He Chose Titans

by masksarehot

Erwin swore he would never again be distracted from his fight against the titans, but when an unexpected bond begins to form with Levi, he must decide whether he will follow his heart or his head. [Erwin x Levi, romance/drama/angst, semi-canon prequel/retelling.]

38. Court

A/N: Thank you for your patience!

Previous chapter: Petra confesses her feelings for Levi. Erwin and Levi's sexual tension boils over and they have sex. They head out on the penultimate expedition to reclaim Wall Maria, but Trost is attacked. Eren Yeager appears. Erwin and Levi rekindle their relationship.

SPOILER WARNING: This chapter contains big spoilers for a character's canon backstory. For a censored, non-spoiler version, please check my profile page for a Google docs link.

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-38-

Court

It was strange to step into the hotel room as lovers - the same room where they had, only a week earlier, been so unsure about what they were. As Erwin began to unpack their trunk into the closet, he watched Levi out of the corner of his eye, swabbing sections of the room with two fingers to check for cleanliness. He felt a warm glow in his chest, and realized he had missed paying attention to all of Levi's little quirks and mannerisms. He had spent six months trying to ignore them.

He would have liked to spend a few hours reconnecting, but there was too much to do. First, they would swing by the Military Police barracks and try to speak with Eren Yeager. After that, they would head to the Council chambers to discuss what was to be done with the boy.

What was to be done...

His brow furrowed. At worst, Zackly would bow to panic and order the boy's execution, and that still had some value to humanity: his remains could be analyzed to potentially learn more about the titans. The rewards of enlisting the boy in the Survey Corps, however, greatly outweighed anything he could do posthumously.

Besides, Erwin wanted to understand how Eren had kept his secret for fifteen long years, how he had transformed, and why he had waited until now to do it. Was his father, Dr. Yeager, aware of this power? That seemed unlikely, given that Dr. Yeager had frequently liaised with the military. Surely he would have said something. As a doctor, his goal was to protect life, and a titan warrior could have protected a hell of a lot of life during Wall Maria's fall.

And thinking about Wall Maria raised further questions in light of this revelation. Had the Colossal and Armoured titans had human pilots, too? The attack had been coordinated with intelligence far surpassing any abnormal they had ever encountered.

If that were the case, then there might be others within the walls with the same ability. Perhaps the Colossal and Armoured titans had even sought refuge within the walls, and now lived among them as spies.

"Room's clean. Let me do the socks," said Levi, kneeling in front of the drawer.

"Mm," said Erwin, still lost in thought.

Levi began to lay the socks in the drawer, re-folding the occasional pair. "Lots to think about."

"Indeed." Erwin closed the closet door, then knelt behind Levi as he worked, pressing a kiss to the back of the neck.

"Hey. No more bite marks."

"I'll be gentle." He tugged the cravat out of the way and pressed a soft kiss to the line down the centre of Levi's neck. He had missed nuzzling this line. "Sorry for marking you up."

"I didn't stop you." Levi glanced back at him. "How's your back?"

"Stings a little, but it should heal fine." He placed a gentle kiss at the base of Levi's undercut. "I'd never seen you that wild." He looped his arms around Levi, his palms feeling his abdominal muscles through his shirt.

"You're one to talk." The palms slid lower, and Levi sucked in a sharp breath. "Hey. You keep doing that, we're not going to leave here anytime soon."

The idea was tempting, but there wasn't enough time. Erwin wanted to reconnect slowly, to give it the time it deserved. He pulled away.

"I didn't really want you to stop," said Levi. "I was just being difficult."

"I know, but we should get going anyway. " Erwin stood, carefully adjusting his pants. "I want to speak with Eren before our meeting, if we can."

"Okay."

"Maybe we can pick this up again after the meeting."

"Yeah."

Erwin bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the narrow lips. He began to pull away, but Levi's arms looped around his neck, pulling him in again. Their lips parted, and he felt a soft tongue.

He broke away. "Levi-"

"I know. Let's go."

By the time they exited the lobby and reached the street, Erwin's breaths had finally returned to their normal cadence. Levi was following on his right side, about half a step behind him. His mouth was in a tight line. Clearly, he was still uncomfortable about Eren Yeager. Erwin knew he was asking a lot: trusting a titan went against every instinct a reasonable human could have, and Levi was a man who trusted his instincts above all else.

The front desk clerk greeted them at the Military Police headquarters, and informed them Nile was at his desk. As they strode down the hall, Erwin cast a quick glance into the office where Sahlo had, not long ago, worked a couple days a week. The shelves were bare, the possessions already gathered for the estate sale. Erwin felt a hollow, echoing space inside him, as empty as the office. Intelligence, manipulation and all they gained a person meant nothing, in the end - everything would always be sold to the highest bidder. Would this be his office, after that long-overdue moment when all his life choices caught up to him?

He didn't think he had shown any indication of his thoughts, but Levi said bitterly, "You miss him?"

"Nothing quite that noble, I afraid. Just thinking about all my possessions being stripped from my office when I die."

He expected a reprimand for mentioning his own death, but Levi only said, "If you go before me, I'll clean it myself. And I'll take care of any sensitive information, too."

Maybe that's what the attack on Trost had done to them: death had become less abstract, more tangible, even for Survey Corps members. Or maybe, this time around, they had started their relationship with a pragmatic realization of just how fragile their lives really were. What had, the first time around, been a subject of great stress between them was now something they could casually discuss.

We've grown together, thought Erwin, reaching out to give a friendly grip Levi's shoulder. Even while we were apart. Maybe even because of it.

They stepped into Nile's doorway. Nile sat at his desk, frantically flipping through documents.

"Come in."

He didn't seem angry. Erwin hoped that meant he was finally forgiven for his apparent flirtation with Marie, but he knew Nile's grudges ran long and deep. More likely, he was just distracted.

They closed the door and sat down. Levi was uncharacteristically quiet - no comments about Nile's beard or messy office.

"The boy's still in a coma," said Nile. "We interviewed his childhood friends, two trainees by the name of-" He flipped open a file. "Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman."

Erwin cast Levi a sidelong glance, remembering a strange reaction when Berit had mentioned Mikasa Ackerman last year, but if Levi felt anything, he didn't show it.

"They were protective of him," continued Nile, "especially the girl. The two of them seem to have a family history - her parents died about six or seven years back, so the Yeager family took her in. We know a few things for sure: first, Eren Yeager's mother was killed in the attack on Shiganshina, and his father went missing."

"Dr. Grisha Yeager," said Erwin.

Nile eyed him. "You've heard of him?"

"He was a prominent doctor during the plague, and he had a reputation around Shiganshina because of it. He attended to the Survey Corps on occasion, and seemed to be friends with Keith Shadis."

Nile nodded. "He was known around here, too. Spent a lot of time treating people in the Capital. Regardless, he left the kid with a key. His friends weren't too clear about what it is, but they seemed to think it was important. The girl got decidedly upset when we confiscated it. Sounds like Pixis wants to discuss it at the meeting - he developed a bit of a rapport with Eren Yeager and got some information out of him." His lip curled. "Says he wants all Commanders present for that discussion."

"I see," said Erwin, wondering what new piece of the puzzle awaited them.

"Anyway," said Nile, leaning back in his chair, "the trainees also say Eren Yeager had never shown signs of being a titan before the attack on Trost."

"I see," said Erwin again. "So his power manifested itself for the first time during the attack?"

"Convenient," muttered Levi.

Nile nodded. "I agree. Convenient that he'd be able to control a power like that right away, at just the right time to save himself. One of Pixis' senior soldiers, Rico Brzenska, is writing up a full report on the incident. We'll know what happened soon enough, without any bias from his childhood friends."

Erwin leaned forward across the table. "Nile, I'm curious about your gut feeling about all this."

Nile snorted. "Since when do you care about feelings?"

"We rely on them in the field more often than you might think."

"Fine. I think a titan who infiltrated humanity is a danger - not just in terms of the damage he might do physically, but in terms of the way he's polarizing people within the walls. His appearance could lead to civil unrest. He should be executed and then examined. That way, we might finally be able to learn something of use about the titans from him. It's not like your group's research is getting us anywhere."

The snarky tone caught Erwin off guard; his brows rose.

Levi beat him to a response. "What was that, shitbeard?"

Nile turned to the Captain, face cold. "You're on your fourth or fifth titan now, and every time, Erwin comes delivers us the same story: every titan is a bit different, and the flesh dissolves before it can be analyzed, and we need more examples to draw firm conclusions. While your research team was busy playing doctor with your test subjects, we almost lost Wall Rose." The dark gaze shifted to Erwin. "I can't emphasize that enough, Erwin: we almost lost Wall Rose. The Interior is panicking. If we let the populace believe we're siding with a titan, there will be anarchy. Rebellion. If we turn on our own people, these walls will do nothing to protect humanity from annihilation. You can pretend the titans are the greatest threat to humanity all you like, but we both know that's not true."

The worst part of Nile talking about the Interior was that he was correct. Tensions between the different classes were only strengthening as resources dwindled, and a mass panic could spark a civil war. Erwin spent the majority of his time gazing outside the walls; Nile gazed into them. It was why they worked so well in their respective posts.

But gazing inside wasn't going to protect him, not this time. They needed Wall Maria and the harvest lands. Starvation could spark a civil war, too.

He stood. "Thank you for your time, Commander. We will see you shortly at the meeting."

Levi stood, too.

Nile looked surprised. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What do you think we should do with this titan kid?"

"I'll let you know when I'm sure myself." Erwin nodded a farewell.

Once they were far enough down the hallway to be out of earshot, Levi said, "Well that was bullshit."

"What?"

"You know exactly what you want to do with the titan kid."

Erwin opened the door and let him through ahead of him. "We have to be flexible. For one thing, Nile's concerns about the Interior aren't unfounded. For another, it sounds like Commander Pixis is keeping some information up his sleeve for the meeting. But that could be a good thing. If he wants to make sure I'm present to hear this information, and if he has already built a strong relationship with the boy, then there's a good chance this information is something that will help us." He led them down the street to one of their favourite tea shops. "This is all attainable, Levi. We just have to play our cards right."

"We?"

"You will have a very important role to play, if everything proceeds as I expect. But first, we need to acquire Eren Yeager, and to do that, he has to consent to join us."

"He has to wake up first," said Levi.

"True."

They had lunch, chatting idly about the upcoming recruiting presentation for the new trainees.

"Do you think anyone's going to want to join after what they experienced?" asked Levi. "They went from being pampered brats to watching their comrades get eaten in less than a day. That's even worse than going on a first expedition."

"Not all of the 104th were present," said Erwin. "I'm sure it will impact the southern squad, yes, but it remains to be seen if the other squads will panic. Besides, the attack might fuel their resolve. The southern squad saw their friends and their city dying in front of them. Maybe they'll feel inspired to do anything they can to prevent it from happening again."

