Chapter Text
Eren was lost. Thoroughly and entirely lost. Now you may be asking, how did that happen? Well, Eren couldn’t tell you.
He was on his way to find Levi because, for once, he was being responsible. It’d been about a week since he’d last regressed and with his headspace creeping up from the back of his mind, he wanted to find his caregiver.
Something seemed to have gone wrong, though. Or more specifically, Eren had gone wrong. He was currently somewhere in this huge castle, with no idea about where he should go.
Apparently, he’d been closer to slipping than he thought.
Maybe he could just wait here for someone to find him? But it was always so chilly in the halls, and he really just wanted to snuggle up in a blanket, preferably with Levi’s arms keeping him safe from confusingly long hallways.
Eren looked around again. Perhaps, he had overlooked something that could tell him where he was.
Nope. Still the same. Every twist and turn he took only led him into another hallway that looked just like the one before.
Would he ever get out? If he couldn’t find anyone, how was anybody else supposed to find him?
He sniffed. Eren didn’t want to be lost forever.
He rounded another corner and-
-ran straight into a wall?
But Eren knew that there hadn’t been a wall. So, what happened?
After the initial shock and catching himself before falling, he looked up.
He had been right. There was no wall there. Instead, it was a man. A very tall blond man.
Oh no.
He had run right into Commander Erwin. And he hadn’t even apologised!
Now he was lost and had probably made The Commander Erwin mad.
He sniffed again.
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When Erwin had decided to visit the current hideout of the Levi Squad, he was prepared to ask about any new findings from the Titan experiments. Not to be run into on his way to Captain Levi’s room.
He had been about to round a corner when he suddenly felt a weight slammed into him. A bit startled, he took a moment to oversee the situation.
In front of him was the Titan Shifter, Eren Yeager.
“Yeager, my apologies. I didn’t realise you were there. I hope you’re alright?”
Instead of an answer, a wide-eyed stare was all he got back. Big green eyes that were slowly filling with tears, looked at him with, fear?
He probably worried that Erwin was angry at being run into.
“It’s quite alright. There was no harm done, and I’m sure it was merely an accident. No need to be worried.”
Erwin tried a comforting smile.
A sniffle.
Wait. No. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Wasn’t he being nice? He was sure, he’d been just the right amount of reassuring. So, why was Yeager crying?
Erwin felt like he was missing something very obvious here.
“Levi”, came a small reply.
Why would he want-
Oh.
Oh.
Of course. How could he have forgotten. After all, he was the one to sign off all the purchases made by Levi.
Yeager was a regressor. A regressor, who was currently missing his caregiver while obviously in headspace.
Erwin was not qualified for this. He himself was a neutral, and quite content with that, too.
He’d never given too much thought to starting a family. And the idea of somebody physically and mentally relying on him to come back home, it was never something he had fantasised too much about.
And with the way he dove into the military work, he’d never taken the time to get to know many Littles. Seeing them in town was just about as much as he’d had to do with them. So, to put it short.
He had no idea what to do.
The sniffles only intensified, and Erwin was really starting to panic.
This wasn’t simply any Little. This was Levi’s Little. And while he might not have seen the two of them together just yet, he had heard of how fiercely protective the captain had grown of his new charge.
If Erwin were to be found standing here with Levi’s crying Little? A shudder ran down his spine.
He needed to get this under control. Now.
Slowly, he reached out his hands, careful to not startle Eren.
“It’s okay, we can go find Levi. I’m sure he’s not very far. In fact, I’ve been informed he’s in his room. And if you want, I can take you there. I promise that everything is just fine, there’s no reason to cry.”
Nobody would believe it if they heard that Commander Erwin of The Survey Corps was standing in the middle of a hallway, almost pleading a little to stop crying.
He himself would not have believed that he could ever be found in this situation, yet, here they were.
Walls, he hoped it would work.
The little took a second to seemingly consider Erwin’s offer. Lifting his sleeve to scrub at his tear-stained face, he kept staring at Erwin before coming to a conclusion.
Erwin was surprised to see the little now reaching out to him, grabby hands showing the universal sign for wanting to be picked up.
Erwin was so out of his element. Still, he was nothing if not open for learning.
Hesitantly, waiting for any sign of the boy being uncomfortable, Erwin hooked his arms around and under Eren, effectively lifting him up.
Unlike Erwin, Eren showed no hesitation in burying his head under the man’s chin, relishing in the warmth he gave off.
He thought Commander Erwin was scary and mean, but when he talked to Eren, he used soft voice just like Levi. And he’d promised to help him find his caregiver. Maybe Commander Erwin wasn’t so scary after all.
During their little trip, Eren kept sniffling from time to time. He was glad he wasn’t alone anymore, but he still wanted Levi. He really hoped Erwin was right and Levi wasn’t far.
It felt like he’d been looking for hours, and he was firmly lodged in his headspace by now. The hallways seemed even bigger and scarier than before and he knew that only Levi could make him feel safe again. But Levi wasn’t here.
The tears began running once more, accompanied by small sobs.
Where was Levi?
He wanted Levi. Only Levi!
“Shh, it’s alright, we’re almost there.”
Eren could feel Erwin’s chest rumbling when he spoke.
Then heard a knock.
“Captain Levi? May I come in? It’s quite important.”
More rumbling, it was nice. Like warm, comforting thunder.
An affirmative noise from the other side of the door made Erwin turn the doorknob and enter.
“What’s the matter Commander?”
Eren knew that voice. That was Levi! Lifting his head, he saw that Levi was sitting at his table, not having looked up, yet, he hadn’t noticed Eren.
“Levi!”
The man’s head snapped up.
“Eren!?”
Within a second, Levi was out of his seat and there to accept the Little into his arms.
“I found him outside in the halls. He was quite upset about not finding you, so I offered to bring him here.”
There was a conversation happening, but Eren couldn’t care less. Finally. Finally, he was with Levi. He buried his face in the man’s neck and almost immediately relaxed at the familiar smell of his caregiver.
A hand on his back was holding him closely to Levi’s chest. And just like he knew they would, Levi’s arms around him took away all the fear he had felt. Nothing could get him now. Levi was safe.