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He’d been lying here for hours, listening to the haunting sounds of the night – the wind rattling a loose window pane and distant footsteps on cobblestones. Cursing, he tossed himself over in hopes that a change in position would soon send him to the land of slumber. But after ten minutes, now lying on his side, he realised this was far too hopeful - especially considering the encroaching coldness of the night. (Damn, the draft that creeped in through the window above the headboard.) The bed was far too large, and the blankets far too thin, to allow for the containment of enough heat to kept himself from shivering.
After another ten minutes, helplessly trying to cocoon himself further in the blankets - to trap any warmth he could - he heard the door creaking open. He shuddered as the cool breeze that flowed through the ajar door hit him, bringing with it a musty scent.
“Erwin?” He whispered.
It had to be him. Hanji would have been louder, and everyone else knew it was better to knock before entering.
“Erwin, I know it’s you.” He said as the he felt the addition of another’s weight on the end of his bed. He tensed, ready to attack the unannounced intruder; his hand over the knife that he had concealed between the bed and the wall. No one else (besides Erwin) would dare sit on Levi’s bed, especially while he was sleeping in it, but he still wasn’t going to take any chances. (Why the door’s lock had not yet been fixed he would never know.)
“Levi, I thought you’d be asleep by now.” A familiar husky voice crooned; Levi relaxed, but kept his hand over the knife regardless.
“I nearly was until you plonked your fat ass down on the end of my bed.”
“I apologize for intruding-“
“What do you want Smith?” He spat, cutting off Erwin in annoyance, as he moved into a seated position; his hand sliding off the knife. He grabbed desperately at a thin blanket and shivered as he struggled to wrap it tightly around his shoulders.
“I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking…” Without finishing his sentence Erwin lent forward and placed a chaste kiss to the Levi’s forehead.
“Thinking…about what?” Levi’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as the other man shifted back.
“Us.”’
Levi sighed. This was not the time for romantic bullshit; especially when they had an expedition the next morning. And besides they had already discussed this. There could be no ‘us’. Not when there was no promise of a silly happy-ever-after fairy tale ending. They couldn’t let love be the thing that broke them both; not when there was so much still left in their capable hands. War was already a cold-hearted bitch, there was no need to assist it with its infliction of suffering.
“Don’t go there.”
Erwin frowned.
“Levi.”
“No.”
Levi disappointingly studied the other man in what little moonlight shone through the window; glancing from his disheveled nightclothes to his frown and creased forehead.
“Stop frowning or you’ll end up with wrinkles, and make yourself look like the stupid oaf you truly are.”
Surprising to Levi was the fact that his insult remained unacknowledged by both the usual light-hearted remark and dissatisfied look. He did, however, feel the warmth radiate through the thin blankets from an awkward hand that gently clasped onto his leg. It was an oddly welcomed gesture in his current predicament. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that Erwin had sought him out after all. He’d probably regret his decision later, but right now he was unbearably cold and desperately seeking a few hours of sleep before dawn.
“Get in.”
“Pardon?” Erwin’s head snapped towards Levi’s form, looking at him in confusion; his eyebrows pulled tightly together.
“You heard me. Now get in, I won’t be asking you again. So hurry up before I change my mind and make you leave.”
Levi let Erwin tenderly tug the blanket off of him, and lay back down on his side without protest. But he rolled his eyes and tisked as the larger man clambered into the bed so that he was facing him. Typical, he thought, however, he wasn’t up for arguing about it in his current cold and tired state. Although there was one thing he was not going to tolerate no matter what.
“I have one rule while you are in my bed.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t go spouting off on some romantic tangent. There’ll be none of that bullshit while you’re here. I don’t care what philosophical theories you have about us. And I mean that Erwin Smith.”
“Hmm…” Erwin hummed as he cradled Levi, kissing him on the top of his head. Levi pushed off of the larger man’s chest, shoving himself back enough so that he could gaze up at him.
“The only reason you have been allowed into my bed is for practicality alone. Do you understand?”
“Ah I’m not quite sure I do, Levi? Explain.”
“I’m cold; you’re warm.” He coldly stated as he prodded Erwin in the chest.
“Is that right? Well then, I better fix that for you.”
Levi tensed as Erwin pulled him closer to him by firmly grabbing his ass.
“Is there a problem, Levi?” Erwin chuckled.
“No, no problem.” Levi huffed into the larger man’s chest. “I don’t know what stupid ideas you have let into your head, Erwin, but I am going to sleep. And I think you should too, old man.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes. I’m not saving your foolish ass tomorrow because you are too tired to avoid becoming titan shit.”
Erwin smirked.
After a while Levi became accustomed to the way he was strongly embraced, with his head buried into the larger man’s chest. He felt the most relaxed he had been all week - his breaths long and even – as he took in the scent of Erwin; a woody blend of leather and moss.
He felt another kiss being lovingly placed on the top of his head as his body was finally being drawn, the last of the distance, towards the land of slumber.
“Maybe there will never be an ‘us’, but you’re mine, Levi; forever in my heart.” Erwin whispered into the darkness of the night, fooled into thinking Levi’s docility meant he was now asleep.
Unknown to Erwin, Levi heard his sappy eulogy and softly smiled, as he relished the way the other man held him, encapsulating him in their warmth and smell. He’d let him get away with uttering such nonsense for now.