hagamode-deactivated20160824:

SEND ME A PAIRING AND A NUMBER AND I’LL MAKE YOU SOMETHING

Sure thing, nonny!

Levi’s noticed it not long after he joined
the Survey Corps and became a part of the entire set-up. In fact, it was right
after the 4^th expedition he attended. The number of casualties came
back high and threatening. He only managed to take a glance at it and knew
Erwin would have to see it over and over again, summing up on each squad leader’s
report into a calculation of death weighing down on him.

When days like these happened, Erwin was
prone to spend most of his time in his office, crunching numbers, thinking
about better ways to avoid more deaths without a care about his personal
well-being. He’d lock himself up even more than he usually did, becoming
unapproachable even to Levi.

Throughout time their meals together grew
from an occasional occurrence to a daily need. Levi silently looked forward to
them, even if mostly spent silently eating. The feeling of someone attending
him where he’d only known loneliness before was reassuring.
But when Erwin began to lock himself away, Levi noticed how restlessness came
crawling back to him. The food, already bland and mostly designed to fill but
not satisfy, would offer even less comfort. With no one to ramble to when Levi
felt it the most, he noticed himself turning sour as soon as the time for a
meal arrived.

On the second day he was still able to
tolerate it, but when a week passed without any change, Levi got up before he’d
even begun eating his meal, took the tray to Erwin’s office and barged in.

“Please don’t do this,” Levi said and
almost smashed his tray onto the commander’s table. He was pissed without
reason, but also worried about him. When did he even eat?

Erwin jerked up, looked at Levi with wide
eyes as if he’d just been woken up, and then onto the tray. A realization crept
over his features until they softened in an apology he wouldn’t yet utter. Levi
knew Erwin expected his understanding.

“When’s the last time you got your ass out
of this damn room?”

“I’ll join you in a bit,” Erwin answered as
he resumed his writing.

“Now,” Levi insisted and turned around to
leave again. This time with Erwin’s steps catching up to him.