tumblr request: "Comforting a tired erwin. Thats all thank u"
It started as a harmless and drunken night at the bar with Hange and Levi. The exhaustion from Erwin started to keep up with you too, alongside was the frustration at how you couldn't do anything for him. Not that they could relate—of course they don't wish to spoil that man rotten with cuddles unlike you—but they are close enough with Erwin to understand your concerns. He's extremely independent, so used in carrying his burden alone; and it's not hard to understand that years of habit would require a lot of energy to unlearn.
The next thing you knew, you're back in your house and it's six in the morning. Your head was ringing painfully but that was the least of concerns.
Because no one's home, not even Erwin, and yet you're tied in a ribbon like a giant gift.
Oh, of course. They did it. Those two fuckers.
You stood up, tried to free yourself from the constraints, and not long after the door finally creaked open. It's Erwin with tousled hair, loosened tie, and the first three buttons of his undershirt revealed his collarbones. It was yet another sleepless night for him, though that didn't remove his confusion at the scene.
"Oh," he walked towards you with a few blinks, perhaps checking if he was seeing the right thing. "Is this a creative way of telling me you want to explore bondage?"
"I didn't do this!"
The horrified expression on your face was believable enough, so he just focused on the dangling paper at the knot of the ribbon. He read it out loud,
"Ta-da, you've worked hard enough, smartass! Time for your reward! Don't come at us, though. She vehemently wished for it."
He didn't even need to ask who did the unspeakable crime. Holding back a laugh, he followed up with a question, "Did you really ask for this?" His voice was quite strained, perhaps due to exhaustion as well.
"I can't remember everything last night," but you could imagine yourself begging for the most hilarious ideas to alleviate the exhaustion from your tired, tired man. "But, uh… ta-da? Congratulations for surviving this week?"
There, you could see his exhausted eyes gleam. His face—one he didn't imagine working up further—curled up into an amused yet appreciative smile. The hands he swore not to use for the rest of the weekend glazed on your cheeks then trailed on the ribbons.
"They really come up with the silliest antics when drunk," he murmured lowly as he busied himself in untying it.
"I still can't forgive them at the time I woke up with my face full of dick doodles," you mumbled in embarrassment as you leaned your forehead on his chest.
"These knots are no joke. I wonder what Hange was thinking while doing such a masterpiece." His remark almost made you laugh. Both of you know Hange too well.
"Are they still children? What if you didn't go home and I ended up crippled by this for the rest of the day?"
"There's a kid in everyone. Alcohol unleashes them."
"Those two need to be contained. They could kill me for all I know." However, upon realizing his slowly but surely easing demeanor, you added with a smile, "Did this help, though? I mean, you don't need to feel bad at how dirty they treated me. You can laugh all you want."
Indeed, you noticed the tiny quiver on the tip of his lips, holding himself back from laughing. "Well, I need to talk to them about this but—"
"Don't act too concerned. Just laugh."
"My concern is valid, to be fair." Upon finishing unwrapping his gift, he smoothly rolled the ribbon around his palm, then nuzzled his head on your neck. He gave it a chaste peck before whispering, "I prefer to be the one tying you up upon your request."
He surely noticed your quickening heartbeat with his remark. He doesn't even need to look at your face to tell your fluster. You don't need to speak for Erwin to know what your body wants to tell. Needless to say, it wasn't just his words that flushed you. It was how his voice tickled your neck, how your consciousness quivered with its baritone, and how embarrassing it was that you're the one being lured towards comfort instead of him.
You retained your composure with a deep sigh, "How's your work?"
Erwin gruffed in response. He didn't need to elaborate further, he just nuzzled deeper in your neck. Both of you focused on each other's warmth then—the heave of your chests, how he slowly swayed your body side by side, how his lips lurked around your neck, how it sent jolts all over your body. The gesture was making you mushy but not that you mind; it was something both of you very much needed.
"Do you want something to eat?" you mumbled after a long silence. You could feel him lean heavier to you, trusting you to support his body as he tried to drift away while standing in your embrace. That alone was enough to conclude how exhausted he really is. "Nevermind, let's sleep first. My head is ringing in hangover too."
"Is it okay if I just change my clothes? I don't have the energy to take a bath yet."
"Well, it's not like your work involves running all over the place."
"My mind is all over the place." Erwin grumbled. It could almost be classified as a whine.
"What can I do to help?"
Finally—the million dollar question, The one you've been aching to ask as you witness his downright exhausted demeanor. You have nothing but hope that he would rely on you more. Not that you could blame him for his tendecies; you're not any different. But both of you swore to unlearn it slowly, to depend on each other more and more.
"What can you do to help, hm…" without wiggling away from the embrace, he slowly walked you towards the bedroom. When you were finally inside and the door was locked, he pinned your body against it.
"Wow, you're still strong for someone so tired," you shot him a glare.
"Heh. Told you," then proceeded to tie your hands with the silly ribbon. Your glare tightened, he huffed a weak chuckle then engulfed you in a slow kiss, "I prefer to be the one tying you up upon sweet request," he murmured in between.
And thus you savored his warmth. Perhaps it was his body exuding more heat to compensate for the fatigue, but it felt so good and so comforting. The kiss was sloppy but chaste. His broad arms that was intended to trap you against the door ended up engulfing you in utter solace—you're so delightfully filled of it and you just wish he feels the same.
"I didn't—" you struggled to whisper in between the sweet exchange, "I didn't wish for it."
"Then do so."
"Is this your creative way of telling me you want to explore bondage?"
"Do it," he weakly grunted.
You giggled at his impatience, "After we sleep."
"Oh, of course," Erwin finally withdrew from the kiss with a bite on your lower lip. You groaned weakly at the pain but he wasn't in any way apologetic. Instead, his face was laced with pure victory. "What a wonderful reward to have."