The ache in Erwin's arm didn't go away.
It continued and the numbness went up his arm to settle at his mid forearm, tingling and lifeless. It hung uselessly at his side as he walked, swaying. He had lifted his left hand to wipe off his face of the drool and blood that had started to dry. It looked slightly odd; lifting a left hand to wipe off something on your right and Levi seemed to notice.
"You okay?" Levi asked.
"I'm fine." He dismissed. The statement did nothing to dissolve Levi's worry. Probably nothing would.
He had started to feel slightly dizzy as he walked, a pounding starting in the back of his head. The light from their flashlights seemed to blind him and he had no way of balancing himself as he stepped over logs and bushes and branches, his equilibrium thrown off. Every sound around him seemed to be ten times louder than usual; the crunching of branches beneath his feet sounding like cracking bones, the owl that hooted overhead seemed to be right in his ear, his heart beat pounding, and his breathing heavy and laboured. Levi was casting him odd and worried looks as they walked on the trail.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Levi asked again, his tone laced with his doubt and his worry for his partner.
"I'm...fine." Erwin breathed. "Just a little out of breath." But Levi still didn't believe him. It was just like Erwin to push away his troubles so he wouldn't worry and if anything it just made him worry even more.
Erwin's vision had started to dance and blur around the edges, he couldn't focus on anything, and the pounding in his head had become more noticeable. It almost stung. Levi was giving him side glances and eyeing him carefully as they walked, the moon casting a bright grey glow over them and the path.
Erwin felt that with every step he took he was sinking further into the muddy ground beneath his feet, like quicksand. Yet some steps felt like he was walking on the hardest stone and it rang through his body and shook his bones. His lifeless hand had started to twitch and his fingers tingled in the oddest way. His mind was going fuzzy and his breathing was raged and uneven. His chest started to burn with every pump of blood, fire in his veins. The bag on his back felt increasingly heavy and the light breeze that flowed through felt like that of a tornado or a hurricane. His steps had faltered and he almost fell over, his shoulder colliding with a tree that he leaned against for support. Levi had stopped and faced him, leaning down to get a look at Erwin's head which was hanging lowly on his shoulders.
"You have to tell me what's wrong." Levi demanded.
"It's nothing, I promise." His voice sounded foreign to his own ears when he spoke.
"No, it's not nothing Erwin, now tell me what's wrong." Levi snapped. He was tired of Erwin's games.
Erwin was about to answer him but as he inhaled his throat burned and he started to cough violently, the coughs racking and shaking his body as he doubled over. It felt like every breath was tearing his throat apart and stabbing his neck and lungs. It burned and it hurt. Levi had placed a hand on his right bicep and was rubbing it soothingly. Levi could feel the heat emanating off Erwin's body through his clothes.
He moved his hand and placed it on Erwin's forehead that was clammy and drenched in sweat. "You have a fever." Levi concluded.
He knew that a common cold could mean life or death and that whatever was plaguing Erwin so suddenly needed to be taken seriously. He just had no clue what to do. It's not like there was a local pharmacy he could go to to get medicine and he would be cursing himself if he went back to the city to get medicine and left Erwin alone only to find him as a corpse when he got back. He'd never forgive himself if that happened.
"Let's just keep going." Erwin said after his coughing fit. His voice was strained and his syllables were slurred.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Levi asked. Erwin nodded weakly and straightened himself up. Despite his blabbering about how he was fine Levi had still grabbed Erwin's right arm and slung it over his shoulders so Erwin would have some extra support. He leaned heavily on Levi, slowing them down, but Levi was patient with him and helped him along the path.
Erwin started to get chills through his spine in the early hours of the morning of their trek. They knew they were getting closer to the cabin and they figured that by the end of the day they would be home. The sun had cast brightness everywhere and Erwin had to squint to see anything. He was feeling a bit better, it was probably just a sudden thing that was there one moment and gone the next. Levi's worry hadn't dissipated though.
"How are you feeling?" Levi asked. He was slightly out of breath from having to help Erwin and his shoulders were getting sore because of all the extra weight.
"Better." Erwin concluded, righting himself from leaning on Levi. He felt solid on his feet again and his head had stopped pounding, his heart had gone back to a normal pace, and he no longer felt dizzy. The numbness in his right arm had started to increase though, trailing up to his elbow.
"Thank god." Levi said. He felt like he deflated.
The birds chirping overhead had started to irritate Erwin to no end but he ignored it in favour of watching his steps and the path ahead. The scenery had started to become more recognizable and they came across the rotting meat of the corpse they'd killed on the way to Maria. It smelled awful, burning in their noses as they walked past. It was a nauseous smell that seemed to follow them as they continued.
