The air in Erwin’s office was heavy, the weight of both Erwin and Levi’s unspoken thoughts brought a tension to the room, a pressure that weighed on both of their chests as they merely waited, albeit with a hint of impatience.

Erwin was reading over the same stack of papers that he’d already skimmed and annotated for future consideration. His foot tapped beneath his desk, his eyes darting to the door every so often. His breaths were slow, as if he were holding it, waiting for the moment the silence would be broken with the familiar creak of the door.

Levi wasn’t much better. While it took a trained eye to notice, Levi had his arms folded over his chest to hide the way his arms seemed to twitch, the muscles itching to react to the lack of a certain someone’s presence. Had he not willed his boots to the floor, he would have left this room in search of you long ago. Levi wasn’t afraid to show just how impatient he could be.

Just when he’d had enough, taking his first step towards the door, it opened.