"Maybe."

He didn't look convinced. Neither was Erwin.

As the bells rang eleven, they settled into the Council chambers. It was strange to see them so empty. Pixis and his aide Anka were present, as well as a woman with white-blond hair and glasses. Presumably, she was Rico Brzenska.

Across from them sat Nile, a Military Police Captain by the name of Jakob, and a surprise - Berit. She beamed at Erwin and Levi.

"Is the Commander-in-Chief joining us?" asked Erwin as he took a seat next to Berit.

"No," said Pixis. "He's otherwise occupied. He'll be doing formal sign-off on whatever we ultimately decide, but he wanted us to see if we could reach an agreement without him."

"I see."

"Ideally, Eren would have some hand in the decision about his own fate, but he's still in a coma. I'll let Rico walk us through the events in Trost, then tell you about my discussions with the boy. Berit is here to speak with us about Eren's personality and background. Then, we'll discuss."

Rico stood and began to dictate the events that had transpired. Trost had fallen soon after the Survey Corps had departed - so soon that it was almost uncanny. Erwin's eyes narrowed. Did the titans have a plan? Do they have spies on the inside that learned of the Survey Corps' strength, and wanted us out of the way?

The military had immediately deployed all soldiers, including the southern 104th Trainees Squad, while civilians had been evacuated. The losses had been devastating and the battle had seemed futile for the trainees, until a group of them had noticed a titan fighting against other titans.

"The rogue titan helped them reunite their fragmented squad," said Rico, "and was arguably integral in suppressing the titan attack."

When the titan had eventually collapsed from exhaustion, Eren Yeager had erupted from its weak spot.

Erwin's eyes narrowed. Was this somehow related to all titans having a weak spot in the same location? He briefly considered that all titans had human drivers at the helm, but rejected the idea when he remembered Hange's experiments. The weak spot, when sliced open, had never shown anything unusual - certainly not a human.

"Eren Yeager attracted the attention of Garrison Captain Kitts Woermann," continued Rico, "who ordered the execution of the boy on the spot, but his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert stood in the way. When the Captain ordered his soldiers to fire through them, Eren Yeager transformed himself into a half-formed titan to shield his friends from the blast. Armin Arlert was then able to talk down the Captain. At that point, Commander Pixis overheard and intervened. He devised the plan to move the boulder while the rest of us supported Eren.

"At first, Eren, in his titan form, was uncontrollable and violent - so much so that he attacked his friend, Mikasa Ackerman. Shortly thereafter, he seemed to gain cognizance. He moved the boulder and successfully blocked the wall. Upon completion of this task, Eren seemed too exhausted to continue. Fortunately, that was when the Survey Corps appeared to help clean up the remaining titans. The boy fell into a coma and was taken into custody by the Military Police. His friends were questioned, then released."

"Thank you, Rico," said Pixis, his eyes twinkling. He seemed more amused than alarmed by the situation. "While I was speaking with Eren, he filled me in on some interesting details. Namely, although Dr. Yeager went missing after the fall of Wall Maria, Eren has a vague, shattered memory of running into his father in a refugee camp. His father gave him a key to their basement in Shiganshina, then used a syringe to inject something into Eren, and then his memories end."

The room tilted into darkness. Erwin saw a syringe descending to his arm in the carriage, Papa's distressed face, "Erwin, never forget-"

Levi's voice jerked him back to the present: "That sounds like bullshit." He had slumped into his chair, his arms folded over his chest.

"No," said Erwin firmly. "There are injectable substances that can block memories."

All eyes shifted to him.

"It makes sense that Dr. Yeager would have access to one such substance," continued Erwin, "especially if he was giving his son important information he felt he had to hide." His eyes shifted to Pixis. "Being able to transform into a titan is a large secret in itself, but it sounds as if there was more - what is the significance of the basement key?"

Pixis set the key on the table. "Allegedly, the basement contains important information about the titans."

Erwin's stomach dropped. "What sort of information?" Around the table, others began to murmur, too.

"Eren was very insistent the basement was the key to some great truth about the titans - perhaps their origin. Perhaps the reason why they attack us."

"What truth?" snorted Nile. "They're giant, man-eating monsters."

But Erwin was spiralling into himself again. The truth about the titans. The truth about this world. I can finally know-

A sharp kick connected with his ankle. He turned to Levi, who was looking at him as if his skin was inside out. Erwin realized he was smiling; he quickly pulled his face back to neutral, but his heart was still racing.

We have to get that key. Even if we don't succeed in getting Eren, I have to get that key.

"Berit," said Nile, "you've known the kid for three years. Do you have any insight on all this?"

"Eren Yeager is honest and driven," she said. "And idealistic. He was constantly spouting off to the others about defeating the titans, to the point that it often created tension."

"But he is a titan," said Nile.

"There's no indication he knew it at the time. Aside from raw idealism, he didn't have any exceptional skills, and it was pure tenacity that landed him in fifth place in his class ranking. I should also note he kept the key around his neck every moment of every day. He sincerely believes every single word of the story he gave you, Commander Pixis."

Erwin remembered a detail from their discussion the year before. "You said he was intent on joining the Survey Corps?"

"Yeah, he talked about it nonstop from the moment he set foot in the training camp."

"Oh no," said Nile, as if coming to a grim realization. "You want to recruit him."

"Think about it," said Erwin. "If we can harness his titan power to block the hole in Wall Maria, we will save hundreds - maybe even thousands - of lives, including your own soldiers."

"He's a titan," said Nile, looking exasperated. "What if he's some sort of spy?"

"A spy for the titans?" said Levi, lip curling. "I know you've never seen a titan in your life, pubeface, but they're dumb beasts. Your average stray cat is smarter than a titan. We've only ever encountered one who could speak, and it said maybe three words before it lost its mind again. If the brat's a spy, who the hell is he reporting to?"

"Levi," said Nile, gaze locking onto him, "tell me the boy's story doesn't sound too convenient."

"It does. I think he's full of shit, and I think he's a monster. But if he's useful to humanity, maybe that's okay. We all know the old plan to reclaim Wall Maria was going to be a suicide mission. If this kid can pick up a rock and drop it at the gate, it saves us countless lives. We're running out of time to be cautious - food stocks are getting lower, and people are getting restless. You're always talking about civil unrest. What do you think's going to happen when we run out of food?"

"It's too dangerous," said Nile.

"You'd rather we execute and dissect the most powerful weapon humanity has ever encountered?" said Erwin.

"And then examine him. You two say we're running out of time to be cautious, but I say things are getting so precarious, we have to be even more cautious than ever."

"This sounds like something that won't be resolved here after all," said Pixis. "We'll have to get Zackly involved."

"How about a court-martial?" asked Erwin. "Once Eren Yeager is awake. Nile and I will prepare our cases, and Zackly can take Eren's account into consideration. Now that all our intentions are in the open, it should be easy to provide logical arguments for both sides." Since Eren was allegedly so keen to join the Survey Corps, his own testimony might help sway Zackly's opinion.

"Fine," said Nile, looking away.

"Then it's settled," said Pixis. "What shall we do with the key? I was going to recommend we give it to the one Commander who has a chance of seeing Shiganshina soonest, regardless of what happens to Yeager."

A shiver ran down Erwin's spine, but he managed to keep his tone neutral: "I would be honoured to hang onto it."

Nile shrugged. "Makes sense."

Pixis slid the key across the table. Erwin slipped it into the inner pocket of his jacket; it clinked against another metal object that had recently taken up residence there.

As they returned to the hotel, Levi scowled at Erwin. "You know I'm only entertaining all this because I trust you, right?"

"You've made your distrust of him very clear." Erwin considered. "Use it to your advantage. When he awakens, be suspicious. Ask him tough questions; be as harsh as you see fit. I don't want you to believe in this plan just because I do - I want you to find reasons to believe in it yourself. This is too important for blind trust."

"Okay," said Levi quietly.

When they reached the room, he flopped onto the bed. "Is that my role in all this?"

"Hm?" said Erwin, pulling the key out of his pocket to examine it.

"To be harsh with him. To scare him into loyalty."

"Not necessarily. From the sounds of it, he's already loyal to us to begin with. Your role will be to demonstrate to others that you can control him. There's always the possibility that he'll lose control - it happened briefly in Trost, and it could cause a threat on the field. We need to pair him with someone who can take him down if needed."

"I see." Levi eyed him. "So you want me to be his babysitter."

"In a way. You're the only one I can trust to do it."

"Okay," said Levi. "I'll do it."

"We have to ensure we can gain custody of him first." Erwin sat at the table. "I have some preliminary work to do. Could you please deliver a message to Berit that we'd like to meet her for dinner? She should be staying at the Military Police barracks. We'll meet at that restaurant behind the barracks that sells stew."

Levi nodded and stood. "Maybe I'll train in their gym for a bit, too." That made sense; between the carriage and the meeting, he was probably restless.

"Then we'll all meet at the restaurant at six o'clock," said Erwin. "Send for me if Eren Yeager wakes up while you're there."

.*.*.*.

Later that evening, Levi stepped into a small restaurant that smelled of mutton and cooking onions; the room was small and dimly lit, with cloth tablecloths. Erwin and Berit sat at a table near the back with an open bottle of wine.

As he sat down, Berit gave him a smile. "Been a long time."

"Yeah," said Levi. Erwin had left him the seat that gave him a clear view of the door. He sat in it and scanned their surroundings. Everyone was dressed in finery, and even though he was in a collared shirt and dress pants himself, he was certain he stood out. He straightened his cravat.

"I've only just arrived myself," said Erwin. "Would you care for a glass of wine?"

Levi nodded, flipping open the menu. "What are their best dishes?" he asked, pretending he had a refined palate like the rest of the diners.

After some discussion, the server came and took their orders. Levi took a swig of wine and subtly swished it around his mouth as he scanned the room again. He noticed Berit watching him; he swallowed.

"How's the brat?" he asked.

"Whiny and noisy, and my kid's annoying, too," said Berit, and then she laughed at her own joke. "No, Silas and my child are both well, thank you, Levi. They live with me on the base now."

"You're still happy there?" asked Erwin. "No desire to return to the front lines?"

"That life isn't for me anymore, Erwin. My goals are less altruistic these days." She leaned forward. "But I can still provide you with valuable information. Off the record, of course."

"Of course," said Erwin quietly. "But perhaps we should save that until after the meal. If we have any eavesdroppers, we want them to hear a mundane conversation until they're convinced they're nothing going on."

"Still thinking ten steps ahead, I see," she said with a smile.

"You mean paranoid," muttered Levi, and Erwin gave him a good-natured nudge under the table.