It was mid evening when they got back to the cabin. Everything looked deserted and they did a check to make sure nothing was stolen and everything was accounted for. They discovered that everything was fine. That night they had one of the best meals in months probably, the meat melting on their tongues, the vegetables soft and sweet. It was filling and they felt good. Erwin tried to hide the fact that he couldn't use his right arm, his dominant hand, and Levi seemed to not notice. Or he just didn't mention it, of which Erwin wasn't quite sure.
They currently sat outside, the sun had retreated from the sky and the moon had taken its place, darkness around them and the fire pit. They would occasionally add wood and fiddle around with it. The fire brought a welcoming warmth with it as they discussed rationing food and joked around. They had thrown blankets over themselves and bundled up against the chilly night. Crickets chirped and sang around them and they could hear coyotes howling and barking.
It was a beautiful night and Levi admired the brilliant stars above; the Milky Way swimming in a grey mist through the middle, the Big Dipper shining brightly off to the side, a few forgotten satellites spinning and twisting around in different directions. He admired the way the fire lit up Erwin's face, making his blonde hair glow a magnificent gold, his blue eyes fluttering the flames within them. A soft smile had graced his lips and it was the most welcoming and calming thing Levi had seen in years. He would lock that smile away and keep it hidden from prying eyes, like it was something only reserved for him. Mostly because it was.
That soft smile had split and a pink tongue had darted out to lick at plump lips, a question forming. "Have you ever thought about what's going to happen after this?" Erwin asked, his voice small and quiet. Levi had to strain his ears to hear it.
Once the question was clear in his mind he had shaken his head. "Can't say I have. You?"
"Nope. I always kind of thought I'd die before I got to see the end of this. Guess that's why I never thought about it. That, and I can't see an end." The rest of Erwin's reasons were left for Levi to think about, an unspoken question hanging around for Levi to answer privately. It was almost an offer of, "When this ends, will you still be here with me? Will you stay with me?" And Levi had privately, in his mind, answered, without a doubt, "Yes."
It was the wanting to complete a bond that they'd built with each other over the course of many years, one that started with a mutual hatred to a mutual understanding to a mutual trust. Levi was in debt to Erwin and he would stay with him until it was paid off, and then some. He would stay with Erwin through thick and thin, through everything. He felt like he already had but he didn't give a shit. He trusted Erwin and he felt that Erwin trusted him and it was that trust that had formed their bond, strengthening ties, leaning against each other perfectly for support, like the rafters of a bridge or building that support the bulk of the wood and the steel, the bulk of worries and doubts and insecurities, all falling on each other and weighing out over their shoulders perfectly. It was a bond that was unbreakable like the thickest diamonds and the strongest hearts. It forced them together and nothing was going to keep them apart.
That soft and delicate smile had returned to Erwin's lips, a show of understanding Levi's silent answer to his silent question. It made him feel soft and fuzzy on the inside and he reached over to pull Levi in for a half hug, an arm around his shoulders so he settled into the crook of his left arm. Levi had snuggled in as well, Erwin's warmth more inviting than that of the dying fire in front of them. Erwin had completely forgotten about the numbness in his right arm that had started to crawl up. He only focused on the crackling of the wood and the grey smoke that emanated off the fire and he focused on Levi. His hand had snaked around to settle on Levi waist and Levi didn't deny it, moved in more to press a hand against his chest and cross his legs to make his frame even smaller so he could fit closer to Erwin. He had shifted so his head was resting on Levi's and pressed a small kiss on Levi's hairline, the small hairs there tickling his lips. Levi's hand moved to rest on Erwin's left knee, rubbing soothingly and they found themselves almost drifting off.
It was a cold breeze and the realization that the fire had gone out that made them move apart. Nothing was awkward about it and neither of them questioned it. It almost felt natural.
A low light was in the cabin when Erwin entered, cast by a lantern on the table in the right corner. Levi had stayed outside to clean up and make sure that fire, was indeed, put out. Erwin knew that Levi wouldn't be sleeping anyway so he didn't expect to see him until next morning. Levi's insomnia was something that they never discussed and Erwin didn't dare ask so it was just something that happened every night, without Erwin's watch. It was nice to have someone on guard every night and Levi enjoyed it; enjoyed hearing the crickets, enjoyed watching the sun rise into the sky to brighten everything, enjoyed knowing that Erwin trusted him enough to keep him safe. It was satisfying.
When Erwin stood by his bed, which was just a thick pile of blankets on the floor, he decided to examine his arm to try and figure out what was wrong with it. He figured it out within the first few seconds of looking. He'd lifted his sleeve first and there it was. Just above his wrist.
A bite.
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A/N: did you enjoy your false sense of security?