Pairing: Erwin/Levi
Notes: Written for a snkkink meme prompt which asked for a fic based on art linked in my profile.
A few points:
- I see the scouting legion horses to be Anglo-Arabians (and so everyone's centaur body aside from Erwin) and for Erwin's body to be a Belgian draft horse – blue roan in colour if anyone's curious. I know the Percheron may have been a better choice for colour, but height wise it's not quite large enough.
- Also, in a herd, the dominant mare is the one who the herd listen to and consider their leader, even over the dominant stallion.
- This is unbetaed so I'd appreciate any mistakes to be pointed out!
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He'd been gone for five minutes.
Well, it wasn't actually five minutes. Give it more three days. But it could have been five minutes. The point was, Levi had been gone for barely enough time for everything to become royally fucked up and yet everything had turned to shit.
He'd stomped into Erwin's office, determined to let Erwin know what he'd thought of the compulsory (forced) leave he'd taken. Erwin had insisted that he take three days off following their hostage-taking mission and Levi had been forced away. His leg was completely healed – had been before the leave – and Levi thought that Erwin was probably forcing his own feelings for his lost arm onto Levi.
Or, you know. He genuinely cared. Levi had considered that, but if it was care then he'd have been granted just a day off. Three days was torture (considering Erwin hadn't been to visit him even once).
There had been a plain letter waiting on Erwin's desk. The room – and the rest of their base – was empty, but Levi had assumed the kids were running drills. He'd expected Erwin to be signing off papers and plotting away merrily on top of this mountain.
"We've relocated to one of the old stables a little higher on the peak," Levi read. It was unmistakably Hange's writing and he frowned. Why would Hange be leaving letters to him in Erwin's room?
Perhaps this was an extreme training exercise. Erwin had been itching for action, though when hadn't he, he was a proactive man who seemed gentle yet contained a storm, and it wouldn't be the first time the entire scouting legion had been pulled from their usual lives to go through intense training.
Still, Levi thought as he saddled his horse, Erwin could have told him. His mare flicked her ears back as Levi mounted, but she settled when she realised it was Levi. He caught contact on the reins and shifted slightly in his seat. She sprung into a canter instantly, their bond strong enough she understood from the barest of body contact.
As Levi guided his horse up the mountain path, he thought about the old stable yard waiting for him. They'd discovered it years ago when scouting for locations where they'd be out of the way from the public eye. A party had taken to explore the mountain and found an abandoned yard, complete with dairy sheds, stables, feed barns and fields that had been cropped of their original foliage and planted with grasses. None of them guessed how long it had been abandoned for, but they'd seen a small graveyard and human bones faded with time.
It was remote, had everything they needed and no one outside the scouting legion knew of it. It was a perfect place to train, but why now, of all times?
Levi sat lower in the saddle as his horse bolted. He tried to rein her in, but she shied and threw her head up, the whites of her eyes visible. Levi tried to soothe her, but his attention was grasped by the sentry at the edge of the farm.
His horse whickered in the back of her throat and Levi stroked her neck, eyes widening in disbelief as something approached him slowly.
"Captain," the human part said, and Levi looked down, letting his horse take a step back. "Hange-san wanted to explain…"
Sasha, his team's Sasha, stood before him. At first Levi had assumed she'd been sitting on her horse, but it had soon become clear that her horse was nowhere to be seen, despite the four legs and equine body she appeared to be attached to.
"You're…" he began, cutting himself off with a frown. No special training exercise then, Levi reasoned.
"Hange-san told me to wait for you," Sasha said, smiling. Levi noticed a bow slung over her shoulder and a quiver of arrows resting against her equine shoulders. She was a proficient look out, even in this disturbing form.
Levi let his horse follow the strange human-horse hybrid in front of him. Sasha's tail whipped away flies like any normal mare and she seemed remarkably adapted to her current body.
"Well," Sasha said when Levi commented on it, "it happened the afternoon you left. We've had a while to adjust."
Levi let his hands rest on the pommel of his saddle, mulling the words over. Perhaps that was why Erwin hadn't come to visit then, if he'd been turned into a human-horse. It was obviously one of Hange's experiments that had blown up (perhaps literally) and he knew she'd be working on a solution right away.
"Hange-san's lab is set up in the old hay barn," Sasha said, leading Levi away from the main bustle of the farm. He could hear laughter and chatter from the stable yard and wondered if everyone had been turned into a horse-human creature. If so, was he the only human remaining in the scouting legion?
"Ah, Levi!" Hange said brightly as Sasha walked him to the hay barn. High rise tables had been set up on old barrels and storage containers, adjusting to the slight height increase Hange had undergone. Like Sasha's coat, the hair on her horse body was a cinnamon brown, though Hange displayed black socks and a black tail.
"Thank you Sasha," Hange said, turning awkwardly away, cursing as she flicked her tail and something smashed. "I'll never get used to being a centaur."
"Is that what it's called," Levi said, deadpan. His horse shuddered under him and Levi reassured her, stroking her shoulder. He wasn't prepared to dismount just yet, not when everyone had grown by at least 9 hands or so.
