Posted on by synnatra

Tfw tumblr fucks up your story because it sucks. Anyhow this is a continuation of the Eruri soulmate AU I wrote like a million years ago (if you want to read it here is the link). Also am rededicating this to @trashforthetrashblog because she was thirsty and I was feeling generous~

“Smith, I can take a fuckin’ hint. I can tell when I’m not
wanted.” Before Erwin could even reply, Levi was staggering for the door.

“Levi, stop.”

“Why should I? I should’ve known this was all a crock of
shit…” Levi’s fingers clenched around the doorknob; his mind was made on the
matter, and he was seconds from walking out.

“Levi…” What was it about the other man’s voice that made
Levi stop? It had been almost a week since Levi had moved into Erwin’s
apartment—Levi really had no reason to trust Erwin—and yet he gave the other
man more trust than he’d give to most. Fingers twitched against the brass knob,
then stilled completely. He’d listen to what Erwin had to say.

“What?” There was bite in Levi’s tone; Erwin would have to
tread carefully.

“I’ll admit it was wrong of me to not give you a warning
about my roommates before bringing you here…”

“Uh-huh…” Levi didn’t sound convinced.

 “…And for that I apologize. I also apologize on behalf of
Nile. I know he’s not exactly the most…hospitable of people.”

“Assholes are just going to be assholes.” Levi snorted. Was
that Levi’s way of accepting Erwin’s apology?

“…And I’ll also apologize for Mike…” Levi bristled at the
name. If Levi’s first impression with Nile was bad, then his first impression
with Mike was much worse. At least that’s what Levi thought.

Mike had silently crept up behind Levi as he and Nile were
“hitting it off,” and gave the much smaller man his own version of a friendly
greeting. Of course, Mike’s version of a “friendly greeting” involved a
gratuitous amount of sniffing. The less-than-subtle sound, of course, effectively
got Levi’s attention, and he’d whipped his head around so fast, Erwin was
worried the other man would have to be rushed to the nearest hospital due to
whiplash.

Levi had gone off at Mike then, comparing his likeness to
that of a dog and otherwise bashing Mike’s character with a barrage of
inventive swears and insults. Erwin had never been more thankful that Mike was
chill about virtually everything. (Mike would later tell Erwin that Levi amused
him too much for him to get insulted.)

But just as Erwin was about to escort Levi away from the
scene he was causing, Nile took the opportunity to jump on Erwin’s back about
how brainless Erwin was for “bringing in a stray and letting him crash on the
couch in the main room.”

Levi had taken that comment to heart more than he let on, if
the current situation that was unfolding was of any indication. Levi had not
moved an inch from the door, but something
about his posture said he was on the verge of changing his mind.

“I know I don’t let on much, but…I like having you around,
Levi.”

“Why? I’m just a waste of your space. You don’t even know me, for Christ’s sake. All you did
was take in a worthless-ass stray, Smith. That’s fuckin’ all I’ll ever be.”

Erwin winced, all too familiar with the bitter sting of
rejection. Nothing hurt worse than not being accepted. He had maybe a handful
of friends growing up, and his closest friends entertained him with countless letters
and words but could otherwise hold no conversation. Erwin wasn’t a monster,
despite what many believed, and he certainly wasn’t about to let Levi walk out.

“I’ll talk to Nile. He was wrong to say what he said.”

“Nah, no need to give that stupid shitbag any more ammo
against me.” Levi could practically hear Nile bitching now, in his trademarked whiny
tone, “Oh, so the little punk went running and crying to you instead of talking
it out with me first? What a bitch.”

 The guy’s gonna bitch
about something either way—he’s just that kind of asshat—but I don’t want my name
to come out of his damn mouth while he’s crying. I just need to leave…

“Levi.” A shadow towered over Levi’s own. Erwin’s hand
pressed against the door, effectively blocking Levi’s exit. Levi kept his head
down. Erwin was in such close proximity to him and his body was reacting
accordingly. His heartbeat drummed deafeningly in his ears and time crawled to
a halt around him.

