13thcommander | Labrynthum Inbox

"I don't think it's terribly accurate." Erwin offers the book to Levi; it might not have great info in it, but it's got lots of pictures of cute cats! "It says cats don't listen to what people say to them."

Erwin listens to Levi's description, and nods. It does sound peaceful, and heaven knows they could all use a little peace these days. He perks up a little at the mention of Finnick.

"Did you? How's he doing?" Erwin isn't as friendly with Finnick as Levi, but he likes the young man.

He's a little loathe to move away even temporarily, but does just to lean forward a bit and put his cup on the coffee table and take the book, eyeing it dubiously and flipping a few pages.

"...well if she did, she'd stay off the places I tell her to." Sounds true to him! But at the same time, she definitely does seem to sass at him quite a lot. Maybe "listen" has a few different meanings, here.

Levi flicks a few more pages, distractedly. The back of his neck itches a bit with a rising heat. Since bringing Finnick on to help with the shop, they've been spending a few hours a day together quite regularly, with Levi teaching him generally about tea and how he wants things to be done, at least at first. It's possible Erwin has observed something between them, or at least some signs on Levi's end that may have indicated a deeper interest in someone than usual; slightly longer, lingering glances, a little bit of a tilt toward the the younger blonde when he speaks or is showing him something new. Perhaps most importantly, he's much more noticeably relaxed around Finnick than most other people, including ones they've known for some time already, here.

But there's definitely a sense of nerves now, absently running his fingers over the sides of the book, feeling the sensation of the pages pressed together.

"...good." What next? He feels fucking ridiculous, wonders if he waits long enough and thinks we kissed hard enough Erwin would just be able to pick up on his thoughts and read his mind. They don't always need words, right?

Although that's probably not how it's gonna go, here.

Fuck.

He looks over at Erwin, gaze strangely intense, but everything just gets stuck in his throat.

She listens, but she doesn't listen listen. Erwin has heard enough of the conversations Levi and Burnt Rice have, and they're definitely not one-sided. The cat talks up a storm, although apparently Levi's conversational skills in Cat leave something to be desired.

Erwin picks up on Levi's distress, but he can't read his mind. He has an idea where this might be going--you'd have to be blind to not notice how well Levi and Finnick are getting on, how quickly they've bonded at the shop--but he also doesn't want to presume. So instead, he lifts his hand and gently rubs between Levi's shoulder blades.

"Is everything all right? You two didn't get in an argument, did you?"

If their conversations are any indication, Levi seems pretty determined to get her to understand. Results aren't great at the moment, though.

Something gets through, and though that isn't surprising, Levi still feels grateful for it. The touch is soothing, as it always is, and he leans back into it a little, angling toward Erwin as though drawn like a magnet. He sighs softly, trying to let some of the knots unwind from his stomach and shoulders, and abruptly feels foolish for being anxious in the first place. If Erwin would abandon him over this, that would mean everything else is as much of a flimsy lie, and that couldn't possibly be true.

"No," he says, shaking his head, but there's still a flush working up to his ears. "The opposite."

Stop being a constipated ass and spit it out.

He puts the book aside, realizing he's picking at the corners of the pages, and picks up the cup instead, holding it in both hands.

"We-..."

The fucking brats wouldn't be this stupid about this. Embarrassing. Like trying to shove out shit one piece at a time.

Levi is really twisting himself into a knot over this, isn't he? Erwin runs through what he knows:

1.) Levi says he and Finnick did not get in a fight, rather "the opposite."

2.) Levi and Finnick have been spending a lot of time together at the shop, and Erwin has caught those moony looks Levi keeps giving him.

3.) Levi has only very recently gotten in touch with his physical desires, which thus far have all been directed at Erwin or Hange.

4.) Finnick is handsome, and fun, and likes to flirt.

5.) Levi looks way too put together for them to have gotten down and dirty in the sand. Also, sand. Levi would never.

Erwin moves his hand in slow circles on Levi's back. "Did the two of you kiss each other?"

