[ it's been hours. hours in this godsforsaken crater trying to find a proper way out before he dies of blood loss or toxicity. the gem on the back of his hand is spreading, creeping over his hand, trying to make it so his fingers can't bend.
he's struggling, and deeply, because the remnant of the arm that got bitten off obviously can't do anything--and he's been bleeding. he's not sure how he's survived this long. maybe stubbornness.
but he has to stop. has to pause and awkwardly take off the strapping he's wearing to try and fashion a tourniquet from it using his good hand (with difficulty due to the gem creeping along) and his teeth to tighten it enough to staunch the flow of blood.
he looks pale and tired, and just not well off at all. ]
—said the pot to the kettle, as the pot himself refuses to keel over even after breathing poison for hours... except he still has all his limbs and most of his blood, which might give him a slight advantage. at this point a significant portion of his right arm is covered in purple stone, which is deeply disturbing, but not his top priority.
...it was to find a way out of here before he's more rock than person, but then he sees Erwin. and this, as always, changes pretty much everything.
he briefly notes that he's begun to see things as if they're in slow motion, but that's not important right now. he's quick even when he's not at his best, but he crosses the distance between them at a stupidly-high speed—to the extent that it shocks even him, and he has to catch himself to keep from collapsing once he stops. it kinda feels like his legs just stopped working, but it doesn't matter. nothing else matters.
by now he's completely accustomed to seeing Erwin without a right arm, but this is... did he just lose that arm? that was months and months ago, but this is a lot of blood. it immediately makes him feel ill, but it's not because of his aversion to blood. it's the same way he felt when this happened the first time.
dread, mostly.
his legs may be largely useless right now, but in an instant he's pulling his own cloak off and stumbling over to the bleeding remains of Erwin's arm. he's not sure whether it will do much at this point, but it's still mostly clean, so he's going to try to use it to further stem the bleeding if nothing else.
what the fuck is going on, here? ]
Erwin. [ he rarely sounds panicked about anything, but he certainly does now. ] Are you okay? What can I do?
[ erwin's vision is swimming. the last thing he remembers before this is the excruciating pain and telling them to keep going without him. it was the right decision.
it had to be.
but now he's on a completely unfamiliar... planet? it seems absolutely unreal.
he thinks he's hallucinating when he hears levi speak; he'd been too out of it to register the strange speed with which he'd moved.
his body is in such distress that his own effects are going haywire, small rocks lifting and floating and then dropping again, over and over. he doesn't notice that, either.
levi... levi he notices. he lifts his head, leather still clenched between his teeth, and nods toward the stump of the arm. he's feeling even more lightheaded than ever; even nodding makes him feel a little like he's going to vomit. ]
I can't get the tourniquet tight enough.
[ his hand is too stiff with the green clustering all over it. he's muffled when he speaks, because of that same leather, but it's not like he can let it go.
[ his legs might feel like jelly, but fortunately his arms still work. oh, and also there's the somewhat freakish strength he has at his disposal, so that helps, too.
he very briefly worries about pulling it too tight and hurting Erwin, but he just got his fucking arm bitten off so that ship has long sailed. that said, he won't quite use all of his strength yet, in the hope that he won't somehow just make it worse. still, even at less than his full capacity, once he's retrieved that strap from Erwin's mouth he pulls it pretty goddamn hard. after that, it's right back to glancing frantically between Erwin's face and what's left of his arm.
(he doesn't notice the rocks, either.) ]
More? Less?
[ Erwin survived this once; he'll survive it again. there's no other option. ]
[ erwin holds still while levi works, a grunt being the only indication of the horrific pain he's in. there's something to be said for keeping a solid persona, especially when levi is actually visibly frantic for once.
he zones out for a moment despite the pain, seeing as though through a fog, but he finally snaps out of it once levi speaks. ]
Tighten it once more and then buckle it. It should hold then.
[ his voice is even for most of this, but it briefly falters near the end. is he going into shock? it's hard to tell. he should have hours ago. ]
[ there's also something to be said for Erwin being the calm one in this situation despite also being the one actively bleeding out from where his right arm used to be. neither of them is panic-prone, of course, but even like this, Erwin still wins.
