Chapter Text
The problem arrived in a scented letter that Nanaba delivered nervously along with new personnel files and reports, and a neatly wrapped box tied with a ridiculous bow that Erwin groaned at, expecting the worst. The papers went into the neat pile Erwin was already reading through, and Nanaba placed the box on the table, putting the letter on top of it. He said, almost hesitantly, “These came together this morning.”
“I see.” Erwin was trying to muster up a civil word of thanks when Nanaba continued, “Squad Leader Mike said…if you’re interested…he’s in charge of afternoon drills, but this evening, he said, if you wanted to drink together…”
Nanaba sounded as if he didn’t think that was a good idea, whatever Mike told him about extending such an invitation to his superiors over work. Levi was sitting on the couch in Erwin’s office, drinking tea from his cup with his fingers closed over the rim. He looked over the back of his hand at Erwin, seemed to find nothing interesting with the short exchange, and went back to sipping his tea as Nanaba took his leave.
Erwin finished signing a paper, and put it in one corner with the reports he had read, reaching over the box and the letter to do so. Erwin smelled the tea faintly as Levi wandered with his cup to Erwin’s table and pulled out the latest reports, which Levi took with him back to the couch.
“Balm mint?” Erwin said with some amusement. Levi had come in earlier with a pot of tea and a tray of neatly cut sandwiches, but put pot and tray down on the low table in front of the couch. It was as close to an order as possible from Levi for Erwin to stop for a while and eat with him. Erwin’s stomach growled at the reminder of missed breakfast. “A headache this early?”
Levi did not look at him, and said, voice not as sullen as Erwin expected, “It’s your tea.” He looked at Erwin then. “You drink, too.”
“Perhaps. After I finish this.”
Levi only grunted, set his cup down and started reading quietly. Sometimes, Erwin missed the early days when Levi had to shape the words with his mouth, lips moving or, if he was thinking over a difficult word, teeth worrying at his lower lip. Now, his unique way of holding a cup aside, Levi looked trim, decorous, and behaved when Erwin brought him to court as a show horse if Erwin managed to appease him first. Levi did not like court; he liked his tea fuller and stronger, not pale with milk, though he had shown a certain liking for the sugar lumps that at times were a treat when they got out of the field.
Levi read through the first few pages with soldierly patience, then flipped through the remaining ones to the end, clicking his tongue. “This report is shit,” he said. “Too fucking honest. Told him he didn’t have to include the reason why the wagon tipped over, just that it did. You’re raising a bunch of too good kids here. The brass won’t like it.”
“Protective of your charges, aren’t you?” Erwin smiled easily, mind cataloguing names, faces. Some of the newer people assigned to the maintenance crew, a boy with a ragged haircut and a wide smile. “Was that Tuomas with the faulty wheel? We lost supplies when we had to abandon the wagon. He’s probably feeling guilty about it.”
“It’s his damn problem, sure. Shitty report’s going to make sure he can’t make up for it though. Give me a pen,” Levi said, and Erwin didn’t question him, but handed him a pen as Levi uncrossed his legs and frowned at the page he’s holding. Erwin gave him fresh paper too, and Levi nodded, then spent the better half of the next hour copying the boy’s sharp handwriting. The problem was not the brass, but the sponsors, who would likely not care if the boy had ended up swallowed by a titan, but would if they thought that the boy’s ineptitude wasted their donations. Erwin pored over another report, took care of new requisition papers. Levi brought him the modified report, and Erwin nodded once, thankful.
Levi’s solid presence in front of the table made Erwin look up, glance at the letter now in Levi’s hand. The envelope was pristine white and quite out of place, the flap pressed closed with an official seal. His mother, Erwin guessed, suddenly tired.
“Do you want me to burn this.” Levi held the letter between his thumb and his first two fingers. He made no move to open it himself, and seemed to have only been reacting on instinct: Erwin didn’t like the letter, the letter was bad. Erwin shook his head and leaned back on his chair.
“Probably my mother. Something worthy of a new scandal.”
“Marriage?” Levi asked, and Erwin looked at him, surprised. Levi shrugged one shoulder, looking at Erwin neutrally. Marriage probably seemed tamer given the sort of work they have had to handle these past weeks. The shadows under Levi’s eyes were darker and looked permanently etched in, and it occurred to Erwin that they have been working too hard.