“If you left, where would you go?”

Back to the streets…?
Back to Kenny’s? No warm welcome awaited him in either of those places. But in the end, it didn’t really
matter where he went, as long as he got the hell out of Erwin’s apartment.

“I don’t fuckin’ know. Somewhere.”

Why would you care? The
underlying question lingered in heavy silence.

“Levi, I can’t let you go back out there.”

“Why?”

Erwin honestly felt
like the scum of the earth, sitting there trying to think through a reason why
Levi shouldn’t walk out that door. Erwin wanted to keep the other man close for
his own reasons, but Levi didn’t need to know them, and he probably didn’t want
to hear them either.

I’ve waited for so
long to meet this man; He’s definitely the one, I know it. I can feel it…I can’t just let him walk out of my life
now…

Thought like a bratty child unwilling to part ways with
their favorite toy. Levi was a grown man, not some brainless plaything Erwin
could just bat around at his every whim, and ultimately the decision to stay or
to go was his alone.

One thing that managed to assuage Erwin’s guilt was the
genuine concern he felt for Levi. If the other man left, he’d just get swept
back into the cycle of violence that plagued the streets. Even under the guise
that he was concerned for Levi’s wellbeing—and he truly was—Erwin felt guilt
roiling mercilessly in the pit of his stomach. Erwin knew any harm done to Levi
would ultimately harm him in the process, and that was the last thing Erwin
wanted.

 “You…you might get hurt.” Erwin ran with his excuse anyway,
as guilt happily gnawed away at his conscience. Levi probably already saw right
through the flimsy excuse.

Self-centered.
Childish. Greedy. What a piece of work you are, Erwin Smith…You can’t hold on
to everyone…you should know that already…

“I’ll take my chances.” Levi seemed every bit as satisfied
with Erwin’s excuse as Erwin was making it. Sensing a lull in Erwin’s defenses,
Levi took his chance and slipped out of the door without another word.

spinsy:

“Those refugees… those people… they won’t even stand a chance…” Levi says in a daze. It doesn’t feel real.

“I don’t think they’re supposed to stand a chance,” Mike says softly. “I think the idea is that they’ll die… and the famine will end.”

Levi feels like he’s going to be sick. He grips the side of his desk and wills his stomach to stop churning. They’re going to kill thousands of people, in cold-blooded genocide. It’s too much to fully comprehend. It doesn’t feel real.

Levi had thought that Erwin’s death would cause him an immense amount of pain, but he never considered what would happen if Erwin betrayed him instead.

Chapter 26 was posted alongside Chapter 27, so make sure you click the “next chapter” button to keep reading!!

Hold Me Down Chapter 26 & 27

spinsy:

“Those refugees… those people… they won’t even stand a chance…” Levi says in a daze. It doesn’t feel real.

“I don’t think they’re supposed to stand a chance,” Mike says softly. “I think the idea is that they’ll die… and the famine will end.”

Levi feels like he’s going to be sick. He grips the side of his desk and wills his stomach to stop churning. They’re going to kill thousands of people, in cold-blooded genocide. It’s too much to fully comprehend. It doesn’t feel real.

Levi had thought that Erwin’s death would cause him an immense amount of pain, but he never considered what would happen if Erwin betrayed him instead.

Chapter 26 was posted alongside Chapter 27, so make sure you click the “next chapter” button to keep reading!!

Hold Me Down Chapter 26 & 27

smithlets:

In which Erwin and Levi are set up by their children who seem to think the only way they’ll be able to have a play date is if they get their parents together

this is so small so it’s more of a drabble but I just wasn’t motivated enough to turn it into a full oneshot (but it’ll possibly be turned into a drabble series soon?)

Surprises and Awkward Situations – smithlets – Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan [Archive of Our Own]

spinsy:

Erwin doesn’t smile. He simply waves Levi over, and presents him to the crowd.