(he usually does.)
as always, Levi wastes no time doing exactly what Erwin asks of him, even if he is panicking uncharacteristically. one more cinch of the makeshift tourniquet and he buckles it in place, still seemingly unbothered by the not-insignificant amount of blood he's now sporting on his hands and uniform. it's almost like it's a conditional aversion and Erwin's blood doesn't count. hmm. ]
Okay. We're getting out of here.
[ how? he has no idea whatsoever. but if Erwin's going to survive this (and he is going to survive this), he needs actual medical attention. so to that end, he ducks under Erwin's remaining arm and holds it behind his own shoulders so Erwin can lean on him while they walk to... wherever the fuck they're going.
it probably doesn't work that well considering he's a full foot shorter than Erwin, but he's going to try anyway. he's not leaving this place without him. ]
[ when it cinches tighter, the world spins. erwin doesn't swear, but he hisses air out through his teeth, flexing gem-crusted fingers weakly against the pain.
however, it stops the bleeding, though his face is still pale and ashen.
even with as small as levi is, erwin leans on his extraordinary strength heavily, fingers sort of curling over his shoulder for leverage. it's not easy, and it's not simple, but it's the only thing keeping him upright as some of the adrenaline seeps out of him.
he knows what he should say, but he thinks levi won't listen. after a few labored steps though, he stops. ]
[ yeah, what if Erwin made it an order? it might actually break his brain. how would he even reconcile an order to leave Erwin behind versus his complete unwillingness to let anything bad happen to him?
...nah. he already knows the answer to that. he cranes his neck to look Erwin in the eyes. it's very important that he hears this. ]
I won't. You can punish me afterwards, but you can't do that unless you're alive.
[ he seems a little frustrated rather than relieved, but he doesn't say anything for a long moment. the strength is draining out of him along with the adrenaline, so there's little he can do but lean on him.
it's a lot. he hates this. he's also never had to argue with levi like this and he hates that too. ]
At least go alone to find what needs finding [ shelter, fresh air, help— ] then come find me again.
[ it looks like he might actually be considering this, but he's not. he's just trying to figure out what to say. in the end, he just goes the direct route, as usual. ]
I can't.
[ he means he can't accept it, but it's also entirely possible that he physically can't. ]
[ he opens his mouth to argue, but a fresh pain makes him partially double over with a choking breath. he should keep telling him to leave, but he just... ]
[ he can't even take a moment to be glad Erwin finally gave in because the sight and the sound of his pain gives him chills like he's never experienced before. he's seen a lot of shit, but none of it even compares.
weird.
he has to get Erwin out of here. ]
Just hold on a little longer.
[ physically and metaphorically.
anyway so that... happens, and they manage to live long enough to be rescued! hooray. sort of, because Erwin's still in very bad shape, but it quickly becomes clear that he's in good hands (rimshot)—these rock guys obviously have their shit together way better than they do back home, at least when it comes to medical intervention. and Levi knows this because he doesn't leave Erwin's side once, even when he's firmly asked to do so. what are they gonna do about it?
nothing, that's what.
alas, they don't seem to have the technology to actually regrow limbs. or maybe Erwin turned it down during the ten minutes a night Levi actually slept? either way, there's no miraculous regeneration, but he's okay with it. Erwin recovers, and that's all that matters to him.
but speaking of tunnel vision, he's kind of checked out during the spiel about Manna and Synchrony and all that nonsense—he recalls enough to consider it complete bullshit and wonder how the fuck he's going to get by in a place that runs on that stuff, but that's about it. they... may have to discuss this while they wait for a shuttle to whatever the hell planet that is.
he doesn't really care as long as they're doing it together. ]
[ levi's stubbornness comes in handy because they get rescued together and levi can stay by his side. not that erwin is cognizant for most of it, because he's definitely barely hanging onto consciousness by the time they're found. everything is through a haze, and his head is lolling against levi's shoulder as they're ushered to safety and medical treatment.
he's out completely by the time they get him on a table, and they manage to get him stabilized and sewn up and everything with their space-age tech and probably some magic.
erwin doesn't get to appreciate it because he's kept out as they work on him, even through the blood transfusions.
when he wakes up levi is there, and he watches him for a long time through slitted eyes.
he listens to the spiel though, quietly, to be keyed in on it. he doesn't believe it, but he might have to at some point.
they're alone when levi speaks though, and erwin shrugs. he's completely healed, but he's still exhausted and achy. ]
Like I got run over by a cart. You look like you haven't slept.