“Nothing unnatural about your mama trying to find you a bride,” Levi said, unforgivingly blunt as he always was. There was nothing conflicted about his gaze either, which was somehow unfair. When Levi put the letter down, Erwin grasped his wrist. That drew nothing more than a confused look, but at least Erwin felt Levi’s muscles shifting subtly, Levi fighting against a sudden shaky tension, and Erwin almost sighed in a relief that he did not spend too long trying to analyze. He let go, and Levi stayed there, questioning, not questioning.
“I am not the heir, you understand,” Erwin ventured to explain, “So there should be no pressing need for me to marry. However, the office of commander can seem, ah…unique to my family, a lively topic for parties. They have no use for it yet, but I’m afraid that my mother must already be cultivating the idea.” Erwin gestured at the box, and he saw Levi’s lips twitch, just slightly, up.
“Sweetmeats?”
“Why don’t we see?”
Needing no more invitation than that, Levi opened the box, pulling at the large ribbon and tearing the wrapping paper. Predictably, it was not food. Levi did not look visibly disappointed or annoyed, but the absence of a reaction was telling enough. He lifted out a pair of fine gloves (“You wear gloves, Erwin?”) and under that, several portraits on thick paper. Erwin almost blanched as Levi quickly lost interest in the gloves. He sat on Erwin’s desk and idly crossed his legs, shuffling through the portraits. Faces blurred past Erwin’s eyes, sometimes accurate but more often than not flattering. Levi stopped at one portrait. Erwin identified her quietly, frowning: “The duchess’ youngest daughter.”
“Good to start young, huh?” The deadpan joke almost made Erwin bristle; not at Levi, but the situation was similar to a young virgin being sacrificed to a dragon, and he started to tell Levi this, but then Levi looked at him, and did not remind him of the year they first met. Age had not meant much then, and Erwin had involved Levi in deaths that were probably less clean than anything humans could deliver to each other inside the wall. He’d seen the almost precise and neat work of Levi’s gang in Lower Sina, where being too slow to clean up or leave a body might mean having to bribe or being arrested by the Military Police. Death outside the wall involved flying limbs and bloated bodies in the summer, the sun showing every detail where the shadows in Lower Sina might have hidden messy murders. Erwin snapped his mouth shut.
“But I wonder what my mother promised for this…union to even be considered?” Erwin frowned down at the youthful aquiline face of the duchess’ daughter. He tried to imagine Levi posing for a portrait, like an infinitely bored cat, the artist making small mistakes under Levi’s glare. Perhaps it would be a little boy’s portrait, with a toy sword, a book, or sitting on the carpet and embracing a beloved family pet. Erwin might have liked to see Levi with the large black hound his family had kept before; they might have known to treat each other right. “My family is not that high up or well-connected. If I do marry the duchess’ daughter, that would secure funds for the Survey Corps, but the duchess has never expressed an interest in our goal, and neither does she need to impress anyone.”
“People change the way they think,” Levi answered after a while, “especially after they see results, right?” He patted Erwin’s bowed head with the edge of the portrait briefly. “You said that before, Erwin.”
It still surprised him, how well Levi remembered conversations. But then, given the attrition rate at the Survey Corps, Levi probably filed away everything people told him, every last word that could be final. It was probably not affection. Most of it was fear, but Erwin did not tell Levi not to be afraid.
“Regardless,” Erwin said, “this is highly irregular. I think I can understand Lady Charlus more.” That particular lady was well into her years, married once and in keeping of both her own and her deceased husband’s holdings. Levi frowned, probably not recognizing the name, and Erwin flipped briefly through the stack of portraits in Levi’s hands, lifting out Lady Charlus’ portrait and placing it on top of the pile. The portrait showed her massive figure, which was given a certain stateliness by the artist, in her arms a rather small dog wearing a thick choker of desperately huge jewels. It was a show of wealth that the oldest of Sina’s noble families found in bad taste. “There are people who might like the connection with the Survey Corps so their neighbors would have a better opinion of them.”
“So you’d rather marry this woman than that other girl?”
Erwin shook his head, feeling a dull ache at the base of his neck from bending over the papers too long. He idly contemplated asking Levi for a massage, but Levi looked at ease on the table, legs crossed and dangling off the edge, his pose relaxed though the slight cock of his head hinted at curiosity. “Her motivations are more transparent, that’s all.”
