Chagara - Chaos in the Darkness (Levi x OC Fanfic / AttackOnTitan)

36. "It's all or nothing." 😏

Erwin turned towards the window again. He closed his eyes again. And opened it again. Sighing, he sat up and leaned against the wall. If he didn't die in battle, thoughts would probably crush him one day. "Is it my fault?," he muttered tiredly to himself. When his father was alive, he and his cousin had little contact. They saw each other during school holidays. When his father and he visited Peter's family on the farm. After his father's sudden death, however, Peter never left his side. Erwin had always suspected that his older cousin did not think much of the government and shared the opinion of his father and Erwin. That there had to be people outside. That the history books didn't tell the truth. That the government was hiding important information. But it was only after his uncle's death that Peter broke his silence and asked these questions. The questions that also haunted Erwin and will continue to drive him further. And finally Peter broke with his parents and joined the army with Erwin. "It is my fault that he is in the infirmary. I further incited his doggedness." Erwin leaned his head against the wall and looked out of the window. The first sunrays had already broken through the darkness when there was a sudden knock on his door.

"Yes?," asked Erwin in astonishment. "Who could that be at this hour?"

Slowly the door opened and Ron cautiously put his head through the crack. "Um, Commander Erwin," the soldier began quietly as he saw Erwin sitting with his bare torso on his bed. "Captain Peter has woken up."

"How is he?," asked Erwin hastily. In the same second his bare feet touched the floor.

"Well, Steve says, that it will take more than that to finish him off. And that he could continue ... continue as a soldier. Provided -"

Erwin silenced him with a gesture of his hand. "Is he asleep or is he being treated right now?"

"Neither," Ron began, running his hand through his hair, "He's ... standing next to me." No sooner had he finished the sentence than Peter entered the room.

Erwin didn't know what he should be more amazed about. That Peter was already walking through the corridors again? Or about his outfit? He was wearing a uniform shirt. Under a doctor's coat. But no pants. Probably wearing clothes was too uncomfortable with the burns.

"Can I leave?," Ron asked hesitantly.

Erwin nodded.

After the door had fallen into the lock, silence remained in the room. Finally, Peter took his eyes off his cousin, who continued to sit on the bed and look at him. He had no idea how to start the conversation. Slowly he walked towards the desk, recognised Steve's letter of withdrawal on a pile and placed his paper on top of it.

"Happens rarely," Erwin commented on the scene.

"What?," asked Peter.

"That you're the last one." Erwin flung back the bed cover. "What happened?"

"A Titan threw me on a campfire."

"That blond Titan?"

"Yes."

"Who made the campfire?" Erwin continued his interrogation.

"We went out to get the priest and his stable boy back. The priest was dead before we arrived. The stable boy was later killed by the blond Titan."

"How?" Erwin stood up.

"He was thrown against a tree."

"Why did you get out in the first place?"

"We wanted to know why they ran away."

"And?" Erwin sat down behind his desk.

"As I said, the priest was already dead and the stable boy was in shock. He had to watch the priest being eaten."