recovered; she gets confused easily and doesn 't know where she is. Farlan found a home for her that has nurses who keep her happy and healthy. Before we joined up, we used to do odd jobs to raise the cash, and then we pooled parts of our military salary for a while. I decided to take over the entire payments

after Farlan ' ' He paused. 'It 's

my fault he can 't provide for her anymore. '

Every time Erwin thought he had him all figured out, Levi handed him a new piece that didn 't fit the puzzle. 'Are you saying you give away your entire salary? '

'Most of it. What do I need money for? '

'A suit, for one thing. ' He did a quick calculation of his own finances: he had been amassing pay for several years, and he had come to the military with a sizable sum of money to begin with. 'One could argue that ultimately, your friend joined the Survey Corps because I forced you to join. Paying for his sister should be my responsibility. '

Levi looked at him, eyes wide. 'That 's stupid. '

'I can easily afford it. If that seems like too much, then at least let me cover half. That will allow you to have some money of your own. '

'Look, just stop. I 'm not going to accept your help. I 'll wear my uniform to this thing. '

'The King and several Lords and Ladies are going to be present, Levi. Our uniforms aren 't appropriate. ' Other branches had formal dress uniforms, but Survey Corps soldiers had such a low life expectancy and so little reason to wear fancy dress that the Interior had deemed them an unnecessary expenditure.

'Would my uniform be too much of a reminder that people are out there dying for them? ' Levi scoffed. 'They have a problem with it, they can buy me a suit themselves. '

Erwin leaned back into his arm and closed his eyes; the sun lit up his vision in red. As was traditional in the Survey Corps, he had mostly let Levi 's lack of discipline slide on matters of formality. The world outside the wall was so chaotic that it seemed petty to focus on minutiae like proper salutes and titles. While all the soldiers had a healthy respect for command and strong discipline on the field, that was due to necessity more than protocol. Those who stepped out of line got eaten.

It wasn 't like that in the Interior, where people were safe enough to hold themselves to arbitrary rules and customs rather than the rule of life or death. Very few soldiers in the Corps had the training to adapt to that lifestyle, and Levi seemed the type to outright rebel against it.

'You will wear a suit, Levi, ' he said without opening his eyes. 'I 'll buy it for you myself, if I have to. It 's important that the Survey Corps shows a secure and united front, and that may mean following social customs that seem pointless. Like it or not, we have to play by their rules if we want to advance our goals. I promise you, it 's not forever. Just for now. '

In the pause that followed, the scent of warm tile and baking earth rose on the breeze. It smelled like spring. He found himself reluctant to open his eyes. Would anyone care if he took a nap here in the sunlight with Levi 's arm across his back?

'Okay, Erwin, ' Levi said quietly. 'I 'll get a fucking suit. '

Opening one eye, Erwin peered at him. 'I 'll make sure you 're rewarded for it. '

'Meaning? '

'Meaning suits are attractive, and I 'll be sure to appreciate you wearing one. '

Levi 's cheeks darkened, but he looked away. 'More vague bullshit. '

'I promise it will be worth your patience. ' Now he had relayed all the information he had intended, and he should end the meeting, but the thought of Levi in a well-tailored suit was more exciting than it had any right to be. He glanced at Levi, fighting the urge to pull him onto his lap. There was still a mountain of paperwork to get through; this meeting was taking up too much time as it was.

'When are you comfortable meeting next? ' he asked. 'To spend the night together. How soon is too soon? '

Levi 's brow furrowed. 'Do we have to plan it? Can 't it just be spontaneous? '

'If we leave it to whim, I 'll be back in your room tonight, and we 're supposed to be taking things slowly. Besides, we 're starting to arouse suspicions. '

He felt Levi 's arm tense across his back. 'Is that what shitty four-eyes was talking to you about? '

'It is. Between you and me: Hange tried to blackmail me. '

'Blackmail

you

? ' Levi 's scoff was the closest thing to a laugh that Erwin had heard from him. 'Talk about picking the wrong target. '

'It was a mistake, but a revealing one: Hange 's determination and drive will make for a formidable ally, with a bit of coaching. '

'That idiot, ' Levi muttered. 'It 's my fault. When we were stuck in that tree, I talked about you a bit. '

'Really? '

'A lot. '

Erwin 's brows rose. He hadn 't expected to be so prevalent in Levi's mind. The thought of Levi shivering on a tree branch and thinking of him made his throat tighten, and he suddenly turned and gathered him in a tight hug, the angle awkward.

'Fuck, ' Levi breathed as the air was squeezed out of him. 'What the hell, Erwin? '

'I appreciate you thinking about me, that 's all. ' He loosened his grip a little, but didn 't let go.

'Are you going to get this sappy anytime I say anything remotely sentimental? '

'Possibly. '

In the distance, the city clock struck one.

Embarrassed by his loss of control, Erwin released him, then stood, straightening his uniform. 'I didn 't realize we 'd been up here so long. I have a one o 'clock meeting with Shadis. Come by my office tomorrow after breakfast, and we 'll go into town together. Civilian garb, please. ' If Levi 's celebrity was growing as quickly as Shadis suggested, then going out in uniform might get them lots of unwanted attention.

'Sure. ' Levi stood on his toes and grabbed Erwin 's neck in a futile attempt to reach his mouth for a kiss. 'Dammit, you 're too tall. '

Erwin leaned down and gave him a long, soft kiss. When he pulled away, he took a moment to run his knuckle along the narrow jaw line. It was still so strange seeing that gentle expression in Levi 's eyes; he felt so relaxed that he imagined his own face looked the same.