“So if you can tell what that duchess is thinking, you’d marry her daughter?”
“Well, it’s…very complicated.” Since his mother had given a list, Erwin could hope that nothing had been finalized yet. But when he’d looked through the portraits for the one of Lady Charlus, he’d seen that the duchess’ daughter was actually the last one. The placement was suspicious. Perhaps his mother had been counting on Erwin finding the selection appalling so he had to admit that the duchess’ daughter was the best choice when he came to the end? But that would mean that the duchess’ daughter was his mother’s real choice, and there might already be talks underway, gifts exchanged, plans made for them to meet, perhaps a lavish party that had been announced is for the girl’s engagement. He knew his mother to be very efficient, which made the situation troubling. Risky to accept anything, risky to outright refuse.
It wasn’t like he could rely on Levi for this though. Levi understood politics as someone who had lived in Sina’s underground, which surely had more than occasional dealings of a not quite legal nature with those above, but Levi disliked it. He called people whose judgment he questioned ‘pigs’ or worse, and he could rarely be subtle about anything. If forced to attend a party, Levi kept to the fringes as if he was more competent at smelling out lies than Mike.
Ah, if it was Mike, he might have some advice.
Erwin looked up to see Levi glancing away as he placed the portraits back in the box and pushed the box to one side, as if he understood the matter was closed for now. Erwin lifted his pen again, but spared Levi one last look, taking in how his shoulders were squared as if Levi was ready to stand to attention, Levi’s eyes flatly gray with hardly any color or heat in them. “Levi, will you tell Mike I’m taking him up on his offer? I think we might need to make a plan.”
--
Mike was not sympathetic when Erwin shared his misgivings. In fact, if Erwin had to guess, Mike was amused. “Thought it would only be a matter of time before you’re made to contemplate marriage,” Mike said. “Your family probably doesn’t want to think of you growing old all alone. It can affect the political sphere, but I think you should be seeing this as a family matter first.”
“It must be politics if my mother’s involved.” Mike had met Erwin’s mother, so he should know. Mike shrugged in a slow roll of shoulders, nose twitching. He brought the mug up and frowned. Erwin almost said something, his mouth trembling in a smile beyond his control when Mike rubbed at a tell-tale smudge that hinted at improper washing, but Mike looked sorrowfully at him.
“Kid grows on you,” Mike said, more of a challenge than an excuse. Erwin had to admit that Levi had spoiled them. Nobody before really expected cleanliness in the barracks, and the food the kitchen had produced before had been rather bad. Levi had assigned tasks and been quick to somehow find the best cooks of the Survey Corps, even getting help from some wives who were sympathetic to the Corps and were willing to take in batches of laundry and cook at times for a small wage. Most of the cleaning was taken care of by the soldiers though, led by Levi, who looked very unimpressed with how Erwin and his men had been getting by before him.
Mike raised his head and sniffed exaggeratedly, frowned at Erwin’s supposed scentlessness. Mike had always claimed he understood people through their smell, but Erwin didn’t understand how that worked. Levi had said it wasn’t anything special; in Lower Sina, you knew who was a mark as soon as they stepped in because of their smell, knew if they were afraid because their sweat smelled different. Levi had tried to explain to Erwin what killing intent felt like, too, apparently to get Erwin to be able to identify it, but Levi had not been too successful. Levi had been a little exasperated, and asked him why he couldn’t get it when Erwin sometimes radiated it himself.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” Erwin had answered honestly. “And if it’s killing intent, I think I’ve seen you frighten some recruits away with that. And quite enough of it the first times we met.”
“I’m not talking about something obvious as that. I’m talking someone hired by court shits, going up to you all friendly and giving you a new smile under your chin.”
“Oh, but you’re giving your presence too little credit! And with you, I am always safe enough to be at ease.”
Erwin had not exactly meant it to be flattering, but perhaps he had become too used to giving people little words of praise like that, this time meant but with some part of him calculating if it worked, just in case that tactic could be employed later. Levi had tensed, not melted at his words. He looked at Erwin with a sort of resigned disgust as if he knew what Erwin had been up to. “You’re a big walking dummy of a target. Titans probably thought you were one of them, that’s why you lasted so long outside.”