"I was experimenting," Hange said, nodding for Moblit to close the door. He trotted forward enthusiastically, stopping dead when Levi's horse rounded on him, neighing a warning. Levi couldn't blame her. He could feel exactly how she felt too. They were both puzzled, unsure of what they'd walked into.
"Hey," Moblit said softly, extending a hand. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that the horses shy from us at first."
Levi's horse swivelled one ear forwards, almost as if she was content to make peace, before it flipped back again. She raised her head, Levi loosening the reins, but he held her still and they allowed Moblit to shut the door, his sleek, bay body returning to Hange quickly.
"My experiment… well it must have leaked or something. We're lucky it didn't affect the entire corps, but that's only because they weren't all there." Hange shifted her body back, hands resting on her horse-body, entirely relaxed and comfortable with the fact she was now half-horse.
Sitting back in the saddle, Levi sighed. He looked around the barn instead of dealing with Hange. The barn was largely empty, aside from Hange's make-shift laboratory, and Levi slipped his feet from his stirrups, dismounting neatly.
"Come on girl," he said gently, leading her to the part of the barn away from Hange and Moblit. She stood still while he took her saddle off and he knotted her reins before carrying the saddle back to Hange.
"Who was turned into a centaur?" he asked, head just skimming her equine shoulder. She was about the same size as their horses, not counting their human body of course.
"Your team," Hange said and Levi nodded sharply. It would be his team, wouldn't it. "Moblit and me, obviously. And, er…"
Hange paused and Levi looked at her, frown deepening.
"Erwin," she finished, turning away to pick up the closest object to her and inspect it. Levi could see there was nothing useful in the pencil she was inspecting and he let out a noise of distain.
"You should go stable your horse," Hange said. "We brought horses up here with us, there will be enough hay and straw for her."
Levi nodded, walking to catch his horse. She trotted to him happily, used to the strange centaurs, and Levi left with an agreement he'd return for his saddle later. For now, he was dying to see Erwin, half horse or not.
The courtyard fell silent when Levi stepped onto it. Stables lines one row and Levi knew that they continued on out of sight, but the group were gathered in the empty space that was usually used to mount up. A camp fire was burning and food was cooking, but everyone paused to look down at Levi.
"Captain!" A few people said enthusiastically and Levi did a quick headcount. Everyone was here, unscathed (as much as one could be after being turned into a mythical creature, of course) and relatively joyful. Perhaps this was a respite for their war on titans, and Levi felt a stir in his stomach at the thought that he was the only human left.
"How is your leg?" someone asked and Levi looked up, nodding to Eren.
"It's fine," he muttered, loosening his grip on the reins as his horse sniffed curiously at the centaurs. She had calmed down, alongside Levi, and they moved through the group of adolescents, marvelling at how they'd all changed.
There was one thing though. Levi knew small horses existed. He'd seen children riding ponies no higher than his waist. Why couldn't someone have been a small centaur? Even Armin and Christa towered above him, golden coats glinting with the fire.
"Come on," Levi said, tugging at his horse gently. There were plenty of stalls up for grabs with straw already laid out for bedding. Levi suspected that the stables were to become bedrooms for the centaurs too.
Levi slipped his horse's bridle off and she took a drink from a bucket Connie had pointed out to Levi. He rubbed her nose and promised her a good meal later, slipping from the stable and locking it behind him. The other scouting legion horses poked their heads out of their doors curiously, but their attention wasn't fixed on Levi.
The group had quietened, but the hush carried a respectful air. Levi turned and noticed every single one of the group was stood to attention, and it wasn't hard to see why. Standing hands above the rest was Erwin, silvery-blue coat catching anyone's eye.
"Seriously," Levi muttered to himself, trying to gauge Erwin's entirety. He had to be at least 18 hands, his shoulder ending where his head would be if he'd been standing on two feet instead of four. Add Erwin's torso, neck and head and that didn't even comprehend the girth or Erwin's horse body.
"Levi," he greeted warmly, turning at the waist. While the others seemed somewhat gangly, Erwin suited his new body perfectly. "We're in a bit of difficulty."
He said it with a stupid, soppy smile, and Levi wanted to usher him away from the crowd. He was fortunate that his team's attention span was lacking when it wasn't serious and Levi rolled his eyes as Eren and Jean bickered, all in good nature, bumping flanks.
"Let's leave them to it," Erwin said, turning away to walk towards the barn where Hange and Moblit were working.
Levi had adapted long ago to walk quickly, but even so he struggled to keep up with Erwin's massive steps. His feet thudded on the ground and, as Levi stepped beside him, close enough to rest his cheek against thick muscle and soft hair, Levi could feel the energy inside of Erwin, could see how powerful he'd become and realised that no ordinary horse body could have been enough for Erwin Smith.
"Sorry," Erwin caught himself, slowing his pace. He half-turned, empty sleeve fluttering in the wind, hair blowing from its customary position to rest against his forehead. He looked tired, all the way up high, but he also looked calm, at peace even.
"You would turn into a titan of a horse," Levi said and Erwin let out a huff of laughter.
He paused and it took Levi a moment to realise that he'd paused for a reason. Looking back, Levi could see Erwin attempting to shrug his jacket off, though his attempts weren't particularly successful.
