literature

Attack on Cravat! Chapter 11

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The commander stared back at you with surprise, his light eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. He pondered your request that you had just spoken. "You want to...what?"

You stood in front of Commander Erwin's desk, a cloth and shoe polish in hand, trying to hide the embarrassment on your face. "I've been told to polish your shoes, sir." You murmured, not wanting to look the blonde in the eyes. You had finished with all the other squad leader's, only to have a messenger inform you that you also needed to tend to the commander's boots yourself.

Erwin was leaning one an elbow, staring at you with unchecked surprise. He was silent for a few moments, then a knowing smirk crawled across his face. Before you could question why, he spoke.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Rivaille, would it?"

Now it was your turn to be surprised. You looked up, your eyes wide, and your face warming a little. Erwin's eyes held an almost triumphant look, as if he knew he was right. He cocked an eyebrow, a silent cue for you to answer.

"Y-yes sir." You stuttered, gripping the cloth in your hand tighter.

Erwin chuckled. "What did you do to make him upset, if I may ask?"

You bit your lip, looking away. "I'd rather not say, Commander." It was true. Revealing everything that had happened in the past 2 days would not only be hard to explain, but mortifying as well, considering you were talking to the commander himself!

Erwin held up his hands in surrender. He swung his legs to the side expertly, where you could reach them. "Alright. In that case, you may begin."

You walked over to the side of his desk, kneeling down and balancing one of his feet on your legs. You tried to hide your embarrassment, but you knew it was inevitable Erwin would discover it. You finished quickly with one shoe, moving onto the other. Erwin sat above you, and you could practically feel his eyes boring into the top of your head. You tried to not let it bother you, but it seemed the more he stared, the more your embarrassment grew.

Damn Rivaille...

You gritted your teeth and polished Erwin's boot faster with anger. You felt Erwin shift ever so slightly, a subtle signal for you to calm down. It amazed you how the man could speak without words, just by expressions and body language. You glanced up at him, offering the commander an apologetic smile before resuming your work.

You were almost done when you heard Erwin sigh. You glanced up, to find a small, half-amused smile on his face. For a moment, you caught yourself staring at him. There was some hidden knowledge in his eyes you couldn't quite place. You focused back on the shoe when he spoke.

"He has a hard time expressing feelings."

You froze in mid-swipe. Did you hear him correctly? Was he talking about Rivaille?

"Years of killing titans does that to a person. It often voids them of any emotion." Erwin went on, crossing his legs, he looked up at the ceiling, and you could tell he was remembering his own experiences out in the field, perhaps even before he became commander. "My guess is that after all these years, he has almost completely forgotten just how to tell someone how he is feeling. After all those years of feeling nothing..."

You looked up at him, your mouth slightly agape. Was he implying...?

Erwin seemed to read your thoughts, for he gave a tiny, slow nod of his head, that same smile plastered to his face. You felt heat rise to your face, and you looked away, trying to hide it.

"That boy has watched too many comrades die." Erwin murmured. "He has been alone for far too long." he gave a stretch. You could hear his joints pop.

Erwin stood. "He needs someone. Someone he doesn't think is temporary." He offered a hand to you. You looked at it, blinking in surprise. "Are you up to the challenge, cadet?"

You nodded, a happy smile morphing your face. "Yes." You replied, taking his hand. He hauled you to your feet. "I think I can do that, commander."

Erwin smiled. "Rivaille is still a boy in some ways. I'm sure you have realized this by now."

You rubbed the back of your head bashfully. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." You laughed nervously.

Erwin placed a hand on your shoulder. You stiffened, but then relaxed. It was a fatherly gesture, one of a bit of concern and care. "He doesn't want to lose anyone else. You just need to reassure him you aren't going to be going anywhere."

You smiled gently and nodded. "I understand."

The commander held out a hand to you. "Can you promise me that, cadet?"

You took the hand firmly, shaking it. "You can count on me, commander."

Erwin chuckled, his laugh rumbling deep in his chest. "Well don't just stand here, you're burning day-light!"

You nodded and gathered the shoe polish, rushing out the door before pausing to give the commander a salute.

Erwin ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back on his head. "I see why Rivaille would fall in love with her." he murmured before returning to his paperwork.

I really enjoyed creating this father-daughter relationship with Erwin. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. <3


All characters belong to the makers of Shingeki no Kyojin.
Except for you, you belong to the Corporal. :3
© 2013 - 2024 Zephyros22
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