Now Mike set his drink down and drummed his fingers on the table, probably contemplating ordering them new drinks. He lifted his brows. “Well, if you want your mother to stop, why don’t you get Levi to visit your home with you?”
“With Levi?”
“Well, you’re going there, am I right?” At Erwin’s grudging nod, because his mother’s plans could not be stopped by only sending polite letters, Mike gave an easy nod of his own. “So bring him along.” Mike spoke as if that had been the obvious solution, and that Erwin was being especially obtuse not to have immediately considered it. But Erwin thought of what would be Levi’s reaction if he was brought along to a formal dinner, not even on Survey Corps business but personal ones that Erwin had already bothered him with.
“I’m not sure Levi will be interested…” Erwin began. Mike’s lips twisted under his thin moustache in a smile that was partly a grimace. He apparently chose to ignore that the mug was a little dirty, and took a long gulp of the beer. Erwin followed suit. The beer was decent at least, rich and not likely watered down.
“You already know he’ll follow you,” Mike said. “And you’ve taken him to formal events before. Trust me, your mother already knows about him. Save yourself the trouble and go along with what she wants.”
--
It was a little disturbing to think that his mother already knew about Levi. Everybody had heard of Levi, of course, because he was as much of a symbol of the Survey Corps as Erwin himself, even if Erwin had served longer. Levi’s name in Lower Sina wouldn’t disappear even if Erwin paid more than a few hands or Levi had started to be praised for killing titans, but the rumors about Levi’s past had its uses now and then, since many in Sina loved the novelty.
That posed its own problems, however. Erwin had gotten less discreet offers for Levi’s time that Erwin had quietly taken care of while he made sure that Levi was busy elsewhere. The first time, he hadn’t quite known what to do, and been too rash perhaps. Too rash, certainly. It was something he suspected his mother knew, because Erwin had needed to use former servants from his childhood instead of any of his men from the Survey Corps. In retrospect, there were other, neater ways he might have dealt with it, and none of them involved trusting his mother with the secret. It was an error in judgment that Erwin did not forget.
But Mike was right. He needed to see his mother with Levi at least once, if only to satisfy her curiosity. His mother sometimes did unnecessary and troublesome things when she was intrigued by something.
Levi had only nodded when Erwin had told him about the planned visit. But when the day arrived, Levi was less docile. He met Erwin in his uniform but without the complete gear set, and refused to wear the coat Erwin had had made for him, saying he didn’t need a new coat for one visit.
“What’s with you, Erwin?” Levi did not frown, but his eye twitched once, small face upturned to look at Erwin closely. “If you need to take a shit, I’ll wait for you in the carriage.”
“No, but…” Erwin allowed himself to smile fondly. “We’re not going to court today. You don’t have to wear a soldier’s uniform for an audience. So perhaps, something more casual...”
“How did you introduce me to your mama? As your captain, right?” Levi adjusted his cravat, glancing at Erwin’s boots to see if they have been polished to his approval. With Levi’s head down, Erwin could see that his hair was glossy from a new wash. “She’s expecting a subordinate more than a friend. And if you wanted a friend, there’s Mike for that.”
At the promise of a visit, Erwin’s mother had sent over a closed carriage, complete with a driver and high-headed horses. It now waited for them in front of the gates. Erwin motioned for the driver to remain on his seat, and Levi entered the carriage with no complaint when Erwin opened the door for him. Levi sat nearer to one window instead of in the middle of the seat, and crossed his legs primly as Erwin climbed the carriage after him and sat on the opposite seat. One of the men closed the door for them and offered a salute as the driver cracked the whip and the vehicle started to move. Erwin glanced at the clear windows of his office as the carriage left. Levi did not seem especially worried, but since both of them would be gone, Erwin had left Mike in charge in case Hanji took their absence to mean freedom to conduct any experiment she wanted. Levi looked out at the road as the carriage moved, the sounds of life from outside muffled by wheels and hoof beats.