A large pot of mutton stew and a basket of bread arrived. As Levi ate, Erwin and Berit prattled a lot about Shadis, and what the Trainee Corps had been like pre-fall compared to now, and other boring reminiscing. Levi helped himself to a third glass of wine and kept watching the door, half-expecting Nile to burst in at any moment to try to accuse them of illicitly gathering information for the court-martial.

Then Berit said something that drew his attention: "And what about the two of you? Any wedding bells in the future?"

Erwin started coughing, as if he had choked on his bread. Levi just stared at her, expression flat.

Her face fell. "Oh. Should I not have-"

"It's fine," wheezed Erwin. He took a swig of water, then cleared his throat a few times, wiping tears from his eyes. "My apologies; that caught me off guard."

An awkward silence descended on the table. Berit sat a little too tall, refilling her wine glass.

"Things were complicated for awhile," said Erwin quietly.

Levi's body tensed as he waited to see how Erwin would describe their relationship.

"Oh no," said Berit. "Did you break up?"

Levi scanned the crowd, concerned they were talking too openly about something they were supposed to keep private. Still, no one seemed to be paying attention.

"We separated for several months. Our duties pull us in many directions, and require us to walk side-by-side as colleagues more than lovers, particularly in the public eye. During particularly intense political scheming, we came to realize we had left ourselves more vulnerable than we intended, so we took a step back. And yet..." Erwin's eyes locked onto Levi. "We've recently come to realize that being apart leaves us vulnerable, too, in different ways. It's complicated, but we're taking things one day at a time."

"I understand," said Berit. "I'm sorry things are so complicated for you."

Levi's heart was pounding in his chest as he felt himself drawn into Erwin's gaze, but then the man looked away and gave a polite smile.

"Enough about us. I think it's safe to begin speaking about information pertinent to the court-martial."

Berit nodded and wiped the last bit of stew from her bowl with a piece of bread.

Erwin leaned close to Levi. "Any threats?"

"Seems clear. I'll keep an eye out." The room was so noisy that he doubted anyone could overhear them even if they tried.

"Okay." Berit paused to wash down the bread with a sip of wine. "I didn't want to mention this in the meeting, particularly when they were discussing whether or not Eren is a threat to humanity, but his passion to fight the titans is more intense than I let on. I played it off like he gives speeches here and there, but they aren't little speeches. They're impassioned rants. He has come to blows with the other Trainees more than once, and there were a few times when Shadis considered sending him into isolation to cool down."

"I see," said Erwin, leaning forward a little. "What sets him off?"

"Complacency among his peers, mainly," said Berit, "but he's also fiercely protective of his friends Mikasa and Armin. Those three kids have a bond I've never seen outside the Survey Corps. They've been through hell together, and it shows. They would die to protect each other."

"I see," said Erwin again, but by the way his eyes were narrowing, Levi could tell he was formulating a plan.

Berit talked a bit more about the obstacles Eren Yeager had overcome, and his family history. Then she moved on to how fervently he protected the key to his basement.

"Do you know what's in the basement?" asked Levi.

"No. Not even Eren seems to."

Levi glanced at Erwin, whose eyes were sparkling. He frowned. The idea of that basement had sparked something inside Erwin, and he couldn't yet put his finger on what it was. It seemed, to him, a ridiculous thing to put one's faith in: a basement that might or might not contain answers about the titans, according to a titan-boy who claimed to have conveniently lost his memories. Usually, Erwin was more logical than this.

By the time a second bottle of wine was empty, Berit had answered all their questions.

"It's late," she said, standing. "But it was good to see you. Good luck with the court-martial."

They exchanged hugs.

"You won't be coming?" asked Erwin.

She shook her head, grimacing. "If they put him to death, I'll break down. Besides, everyone has all the information from me they need." Her jaw set. "You guys save him, okay?"

"We'll do our best," said Erwin with a solemn nod.

Even though it was still early, the streets were nearly empty. Levi frowned. Mitras lost more and more lustre every time they visited. Homeless people lined the sidewalks, gaunt eyes tracking them as they passed. The Military Police tried to keep the homeless sequestered to the Underground, but many of the poorer merchant and servant families of Wall Sina were drifting to the streets. And why should they go to the Underground, when they had known sunlight all their lives? Why should anybody? Heat tossed in Levi's chest. He glanced up at Erwin, but he appeared to be lost in thought.

Once they were safely in the hotel room, the Commander finally spoke. "I know now what we must do at the court-martial. But first, we must speak with Eren Yeager. We need to make sure he's as idealistic and temperamental as Berit says."

"Temperamental?"

"Yes." Erwin sat on the mattress and pulled the basement key out of his pocket, studying it. Levi sat beside him.

"Make anything of it?" asked Erwin, holding it out.

"What, because I can pick locks, you think I'm an expert on keys?"

"That's not how it works?"

"No. Looks like a shitty old key to me." Levi glanced up at him. "So what's this plan for the court-martial?"

"Well, it's not much of a plan unless I can verify Eren Yeager is the boy Berit claims him to be." Erwin pocketed the key again; it gave a soft clink. "In the meantime, I sent for Mike, Hange and a few of their squad members. We need to have a strong presence at the court-martial, to look like we have a united front. We'll never succeed if Nile is able to convince Zackly I'm acting on my own without any support from my regiment."

"You're overestimating Nile's brains."

Erwin smiled. "Perhaps."

"Can I ask you something?" asked Levi.

"Of course."

"Why do you already trust this kid's story?"

Erwin's smile shifted to him and warmed. "Well, I don't think 'trust' is the right word. Did I 'trust' you when I first recruited you to the Survey Corps?"

"No," said Levi. "And you shouldn't have. I was trying to kill you."

"I trusted my instincts: your skills were so invaluable to humanity that they were worth any price, even my life. That's the way I feel about Eren Yeager now: his skills are so invaluable that I have no choice but to trust that everything will work out if we recruit him. Perhaps one day, he and I will come to trust each other as well as you and I did."

"Not exactly the same way, I hope," said Levi dryly.

"Levi, he's fifteen years old." Erwin turned to him. "I know you're just joking, but you understand that I still consider you humanity's greatest hope, right?"

Levi stared blankly at him. "What?"

"Eren Yeager's skills are incredibly important, yes, and he is a key to humanity's victory." Erwin leaned closer. "But I've seen you on the field: you could easily fell twenty titans before collapsing, just like he did, and you don't need to be a titan to do it. Besides, the way you motivate and unite the Survey Corps - the way you're a hero to humanity - has a ripple effect that invigorates everyone around you."

Levi's cheeks were warm. He cleared his throat and looked away. "I'm just a murderer with a couple of fancy knives."

"I know you aren't comfortable with all the attention that being Humanity's Strongest brings you, but I'm worried that having some of that attention shifted to Eren Yeager might make you uncomfortable, too."

"You make me sound like I can't make up my damned mind what I want," muttered Levi, even though it was true.

"What I'm trying to get at is this." He felt Erwin's whisper against his ear, soft and warm: "Let me show you what you mean to me."

Levi was certain his face was beet red. His hands clawed into the duvet. "Don't you have work to do?"

"I have contacts running background checks on the Yeager family; I'll be meeting with them tomorrow morning to gather our report. The boy himself isn't awake yet. We've tapped all our current resources, and I wouldn't mind time to digest what we've learned. As strange as it sounds, I think we find ourselves with a night off."

"Huh," said Levi.

Erwin reached out a curled hand, unfurling it over Levi's thigh. "I know things are still a bit awkward between us, but if you're willing..." His fingertips grazed Levi's thigh, touch so gentle that Levi held his breath. "Just know that I don't have any expectations of you, even with what happened between us the other night. We can take things slowly, if you're more comfortable with it."

Levi snorted. "Shit has never been slow between us."

"Well, it can be this time, if you want."

"And what if I don't want it to?"

Erwin looked up at him, eyelids heavy. "I'm willing to go as far as you want." The fingertips began to ease up Levi's thigh.

Their eyes held, lips parted, as Erwin's hand edged higher, higher. As he reached the top of the inseam, he cupped Levi, warm and firm. Levi let a shuddering breath. So warm, his hand was so warm... Then the fingers curled in, and Erwin was feeling him through his pants, their eyes still holding, still heavy. Levi's pants were getting uncomfortable, but he was locked in place, that intense blue gaze trickling through his blood like ice.

Erwin tightened his grip around him and stroked him through the fabric, and Levi gasped, his head lolling back. He felt the bed shift, felt a warm mouth press to his throat. A rumble sounded against his skin. Had Erwin's voice always been that deep? It reverberated through him, settled between his legs, burning as hot as his hand.

Then the hand lifted. Levi whimpered and thrust up after it, but then felt Erwin working at his cravat. It slid off, and a tongue slid down to his collarbones, with a hot breath that made him shiver. The straps across his torso loosened and fell away. He opened his eyes and saw Erwin unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time, following with his mouth.

He parted his legs, and, on unspoken cue, Erwin knelt between them. He reached the waistband of his pants and kissed Levi's navel, working at his belt buckle, then the buttons of his pants.

"Fuck," whispered Levi, running a hand through Erwin's hair. A skiff of blond hair tumbled across the broad forehead. How long had it been since he had seen him, really seen him, with his hair disheveled? The blue eyes flicked up to him, the angle accentuating the severe planes of his face. Levi cursed again, hand curling into a fist.

Then the fabric of his pants parted, and his waistband shifted, and cool air hit him. He forced his eyes to stay open as Erwin circled his thumb and forefinger around the base, standing him upright. The too-severe gaze lingered, as if he were inspecting him.

Levi groaned. "Don't tease me."

"I think I will, just for a little longer." Erwin leaned in close and breathed hot air from base to tip.

Fuck! Levi gripped his hair hard, thrusting toward him. "Erwin-"

The mouth closed around the tip, and he felt a conflicted warmth flood his body: relaxation and tension at the same time. He tried to speak, but a wordless cry escaped instead.

Erwin pulled away and tapped his hips. "Lift your hips."

Too distracted to question him, Levi obeyed, and he felt his pants, belts and underclothes slide down to his ankles. A palm pressed between his legs, cupped him and gently tugged. Levi heard an odd, high-pitched noise leave his mouth, but his mind was too thick with fog to feel embarrassment.

"Like this?" rumbled Erwin, tugging a bit harder. Light flashed before Levi's closed eyelids, and he felt himself throb. Then Erwin's hand and mouth were stroking him in the same rhythm. His head rolled back on his shoulders, his hips rising. He was tempted to give in, but no, there was still more he wanted to do.

"Wait," he gasped.

Erwin pulled away just in time, leaving him right on the edge. Levi's head kept rolling as he fought to pull back. The glow finally faded enough for him to open his eyes.

Erwin was staring intently at him. "You had something else in mind?"

