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Levi looked at his naked reflection with mild disgust. He never regretted joining the Survey Corps, but he did wish he could avoid these changes to his body. Yes, he was more muscular and lean from regular workouts rather than hunger, but he was grateful for that. What bothered him are the constant bruises. Not from fists, as he had always had before, but from the vertical maneuvering gear.
He had used vmg before, but not like this. Not while training to fight titans. Training is much more intense than petty theft. His previous use of vgm had just left him with temporary indentations in the skin. Training in the Corps leaves bruises. They started as angry red lines, criss crossing his body, but training almost every day didn’t leave them time to disappear. They changed from blue and purple to green and yellow then back again, day after day.
He found that after his first mission outside the walls his bruises were much more pronounced. The edges of the purple lines were even bleeding slightly from the straps digging into his skin. Fighting in the Corps leaves scars.
Levi found himself staring intently down at his feet, badly bruised with the thin white scars outlining each shadow of the straps.
A hand touched his shoulder and Levi looked up, meeting Erwin’s eyes in the mirror.
Levi’s eyes softened. “Oh,” he exhaled, “I didn’t realize you were up.”
Erwin put his arm around Levi’s chest and gently traced the shorter man’s scars with the pad of his thumb. They looked almost silver in the faint light of dawn creeping through the window. Levi met Erwin’s eyes again and a soft smile came over the blond’s face.
“They don’t get any better,” Erwin said, his voice thick with sleep.
“I know, I’ve seen yours,” Levi replied.
The two men stand in silence for a few moments, basking in the stillness that early morning brings. “Levi….” Erwin begins. “Im—“
“Don’t you dare apologize, Erwin,” Levi interrupts. Then, in a softer voice, he continued, “This was my choice. And I don’t regret it. How could I regret a choice that led me to you?”
Levi turned around and Erwin put his other arm around him. Levi pulled Erwin down and their lips met, tasting stale from sleep. Levi pulled away. “Let’s just sleep for a little longer,” Levi suggested.
Erwin started to back up to bed still awkwardly hugging Levi. With each lurching, off-balance step backward, Erwin gave him a light kiss. “You sappy idiot,” Levi laughed.
The blond reached the bed, let go of Levi, and pulled back the blanket. “After you,” he said.
Levi lay down in the bed and motioned for Erwin to follow. The blond crawled in beside the shorter man and he pulled the blanket over them both. Erwin pulled Levi in close to his chest, and they slowly drifted off to sleep, their morning breath mingling in the air around them. For once, a sense of normalcy in their chaotic lives.