"Being this tall isn't useful," Erwin said, looking down. "Would you help me?"
Levi had taken a step towards Erwin before he'd even completed the sentence, always willing to help, despite Erwin being at least twice his height.
He blinked at the hand that was offered and looked Erwin in the eye.
"Trust me," Erwin said, and Levi's heart warmed. He took Erwin's hand gently, waiting as Erwin kneeled with some difficulty, legs ungainly.
"This is the first time I've seen you without full composure," Levi said and Erwin raised an eyebrow. "In public," Levi added and Erwin nodded with a smile.
"Can you climb on?" Erwin said and Levi looked down at their hands. Despite half of his body having vanished, Erwin's hands were warm and reassuring, the same hands that had guided Levi this far in his life.
"Yeah," he replied, letting his hand slip from Erwin's to place at the base of Erwin's back. The transition from human to horse was flawless and Levi smoothed over the hairs that had grown thicker on Erwin's back. They were as soft as the rest under his other hand.
"You're fucking wide," Levi muttered, not looking forward to the stretch he was about to endure.
"Once we're up, you can always sit side-saddle," Erwin said as Levi stretched his right leg over Erwin's back, settling on him properly.
It wasn't exactly comfortable and Levi had to cling to Erwin's waist due to the lack of a mane to grab, but they managed it. Erwin lurched upwards and Levi's grip tightened. He pressed his nose between Erwin's shoulder blades, inhaling his scent through the horse clinging to him, and opened his eyes slowly.
Levi's eyes widened and his arms fell from Erwin's side. The world was… strange. Levi had never ridden a horse this large before and he caught Erwin grinning at his interest.
"Wait until we get to the little woods and the proper mountain," Erwin said, voice full of excitement and promise.
And for the second time, Levi thought that being a centaur could quite possibly the best thing they'd experienced.
While he walked slowly, Erwin was large enough to move entire mountains and Levi rose up out of his seat with every step. He worked at pulling Erwin's jacket from his shoulders, surprised to see that Erwin had lost his shirt underneath. He was bare-skinned and Levi could ogle him in all his glory, hands pressing to muscular shoulders and watching the way Erwin's hips moved strangely, fused to horses shoulders.
"I'm taking your jacket," Levi said and Erwin half-turned, shooting him a smile.
"Keep it safe until I'm back to a human," Erwin said and Levi nodded, resting his forehead against Erwin's back. Despite the girth of his horse body, Erwin's own form hadn't changed (well, from the waist up), something Levi was immensely grateful for. He was still Erwin.
The barn where Hange and Moblit were working came into view, but Erwin passed it easily, ignoring Levi as he kicked his side.
"Oi," Levi said, "where are we going?"
"I told you," Erwin replied simply, throwing his hands up. "I'm going to take you to the woods that overlook the mountain properly. No one else has been there yet and I want to share it with you."
Levi felt his heart warm and shrugged his shoulders, letting Erwin's jacket engulf him. It smelt a little horsey, but undeniably smelt of Erwin. He closed his eyes, opening them only when he felt a weight on his thigh. It was Erwin's hand, fingers wiggling for Levi to hold onto, despite how awkward the angle.
Levi took it without hesitation, stroking the back of Erwin's hand as they walked, Erwin occasionally commenting on the wildlife around them.
"Did you see that rabbit?" he asked, voice coated in excitement. Levi knew that no one else would have been able to sense it, but they knew each other like they knew themselves.
"No," Levi replied, resting his cheek against Erwin's back, eyes fixed to the bushes where the rabbit had escaped to. "I didn't see the fucking rabbit," he lied.
Erwin's hand squeezed his, snorting lightly.
"I thought you liked rabbits," he said and Levi rolled his eyes. Of course he liked rabbits; rabbits weren't people.
They broke through the small wood to an odd rocky hill. Levi pulled away from Erwin, opening his eyes wide as his ears caught the roar of a waterfall. He saw it, over on one of the other mountain peaks, and let out a noise of slight disbelief.
It was incredible. These little mountains were nothing like the ones they'd seen out on their expeditions, but Levi couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The view stretched for miles and miles and he laughed slightly, the sound strained and unsure.
"Erwin…" Levi trailed off, unable to put his thoughts into true words.
"Mmm," Erwin agreed softly, leading them to a group of trees. "I'm going to lie down."
Levi held tight as Erwin shifted down, but he ended up hopping off as Erwin settled himself. He smiled at Levi in apology, tucking his legs under himself awkwardly before nodding.
"You should have seen me when I was first transformed," he said as Levi stepped closer, settling against Erwin's belly. His hair was soft and his body warm and Levi felt his eyes closing slightly, even with the scenery around them.
"I fell over lots," Erwin continued, twisting his human waist so that he could play with Levi's hair, large hands gentle. "I toppled Moblit too, I think he's petrified of me now." There was a deep rumble through Erwin's body as he gave a small laugh and Levi shifted, lying on his side so he could look at Erwin.
"Anyone would be petrified of you like this," Levi traced patterns into Erwin's shoulder, watching the silver hair change colour slightly as he did so. Erwin's muscle twitched, but he didn't ask Levi to stop, so Levi didn't.
