Chapter Text
"I am divorcing your father!” A yell took into the air of the halls of the Scout barracks multiple times over. Eren pauses, mouth open with a biscuit in his hand between index and thumb. A distance away from biting into the crumbling sweet delight as he hears the raise of a voice of one of his superiors. Green eyes phasing out as his mind runs off with different reasons for this current noise at the late hour of the night.
His Captain is the one yelling down one of the many hallways of the Scout regiment.
Eren’s eyes dart off to the side as Connie is caught in his vision. The boy only side eyes back to the brunette in stun astonishment. Body staying as still as possible. Eyes large, lips thin with the beat of his heart accelerating. Good thing is, it isn’t their Captain bashing the door down to figure out why everyone is still awake...and eating.
Levi has a habit of kicking barrack doors down with any squeak of a noise made by any of his soldiers at an ungodly hour. Everyone came to believe that their Captain never sleeps. Or…so they thought. Unfortunately, the poor guy is a riddle of insomnia and merely got less than three hours of sleep a night. This setup leaves Levi as a walking surveillance alarm for any misbehavior at night. It never stops any of the boys trying to get each other into trouble with their superiors for fun. Levi is terrifying but ‘ fuck around and find out ‘ is a famous game for the male barracks.
Boys will be boys at the end of the day.
Eren still remembers the time that almost everyone stripped Connie out of his sleep shirt and trousers down to his underwear and pushing him out of the barracks; alone. Locking the door securely in wait for Levi.
The hunter to find the bait.
𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.
Regardless of Armin and Bertolt’s pleads to let Connie back in. Only then have they ever heard Levi shouting at Connie, chasing the scout down the hallway till exhaustion by fast pace running of footed boots by their superior. Scolding the soldier, ignoring his pleads that his friends betrayed him to be the clown of their little game. Levi will and chase his target down till they are exhausted and unable to continue running for some tether of safety from this whole 160cms of pure anger and instincts to prey upon bad behavior being displayed under the roof of The Survey Corps. Their Captain always giving a beating for behavior such as that moment and any others the boys came up with over their time spent as scouts. Erwin never has involvement with such discipline. It seems the man lets Levi loose at night for enrichment. Just his favorite dog being let out to hunt down soldiers whom think it is funny to pull pranks even with the position their nation is in.
These days are war days. There is barely anything to laugh about. But when you are a teenager in military, it is easy to throw a joke around and bring entertainment to those who have nothing to smile for. An earning family that is worth it.
“What happened this time?” Armin says as others from their barracks start to peer off their bunkers. The blond is nervously playing with an ear, pinching it between two finger tips as he sits cross-leg on his lower bunker under Eren’s own. Blue eyes of sapphire gave a glow in the dark room. The moon’s light gave aid to that laminating glow of the boy.
Only a flame is lit on the only lamp that is provided in the share room for the soldiers. Eren said nothing in return as his eyes glance off towards a few others on the opposite side of the room. Wearing only a dress shirt with one of his trousers. Jean and Marco. Reiner and Bertolt. Each teenager could do nothing besides either rolling eyes or shaking heads. Everyone wore dress shirts to bed. There is nothing interesting in what they wear that is not their assigned uniform once rising the next morning. Comfortable yet baggy clothes are suitable for sleep wear in this regiment and is allowed.
“Beats me-“ Jean starts before being cut off with a “We should go check.” From Bertolt. The low rumble of their Captain’s voice fading off down the hall, towards the female barracks. Marco gave a nervous whine; unsure of all the fuss and if they should check on their higher up and his wellbeing.
“Okay so,” Connie, peeking up from the lower bunk he sat on as legs cross over. Jaw string swinging back and forth connecting to his dress shirt. “This is like-eee-e-“ prolonging the word on his tongue as his eyes stay gluing to the door of their barracks. “The eleventh time this has happened this week. It can’t be that serious now, yeah?”
No one responds to that. It was full of uncertainty and anxiety. Despite that unsettling emotion stuck in everyone’s guts, a few of them start planting ridiculous smiles on their faces the more that silence rings through their chamber. This was ridiculous work of Levi.
“The scout funds are going to become child support for all you brats!“ Levi has come back around again before doing the rounds once more. The gentle taps of his heels were faint but the man is only aimlessly stalking the hallways in the silent darkness with no light ever shining under the door frame of the boys barrack. Jean’s eyes enlarge at that sudden sentence, a cup of water tipping at an angle into his parting lips. Water spitting out of his mouth as he choked on the remaining amount down his throat. “I’m taking full custody!” Levi wasn’t letting up.
