Time Slip
by
Blue Sonnet (Nana_41175)
Chapter 3
"Enter," said the smooth voice in response to the rap of Erwin's knuckles on the wooden door.
Erwin was not sure what to expect as he turned the knob to enter the room, but certainly it was not this.
Captain Levi stood with his back to him, jacket off and a white cloth bandana fixed to his head. Without the brown jacket, Erwin could see how lean the man was, strapped into his uniform. Lithe. And small. He was so small, barely coming up to Erwin's shoulders.
"Took you long enough," Captain Levi said, in that voice that wrapped around Erwin like the cool stillness of early morning mist rolling over grasslands. "How long does it usually take to find and haul up a bucket of water—"
The flow of words ceased abruptly as the man turned to find Erwin standing there, framed in the doorway. A moment passed before Erwin remembered himself enough to pull into a salute, yet words still failed him. Would he need to introduce himself to this man, knowing that Captain Levi already knew who he was?
Finally, he settled for, "you sent for me, sir."
Captain Levi gazed at him for a moment longer, eyes hooded, and Erwin could not help but stare back. He was startled to find himself taking in the fine, almost delicate features of the man's face and even more startled to find those features pleasing, despite the scowl.
The spell was broken when Captain Levi stepped aside and said, "enough with the chest thumping, Erwin Smith. Come and see for yourself what the hell is wrong with this room."
Swallowing hard, Erwin looked around the room, twice the size of the cramped offices of the squad leaders downstairs and suitably furnished for two people to lodge comfortably in.
"There… are two beds instead of one?" he finally said. He knew it sounded foolish, but he could think of nothing else that was out of the ordinary. Compared to the cramped barracks he shared with the rest of the soldiers, this room was a veritable luxury.
Captain Levi cast his eyes briefly heavenward. "It's filthy, Erwin, and I've sent for water and some cleaning supplies ages ago which never arrived. Therefore, your first task is to help me get them so we can clean this room."
Erwin could not believe it, but it took the entire afternoon to clean the room and arrange the furniture to Captain Levi's liking. The fastidiousness of the man was incredible as he swept discerning fingers not just over the edges of the furniture, but underneath them as well, and calmly declared Erwin's cleaning as insufficient. The training he'd received as a cadet had certainly not prepared him for anything like this. Furthermore, he'd been made to wear a bandana just like the captain, and a neckerchief tied over his nose and mouth to keep out the dust. Still, he had obeyed orders readily enough and Captain Levi had finally dismissed him for a much needed bath in the early evening.
Erwin arrived at the barracks with his clothes stuck to him like a second skin and sweat dripping from his brow. Mike stared at him as he bent down to pull some clothes from the chest at the foot of his bed.
"So how did it go?" Mike wanted to know.
"Fine," said Erwin, a little bemused. "It was fine. He was…"
Erwin trailed off, smiling, not sure how to describe the man who had kept him busy the entire afternoon. While the task of cleaning had initially thrown him off, it had not been an unpleasant experience. Apart from ordering him around, the captain had not spoken to him much, but there would be plenty of opportunity to rectify that.
"What did he want?"
Erwin looked up. "Oh," he said. "He wants me to go shopping with him in town tomorrow, but first, he wants me to have dinner with him tonight."
After his bath, Erwin stepped out of the barracks, hair neatly combed, buttoning the cuffs of his fresh shirt as he went. He did not know why he was so excited. By having dinner with him, Captain Levi had meant that Erwin was to fetch their dinner trays and carry them all the way up to his room. Etiquette should have dictated otherwise and Captain Levi ought to come down to dinner with the other officers, but this had been discussed in the Commander's room. Commander Hutch had not been enthusiastic with the idea of having to entertain this particular guest any more than was necessary. He had left Erwin with loose instructions to "take care" of the newcomer, which Erwin took to mean that he was to decide as he saw fit.
Perhaps tomorrow night, thought Erwin as he stood in line in the mess hall to collect their meal, efficiently piling bread, two steaming bowls of stew, a pitcher of water and utensils onto a tray and sliding an extra tray underneath. In case any of the officers would inquire, he could always give out the excuse that the captain was tired after his first day in the Corps. He would try to convince him to come out tomorrow night for a group dinner. For tonight, Erwin very much wanted to have Captain Levi all to himself. He had so many questions.