I slept a little. [ he didn't. ] You look... better, though. Much better.
[ not actively dying anymore will have that effect on a person, it turns out. but even if he does look tired, he's relieved. he's had to go through this twice now, after all. ]
You can probably stay here a little longer if you don't feel up to moving on yet.
[ he's 100% sure Erwin will say no to this, but it's the thought that counts sometimes. ]
[ bluntly. it's true, at least. he nods at the comment about looking better, getting up properly (only struggling a little due to the lack of his arm) and stretching out. ]
I feel much better than I did. I don't think I need to stay here though. I've recovered remarkably quickly.
[ the best at... being the best at things? yeah, that checks out. it almost makes him laugh.
almost. ]
Of course. You think I have time to wait on you 24/7?
[ the words are sharp but the tone isn't. he's never been a good liar, as Erwin well knows by now. truthfully, he'd happily wait on him 24/7. don't tell anyone. ]
[ softly. he knows levi WOULD, but he feels uncomfortable with such a big ask. asking him to follow him into battle has use, has a purpose. asking him to do everything for him because he's too lazy to overcome a new disability? unconscionable.
there's a moment of slightly awkward movement where he uses his one arm to get on his feet properly. ]
[ it did, he almost says, but there's clearly some kind of time fuckery going on here (in addition to everything else)—somehow they're from the same place but not the same time? it doesn't make any sense to him, but none of it does, and he's also not the smart one here. if one of them is going to figure any of this shit out, it's probably not going to be him. ]
I know. Maybe 'lucky' isn't the right word, but...
[ but he's seen the alternative. he was there the whole time for that, too. this time Erwin spent less time suffering, and that's more than enough for him. ]
[ erwin is having trouble parsing things as well, though. he needs time to settle in properly, but he'll probably work on sorting everything out after that.
he studies levi for a long moment before reaching out and palming the junction of his shoulder and neck. then he retreats. ]
[ —sorry, did Erwin just say something? he may have missed it on account of whatever the fuck just happened right now. that did just happen, right? is Erwin actually still high on pain medication? is he high on pain medication?
needless to say, he has no idea how to respond to that, so he just defaults to following Erwin wherever he's headed. he really hopes he's not just hallucinating this. ]
[ shut up he's feeling a whole lot of things after nearly dying from radiation and almost blood loss. he's had a bad day. let him touch.
at least they can head out to where people are loitering and out of the room he'd been resting in, though he's looking around them with that cutting, shrewd gaze he's so good at. ]
What do you think about the requirements of this place?
[ they're both feeling a lot of things after all that. it's just that for him, one of those things is extreme confusion. again, he's not the smart one.
to be fair, though, this is all pretty wack. like, objectively. and speaking of things that are objectively wack, the aforementioned requirements of this place. he just scoffs, because it doesn't even seem like it could be a real thing. ]
It's ridiculous, obviously. It doesn't make any sense.
[ he has clearly not put any thought into it beyond that. ]
[ he frowns, sighing, and just looks at him for a long moment. ]
They didn't sound like they were going to enforce it with force, but they did seem to be making life very difficult for anyone not abiding by it. It seems strange, doesn't it? A life of ease and luxury if only you follow what they want. I don't like it.
[ he makes no commentary about it being like prostitution, though he's sure some would make the connection, because they don't seem to care who you're intimate with and in what way. ]
[ it takes him a second to catch up to that because he's still stuck on "we". there's no reason Erwin would have to accept the hobo life, too, so why would he choose to? how mysterious.
but when it finally does register, it still feels like he must have misheard. "certain methods"? he knows better than to try to play dumb in front of Erwin, but still...
he tries to play it cool, but his eyes widen anyway. ]
his eyes don't leave Erwin's, even when he looks away. what was that? discomfort? he can't read people like Erwin can; it's hopeless to even try. he's quiet for what is probably too long. it might give off the wrong impression. or maybe it doesn't? Erwin is too smart for that. ]
...No. It's not.