'Don 't forget this. ' Levi retrieved the jacket he had been using as a seat, then shook it out and handed it over. 'Wash that before you wear it again. It 's covered in bird shit. ' He bent down and lifted the trap door. 'You go first. I 'll wait a minute or two, in case anyone 's at the bottom. '

'Good plan. ' Stepping down onto the ladder brought Erwin to Levi 's eye level, and he couldn 't resist stealing one more kiss before he descended.

Levi lingered on the rooftop for a minute longer, waiting for the heat to leave his cheeks. It annoyed him that a couple kisses were enough to leave him this flustered. If he was this bad now, how was he going to react when they had sex?

Once he had given Erwin enough of a head start, he began to climb down the ladder, letting the trap door fall closed above him. He exited through the dark room and the door with the faulty lock, closing it firmly into place behind him. His nose wrinkled again at the dirty hallway. Perhaps he would take Erwin 's suggestion and round up some of the new recruits as a cleaning crew.

He rounded the corner, and his eyes narrowed as he saw a familiar face at the end of the hall. Silently, he closed the distance, then smacked the ponytailed head hard. Hange 's glasses fell to the floor.

'Oof, what the hell? ' Hange dropped to all fours, feeling around.

'You know what that was for, shit-for-brains. '

'Levi? '

He kicked the glasses out of the way, then squatted down and gripped Hange 's collar. 'Do you understand what a secret is? '

Hange winced. 'I had no choice. I needed leverage, and that was the only thing I could use against him. '

'And how did that turn out for you? ' His voice dropped. 'You betrayed my trust for nothing. Erwin and I talked last night, and nothing 's going to happen. We 're done. '

'Oh. ' Hange 's mouth drooped into a frown. 'I 'm sorry, Levi. I know you like him, and the way you two were looking at each other all the time, I thought for sure ' '

'Shut up. ' He reached for the glasses and handed them over. 'You 're going to help me clean until I decide to tolerate you again, and you 're going to find recruits to help us. '

'There 's no need to be so bossy, ' Hange muttered, adjusting the glasses into place.

'You 're lucky I 'm letting you off this easy. Get going. '

And so Levi threw himself into his work, and time began to fly. It wasn 't that he enjoyed cleaning, necessarily; it was gruelling, tedious work. The feeling of peace when he brought order to chaos, however, was worth all the effort. His peace was somewhat interrupted by Hange 's constant chatter with some of the new recruits. He half-listened, aware that he was supposed to be thinking about rebuilding his squad. A few of them caught his eye with their obedience and attention to detail, particularly a dark-haired man by the name of Gunther. Levi made a mental note to speak with Gunther 's Team Leader to find out how he performed on the field.

They broke for dinner, and neither Erwin nor Shadis made an appearance in the mess hall. Apparently Shadis was heading back to the training camp the next morning, so he imagined the two were in for a long night as they finalized all of Erwin 's training.

That night, Levi rearranged the furniture in his room to his liking, then washed up and crawled into bed. He expected sleep to come easily after a night in a tree then another up late with Erwin, but he found himself tossing and turning. His head still felt strange from the concussion, and he couldn 't get warm. It had been such a clear day that the temperature must have dropped radically when the sun went down. He burrowed into his blankets, shivering.

Would seeing Erwin two nights in a row really be too much, too soon? He couldn 't stop thinking about how warm those broad hands would feel on his skin.

Pulling on his pyjama bottoms, he slipped through his door and padded down the hallway. A crack of light shone from the bottom of Erwin 's door, so he knocked once. Twice. 'Erwin? '

When there was no response, he turned the knob and peered into the room.

Erwin was slumped across a small desk in the corner, a mountain of papers beside him. Though his head was facing the other way, Levi could see his back rising and falling with even breaths.

I bet Shadis sent him to bed, but he kept working in here anyway.

Levi stepped into the room and silently closed the door behind him, then locked it. The floor creaked as he moved closer, but Erwin didn 't stir. A pen sat loosely in his hand, its point bleeding a massive pool of ink onto a piece of paper.

'Erwin. '

'Hm? ' He lifted his head, his eyelids heavy and his hair ruffled. 'Levi? '

Levi felt a wave of fondness. 'You need to go to bed, you idiot. '

Erwin blinked, running a hand through his hair. 'The paperwork ' '

'Can wait. Here. ' Levi leaned in and loosened the Commander 's pendant, then pulled it over his head and set it on the desk. His free hand began to work at Erwin 's buttons, subtly admiring the physique revealed as the shirt fell away. He briefly considered tracing the lines of the muscled abdomen with his tongue, then decided Erwin was likely to fall asleep on him before it led anywhere. Maybe in the morning.

'Stand up, ' he said. 'You 're going to bed. '

Erwin lurched to his feet, then plodded to the bed and sagged onto it. 'You aren 't supposed to be here, ' he mumbled.

'And you aren 't supposed to fall asleep on a desk, you fucking workaholic. Move over. It 's too cold to sleep alone. '

Erwin shifted, leaving room.

Once he had extinguished the lamp, Levi crawled into bed next to his exhausted Commander and pulled the covers overtop of them. He rolled onto his side and pressed closer, laying a hand on the centre of Erwin 's chest. Heat rolled between them in waves, and he finally began to feel warm.

'This isn 't going to be a nightly thing, ' he said. 'Don 't get used to it. I was just cold. '

After a moment of silence, he realized Erwin was already unconscious. Snuggling closer, he buried his face in Erwin 's shoulder, and a moment later, he began to drift to sleep.