Loving Voyage(Erwin x Levi)

VIII

The next morning found Erwin waking up a little disoriented. He gathered his wits after a moment and made the mistake of rubbing his eyes, which caused him to hiss when he pressed down too hard on the still tender skin under his bruised eye. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and he found that it was still in the early hours of the morning, one or two hours before he'd be required to get up. He had time to spare.

He sat up and stretched before remembering all that had happened the night before; the beating, the attempted suicide, Levi showing up out of the blue and helping him more than what was needed. It made a warm fluttery feeling rise up in his chest and he took a second to calm himself before he stood and walked to the bathroom. He grabbed the box of powder Isabel had given him in passing, hoping to look at the bruises in the mirror and cover them.

When he stopped in the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror he realized that it was the first time he'd seen the bruises. The smaller ones were already fading, like the ones on his cheek where he'd been slapped a few times, but others had turned a dark purple, like the one under his eye and around his neck although those weren't as dark.

He decided to take a bath first, starting the tap before he began undressing slowly and folding each piece of clothing to set off to the side. By the time he was done the bath had filled with a reasonable amount of water so he turned off the tap and got in, sinking slowly because the water was hot. Wisps of steam rose off its surface and dissolved into the air and Erwin felt himself relaxing by the second. His skin turned red from the heat but he didn't mind. Erwin sat in the bath long after he'd washed his hair and body, but he found that it was too nice to leave yet. He sat back and relaxed even more, closing his eyes to let himself think about nothing in particular. His mind eventually wandered to Levi; his sharp features, lean but built body, sour exterior yet caring nature. The fluttery feeling in his chest returned but with it came a small bout of lust in his belly when he remembered how Levi's hands felt exploring his body, the way his soft lips felt sucking on his neck. He threw the thought from his mind quickly before he got carried away.

Erwin finally decided to get out when his fingers were pruned and the water had gotten lukewarm. He tried not to get too much water on the floor but his efforts were in vain when he stepped out of the tub. He quickly grabbed a towel and began wiping away the water droplets that were still running down his back and chest, rubbing his hair messily with the towel before he secured it around his waist. He pulled the plug so the water could drain out of the tub before he padded out of the bathroom and made it into the main area of the room. Digging through his suitcase, he pulled out more casual clothes and pulled them on before making his way back to the bathroom so he could use the powder. It went surprisingly well and by the end of it the bruises looked mostly hidden. He brushed his hair into place as well, using only a small amount of gel to keep it in place for the day.

By the time he was all ready he had about thirty minutes left before his father would probably knock on the door and he contemplated sneaking out to see Levi but ultimately decided that it was a bad idea. So he waited the thirty minutes and sure enough there was a knock on his door. His father looked surprised when he answered because he was all ready to go and after the initial reaction was over they began walking to the upper deck of the ship.

Breakfast was uneventful except for the small talk he made with Mike and the other guests, trying to be on his best behavior even though the day was only just starting. Erwin had realized that his father would probably be mad that he'd invited a third class man to dinner but he held onto the hope that Levi would make a good first impression. But knowing Levi it seemed like an impossibility. Erwin wasn't regretting his decision but he knew that he was asking a lot of Levi, which he kind of felt guilty for, if anything. He just hoped that Levi would have an enjoyable time.