[ actually, he was under the impression it was too far off, but if Erwin doesn't think so, that changes everything. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
noct tdm prompt
he's struggling, and deeply, because the remnant of the arm that got bitten off obviously can't do anything--and he's been bleeding. he's not sure how he's survived this long. maybe stubbornness.
but he has to stop. has to pause and awkwardly take off the strapping he's wearing to try and fashion a tourniquet from it using his good hand (with difficulty due to the gem creeping along) and his teeth to tighten it enough to staunch the flow of blood.
he looks pale and tired, and just not well off at all. ]
hi are you sick of me yet
—said the pot to the kettle, as the pot himself refuses to keel over even after breathing poison for hours... except he still has all his limbs and most of his blood, which might give him a slight advantage. at this point a significant portion of his right arm is covered in purple stone, which is deeply disturbing, but not his top priority.
...it was to find a way out of here before he's more rock than person, but then he sees Erwin. and this, as always, changes pretty much everything.
he briefly notes that he's begun to see things as if they're in slow motion, but that's not important right now. he's quick even when he's not at his best, but he crosses the distance between them at a stupidly-high speed—to the extent that it shocks even him, and he has to catch himself to keep from collapsing once he stops. it kinda feels like his legs just stopped working, but it doesn't matter. nothing else matters.
by now he's completely accustomed to seeing Erwin without a right arm, but this is... did he just lose that arm? that was months and months ago, but this is a lot of blood. it immediately makes him feel ill, but it's not because of his aversion to blood. it's the same way he felt when this happened the first time.
dread, mostly.
his legs may be largely useless right now, but in an instant he's pulling his own cloak off and stumbling over to the bleeding remains of Erwin's arm. he's not sure whether it will do much at this point, but it's still mostly clean, so he's going to try to use it to further stem the bleeding if nothing else.
what the fuck is going on, here? ]
Erwin. [ he rarely sounds panicked about anything, but he certainly does now. ] Are you okay? What can I do?
never
it had to be.
but now he's on a completely unfamiliar... planet? it seems absolutely unreal.
he thinks he's hallucinating when he hears levi speak; he'd been too out of it to register the strange speed with which he'd moved.
his body is in such distress that his own effects are going haywire, small rocks lifting and floating and then dropping again, over and over. he doesn't notice that, either.
levi... levi he notices. he lifts his head, leather still clenched between his teeth, and nods toward the stump of the arm. he's feeling even more lightheaded than ever; even nodding makes him feel a little like he's going to vomit. ]
I can't get the tourniquet tight enough.
[ his hand is too stiff with the green clustering all over it. he's muffled when he speaks, because of that same leather, but it's not like he can let it go.
he normally doesn't ask for help, but: ]
Hurry.
good
[ his legs might feel like jelly, but fortunately his arms still work. oh, and also there's the somewhat freakish strength he has at his disposal, so that helps, too.
he very briefly worries about pulling it too tight and hurting Erwin, but he just got his fucking arm bitten off so that ship has long sailed. that said, he won't quite use all of his strength yet, in the hope that he won't somehow just make it worse. still, even at less than his full capacity, once he's retrieved that strap from Erwin's mouth he pulls it pretty goddamn hard. after that, it's right back to glancing frantically between Erwin's face and what's left of his arm.
(he doesn't notice the rocks, either.) ]
More? Less?
[ Erwin survived this once; he'll survive it again. there's no other option. ]
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he zones out for a moment despite the pain, seeing as though through a fog, but he finally snaps out of it once levi speaks. ]
Tighten it once more and then buckle it. It should hold then.
[ his voice is even for most of this, but it briefly falters near the end. is he going into shock? it's hard to tell. he should have hours ago. ]
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(he usually does.)
as always, Levi wastes no time doing exactly what Erwin asks of him, even if he is panicking uncharacteristically. one more cinch of the makeshift tourniquet and he buckles it in place, still seemingly unbothered by the not-insignificant amount of blood he's now sporting on his hands and uniform. it's almost like it's a conditional aversion and Erwin's blood doesn't count. hmm. ]
Okay. We're getting out of here.
