reviling | Labyrinthum IC Inbox

It's the same day as this conversation, and Erwin is waiting for Levi when he gets home.

"Hello, Levi." He practically pounces on him as soon as Levi enters the cottage, taking his cloak from him so he can get his shoes off. "I have an idea for us."

No beating around the bush, no small talk. Erwin is excited about something, and he's going to make it Levi's problem.

Oh, hello, a husband at the door, how nice. Levi bundles his cloak and a couple bags of groceries and another bag that seems to have books into those waiting arms before sitting down on the bench near the door to take off his shoes. He gives Erwin a quirk of an eyebrow briefly, undoing the laces. He's certainly excited about something.

"What is it?"

The urge to look into that bag with books is strong, but Erwin resists. He takes the bags in one arm and Levi's cloak in the other, and hangs it on a waiting hook while Levi deals with his shoes.

"I think we should open a tea shop."

Calm down sir, it's just some stuff from the library.

It's not quite what he was expecting to come next, but it's also actually...not that weird of an idea. Levi pauses briefly, then resumes pulling off his boots, setting them neatly on the carpet by the door, and stepping into his waiting slippers.

"Oh? Didn't you mention something like this before...?"

It’s fresh books! That’s always exciting!

“Yes, we’ve talked about it in passing before. Now, though, I think we should actually do it.”

Erwin offers Levi his free hand, which happens to be the flesh and blood one. “Come on. Let’s go make some tea and I’ll tell you all the reasons why this is a good idea.”

Soon, dear, soon.

"All right."

Levi curls his hand with Erwin's - it's cold from being outside, but he presses their palms together, fingers lacing, and he follows his husband to the kitchen. In truth, the thought has been on his mind from time to time. The existing teahouse is fine, there's even a few things on the menu Levi prefers to get there than attempt himself, the green teas especially. But there are plenty of things they could do differently that wouldn't necessarily put them at odds with one another.

Besides, it would be a good way to pass the time.

As they reach the kitchen, he sets the kettle on the stove and takes the groceries from Erwin and starts packing them away - fruit and things for stew and soup, flour for bread, etc. Cheese, crackers. Basic things.

"So what brought this on?"

Matcha tea is hard, but Erwin has every confidence that Levi could figure it out and bury the other shop if he were so inclined.

Erwin takes the groceries as Levi gets them out of the bags, helping him put them away. “Jean messaged me today. Apparently he’s been getting a lot of interest in his cooking. I mentioned that we’d talked about a tea shop before and the conversation went from there.”

See, it’d be a thing they could do with the kids!

“Jean said he’d be interested in baking with me for a hypothetical tea shop. He also brought up the idea of selling soups.”

He's not inclined. They already do it well, and he's happy to recognize skill. The rest of their menu is...decent, better than any of the other limited options in Somnius, so he hasn't felt a particular driving need to provide the populace with an alternative. But it'd be a lie to say that he didn't have his own ideas about what his own would entail; a handful of things that are particularly well made, a quiet and comfortable place to sit.

"Oh? Hm." Levi goes quiet a moment, turning these new ideas over as he prepares two mugs, makes a selection from his now sizeable tea collection, thanks to all of the gifts last month. He's been steadily working his way through it all.

But the wheels are turning; baking - it's hard work, and not something he knows much about, but if Jean is prepared to take that on, it could work. Some bread and simple pastries, one or two kinds of soup, a few tea options. Shit doesn't need to be complicated.

"It's...not a bad idea."

'Not a bad idea' is a ringing endorsement in Levi-ese, and Erwin beams at him. He hadn't thought this conversation would be difficult, but he didn't think Levi would agree with him so quickly either.

"Should I start looking into what opening a business here would entail?" He's already been thinking about what to do--the first step will be talking to the Lieutenant, since she's already done this, and then meeting with Jean to hammer out specifics. The fact that Levi is on board will really light a fire under Erwin's tail.

He pauses though, knowing how quickly his thoughts and schemes can get away from him, and reaches out to touch Levi's shoulder. "I think this will be good for us, Levi. Good for all of us. It'll be nice to have a project to work on that has nothing to do with war or the military. We'll be doing something good this time around."

