What else could he have done at that point? Disappeared, perhaps, but he was never a threat to anyone else in the Corps. Erwin had already thwarted him twice over, and without anything to gain from it, there would have been no point in killing him. And so follow him he did; all the way to this.

The hand between his shoulders has the effect it almost always does - his muscles unlock slightly, automatically, and Levi closes his eyes a moment, just soaking in the sensation, in Erwin's presence, trying to let it soothe away all of his worry. It doesn't quite, but...it's enough, for now. It'll have to be.

"...it's not you I'm worried about," he says quietly, and reaches for his own mug. "But I trust you."