“…Could it?” Connie raises a hand to press his palm onto the back of his shaven head. More than half of these announcements were due to petty arguments between two particular higher ups. The scouts have no control over what happens with the higher team that reside on one upper level of the barrack quarters. Levi came down here on purpose to share the same news they heard a few days ago.
“Maybe the girls know what is happening. They love the gossip, don’t they? I can ask Sasha!” Connie continues to smack his lips. Wailing off as the rest of the boys thought over what could possibly be going on between their leaders. “Not like we are any better.” Eren lowers the hand that held the biscuit. Sometimes the boys snuck into the mesh hall to grab a few snacks. They were at the growing age of puberty, it is bound to happen to have supplies vanishing without a trace while looking after a unit of teenage-growing-soldiers. Puberty is not cheap to run in this facilitiy.
“What did the Commander do?” Marco, carefully approaching the ladder that tied to the side of his bunk. Out of everyone here, he is the most gentle of the group. Gripping at the ladder, he carefully lowers himself on each step. Jean, underneath Marco’s bunk, swiftly turns his head to the noise his comrade made with the ladder. A few squeaks and groans from the worn in wooden ledges. This however, only made him spread a cheeky smile onto his face. During the period of time that no one was responding to Marco, he decides to push the bottom of his bare foot into the ladder. This lead to it losing its weight against the bunk, causing it to now topple over anti clock wise to the opposite side of the cramping room. Marco gives an unsteady cry as he fell off the ladder, landing on his back onto the wooden floor with a loud thud, the ladder following close behind he desperately grabs at for a sense of safety.
Jean bit the inside of his cheek. Not the first time he has done this. Everyone was a target for his antics and unfortunately tonight it is Marco. Intrusive thoughts get the better of any of them in the room, it is too good to deny it at times. The demons in his brain gave him a point for his stupidity in hurting the other's back for humor.
“Oh dude! You good?!“ Connie stands up from his bunk, unable to hide the smile that peers over his features. It was funny.
“Y-Yeah-“
“Okay, we should check on him-“ Ignoring Marco and Connie, Eren went back to basics. What then? They couldn’t do anything to stop the quarrels between their higher ups other than becoming sitting ducklings waiting for the mated pair to stop their arguments. Again. The few times this has happened in the past... it is always over something stupid. Stupid to Eren's head that is.
“I wonder what Commander Erwin did this time.” Bertolt mumbles under his breath. A sigh left him at the end of his sentence as Connie aids in getting Marco to stand onto his own two feet: ignoring the ladder that splays over the floor of their share space. Surprisingly, it does not summon Levi to their front door to scold. “Knowing their last fight, it was probably something petty or private.” It is plain obvious that both Captain and Commander have some kind of intimate relationship. The whole Survey Corps just rolls with it. No one pointing a finger or making light of it. They took it as fact and pretend to not meddle in the middle of their business.
But other than that.
No one ever got between them…especially not Levi Ackerman of all individuals. Everyone fears him to a degree but at the same time he is a supportive figure to the younger generation of soldiers. Levi’s respect was earned but he has his own way of nurturing their regiment. “Didn’t a fight like this break out over Erwin not allowing Levi to sit on his lap during his report writing a few nights ago…?” Said in curiosity by Bertolt. Reiner crosses his arms, a blond eyebrow raisng as he slowly turns his upper body to his buddy on the side of him. Head following in silence as he scans his friend over. “What.” Besides himself, he was curious on where this information was gathered from and who.
“Or was that two weeks ago?” Bertolt adds, tapping a fingertip onto his lip a couple of times after a moment of silence following after Reiner. Eyes glancing up to the ceiling in thought. Entering his own bubble. It seems some gossip was jumping around the place about their commanding officers relationship that they struggle to hide. There is Captain and Commander...and there is Levi and Erwin. Two peas in a pod.
Jean stands up from his lower bunk, pushing himself by the palms of his hands. Fast, abrupt and unruly as he made himself known to the other two on the higher bunk above his. “Our little Captain out here pulling a fuss over that?!”
“Oh wow.” Connie’s voice got an octave lower. “Where did you hear that from?”