“Corporal Levi killed thirty titans today,” Erwin claims in his loud, booming voice. “He is our true saviour. The strongest soldier humanity has.”

Levi’s face burns bright red. He’s embarrassed, and confused. He looks back at Erwin with a deep frown, but that doesn’t stop the people from shouting his name.

“Levi! Our hero!!”

“Humanity’s Strongest!!”

Hold Me Down Chapter 25

Posted on by synnatra

When I grow up

2dsheep:

Because @eruri-smackerman and I love an anguished Erwin

The sound of the crackling hearth soothed
Erwin somewhat. Cherished memories of winter nights spent in his father’s lap
resurfaced in his mind. At night they would sit together on his father’s
armchair; it was the only time he was allowed to do so. Its cushions were a
dark green, much like the moss that spread over the rocks and trees near the
river behind his house. It boasted a dark, hardwood trim, floral carvings
running down the length of the arm. They would sit and read together with their
feet stretched towards the warmth of the fire, often staying up long past Erwin’s
bedtime.

He could still remember the sound of his
father’s voice, so much softer than his own. Everything about him spoke of
gentleness. A man like that deserved a kinder fate, a long, peaceful life. A man such
as his father should have been granted a better son.

Erwin placed the lid back on the inkpot; the nib
of his quill had dried long ago despite the pile of papers beckoning his
attention. He stood, the ache in his shoulders weighing heavy on his body.
Levi would reprimand him for spending too much time at his desk. He was always
causing worry for that man. Erwin had always been inconsiderate of others,
placing his own needs first. Such a selfish creature.

He walked to the fireplace, welcoming the roll
of warmth against his thighs, but immediately thought of his men training in
the yard, manning the gates, tending to the horses in stables slowly falling victim
to the encroach of frost. Yet all day he had sat in a warm, spacious office which
he acquired through promises of victory that he has never been sure he could
follow through. It would have remained unlit were it not for a certain Captain’s
insistence that morning.

Even so, he moved closer. A little too close
perhaps, but something dark in him relished the sting of heat on his skin.

The mantelpiece was bare save for two candle
holders, the wax threatening to spill the next time they are lit. There was
nothing personal in this office. Erwin could only mourn the wasted hours of
paperwork that would be lost if this office burned to the ground.  He looked into the mirror that hung on the
wall above the fireplace. The fire whipped orange across his face, and the glow
of lit coal gave prominence to the dark rings under his eyes. He looked tired. In
fact, he looked downright miserable. Nothing at all like his father. His
father’s eyes were aged, but they burned bright with life; curiosity and wonder
beamed from those sky-like blues, lighting up every time he had the chance to
teach Erwin something new.

Erwin thought his own eyes looked burned out,
an unsightly blend of ash and ice, with an unsettling, piercing gaze. The angles of his face were harsh, the lines cut sharp and
deep. His eyebrows that had provoked schoolyard teasing seemed irrelevant when
compared to the rest of his features as he had aged.

He remembered something his mother had once said.

“You’ll grow up to be such a handsome young
man. Just like your father was.”

He supposed he could call that another failure
to add to his growing list.

Erwin stared at his reflection until his eyes blurred,
focusing on nothing. He wanted to wrench the
mirror off of the wall and throw it to the ground, smashing his image to countless
pieces.

His fingers itched to do it. He almost did.
His arms had been reaching out to grab hold of the frame when the door behind
him opened. There was no knock, which could only mean one thing.

 “Levi.”

 “You didn’t come to dinner, again.”

 He seemed like he was trying his best to sound
angry, slamming the door behind him.

“It will affect the soldier’s morale if you
make it seem you don’t want to dine with them. Even more so if you pass out
during training because you’re not eating or something pathetic like that,” he
huffs, his boots pounding against the floorboards. Erwin dragged his eyes from
his reflection and turned round. Levi was carrying a tray of food towards the
desk where he pushed the paperwork aside and set it down. This had become a
habit of his, recently.

