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

63. "You usually annoy me in a different way."

When Erwin left the stable, he saw them coming. Two messengers from the government. "Mh," he laughed sarcastically. He had expected them. "Although ..." Actually, he wouldn't have been surprised either if he had come back from the wall inspection and found the letter on his desk. Nile Dok had behaved strangely. He had always avoided Erwin and had consistently kept the Scout Regiment out of everything. At the latest with his comment at the Krolva gate that the Scout Regiment must not get the flu under any circumstances, it was clear to Mike and Erwin that phase 3 was inevitable. "The only thing that's interesting now is the date," the Commander thought as one of the messengers jumped from his horse and walked towards Erwin. "Will they force us outside the Wall Rose while it's still cold and snowing so they can also eliminate the Scout Regiment, or will they actually wait until spring?"

Peter threw his cigarette away. He had lost the desire to smoke. Outside the door of the main building he had watched the arrival of Erwin, Mike, Hanji and Levi. The tired and exhausted expression on his cousin's face had taken on a sombre look when the two messengers from the government had appeared. "And because of such death letters, I never wanted to be the Commander of the Scout Regiment."

Erwin had read the letter three times. As he walked, he folded it up again and put it in his chest pocket. "Fifteenth of March. This could turn out well for the Scout Regiment. No more casualties than usual. As long as they can turn off their humanity." Surprised, he looked up as two feet stepped into his way.

"Hey," Peter welcomed him.

Erwin nodded.

"You look better than I expected. Steve has been whining every day that the wall inspection would be too much for you," Peter told him.

"Weeds don't die," Erwin replied, trying to walk past his cousin. He wanted to shower, put on fresh clothes, sleep, possibly cry himself to sleep and then be the inhuman Commander again by tomorrow.

But his cousin grabbed him by the upper arm. "Um, Erwin," Peter began. The Commander noticed that it was not easy for Peter to voice his request. "A few of the guys asked if we could intensify the trainings. Then other soldiers heard about. The kids would like to join us. It wouldn't be wrong. I suppose we'll have to go out in spring at the latest anyway." The last sentence was barely audible. "But I didn't do anything and waited for you. You have to decide. It could just happen that some hurt themselves."

Erwin looked at his cousin for a long time. Had he changed? Was he sincere? Or did he still have an ace hidden in his sleeve? "The more trained they are, the better." The Commander stroked the chest pocket where the letter was. Due to the high number of people suffering from influenza, the soldiers of the Scout Regiment were only allowed to leave the headquarters with a valid reason and after consultation with the Commander. No one was allowed to go home over the Christmas holidays, even New Year's Eve had to be spent here. "Maybe it will lift their mood if they can pick up some of their old trainings again. And maybe it will strengthen the team spirit of the whole troop." Erwin nodded. "Don't limit the extra training to just your old team and the young soldiers. Everyone who wants to, should join in. Inform me immediately of any injuries. If there are too many, these trainings will be stopped." Erwin tensed his body. "And also explain to them that you can't save everyone out there. Neither your roommate, nor the young soldiers. And certainly not the inexperienced ones."

***

Levi touched the cut. It was no longer bleeding. He still didn't know what he should be more surprised about. About the fact that there was a small sprig of mistletoe hanging above the door in both his bathroom and his bedroom, or about the small wardrobe that now stood at the end of his bed. When he had noticed the mistletoe in the bathroom out of the corner of his eye, it had happened. He had turned his head too quickly - in the middle of shaving. A cut across his cheek was the result of his lack of caution.