[ It's clear Levi has been done with this conversation since before it began. He won't push much more. ]
I agree. I will be staying in my own quarters for the next few days. But let's not be out of touch for long.
[ He'd rather keep Levi close. The last thing he wants is a divide between them, which had been the entire point of choosing not to sleep with him in the first place. ]
[He never had, really. It had been more the immediacy of the need to get out as soon as possible rather than being uncomfortable with Erwin's company because of Erwin himself. Frankly Levi can't really imagine avoiding him purposefully for several days, or however long it would take for the effects to wear off.]
[ At around seven o'clock in the evening Levi will receive a video of a plate of food: a slab of meat, cooked but still dripping juice, mashed potatoes--some bits of skin clearly still in the mix--and what is probably a mix of steamed peas and carrot slices. A moment later, there's Erwin's voice in the background. ]
My attempt at making dinner seems to be at least a moderate success. Will you be back soon?
[Receiving images directly into his head is still rather disorienting. It's not a form of communication he particularly enjoys or uses often, but when Erwin shows him a truly mouthwatering display of food that some other modern person might easily categorize as 'food porn', it's difficult to argue that it doesn't have its uses.
Still, he replies with audio.]
...Yeah, coming home right now. Be there in two minutes.
[Luckily he really only had been a couple of minutes away, so when he walks in the door he's practically assaulted by the enticing smell. He knew Erwin had a basic grasp of cooking - most in the Survey Corps do - but somehow it had escaped him that Erwin could do anything quite like this.
Levi just kind of stands in the door for a moment, staring at the plates of food and enjoying the scent before he finally looks over at Erwin.]
[ It isn't anything too impressive. He hadn't done much with seasoning beyond basic salt, and the actual cooking was done in the most rudimentary way possible. He can make food decently enough at home--a trait common to most soldiers, as Levi had noted--but the appliances here still throw him for a bit of a loop. Still, Levi's reaction makes him smile, and he closes the short distance between them to hand him a plate. ]
If it tastes as good as it smells I'm making you cook more often.
[Not that he has ever minded cooking for Erwin. In a way he actually enjoys it, as much as he enjoys anything. Levi takes off his shoes and goes to wash his hands thoroughly before accepting the plate. It does look impressive, because anything with that much meat is still rather impressive to him. It just also somehow feels good, that despite all of the strange changes Ariel throws at them, they can at least still eat food that isn't so foreign.]
[ It really is amazing to get so much meat--of a good quality, at that--and not have to spend a week's salary in the process. With so little land left to graze livestock, beef is more expensive and hard to come by than ever lately. But here they seem to have it in abundance, which hasn't failed to strike Erwin as strange, given that absence of land here as well. It's yet another of Ariel's unsettling mysteries. For now, at least, he'll eat what's available. They will find the truth in time. ]
This meal will decide my fate, then.
[ When Levi has cleaned up for dinner and accepted his food, Erwin retrieves his own plate, bringing it to the table to have a seat there. The entire apartment smells like what he's been cooking, and he's hungry. Even so, he waits for Levi to sit and take the first bite before starting on his own. ]
[Levi is likewise still not accustomed to the idea of quality food so readily available. A couple of times he as tried meals at different cafes or restaurants and had to stop halfway through because the food had been so much richer than what he's ever encountered. Luckily there's a concept of taking food with you in Ariel, so none of it had gone to waste.
He takes a bite of each different course, chewing slowly, just savoring the taste - of the meat especially. Game is all well and good, but beef is a whole other beast (literally).
Finally, he swallows and nods.]
You've officially been sentenced to managing a meal at least two or three nights a week.
[ He agrees easily, cutting into his beef to try it for himself. Levi is right. It's good. There is a marked improvement in this meal from the last one Erwin cooked at home--likely nearly a year ago now, for Mike's birthday--but that is likely due to better quality meat and produce than any actual increase in skill on Erwin's part. ]
[Regardless, Levi isn't a picky enough eater to complain. It tastes good, it fills his stomach, and that's about as much as he can ever ask for. It's also nice that he won't have to worry about Erwin starving or anything. Not that he ever did, but considering the Commander usually has his meals made for him, it has likely been a while since Erwin's even attempted to prepare food. He's impressed.]
Yeah.
[a few moments of silence ensue as he enjoys his meal.]
I visited a shop yesterday which sold books, food, and liquor. An interesting combination, I think. The shop itself was remarkably tasteful.
[ He allows a little more silence as he eats as well, finding the atmosphere between them comfortable for what seems like the first time in days. It's a relief. ]
Nothing more interesting than that, unfortunately. Yourself?
That's surprising. Sounds like you'd hardly have to go anywhere for anything else.
[He sips his water, mulling a few things over. He has started some interesting prospects, but he doesn't want to bother Erwin with it too much until he knows more. Besides which, things seem to have finally reached their equilibrium again, and he'd rather not invite that uncomfortable schism again should the question of how he's getting some of his intel come up.]
