Title: All for you
Written by: Sano
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Isayama. Don't sue me.
Notes: Written for Erwin Smith week. Happy Birthday, Danchou! This is for day 1: Birthday.
Summary: Levi would always prepare something special for Erwin's birthday.
Morning sunlight filtered through the windows of Levi's room. Normally he'd be annoyed since he did manage to sleep just 3 hours ago, but today it didn't matter since he woke up early. Already nursing his second cup of tea, he was debating what to prepare for today. It's a special day after all.
He had to make sure that this day matters.
Good thing he had the day off. He barely escaped from Hange's ramblings last night and it took a few shots of whisky to reduce them to a slumbering mess. He knew that they would have a hang-over; liquor wasn't Hange's best friend. But remembering how boisterous they were last night, Levi would rather let the suffering continue. He'd check on Hange later.
After packing some items in a satchel, he rode his horse into the town proper a good 20 minutes away from the barracks. He needed a few things for Erwin's birthday and knew exactly where to get them.
The baker instantly recognized Humanity's Strongest and insisted on giving him a few extra pastries. Still not used to the praise from townsfolk despite his years in service, he thanked the baker, secured what he bought with twine, and left for his next destination.
The wine seller was a bit more subdued in his reaction to Levi. Since he only indulged in tea, the man in front of him insisted on a bottle of port that may suit Levi's palate. Declining the advice and explaining that he wasn't buying for himself, the seller nodded and got a bottle of wine Levi requested from the back.
By mid-morning Levi almost had everything prepared and rode out for the final step in his preparation.
Young guards saluted him as he went beyond the gates. He gave them a nod and urged his horse faster, eager to get to a recent discovery of his the last time he rode out.
After a bit of riding he came upon a clearing. The sunlight filtered through the tall trees, the leaves providing a relief from the heat of the morning. While it was the perfect place to rest, Levi hopped down from his horse to approach the patch of flowers peppering the floor. Taking out a knife, he cut off a few violets, some azaleas, and other flowers that Hange already told him about before but forgot the names of. Once he'd made a tidy little bouquet, he tied it off with twine and got on his horse again.
The place they'd decided on was a grass-laden cliff overlooking an ocean. After making sure that his horse was tethered securely, Levi carefully carried everything he'd brought to a tree that was closest to the cliff.
He took out a blanket from his satchel and laid it down next to the tree, using his shoes to secure the corners from being blown away by the wind. Once he had placed everything he'd brought neatly on top of the blanket, he sat down cross-legged and looked at the stone carving in front of him.
"Happy Birthday, Erwin." Levi murmured, brushing away leaves and dirt from the gravestone he'd made a few years ago. It took a bit of help from Hange, but Levi had etched Erwin's name, birth date and day of death, followed by his position in the corps, the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps.
Levi always made it a point to visit Erwin's grave on his birthday, especially since only a few of them were left to remember when it was and where their former Commander was buried. Some years Hange would join him, but last night's drinking made that impossible today. Levi guessed that the anniversary of Erwin's death also affected Hange to a certain degree. It is the same day as when they lost Moblit too. But unlike Erwin, whose bones Levi was able to retrieve, Moblit's remains weren't found.
"I brought that wine you like. I don't know why you like this stuff. Guess it was your old man taste buds." Levi poured out two cups of wine. Placing one cup next to the gravestone, he raised his glass as if toasting Erwin and drank it all in one go. The wine was heavy with a tinge of sweetness and went down his throat in a warm rush. He grimaced a bit; tea will always be better tasting than this.
Next was the package from the bakery. He hoped that the horse ride didn't jostle the contents of the box too much. He took off the lid and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the chocolate cake didn't become one big mush. The right side sort of touched the side of the box though, but that was alright.
Cutting two pieces, he placed a slice for himself and another for Erwin on two plates. He also took out a couple of the danish pastries that the baker gave him. The peaches in the middle of the danish were glistening with syrup. Nodding in approval, he placed the food next to the cup of wine near the gravestone.
If he were still alive, Erwin would've already pounced on the treats and would ask for seconds. The man had a terrible sweet tooth. Whenever he was called to the Capital, he would come back with special tea for Levi and a box of confections that he'd probably charmed the royal kitchens to bring back with him to the barracks.
On the other side of the gravestone, Levi placed the flowers he picked earlier. Whenever he did this he would always regret not knowing what Erwin's favorite color was. While there were moments that they had the luxury to talk about mundane subjects such as their hobbies or random information about the other, the subject of color never came up.
If Erwin had asked him, Levi would've answered that blue was his favorite color.
Reaching into his satchel once more, Levi took out a book, one of the few left from Erwin's collection after the war. Most of his books were now in Hange's office. While the current Survey Corps Commander offered to relinquish all of Erwin's books to Levi, he declined the offer since a lot of the books were about philosophy and strategy.
But this book in particular, Levi took. It was a children's book about a boy that was sent to a far-off land to embark on an adventure. The picture of the boy on the front cover was faded, but the outline of blond hair was still noticeable. The first time Levi had opened it, Erwin's name was written on the inside cover. The letters were a bit crooked and slightly wide, unlike Erwin's decisive, tight scrawl, which meant that the book was from when he was still young.
Every year, Levi would bring the book with him to Erwin's grave and read the story out loud. His voice would be carried off to the waves crashing on the shore below him, and he would sometimes imagine that Erwin was lying down right next to him on the blanket; probably reading a book of his own while stuffing his face with sweets.
Before long Levi finishes the book. Packing the remainder of the cake and wine in his satchel, Levi made sure that Erwin's resting place was as serene as he had found it. He left the cup of wine and plate of food. He was sure that some animal would take advantage of it later.
Casting one final look at Erwin's name etched in stone, Levi felt the familiar sting of tears in the back of his throat. He took a calming breath, got on his horse, and headed home.
THE END
Notes: I'm not sure if this is something that exists in other cultures, but when a family member dies, we visit them on special occasions like their birthday and all-souls' day. We also give them their own plates of food as a sign of respect. For my family in particular, we bring a cake whenever we visit our mom who passed away more than a year ago. I just felt like this may also be something Levi would do for Erwin.
Thank you for reading. Please don't kill me.