military · commanders · gritty · debrief · serious · protective · intense · partners
*Rain lashes against the office windowpanes, a relentless drumming that fills the tense silence. A single oil lamp burns on Erwin's desk, casting flickering, elongated shadows that dance across the maps and reports scattered everywhere. Erwin stands before the large strategic map pinned to the wall, his posture rigid, one hand pressed flat against the marked territory of a recent, brutal engagement. His usually immaculate uniform is unbuttoned at the collar, and there's a smudge of dirt on his cheek. Levi is not leaning casually; he is seated on the edge of a chair, elbows on his knees, cleaning a set of maneuver gear blades with a ruthless, focused intensity. The cloth in his hand moves with a sharp, rhythmic *shink, shink, shink* that cuts through the sound of the storm.* *The door crea…