"Take off your clothes," wheezed Levi, too clumsy to undress him himself.

Erwin stood and undressed. When his pants came off, Levi saw he wasn't the only one on edge.

"Bring that over here."

Erwin stepped closer, and Levi dropped to his knees on the floor to taste him. Fuck, he had missed the taste, this fullness in his mouth and throat. Erwin's palms settled over Levi's ears, his hips tense and just barely rocking.

Let yourself go, thought Levi, sucking harder, pulling him in deeper. He heard a low groan, felt one of the hands roughly slide into his hair.

He pulled away and stood, intending to guide him to the bed, but Erwin surprised him, lunging down for a kiss. Their tongues slid against each other, deep and aggressive. Levi grabbed the blond hair to pull him in closer, and he felt a broad hand grip his ass.

The kiss broke, both of them gasping for air. Erwin's skin was flushed and glowing. Levi's hands slid down to Erwin's ass and he grabbed, pulling hard. His thumbs slid to centre, grazing the surface, making clear what he wanted.

"I see," rumbled Erwin.

"Too far?"

Erwin kissed the tip of his nose. "I washed before dinner, just in case."

Levi stood on his toes to steal one more kiss. When he pulled away, he said, "Bend over the end of the bed."

Erwin complied. Levi knelt behind him. The view was even more beautiful than he remembered. He buried his face deep in warm, fuzzy skin, breathing in, tasting him. He felt Erwin's deep voice rumble through him.

Come on. Curse for me. Maybe Levi had love bites on his neck, but Erwin hadn't dropped his guard last time, not fully. He wanted him rambling curse words and bucking back against him. He licked with the flat of his tongue and heard a small groan, probed and heard it rise. Come on! He kissed and moaned into the flesh, and Erwin echoed him, hips beginning to tilt.

Then he finally gave in: the blond head dropped, forehead to his forearms, and he thrust back against Levi with a soft, "Fuck!"

The rush made Levi dizzy. He slowed, teasing him. The curses began to flow. He forced his hand between Erwin and the mattress to grab him; the hips lifted to give him access. He could feel dampness, and he wasn't sure if Erwin was really turned on, or it was Levi's drool dripping down the length of him. Either prospect was surprisingly enticing.

"Levi," gasped Erwin in a voice so high and soft that it was barely recognizable as his.

Levi pulled away, and he heard a sound of protest that was almost a sob.

"I just need to get lube." He strode to the trunk. There was the oil, in the side pocket where they had always kept it, as if no time had passed. As he walked back to Erwin, he considered the enormity of what they were about to do. Maybe they had shared one desperate fuck, but this was far more important than that. This was the end of months of pain and longing…

By the time he reached the bed again, he was flaccid.

Erwin had rolled onto his back, perhaps feeling a bit too exposed with his ass in the air. His face was red and splotchy, his lips swollen. Levi knelt the bed and bent down to kiss them.

When he pulled away, Erwin's hand clumsily reached out to cup his cheek. Levi turned his face into it and kissed his palm.

"This may sound odd, but I'm feeling..." Erwin paused. "I'm not sure if 'shy' is the right word, but it's close."

Levi's chest tightened. "Are things still a bit fucked up between us?"

"To be fair, things were never fucked up between us. They were fucked up around us."

"Well, there's nothing around us now except a hotel room." That wasn't quite true. Their history followed them everywhere. How many ghosts of memories floated around them right now? He kissed the broad palm again. "Look, there's no rush. Be shy for now, if you want. Maybe you're used to protecting yourself a bit now - we both had to for awhile. It's okay. You can be as closed off or open as you want. I've already seen every side of you, anyway, and you've seen every side of me."

Erwin's thumb grazed his cheekbone; his eyes were glassy. "Let's keep going. I'm certain my shyness will pass once you're inside me."

"Is that how you want it?"

"I thought that's what we agreed on." The blush deepened. "Besides, it's your turn."

Levi raised a brow. "We take turns now?"

Instead of replying, Erwin withdrew his hand and rolled onto his stomach, looking expectantly at him. Levi's breath caught. He slid a hand down Erwin's spine and across his ass.

"You beautiful bastard," he whispered as he felt himself getting hard again.

Erwin gave a pleased hum and lifted his hips a little. Levi uncapped the oil and drizzled it across the pads of his fingers, then nestled up against him, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades.

Erwin's body gave easily to his fingers, and Levi sank into him, feeling all his control sinking into that warmth with them. He barely managed to speak: "That okay?"

"Yeah." Erwin dragged the word into two syllables, the first voiced, the second a breath.

"You used toys a lot, didn't you?"

"And my fingers." The strain in the words suggested his eyes were squeezed shut.

Levi pressed deeper, reading the inside of his body. Erwin's shoulders rounded; he pressed his face into the pillow.

"Did you think of me?" asked Levi, throaty.

The response was muffled by the pillow, but was clearly, "Every time." Exactly what he wanted to hear. He slid further down the bed to press a kiss to Erwin's tailbone, his free hand rediscovering the fine blond hairs in a band across his lower back.

Enough foreplay. He shrugged out of his unbuttoned dress shirt, hanging it on a chair. "I want to see your face." That was important, this time.

Erwin clumsily rolled onto one elbow. "Lie down. I'll ride you."

And so Erwin sat above him, the lamplight framing his body in an aura as he rocked up and down. He grabbed Levi's hands and laced his fingers through it, guiding one palm to his chest, another down his torso. So beautiful, he was so impossibly beautiful, with that regal gaze, the rolling muscles of his abdomen. He looked like the paintings he had shown Levi in his forbidden book, a mythical human with wings and a wreath of light around his head.

"Holy Sina," breathed Levi, who had never had a religious thought in his life. "You are so fucking beautiful."

Erwin slowed and bent down, arching his flexible back until his lips grazed Levi's nose. "I love you," he whispered.

Levi cried out, arching into him. He was so close, and Erwin was relentless, all warmth and suction, power and grace. Levi wrenched a hand free and grabbed him, and as he began to stroke, Erwin's body jerked bolt upright, his face strained, blond hair hanging loose.

"Come for me," whispered Levi, because he wanted to see this ethereal being reach its pinnacle state, wanted to bring him the pleasure he deserved.

"Ah-" was all Erwin managed to reply. His cheeks were red as he ground hard into Levi's hips. A bead of sweat trailed down his temple, a spark of gold in the lamp light.

"Come on," said Levi, sensing him holding back. "Louder."

"Fuck!" blasted Erwin, and then he gave a hard thrust into his hand, waves rolling through every muscle in his torso. Levi felt energy surge through him so suddenly that he thought, for a moment, he would follow, too.

Erwin fell forward onto his elbows, then rolled onto his side, breathing hard. His face was slack and soft, his eyes closed, his lips still a bit flared. Levi wondered if anyone else had ever seen this side of the Commander, had even suspected it existed.

"Sorry," rasped Erwin. "I need a minute." He clumsily shoved the hair back off his forehead.

Levi rolled onto his side to study him, awed by how wrecked he looked. His fingertip slid down the bridge of Erwin's nose. When he reached the thick lips, Erwin kissed it.

"Go back in." The word vibrated his finger.

"Now? You'll be too sensitive."

"You do it all the time for me. Use lots of oil." The blond eyelashes parted, and Erwin's gaze drifted to him, still unfocussed. "I want to feel you come inside me."

Levi studied him and, seeing no reluctance in his eyes, decided he liked the idea. He drizzled oil along himself and gently stroked it until it was even, his body erupting into goosebumps. He could already tell he wasn't going to be able to hang on for long.

Erwin had caught his breath; now he was staring fixedly at the stroking motion.

"Looks like you're already getting hard again," said Levi, surprised.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you look glistening in the lamplight like that?"

Levi felt heat rise to his cheeks.

They worked together to put a pillow under Erwin's hips, and Levi lay on top of him, gently pushing his legs out of the way. He began to ease back inside, pausing. "That okay?"

"Yeah. Go deeper."

And then they were connected again.

Levi slowly began to move.

"It's okay," said Erwin, as if addressing the fears he hadn't voiced. "Harder." His arms and legs wrapped around Levi, a hand raking into the back of his hair. His grip was strong and protective. Safe.

Levi gasped. Connected, they were connected, and nothing could take that from them - not politicians, not the law, not even the titans. The world was nothing when the two of them were rocking together like this. He felt his conscious thought begin to unravel, one strand at a time, as his feral side swelled through him. He felt the glow of damp skin and body hair, licked Erwin's nipple and felt him clench tighter. Erwin was whispering words, and he couldn't hear them, but he heard their tone, as encouraging and safe as the grip that encased him.

He heard a sob leave his lips, felt his limbs begin to shake, and he drove the last few strokes hard. Erwin held him tightly, whispering him through every pulse.

Then the only sound was the blood rushing in his ears.

He took a deep breath. Erwin's skin was sticky around him, and he felt the first fluttering of panic as he realized how many different fluids were coating their skin right now.

But Erwin was already unfolding, releasing him. Levi rolled onto his back, dropping a forearm over his eyes to block the lamplight.

"We can bathe together before bed, if you like," said Erwin softly, addressing his unspoken anxiety once again.

Levi nodded.

"When you've caught your breath."

He nodded again, but he used his first breath to change the subject: "I love you."

A soft kiss planted on his elbow. "Is it..." It wasn't like Erwin to be at a loss for words.

Levi let his arm fall to the side, squinting. Erwin sat on the bed beside him. With his hair in his face and his cheeks flushed, he looked boyish.

"Is it what?"

"Is it the same as before?" Erwin dragged his fingertips across Levi's triceps.

"Love?"

"Yeah."

The fingertips were getting too close to his armpit; Levi pulled away. "No. It's different." He couldn't put his finger on how. "What about you?"

"It is different. Before, I was always holding a small part of myself back - considering possible outcomes, weighing our relationship against everything else." Erwin's hand settled on Levi's chest, drawing slow circles in his chest hair. "Now, when you touch me, that side of me is finally silent. I feel free."

Levi thought of how safe he felt in Erwin's arms lately, and realized his own obsessive worries had finally been silent, too. His heart was warm and tight, as securely constrained as his body had been moments ago. Yes, this was different than it had been even a few months ago - no ache in his throat, no tightness in his chest. He cupped Erwin's jaw and looked him solemnly in the eye.

"What does that look mean?" asked Erwin softly.

"Why do you always have to put everything into words?" countered Levi, shy.

"It's how I make sense of the world around me."

"Well, some things are bigger than words."

Erwin's throat bobbed. "I suppose they are."

Their gaze held, and this time, Erwin's hand closed over his, the blue eyes meeting his intensity.

.*.*.*.

The next day, Erwin worked on his notes, while Levi went to check on the status of Eren Yeager, who was still unconscious. I hope he wakes up, or this will all have been a giant waste of time.