"I bet you could just stomp on titans to take them down," Levi said softly, closing his eyes and letting his head fall against Erwin, completely overwhelmed. Erwin's hand stayed in his hair, running through it affectionately, and Levi drifted off to sleep.
When he woke, Erwin was staring out at the wood, the sun creeping down in the sky. He turned when Levi shifted, smiling.
"Hange wants to see if the titans will react to us in this form," Erwin said, outright. Levi narrowed his eyes and stood up, stretching.
"You're considering it," Levi said, knowing Erwin too well. "Or you've already decided."
Erwin shook his head. "I wanted your opinion. You'd be coming with me, after all."
Of course it would be Erwin who'd run outside the walls. Who else could it have possibly been? Erwin couldn't sacrifice any of the others, not when he planned to unseat the king, and if Erwin was going then no one but Levi could accompany him. Levi wouldn't accept anyone else.
"I trust you," Levi says. "But how the fuck will you pass it by the higher ups?"
Erwin smiled grimly. "Hange already has permission," he explained and Levi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Apparently all the work we've done recently has shown great progress and they're interested in her experimental testing."
Levi rolled his eyes. "Basically she bullshitted and they think that we're running an amazing titan-slaughtering mission when really we're just taking you out for a glorified training session."
"Well," Erwin began, but he shook his head. "Basically."
They lingered a little while, watching the sun creep further and further down. The sky lit up with streaks of pink and orange, a sight Levi scarcely saw. It never grew old and he inhaled deeply, feeling freer than he had in a long, long time.
Eventually, though, they had to return and Levi climbed back onto Erwin's back, leaning back and looking at the emerging stars. They'd never been so clear before and Levi felt his mouth open a little, taken aback by what he had seen today.
They entered Hange's lab, Erwin stooping low. Levi jumped down, glad that his leg didn't jar in pain at all. Perhaps those three days off had been a decent idea of Erwin's after all.
Levi watched as Hange broke into an excited smile and Moblit tucked himself as small as he could, trying to hide himself away. A smirk found its way to Levi's lips, perhaps a little cruelly.
"I think I'll have a cure by tomorrow," Hange said, looking up at Erwin. He nodded and she slipped the gloves she'd been wearing off. "We'll try it out first and then pass it around."
"Levi and I will go outside of the walls," Erwin said simply and Hange paused, turning to Levi slowly. Even Moblit looked at them, eyes wide.
"Really?" Hange asked, the question directed to Levi. Levi wondered why she was even bothering to ask – if Erwin asked if of him, of course Levi would do it.
"Just work on that cure for the others and save some for Erwin," Levi answered. It was enough for Hange to rear up, though from her alarmed squeal she hadn't quite meant for that to happen.
"Did you hear that, Moblit!" she said excitedly, bending to right the few things she'd scattered. Moblit nodded, stepping forward to help her.
"Dinner will be soon," Erwin said, flicking his tail and looking back at Levi as long hair flicked him. Levi frowned, but soon caught the hint and grabbed Erwin's arm, hauling himself back onto Erwin's back. Levi decided that he could get used to this; despite the slight stretch of his legs, Erwin was incredibly comfortable.
The camp was largely settled when they returned. Mikasa stood slightly outside of the group, clearly on guard duty, though she stepped back a little when she saw Erwin and Levi approach. The entire group stood to attention when Erwin entered their space and something clicked in Levi's head. Erwin was the head stallion.
"Has everyone eaten already?" The group murmured uneasily and Levi rolled his eyes. Clearly Erwin hadn't realised his position in this odd herd and he jumped down, moving to the pile of bags that held their bowls. Stew was cooking over a fire and all Levi needed to do was dish it out.
"Get comfortable," Levi ordered and there was a moment of jostling as his team arranged themselves together. He heard Jean and Eren snapping at each other and Sasha giggling, but they soon settled and Levi began dishing bowls up, passing them around.
"Eat up," he said, moving off to the side where Erwin sat, two bowls in his hands. There was enough stew left over for seconds – Hange and Moblit's portions included – but his team could use a bit of peace for now. That and Levi didn't want to deal with the horse comments Eren made (he'd heard them as he'd passed) or get hit by a rogue limb one of them couldn't control.
"You do know they've instinctively chosen you as the herd stallion, don't you," Levi said and Erwin looked up from his stew, turning a second later to look at the gathered group.
"I suppose," he says, looking back at Levi. "Does that make you the alpha mare?"
Levi rolled his eyes. "You're their commander," he said, and Erwin hummed.
"True, but I have little contact with them. Undoubtedly they trust me more from what you'd said than anything I've done so far." Erwin nodded to himself and Levi refrained from rolling his eyes again, wanting to point out that Erwin has lost an arm for these kids and they view him with the highest respect.
Still, he couldn't deny that he was closer to them. He was their team leader and he did live with them, after all.
Levi looked at Erwin and caught his eye.
"You can tuck them in," Erwin said with a sneaky smirk and Levi wasted no time in kicking him.
"They're not kids, not really," Levi retorted and Erwin nodded. "And there's no point tucking you in, I'm sleeping with you."
