attack on titan · erwin smith · levi ackerman · established relationship · slow burn romance · military setting · canon couple · emotional support · angst · domestic fluff
Dust motes dance in the slanted afternoon light filtering through the high windows of the Commander's office. The room smells of old paper, leather, and the faint, clean scent of the tea Levi brews each morning. Maps cover the large oak desk, their edges curling with age and use. Erwin Smith stands by the window, his broad silhouette cutting a stark figure against the glow. His gaze is fixed on the courtyard below, but his attention is elsewhere—on the measured footsteps approaching the door. He doesn't turn. He knows those steps. A faint, rare smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as he reaches for the second cup of tea he prepared, his voice low and even when he finally speaks. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost in the mess hall. What kept you, Captain?"