[ how? he has no idea whatsoever. but if Erwin's going to survive this (and he is going to survive this), he needs actual medical attention. so to that end, he ducks under Erwin's remaining arm and holds it behind his own shoulders so Erwin can lean on him while they walk to... wherever the fuck they're going.
it probably doesn't work that well considering he's a full foot shorter than Erwin, but he's going to try anyway. he's not leaving this place without him. ]
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however, it stops the bleeding, though his face is still pale and ashen.
even with as small as levi is, erwin leans on his extraordinary strength heavily, fingers sort of curling over his shoulder for leverage. it's not easy, and it's not simple, but it's the only thing keeping him upright as some of the adrenaline seeps out of him.
he knows what he should say, but he thinks levi won't listen. after a few labored steps though, he stops. ]
I'm just slowing you down.
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I know you don't actually think I would leave you behind. I'll just chalk it up to the blood loss.
[ does Erwin think he would leave him behind? hopefully not, but he's not doing it regardless. not now, not ever. ]
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[ he's speaking softer now, carefully. he doesn't want to make it an order, but he's considering it. ]
I'm barely standing. I'm barely awake. I'm not going to be any use to you. If something happens and you get hurt it will be my fault.
[ his voice wavers slightly (surprisingly) on that last sentence, but not because he feels weak. ]
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...nah. he already knows the answer to that. he cranes his neck to look Erwin in the eyes. it's very important that he hears this. ]
I won't. You can punish me afterwards, but you can't do that unless you're alive.
[ so there. ]
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it's a lot. he hates this. he's also never had to argue with levi like this and he hates that too. ]
At least go alone to find what needs finding [ shelter, fresh air, help— ] then come find me again.
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I can't.
[ he means he can't accept it, but it's also entirely possible that he physically can't. ]
I'm sorry, but you're coming with me.
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Fine.
[ he doesn't sound angry, just tired. ]
Let's go.
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weird.
he has to get Erwin out of here. ]
Just hold on a little longer.
[ physically and metaphorically.
anyway so that... happens, and they manage to live long enough to be rescued! hooray. sort of, because Erwin's still in very bad shape, but it quickly becomes clear that he's in good hands (rimshot)—these rock guys obviously have their shit together way better than they do back home, at least when it comes to medical intervention. and Levi knows this because he doesn't leave Erwin's side once, even when he's firmly asked to do so. what are they gonna do about it?
nothing, that's what.
alas, they don't seem to have the technology to actually regrow limbs. or maybe Erwin turned it down during the ten minutes a night Levi actually slept? either way, there's no miraculous regeneration, but he's okay with it. Erwin recovers, and that's all that matters to him.
but speaking of tunnel vision, he's kind of checked out during the spiel about Manna and Synchrony and all that nonsense—he recalls enough to consider it complete bullshit and wonder how the fuck he's going to get by in a place that runs on that stuff, but that's about it. they... may have to discuss this while they wait for a shuttle to whatever the hell planet that is.
he doesn't really care as long as they're doing it together. ]
How are you feeling?
[ like shit, he assumes. he's still gonna ask. ]
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he's out completely by the time they get him on a table, and they manage to get him stabilized and sewn up and everything with their space-age tech and probably some magic.
erwin doesn't get to appreciate it because he's kept out as they work on him, even through the blood transfusions.
when he wakes up levi is there, and he watches him for a long time through slitted eyes.
he listens to the spiel though, quietly, to be keyed in on it. he doesn't believe it, but he might have to at some point.
they're alone when levi speaks though, and erwin shrugs. he's completely healed, but he's still exhausted and achy. ]
Like I got run over by a cart. You look like you haven't slept.
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I slept a little. [ he didn't. ] You look... better, though. Much better.
[ not actively dying anymore will have that effect on a person, it turns out. but even if he does look tired, he's relieved. he's had to go through this twice now, after all. ]
You can probably stay here a little longer if you don't feel up to moving on yet.
