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Out of all the branches of the military, the Survey Corps is the most touch starved.
It’s only natural – when you and your peers are due to be eaten alive any day, what’s the point of dating? It would only add more hurt to the existing pile.
Erwin knows this better than anyone. Not only does he feel the effects himself, but he has eyes.
Squad members exchange touches often to make up for lost affection. Erwin indulges his underlings where he can – delivering head rubs to the 104th graduates as praise, massaging Hanji’s shoulders when they get restless, offering encouraging pats on the back to new scouts. He throws out touch like candy.
There’s one person who has never accepted. Humanity’s strongest, it seems, does not like to get physical.
Erwin tests the waters, now and again. Extending the invitation through a hand offering support, a friendly shoulder nudge, a playful kick under the table. To no avail.
One day, though, Levi caves.
They’re at a bar, celebrating someone’s birthday.
A bit drunk, Erwin has retired to one of the only seats that haven’t been stacked up to make room for the celebration. Against a wall, just beyond the outskirts of the crowd, Erwin shuts his eyes, content with the sounds of his comrades’ chatter.
Eventually, he feels a kick to his shoe.
“Oi, are you dead?”
Erwin grins – he’d recognize that curt voice anywhere. “No, I’m buzzed.” He looks up. “And so are you. Had too many glasses of wine?”
Levi grimaced. “I hate wine.” A pause. “It was brandy.”
Erwin hums. “Been on your feet all day. You’re probably tired. Have a seat.”
After a quick survey around the room, Levi squints, a bit suspicious. “What seat?”
Erwin gives him a coy look, glancing down at his lap.
“Tch.” He turns, about to stomp away. Erwin grabs him by the sleeve.
“C’mon, Levi, unwind for a bit. You can blame it on the alcohol, if you want.” In fact, that’s exactly what he’s doing, internally. It’s difficult to be so bold when sober.
“Why would I do that?”
“Maybe because you deserve it? Because you work harder than anyone else in this room? Because you don’t need to be humanity’s strongest all the ti-“
“Enough.” Levi cuts him off, looking frustrated. Erwin chuckles fondly.
“Levi, I’m teasing you. I just...” Erwin, perhaps a little more inebriated than he’d originally presumed, chooses his next words carefully. “I enjoy your company quite a bit.”
Levi huffs, bringing a hand up to massage his temple. He looks at Erwin straight in the face, and sighs before taking a step forward. Snaking an arm around Erwin’s shoulder to balance himself, he mounts his thighs across Erwin’s. His feet dangle.
Erwin raises his eyebrows in surprise, then beams. Barely able to contain his elation, he bounces his knee once.
“Tch. Don’t make it into a big deal.”
“I’m making it into a big deal?”
“Ass.” Levi snaps, with all bark and no bite. His body language is relaxed.
It would be so easy for Erwin to bring one arm under Levi’s knees and another around his torso to flaunt the man around, bridal-style, but Erwin knows that if he did that, Levi would never come near him again. So, he places his right hand onto the small of Levi’s back and his left across his stomach. Levi, likewise, settles into his touch. After a moment, he even rests his head against Erwin’s.
“See? It’s not so bad.” Erwin says. Levi grunts out a noncommittal sound.
“Hm? What was that?” Erwin asks, punctuating the end of his sentence with a gentle pinch to Levi’s stomach.
Levi jumps the slightest bit, but responds normally. “I literally didn’t say anything.”
“Maybe not, but you didn’t answer my question. It’s not too bad, right?”
Levi stays silent.
“That just won’t do,” Erwin whispers. His fingers walk up Levi’s side. After a twitch and another beat of silence, Erwin uses both hands to attack, squeezing his sides suddenly.
“Ha-!” Levi catches himself. Erwin sees him scan the room out of the corner of his eye, as if to check that nobody’s watching. The commander knows that people are too drunk to care.
The onslaught continues. One hand finds itself at the nape of Levi’s neck – right where his undercut fades – and lightly drags its fingers down his spine, eliciting a shiver and a hint of a whine. The other spiders across Levi’s stomach, and as its movement gets more and more sporadic, Levi gets more and more antsy. Curious, Erwin pinches his ribs, and the man jerks so hard that he almost falls off of his lap. Interesting.
“Stop it.” Levi hisses between clenched teeth.
Erwin does, temporarily, to present his ultimatum. “I will once you admit that this isn’t so bad.”
Hearing no surrender, Erwin hooks two fingers around Levi’s belt loops and pulls him closer – close enough to smell the brandy. Methodically, he uses both hands to poke and prod at each rib, starting at the bottom and digging into every curve to proceed higher and higher. Levi is properly struggling now, pushing at Erwin’s hands while attempting to shield his body with his arms. His laughter is choked, as if the dam holding his reactions back is only one crack away from falling completely.
When Erwin makes it to the very top, right underneath his armpit, Levi breaks. True laughter, loud and unabashed, rings in Erwin’s ears, and it surprises him – he honestly wasn’t sure if the man was capable of making such sounds. They invigorate him, and Erwin digs in harder. Finally, Levi concedes.
“Fihi– Erwin! Fine!” Erwin stops. It takes Levi a second to catch his breath. It takes him an additional second to overcome his mortification enough to utter the words, “...It’s not bad.”
Erwin nods triumphantly. “Very good.”
Erwin knows that Levi isn’t an affectionate person, so when he starts to pull away, he isn’t surprised. Still, before the alcohol-induced haze fades completely, he’d much prefer some extra time touching the untouchable.
“Hey – I’m done, I’m done, I promise. Stay a while.”
Levi doesn’t respond immediately, surprising Erwin. But when he does, Erwin could not be more thrilled. “Two more minutes.”
They sit in a comfortable silence. Levi has a watch on, so he can easily keep track of the time. He stays for seven minutes. Then, he clears his throat, signaling departure, and dismounts, swinging his feet to the floor.
Erwin doesn’t protest. “Didn’t expect such long company,” he teases.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Levi huffs, face just the slightest bit rosy, before striding away.
Erwin’s eyes follow the man until he is out of sight. It is only then that he leans his head back and drifts to sleep. Even amid drunken celebration, the sound of his own racing heartbeat slowing to a steady pump is enough to lull him into the sweetest dream.