For my dear @noxiousflorist for the Secret Santa gift exchange. Have some old men dancing together but also being stupid about everything! Also on AO3
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The party had been too much for Levi this time. Too many loud, drunken nobles asking one too many questions. A few had even been so bold as to try and ask the man about personal dealings. As if he would tell some drunkard that looked more like the stuffed, suckling pig that was the centerpiece at the table than a human anything personal. Levi’s only response to such questioning had been a roll of his eyes and a sip of his wine as he walked away as the questioner began to get red faced and yell after him.
Erwin could tell the second the door to his room clicked shut just a bit harder than usual that his right hand was down to his last thin strand of calm. The man shifted, looking up from the papers at his desk, taking in his captain lingering by the doorway in his dress blue uniform. Levi had hated getting fitted for it but, if he was going to go to the fundraising parties inside Sina, it was necessary. It would be a lie if Erwin said he didn’t like the fitted jacket on the smaller man. He shook his head, snapping himself out of his derailing thoughts and gave Levi a small, tired smile. “What’s troubling you, Levi?”
“How do you deal with this all the time? The drunks, the nosy snobs… They’re disgusting.” Levi looked from the new stack of papers on either side of Erwin on the little, borrowed for the night, desk his commander had taken up residence at following the end of the party. He knew he was reviewing donation pledges but the dying candlelight had him furrowing his brow, forgetting his troubles from the party and shifting his focus to the most likely illegible scrawl on the papers. “You’re going to give yourself a headache reading that nonsense.”
A soft chuckle came from the man behind the desk and he let out a sigh, pushing the little stack in front of himself to the side. “I think I started to get one already.”
“Why am I not surprised.” Levi drew closer to the desk before rounding the corner, standing beside Erwin, arms crossing over his chest as he looked down at the other man. “Get up, old man. Time for bed for you.”
“Oh come on Levi… It’s not that late.” The pout that found its way onto Erwin’s lips was met with a blank stare from his companion before Levi reached out, hooking a hand under Erwin’s arm to start to haul the larger man up from his chair.
“None of that shit. Not tonight. It’s not going to work on me for once.”
“For once? So… It does all other times then?”
“Shut up.” Even in the dimming light, Erwin was able to notice the rosy hue that dusted Levi’s cheeks all the way to his ears, bringing a smile to the commander’s lips. Once Levi had managed to manhandle Erwin to his feet, the smaller man suddenly found himself gathered up into a waltz position causing him to jerk and try to push away. “The hell?”
“I didn’t get to dance at the party with the only person I wanted to dance with…” As he spoke, Erwin started to slowly lead Levi in a simple box step around the room. He kept Levi’s hand held tight in his own as his other rested comfortably against the small of the other man’s back.
The colour that had been on Levi’s features only darkened as Erwin kept him close. As the commander led him around the room, Levi could feel his chest tighten, heart starting to race the longer he was held against the other and the grip he had had on Erwin’s shoulder started to tighten as he sought to calm himself down. Grey eyes shifted their gaze from the commander’s chest, slowly moving up before he followed along the curve of Erwin’s lips, mouth suddenly going dry.
If asked to describe how he felt, Levi would say it felt like standing the the center of a storm. The feelings in him directionless and dragging him along highs and lows, constantly changing every few seconds so he never had a moment to ground himself. Slowly, Levi lifted his hand from Erwin’s shoulder, taking advantage of the man’s closed eyes as his hand hovered in place before it came into contact with the Erwin’s jaw, thumb ghosting against parted lips.
The touch to his jaw drew no reaction from Erwin and if it had startled him at all, it never would have been noticed. Blue eyes opened to meet wide, darkened grey, the action having surprised Levi himself and Erwin took the chance to lean down, lips ghosting over Levi’s, taking full advantage of the smaller man’s momentary shock. It was all Levi needed to snap out of his haze, that light, timid brush of lips against his own had him jerking away and prying himself free from Erwin’s arms. “Erwin…”
Dark brows knitted together as Erwin tried to sort out why he had been pushed away, confused as to how he managed to misread the situation. As he worked on a solution to the problem, Levi was moving back in, hands going to each side of Erwin’s face, holding the man in place as he leaned in to close the distance between them again. Erwin startled when Levi came back in full force, his hands going to the smaller man’s shoulders, not wanting him to leave as he returned the kiss.
It didn’t last long. Nothing in life ever did for either man. Levi pulled away first, hands falling from Erwin’s face, landing against his sides. “...I should… Get to bed myself… You should go too… Before that headache gets worse…”
Erwin’s hands dropped from the other’s shoulders and he swallowed hard, shoving his questions to the side for later. His tongue slipped out to brush over his lips as he watched Levi, trying to form a response. “...Yes… Right… Of course.” A smile came to his lips, one that he knew Levi would easily see as forced and the smile he only wore when dealing with the higher-ups. “Thank you… For coming with me tonight and… For your concern, Levi.”
“Yeah... “ Levi shifted, straightening himself out a bit before turning, heading to the door, ready to leave. His hand lingered on the knob, feet wanting to continue to carry him through but his heart wanting him to linger. “...Good night, Erwin.”
“Good night, Levi.” The only response to Erwin’s words was the sound of the door opening and quickly shutting again followed by familiar footsteps heading down the hall. Erwin sat on the edge of his desk, hands covering his face for a moment to muffle a strange sound before he ran his hands through his hair, turning to blow out the candle, papers forgotten for the night.