The smile on Erwin's face was enough to set Levi's cheeks afire and he looked down at his stew, pointedly ignoring the fool he'd pledged himself to.
Their calm was momentarily interrupted as Hange and Moblit joined them. Levi left Erwin to get their portions and Hange joined them, charging Moblit to look after the younger ones.
"We can set out tomorrow afternoon. There's a gate on the other side of these mountains we can travel through – I have written permission – and we can start moving tomorrow. I'll change the youngsters back when we reach the gate." Hange slurped at her soup, a noise of approval following her swallow.
"This is good!" She turned to face the group. "Who made this?" she shouted and everyone turned.
"Armin and Mikasa," Jean supplied, whipping his tail in Eren's direction with a smirk.
"We might as well brief them now," Levi said, standing and taking Erwin's bowl without a word. He ignored the look Hange and Erwin shared and shooed his team to make room – which they did happily.
Hange settled beside Moblit, picking some meat from Moblit's bowl without a word. Levi waited for Erwin to settle before he took his seat against Erwin's horse-chest, visible for all to see. He passed Erwin's bowl up to him, trusting him not to slop broth over his head as he drank his food.
As they ate, Levi observed. He'd overseen a number of meals in the cabin with his team, but none of them had ever quite felt like this. His heart warmed and it had nothing to do with the soft vegetables slipping into his stomach. He had everything he could ever want right here, surrounding him entirely.
"What I propose," Hange started suddenly, receiving a nod of permission from Erwin, "is that we ride out early and complete our mission by this time tomorrow."
The few murmurs that had been spreading around the camp silenced, wide eyes looking to Levi in explanation. Erwin shifted slightly behind him and Levi slumped back, letting Erwin speak.
"We've been given permission to run a very different expedition. We'll be using one of the oldest gates, one of the unmanned gates, to test whether titans react to humans once they've been turned into centaurs." Levi could feel the steady thrum of Erwin's heart as he talked and he lowered his eyelids a little, letting Erwin's voice rush over him.
"Captain Levi and myself will be leading the expedition. Hange has a cure that she will use on you before the mission – you're all to return to your human forms and be on standby. A black smoke signal will mean we need your help to collect us." Levi knew Erwin would be meeting every gaze directed to him and took a spoonful of stew, eyes flickering around.
"Any questions brats?" he asked and raised an eyebrow as Christa raised her hand slightly.
"Wouldn't a larger team be more beneficial?" she said and Levi shrugged slightly. It was a valid question.
"You're too important to waste in this experiment. I trust Captain Levi to administer the solution if we get into a difficult solution while taking on titans. None of you have that level of experience and it would be cruel of me to force you." Erwin dropped his hand and Levi reached up, taking his empty bowl with ease.
"This will be a good training exercise for you," Erwin continued, as if sensing the slight disappointment Levi's team were feeling.
And really, what did that say about his mismatched team of titan slayers that they were disappointed they wouldn't be accompanying them on this mission. There was something terribly wrong with them all (then again, it was Levi who would be riding out with Erwin).
"That is all I'll say about the mission now," Erwin said and Levi blinked in surprise. He'd expected them to be going over plans all night and set off on little sleep. He looked up, but Erwin's face was as unreadable as ever.
Erwin said nothing more and instead looked down to Levi, smiling slightly. Conversations between the others returned slowly, and Levi looked down at his food, scraping up the remainders. He stretched out his legs, bowl by his side and elbow resting on Erwin's knee.
"They're very young," Erwin said quietly and, despite his height, the words only reached Levi's ears. He nodded, eyes tracking the excitement his team contained in them, visible in the way they moved their hands and spoke freely.
Fingers found their way to the nape of Levi's neck and he shivered. It was just a brush of contact, one Erwin might not have even meant to make, but it sent heat spiralling through Levi and he made a low sound in the back of his throat.
"As soon as you're back to normal, you're going to fuck me," Levi said, smirking at the jerk that passed through Erwin's body. Erwin probably hadn't even thought of sex in the past few days – being turned into a creature of myth would do that to a person – but it had been a while since they'd slept with each other and Levi missed him.
"Am I now," Erwin said flatly, fingers toying with the hairs at the base of Levi's neck. The feeling was bliss and Levi felt himself stooping against Erwin more and more, despite the laughter passing through their little campsite.
Eventually, night was called. Levi had been right in thinking the stables had been set up for them and he helped his team into stalls. Eren, Armin and Mikasa bundled into one and Levi watched them with a frown. It wasn't the fact they were together, but the stall was hardly up to scratch for three horses to sleep in. Still, in a tangle of limbs and uncomfortable shuffling, they managed it – and so did the others. Connie ended up with Jean (both spread out, uncaring) while Sasha and Christa took another stall, more reserved than the others (well, on Christa's part).
"We'll stay in the lab," Hange said as Moblit moved off. Levi had finished locking up the last of his team, something he hoped he didn't have to do again, and waved her off, returning to one of the far stalls, the only one that had been large enough to accommodate Erwin.