"It's Erwin, sir," he called outside Captain Levi's room, arms laden with their food. The door quickly swung open, revealing the captain still in uniform and a neatly pressed, white cravat tied around his neck, without a strand of hair out of place. Had he bathed as well? The man did not appear to have sweated through the exertions of the afternoon, yet his hands were clean as he waved Erwin towards the table, with two chairs already set in place.
As they went about distributing their food, Erwin could not help but feel the ease and homey domesticity that attended their actions. It was something in the way they moved together, as though they had done this many times before and not for the first time. Captain Levi was silent, his gaze not on Erwin as he handed him his spoon and cup, and together they sat down to their meal.
The silence, not uncomfortable, went on as they broke bread, and with the captain's continued averted gaze, Erwin was free to look around the room. It was definitely so much cleaner, as though a layer of grime and dirt had been peeled off everything to reveal shining surfaces, mellowed by lamplight. Almost without his realizing it, his gaze fell onto the extra bed, separated from the first by a single side table. There was something laid out on it and kept out of sight by a blanket. Erwin had noticed the protruding lumps while cleaning.
Captain Levi's voice brought him out of his thoughts: "You have questions."
Erwin's attention instantly snapped back to the man sitting across from him. He readily replied, "yes, sir. I do."
Except for a slightly raised eyebrow, Captain Levi's expression did not change as he regarded Erwin with lidded eyes. Erwin watched, fascinated, at the way the captain brought his cup of water to his lips, with the fingers of one hand clasping the cup at the rim instead of the handle. It seemed elaborate and casual all at once.
"Only the relevant ones will be answered."
Erwin blinked. All right.
"Commander Hutch said you asked for me," said Erwin. "How did you come to know me, sir?"
Levi merely gave a sigh and said, "next question."
Who are you? Where are you from? Why are you here? What have you brought with you that you've kept hidden underneath that blanket on the bed?Somehow, Erwin had a feeling the captain would not want to answer those questions, either.
"Nothing else to ask?" queried Captain Levi, his voice unexpectedly gentle, amused. "I must say that's very unusual. Fine, then. I've got a query of my own."
Erwin nodded. "Go ahead, sir."
"How old are you, Erwin?"
Erwin could not help feeling surprised. It must have shown on his face- a widening of the eyes- which made Captain Levi smile. It was not the question Erwin was expecting. "I am eighteen, sir."
"Eighteen," echoed Captain Levi faintly, and Erwin thought the man might do an eyeroll.
"It's…the usual age for finishing cadet school and joining the Corps," answered Erwin somewhat defensively.
Captain Levi muttered something beneath his breath, which sounded something suspiciously like peacetime to Erwin. He could make no sense of it.
"And they've left me entirely to you," Captain Levi said next.
"My orders," said Erwin, "are to see to it that you have everything you need during your stay with us. If I may ask, sir, how long would it be? The Commander did not specify."
Erwin thought his question was going to be brushed aside again, but Captain Levi said, "it depends."
Erwin watched as the captain leaned back in his seat and jerked his head once toward the beds. "You might as well take the other bed if you will be attending to me. That will save you time from having to run to the barracks and back all day long."
Fast. This was suddenly moving too fast, in a direction that Erwin was not sure of, but he saw an opening and seized it.
"It seems as though the other bed is already occupied, sir," he remarked, casually glancing over at the bed with its lumpy contents.
Much to Erwin's surprise, the half-smile on Captain Levi's lips widened. "I told you, Erwin. You merely have to ask," he said.
Erwin did not waste any more time: "If I may, sir, what is on the bed?"
Captain Levi stood up in one fluid motion and moved toward the bed, Erwin following not far behind. There was no ceremony; the captain merely pulled off the sheet to let Erwin look. Even then, Erwin did a double take. He was not sure what he was seeing in front of him. The machine and accompanying structures looked familiar, but they were in a shape and form that he'd never seen before.
He turned sharply to look at Captain Levi. "That's…"
Captain Levi nodded. "A 3D Maneuvering Gear," he said.