A little Eruri drabble inspired by this video and a conversation with @plague-of-insomnia...enjoy! It’s also posted on ao3. ^_^
Erwin glanced up from his book toward where the nurse stood by the door.
“Your husband is in recovery. If you’d like to come with me.”
“Thank you.” he said with a polite smile, ignoring some of the looks of surprise from others in the waiting room as he gathered his and Levi’s things and followed the nurse into the recovery ward.
Some of the tension left Erwin’s shoulders as they passed by rows of closed curtains, behind which other patients waited for their loved ones while they slowly rejoined the land of the conscious. If Levi was here, that meant the surgery had been a success- that he was ok.
Erwin had tried to hide the worry he had about the procedure as best he could. He didn’t want Levi to have to be concerned with comforting him when he was the one going under the knife. But as soon as they had wheeled Levi out of his line of sight, the dam holding back his anxieties had given way and had spent most of his time pacing the waiting room or walking to the small concession room across the hall. It had only been in the past half hour when he saw Levi’s status switch from “in operation” to “post operation” that he had been able to relax enough to continue reading the book he had brought.
“Hey there, Erwin!” a familiar voice called.
Erwin’s face lit with a warm smile upon seeing Hange standing outside one of the recovery rooms, reviewing the charts.
“It’s alright, Petra, Erwin and I go way back.” They said to the petite nurse who had been Erwin’s guide, “So you can leave him with me.”
“Ok.” she nodded, before leaving the two with a professional, “Have a good day, Mr. Smith.”
Erwin returned her niceties in kind, though the brightness from his smile vanished when he turned his attention back to Hange, instantly replaced with the worry and exhaustion he felt safe showing only around his friend.
As if to answer his question, a low groan sounded from behind the curtain.
“He’s doing fine. The surgery went beautifully. If you want, you can go in and sit with him while he finishes waking up.”
Erwin pulled back the curtain enough to slip into the small room. Levi stirred where he lay, but didn’t open his eyes when Erwin came to sit in the chair beside the hospital bed.
Once he had gotten situated, the rings of the curtains clinked and Hange stepped inside enough to hand Erwin a bottle of orange juice and a packet of crackers.
“Make sure he eats these when he wakes up.” They whispered, “It’ll help with the nausea.”
He gratefully took the snack with a quiet “Thank you” before Hange disappeared with the promise they would return in a few minutes to check in on things.
Now that they were alone, Erwin turned his full attention to his husband, blue eyes softening as his gaze wandered over the bandages, IV’s, and the ill fitting hospital gown that threatened to slip off Levi’s petite shoulders at any given moment. He couldn’t wait to get him home, where he could properly care for him. Maybe even spoil him if Levi gave him the chance. He’d probably complain the whole time, but his averted gaze and flushed cheeks would betray the hollowness of his objections.
Just then, Levi gave a groggy huff, pulling Erwin from his thoughts. His brows furrowed, heavy eyelids fluttering as they struggled to stay open, and his lips weakly smacked before he managed to hoarsely groan, “So dry.”
Erwin had the lid off the orange juice bottle in an instant, slipping in the small straw Hange had left as well.
“Here.” he soothed, slipping the straw between Levi’s lips, “Drink this.”
Levi’s tongue pressed against the plastic, as if trying to figure out what was in his mouth. Though his eyebrows lifted in recognition a few moments later and he began to drink, swallowing down mouthfuls at a time.
It wasn’t until he had guzzled down half the container that he stopped and rested his head back on the pillow with a contented sigh.
“Better?” Erwin asked with a grin.
Levi nodded slowly and hummed in agreement.
Now that he was starting to show signs that he was getting closer to full consciousness, Erwin quickly split open the cracker’s packaging, the clear plastic crinkling loudly when he pulled one of the crackers out and slipped it into Levi’s open palm.
“Hm?” Levi mumbled, his eyebrows scrunching in question before bringing the cracker a little too close to his face for inspection.
“Do you think you can eat this?”
Erwin bit his lip to keep from laughing when Levi gave another languid nod before taking a bite. His grey eyes remained focused on the curtain at the front of the room and chewed slowly, as if lost in some deep, pensive thought.