"Plough horses probably stayed here," Erwin supplied helpfully as Levi entered. It was much larger than the other stalls, but Erwin still occupied a lot of the space, lying flat on the ground. The position was awkward and Levi didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the way Erwin was lying, propped on one elbow with an entire horse body to his name.
Instead, Levi tucked himself against Erwin, toes curling against horse hair. He could feel Erwin breathing and he relaxed, reaching to trace Erwin's face with his hands.
"Even if you were stuck like this forever," Levi began, voice low and thick with oncoming sleep. He could see moonlight glinting off of Erwin's eyes and knew, as he always did, that Erwin's attention was solely on him.
"I'd stay by your side." He pressed his nose to Erwin's neck, holding him tightly. Levi didn't want an answer and Erwin didn't give him one. Instead he wrapped his arm around him and kissed the top of his head gently. Soon, they were asleep.
.
"I don't think I've seen that before," Hange said as she thundered past, Moblit trotting behind with their horses and a worried look on his face.
"This is the worst journey I've ever been on," Levi said from his saddle. His horse turned her head slightly, clearly agreeing with him, and slowed slightly, letting the other two horses Levi was leading catch up.
They'd left a few hours ago and, according to Erwin, had only one hour or so left to travel. They'd eat, go over plans, and then set out from there. Of course an expedition had meant gear and gear had meant Levi needed to secure the gear to everyone's horse body and then Levi had had to tack up all the horses they'd need to get back and-
Levi hadn't had a very restful morning, to say the least.
The path they were taking was grassy and clearly hadn't been used for years. Plants they'd never seen lay dotted around and Hange was adamant she'd discovered at least five new species of animal. She'd been storming through their formation the entire time and spooked them all more than once.
Erwin led their company and Levi took up the back, making sure everything was in order. It was a boring journey and while Levi liked his horse, he was sick of sitting in his saddle without anything to do. Riding for him meant action and, well, they were walking (sometimes stretching to a trot).
They eventually arrived to an abandoned outpost. The fence was half the size of any other Levi had ever seen and largely rusted. Erwin would probably have to duck to pass through, Levi reckoned, scowling in the realisation he'd have to duck too if he was on Erwin's back.
"Is everyone clear," Erwin asked, nods his reply. It was a simple plan – the others were only to engage if black smoke went up. Hange would take care of turning them back before the left – to double check it could be done to Erwin out in the field (she'd tested it already on herself, and while she was a little shaky on two legs, she was as enthusiastic already).
"Here," Hange said, slipping Levi a small case. "The syringe is already loaded with the antidote and the needle's attached. Just pull the casing off and stab him anywhere." Levi tucked the case away, between his jacket and Erwin's, nodding sharply.
It didn't take long to prepare. Levi strapped into his gear quickly and his team helped him to place Erwin's on his horse body, for when he changed back. Clothes had been provided (thank goodness someone had thought to bring some when they'd first moved up to the mountain) and they were ready to go.
"We'll send a green flare if it seems our mission is a success and we're on our way back. Red means a failure but we can get back on our own. Black is when you engage." The group saluted, Connie and Jean working the rusty gate open for Erwin to step through.
One of Levi's hands fell to his gear, but the other rested against Erwin's shoulder blade. The gate shut heavily behind them and that was it – Levi's first mission since his accident and Erwin's first since he'd lost his arm.
"We'll head towards the trees," Erwin said, nodding to a cluster of large, thick trees. It would be perfect for Levi to use his gear – to test Erwin alone – and they set off at a trot.
"If this is to be a permanent thing," Erwin began, voice eerily steady despite his jostling movements, "then I'll need to be shod like our horses."
Levi pressed his fingers against Erwin's bare skin, humming in agreement. Erwin would ache after this mission without horseshoes, the pressure he'd be exerting too great and too sudden, and that wasn't even taking into account running into a titan.
They started off lucky and Levi was comfortable to keep a hand against Erwin. They made the trees without spotting a titan, but as shadows fell over them, a twisted face stared out at them in the gloom and Erwin slowed.
They didn't need to exchange words; in an instant Levi was in the trees and away, pushing off Erwin's shoulders. He stepped nimbly onto a branch and watched as Erwin took assured steps towards the titan. He was still a while away, but Levi's eyes were fixed on the titan like a hawk's. If the titan made so much as a twitch towards Erwin, it was dead.
The titan wasn't particularly tall, Erwin was roughly half its height, and it inhaled sharply, eyes fixed entirely upon Erwin. It unnerved Levi and he prepared his blades, drawing them and setting his thumbs on his release gear. He'd be moving any moment now and he knew Erwin could tell too.
Still, they had to be sure, and Erwin stepped into the titan's shadow prepared. The titan lunged, jaws snapping slowly, too slowly to catch Erwin as he galloped off. He couldn't move fast enough to escape, but he was fast enough for Levi to swoop in, slice the titan's neck and be done with it.
Levi moved back up to the trees, cursing. They'd attracted a small group that was only growing and it was clear that humans were still on the menu regardless of growing half a horse to their bodies.
"You have permission!" Erwin called from the ground, unbuckling his girth and pulling his gear to rest over his shoulders. They wouldn't have much time after Erwin changed and Levi manoeuvred down to the ground, slipping the syringe from its case and pushing the needle into Erwin's flank.
