There was a picture. I got a new head-canon. This happened. You're welcome.
It was warm in the stables, the horses all nestled into hay piles, covered in blankets to keep out the winter chill. Eryn finished dumping another bucket of feed into the nearest trough, envious of the horse staring at her from the depths of his stall, wide eyes blinking at her in the dark.
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," she grumbled, tucking her arms back under her dark green cape. "Just cause you get treated like royalty while I freeze to death."
"You know they can't talk back, right?" Jean interrupted her muttered rant, making her jump.
"So? Doesn't mean I can't complain to them." She replied, offering him the feed bucket.
"Nice to see you too." Jean teased, taking it with a chuckle.
Eryn grinned, her breath coming out in little puffs of white as she replied. "Hey, don't blame me for your posting—I'm not even supposed to be here, remember?"
Jean gave the Garrison insignia she wore a dirty look, snorting. "Then why are you here?"
"Because someone forgot about the noble steeds," Eryn prodded him in the chest, heading toward the door. "Don't forget to fill their water, too. And be sure to muck out the stalls properly."
Jean groaned, shuffling toward the water pump at the end of the barn, grumbling.
Eryn stepped out into the cold night, tucking her arms around herself as she glanced around the yard. It was too late to head back to town tonight, so she'd be bunking in the barracks. She'd come by with a mail delivery (volunteering, when no one else dared go near the would-be Titan Jaeger), and ended up doing other chores while she waited for the squad to get back from training.
She started toward the barracks, boots crunching across the frosted ground, and stopped when she saw smoke curling up from behind a low stone wall beside the stables. She glanced between the smoke tendril and the barracks before she rolled her eyes and headed toward the wall, grumbling to herself over her inability to be irresponsible.
She stopped by the wall and peered over it, looking for the source of the smoke. What she found was not a fire, but something else entirely.
"You're out late, Whitewood." Levi commented dryly, glancing up at her as she stared at him.
"Taking care of the horses, sir." She responded automatically, snapping to attention at the use of her last name.
"Awfully late for that." He took a long drag on the cigarette he was nursing, blowing out the smoke in a long stream of white.
"I had a lot to do today, Zoe had me on my toes." It sounded like an excuse even to her own ears.
"You deserve a break then," he held the cigarette between his lips, the tip flaring orange as he inhaled again. "Sit."
"Oh, no, sir, I should really get inside." She started to turn away, saluting sloppily.
"Whitewood," Levi's voice cut through the night like a knife. "Sit."
She spun back around and slid down to sit next to him, hoping the flush in her cheeks was just from the cold. He nodded once in approval before he looked back into the sky, blowing out another wraith-like gust of smoke.
"I didn't know you smoked, sir." Eryn managed, looking anywhere but at him.
"Only occasionally," he replied. "When I need a break."
"Am I in trouble, sir?" Eryn did look at him then, deciding to get to the point and avoid any further awkwardness.
He took another long pull and then look at her, raising an eyebrow. "Why would you be?"
"I caught you off-duty, sir, I feel like I shouldn't have done that."
He considered her for a moment, then offered her the cigarette. She glanced between it and him before she accepted it and took a short pull on it, quickly handing it back and breathing out a stream of white. He smiled faintly, tipping his head back to look at the sky. She did the same and caught sight of a star whizzing past, burning a bright trail through the winter sky.
"I'll consider you off-duty as well," he spoke softly. "Now you can join me on my break, and there's no harm done."
Eryn smiled, glancing at him before she looked back into the sky. "Sir, may I have another?"
Levi offered her the cigarette again, a ghost of a smile appearing for a moment before it vanished once more. "Be my guest."
I get the feeling that Levi would use one of those long cigarette holders; like dames in the 40s.
Well, now I can't unsee that mental image.
Eryn Whitewood belongs to: Silver Flame Alchemist
Attack on Titan and its related characters belong to: Hajime Isayama