He didn’t know how long he had drifted off but when he woke up, there was a blanket over him and his head was still resting comfortably in Erwin’s lap, the blond’s larger hand resting lightly on his shoulder.

“Morning,” Erwin greeted with a smile once he realized Levi was awake. “Did you sleep well?” 

“Hello, and yes, I slept better than on most days. I’m assuming it was also a lengthy time.”

“You only slept for two hours,” Erwin said, pushing Levi’s bangs out of his face.

“Really? That’s kind of long. I hope I get to sleep more later.”

Levi sat up, the blanket pooling around his waist. With a stretch and a covered yawn, Levi blinked in order to focus on the rest of the room, spotting Hanji who was sitting on a sofa on the other side of the room, smirking, and Mike settled beside them looking at some paintings on the wall.

“What time is it?” Levi asked to no one in particular, just wanting to get a distraction from the fact that Hanji was looking weird.

“I think it’s four,” Hanji answered, the calmest voice Levi heard from them all day.

“Shouldn’t you be on your way already?” Levi asked, looking at Erwin. “It’s not that I want you gone but I just want to make sure you get home at a reasonable hour.”

Well that was the answer to Erwin’s wandering thoughts. He was glad that had been answered because he would have eventually spent all his time trying to figure out if there was some form of underlying meaning.

“But will you be okay? I don’t want to leave you when you’re feeling hazy.”

“I’ll be fine, Erwin. I survived all these years by myself and I think I can survive until I see you next week. There’s no need to panic over me.”

“As long as you’re sure, then we’ll be leaving.”

Levi looked at Erwin with reassurance, signifying that he was capable of being left alone. For years he had been in the presence of no one except the ghosts, his uncle, and the occasional spider that lurked over the walls in the dead of night. He wasn’t a damsel in distress and he knew how to survive alone but Erwin being concerned for him touched a heart string that pulled harshly within and he felt himself internally falling.

“You have your clothes? Should I keep your weapons?” Levi asked, leaning on the sofa with his legs pulled close to him. He had positioned the blanket around his front allowing him to feel comfortable.

“Right. I’ll go get my clothes and you can get my other things.”

“I don’t feel like getting them, just get them from my room on the bedside cabinet. My room is three doors to the left from the one you stayed in, on the opposite wall.”

Erwin nodded and left to go find his belongings, praying that Hanji would stop staring at Levi so unsettlingly. 

The moment he gathered his clothes, he headed off to Levi's room and to be expected, the place was spotless. The bedsheets didn’t have a single wrinkle on them and the carpeted floor looked brand new. It either meant he took a lot of time organizing his territory or he hardly used it and in all honesty, he hoped it was the former. 

Erwin was already turning to head back out the door, not wanting to spend more time than necessary in a room that he really didn’t feel comfortable entering but he just so happened to glance at a wall on his way out and couldn’t help but notice a painting. It appeared to have two men, two women, and a young Levi smiling brightly in it. Erwin smiled at the painted Levi, noticing he had always been extremely small but at another glance, realized one of the men looked suspiciously familiar. 

Erwin couldn’t figure out why, possibly a coincidence. He shrugged it off as a person he had seen walking on the streets and left the room. 

Hanji was uncomfortably quiet for the time being and Mike didn’t want to know what was going through their head. If he asked, there was a high possibility it could mean non-stop chattering for hours on end and he didn’t want to risk that. It was strange to see them so quiet but it was refreshing to some degree with the aura of the quiet castle. They seemed as if they were about to start making noise and Mike held his breath, nervous for what they were about to say. Lucky for him, Erwin entered the room and Hanji seemed to have forgotten their words.

“I got my things and it seems like it’s time for us to leave,” Erwin said, entering the room and heading to Levi. “Thank you for taking me in. You didn’t have to and I appreciate it.”

Levi smiled. It was one thing to have a nice time with a complete stranger he wanted to call a friend and it was another to be thanked in that manner. He could have almost gone shy but he looked at Erwin with warm eyes, signaling that it was no problem. 

“Your presence was rather enjoyable and I met a new person.”

The seated three stood up where the four then walked to the door, Levi opening it for them. The shorter stood on the front steps and watched as the guests got their horses ready to go back home. He slipped on a pair of shoes and went over to the horse Erwin was saddling up, deciding he could have one last decent conversion or at least a comforting silence.

“Should I come here or do you want to visit town next week?” Erwin asked, not looking up from where he was buckling the saddle below the beast.

“I have nothing to do here besides clean, so it wouldn’t matter. But if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to visit you.”

He didn’t remember the last time he had visited town. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to go but he had to act as if he wasn't desperate because frankly, that was the last thing he wanted.

“That wouldn’t be a problem. Pick a day as well,” Erwin instructed, standing straight and walking closer to Levi, who was petting the horse’s muzzle. “I’ll be off now. See you next week Ma’am.”

Levi rolled his eyes and stepped away from the horse.

“Farewell, Sir. Don’t get lost and make sure you get home safely.”

“I will as long as you make sure to eat and get sleep, all right? I don’t want you passing out again.”

“I’ll try.”

Erwin nodded at Levi who nodded right back, waving at Hanji and Mike before heading to stand in front of the house. With a sigh, he watched them ride off, away from the castle and out of sight.

“As long as Erwin doesn’t hate me when he finds out Uncle Kenny is behind the lack of Father,” Levi whispered to himself as he watched their figures get smaller.