Erwin made small talk. Levi sometimes murmured something or nodded to indicate he was listening. They traveled at a fairly even pace and made good time, even with the short stop they made for lunch and to change the horses. At one point, Levi dozed off, slouched slightly with his head turned to the upholstered seat, shoulder leaning against the side of the carriage and arms crossed over his chest. He looked grumpy in sleep, a line appearing between his thin brows. Erwin was glad that the carriage was proceeding smoothly. He stiffened slightly at the bump on the road, but Levi only listed to one side more, mouth falling open. Erwin could see the edges of white teeth, the point of an uncommonly sharp incisor. The other incisor was weathered flat.
Erwin had seen Levi bite only once during a fight, and that had been against himself. As fastidious as he was, Levi fought dirty, particularly if faced with bigger men than him. His fighting style on the ground against humans hardly had any grace, but had the same ruthless efficiency as when he killed titans. He fought knowing what could bring his enemy down as quickly as possible, and with people it meant a quick strike to the lower jaw or behind the ear, the throat, or kicking or twisting parts that men would have wanted touched in different circumstances. Places that Levi could reach while grounded. Fighting with the maneuver gear seemed more natural to him, as if flight was natural, but Levi was quick even on the ground, his kicks more powerful than one would believe possible from his small form. Mike had complained once about sparring with Levi, saying that he would have gotten away with less pain and bruising if he’d been kicked by a horse instead.
The carriage jolted, and this time Levi cursed, opened his eyes and looked briefly out. The sun was setting when they reached the border, and Erwin stepped out to talk with the border guard. There was a wooden barracks and a stone building, guards milling lazily about. Sina opened its gates without much issue, though one of the guards gave Erwin a slightly cool stare to go with his salute, as if to let Erwin know that the easy welcome was not for them but the carriage.
The roads inside Sina were marginally better. The stately houses were closer together in an orderly grid as you went to the center. Little agriculture was attempted within Sina, and most owned business and tracks of land in Rose that they otherwise would not have been able to afford in Sina. Still, they passed a hopeful vineyard and garden before they reached Erwin’s parents’ residence. The carriage drive was edged with pale greenery, and beyond, the house was as it always was. “It’s uselessly big,” Levi commented, looking at the white trim of the housefront and the rows of real glass. Erwin nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak yet with the troubling feeling of his shoulders relaxing on their own. This wasn’t home anymore.
Servants Erwin didn’t recognize met them and were quick to conduct them to their rooms and a bath. Erwin was given his old room, which they reached first. For a brief moment, Erwin was worried about being separated from Levi. But Levi didn’t seem to mind, and only waited for Erwin’s nod before he allowed himself to be guided to another room. It was at the other end of the hallway, a guest room that Erwin remembered had dark green wallpaper and a bed with shaped panels, the wood coaxed into a design of flowers and birds, which Levi would surely find stupid. At least it was reasonably close to his.
Erwin closed the door gently without locking it. Though the place had definitely been cleaned, nothing seemed to have been removed from his room; Erwin’s mother wasn’t a woman who saw sentimental value in things or people, but perhaps, with how big the house was, she hadn’t needed his room for anything. Or she was still considering the possibility of Erwin returning.
Erwin sat down on his bed, looking at his old things. The gun, probably unusable, on a polished stand on top of a low set of drawers. He didn’t remember whose gift it was. His desk of heavy dark wood. The old books lining his shelf looked like they had been meticulously dusted. Ah, there was that volume he hadn’t finished reading. He’d promised to lend it to Hanji, but he’d forgotten. He was poring over it probably half an hour later when the door to his room opened. Levi stopped with one foot in to give the door a short belated knock. He was wet and dripping from bathwater, and wearing only pants on. Erwin closed the book.
“Levi! What’s wrong?”
Levi turned to close the door, the tense line of his back making Erwin think of a distressed cat. Levi crossed the room and sat down on Erwin’s bed, on the dimple in the sheets where Erwin sat earlier. Only then did Levi seem to relax a little. “One of those guys tried to fucking shave me.” Levi mopped at his forehead, probably annoyed at the water from his hair dripping into his eyes. “Fucking took a razor out and showed it to me.”
Erwin nodded. “I take it that didn’t end well.”
“Didn’t kill the bastard, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Levi wasn’t shivering, but he’d apparently walked or ran down the hallway to Erwin’s room. Erwin did not expect there to be any complaint from the household staff, but his mother would still hear about it. Erwin couldn’t blame Levi for his reaction though. He was already feeling a little guilty that he’d neglected to tell Levi what to expect.