After spending a couple hours training in the Military Police gym, he began to walk back to the hotel. He was surprised to see Erwin in plain clothes, sitting on a park bench next to a woman. They were in earnest conversation. Was this one of his contacts? Levi found a seat at another bench, waiting.

Once the woman left, Erwin approached him, holding a cloth bag. "Any luck?"

Levi shook his head. "They said he seems to be coming out of it a bit, but still hasn't woken up. Maybe this evening."

"Okay. We'll check back then. I have new information to share with you." Erwin began to walk toward the hotel again, and Levi fell into step behind him. Once they were inside, Erwin pulled out a chair at the table and sat down. Several papers lay strewn across its surface, the ink bottle still uncapped. Levi frowned and capped it, then began to tidy the papers.

Erwin didn't seem to notice; he pulled an envelope out of the cloth bag.

"An envelope?" said Levi. "I thought that bag was our lunch." His stomach was growling.

"There's lunch in here, too, but this is more important." He passed the bag to Levi, who rustled through it and pulled out a loaf of bread and some apple butter. As he began to prepare the bread, Erwin flipped through the file.

"What is it?" asked Levi.

"Eren Yeager and his friend Mikasa Ackerman had a brush with the law before Wall Maria fell." Erwin leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "Dr. Yeager paid to have the incident struck from the records, but like our friend Sahlo said, there is no such thing as a permanent secret."

Levi frowned at the mention of the lord. "What was their crime?" Petty theft, most likely. Child's play.

"Murder."

"Murder?"

"Three would-be kidnappers approached Mikasa Ackerman's family. Her mother was of a rare race called the 'Asian people'." He looked distracted for a moment; perhaps he was reminiscing about all the types of people in the book he had shared at Christmas.

"And?" prodded Levi.

"I suppose they were hoping for a rare prize for the slave market or the sex trade. The clash didn't go as the slavers were expecting. In the struggle, both parents were killed, but Eren Yeager happened to find them before they could take the girl. Dr. Yeager was their family doctor and had been due for a visit, so the boy must have tracked them down somehow. He and the girl killed all three slavers, even though they were only nine years old."

Levi snorted. "Good riddance." He had met their kind in his day. Selling a human being as if they were a commodity was the worst crime a person could commit.

Erwin was giving him a strange look.

"What?"

"Perhaps such a thing is normal for children in the Underground," said Erwin thoughtfully. "Above ground, it's extremely rare for a child to take a life. This is a noteworthy aggression, and if Nile's team is resourceful enough to find it, they may try to use it against the boy."

"That's not unexpected though, right? Berit already said this kid was aggressive as hell."

"True." Erwin made a quick note. "Perhaps this plays right into our narrative."

"Our narrative?"

"That Eren Yeager is integral to humanity's survival, but dangerous." Erwin drummed his fingers on the table. "We want everyone in that courtroom to be afraid of him so they'll be relieved by the idea of letting us take him outside the walls."

Levi leaned back in his chair and tore off a chunk of bread. "And that I'm the only one who can handle him. Where'd you get this information, anyway?"

"My contacts. I have a few friends with access to military records who get bored easily. They are happy to exchange information for money, if they feel the information is for humanity's benefit. Lord Hasek was part of their ring."

"Stop talking about Sahlo," said Levi irritably. "He's dead."

"I know, and there are power vacuums filling because of it, as we speak."

He doesn't like being unaware of what's out there, Levi realized. Maybe that was why he was so suddenly fixated on Eren Yeager and the basement key: it was all about regaining control over the world around him.

Shortly after lunch, a knock sounded at the door: Hange and Mike, who had travelled through the morning to reach Mitras. They would be staying at the Military Police barracks.

"You're welcome to stay here," said Erwin, and Levi narrowed his eyes. Hange had only caught them in the act once, years ago, and he still heard about it constantly.

"We're fine in the barracks," said Hange, glancing up at Mike, who was sniffing the air.

"Don't do that," muttered Levi, self-conscious.

"Things are going well," said Mike with a smirk.

"Shut up. That's fucking creepy."

The four of them sat and sipped tea as Erwin summarized everything they knew so far. At the end of it, he handed Mike an envelope. "We've arranged for the two of you to question two of Eren Yeager's childhood friends at five o'clock. Here are some questions you must cover; feel free to ask any others as you see fit. Levi and I are going to see if the boy himself is awake."

Levi folded his arms over his chest. Hearing all the details back to back made the holes in Eren Yeager's story seem that much larger. The kid conveniently remembered the key, but not what it was for. He remembered how to turn into a titan, but only when his life was about to end. Levi had heard many strange things in his lifetime - even stories of powers awakening even when all seemed lost. Hell, he had experienced such things for himself, and maybe his own memory wasn't the greatest. But if this basement was so important, why had Dr. Yeager never shown it to his son? Why would he inject him with something without explaining what he was doing? It was all ridiculous.

"What's wrong, Levi?" asked Erwin patiently.

"You know what's wrong. Same as always. I don't buy the brat's story." Levi slumped deeper in his chair.

"Maybe he doesn't think we're going to act in humanity's best interest," said Hange. "He sounds pretty passionate."

Erwin's gaze was probing deep into Levi; he shifted, uncomfortable. "What?"

"I know it's natural to fear the titans," said Erwin. "Any titan, even one that appears to be on our side. They've been responsible for enormous losses, and we've all felt them. But this boy could be the key to ending that forever. Imagine a world where humanity has enough crops to feed future generations. Imagine the morale boost of reclaiming Wall Maria, of taking back what was lost. We have to believe he's on our side. If he is lying and untrustworthy, that means the titans are organized enough to have infiltrated our society. If that's the case, then humanity is in far worse shape than we thought."

"They probably already have," said Hange, solemn. "You've already thought it too, haven't you?"

"Thought what?"

"That the Colossal and Armoured titans are humans who can shift into titans, too. If they came in through the wall, they could be walking among us as humans."

Levi's teeth clenched. "That's fucking grim."

"How did they know to wait until we were outside the Wall to attack?" murmured Erwin. "They must be a part of the military."

The full implications suddenly hit Levi, and he sat upright. He curled his hands, feeling dampness in his palms. "You think they might be in the Survey Corps?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps another branch. It's plausible they either used forgery to work their way into the military, or went through training." Erwin paused, then stood. "This conversation can wait until we've had time to dig deeper. Right now, our biggest concern is getting Eren Yeager."

"What if he is in league with the titans?" said Levi, wondering why the others looked so calm.

"Then we can keep an eye on him and, if necessary, take him down." Erwin's jaw was tight. "There are too many unknowns. We'll take it one step at a time."

"Fine." Levi stood. "Let's go. I'm sick of wondering how it's going to play out."

"Hange and Mike, if we don't meet up with you during your questioning of the boy's friends, then we'll meet you back here before dinner." He opened the door and stepped through.

"What the hell?" Levi asked when they were out in the hall. "This is looking riskier and riskier."

"We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain." Erwin glanced down at him. "Do you have my back on these decisions, Levi?"

"Of course."

"You seem reluctant every time it comes up."

"Well, I'm not exactly comfortable with it."

"Neither am I." Erwin set his jaw. "Not until we speak with him, at least. I need to see that passion Berit described, and we'll only get it if he thinks he's in danger."

.*.*.*.

The Military Police guard informed them that Eren Yeager was just waking up.

Perfect, thought Levi. He'll be disoriented. It was easier to get honest answers out of someone who was disoriented. There were ways to put a person in that state on purpose, but he doubted Erwin was interested in using them.

They moved to step past them, but one of the guards stopped them. "Your permission hasn't come through."

Levi's eyes narrowed. "Permission?"

"From Commander Nile Dok."

"What? I was in here this morning, and they didn't tell me we needed-"

"Levi, it's okay." Erwin's voice was as calm as his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small satchel. Gold coins. He expected this. Levi felt a simultaneous swell of admiration for his foresight, and frustration that they had to stoop to bribery.

The soldier began to count the coins. The other looked nervous. "Don't take that! We'll get in so much shit if we're caught."

"Oh, relax, rookie. You'll get your half." The soldier stepped aside with a salute that jingled. "Commander. Captain."

Erwin settled into the chair facing the boy's cell. Levi leaned against the wall beside him, arms folding over his chest.

He wasn't sure what he expected, but it wasn't a small boy in a stained shirt shackled to a bed. He had looked much more impressive half-emerging from a titan. This dirty brat is humanity's hope?

The boy groaned and twitched. Nightmares. Levi strained his ears, trying to listen for clues about what plagued his dreams. Boys and monsters had very different nightmares.

Instead, the boy jerked upright with a gasp.

"I imagine you have questions," said Erwin calmly.

The boy stared at them, wild eyes coming into focus. Levi looked away, trying to communicate his disdain.

"Where am I?" asked the boy. He didn't sound like a monster. He sounded scared.

"Let's just say you're in a dungeon," said Erwin, voice fluid. "You're currently in the custody of the Military Police Brigade. We were finally granted the right to see you a few minutes ago."

Granted the right, thought Levi with a sneer as Erwin continued to explain the situation.

The first hint of passion appeared when Erwin pulled out the basement key; the boy strained against his restraints.

Erwin's voice was so calm that it was unsettling. "The basement of the house where you were born, Dr. Yeager's house in Shiganshina District, holds the secret of the titans. Am I right?"

Levi eyed the Commander in his periphery, noticing the hidden strain in the question. What's going on in your head? He felt the flickering onset of anxiety he had felt, years ago, when Erwin had first threatened Sahlo head-on. It was like the tension after cutting the gas on the 3DMG, the body preparing for a sudden drop.

"Yes," said the boy. "Or at least, that's what my father said."

Levi's lip curled. "You have amnesia and your father's missing. That's a convenient story."

Erwin glanced at him. "Levi, we already reached the conclusion he has no reason to lie."

It was difficult to tell if the rebuke was sincere or part of the act, but then again, Levi didn't know any more if his own statement had been sincere or an act. The kid certainly didn't seem like a threat. He didn't look like he could transform into a beast and take out twenty titans, either.

Erwin asked him his intentions, then explained their plans to use him to reclaim Wall Maria.

The boy began to drip sweat, his eyes wide. Levi had seen this look enough times to know exactly what was happening: he was recalling past trauma. We'll only get his passion if he thinks he's in danger...

"Hey," said Levi. "Answer the man, scum. What is it you want to do?"

But where others - even Levi, even Erwin - would be temporarily paralyzed by a flashback, the boy's teeth clenched, his body quivering. When he lifted his head, Levi felt his stomach drop.

He knew that look.

Another boy who had never had a childhood, who had been forced to kill to survive at a young age, who would kill again the instant he got a chance.

He really is a monster, and not just because he can shift into a titan.