Not that Erwin thinks he wasn't justified in all he did back home, or that it wasn't for an overall, greater good. It was! But this is a simpler, gentler kind of good, the kind that makes people happy and brightens their day. They've never had that kind of good before.

Opening a business sounds so...large, put like that. But it can't be that difficult, he supposes, if several other people have done it already, and Erwin seems hot to do much of the nitty gritty legwork that Levi would probably find tedious.

The touch is reassuring, and Levi finds his gaze softening as he looks over at him. Husband. The word bounces around in his brain like music in an empty hall. It's been many months by now, and the word still feels strange and new, but in a good way. It's not something he ever imagined wanting, ever imagined, period. But now that they have it, especially knowing what fate awaits them in their own world, he'll hold onto it, hold onto Erwin as fiercely as he can.

Something good. Of course they had believed that what they'd been doing was for the good of humanity, even if their individual actions could be questionable. So little was truly good in their world, or at least it so often seemed that way. Erwin believed in his convictions, would die for them, inevitably. Freedom for humanity, but for Levi it had always been freedom from fear, from scarcity. To make it possible for people to live dignified lives without the constant trauma of loss or threat of starvation, or to be forced to live under the earth away from the sun. They could find their joy, simple though it may be, in their passions and their loved ones and never have to worry again.

Something like peace. It's been relatively peaceful here, even if he's been waiting for Vaeros' other shoe to drop.

Yet it shouldn't be the reason to not take their own peace and joy while they have it.

The kettle whistles, and Levi moves it away from the burner, opening the spout to let the steam waft up a moment or two before pouring it over the strainers in their cups.

"Yeah," he says softly, watching the water slowly deepen in color. "It would be good."

He gives Erwin a brief sidelong glance a moment later. "I'm not making any of your weird coffee abominations."

Erwin gives Levi time to think all of this over. He values Levi's thoughts on all things, and is willing to wait while he mulls over what he wants to say next. It's something Erwin can do, but usually doesn't; sometimes he feels like his mind moves too fast for him, leaping from one possibility to the next, and he sometimes misses the forest for the trees. He can count on Levi to slow everything down and really think things over, reaching his conclusions carefully and with due consideration.

It's one of the many ways in which they're well matched.

Erwin smiles when Levi agrees with him--he thought he would, but it's always nice to have confirmation--but then bursts out laughing at Levi's next observation.

"Don't worry, I'll make all the coffee abominations." He spreads his hands out wide, making a gesture like he's showing off a banner. "We can call them Erwin's Abominations."

He's joking, of course. Or is he?

Erwin gets a very familiar, rather put-upon look that holds very little actual annoyance.

"What makes you think we're serving coffee in the first place? It's a tea shop, isn't it?"

He turns and leans against the counter while the tea in their mugs steeps, taking note of the clock on the wall and loosely crossing his arms. He's in a slightly loose-fitting dark blue sweater and gray pants today, socked feet tucked into his house slippers.

"So what all do we have to do to make this happen?"

Oh yes, how he makes you suffer. Poor Levi, eternally subjected to Erwin's antics and madcappery.

Erwin is completely unfazed by the look, and just smiles back cheerfully. "If we sell coffee too, we'll get more people in. Besides, if I'm manning the coffee machine, that will leave you more time to talk to people about tea."

The blue sweater looks good on Levi. It's not quite a replica of the one from home that he stole from Erwin's closet years ago, but it's close. Erwin, for his part, is wearing a white, bulky-knit cable sweater, which hides his metal arm quite nicely. If no one looks at his hand, they'd never know he lost it.

"Oh, there are a lot of different steps. We have to start by..." And Erwin is off and away, rattling off all the things he's learned and the plans he's started making. For someone who only really considered this seriously a few hours ago, he's already put a fair amount of footwork into it.

He knows what he signed up for (this goes both ways).

"Hm," he muses, sounding not entirely convinced at the coffee pitch still, but listens...mostly attentively as Erwin rambles on about all the things they'd need to do and the ideas he has. And Levi is paying attention, but he's also thinking about how it already seems to be good for Erwin - to have something to plan, a puzzle to work out and to make reality. Things he's always been good at, but now instead of working out how to out maneuver political foes or reduce casualties to Titans, it's things like location and supplies and menus (logistically, not so far different from taking care of scores of people).