He absolutely would never - sand in your asshole and every other orifice? Pass.

"Yes."

The confirmation comes immediately, and he feels stupid with relief. Levi exhales, slumping a little, and mutters a soft: "Sorry...acting like m'pushing out a hard shit."

But his eyes immediately jump to Erwin's face to watch his reaction. This isn't like with Hange, and he knows it. That hadn't needed to be explained, but maybe this does - he doesn't know. If asked prior to Finnick's arrival, perhaps even days ago if he thought this sort of thing would happen, Levi wouldn't have even bothered with giving it a real thought.

"I-...didn't expect it. I know Hange was different and this is - he's new. I get it. Maybe it isn't okay, then. It's not that I-"

He can't even fucking say don't love you even to deny it, because they both know that isn't the case, that nothing could ever, ever make those words true.

And of course there's a poop reference.

Erwin's expression doesn't change at all. His eyes are soft and gentle, full of affection, as he keeps rubbing Levi's back.

"I know, I know." Erwin leans in and kisses Levi's forehead. "It's fine. I'm happy for you."

Happy, and a little sad. There has been the passing person who caught Erwin's fancy here, but they've been gone for a long time, and haven't returned. Erwin also knows that his own fancies are likely much grungier and hornier than Levi's; this whole thing seems awfully pure and sweet by comparison.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

He is who he is, sir.

That look, that kiss, make him want to just melt into the floor. A soft, involuntary noise sounds quietly from the back of his throat. Levi is quite sure he's never done anything so good as to be rewarded with Erwin. How could he have? But here they are anyway, and he's abandoning the cup on the table to turn and draw him closer, one hand hooked around the side of his neck and burying his face against the other side, breathing him in.

"Fuck..."

Am I taking him for granted? Is he just being fucking greedy? It didn't-...it hadn't felt like that, with Hange. His love for the both of them coexisted, and that felt as natural as anything. Why should this be any different? If it had been Erwin instead, Levi would be happy - proud, even - because of course Erwin deserved to be loved by more than just one person, and more people should love him, to be fucking honest.

Or even if he just wants a good fuck; Levi's plenty aware of his own shortcomings in that regard.

He sighs, burying into him, his husband (and nearly a whole year later, that feels a little less strange and even more wonderful). His scent is clean and a bit like tea; perfect. More tension ekes out of his shoulders, on his way to boneless.

"...yeah," he admits to Erwin's collar bone. "It...feels good to be around him."

Edited (Gd html) 2024-08-16 11:11 (UTC)

And Erwin wouldn't have him any other way.

Whether anyone has done anything to deserve having Erwin in their lives is another story, but not one Erwin wants to get into today. No, today is a day for just letting Levi melt against him and cuddling him in return. It's pretty clear that this whole confession was difficult for him, and Erwin can't say he blames him; he's still learning the depths of Levi's neuroses around intimacy, and who knows what he picked up regarding having multiple partners? Although maybe he's been listening to the kids and learning to imitate whatever random bed-hopping they're doing.

"Good." Levi deserves all the love in the world, and Erwin hopes against hope that maybe, just maybe, he can learn to recognise that here, in Somnius, and take it with him back to their world. He hates the thought of Levi being alone forever, the sole survivor of the old Survey Corps, the last of their friends left standing. He wants him to find love again someday, and if that means practicing with Finnick, Levi could certainly do worse or have shittier taste.

"You should keep spending time with him. Keep making each other happy." Because obviously Levi is making Finnick happy too!

It's hard to say, really; of course he's plenty aware of monogamy and things like marriage - multiple partners didn't appear to be that much of a norm in the wider society within the walls, but little of that has had much bearing on Levi's lived experience. The Underground was about survival, and while some people certainly did have families, few of them looked much like what anyone above might recognize. Broken, scattered, or worse. Gangs made things both easier and harder - more people to rely on, but more mouths to feed - but Levi never cared enough to pay attention to such personal details. It was similar in the Survey Corps, even if he occasionally caught wind by happenstance of who might be fucking who or 'going together' or whatever; none of it mattered to him, so long as it didn't get in the way of his leading a team. If asked, he wouldn't think much of it one way or the other, since it didn't involve him. Probably multiple people had multiple partners of whatever combination of genders, and in many ways, that just...made sense.