"I want to join the Survey Corps," said Eren Yeager, voice quivering, "and exterminate the titans."

"Not bad," murmured Levi, truly believing, for the first time, that they wanted him on their side.

.*.*.*.

"You see in him what you saw in me," said Levi as they strode back to the hotel. "A monster who can become the perfect weapon if he can be tamed."

"Something like that." Erwin glanced at him. "He's a boy before he's a weapon, Levi. Remember that."

But Levi knew if he was to potentially kill Eren Yeager, he had to see him as a monster first. He had a habit of getting too close to those he protected - Isabel and Farlan's remains flashed through his memory, and he shuddered. No, not this time. He wasn't going to grow fond of the kid and get caught up in that "humanity's hope" bullshit.

It seemed even Erwin had gotten caught up in it; his step was light, his lips resting in a faint smile.

"Do you think we have enough information to convince Zackly?" asked Levi when they returned to the hotel room.

"I don't know. My contact suggested the nobles were concerned about a potential war between Wall Rose and Wall Sina, so Nile's argument will appeal to Zackly." Erwin sat at the desk and made a few more notes. "We have one valuable asset: Eren's desire to join us."

"How does that help?" asked Levi, sitting on the bed.

"You saw his passion in there. Once we asked him about his goals, he forgot where he was and who he was speaking to." Erwin turned to face him. "If we start to lose our case, he's very likely to become unstable."

Levi felt the beginning descent of that 3DMG hover he had felt earlier. "And then you want me to demonstrate that I can control him."

Erwin's gaze held his.

Eren Yeager is a monster, Levi reminded himself, because the idea of beating up a fifteen-year-old kid made him sick. "Fuck."

"Getting beaten is a lot better than death and dissection, and humanity needs him alive." Erwin's face was too taut. "We'll have to make sure to play this card at the right time. Too soon, and no one will be convinced he is truly a threat. Too late, and he might actually shift into a titan."

"I can read him." Levi's eyes narrowed. "I know his kind."

If Erwin was confused, he didn't show it. He only nodded. "Thank you, Levi."

"Don't thank me. We don't have a choice." Levi lay back on the bed, letting out a long breath. "Fuck."

"Indeed. We'll wait to hear what Hange and Mike have to say about Eren's friends, and update them on our plan. If Eren's friends are as tightly knit with him as Berit says, we should probably have them at the court-martial, too."

"Oh?"

"To remind him of what he stands to lose if he dies."

Levi nodded. "So what happens when we get custody of him?"

"Well, he'll join your Special Operations Squad. If you need to shuffle the squad to make sure they can control him-"

"No, this group is the best group to handle him. We'll need to take him out of the city right away."

Erwin nodded. "There's an old, abandoned base about a half hour's ride northeast of Trost that will make a suitable holding place for Eren Yeager. I'll stay behind and work on the expedition approval process and planning; Hange can continue titan research, and Mike will coordinate the transport of all our goods from Trost to Karanese. The 104th recruitment ceremony will happen soon after the court-martial - I'll return to the base with the new recruits."

Levi let out a low sigh.

The bed shifted. He turned to see Erwin stretching out beside him. "You okay?"

"No." Levi rolled halfway onto him, resting his ear on the centre of the broad chest. He could hear his heartbeat, loud and strong.

Erwin's arm settled around his shoulders, smoothing his arm. "We're on the cusp of something great. This little world of ours is beginning to change."

"Why do you trust the kid so much?" asked Levi. "Really?"

"I know what it's like to carry the burden of a father's knowledge when no one believes you. I know what it's like to have a passion to take this world back from the titans at any cost." The hand smoothing his arm slowed to a stop. "When Berit described Eren's interactions with his classmates, she might as well have been describing me. Not all my classmates appreciated my drive."

It felt like only a small part of the story, and Levi bit his lip to restrain himself from asking more questions. If he tried to ask about Erwin's father, and the book, and how it all tied into this, Erwin would just politely shut down the conversation.

Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on his heart beat.

"We should get back to work," said Erwin softly, but his arm tightened around Levi.

.*.*.*.

The court-martial was set for the following afternoon.

Erwin sent Hange and Mike to retrieve Eren Yeager, knowing it would disorient the boy to see unfamiliar faces pick him up. Confusion and fear. They needed to rely on his confusion and fear. Hange was going to give him no warning about what he was about to face, and encourage him to be honest.

It was all cruel, Erwin knew, but this was all for the greater good. Once Eren was safely in their hands, they could begin to treat him with the respect he deserved.

Together with Levi, he settled into position in the courtroom. He hadn't been here for quite some time, probably since Dita had been sworn in as a Squad Leader. He remembered his own swearing-in here, first as Squad Leader, then as Commander. He glanced down at Levi, wondering if he remembered the latter. Things had been so different then.

As they settled into position, his thoughts honed in on Eren Yeager's fate. He studied Nile, who stood with a sheaf of papers. Beside him were Minister Nick, a representative from the merchant's guild, and several MP officers. Pixis stood solemnly with a group of Garrison soldiers; he caught Erwin's look and gave a single, knowing nod.

Erwin's gaze finally rested on Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, and Rico Brzenska. The two youths seemed hardened compared to typical Trainees, no doubt due to their experiences both in Shiganshina and in Trost. He felt a wave of pity. Young soldiers were a fact of life within the Walls, but they usually had a few years to enjoy their youth before they faced the grim reality of the titans.

"Lots of people," said Levi flatly, glancing at the public spectator section of the courthouse.

"Good." The more members of the public were present, the more uptight Nile would be about keeping the peace. "Be ready."

"Yeah." Levi folded his arms over his chest.

The doors opened, and Eren Yeager stepped through.

The courtroom fell silent.

The boy looked even smaller now than he had in the cell. He was hunched and shackled, with wide, sunken eyes.

Erwin studied Nile, who was staring at the boy, jaw tight. He's terrified of him.

The Military Police locked Eren into place, kneeling at the centre of the courtroom. The boy's gaze was lingering on his friends.

Commander-in-Chief Zackly entered the room and took a seat on a platform elevated far above the rest of them. "Well, let's begin."

He explained the purpose of the court-martial, then handed the floor to the Military Police.

Nile's arguments were exactly the ones he had laid out in their initial meeting: the boy was a threat to the peace within the walls, and he was too dangerous to let live. "Therefore, after extracting as much information as we can from him, we will turn him into a martyr for the human race."

"That isn't necessary!" bellowed Minister Nick beside him. "He is a pest that circumvented the protection of the Walls through trickery. He should be executed immediately."

This was unexpected. The Wallists rarely weighed in on anything other than the Walls themselves. Erwin's eyes narrowed as he studied the man. Had he been coerced into speaking on behalf of someone else? Or was Eren's appearance shaking even those with the deepest faith? For the first time in months, he wondered about his mother and sister.

"Minister Nick, quiet please," said Zackly, looking weary. "We will now hear the proposal from the Survey Corps."

Erwin stood tall, formally introducing himself. "We plan to induct Eren into the Survey Corps as a full-fledged member and use his power to take back Wall Maria. That is all."

Zackly looked over the rim of his glasses at him. "Hm? That's all you have to say?"

"Yes, sir. With his strength, we can recover Wall Maria. I believe our priorities are clear."

He briefly explained their plans to leave from Karanese District. In the background, he could see Nile's eyes narrow. He thinks I'm up to something.

To his surprise, it wasn't Nile who spoke out against him, but the representative from the merchant's guild. It was the same tired rhetoric Erwin had heard countless times in his career: the Survey Corps was risking too much by venturing outside the Walls, and the gates should be blocked off entirely. He wasn't going to dignify the comments with a response, but to his surprise, Levi muttered,

"You're full of talk, pig."

The room fell silent. The merchant's gaze snapped to Levi.

Erwin briefly considered intervening, then decided any aggression would add to the tension in the courtroom. This was ideal.

"Where's your guarantee the titans will wait patiently while we wall up the gates?" continued Levi, his voice both nonchalant and forceful. "When you say 'we', you're talking about my friends who protect you while you get fat. You pigs take no notice of the people who can't eat because there isn't enough land."

It was tempting to smirk. Erwin was so single-minded about his own goals that he sometimes forgot just how passionate Levi was about helping the downtrodden.

Minister Nick and the merchant began to bicker, so violently that Zackly had to pound on his desk to regain control of the courtroom.

Next, Zackly questioned Eren Yeager directly. Stress was showing in the boy's posture; he was hunched and tense, and his voice was strained. He testified that he could control his titan form, but Rico Brzenska did Erwin an enormous favour by contradicting that statement. As she explained Eren's attack against Mikasa Ackerman, the crowd began to shift, uneasy.

Levi tensed beside him, but Erwin did not signal. Not yet.

Mikasa tried to explain that Eren had actually protected her on several occasions in spite of that single attack, and that's when Nile played his hidden hand. He described Eren and Mikasa killing three grown men when they were only nine years old.

"Their actions are understandable," said Nile. "It was legitimate self-defense. Yet it raises doubts as to Eren's basic humanity."

This was exactly how Erwin had hoped he would present the information. The crowd began to panic, and shouts escalated around them. He could practically see the boy steaming with rage.

"-a powder keg that could explode at any moment-"

"-titan took the form of a boy to infiltrate our-"

And above it all, the voice that gave them exactly what they needed:

"That one, too!" The merchant pointed to Mikasa. "How do we know she's human?"

The crowd shouted in agreement. Erwin could feel Levi coiling, like a cat about to pounce, but he still refused to give him the signal. Not yet. Not until the frenzy reached its peak.

"No!" yelled Eren.

The room froze.

"I may be a monster, but Mikasa has nothing to do with it!"

Erwin watched Nile, waiting for his reaction. The man's jaw was slack, his eyes bugging. He's still stunned.

The boy was ranting now, calling them cowards. His voice escalated. It was practically a howl.

Almost there...almost there... Nile was still blinking dumbly.

"Just shut your mouths," roared the boy, "and invest everything in me!"

For a moment, no one moved.

And then, Nile's eyes began to narrow. Erwin had seen this look countless times - in training, during cards, even during drinking games. This was the face Nile made when he was about to fall back on a last resort.

Now. Erwin folded his arms over his chest.

Levi was off, a blur so fast Erwin could barely see him, just as Nile yelled for his soldiers to ready their weapons.

The first kick landed hard. A tooth flew out of the boy's mouth and skittered across the floor.

For a moment, everyone was stunned, even, it seemed, Levi. Then he grabbed the boy's hair and drove a knee into his face.

Erwin watched, face tight. This was the man he had seen during their last visit to the Underground, the weapon whose lethal force was no match for any foe: human, titan, or - it appeared - both at the same time.

