Chapter Text
You know those sunny days? The one where the sky is impeccably clear, Not a cloud in sight. The air is not too hot, not too cold, but stuck in that perfect 70 degree medium that almost everyone loves? Those days where the water is cool and clear, perfect for soothing the harsh heat of the sun on sensitive skin. The ideal summer day.
Or at least, most peoples’ ideal summer day.
If anyone were to give Levi a choice between floating in a massive metal death trap that Erwin so lovingly called a boat, or to be covered in mass amounts of paper cuts and thrown into a vat of lemon juice, he would choose the lemon juice. Honestly what was the hype about boats any way? You sit out in the middle of butt fuck nowhere, get sunburned and watch drunk assholes get pulled over by the oh-so-threatening boat police.
Yeah, on the water was definitely where he wanted to be.
Levi heaved a sigh as he looked up at the clear sky, arms pillowed behind his head as he lay still in the middle of Erwin's boat, The Maria. It was a miracle that the other had been able to drag him out of his apartment and onto this contraption.
”You need a break.” The blond had told him that morning as he shut Levi's laptop, watching as the dark haired mans fingers froze in mid sentence, blue eyes looking up at the taller of the two.
“I've watched you for the past hour type and then press the backspace as if it personally offended you. Come out with Mike and me on the boat,” he said watching as Levi rubbed at his eyes. God, he had been staring at his screen for far too long.
”No, that boat is a metal death trap, and I have to finish this fucking chapter by next Monday or I’m fucked,” Levi said as he went to open up his laptop again, only to find the other’s hand placed firmly on it, keeping him from prying it back open.
“Well, you are never going to finish it like this,” Erwin said, gesturing to the others ragged appearance. ”You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
“I haven't.”
“See? That's exactly the reason to take a break,” Erwin said, scooping up the other’s laptop, much to Levi's dismay.
”The fuck are you doing?” he asked, reaching for it, growling as Erwin effortlessly held it above his head.
”You get this back after you come out with us,” the blond stated flatly, watching as the other sent him a glare.
”Fuck off.”
“Alright, but if I do, you don’t get this back,” he said, gesturing to Levi’s laptop, causing the other to groan.
”Fine, I’ll go on the dumbass boat with you,” Levi groaned as he pinched at the bridge of his nose, ignoring Erwin’s smug smile.
”Great! We’re leaving in an hour, don’t be late.” And with that Erwin left, taking Levi's laptop with him. The fucker.
Though as Levi sat in the middle of the boat, taking in the fresh air and the sun, he decided that it wasn't the worst break he could have been forced into. At least it was quiet and there were no constant calls from his editor, which was a godsend. He could do without the water, though, and the birds. If one of them even thought about crapping anywhere near him, he was having Erwin take him back to shore.
“I hope you didn't bring my laptop out here; you break it, you bought it,” Levi called as he pushed himself up, looking over at Erwin, who was sitting in one of the chairs on the side of the boat, reading some book he had brought with him. Blue eyes flicked up from the page to meet Levi’s.
“Of course not, I stopped by my house and dropped it off there before coming to the docks,” Erwin said, his tone flat as he turned the page of his book, crossing one leg over the other. “I wanted you to take a break, not destroy your life's work,” he hummed, watching as Levi stood up, slowly making his way to the chairs himself.
“Well, I'm glad you took that into consideration after stealing it from me,” the smaller man grouched as he slowly and carefully walked to the chairs, trying his best to move with the waves that were rocking the boat, ignoring the small snicker that floated over to him from where Erwin sat. “Yeah, go ahead and laugh, you’re gonna feel like shit when a wave hits this thing wrong and I topple over the side,” Levi said as he straightened up a bit, carefully placing one foot in front of the other as he walked.
“You’re not going to topple over, Levi.” Erwin said with a roll of his eyes, going back to his book. ”We will be heading back to shore soon anyway, just sit tight for a little while longer and enjoy the-” Erwin was interrupted as the boat rocked unexpectedly, almost causing him to topple out of his chair. “Mike, is everything OK?” Erwin yelled over his shoulder as he righted himself.
“Everything is fine, I thought I saw some on in the water. I was trying my best to avoid him,” Mike called back, rubbing at his eyes slightly. ”Must have just been the heat,” he mumbled, looking back over at Erwin, who in turn gave him a concerned look.
”Why don’t we anchor here for a bit, get you out of the sun. There is no way someone is out here this deep,” Erwin said to Mike, who in turn nodded, getting up from the driver’s seat to go and release the anchor.
“Sorry, Levi, looks like we will be a little lon...ger. ...Levi?” The last part of his sentence came out in a panic as Erwin shot up, looking about the boat with wide eyes, hoping to find some sign that Levi was still on the boat. ”Levi!? Shit! Mike! Don’t touch the anchor!” Erwin yelled as he quickly approached the side of the boat, scanning the water in hopes that the other didn't get far.
”Why? What happened?” Mike called, hands on the chain that attached the anchor to the boat, a confused look plastered across his face.
”Levi is missing, I think he might have gone overboard,” Erwin said, leaning away from side of the boat to look over at Mike. "We need to circle back."
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The only thing that Levi had felt, once he had found himself falling face first into the water, was fear. Pure, unadulterated fear. There were many excuses he could give as to why he had no desire whatsoever to get in the water: it was too cold, he didn't want to get wet; you know, the usual crappy ass excuses one could pull to get out of it. But no matter how many crappy ass excuses he gave, or how many times he flat out refused, everyone knew the real reason behind it. Hell, the real reason left a very memorable mark on his left leg.
His eyes widened, panic growing as he looked about his blurry surroundings, finding nothing but foggy blue extremely unnerving. Quickly, he began kicking his legs in the direction he hoped was up, arms flailing about. His lungs burned and he felt as if he was going nowhere, as though he was moving through molasses. God, this was how he was going to die, wasn't it? Fucking drowning in the middle of the goddamned ocean. Perfect.
He watched in horror as the small bubbles of air escaped his lips, floating up to the surface he was desperate to find. He felt as though his lungs were about to burst, and he could feel his movements begin to slow down and his eyelids droop. No, no, this was not how he planned to go! He was not going to die in the fucking water where he could barely see a goddamned thing!
He let out another gasp of air, easing the pressure in his lungs a bit as his limbs slowly stopped, allowing him to float aimlessly in the water. They say as you're dying, your whole life flashes before your eyes, and to Levi, that was the biggest load of bullcrap he has ever heard. The last thing he had thought about before he fell in was his work, and now how the chapter was never going to get finished. Not about his family, or his friends, just his work.
Maybe that was his problem. Maybe he did spend too much time typing and not enough out and about, enjoying the real world, and engaging with people. Maybe if he did that, he wouldn't have been forced on that boat and left to this lonely death. God, maybe that saying wasn't as big of a pile of crap that Levi though it was.
Levi’s eyes closed completely, the last bubbles of air escaping his lips. Too late to dwell on bad life choices now. Now, he supposed, it was time to surrender, letting himself fall into the cool darkness of unconsciousness.
The last thing Levi remembered was the feeling of cold water rushing into his lungs, and a pair of arms circling around his waist.