The transformation was instantaneous and the horse part of Erwin vanished in a strange distortion. Levi couldn't put it into exact words, they didn't have time either, and he scooped Erwin onto his back, firing his gear to the nearest tree.
"Shit," he muttered as he landed. The branch was wide enough for him to sit down fully, which was lucky as Erwin rolled off of him, the gear kicking back as the gas ran out. He'd used a lot to get them back up here and sighed.
"We're high enough," Erwin said, slipping his gear from his shoulders. He was naked and Levi spared a moment to entertain himself. They weren't in danger and Hange had made it clear the more time they spent out, the better it was. She had probably wanted Erwin to stay in his centaur form, but that was just a small detail, really.
"Let me get the gun then," Levi said, looking down to his pockets, locating the smoke-signal gun and pulling it out.
"Oh?" Erwin said, still naked. "I thought I had a promise to keep.
A moment later, Levi set the gun down on the tree branch.
"Hange would kill us," Levi murmured, shrugging Erwin's jacket from his shoulders. "If she found out we were still out here without you in your mutated horse form." He walked carefully to Erwin, throwing the jacket over his shoulders and tucking him into it.
Turning a blind eye to the rest of Erwin's body, Levi collected Erwin's 3DMG straps and stashed them away in one of the bags they'd brought. The larger parts of Erwin's gear sat comfortably against the tree trunk and Levi pulled a pair of trousers out, throwing them behind him.
"As much as I'd like to fuck in a tree, it's disgusting, there's ants and I don't want to plummet to a titan's tasty snack." Levi fixed a sharp glare in Erwin's direction and he shrugged, pulling the lose trousers on and sitting on the tree branch, legs dangling down. His fingers touched the signal gun gently and Levi secured their bags, taking a seat the other side of the gun.
"We could stay here all night and watch the sunrise," Erwin said, sappily and with a stupid smile Levi wanted to kick off his face. He didn't though and closed his eyes when Erwin continued. "But we have unwanted company and I don't want to see grotesque creatures with my sunrise."
With a smooth motion, Erwin fired the gun above their heads, colour exploding through the tree coverage. He set the gun down and turned to Levi, bring his knee up under him and resting his elbow on it. Erwin looked younger than Levi had ever seen him, open shirt and breeze flowing through his hair.
"I've never thought of humanity as lucky," Levi said, looking out through the trees and ignoring the teeth-on-bark sounds that were coming from below. "But I think I'm as lucky as someone can be in this world."
Of course Erwin didn't reply to that, but Levi could see the trace of a smile and met the gaze that had drifted from the trees to him. Erwin couldn't afford to say as much as Levi could, but that didn't mean he didn't express it.
The trees swayed gently in the breeze and Levi let his head roll back. They were hardly safe – outside of the walls and surrounded by titans – but it was the most comfortable Levi had felt in weeks. He'd never stopped to think, not with everything that had happened, but he was glad that Hange had turned them all into half-horses.
"Watch," Erwin said, standing slowly and carefully. He moved delicately past Levi to the bags and dug out a small penknife. He looked over his shoulder, to make sure Levi was watching, and began carving into the tree.
Levi raised an eyebrow.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he said as he stood, coming to a stop just behind Erwin, watching him carve into bark with purpose.
"I saw it in a book when I was younger," Erwin said and Levi looked at his profile, his wide eyes unable to hold back the excitement in them. Erwin never talked much about his childhood and Levi looked at the tree, frowning.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he repeated. Perhaps Erwin had lost it a little in his transformation back to a human.
Erwin pulled back and patted the carving gently, his chest puffed out and full of pride.
"It's our initials," he explained and Levi looked to the two letters. "And a heart."
"You're fucking ridiculous," Levi muttered, but he allowed Erwin to pull him in for a kiss.
The carving was sappy, ridiculous, but it warmed Levi to know there would always be a tiny piece of them out in the wilderness. They could both die at any given second and they'd never pledged anything to each other inside of the walls. Bonds were dangerous and while Levi would tell anyone of his undying loyalty and trust for Erwin (and vice-versa), a permanent link between them was dangerous. They had too many enemies, too many threats and they stretched what was strictly allowed already.
This tree was part of them now. It was a relic no one would see, a reminder to each other that their relationship wasn't just politics and easy relief.
"I hear the cavalry," Erwin said, kissing Levi's jaw and pulling back. "Would you help me with my gear?"
Surely enough, the sound of galloping horses could be heard and the whir of gear wasn't far behind. Levi took a disinterested look as the titans were reduced to steam. His team were doing well, he noted. It was a good opportunity for them, a low-key mission with basic titans that were distracted already. Levi didn't think too hard on their recent intelligence of the titans once being human – the creatures at the bottom of the tree were the furthest anyone could be from human.
"Erwin!" Hange shouted from below, letting two horses loose. Levi scowled down, grabbing the bag left and nodding to Erwin.
And then they were flying in unison, the lack of Erwin's right arm having no negative effect on his use of his gear. Levi had heard how he'd personally sliced Eren free, but he hadn't really thought about how Erwin had done it. He'd never doubted Erwin, but it was easy now to see why his position of Commander had never been contested once.