“I overheard Hange a while ago. They were laughing over the knee about it.”
That made some sense, then.
“Quit gossiping, we got to see what’s up now.” Without missing a beat and finishing the biscuit messily in his hand, leaving crumbs behind on his sheets; Eren jumps down from his bunk. Gripping at the supporting wooden beam with both hands before throwing his legs over to land onto his feet. Before he can even turn to face the door, Connie races past him like a strike of lightening. “Anyone who doesn’t follow is a pussy-“ Ignoring that statement all together, Eren follows behind by the time the other busts the door open with a slam of his body weight. However, that comment made everyone in the room move into action. Following both Eren and Connie out into the hallway. Marco is the only one who stays behind in the barracks, eyeing each and every one of his crew members flooding out the door frame that breaches out from their room. He is comfortable being the pussy to avoid Levi's wrath.
It is around almost midnight by the time the whole group of them wandered off down into the same direction Connie decides on last second of skipping down further in front of everyone. No one else was planning for a destination, only following their fellow soldier down each turn of a corner. Soft idle chat fell upon them on random topics that came of interest. No one was staying on top of their objective.
“Whoa! S-Sir!” Stuttering his words, Connie came to a halt around the next corner he took. Eren’s eyebrows raising in interest, pacing a little faster than the group that continues to dawdle behind him. Without much of a noise, their Commander turns around the corner past Connie. Arms behind his back, presentable in uniform without a wick of sleepiness in his bright blue ocean eyes. A glowing halo reflecting from the moon's rays on strands of blond hair. In the dark, it makes him look abnormally taller than his usual height. Erwin suspends his stroll with a stern raising eyebrow. Catching the strict salute Connie presents himself with from around the corner…he adjusts himself to turn in place to follow his superior's position. Salute still in position with a fist clamping over his chest. This led to the rest of the group to follow suit.
“Soldiers….back to your quarters.” Strict with his leadership, he is snippy with his tone of voice. Even at this hour Erwin kept it sharp and simple. He took a breath, an exhausting one with the quarrel he is stuck with for the night. “Now. Training starts early tomorrow for you.” The last thing the superior wants was keeping his young soldiers up due to his Captain having another complaining tantrum.
The Commander parts his lips, about to share a few words with the group till Levi passes down the hallway they all reside in. Here comes the next round...the third time tonight? Slanting eyes glance at each and every one of his boys as a hand is raise to the side of the raven’s face. Barely any expression is readable on his face besides the upmost dark angry glare that held the rest of his features. Staying intimidating as ever, their Captain wastes no time to spare any eye contact for Erwin. Ignoring the man’s existence all together.
Oh, he is 𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥.
“I am divorcing your father!”
A petty sway of Levi’s hips carries him past the group after his next announcement of the same words he has been parrying around for at least ten minutes or so.
“Ignore him! I said the word ‘ No ‘.” Erwin’s voice starts to raise in volume and fast in front of his scouts. His attention shifting immediately and completely on to Levi. It is as if he completely forgot the group of soldiers were physically in front of him in the hall a second ago. Walking at a quick and steady rate, preying off towards his Captain who stays a fair feet away from his Commander which is deliberate. 𝘖𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦. The raven turns down another corner to disappear from view. Keeping his hand up to his cheek as he continues. Barely caring what his partner had to say. Bertolt covers his mouth. Suppose it is true that Levi has a petty side to him. Relationship clinginess. It isn’t far off that the statement Hanji spoke of is true.
“H-Honey- 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘪!” First stuttering the pet name on accident, shouting down the hall in correction made by no one other than their Commander. The pattern of footsteps fading off by distance as the two vanish off into the darkness.
Rubbing his temples with a thumb and finger, Reiner remains speechless out of embarrassment to see this trifling behavior. Jean releases his salute, unable to keep his composure, he bent his upper body forwards and covers his mouth to keep his laugh at minimal which soon just grew louder the more the footsteps fade into the distance. “Now that was a sight!” Half of the group are trying their best to hold it together after the little display between the pair. Connie releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in during Erwin’s sudden appearance. Dumbfounding and lost. Eren shrugs his shoulders. As much as this is entertaining, he is more upset about the amount of sleep he could be getting if the two weren’t fighting at this hour of the night. Noticing last minute that they lost Armin on the way in the pitch black hallway.
“Just another dumb fight. Let’s go back to sleep…Marco is waiting on us.”