[ Erwin smiles around his fork at that, chewing carefully before setting it down. Are you implying that he should just spend his time eating, drinking, and reading, Levi? Admittedly, it doesn't sound like a bad life.
It's undeniably frustrating, however, to have essentially come to a dead end where gathering new pertinent information is concerned. ]
Most of my leads seem to have reached a point where following them further is impossible.
[That feels to be the end of that particular conversation, so he lets it end there and continues with the meal. Once they've both finished, he gathers the plates to clean them. Erwin had made the meal, so he doesn't mind cleaning.
Some time later, after the kitchen has been made virtually spotless once more, Levi disappears into his room and returns with a book. There's a page marked in it with a bit of paper. He sets it on a table before moving to put on water for tea.]
[ Erwin thanks him as Levi takes his plate away to wash it, remaining seated as his captain bustles about the kitchen. He doesn't doubt that Levi can feel the weight of his gaze on his back, but he simply continues cleaning, likely more than used to being watched by Erwin after years of the same treatment.
He disappears briefly, wordlessly, but before Erwin can get up to move to the other room, he returns with a book in hand. His interest is piqued even before Levi speaks. ]
[Erwin watching him carry out various tasks is nothing new. He used to watch him train, seemingly for hours, after he first arrived. It'd given him the creeps at first, but now he's more than accustomed to the long gazes. Sometimes he doesn't even think Erwin is truly looking at him, but rather some far off future, or something else entirely.]
Something someone told me a few days ago. Thought you might like it.
[Especially after learning - rather awkwardly - that Erwin had a fondness for poetry, he'd been determined to track down the poem that Edward had told them that first day they met...and subsequently managed to get Levi into his bed.
The kettle whistles, and he prepares two cups of tea, bringing each over to the coffee table before settling on the couch.]
[ Their exchange that evening had been by far their most awkward in the city yet, and that is saying something. They haven't spoken about it directly. Erwin had intended to that night, but they hadn't actually ended up seeing one another again--and when they had, late the next day, neither had brought it up. It seems too late to do so now, especially when things are finally more at ease, and Erwin feels comfortably in synch with Levi again.
But this is an oddity, to be sure. Levi has something he wants to read to him? So he'd been thinking of him enough over the last few days that he had heard something and thought of him, and then wanted to share it with him--not because it was some vital piece of information or important to their cause, but purely because he thought he would enjoy it. That stirs something warm in him, to combat the cold he'd felt descend over him those few nights ago, when he'd reproached himself so completely for daring to assume things about his and Levi's relationship. Perhaps it isn't incorrect after all to view Levi as a close friend as well as a subordinate, as he has done for years now. Erwin's face registers the pleasant surprise he feels, and he rises immediately at the suggestion to join Levi on the sofa. ]
Of course.
[ The smell wafting from the cooling tea is nice. They're nearly shoulder-to-shoulder when he settles down, knees pressed together and body angled toward him. ]
Please.
[ He indicates the book with a sweep of his right hand, but his gaze remains fixed on Levi's face. ]
[Really, Erwin, he thinks about you all the time. Erwin has been the closest person Levi's had for a long time, the only person he's ever trusted as deeply as he does. He'd follow him no matter what, and not even Ariel can change that. Here, it's sometimes a struggle to focus on anything else, and it's not even just unbidden thoughts of sex.
The trouble, really, is that Ariel pushes other, more dangerous thoughts to the surface and makes it even more difficult to push them back down. It's so much easier to have other life and death things to worry about in their own world, but here the distraction isn't so pronounced. Erwin is right there, all the time, in closer quarters than they've ever shared.
It takes an immense amount of concentration to not focus on the parts of their bodies that touch as he opens the book to the designated page and reads the poem.
When he finishes, he lets it linger in the air a moment, then closes the book.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text; 7/29.
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[also read as: I don't want to talk about it.]
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I will worry regardless, Levi.
[ a moment later, as if it took a little more consideration, there's another message: ]
You know that.
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I know, but it wasn't your fault.
Apology accepted. Thanks.
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It was wrong of me to have left you as I did. I should have had better control of myself. I should have supported you, not
[ a notable pause. ]
made you uncomfortable.
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[Hopefully that will be the end of it.]
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I agree. I will be staying in my own quarters for the next few days. But let's not be out of touch for long.
[ He'd rather keep Levi close. The last thing he wants is a divide between them, which had been the entire point of choosing not to sleep with him in the first place. ]
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[He never had, really. It had been more the immediacy of the need to get out as soon as possible rather than being uncomfortable with Erwin's company because of Erwin himself. Frankly Levi can't really imagine avoiding him purposefully for several days, or however long it would take for the effects to wear off.]
I'll let you know when it's
done.
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video; 8/8
My attempt at making dinner seems to be at least a moderate success. Will you be back soon?
audio -> action
Still, he replies with audio.]
...Yeah, coming home right now. Be there in two minutes.
