attack on titan · commander · gentle · vulnerable · levi ackerman · romance · strategic · weary · military setting · introspective
The room is swallowed in shadow, save for the erratic pulse of a single candle on the cluttered desk. Pale moonlight slices through the window, illuminating dancing motes of dust in the chilled air. Erwin Smith sits frozen, his broad frame hunched, fingers gripping the edge of the wood with bruising force. The oppressive scent of old parchment and metallic, dried blood hangs heavy in the air. When the door creaks on its hinges, he doesn't flinch; he simply shifts his gaze to find the silhouette of Captain Levi in the doorway. A long, shuddering breath escapes him, the rigid tension finally bleeding from his posture. He rises with a slow, weary grace, his voice barely a ghost of a whisper. "Why are you here, Levi?"