But he's never really had to think about it until now. Levi wouldn't really consider either of them especially jealous - what was the point, when they already knew what they were to each other, trusted each other more than anything and anyone else? It doesn't stop the anxiety, of course, the dread that somehow because someone else has managed to catch his eye (heretofore a thing even Levi didn't believe possible) Erwin might think his attention and love would lessen...but nothing could be further from the truth.

Seeing their younger compatriots form multiple strong bonds certainly helps, too.

Yet it is that very thing, the fear of being alone at the end of their world, that seems a little less awful now, thanks to Finnick. Even that wouldn't have been possible without Erwin, though; truly, he's done most of the heavy lifting navigating Levi's discomforts, gently and patiently allowing him to figure it all out at his own pace.

He holds onto Erwin a little more tightly. Does he make Finnick happy in the same way? Sources say most likely yes, but it's all still...very much new territory.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," he grumbles (for legal reasons: this is a joke). "As long as you're happy, too."

Erwin chuckles softly into Levi's hair. "I wouldn't ever try to get rid of you."

How could he? Levi is the only one who has ever really seen Erwin, observed him with all of his flaws and imperfections, saw him with the mask off and his guard down, and kept coming back. Levi is the only person Erwin allows himself to be truly himself around--even Mike and Hange never got the full treatment, although they came the closest after Levi--and Erwin will never not appreciate that.

"Yes. I'm happy you're happy." Which is true! But also getting a little too close to the truth for comfort; for all Erwin values being able to let walls down around Levi, there are some that are harder than others to overcome. He shifts Levi on his lap, arranging him so they're both a little more comfortable. "You should ask Finnick how he'd feel about kissing two old men at the same time."

Half joking, half serious. Easier to deflect to the idea of a threesome than to admit that, for all he's glad that Levi is finding someone new to love, the thought also sends little pinpricks of grief through Erwin's heart. Levi will move someday, and while that's the best thing for him, it still hurts that Erwin won't be there beside him for the rest of his days.

Erwin will be gone, but Levi will never really move on from him. There will never be a day in his life that goes by where he doesn't think of him, where he doesn't wish he were at his side more than anything. Erwin will never not be at the forefront of his mind and heart, even if he does manage to find someone new to love. It will never diminish the bond that they had. If their world had been any less cruel, they should have been able to live out their lives together.

But this is what they get now, and he'll always treasure each and every second.

Levi adjusts into one of their usual positions when Erwin recites poetry to him, buried close, tucked into his arms, one hand resting lightly over Erwin's chest near his heart. There's truly no better feeling than this.

He makes a little noise like a snort, but perhaps surprisingly, doesn't dismiss the idea outright.

"Maybe I will. Not like that, though; he might think we're a couple of weird perverts." He brushes his lips lightly against Erwin's jaw, noses at his cheek. "You ain't that old."

Now this is interesting! Erwin tilts his head a little, looking down at Levi with a cocked eyebrow.

"But Levi..." he bends down, deliberately touching one of Levi's eyebrows with the tip of his nose, "I am a weird old pervert."

And then Erwin breaks out in giggles, sounding remarkably like a teenaged boy. That was an excellent joke, and he nailed it.

At first Levi frowns at him, nose scrunching a bit, because he definitely doesn't get the joke.

But Erwin's laughing - giggling ridiculously and giddy, and he decides that whatever the reason for it doesn't matter, because it's one of the most precious sounds he's ever hears.

At once, practically all of his anxiety lifts away, because he can't think about anything else being more important than this. Levi huffs in fond, loving exasperation, and wraps his arms around Erwin's neck to drag him closer, as though he could absorb that laughter directly into his skin, keep it in the marrow of his bones. He hides a smile against Erwin's throat as he grumbles out:

"Well, you are a fucking weirdo, that's for sure."