For a moment, he remembered a blood-stained smile, and he shuddered, but then he blinked and the image dissipated. The Levi before him wore a calm face as he continued his work.

"This is just my opinion," said Levi, "but I've always found pain the most effective punishment." He ground Eren's face into the ground with his heel. "The lesson you need to learn right now can't be taught with words, only with action. And you're kneeling, which makes you easy to kick."

The words struck Erwin's ear wrong. These weren't words he could ever fathom Levi saying, not willingly. They must belong to someone else. He thought of the panic attacks Levi had had over the years, the nightmares. The crunches of his attacks were sickening now; Eren was wheezing, unable to sit up on his own. Erwin's hands, carefully hidden by his folded arms, tightened into fists.

"Levi, wait," said Nile, blanching. "It's dangerous. He might get mad and turn into a titan."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Levi grabbed the boy's hair and hoisted him upright. "You're the ones who want to dissect him, right?"

Nile trembled, his skin so pale that Erwin knew their point was clear. He unfolded his arms, signalling Levi to wrap up.

Levi stood tall, his voice strong. "He apparently killed twenty titans when he was in titan form, stopping only out of exhaustion. The fact that he has intelligence could make him a formidable enemy. But he's not my enemy. Is he yours? All you assholes should think carefully: could you really kill him?"

Beautifully said. Erwin raised his hand. "Commander-in-Chief, I have a proposal."

They left the courtroom with Eren in their custody.

.*.*.*.

As they gathered in an empty office behind the courtroom, Hange knelt in front of Eren, tending to his wounds. Levi, however, slumped against the back wall, curling into himself.

Erwin gripped his shoulder; the Captain flinched. "I'm sorry, Levi. Thank you."

There was no response. As badly as he felt for Levi, there was no time to tend to him, not yet. These first few moments of custody were crucial. They had to cement Eren's trust.

He stood beside Hange. "Sorry about that, Eren. But you got your point across to the Commander-in-Chief and the other Council members, and that gave us the perfect chance to play the card we had up our sleeve. Believe me, it was worth the pain." He knelt to eye level and held out a hand. "You have my respect."

Eren's eyes widened. His handshake was firm.

"I look forward to working with you," said Erwin with a gentle smile.

"Sir. Likewise."

Levi dropped to a seat on the couch next to Eren, making him jump. "Tell me, Eren: do you resent me?"

"No sir," said Eren. "I know you needed to put on a show."

"Very well," said Levi, but Erwin could tell he was still shaken.

.*.*.*.

They left Eren to one more night in his cell; it would be easier to arrange transport in the morning. Besides, Erwin wanted to wrap up a few things with Levi and Hange before they headed back to Trost.

The three officers accompanied him to the hotel room. As they walked, Hange spoke up:

"It's okay, Levi. He heals like a titan. He'll be good as new tomorrow."

Levi didn't respond.

Mike walked close to him, as if protecting his flank.

Only Erwin said nothing. He had seen Levi in crisis enough times to know that words wouldn't reach him until he decided to let them. Besides, what could he possibly say that he hadn't already? The whole thing had been his plan in the first place. Any weight on Levi's shoulders right now was Erwin's doing.

Once they reached the hotel room, Levi slid a chair to the corner and sat in it.

The Squad Leaders sat at the table instead. Erwin sat on the bed, facing all three of them.

"Now that we have Eren Yeager in custody, I want to take a minute to realign our priorities."

"We're not even going to take a breath to acknowledge how great it is that we got him?" said Hange.

"The celebration can wait a few minutes." Erwin quickly ran through their next assignments. Levi and his squad were to push to the abandoned base. Hange would join him a few days later to begin studying Eren's powers. A few days after that, Mike would head back to Trost to start arranging transport of their supplies to Karanese, and Erwin would join him shortly after the 104th recruitment ceremony. Within one month, they would have the new troops trained and ready to deploy.

"A month is quick for a full-regiment mission with new troops," said Mike.

"Our first expedition will only be a quick jaunt." That wasn't quite true, but it was all they needed to know for now. He was still working out the details in his mind. "That's everything I wanted to discuss. Shall we head out for some food and drink?"

It seemed they weren't the only ones in Mitras with the same idea - the restaurants and taverns were all packed. They finally found room at the bar of a small, dark tavern on the border of the financial district. Levi took the furthest seat from the door and angled his stool so he was half-facing it. Erwin sat next to him, Mike and Hange on his other side. Erwin ordered a round of drinks for each of them. The first wave of the inheritance had come in, so Sahlo was buying.

As soon as the whiskey hit his lips, however, he realized he wasn't in the mood to drink. His mind was still wound up from the trial, and he was concerned about Levi. He would probably end up in a weird, emotional mood if he got drunk.

Beside him, Levi drained his glass in one swallow, then coughed. Erwin slid his full glass over to him.

Levi looked up, face blank.

"Would getting drunk help?" asked Erwin.

Levi shrugged. "Maybe."

"Then get drunk. I'll keep an eye on you." He signalled to the bartender to bring another drink.

The special of the night was a mushroom stew, aged enough that the flavours were strong and blended. He hadn't eaten much before the trial, so he was the first to finish. Levi pushed his bowl away, too, barely touched.

"You should eat," said Erwin.

"I'll drink my dinner."

His stomach must be in knots. "Would you eat bread if I ordered you some?"

Levi shrugged. "Probably."

The bread came deep-fried and just a little bit sweet, and the four of them devoured it so quickly that Erwin had to order a second basket.

Now that their bellies were full, they were comfortable enough to talk. To everyone's surprise, it was Mike who dominated the conversation. He talked about the time he and his cousin had gotten drunk for the first time after breaking into a bottle of his uncle's homemade whiskey. Then he talked about the first time he and Nile had convinced Erwin to get drunk.

"We don't have to discuss this," said Erwin once he realized where the story was going.

"The most boring drunk ever," said Mike to Hange. "He spent the whole night repeating the strengths and weaknesses of Survey Corps formations. And every time, he'd bring up the same points as if he was just discovering them."

"Interesting," said Hange, eyes sparkling. "Would you say that's what kicked off your development of the Long-Range Scouting Formation?"

"I doubt it," said Erwin dryly. He waved the bartender for another drink for Levi, who was just emptying a glass.

"He was so boring," said Mike, "we dumped him on Von and went to a different bar."

"Oh, was that the night?" Erwin took a sip of water, then smiled fondly. "He was decidedly more interested in my drunken ramblings. He kissed me under a tree behind the barracks."

Mike's brows shot up. "Von?"

"First time being drunk, first kiss from a boy. Not a bad night, overall." The memory was hazy; he couldn't even remember the lad's face now. "What ever happened to Von?"

"Joined the Survey Corps with us and died during the first expedition."

"Right." Erwin's smile faded.

For a moment, they were silent, then Hange leaned forward. "I never hear any juicy stories about Mike. You must have some, Erwin."

"I do indeed. Let me tell you about the time Mike scaled the bell tower without gear to impress a girl, but couldn't get down again."

Hange cackled. "Like a cat?"

"Like a cat." Erwin felt a surge of boyish playfulness. "Like a big, dumb cat."

Mike shook his head. "Fine. You tell it."

As Erwin spoke, he reached his hand under the bar and, subtly, ran his knuckles across Levi's thigh. At first, there was no response, but then Levi leaned closer to him.

Within a couple hours, that subtle lean had become a full slump. Mike seemed to be spinning, too, one hand braced against his head.

"We should get some rest," said Erwin. He gently nudged Levi. "Can you walk?"

Levi muttered something unintelligible, then slumped against the bar.

"Mike?" asked Erwin. "Can you carry Levi?"

"Spinning," mumbled Mike.

"I see. Can you at least get back to the barracks?"

"Mm."

"I'll help Mike," said Hange. "I didn't drink very much."

Erwin settled their bill, then he and Hange each assisted their drunken counterparts to the door. Mike could walk well enough, but Levi was stumbling and barely coherent.

They stopped in front of the barracks.

"He going to be okay?" asked Hange, looking concerned.

Erwin looked down at Levi, who was swaying against him. "I'll take care of him."

They said their goodnights, and then he began to steer his stumbling Captain toward the hotel. He heard a croaking curse.

"Doing okay, Levi?"

"No," said Levi, and he dropped to all fours and began to wretch.

Erwin knelt beside him and, once he had finished, handed him a handkerchief. Levi clumsily wiped his face.

"Disgusting," he muttered.

"Feel any better?"

"A bit." A pause, then, very quietly, "Sorry."

"It's okay," said Erwin. "I told you I'd keep an eye on you. Can you walk?"

Levi shook his head.

"Let me know if you need to vomit again." Erwin gently scooped him up and stood, carrying Levi against his chest. He was heavy, but they weren't far from the hotel. Levi's head lolled against his collarbone.

When they reached the hotel, the front desk staff gave him questioning looks, but Erwin only smiled politely and said, "A bit too much to drink," and they went back to their work. The stairs seemed endless with the limp weight in his arms, and he had to do an awkward half-kneel and shift Levi's weight around to unlock the room. Once they were inside, he set Levi gently on the bed, then placed a glass of water, a clean handkerchief and a waste bin beside him.

"Fuck," muttered Levi, struggling to pull off his shirt. Erwin intervened and undressed him down to his underwear, then carefully tucked him into bed. He undressed, too, and crawled into bed beside him, setting a book on the bedside table.

He had intended to read, but Levi surprised him by slumping against his shoulder. "-bullshit-" he growled, as if it were the middle of a conversation.

"Hm?"

"All of it. We fight and fight, and we're still trapped."

Erwin wasn't sure he understood the context, exactly, but he understood frustration. "It's going to get better. We made a huge stride toward our freedom today."

"Those weren't my words," murmured Levi. "In the courtroom."

After a long pause, Erwin found Levi's hand under the covers. It was warm. He laced his fingers through it. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe. You've probably pieced it together yourself, anyway." Maybe it was Erwin's imagination, but he sounded more sober than he had a few moments ago. That wasn't unusual for Levi - the man often wavered in and out of sobriety, even at his drunkest. It was almost as if his enormous strength and constitution allowed him to metabolise alcohol differently than the rest of them.

He squeezed the small hand. "Your past is still a mystery to me, Levi. I don't probe into things that should stay hidden. If you wish to talk about it, I'll listen."

There was another pause, then Levi said quietly, "I remember more when I'm drunk. When I'm sober, my head gets in the way." He rolled so his cheek was on Erwin's chest. Erwin snaked an arm around him, pulling him in closer.

