The sun was shining. Eren opened his eyes and realised he was lying on the deck, the wooden boards hard under his back. A shadow fell across his face and he looked up to see Captain Levi extend a hand to him. Eren accepted it and Levi pulled him easily to his feet.

The ocean was flat and calm as far as the eye could see in all directions, a featureless expanse of blue. The rigging above them was vague and undefined; Eren couldn't remember how it worked. There was no one else about, and it was very quiet.

"Where is everyone, Captain?" he asked, and realised that he knew.

"Most of them are dead," Levi said.

"Yeah." He remembered now.

He knew this was a dream, with the clarity of knowledge that dreams sometimes impart, but it didn't seem relevant. They walked to the prow of the ship and looked out over the ocean.

"I made it," Eren said.

"You did."

They stood in silence for a while.

"Thank you, Captain," he said eventually. That was why he was there, after all.

"You're welcome, Eren."

There was just one more thing.

"I love you, Captain."

Levi turned to him and tilted his head up and smiled and the sunlight was dazzling. Eren was sure he could smell the ocean.

He woke up blinking away tears. It was still dark. Levi had said he was going to leave once Eren had fallen asleep, but Eren could hear him breathing as he slept on at his side. The bed was far too small for this, and Levi had crammed himself up against the wall, his back to Eren. Eren was curled up in a ball and he cautiously stretched out a bit and edged forward to press his ear to Levi's back. He could feel his heartbeat.

He froze as Levi sighed and shifted, and Eren made space as he rolled over and draped an arm over Eren's shoulder. Eren smiled, and felt himself start to fall back into slumber, curling in close.

I love you as well, he mouthed silently, just practising for now.