[ he's 100% sure Erwin will say no to this, but it's the thought that counts sometimes. ]
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[ bluntly. it's true, at least. he nods at the comment about looking better, getting up properly (only struggling a little due to the lack of his arm) and stretching out. ]
I feel much better than I did. I don't think I need to stay here though. I've recovered remarkably quickly.
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You have.
[ he doesn't even want to think about what might have happened if their rescuers had been even a little bit late. ]
Always gotta be an overachiever.
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[ there's a pause before he grasps levi's shoulder for a moment, giving it a squeeze. ]
You'll help me through the steep learning curve? Support, at least. I need to learn how to do things for myself like this.
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almost. ]
Of course. You think I have time to wait on you 24/7?
[ the words are sharp but the tone isn't. he's never been a good liar, as Erwin well knows by now. truthfully, he'd happily wait on him 24/7. don't tell anyone. ]
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[ softly. he knows levi WOULD, but he feels uncomfortable with such a big ask. asking him to follow him into battle has use, has a purpose. asking him to do everything for him because he's too lazy to overcome a new disability? unconscionable.
there's a moment of slightly awkward movement where he uses his one arm to get on his feet properly. ]
Back home this would have put me out for weeks.
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I know. Maybe 'lucky' isn't the right word, but...
[ but he's seen the alternative. he was there the whole time for that, too. this time Erwin spent less time suffering, and that's more than enough for him. ]
...I dunno. Maybe it is.
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he studies levi for a long moment before reaching out and palming the junction of his shoulder and neck. then he retreats. ]
We can say it's lucky.
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needless to say, he has no idea how to respond to that, so he just defaults to following Erwin wherever he's headed. he really hopes he's not just hallucinating this. ]
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at least they can head out to where people are loitering and out of the room he'd been resting in, though he's looking around them with that cutting, shrewd gaze he's so good at. ]
What do you think about the requirements of this place?
[ he already knows. ]
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to be fair, though, this is all pretty wack. like, objectively. and speaking of things that are objectively wack, the aforementioned requirements of this place. he just scoffs, because it doesn't even seem like it could be a real thing. ]
It's ridiculous, obviously. It doesn't make any sense.
[ he has clearly not put any thought into it beyond that. ]
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[ he frowns, sighing, and just looks at him for a long moment. ]
They didn't sound like they were going to enforce it with force, but they did seem to be making life very difficult for anyone not abiding by it. It seems strange, doesn't it? A life of ease and luxury if only you follow what they want. I don't like it.
[ he makes no commentary about it being like prostitution, though he's sure some would make the connection, because they don't seem to care who you're intimate with and in what way. ]
I wonder what even truly counts.
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I don't like it, either.
[ prooobably for the best Erwin didn't mention prostitution. that would just make him hate this so much more. ]
...I don't know. But I guess it's a good thing I already have experience living on the streets.
[ you know, because he won't want to do anything like that with anyone.
almost anyone, anyway. ]
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[ firmly. then he sighs. ]
There are other methods. We'll just get jobs and pay for things. There's no reason we can't do that. We both have skills to offer.
[ he looks at him curiously. ]
I wouldn't be opposed to certain methods with--
[ he frowns. ]
Never mind. That's inappropriate of me.
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but when it finally does register, it still feels like he must have misheard. "certain methods"? he knows better than to try to play dumb in front of Erwin, but still...
he tries to play it cool, but his eyes widen anyway. ]
—No, wait, what do you mean?
[ he definitely heard wrong. there's no way. ]
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finally, after glancing away a moment, he looks back to levi. ]
They were clear that many different types of intimacy are viable. Is it too far off to conclude we could figure something out to maintain balance?
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his eyes don't leave Erwin's, even when he looks away. what was that? discomfort? he can't read people like Erwin can; it's hopeless to even try. he's quiet for what is probably too long. it might give off the wrong impression. or maybe it doesn't? Erwin is too smart for that. ]
...No. It's not.
[ actually, he was under the impression it was too far off, but if Erwin doesn't think so, that changes everything. ]
Is that really what you want?