He seemed to pull himself from whatever had his mind preoccupied when he popped the second half in his mouth, turning his attention to Erwin, who had been patiently waiting in contented amusement. He had never seen him like this, not even on the few occasions when they’d gotten completely hammered back in college.
The moment his gaze rested on Erwin, however, he halted mid chew, his eyes going wide.
“Who are you?” He asked in wonder.
Erwin chuckled at the bits of cracker that fell from his lips.
“What do you-?” He began, but Levi cut him off with another pressing question.
“Did the nurses send you?”
“What? No.” Erwin said, struggling to contain his laughter, handing him another cracker. “Here, this will help you feel better.”
Levi’s gaze never left Erwin as he took a small bite, his mind clearly trying to place how he knew him.
“Damn, you’re hot.” He mumbled, pausing briefly before motioning toward Erwin with the cracker, “Are you sure the nurses didn’t send you?”
Erwin nodded, humor lacing his voice. “I’m sure, Levi.”
“How the hell do you know my name?”
As soon as the word “husband” passed his lips, Levi’s eyes went comically wide.
“You’re my husband?” He asked, almost in disbelief and sank back against the mattress, his gaze focusing on the ceiling, whispering, “Holy shit, I’m married to the sexiest man on the planet.”
Erwin laughed softly at the blush that had begun to spread across Levi’s cheeks and the bridge of his nose.
Levi blinked up at the tiled ceiling for a few moments, seemingly to absorb this “new” information, before turning back to him.
“How long have we been married?”
The corners of Levi’s lips twitched with fondness.
“No,” Erwin answered, gently taking Levi’s hand in his own, “We had to get you better first.”
Levi’s attention drifted down to watch Erwin rub his thumb comfortingly against the side of his hand, falling silent for a couple of minutes.
“So we’re really married?” Was the question that finally broke his silence.
Erwin gave Levi’s hand a squeeze.
The grey of Levi’s eyes softened like mercury, a rarely seen affection in his gaze before he said, “I must be one lucky fucker to have landed a man like you.”
At that, Erwin brought Levi’s hand up and pressed his lips firmly against the soft flesh, his heart swelling at his words.
“I feel the same.” He whispered, pressing the palm of Levi’s hand against his cheek.
As blue met grey, the first hint of clarity twinkled in Levi’s gaze before he moved to rest his hand on the back of Erwin’s head.
Erwin leaned in, allowing Levi to guide him with his feeble grip. His heart ached as his lips pressed against Levi’s, the heat and plush feel of them so familiar yet new somehow.
“Awww!” A loud cry sounded from behind them, shattering the tender moment.
Both Levi and Erwin jerked away from each other, their attention snapping to the culprit- Hange standing at the foot of Levi’s bed with a cell phone held up in their hands.
“Hange?!” Levi started, “What the hell?”
Hange poked their lip out with a pout, “I couldn’t help it. You two are just too cute!”
Both men’s gazes flitted from the shit-eating grin on their friend’s face to their phone and back several times, Levi’s face settling into a look of panicked horror, while Erwin’s expression was nothing but hopeful.
“Don’t tell me…,” Levi murmured.
“You recorded that, didn’t you?” asked Erwin.
“Yup,” Hange answered, puffing out their chest, “Got the whole thing.”
“Why you!” Levi snarled, “If you don’t delete that right now, I’m going to snap that phone in half as soon as I can walk.”
Erwin placed a staying hand on his husband’s shoulder, rubbing soothing circles to ease the tension that had already begun to coil there.
“Actually, could you send it to me?”
Levi’s attention turned to Erwin, betrayal in his gaze.
“Don’t tell me you’re on their side?”
“Come now, Levi.” Erwin cooed, flashing him a coy smile, “It’s not often that I get treated to this side of you. Think of it as a sentimental keepsake.”
Levi’s gaze narrowed to a scowl, a sharp comeback clearly on his tongue. However, a few moments later, his shoulders slumped and he gave a dejected huff.
“Well, since I don’t have to fear for my life anymore,” Hange said, stepping over to the other side of the bed to shut off the IV, “Let’s work on getting you checked out.”
As Hange set to disconnecting the monitors and IV, Levi gave Erwin’s hand a firm squeeze.
“Yeah,” he mumbled, the tenderness from a moment ago shining in his eyes once more, an expression that was and would only ever be reserved for Erwin, “Let’s go home.”