It's also always just...nice, to listen to people he loves talk about something that excites them.

After a few minutes, he finishes preparing the tea as Erwin continues, adding in a little bit of cream, the tiniest bit of sugar to his own cup, and a little more to Erwin's. He's been experimenting with different brew times and preparation styles a bit, even if the idea of putting anything in black tea before would have been strange to him. But it's undeniable that some flavors just come out better with a little extra help.

Finished, Levi hands off the mug to Erwin, resumes his spot leaning against the counter with his own in hand sipping every so often. His eyes trace the cable pattern of the sweater as he listens, but after a little while realizes he hasn't heard a word out of the man's mouth for probably the last two minutes, too busy thinking about how soft the sweater would probably feel if he just faceplanted directly into Erwin's chest.

Erwin can tell that Levi isn't really listening to him after a few minutes, but that's okay. Talking about things with Levi has long been a way for him to sort out his own thoughts and feelings, giving form to ideas that had been swirling and nebulous until he vocalises them. He's confident that if he says anything too outlandish or ridiculous, that'll be the exact moment that Levi happens to be listening carefully, and he'll call him out on it. Experience has proven that Levi has a very keen ear for when Erwin gets too bullshitty, and has no qualms about reining him in.

It's one of the many reasons they're so good together.

Erwin takes the mug of tea without breaking his patter, only pausing to insert a thank you in the middle of a sentence about zoning permits. He wraps his hands around the mug and lets it warm them for a few moments. The metallic hand doesn't feel heat the same way his real one does, but it can feel heat, and Erwin thinks it works a little better, a little faster, when the gears inside it are warm. That's mostly theory for now, as he hasn't had the heart to really test it yet. Testing the hand and arm would feel too much like trying to break it, and Erwin couldn't bear to lose it again.

He eventually pauses to take a sip of tea, and his eyes widen when he does. "Levi, this is really good." He lowers the mug and smiles. "I can really taste the... the walnuts? When you added the milk and sugar. There are nuts in this one, right?"

It's true, Levi does have a talent for letting Erwin chatter at him to think out loud, listening with one ear for any bullshit ideas and countering them. He doesn't always need to understand the details of whatever problem Erwin's working through, although he can come up with a decent strategy on his own, if pressed. But his particular talents lie more in adaptability, reacting in the moment.

It's the pause that pulls him out of his unfocused (or perhaps too-focused) stare, when Erwin finally takes a drink. A pleasurable little warmth unfurls in his chest at the praise and the smile, and Levi shifts a bit on his feet, chin lifting a little to soak it in, pleased that his efforts seem to be paying off.

"Yeah. S'just a mild black with a few walnut pieces in the cup." Nothing particularly elaborate. He's not going to go crazy with the wild blends, but experimenting a little didn't hurt.

He pauses, head tilting a little, unsure. "Is the balance right? You put a fuckload of sugar in that beanwater, but this doesn't taste like shit to start, so..."

"The balance is perfect." Erwin pats the table across from himself. Come on, Levi, stop lingering at the counter, come sit with him. "I can taste the tea and the nuts, and the milk softens the tea taste enough for the walnut taste to come through. But it's not too strong. I still know I'm drinking tea."

Erwin will openly admit he's not the best person for tea taste-testing. Many of the subtleties have, no doubt, been lost on him. But Levi has brewed it carefully enough that even he can pick out the different flavours.

"Do you think it would work with different types of nuts?"

Levi drifts over to the table after a moment, dropping himself sedately into the chair across from Erwin and leaning back. It's a small table, enough for the three of them to sit together cozily. He leans back in the chair, slouching a little so he can find Erwin's foot with his own and casually hook his ankle around it.

Erwin might not have the most discerning palate when it comes to tea, but that doesn't mean Levi won't spend the time to make something he might like. If anything, it just makes him easy to please, but still - the feedback is nice, and he's clearly pleased by it, eyes softening.

He shrugs though, taking a delicate sip himself. Hm. It's not his preference, but it wouldn't be bad a little sweeter.

