Chapter Text
Recruits stood awkwardly behind tables stacked with bread, preserves and hand-carved trinkets. And Jean looked pretty offended to be selling jam.
“This is so humiliating..” he muttered as another civilian walked past without making eye contact. “I think its great!” Armin said gently. “Of course it’s great to you armin.” Jean rolled his eyes
At the center of it all stood Commander erwin smith and unlike his subordinates, he looked completely at ease.
A well-dressed woman lingered near the donation table. She studied the Scouts with curiosity and Erwin approached her with a calm confidence expression “Enjoying the event?” he asked, offering a polite smile.
“It’s… surprising.” she admitted. “I didn’t expect the Scouting Regiment to be so… charming.” She winked. “Well we are busy fighting titans all day am i right?” Erwin said with a modest chuckle. The woman’s voice softened. “And you’re certain it’s worth it?” she asked quietly. “Going outside the Walls?”
Erwin held her gaze. The kind of look that made people believe in anything. “If we don’t pursue freedom” he said, voice low “then we’ve already surrendered to fear.” A faint flush rose to the woman cheeks when she hears erwin talk.
“He’s doing it again” she muttered. Hange leaned over a booth of pastries. “Ah, the strategic charm as always!”
Levi clicked his tongue. “If he starts winking at people, I’m leaving.” He was secretly jealous but told himself he didn’t care yet Levi definitely hadn’t noticed the way the same woman laughed soft, lingering at something dumb Erwin had said. “Tch.”
Across the courtyard, levi watched as the woman and Erwin got closer and closer. Levi’s grip tightened around the stack of folded papers in his hand. “Strategic charm, my ass.” Levi thought to himself and If that was the game, he could play it too.
“You look a bit lost” levi said smoothly with his usual stoic expression. The woman blinked. “Oh, yeah i guess i am” levi exhaled slowly through his nose. And thought this was ridiculous. He was ridiculous.
“You interested in supporting the Scouts?” he asked, eyes lifting to meet hers. There was something sharper in his gaze than usual, it was Intentional. “I- yes, I was thinking about it.” The woman swallowed. Her attention was fully on him now.
“Y-your captain levi right?” she asked. “Humanities strongest..” Levi held her gaze for a long second. “That me.” A faint flush rose to her face.
You’re not what I expected.” she admitted softly. Levi raised an eyebrow. “That so?”
“I thought Humanity’s Strongest would be… colder.” He gave a small, imperceptible smirk. “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”
Hange came sprinting across the courtyard at full speed, nearly collapsing with a table of bread before correcting her course and skidding to a stop in front of erwin.
“What is it?” Erwin pointed his head towards her and Hange pointed dramatically. “Levi is flirting!”
Erwin stared at the direction of hanges finger and saw exactly what he was supposed to. “What?, theres no way hes being flirted at.”
“No, no, no!” Hange said, pushing their glasses up with exaggerated seriousness. “That was flirting. I saw the eye contact. The tone shift. The smirk. Don’t think I missed the smirk erwin!”
“There was no smirk.” He said in a more defensive tone
“There was absolutely a smirk.”
Erwin sighed yet he couldn’t keep his eyes off at how close the young woman and levi was. “You know what hange?, im not even mad about it. Its a good strategy he’s using.” Erwin tried to sound convincing until he saw levi smirk in real time and he clenched his teeth
“You know your jealous~” hange teased
“Im really not.” Erwin said but paused once he saw the woman suddenly put her hands all over him and levi did nothing to prevent it.
Suddenly erwin shoved his drink toward hange without a word and with a stern expression as he was already marching his way over to levi while hange was left to watch the drama unfold.
“Good evening, im terribly sorry to interrupt but i fear i have to grab the captain here for a meeting.” Erwin said with a painted on smile while his hands went to levis shoulder
“Oh no worries.” The young woman understood and left the two to be.
“What meeting are you talking about erwin, and right now? Seriously.” Levi scoffed as if this wasn’t what he wanted from the start
“It’s private business now follow me.” Erwins tone shifted and so did the atmosphere. Levi knew exactly what was going to happen next.