“You don’t have to keep doing this, Levi.”

“Someone has to.”

And again, he becomes another burden. How many
more backs must he stand on in order to reach his goal? How many more people
can he push into the ground beneath him, just to inch that little bit higher?

“Are you going to eat or not?”

When Levi had first asked that question it had
been a demand, a harsh snap before closing the door. With each visit, his voice
had become softer, a gentleness that Erwin, admittedly, would never have expected
from him.

The softness in his voice must be down to a
sort of resignation. Erwin damaged everything he touched, weakened what was
strong.  He was the storm that snuffed
out the light.

Erwin moved to return to his desk, catching a
last glimpse of himself in the mirror. His face looked almost demonic, the flames
that danced behind the grate burnt through his skin, revealing the devil that
hid beneath human flesh.  

Was this how Levi saw him? No. No, he had
fooled Levi, just like he had managed to fool the rest of them.

He sat at his desk, frowning at a creased
piece of paper caught under the tray. He realised that Levi was still stood
there, arms crossed in that stance of his. His eyebrows were slightly creased but
his eyes were soft. Erwin had learned that this usually signalled concern.

Erwin had been noticing a lot of things about
his Captain recently.

Like how he refused to use the standard issue
cleaning products and instead bought his own from town on his days off, or how
his eyes smiled the time a fellow soldier had gifted him with some sweet goods
from a trip to their home town. And most recently, he had discovered that Levi
would sit on the roof and look up at the stars on nights he couldn’t sleep. He
wondered how much more there was to learn about this man.

“Erwin, you should know –”

Their eyes met and Levi faltered. His mouth
parted but no more words came out. He looked almost pained, like the words were
barbed wire wrapping round and piercing his tongue, leaving him to choke on
his own blood.

Levi closed his mouth and gave a small cough.

“Just…just make sure you take your tray down
to the kitchen when you’re done. I refuse to clean up after you as well.”

And with that, he was gone. Out of the room
without so much as a nod.

For some reason, Erwin wanted to call him
back. An urge to rest his hand on Levi’s shoulder, and request that he finish
what he was about to say. Erwin suddenly felt so alone, more than he had all day. Levi’s office only had a small fireplace; surely he was cold in there.
Should he call him back?

But then, Levi’s footsteps were gone and Erwin was left with only the hiss of burning coal and the winter wind beating at the
glass behind him.

 What business did he have trying to tend to
Levi in any case? Erwin thought back to that day in the rain; he on his knees
and Levi’s sword to his throat. He had almost fooled himself with that touching
speech. The words that people needed to hear fell easily from his mouth.
Syllables laced in gold and sugar dripped from his tongue, and even he savoured
a taste from time to time.

Erwin spooned some of the stew Levi had
brought him into his mouth. It tasted bland. He couldn’t remember the last time
he enjoyed the taste of food, clearly preferring to swallow his own deceit. 

He thought back to the autumn of his tenth year, when the famine had struck. His father hadn’t once cursed those in Sina who had yet to experience a single morsel of food denied to them. He didn’t complain about the hunger pains, simply smiled through the growling of his stomach while he took food from his own plate and placed it on Erwin’s. 

Levi had told him, on one of the rare occasions he stayed in this office long enough for a short chat, that living in the underground was like a life-time famine, and days would go by where he would think of nothing but his next meal. 

Erwin finished his dinner, not wanting to dismiss Levi’s efforts, but it did nothing to diminish the guilt that burned the lining of his stomach. He ate and he lived to see another day. Would he make it another ten years and live longer than his father had a chance to?

 Life had been too kind to Erwin. He drifted through life unscathed and instead he was the infectious being that tainted all those that neared him. He had ruined his father, he had ruined the lives of countless men following his orders, and he would most certainly ruin Levi, in time. Burn him from the inside until his skin splits and he ignites, crumbling into ash. 

