[ Well, he's an adult now. Nobody gets to stay as they were when they were kids. But he's improved so much over the year. He definitely deserves this tea. And... perhaps another reminder that he's still one of them, soon. ]
[ It's probably for the best that he doesn't realize what Eren is thinking of their whole arrangement... then again, he probably wouldn't be too bothered anyway, so maybe it's unfortunate that he doesn't learn what it's like to be on the other end of assumptions. Anyway. ]
[ Babysitting is part of the whole deal, but it's more than that. Levi's used to Eren's presence by now; they've spent years under the same roof and he's aware of his absence in their shared future back home. This place is all about getting more time with people that you won't have a chance to see there, right? ]
[ And most of all, he doesn't want him to be alone. ]
[ And not just because he's proved he'll go completely off the deep end when that happens. Levi just figures it must hurt, and he'd rather spare him that, even after everything. ]
[ Of course, there's more of them now. Eren has Armin, and Mikasa, and Reiner, and the others. He doesn't need Levi, none of them do anymore. Hence the if you want. He's free to do something else (mostly; Levi would probably check up on him just in case.) But their door will stay open. ]
Really. If I didn't I would've just packed up and left while you're busy with a morning shit or something.
[ Ever poetic. But it should convey the sentiment well enough. He's invited. He's welcome. He's worried about. ]
[ Until Eren left for Marley, he'd probably spent as much time with Levi as with his friends. He'd spent a long time with just Levi's squad. Funny how that babysitting thing comes full circle.
Funny how Levi argued in his favour, wanting to trust him even then.
After everything, though, Eren assumed Levi would trust him enough not to try to kill everyone in Ellipsa and then get sick of him or something. He's never thought of it as not needing the captain; everyone is well aware how well Eren does without structure, even as he rails against it. He grew up in the military. His ability to follow orders is questionable, but routines aren't a bad thing.
Alone, would he have anything to ground him in here and now? Well, he'd manage. He managed in Folkmore. He hasn't really allowed himself room to think about how he'd feel if and when Levi left. He's just used to the captain's presence now. There isn't the tense near-animosity from when Levi first arrived. They watch Annika together, still, somehow hooked on it from that first day.
He'd miss the cat, too, he thinks. Maybe Yamask wouldn't.
One corner of his mouth quirks just a little at that comment. It isn't a smile, but it's…more than nothing. It used to just be nothing, the border of that terrible blankness he'd cultivated, partially to get Levi to give up on him. That ice has melted over the past year, more every month. ]
[ Funny. That's one word for it. Definitely fitting, at times. Sometimes, the joke was fucking sick, and the punchline was drawn in blood. Levi has had plenty of time to think about it. ]
[ And nonetheless, here he is now, extending that fragile branch of faith again. ]
[ Eren deserves a chance at peace. ]
[ He sees that little twitch in the brat's expression -- not quite a smile, but closer than he's been to it in -- months? years? -- and the sharpness in his eyes gets a little softer, too. ]
Good.
[ It's laconic, as it sometimes tends to be with him, but it's also genuine. He is glad Eren wants to come along. Then he doesn't have to be alone. Then they can continue to be... whatever they've been working at so far. Not quite normal people, perhaps, but as close to it as their lives will allow. ]
[ He drinks his own tea, too, a nice long sip. ]
I'll let you know when we go to look at places. If you wanna join. [ Because since Eren's going to live there, too, it's only fair if he also gets equal input on what kind of a house they should get. ] We're thinking something that looks closer to home.
[ Just without titans. Or, well, with one sometimes-titan. But peaceful, hopefully. ]
I'm not moving somewhere without electricity or running hot water again, though.
[ He may be particularly fond of some of these new creature comforts. Like the washing machine, the cleaning pancake, soaking in a tub, hot showers whenever. They're nice. He could do without them, of course, but... he doesn't need to, and so, sees no reason to deny himself that now. They've earned it. ]
[ Eren nods again and sips his tea. It really is better when Levi makes it; he'll have to ask what the difference is sometime. (It's probably a combination of patience and high standards, neither of which Eren has.)
He knows Levi well enough to catch the tone, the way his eyes get just a touch softer. It's not like Levi would offer something he wasn't sincere about, but it's still worth noticing. ]
Okay. I don't know anything about houses though.
[ He tilts his head a little. ]
Doesn't everywhere here have electricity and water?
[ He has no idea; he just assumes, since the couple houses he's been to do and these apartments do. ]
Either way, I agree. I wouldn't want to not have them again.
[ It's definitely both of those things. It's still something he can try to learn, though. Tea making drills is something they didn't have the luxury to do back home, even though they clearly should have, judging from everyone's poor skills at tea brewing. ]
That's fine. You don't need to be checking the shit pipes.
[ Speaking of which, they should probably hire someone to evaluate the state of the building before buying it. While people don't seem overall quick to scam otherworlders here, Levi sure as fuck isn't betting his bank on hopes and trust. ]
[ He makes a mental note of that on their ever growing to do list. ]
[ All Eren has to do is look around and decide if he likes it. Which one he likes more. Maybe he prefers one district over another; things like that, things they might end up voting for if their opinions differ, but it should be fine in the end. ]
Don't know about everywhere. Most, probably. Doesn't hurt to be specific.
