he’s come so far. found so many leads. even tracked down hange, of all people. they say that they remember, that he’s not crazy, that years of therapy && a few stints in mental wards hadn’t been what he’d needed to recover. to move on.
he needs to track down more of them. && hange always seems to have an idea of where to look.
so far they’ve located moblit, who knows mike && nanaba, who tip them off about a few others who may frequent a local bar.
yet no one has seen erwin. no one knows where he is ... or if he’s even alive.
they go to the bar, but levi’s mood is completely soured. no one will be there, he’s sure of it. hange pats his back && tells him not to give up, but his quick glare sends them laughing off into the throng of people who seem to be inside dancing.
too frustrated to go inside just yet, levi stands out front && smokes a cigarette. his guts are churning at the prospect of further verification that all of his horrid thoughts are memories. that everyone he’s seen when he closes his eyes has somehow died a horrible death during that life. he can’t remember many by name, but there are a few. a few faces that he could place if he would ever be lucky enough to see them ...
... like the one that he sees across the bar when he glances up from his phone.
the lit cigarette falls from ashen lips that part around a gasp.
before he knows what he’s doing, he’s striding into the bar && catching her in a firm embrace. this isn’t like him. he is decidedly NOT a physically affectionate person. yet in the moment it feels distinctly like it’s the right thing to do.
the beat from the music is loud, thumping in time with his steady heartbeat as he feels her move in to hug him in return. they don’t exchange words as they part, even though he knows that she wants to say something to him. instead they begin to move, levi circling her in a protective manner as the music filters back into his consciousness. && hers, from the looks of things, because she begins to dance.
he stays close, only spinning her away from him to watch the way her hair frames her face && her eyes begin to sparkle with unshed tears when she realizes that yes, it is him. he is alive. he is here. he draws her close again, exhaling shakily against the side of her cheek as they move in tandem with one another. it isn’t sexual. it isn’t exotic. levi feels connected to her in a way that he can’t explain, almost in a way that rivals his deep connection with a man who may or may not have made it to this life.
but he found her. && for the time being, as they dance together until the music dies down && cheers erupt from the other attendees, that is enough to bring warmth to levi’s cold heart.
“ ... your charm kept me safe until the very end. ”
( a pathetic excuse of a drabble for @mxnyhexrts. )