Ignoring the beating in his temples Erwin returned to his paperwork, but only after silently praying that they would all hear his pleas of forgiveness from the depths of hell.

Posted on by synnatra

I’d love to see how Levi would completely unravel when Erwin dies (at least in this scenario). Like I imagine he’d be in the deepest denial about it. Like he keeps demanding that Erwin kiss him again, but Levi instead kisses him with as much fire and passion that he can muster. “There. That’s how I meant to do it, if you hadn’t caught me off-guard the first time, I would’ve done it better. So goddamnit, wake up. People need you to lead. I need you to lead, now get the fuck up.”-AAA

comander-sadwin:

eruri-hound:

I love angst but I also find myself yelling at my computer that I didn’t ask for this when the world knows I totally did. I agree, I don’t think in any situation Levi would take Erwin’s death well. He trusts him so much and they’re so close. It would be like losing part of himself. I think he’d be in denial, then he’d lose it and break shit, and then just…. Dead blank emotionless. For a long long while. He’d snap out of it after a long time. But Hange would worry about him. All of the 104th. Everyone would know how much he loved Erwin and how much he’s breaking. UGH

Ok but I need a fic of this. Also anon how dare you, It’s too late for these feels

Posted on by synnatra

I have no idea why I decided to write this, but I did it anyways. Just a heads up, there is some triggering content in this story, so please feel free to avoid it. It’s also long as fuck for no good reason. At any rate, this is a sort of eruri Soulmate!AU that I thought up at like 4 in the morning, so enjoy.

“It was you.”

Levi ignored the blond in front of him. There was no anger
or accusation in the other man’s tone, so there was no need for Levi to expend
any more energy getting rid of him. Levi hastily swiped his unoccupied hand
across his chin, muttering darkly about blood and uncleanliness. His other hand
was still pressed against his left side, trying to staunch the flow of blood
there.

The blond man, tired of being ignored, hastily dropped his
groceries and knelt down before Levi, wincing slightly. Levi would’ve reached
for his gun, but he’d carelessly chunked it after the fight had ended. The
blond man rolled up his sleeve, revealing a multitude of horizontal white
scars. Levi’s eyes widened.

They all were too perfectly even to be anyone else’s
handiwork. Levi always had had a streak for perfection…

It can’t be…

“See?” The blond pressed, a mixture of hope and desperation
in his deep voice.

“It’s too damn dark, I can’t see that.”

The sun might have been setting, but Levi could see that one
oddly shaped scar on the other’s arm. He had that exact same one, and he
remembered everything. 

Erwin grinned and bore his way through dinner that night. His
father was prattling on and on about the probability of an individual having
more than one soul mate, but Erwin had long since tuned him out. He was aware
of the concept of soul mates—everyone
was—but he’d hardly given the idea any thought. His mind was much more occupied.

His arm was on fire.
And his legs were too. He must’ve been quite the spectacle walking back home
from school, just rubbing and scratching everywhere. Erwin was lucky he’d
maintained his lonely kid status throughout his childhood. Teachers and students
alike ogled from a distance as the gangly and awkward fifteen-year-old Erwin
Smith staggered home.

Now dinner was in front of him, and he’d barely made a dent
in it. His father’s educational tirade could only go on so long before he
noticed Erwin’s sudden lack of appetite.

“What’s wrong, son? I thought spaghetti and meatballs was
your favorite? And why are you wearing your coat? Are you cold?”

“I think I might’ve caught something.” Erwin held in another
cringe as pain raked across his arm again. God only knew what lay underneath
his coat, but if the pain he was in was indicative of anything, it probably
wasn’t pretty.  

“Well, then, you need to go lay down for a while. I’ll come
in and check on you later.”

Erwin acquiesced with a nod and a low “Yes, sir.” His father
said he’d take care of clean up. Erwin migrated slowly to his room, a feeling
of dizziness swarming his body as he stood. He opened the door and slowly
approached his bed. Once seated on the edge of the bed, he slowly and delicately
removed his coat, wincing through the entire procedure.