It was a bad joke. Erwin can do a lot of things well, but tell coherent, actually funny jokes tends not to be among them.

Oh, well. At least he's amused himself, and he knows the subtle tells in Levi's voice enough to recognise that he's hiding a smile against Erwin's neck. When Levi scoots closer, Erwin winnows his arm under his legs and pulls him up against his chest, cradling him like he's holding an oversized cat.

"Hmmm, that's true. Better make sure your new boyfriend doesn't mind weirdos hanging around."

Levi wouldn't have him any other way.

If he really was a cat, he'd be purring, loudly, right into Erwin's ear. Instead, he's sighing, utterly content, snuggled as close as he can be as he (like a cat) leans all of his weight onto Erwin's chest.

"Well," he mumbles into the little nook he's made for himself. "Haven't scared him away yet...so he's gotta be into that at least a little, or something."

If Burnt Rice weren't already preoccupied shedding fur all over their pillowcases, she'd come in, see this scene, and go wild with jealousy. All this cuddling, and no cat! Jail! Jail for fathers, one thousand years!

Or maybe she'd just saunter over and join them, appreciating a quality cuddle pile like any self-respecting cat would.

"Well, he knows a lot about strange sea animals and doesn't mind teaching us about them. Perhaps there's a bit of weirdo hidden in him, too." Erwin uses one hand to smooth Levi's hair away from his face. "You should invite him over for dinner again."

Levi's definitely figured out to drape a sheet over their bed for the day to keep cat hair off where they actually sleep. He also thoroughly brushes the beast every day so that she sheds as little of that fur elsewhere as possible. There's designated coverings for her favorite spots to lay that can also be easily cleaned that takes effort for him not to wash every single day. He's got a system down now.

"Mm," he sighs softly, blissfully content at being pet. "Cracking open shells to eat the weird slimy things inside, wonder who first thought'a that."

Levi brushes a soft kiss to the corner of Erwin's mouth, almost askance. "All right, I will. We should make him something, this time."

'We' of course primarily meaning Erwin, but Levi has taken to cooking a thing or two now and then, lately.

Levi's little system for the cat only serves to convince Erwin that he actually likes her, and doesn't mind having her around. If nothing else, the mimic has been cowed into staying in the hermit crab enclosure, so there haven't been any random bites lately.

"Someone very hungry, I imagine." Maybe they saw something else eating the oysters first? Erwin isn't sure how anyone would realise they were food without that kind of cue.

He chuckles and returns Levi's kiss. "All right. He showed up oysters and mussels, we should think of something unique from our world. How do you think he'd feel about my mother's apple cake?"

Erwin can think that, except the truth is closer to that he's coping with living with a creature that Erwin wanted and seems to make him happy, and Levi loves Erwin, so his feelings on the cat in this regard are irrelevant - except that he bitches, loudly, whenever he finds puke or hairballs on the floor in the morning.

In some regards, he'd rather have the mimic. At least it didn't leave fur everywhere.

Anyway, at the mention of apple cake, Levi visibly perks up. He's not much of one for sweets, but he seems to make exceptions for things involving apples.

"Doesn't matter. If he hates it, more for us." More for him, really. "That's not dinner, though."

Correction: the mimic doesn't leave fur everywhere yet. Just wait until it's no longer afraid of Burnt Rice and starts turning into another cat.

"No, we can't just feed him apple cake." Erwin is well aware of Levi's feelings on apple cake, and isn't the slightest bit worried about there being leftovers, even if Finnick hates it.

"The weather is starting to get colder. How about a nice stew?"

He's going to get a lock for that mimic's cage. Maybe make it live with Hange's hermit crabs.

"Hm," he muses, nestling in more. They've done this so many times by now, it's like they fit perfectly together like pieces of a puzzle. This limb this way, this limb that way, head here. "So long as we don't hit another hot spell, that should be fine."

And really, he could eat stew any time.

"I'll ask him."

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