The Three Stories

The start

work, work, work. Thats all Erwin gets these days. Three stacks of paper on his desk and a not working brain. He sighs deeply, glancing out the window  into the dark void outside. Cloudy night, his favourite. He enjoyed the silence that filled his office. They had just had a new bunch of cadets, most seeming to be friends with Eren. As Erwin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes his door opened. "Evening commander handsome!" Hange walked in, more like jumped in, and Erwin hummed. "Evening Hange" he hummed to the non-binary. Hange was one of Erwin's most trusted, They were cleaver and knew what to do but they were, as Moblit put it, insane. Hange cleared there throat, "I haven't seen you all day, no one has" Erwin opened his eyes and turned to face her. "Mikes seen me today" Hange had to take a moment to process. "...That lying fuck!" Hange practically shouted. "He told me he's been busy all day" Hange pouts as Erwin laughs. Mike was a very close friend, him and Mike are friends with benefits at this point. Hes known Mike since they were five and they have known Hange since seven. Most higher ups in the corps either knew each other from cadets or since kids, apart from Levi, hes a different story. Hange sat on Erwins desk, legs crossed. "Quite a bit of paperwork, huh?" Hange picked up a piece of paper and read it. "half of it is from Nile" Erwin groaned. Hange laughed. "He doesnt seem to give you a break, does he?" Erwin rolled his eyes. "Why dont you go to your short lover?" Hange scoffed. "Please Erwin, i dont love him, i merely.....favour him" Hange puffed there chest out. "of course, how rude of me to assume" Erwin grinned. "And no you cant go capture titans if thats what your here for" Hange jumped off his desk. "Wh-psh-me?-asking to hun-i mean capture titans? I'd never sinceialreadyknowtheanswer" Hange sulks with a pouty lip like a toddler. "I can tell thats what you wanted to ask for, its all you ask for" Erwin raises a brow. "Fine, fine, you got me. I just also came to check if you getting sleep." Erwin stayed silent, he doesn't sleep much due to paperwork and being a workaholic, as well as often nightmares. He just nods, Hange knowing thats a lie but leaves him to it. Erwin went back to glancing out the window, watching people walk around with horses or kids. Its not long till his door opens again and closes, instantly by the reflection in the door and the heavy foot steps he knows its Mike. "Its late" Mike mutters in his deep musky voice. Erwin stays silent, not wanting to face the big beast Levi calls a mutt. Mike walked closer and spun his chair around so hes face to face with the baby faced commander, Erwin being able to smell Mikes familiar musk. "You cant make me sleep" Erwin glared at him. Mike rolls his eyes backing off, standing beside him and looking out the window with Erwin, arms folded across his broad chest. Erwin glances at the kids Mikes watching, playing on hay bails. "Doesn't seem that long ago since that was me, you and Nile" Erwin mutters out. Mike lets out a grunt at the mention of Nile. "You cant be salty about him forever, you know we've got a meeting with him soon and hes still scared of you from the last meeting" Mike growled. "He had it coming. Dragging Marie and his kids into the conversation, tsk" Erwin chuckled. "your starting to sound like Levi" Mike glared at Erwin. "Id never want to be that drowned sewer rat" Mike leaned against Erwin's desk. "Says the mucky pup" Mike rolled his eyes but cracks a smile. "Eyebrows" Erwin let out an pretend over exaggerated gasp. "Im offended" Mike laughs. "Our childhood names were weird. Particularly yours" Erwin sighed. He wanted the present to be like the past. Where they didn't have to worry and just play around. 

~14 years ago~

Erwin was running past the gates, despite it being a hot day, all the way to a hunting cabin in the woods. Once out of breath and near the building he walked, panting heavily and throat sore from breathing heavily. "Mike!" he shouted as loud as he can to the taller males cabin. Mike walked out his cabin, bed head and clothes messy. He yawned as he say Erwin and instantly woke up when Erwin shook him awake. "Ok, ok, im awake, what is it-" he instantly gets a book shoved into his face. Mike took it and realised it was more like a thin journal. "..What is it?" Erwin groaned and snatched the book away. "Its a journal" Erwin smiled. Mike was silent. "Whats it about?" Erwin groaned louder. "About the scouts! I found it" Mike rolled his eyes. "For someone who lives in the posher end of the walls you sure find junk" Erwin frowned. "But its not junk, its about the scouts, the MPs and what not and how they were formed" Erwin giggled but stopped when he saw Mike wasn't in the mood. Mike isn't a morning person and prefers to not be woken up by someone screaming his name. I mean, who would? Mike heads back inside his cabin, Erwin following. Once inside Mike gets a cup of water as Erwin sits at the table. "Wheres your mother?" Erwin asked softly. "Hunting since winters setting in. My sisters still asleep" Mike hummed. Erwin nods. Mikes sister was scary, she was taller than the average female and was very muscular, all the Zacharias' are. They have a reputation of hunting and selling fur and meat as well as being inhumanly strong. Weird sense of smell too, there nicknames are dogs or mutts, there nickname for there family being a pack of wolves, or to put it simply, freaks. Mike finishes his water and goes to get dressed, leaving Erwin to read the book. Once Mikes changed they head outside and further into the woods. They would usually go get Nile but they like there alone time since Nile teases them. While walking Erwin was reading out what it said in the book, Mike making snag comments now and then. "Theres so much in this, im glad i found it!" Mike rolls his eyes. "And i'm glad you finally shut up, I almost fell asleep" Mike joked. "Shut up, you only find hunting and gutting animals interesting" Mike laughs. Erwin pouting. Erwin sits on a tree and looks at the sky, Mike climbing the tree. Mike sniffs the air and gets down from the tree. "We should get going, I can smell something bad coming" Erwin hesitates but gets up, hopping off the tree. They start heading back when it starts to lightly rain. Mike suggests running home but Erwin says to walk since he enjoys the rain. Mike doesn't want to leave him so he agrees and they walk till it gets heavier and they can hardly see. Mike drags Erwin under a tree that blocks the rain a little bit but not much. "This is your fault" Mike grunts. Erwin rolls his eyes and hides the book in his over jacket. Thunder clashes in the sky and the two sit under the tree in the watery muddy floor, Mike putting his jacket over Erwin since Erwin's more likely to get a cold.