Scars littered his
entire arm. There was no blood, thankfully, but each slash was equally
spaced from each other. Erwin rolled up his pants and saw even more angry, red scars
sporadically marring both of his legs.  

Whoever my soul mate
is…they must be hurting a lot…

Erwin’s soul mate had clearly harmed themselves, and the
damage had subsequently affected Erwin. Logically speaking, if Erwin did the
same…

Erwin abruptly got off his bed and moved to his desk. He
flicked on his desk light and went to work searching for something. He rustled
pages of notes and drawings, pushed heavy textbooks to the ground, and
scattered pencils and pens until he found his desired object: a pair of
scissors.

Erwin sighed, resigning himself to his decision. He honestly
didn’t want to resort to this, but maybe this was the only way he could send a
message to his soul mate, wherever they were…

Erwin braced himself and made the first cut.

Levi checked his pistol for the fourth time. Still loaded.
Well, it’d need to be if he was to do what he needed to do. He continued to
stalk through the dark alleyways; he’d find them eventually…or they’d find him. At this point, it
was either him or them anyway, and he had nothing to lose. If Kenny could see
him now…

Would he be proud or
would he say I’m shit for doing this? Levi thought on this for another few
minutes—it was a much nicer thought to have on his mind—before deciding it ultimately
didn’t matter what the old fart thought. It appeared that he found them anyways, inadvertently stumbling
upon their nest while lost in thought.

All eyes peered at the lone stranger in their camp, and
within seconds, all guns were drawn.

Almost thirty years
old and I’m still eating mac n’ cheese from a box.

Erwin sighed and tossed the box into the cart. Damn it, if
he was old enough to live in a decently sized apartment, have a
well-paying job, and all the while go to college, then he could reward himself
with some mac n’ cheese every once in a while.

Dad would be proud…He
chuckled at the fond memory of his father. Bless the old man’s soul, he didn’t
live to see Erwin grow from awkward teenager to flourishing young man. He’d
died peacefully, though, claiming that his own soul mate was waiting on him.

Speaking of which…Erwin
slowly rolled up his sleeve, peering at the odd self-inflicted scar he made on
his arm. His soul mate’s scars—white and faded—lingered just inches above his
own. Erwin was almost happy to note that the message he sent all those years
ago seemed to have successfully reached its recipient.  Years had past since anything too drastic
happened to his soul mate, and there were no new scars on his arms or legs as
of late.

But every once in a while he’d get phantom pangs of pain. Of
crippling loneliness. The pain racked his entire body, and the worst of it would
cause him to pass out or come very close to it. The loneliness was slightly
more bearable, but some days, Erwin could barely function with its presence
pressing on him.

But if these bursts of pain and isolation were this painful
for him, Erwin loathed imagining how painful they were for his soul mate. He’d
never wanted to meet someone so badly.

Erwin turned down another aisle, searching for laundry
detergent, when he felt…tension. The
feeling was nothing short of electrifying, as if millions of gallons of
adrenaline were flooding his veins all at once. His heart thudded soundly in
his ears, his stomach plummeted, and he had half a mind to go sprinting through
the store. Erwin was on high alert now.

What’s going on…?
Erwin clutched at his chest, hoping the heart racing inside would calm down
soon. Here he was making a spectacle of himself again in public; maybe not so
much had changed since adolescence.

Then an agonizing wave of pain tore through Erwin’s left
side, just below his ribcage. Erwin instantly crumbled over his cart. The pain
was unbelievably unbearable, as if someone had caught him in the side with a
searing brand. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he stifled the scream climbing up
his throat. Even doubled over, the pain didn’t subside.

Please, help…But
who could he call out to? No one was around to help him, and he was doubtful
anyone would try. He desperately clutched the sides of his cart—if only to
minimize the pain—and his entire body trembled with effort. His body and mind
shrieked at him, but somehow, Erwin managed to right himself. The endeavor took
patience, and a lot of heavy breathing, but luckily no one ventured down the
aisle.

