The Royal Decree (Erwin x Levi)

Chapter 22

A:n The party continues! Here you go, my loves, another chapter of our story :)

"Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!"

The beat of the men's voices reverberated in Levi's bones as his colleagues and he took the floor. The night had been peaceful, as peaceful as a night full of sex, drugs, and alcohol could be, with most of the higher echelon of the Military Police in attendance. Then, the host drunkenly offered a vote on what the guests wanted the whores to do next. Apparently, they took pleasure in watching young men move to the rhythm of the music that was rarely played aboveground, the music of the lowlife people whom they had abandoned underneath their feet. As Levi moved to the beat of the tambourine one of the boys wielded, his calm eyes surveyed the audience, and he was glad that the mask hid the expression of disgust his face took on. To these men, they were exotic animals, things that were used for visual pleasure and sex, something different, something that would take them away from their boring lives with their spouses within the comfortable confines of the Inner Wall. Most of these men were married, a lot of them even had children, and yet here they were, partaking in the drinks and sight of Kenny's merchandise.

His gaze turned to the one quiet figure that stood separate from the rest of the men who had flocked together to get a closer look at the dancers. Erwin was resolute, with only his drink for company, his expression somber and unreadable, as it would be during a formal meeting. It was clear that he was not here of his own will. Perhaps the capital had put pressure on him to make an appearance at these kinds of functions. Maybe he had come to drown his failed marriage in the atmosphere of inequity that reigned here. Either way, the man was not enjoying himself, and Levi felt a tingle of pride at the thought. This was the man he'd married.

Suddenly, their eyes met, and Levi nearly stumbled over his steps. He tore his gaze away with difficulty, thinking hard. He had not anticipated seeing Erwin, not here, not now. Should I try to make contact? Would he even want me back after this? Would he be able to? Thoughts were rampant in his head as he lost himself in the dance, allowing the motions to take him away. He would think about it later.

The dance turned into another one, and then another – and soon the Military Police joined them on the dance floor as well, their grubby hands reaching out to touch the whores. Levi ignored them without protesting their actions; he did his job with no particular enthusiasm, his mind racing. Erwin did not dance; instead, he just stood where he had been since the moment of Levi's arrival, drink in hand. The former Corporal felt Erwin's eyes on him even as he turned away. Finally, the music died down, and the men of the Military Police cheered loudly, their whooping voices almost deafening.

The room dissolved into small groups, and the boys went off to join them, giggling and sipping at the men's drinks flirtatiously, all teasing glances and cutely lewd comments. With a shuddering breath, Levi made his way toward the end of the room to take a breather. As he flexed his tired knees, he looked sideways at the Commander of the Survey Corps. A sigh and an inner struggle later, he was taking a glass of wine with him to the man. The blond barely spared him a glance as he sat down on the windowsill next to him.

"Not your kind of party?" Levi whispered to conceal his voice. Erwin seemed to startle when the former Corporal addressed him. He gave the whore a resigned look.

"Not really."

"You're not one of them," Levi said, deciding to play dumb for a while. Maybe he'd be able to approach the topic from an angle that would not leave both of them incredibly vulnerable. Erwin gave him a questioning look, and Levi pointed at his uniform jacket. "You don't have that weird horse thing on your emblem."