“Ah, guests are offered assistance like that.” Erwin took off his jacket and dropped it over Levi’s shoulders. The jacket swallowed him easily. “They’re not really trying to cut your throat.”
“I…didn’t really think they were.” Levi’s reaction must have been immediate when he’d seen that razor flash. Most likely he’d moved to disarm the poor servant before he could reason out what the man had wanted, and then ran away to tell Erwin of his mistake. Erwin lifted Levi’s chin, looking for nicks, but the skin was smooth. The servant must not have gotten that close then.
“I never see you shave,” Erwin said, letting go of Levi’s jaw. Levi gave a shrug, one hand holding the edge of the jacket, though it didn’t seem to be in danger of slipping. Levi looked like an outsider, with his narrow eyes and black hair. He had no story to offer about his past before Lower Sina though. In all likelihood, looking for Levi’s family will only bring Erwin to a dead end.
“Erwin.” Levi narrowed his eyes further at him. “You better not be trying to say I look like a kid…”
“I will never insinuate such a thing,” Erwin agreed easily, straightening up. “But you’ll be interested to know that this room has a bath, so you can finish your bath in peace.”
Levi stood obediently enough, but stopped at the door to the bathroom with something like uncertainty. He was probably thinking about the servant he hurt, but what he said was “My clothes…”
“I’ll have them brought around,” Erwin assured him. Levi nodded and slipped into the bath, not closing the door but leaving Erwin’s jacket hanging from the knob. Erwin left to go to the room they had prepared for Levi. He found the servant Levi must have hit, mopping at his face with a handkerchief. The man’s shirtfront was also wet, but from water, and he had no obvious bruises aside from a red imprint of fingers around his neck.
He seemed alarmed to see Erwin there, as if he thought he’d be blamed for surprising Levi. Erwin smiled to show it was all right, got him to bring towels to his room instead, and brought along Levi’s bag with his spare uniform. He slipped the man a silver coin for his trouble, and was wondering whether he should put Levi’s bag down on his desk when Levi nudged the door completely open, crossed to Erwin’s bed and dried himself with one of the towels in quick swipes over wet flesh to keep from dripping all over the floor. Given the earlier treatment he received, it was understandable that the servant had not ventured into the bathroom with the towels. The water had been heated though, so Levi looked mostly pleased from his bath, neck and ears a little red. Erwin handed him his bag, and Levi shook out his clothes, dressing himself quickly.
“I’m assuming there’s dinner after this,” Levi said when he’d buttoned up his shirt, leaving the top button open. He was barefoot, and Erwin remembered he had not brought Levi’s boots with him. But the servant had already anticipated it, as Erwin found them at the foot of his bed. Levi did not immediately put his boots on. Instead, he sat on the corner of Erwin’s bed, pulling his feet up and waiting there until Erwin was done with his own bath. Wordlessly, Levi pulled one of the towels to help Erwin dry his hair, and Erwin sat down on his bed so Levi didn’t need to reach far. Levi’s movements were not especially rough, but he was getting tense again, probably thinking about earlier.
“The man wasn’t seriously hurt. But I’ve apologized to him on your behalf, if that makes you feel better.”
“Shit, I should say sorry myself,” Levi said, giving Erwin’s hair one last shake. “And it’s your house.”
“Instinct,” Erwin said, dismissing it. He couldn’t consider it Levi losing his control when the man he’d attacked was alive after all. And it was better if Levi was on guard anywhere. Still, it was true Levi had slipped; if he was completely alert, his thoughts would have been as lightning-quick as his actions, and he could have stopped his hand before he’d done the man any damage.
Levi looked as if he was about to say something more, but someone knocked on the door to inform them about dinner. Levi got off the bed and put on his socks and boots.
--
Erwin’s mother sat at the head of the table when they entered the dining room. Erwin’s father, as usual, was not present. The places set for them were on opposite sides of the table, and near enough to his mother’s own seat. Erwin had brought Levi to parties before, but never to a dinner in a private home. Usually, Erwin pulled Levi around with him when they needed to meet people, mostly financial backers, and when Erwin had to dance with one of the women, he asked Levi to sample things from the tables. If left long enough, Levi would stand in a corner watching everybody with alert nonchalance. If he’d had his way, he would probably have gone back to the barracks to terrorize the recruits into cleaning.