[ There might as well be some otherwise nice looking village that still expects people to carry their water back from the well. They don't have enough Erens for that. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dreamsofwings) wrote2021-07-13 03:17 am
no subject
[ It's probably for the best that he doesn't realize what Eren is thinking of their whole arrangement... then again, he probably wouldn't be too bothered anyway, so maybe it's unfortunate that he doesn't learn what it's like to be on the other end of assumptions. Anyway. ]
[ Babysitting is part of the whole deal, but it's more than that. Levi's used to Eren's presence by now; they've spent years under the same roof and he's aware of his absence in their shared future back home. This place is all about getting more time with people that you won't have a chance to see there, right? ]
[ And most of all, he doesn't want him to be alone. ]
[ And not just because he's proved he'll go completely off the deep end when that happens. Levi just figures it must hurt, and he'd rather spare him that, even after everything. ]
[ Of course, there's more of them now. Eren has Armin, and Mikasa, and Reiner, and the others. He doesn't need Levi, none of them do anymore. Hence the if you want. He's free to do something else (mostly; Levi would probably check up on him just in case.) But their door will stay open. ]
Really. If I didn't I would've just packed up and left while you're busy with a morning shit or something.
[ Ever poetic. But it should convey the sentiment well enough. He's invited. He's welcome. He's worried about. ]
no subject
Funny how Levi argued in his favour, wanting to trust him even then.
After everything, though, Eren assumed Levi would trust him enough not to try to kill everyone in Ellipsa and then get sick of him or something. He's never thought of it as not needing the captain; everyone is well aware how well Eren does without structure, even as he rails against it. He grew up in the military. His ability to follow orders is questionable, but routines aren't a bad thing.
Alone, would he have anything to ground him in here and now? Well, he'd manage. He managed in Folkmore. He hasn't really allowed himself room to think about how he'd feel if and when Levi left. He's just used to the captain's presence now. There isn't the tense near-animosity from when Levi first arrived. They watch Annika together, still, somehow hooked on it from that first day.
He'd miss the cat, too, he thinks. Maybe Yamask wouldn't.
One corner of his mouth quirks just a little at that comment. It isn't a smile, but it's…more than nothing. It used to just be nothing, the border of that terrible blankness he'd cultivated, partially to get Levi to give up on him. That ice has melted over the past year, more every month. ]
Fair enough.
[ He finally drinks his tea. ]
I'll go with you.
[ He's not good at conveying sentiment, either. ]
Thanks. For…telling me, I guess.
no subject
[ And nonetheless, here he is now, extending that fragile branch of faith again. ]
[ Eren deserves a chance at peace. ]
[ He sees that little twitch in the brat's expression -- not quite a smile, but closer than he's been to it in -- months? years? -- and the sharpness in his eyes gets a little softer, too. ]
Good.
[ It's laconic, as it sometimes tends to be with him, but it's also genuine. He is glad Eren wants to come along. Then he doesn't have to be alone. Then they can continue to be... whatever they've been working at so far. Not quite normal people, perhaps, but as close to it as their lives will allow. ]
[ He drinks his own tea, too, a nice long sip. ]
I'll let you know when we go to look at places. If you wanna join. [ Because since Eren's going to live there, too, it's only fair if he also gets equal input on what kind of a house they should get. ] We're thinking something that looks closer to home.
[ Just without titans. Or, well, with one sometimes-titan. But peaceful, hopefully. ]
I'm not moving somewhere without electricity or running hot water again, though.
[ He may be particularly fond of some of these new creature comforts. Like the washing machine, the cleaning pancake, soaking in a tub, hot showers whenever. They're nice. He could do without them, of course, but... he doesn't need to, and so, sees no reason to deny himself that now. They've earned it. ]
no subject
He knows Levi well enough to catch the tone, the way his eyes get just a touch softer. It's not like Levi would offer something he wasn't sincere about, but it's still worth noticing. ]
Okay. I don't know anything about houses though.
[ He tilts his head a little. ]
Doesn't everywhere here have electricity and water?
[ He has no idea; he just assumes, since the couple houses he's been to do and these apartments do. ]
Either way, I agree. I wouldn't want to not have them again.
no subject
That's fine. You don't need to be checking the shit pipes.
[ Speaking of which, they should probably hire someone to evaluate the state of the building before buying it. While people don't seem overall quick to scam otherworlders here, Levi sure as fuck isn't betting his bank on hopes and trust. ]
[ He makes a mental note of that on their ever growing to do list. ]
[ All Eren has to do is look around and decide if he likes it. Which one he likes more. Maybe he prefers one district over another; things like that, things they might end up voting for if their opinions differ, but it should be fine in the end. ]
Don't know about everywhere. Most, probably. Doesn't hurt to be specific.
[ There might as well be some otherwise nice looking village that still expects people to carry their water back from the well. They don't have enough Erens for that. ]
Good, then we're on the same page.