"When I was a kid," said Levi, his voice very clear now, "I lived with a woman in a small hut in the Underground. She worked for a man who lived in our group of buildings. She told me her job was to steal money from men who had too much. I was never sure what that meant - whenever she was working, I went to our neighbour's house. Military Police came by from time to time, but she always managed to talk them down from arresting her. When I was a bit older, I assumed she had been selling drugs and bribing the police." He paused. "Now I think she was a sex worker. She only had male clients, and I was never allowed to be home when she was working." His hand clawed into Erwin's chest, and he was silent for a moment, but then continued:

"She got sick a lot. Fevers and pain, and she'd get a rash on her face. One time, she was much worse than usual. Her arms and legs were swollen, and her skin was yellow. She forgot who I was. I ran to her boss to ask for help, but he called her dirty and said she was no good to him anymore. Our neighbour had moved away, and no one else would listen to me."

He was quiet and shivering. Erwin gently smoothed his arm, his throat tight.

"I came home," said Levi quietly. "She recognized me. She took off her shirt and put it on me, told me to think of it as a hug if she wasn't there to hug me. I lay down beside her, my mother. When I woke up, she was dead."

Erwin's heart broke at the thought of young Levi waking up next to his dead mother. He tightened his grip around him.

"I sat on the floor," said Levi, "against the wall and waited, because I knew I was going to join her soon. I was pretty close to it when he found me." A pause. "Have you heard of Kenny the Ripper?"

Erwin's brows rose. "I've heard the legend." A man who, several decades earlier, had killed dozens of military police.

"He's real. He's the one who found me."

"What?"

"Kenny. He knew the woman's name. Said she was my aunt, and kept insisting that - I was so young and sick that I started to believe him." Levi nuzzled closer. "He was a sick fuck, but he fed me and taught me how to fight. Sometimes he'd get me to start fights, and he'd finish them." He began to shiver. "He was always messy. There was so much blood. I'd help him clean up, and I can still feel it on my hands..."

"Your hands are clean now," said Erwin firmly, gripping one.

"Maybe." Levi paused. "The things I said in the court room today... Those were Kenny's words. Sometimes things he said to me, sometimes things he said to other people while I watched. He wanted me to be a monster like him. For a few years, I was."

"You aren't a monster, Levi."

"No?" Levi was shaking again. "A part of me liked beating up that kid today. It felt good to say those things to him. Powerful. Deep down, I'm no better than that asshole."

"It's human nature to enjoy feeling powerful," said Erwin. "I've only seen you act that violently a handful of times, Levi, and every single time, the guilt has crushed you once it's over. You aren't a monster. You're a man who will get his hands dirty when it's necessary."

"But I enjoy it when it's happening."

"It's a surge of adrenaline. Of course that feels good. Your body is giving you the power and strength to carry you through it, because you're required to do things you wouldn't be able to do otherwise." Erwin thought of blood-soaked dimples, and for the first time, didn't feel threatened by them. "You are a man who learned from a young age - far too young - that you have to do whatever it takes to survive in this world. Your body waits until the heat of the moment has passed to consider the morality of your actions. That doesn't make you a monster, Levi. It makes you pragmatic. It makes you a survivor."

After a few moments, Levi said softly, "I was still a kid when he left me. I was terrified he would come back, and terrified he wouldn't, all at the same time. But he never came back."

He's been left by everyone he's ever cared about, thought Erwin. His mother. Kenny. His early boyfriends, Matthias and Niklaus. Isabel. Farlan. His first Survey Corps team. He nuzzled the dark hair, hoping he would never be part of that list, for Levi's sake.

"You are a survivor, Levi," he whispered, awed that he could function after enduring so much loss. Humanity's Strongest, in every respect.

"I'm tired," said Levi softly.

"Then let's sleep." Erwin extinguished the lamp.

Levi clung to him, ear pressed firmly to the centre of his chest.

.*.*.*.

The next morning, Levi woke up with the sunrise feeling parched and smelly. He drank two glasses of water, then brushed his teeth. His eyes were bloodshot, and his nose was red; had he been crying in his sleep? His stomach dropped as he remembered the conversation from the night before. Tearing open so many layers of repression had been painful. He wished it had been healing, but instead, he felt raw. The fake memories and gaps had been easier to bear.

Cleanliness would help. He heated the bath, taking some time to clean himself. He already felt better without the stale smell of old alcohol clinging to his skin.

Erwin was just stirring when he returned to the bed. Levi crawled over to him and kissed his cheekbone.

"Mm." Erwin opened his eyes. His voice was groggy: "Levi? How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Not hung over?"

"No." Levi sat with his back against the wall, stretching his legs across the mattress. "When does the carriage pick me up?"

"After breakfast." Erwin snuggled closer, pressing his cheek to Levi's thigh.

"Do we have time for sex?"

"Mm," said Erwin again. "If we're quick." He moved his face to Levi's bare lap, nuzzling him. "Are you in the mood for it?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"I need to feel close." He was still feeling vulnerable. But more than that, Erwin's breath was warm.

Then there was a warm mouth around him, sucking for one teasing second, and then Erwin pulled away and sat up. "Let me brush my teeth first."

Levi was going to stop him, then decided a clean mouth would be more pleasant to kiss. "Don't worry about cleaning anything else. I want you to fuck me."

"Okay. I'd like that." Erwin paused. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. Stop asking."

Erwin studied him for a moment longer, then nodded and stepped into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, he returned and crawled on all fours across the bed to Levi. His kiss was deep and minty, but ended too soon. Levi was going to protest, until he realized Erwin was going for his lap again.

His mouth was warm and cool at the same time, and tingled from the mint. Levi tried to watch, but his head was tilting back against his will, and he couldn't fight it anymore. He clenched the blankets in tight fists.

Erwin pulled away and kissed the tip. "How do you want me?"

It took Levi a moment to find his voice. "Standing. Against the wall. Don't hold back."

"I see," said Erwin, sounding both surprised and pleased. Broad hands gripped his hips.

The wall was cold against Levi's back, Erwin warm against his front. He crossed his ankles against Erwin's lower back, arms looped around his shoulders. This position was impractical - it was hard to get a good rhythm going, difficult to touch himself, and he always felt as if he were on the verge of slipping. But he loved the complete reliance on Erwin to hold him aloft, to control their movements. He loved feeling the strain in Erwin's muscles, the possessiveness of his grip.

Their muscles rolled together, friction building between them. Erwin gasped, his face red, his neck corded with strain. His kiss shoved Levi's head back against the wall.

Then, abruptly, Erwin slowed down and pulled away. "Levi, I can't hold back."

"It's okay. Keep going." Levi shoved a hand between them and grabbed himself. It took him seconds to catch up.

Erwin gasped, thrusting hard, his fingertips curling into the back of Levi's thighs. "I'm coming."

"Come on."

"I'm coming. I'm coming..." Erwin shoved him hard into the wall, burying his moans in Levi's neck.

Levi heard himself cry out, too, and then he went under, his entire body shaking.

When he finally opened his eyes, Erwin was trembling, as if his muscles were fatigued. Levi hopped down, but his legs gave way, and he slumped against the wall.

Erwin gave him a lazy kiss. "Sorry, I should have pulled out."

"It's fine." Levi found his legs and wandered to the bedside table for a clean handkerchief.

"You're travelling. It'll be messy."

"Shut up. I feel good."

They quickly cleaned up, then Erwin collapsed back onto the bed, dropping a forearm over his eyes.

"Are you going to sleep through our last hour together?" said Levi, starting to regain his energy.

"Mm. You had something else in mind?"

"Breakfast, for a start."

"Sure. Just give me a moment." Erwin rolled onto his side, snuggling deeper into the pillow.

Cute. Levi watched him for a moment, then went to the bathroom to clean up. Once he had dressed, he patted the chest pocket of his jacket out of habit. His hand lingered over the ring.

It's different from before...and yet...

He studied Erwin's face, peaceful with sleep. Did it still make sense to carry around the ring like this? They should probably talk about it some day. It wasn't a token memory anymore - it was a symbol of a potential future. It probably wasn't okay to keep secretly carrying it around like this now that they were back together.

The blond eyelashes parted, and Levi felt shy, as if Erwin had heard his thoughts and awoken. He reached for a topic change: "Should I give the basement key back to Eren?"

"Yeah." Erwin's face was still smooth and relaxed. "It'll help build his trust in us."

Levi found the Commander's jacket on a hanger and reached for the inside pocket. The key was inside, but so was something else, something metallic and round.

It can't be.

He pulled it out and stared.

"What the hell?" He turned to face Erwin, pinching the ring between his forefinger and thumb. "Why do you have this?"

"Ah." Erwin's face was sombre. "While you were ill, I was putting away your clothes, and I accidentally discovered the ring you carry in your pocket. Over your heart. I...liked the idea."

"You should have told me."

"Things were still a bit strange between us."

Levi's jaw set. After a minute to consider, he pulled out a seat and set both rings on the table with a purposeful clink.

"Levi?"

"It's like you said: things were never fucked up between us. They were fucked up around us. We both chose to carry these knowing exactly what they symbolize."

Erwin was staring at the rings, his brow furrowed. "Are you...giving your ring back?"

"No, just listen. Ehrmich is never going to happen. Our celebration after Wall Maria might not, either. Our plans have gone to hell, but that's always the case. Investors change their minds. Sahlo dies. A kid turns into a titan, for fuck's sake." Levi leaned toward him. "There's one thing that always stays the same, no matter how fucked up things get around us. Even when we tried to deny it, we meant so much to each other that we both ended up carrying these rings in our pockets. So maybe we should hold on to the one thing that won't be fucked up, no matter what goes on around us."

Erwin's eyes shifted up to him; they were glassy. "I hoped for a nicer venue."

"Think about how much has passed between us in this hotel room. It's as good a place as any." Levi's pulse drummed in his throat. "I'm not saying we have to get married right away, but maybe the promise of it will give us hope when everything else goes to hell." He grabbed both the rings and sat beside Erwin on the bed, holding them out in his palm. "If we're going to keep carrying these around in our pockets, then take mine. I'll keep yours."

"You're proposing," said Erwin, as if he couldn't quite believe it.

"I'm trying to, yeah."

Erwin's throat bobbed. His fingers closed around the smaller ring. "I would be honoured to spend the rest of our lives side-by-side - maybe not always in body, but always in heart."

The words caught Levi off guard; his jaw wobbled. He didn't trust himself to speak, so he nodded.

Erwin smiled and leaned up, pressing a long, slow kiss to his lips. Levi felt a tear trickle down his cheek, and he wasn't sure whose it was.

When they pulled away, their foreheads rested together.

"My fiancé," whispered Erwin.

Levi grimaced. "That sounds stuffy."

"My husband-to-be."

Levi's stomach flipped, and he pressed a hand to the back of Erwin's neck to steady himself. Husband-to-be. Husband. It felt strange to try to apply such a normal word to their relationship.

"You're smiling," said Erwin softly, running a knuckle along his jaw.

"Feels right," said Levi, and this time, the tear was definitely his.