The first morning of second year felt no different from any other to Erwin. The classroom buzzed with conversations as people reunited after the holidays, chairs scraped against the floor and laughter bounced from wall to wall, yet he found himself only half-listening. Resting his elbow against the windowsill, he watched the grey English sky drift lazily beyond the glass while absent-mindedly turning a pen between his fingers. His friends had already claimed seats elsewhere in the room, much to his relief. As much as he enjoyed rugby, he could only tolerate so much loud conversation before it became exhausting. He had always preferred quieter moments, something few people seemed to expect from the captain of the rugby team.

When the form teacher directed another student towards the empty seat beside him, Erwin glanced up out of habit. The boy crossing the classroom was immediately familiar despite the fact they had never properly spoken. Short, black-haired, impeccably dressed and carrying the sort of expression that suggested he'd rather be anywhere else, it was Levi Ackerman. Erwin recognised him mostly because his teammates seemed incapable of leaving the poor boy alone, often making jokes about his accent or appearance that Erwin had never found particularly funny. Levi kept entirely to himself, usually accompanied by the eccentric girl who always seemed ready to throw insects at anyone who annoyed her. Watching him approach now, shoulders slightly tense beneath his blazer, Erwin couldn't help noticing how uncomfortable he looked simply walking across the room.

Levi settled into the chair without so much as a greeting, carefully hanging his backpack from the backrest before staring straight ahead as though Erwin didn't exist. There was an unmistakable stiffness in his posture, almost as if he were waiting for something unpleasant to happen. Erwin found himself wondering just how badly the rugby team's reputation had coloured Levi's opinion of him. Judging by the wary look in those steel-grey eyes, the answer was probably enough that sitting beside him felt like punishment. The thought left an unexpected weight in his chest. He had no intention of making Levi's day any harder than it already seemed to be, even if convincing him of that would likely take far longer than a single form period.