"Pecans, maybe. Happy with this one, though." Let's not go crazy, Erwin.

When Levi hooks their ankles together, Erwin shifts his foot so the top of it is touching Levi's calf. It's mostly just so they're touching more, almost like an affectionate touch to the arm but with a foot.

"Pecans would be nice." Erwin thinks on it for a moment. "But maybe with one of the other types of tea? That red one, the roo-bose; do you think pecans would work in that?"

Maybe he should start adding nuts to his coffee. It's an idea worth considering!

Playing footsie under their own table, how cute. Maybe Levi will just put his other foot up on Erwin's knee.

"Rooibos." It took him several times to practice saying it to get it. He frowns a bit. "Maybe...haven't tried that one much yet." It's a little spicy, almost. He's starting to develop a taste for it.

"Do you like those?"

Oh, what's this, a foot on his knee? Erwin reaches under the table to loosely circle Levi's ankle with his hand, his thumb rubbing along the bone where it connects to his foot.

"Yes, rooibos." Erwin nods, making a mental note of the correction. "I like it because I can drink it at night and still be able to sleep later."

He likes other herbal teas too, but the spiciness of rooibos appeals to him.

"I haven't tried it with milk, though. No sugar; sugar would change the taste too much, I think."

Oh...that feels nice, actually. His toes point and flex a bit in reflex when Erwin traces over a sensitive spot, but Levi doesn't make any motion to move away, seeming content.

Having pretty much zero sensitivity to things with caffeine in them, it's not something Levi really thinks about for himself. But he'd caught on to when Erwin's cutoff for black tea is years ago, having attempted to chase the man to bed many times only to realize he just couldn't sleep because he'd had tea way too late in the day.

"Yeah, probably." Maybe he is learning, after all? "Okay, we can try that next. Someone probably gave me some in that pile." People had given him so much tea.

He's probably about halfway through it already though.

The embarrassing thing is that Levi figured out Erwin's caffeine sensitivity long before Erwin himself did. He just thought there were some nights when he couldn't sleep and his mind was racing more than usual, never making the connection to the teas Levi would bring him during the afternoon.

"Thank you, that sounds lovely." The tea mountain, while impressive, has been slowly whittled down. Erwin caresses Levi's ankle again, just enjoying the quiet for a moment.

"Did you get anything new that you particularly liked at the holidays?" Everyone brought Levi tea, cooperating with Erwin's scheme spectacularly, and Erwin has noticed some changes in their usual drinking habits. "I liked the green one that we had a few mornings ago."

Honestly, it was probably Hange who clued him into the concept of black tea being a stimulant. He'd never had to think about it otherwise, so Erwin had been a bit of an experiment to see if it was true - Levi had started swapping their late afternoon black tea for mint instead, and Erwin had seemed to fall asleep more easily (not that it meant he tried to go to bed any sooner, sometimes, so Levi never quite lost the need to go chase his Commander away from paperwork late at night). Unfortunately, nothing seemed to change for his own mangled sleeping habits. Oh well.

He feels his toes curl a little for that touch, and briefly he can't help remembering the handful of times Erwin had helped wrap his ankle after his injury to capture the Female Titan. Being out of commission for weeks had been fucking miserable, but that had made it a little more bearable, before things got busy again.

And then he'd come back without an arm.

He sets the thought aside, sipping at his tea again, thinking. "Reiner gave me something called 'gingerbread spice.' Mostly ginger, but it's got some other stuff in it. It's not bad."

It's almost gone already, but details.

Erwin will forever be someone who needs to be chased to bed some nights. It's just a little easier for everyone involved if he isn't wired and jittery with caffeine when the chase begins.

He feels Levi moving his foot, and Erwin slips his other hand under the table to gently coax Levi's foot further up Erwin's thigh. Once he's got it in position, Erwin starts gently massaging Levi's ankle. It's been a long time since Levi's injury, but Erwin knows how old wounds can act up, and how soothing touch can keep them from getting angry all over again.

"We'll have to look for more of that one, then." Erwin keeps up his gentle caresses, his living hand sliding up the back of Levi's leg to work at his calf muscle. "Would you like me to ask Reiner where he found it?"

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