[Luckily he really only had been a couple of minutes away, so when he walks in the door he's practically assaulted by the enticing smell. He knew Erwin had a basic grasp of cooking - most in the Survey Corps do - but somehow it had escaped him that Erwin could do anything quite like this.
Levi just kind of stands in the door for a moment, staring at the plates of food and enjoying the scent before he finally looks over at Erwin.]
...not bad.
action
You haven't even tasted it yet.
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[Not that he has ever minded cooking for Erwin. In a way he actually enjoys it, as much as he enjoys anything. Levi takes off his shoes and goes to wash his hands thoroughly before accepting the plate. It does look impressive, because anything with that much meat is still rather impressive to him. It just also somehow feels good, that despite all of the strange changes Ariel throws at them, they can at least still eat food that isn't so foreign.]
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This meal will decide my fate, then.
[ When Levi has cleaned up for dinner and accepted his food, Erwin retrieves his own plate, bringing it to the table to have a seat there. The entire apartment smells like what he's been cooking, and he's hungry. Even so, he waits for Levi to sit and take the first bite before starting on his own. ]
Your verdict?
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He takes a bite of each different course, chewing slowly, just savoring the taste - of the meat especially. Game is all well and good, but beef is a whole other beast (literally).
Finally, he swallows and nods.]
You've officially been sentenced to managing a meal at least two or three nights a week.
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[ He agrees easily, cutting into his beef to try it for himself. Levi is right. It's good. There is a marked improvement in this meal from the last one Erwin cooked at home--likely nearly a year ago now, for Mike's birthday--but that is likely due to better quality meat and produce than any actual increase in skill on Erwin's part. ]
I'm glad you like it.
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Yeah.
[a few moments of silence ensue as he enjoys his meal.]
So. Been up to anything interesting?
[besides the obvious, obviously.]
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[ He allows a little more silence as he eats as well, finding the atmosphere between them comfortable for what seems like the first time in days. It's a relief. ]
Nothing more interesting than that, unfortunately. Yourself?
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[He sips his water, mulling a few things over. He has started some interesting prospects, but he doesn't want to bother Erwin with it too much until he knows more. Besides which, things seem to have finally reached their equilibrium again, and he'd rather not invite that uncomfortable schism again should the question of how he's getting some of his intel come up.]
Nothing to report yet.
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It's undeniably frustrating, however, to have essentially come to a dead end where gathering new pertinent information is concerned. ]
Most of my leads seem to have reached a point where following them further is impossible.
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He makes a noise of agreement, finishing his bite of food before adding on.]
I get the feeling some people know more than they're letting on, but there's no way to just force the information out of them at this point.
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My thoughts exactly. All we can do is persist, for now.
[ He lets the conversation rest there in favor of continuing to eat, thinking as he does. ]
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Some time later, after the kitchen has been made virtually spotless once more, Levi disappears into his room and returns with a book. There's a page marked in it with a bit of paper. He sets it on a table before moving to put on water for tea.]
There's something I'd like to show you.
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He disappears briefly, wordlessly, but before Erwin can get up to move to the other room, he returns with a book in hand. His interest is piqued even before Levi speaks. ]
What might that be?
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Something someone told me a few days ago. Thought you might like it.
[Especially after learning - rather awkwardly - that Erwin had a fondness for poetry, he'd been determined to track down the poem that Edward had told them that first day they met...and subsequently managed to get Levi into his bed.
The kettle whistles, and he prepares two cups of tea, bringing each over to the coffee table before settling on the couch.]
Come over here so I can read it to you.
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But this is an oddity, to be sure. Levi has something he wants to read to him? So he'd been thinking of him enough over the last few days that he had heard something and thought of him, and then wanted to share it with him--not because it was some vital piece of information or important to their cause, but purely because he thought he would enjoy it. That stirs something warm in him, to combat the cold he'd felt descend over him those few nights ago, when he'd reproached himself so completely for daring to assume things about his and Levi's relationship. Perhaps it isn't incorrect after all to view Levi as a close friend as well as a subordinate, as he has done for years now. Erwin's face registers the pleasant surprise he feels, and he rises immediately at the suggestion to join Levi on the sofa. ]
Of course.
[ The smell wafting from the cooling tea is nice. They're nearly shoulder-to-shoulder when he settles down, knees pressed together and body angled toward him. ]
Please.
[ He indicates the book with a sweep of his right hand, but his gaze remains fixed on Levi's face. ]
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The trouble, really, is that Ariel pushes other, more dangerous thoughts to the surface and makes it even more difficult to push them back down. It's so much easier to have other life and death things to worry about in their own world, but here the distraction isn't so pronounced. Erwin is right there, all the time, in closer quarters than they've ever shared.
It takes an immense amount of concentration to not focus on the parts of their bodies that touch as he opens the book to the designated page and reads the poem.
When he finishes, he lets it linger in the air a moment, then closes the book.]
...reminded me a bit of home.