Levi did not try to impress people, and had never bothered to learn proper table etiquette. Now Erwin found himself wondering if this was somehow going to be used by his mother against him. But she had decided on a more casual dinner, if a little lavish for the Survey Corps, given the amount and quality of the meat, and the soup certainly had spices. Levi chewed silently and ate with the efficiency of someone not used to having a long time to spend on a meal, but he ate neatly, switching to a smaller spoon when the servants brought in some sweet gelatinous dessert. The table was quiet; not surprising, as only the three of them were eating, though Erwin’s mother seemed more content looking at Levi over her glass, her eyes widening slightly when Levi paused to drink, picking up his own glass by the mouth. Erwin hoped it would pass as a slightly amusing novelty.
“You’ll get it dirty, holding it like that,” Erwin’s mother said. Not counting her murmured greeting, they were the first words she said to Levi directly. She did not sound appalled or annoyed. Amused perhaps. Interested. Erwin fought back a frown.
Levi stilled when he first met her eyes. He gave Erwin a short glance that was probably comparison, Levi finding the superficial resemblance, even if his mother’s eyes weren’t blue. Then Levi looked at Erwin’s mother again.
“I drink from the rim I’m not covering with my hand,” Levi said. “I don’t turn the glass around, so I remember where it is even if I put it down.” He probably thought he had to defend his mannerism, given how clean he was, and putting one’s hands directly on the mouth of a glass or cup was not exactly considered clean. His tone was conversational, even when he said, “Not that I’m supposed to put it down after. Bastards who slip poison in your cup, they’re often really quick. Harder to keep watch when you mingle with a crowd, or when you’re gambling on a low table, when everyone’s always moving and you watch the cards more. So you guard your cup like this.”
He spoke softly, easily. It had surprised Erwin when he was still getting to know Levi, how much he could actually speak, because Erwin had assumed that Levi kept quiet all the time. But he usually didn’t offer information like that either. Erwin remembered those times Levi was expected to speak with someone but had sullenly left the conversation to Erwin, only cutting in at times with an insult if Levi did not like the person.
“Oh my.” Erwin’s mother put her hand to her lips, her smile crinkling her eyes. She didn't even look surprised. If anything, it was as if she found a conversation partner who spoke the same language. “Useful in court, too. However, not something you can pull off without looking suspicious. Unless you are the captain of the Survey Corps. You have a, shall we say, a reputation for eccentricity.” She shifted a little in her seat. Erwin heard the smooth shift of the heavy fabric of her dress. Light reflected on the locket at her neck; Erwin had never seen what picture it held. “But supposing they poisoned the whole pitcher?”
Levi shook his head. “They could easily get it wrong, put too much or too little in. Then people notice something’s wrong, or someone else dies while the guy they’re really after just retches a bit.”
“Or they can drink their own poison without meaning to,” Erwin’s mother mused. Her glance at Erwin was not an accusation, but a reminder. If there was any question about it before, now Erwin could tell she definitely knew.
Levi gave Erwin’s mother a little nod, seemingly unaware of their little exchange, or tactfully ignoring it. “If you have more enemies than Erwin, maybe you should check that your cup is empty when they first give it to you. Safer if you don’t drink something that was prepared by someone else.”
“Are people after Erwin’s life then?” his mother asked, more gleeful than concerned, and Erwin said “No” at the same time that Levi said “Not usually.” Erwin did not feel that was right though; he had certainly not noticed anyone actively trying for his life. Well. Not since Levi.
“Did it long enough it became a habit,” Levi now said, thankfully going back to the talk about the way he held cups. He was looking down at the back of his hand with a thoughtful little frown. “Not that I don’t trust Erwin. But.” Levi put down the glass and righted his way of holding it. “Will this satisfy you?”
Erwin’s mother gave a low chuckle. “Clever,” she said. “Honesty and flattery.” Rather than the gesture, she probably meant that she was flattered Levi thought she had more enemies. Enemies prove your importance, she had told Erwin once. “You have a better way with people than my son.” She pressed her lips together, smiling. Levi did not smile, but his look spoke almost of recognition. “But it takes something away from it, doesn’t it? Please hold your glass how you see fit.”
What Erwin had been sure of: his mother would like Levi. And that was the problem.
--