He had to leave. Now.

He’d paid for his scant amount of groceries at the front,
all the while desperately hoping the lady bagging them all wouldn’t notice how
horribly he was hiding his pain. Luckily, she was content to ignore Erwin’s
pain, and Erwin left the store, a paper sack in his right hand and blinding
pain biting into his left side.

Levi groaned in pain, a stream of swears fell from his lips
as he slid down the wall. All odds had been incredibly stacked against him, but
he was still alive. Levi cast a disparaging glance back at their bodies. All
eight. All bloody. All dead. All gone.

“Serves you right, fuckfaces,” he spit. Blood and spittle
dribbled past bruised lips. His ass finally met the cold concrete below, and
Levi grunted as the sudden impact jostled his new injuries.

Fuck…Levi might’ve
soundly kicked their asses, but they did no go quietly into the night. He’d
dodged and danced his way around every bullet, and then the one asshole with
mediocre aim caught him in his left side with two bullets. Levi saved that one
for last, putting a bullet directly between his eyes as he begged and cried and
squealed for mercy. But mercy was a thing of the past…

Eight of them…for two
of mine…

A drive-by. The ultimate case of wrong place, wrong time. It
was just random misfortune that the two of them were walking the streets that
night, and neither of them had heard the car approaching. From what Levi had
heard on the streets, Farlan had tried to jump in front of Isabel and draw his weapon
first, but in the end, his heroics did nothing to save either of their lives.

Levi would’ve been perfectly content to bleed out in that
alleyway, but then this big, blond fool came up to him talking utter nonsense
out of his ass.

Well, it wasn’t
exactly nonsense, was it?

Levi peered down at his own arm. There it was: that
mysterious heart-shaped scar was on his forearm too, mere inches below his own
self-inflicted scars. Carved there by someone who’d had no experience with a
knife, let alone anything sharp. He’d wondered what kind of bullshit was going
on when each jagged cut randomly appeared on his arm. Kenny had told him that the
idea of soul mates was nothing more than a crock of steaming horseshit, and
Levi was more than willing to accept his deadbeat uncle’s views on that matter.

And yet…

“It was you…” the man repeated, awestruck. He then seemed to
take notice of Levi’s injuries; concerned blue eyes flickered to Levi’s
bleeding left side. “Please…”

“Levi.” He supplied shortly.

“Levi, come back to my apartment. I’ve got plenty of food
and aid there. I can help you if you let me.” The blond extended his hand for
Levi to take, but Levi remained unconvinced.

He let his head loll to the side as he thought about this
whole bizarre situation.

There’s no way…Soul
mates are just bullshit. Made up by lonely pieces of shit with no hope and too
much time on their damn hands. But, why?

Levi remembered then. He remembered when Kenny would waste
his money on cheap booze, women, and cigarettes instead of food, and yet Levi
would never feel hungry. He remembered when winter would wrap its icy grip
around their sad excuse of a house, and yet Levi would never feel cold. He
remembered when Kenny would beat and harass and demean him in a drunken rage,
and yet Levi could still feel love.

Warmth, fullness, love: no one in Levi’s life had ever
supplied such luxuries…

Maybe Kenny was wrong…The promise of possible food, shelter,
and help was something a lowlife like him was willing to entertain.  Levi considered his options, considered his
chances, and  he chose.

It’s not like I have
anything to lose…“Okay…”

“Smith. Erwin Smith.”

“Okay, Erwin Smith.
I’ve made my choice…I’ll trust you. For now at least. Fuckin’ help get me up.”

Erwin helped Levi to his two feet, letting Levi put as much
weight on him as he needed. Erwin made sure to avoid Levi’s wounds. He’d have
to clean and patch them up when they got back. Erwin scooped up his dropped bag
of groceries with his unoccupied hand.

“Don’t make me regret this, Smith,” Levi warned.

Erwin chuckled, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Levi.