Erwin never really liked to shower with Levi. Well, he could if Levi would shower like a normal human being. But he doesn't. Even so, Erwin always tries to accompany him. But today is just too much.
"It's burning my skin." He says, as he steps out of the shower to wait outside, and his once white skin is pink from the steaming water. Levi always tells him the water needs to be hotter than hell for him to really feel clean. Which doesn't make sense to Erwin at all, because he himself feels much cleaner after a nice cold shower. But it isn't like he's going to argue with the man. Instead he just shuts up and leaves Levi to it.
Levi mumbles something in response to him leaving and keeps scrubbing himself. No doubt way too hard, since he's been doing it for so long he probably isn't even dirty anymore.
But Levi isn't cleaning his body. He's trying to clean deeper than that. Trying to reach his very soul. That's why the water needs to be so hot. Never mind it'll burn his skin. Never mind he's scrubbing hard his already sensitive today, after losing his entire squad, after hearing Petra's father say those things when they got back, it feels like he needs it the most. Because, yeah, people die every single day. But he hasn't felt like this in a long time. Like crying. So impotent and useless. And he's glad the hot water from the shower won't let him feel his warm tears leave his eyes.
That's why the water need to be so hot. So he won't feel a thing. The only thing his brain will process is the pain of his burning skin. He suddenly sits on the floor and doesn't even realize what he's doing anymore. The sponge falls next to him and he starts to scrub his body with his own hands instead.
Erwin notices he's taking way more time than usual and picks through the shower curtains, looking down and opening his mouth a little, because the Levi he knows, who doesn't even like to touch the bathroom floor with his bare feet, would never sit naked on the shower like this. He notices his hands, and realize Levi is scratching himself again, just like he was doing all day, wounding his flesh and getting blood underneath his fingernails.
He sighs and picks a nail clipper. Then, steps in the shower again, sitting on the floor behind his lover. Carefully, he takes one of Levi tiny hands into his own and starts trimming his nails one by one, making sure to leave them round at the corners. He's amused by how small Levi's fingers look compared to his thick ones, but doesn't comment on that. The nails are softer from being underwater for so long, and Levi's whole body feels that way against his skin too, like he's melting into him. His back is touching Erwin's chest and his flaccid cock is contacting Levi's skin too from behind. But it doesn't feel sensual in the least. A kind of intimacy that's beyond desire.
Erwin finishes trimming Levi's nails and keeps hugging him underneath the hot shower. His skin must be red by now and it'll surely feel awful tomorrow under the layers of his uniform, hurting him all day. But he doesn't say a thing, nor asks to leave. He just holds Levi and caresses his skin, soothing him the best way he can.