𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 ||【 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕚 𝕏 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕏 𝔼𝕣𝕨𝕚𝕟】

|6| Bonding ✔️

"You know, for a Commander, you can be really impulsive sometimes." I muttered, cradling Erwin's injured hand in my lap as I carefully tended to his bleeding knuckles.

"I'm not the Commander," he corrected softly, eyes drifting down to where his large hand rested in my smaller ones.

"Right. Not yet." I mumbled, sighing as I dipped a cotton ball into peroxide, then gently dabbed it onto his skin.

His fingers tightened around mine, jaw clenched from the sting.

Erwin was too damn stubborn to go to the infirmary, so here I was, patching him up in his room. My mask was tossed aside, boots kicked off, and legs crossed on his couch as I worked.

"Sorry," he murmured, loosening his grip.

"It's fine." My cheeks warmed—noticeably, I was sure—so I avoided looking at him.

I let go of his hand for a moment, letting it rest on my leg while I reached for gauze. The room was quiet as I wrapped his knuckles with practiced care. When I finished, he pulled his hand back, examining my work with a thoughtful gaze.

"You should've gone to the infirmary," I said, standing and tossing the bloody cotton into the trash. "But... this'll do."

"It's good. Thank you. You didn't have to do this," he said, standing and walking to his desk where yet another stack of papers waited.

"Just like you didn't have to beat the hell out of those guys. What did they even say to get you so worked up?" I asked, settling into one of the hard wooden chairs across from him.

He paused, not looking at me.

"Something that, if you'd heard it, you would've done worse."

I raised a brow but didn't push. Instead, I shifted in the chair, tossing my legs over the armrest and folding my arms over my stomach.

Erwin rolled his eyes, grabbed his ink and quill, and got back to work.

"You know," I yawned, rubbing my eyes and leaning my head back, "I never get how you have this much paperwork all the time."

"Storage, upkeep, recruit arrangements..." he flipped through a few pages, "expedition planning. And now, with those thugs, more paperwork since I brought them in—"

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes flicking up. Without a word, he stood, pushed his chair back, and made his way around the desk.

"What the hell—" I began, only to let out a surprised huff as he bent down and scooped me into his arms—one beneath my knees, the other around my back.

"You can sleep in my bed," he said simply. "I'll be up anyway."

Too tired to argue, I rested my head against his chest. "Thanks."

The door to his room creaked open, and moments later, my back hit the soft mattress. I sighed as a blanket was drawn over me.

"Sleep well," he whispered.

I hummed in response, eyes already closing. The bed smelled like him—clean, warm, familiar—and it felt like Heaven, especially after a week without even touching a mattress.

—

"Why do I have to be here?" I grumbled, arms crossed, irritation clear on my face.

I wore the standard Scout uniform—minus the jacket and cape. Too restrictive for my taste, and Erwin had finally gotten sick of my constant complaining. Beside me stood Levi, his usual stoic self, wearing the same gear but with the jacket.

Ahead of us, Erwin, Hanji, and Flagon stood watching. Levi and I both had our ODM gear on, and when I muttered in English, Levi shot me a sidelong glance.