Their horses rounded on them as soon as they hit the ground and Levi waited for Erwin to mount before he slipped his foot into his stirrup. His horse bobbed her head in excitement and Levi patted her neck, promising her a treat when they got back.
With Erwin in the saddle, he overtook command, ordering them back to the gate they'd come to. Hange had left Moblit in charge and it wasn't long before they trotted through in high spirits, the younger members of their party recharged with their first mission that had ended in zero casualties.
Camps had been set up in Erwin and Levi's absence and a fire was started quickly. Levi watched as Hange moved around the group, questioning everyone about their experience and laughing merrily. It was moments like this that Levi lived for, moments where everyone was content and happy and could forget the walls and titans for a short time. Even Eren and Historia wore smiles and Levi uncrossed his arms, taking a seat around the fire.
"Hange-san's making the girls sleep together in one tent and the boys in another," Moblit said conversationally, stirring whatever they'd brought to cook over the fire in a large pot. "We brought two smaller tents too, Hange-san said you'd be fine sharing with the commander."
Levi raised an eyebrow and Moblit smiled uneasily.
"Your tent's on the very edge of our camping zone," Moblit continued, pointing to the little tent at the side, hidden away by scrubby bushes. Levi wasn't a fan of camping and disliked being in a mass of snoring teenagers, but if it was just Erwin and they had their own space then he'd be happy.
It was a little while later when Levi felt Erwin take his place beside him. Levi had been dozing lightly, the warmth of the fire and full belly comforting him. He opened his eyes as Erwin tapped his shoulder, offering him a hand up.
"Everyone's going to bed," he said and Levi nodded, rubbing his eyes.
He made a bee-line for his shared tent, nodding to anyone he saw, too tired to speak, and sat down heavily. He was content to sleep in underwear only – the tent was hot and it was only Erwin he'd be sharing it with. Levi would have been in nothing if not for the fact his team were around and they hardly understood the notion of privacy. Levi wouldn't put it past the brats to storm in demanding he sort something out.
"Going to sleep so soon?" Erwin commented lightly as he half-crawled into the tent, leaving his boots outside of the main sleeping pod. "I thought I had a promise to keep."
Despite his tiredness and the fact his team, Hange and Moblit were very close, Levi perked up and looked at Erwin, swallowing thickly.
"Oh," he said, voice low. Erwin nodded, slipping his trousers down to reveal tight muscle and a thick cock that Levi could stare at all he wanted now they were inside of the walls.
"This is to thank you," Erwin explained, sinking to his knees. He pulled the blankets away from Levi and stared down at Levi's underwear, unimpressed.
He didn't even have to say anything and Levi kicked his shoulder gently, narrowing his eyes.
"Shut up and just keep it down," he hissed, inhaling sharply as Erwin sank down, nosing Levi's erection through the fabric.
"I'm not the one who's going to need to keep quiet," Erwin said and Levi spread his legs, allowing Erwin to coax him to full hardness with his cheek, running his face all over Levi.
Levi couldn't remember the last time they'd done this and he let his head roll back, biting the inside of his lip as Erwin's tongue ran over his heated cock through his underwear. He was already leaking – it had been so long – and he longed to grip Erwin's head and shove his cock down his throat.
He had patience, though, and it would be worth it in the end. It was still a little difficult to control himself when Erwin tongued his slit, but he inhaled and pushed his hips up, looking down at Erwin with half-closed eyes.
"I don't have all night," he bit out and Erwin smiled, slipping Levi's underwear from him and closing his lips around his cock with ease. He took Levi in deeply, the tip of Levi's cock hitting the back of his throat, and Levi groaned a little, curling in on himself slightly.
"You're a fucking bastard," Levi gasped out as Erwin worked his way up and down, Levi's cock slick. He moved to Levi's balls, nosing them and kissing them, bring a flush to Levi's cheeks that had nothing to do with arousal.
"What are you doing?" Levi said, panting slightly, eyes wide.
"I like doing this," Erwin said, tucked against Levi's thighs with his nose buried in Levi's dick. He looked the happiest he'd ever been and Levi bit his lip, toes curling as Erwin took him fully in his mouth again, smiling around his cock.
Levi came with his legs locked around Erwin's shoulders and his hips pushing the tip of his dick to the back of Erwin's throat. Come dribbled from the corner of Erwin's mouth as he pulled back, but Erwin licked at it thoughtfully, nodding to himself as if he'd just discovered humanity's salvation.
"We deserve a day working at home," Erwin said as he shuffled up to lie beside Levi. "Hange's cure apparently squashes all sexual desire until it's out of the bloodstream."
Rolling onto his side, Levi scooted into Erwin's big spoon, making a sound of annoyance at the lack of a boner pressing against him. He'd make it up to Erwin later. Working from home was a cover, really, for everyone to go home and rest (the majority followed Erwin and Levi's lead though and while Levi didn't appreciate hearing about the marathon sex everyone else partook in, he enjoyed his own greatly).
"A day off will be nice," Levi said, entwining his fingers with Erwin's on his stomach, drifting off already.
They could all use a small break without the horse bodies this time.
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