Hange's exuberance draws a laugh from him. It's easier, now. Allowed. How many times had he kept that under wraps, under the stony facade of Commander, when part of him practically yearned to share in that lightness. It was their intelligence and passion for discovery that had drawn him to them initially, and their unwavering dedication, the ability to ask the important questions among many other things that had made him name them successor. Command would always be a burden, but in hindsight, perhaps part of him naively believed that he would be there to achieve his own dream, and Hange would have been freer to pursue their own quests for knowledge.

So many possibilities, lost.

I'm glad we get to live here.

Their second chance. A new world, a new life, free of their old burdens and responsibilities. Together.

Even without touching, Erwin senses Levi react to those words. He leans a little more into Hange, holding onto that closeness for just a moment longer to utter a soft agreement: "Yes."

Suddenly they're bounding away. Cool air rushes into the space they leave behind, but with his arm free once more, it drifts automatically to Levi, closing the distance and settling at his back between his shoulders.

He's about to shoot Hange a wry smile, opens his mouth to say something -- but immediately aborts it to yell their name in warning-

"Hange!"

-- because they're about to collide with a stand of dozens of...rubber ducks??