Chapter Text
It was always easy to spot newbies at the club, but after five years of working there, Levi liked to think he could unpick a person in their entirety once they walked through Rose’s doors. By nature, clubs like Rose tended to make people very readable - stripped them bare, in more than just the literal sense. So he knew plenty about the young man standing in the doorway, casting his gaze over the darkened bar.
Levi knew he was new to Rose because he knew all the official members (and their credit card numbers, seeing as that was his literal job), and he wasn’t wearing the yellow ‘trial’ wristband. He knew he was new to this type of club, whether you called it a dark club, a swinger’s club, or a sex club, because the guy’s eyes never once paused in his attempts to take it all in. Even so, Levi also knew he’d not wandered in by accident, seeing as he didn’t seem shocked or scandalised by the scantily-dressed (or simply undressed) patrons and the uninhibited blow jobs and humping that Levi barely noticed anymore. He was also clearly not here to participate, and probably hadn’t known what to expect exactly, seeing as he was ill-prepared for the heat of the place in heavy jeans and a hoodie. A bag was hanging off one shoulder, and he held an ipad in one hand.
So this was the much debated Eren Jaeger.
Levi had only found out his name the previous day when Erwin had finally got confirmation of whose ID they should expect at the door, but there had been some lengthy discussions (and arguments, quite frankly) between Erwin and Levi over the past few weeks about the reporter Erwin had been in talks with. ‘Reporter’ wasn’t quite accurate, but Levi despised the title ‘blogger’ that was supposedly correct.
Erwin had received the request from some big website, asking if they could do an article on Rose and it’s growing popularity in tandem with some sex-positivity series they were doing. ‘Bringing the red light district of Amsterdam international’, they’d called it in the email, which Levi had decided should earn them an immediate decline, since that was the most ridiculous description of Rose he’d ever heard. Erwin had been relentless however. The website was apparently a huge thing in the online world, and had played a large part in the recent explosion of success in a local sex toy store, so he saw no reason not to agree. Levi saw plenty, including, but not limited to: they risked attracting the wrong kind of members, or their current members being spotted entering or leaving and breaking anonymity they might like, and the simple fact that Erwin wanted to close the club to all but Platinum members (basically, the people he trusted not to say or do anything stupid to the reporter) whenever they were visiting, meaning they would definitely loose out on a large chunk of revenue on those days.
No matter how many arguments he had, Levi had lost the battle. Erwin winning through ‘owner rights’ only, which he’d certainly remember next time Erwin asked Levi to take on more responsibilities around the place that weren’t in his job description.
Erwin was now hovering by this Jaeger reporter, talking with a large smile and giving what Levi assumed was the big sell. Ironically, Jaeger looked barely old enough to be legally allowed in here anyway, he couldn’t have been long into his twenties.
Turning back to the bar, Levi knocked his knuckles against the surface until Petra stepped over with a whisky.
“You don’t usually start drinking until well after midnight,” she said, her eyes on the kid Erwin was now showing around the bar. She wasn’t the only one looking. The Platinum members had all been told that a reporter was coming by, and the ones that weren’t already preoccupied in the bar were definitely taking note.
“How long do you think the schmoozing will last?” Levi muttered.
“He’ll give him the long tour, for sure.”
“And a personal show? To get an extra good article?”
Petra scoffed and shook her head as she walked away, leaving Levi to nurse his drink. It wasn’t long before Erwin approached, and Levi spun in the seat to face the fresh-faced kid. His cheeks were dusted red, not quite a burning embarrassment, but he was definitely out of place enough to feel it. Or perhaps he’d just noticed the attention he was getting. Up close, the kid was attractive, Levi realised, and he couldn’t help giving him the once over, not caring that Jaeger shifted slightly under the gaze.
“Levi, this is Eren from AOT. He’ll be writing the article for us,” Erwin said, clapping Eren on the shoulder. The kid nearly stumbled forward into Levi. “Eren, Levi is my second in command here.”
“Business manager,” Levi corrected.
“The money man,” Erwin laughed. “This wouldn’t be possible without him.”
“Yeah?” Eren asked. As he smiled, Levi couldn’t help but notice how ridiculously bright his eyes were, even with the bad lighting in the bar. “We could probably do a whole article just on how the money side of these things are managed. A behind-the-scenes look, kinda.”
Levi stared flatly at him. “We could.” But we won’t, the tone said. At the very least, Eren was semi-attune to undertones, since he gave a tight smile that was definitely him accepting the shut down of the suggestion. Erwin’s glare chilled the side of Levi’s face, but he ignored it.
“Let’s continue, Eren,” Erwin said. “I’ll give you the tour through the rooms, and then I’ll let you have free reign to wander and write.”
“Thanks,” Eren smiled, already taking a step back. “Nice to meet you, Levi.”
Levi turned back to his drink and listened to Erwin lead the kid away. Part of him wanted to join them through the back rooms, purely because that was where Rose really shone. The bar front was meant to be tame - drinks were around, after all - so he wondered how well the kid would handle the real parties that happened in the back.
Eren hadn’t really known what to expect when he’d been offered a position as a column writer for AOT. He’d done all sorts for them: reviews, travel pieces, daily lifestyle nonsense. But an in-depth look at the workings of a sex club? That was… not something he’d imagined he’d be doing. From what he’d understood, he wasn’t the first person AOT had asked to write it, but the third. The first had outright refused. The second had done all the primary research and then chickened out, and that left Eren as the next in line.
He wasn’t a prude, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t known what to expect based on the research, but the reality of standing in a room, set out like something out of a porn film, watching a trio of people whip and spank some blindfolded guy bent double whilst another couple watched… yeah, the reality hit different, he supposed.
He’d assumed the bar was it: a typical, dark club-like room, with drinks and a dancefloor, that just allowed less clothes and more public acts. So when Erwin had shown him through the multitude of back rooms, he’d been left with his head spinning. There was everything from dungeons like this one, to simple dancefloors or small bedrooms or sitting rooms, right up to a large heated pool and a room that looked like it was plucked straight out of a hospital.
He kept making notes on the ipad. Photos were another day, he’d been warned, when he could come in before opening hours, but Erwin had indeed given him free reign to walk around and chat to people. No one seemed put out by him being there, and once Eren promised them they could use any fake name they wanted, most were happy to chat - though that did mean he’d have to quote people such as ‘Daddy’s Cockslut’ and ‘Master Black’ in the article.
He returned to what Erwin had called the showroom, the biggest room by far, just off from the bar area, where the majority of people had congregated. When they’d passed through here earlier, everyone had been enraptured by some sort of pole dancer, but there was no show on the central stage now, and the atmosphere had grown a little louder.
At the edge of the room, a young man stood by a table booth. He wore nothing but a black choker and a pair of very pointless underwear, considering that they were so tight around the front, you could quite clearly see the outline of the man’s cock, and at the back they were… well, nonexistent. He was glancing around the room, but otherwise alone, so Eren approached, ipad in hand.
“Hi, mind if I have some time?” Eren asked.
The young man clearly startled at his approach, eyes scanning him up and down, but he otherwise said nothing.
“I’m here reporting for AOT about Rose and its… perks?” He’d talked to plenty of people so far tonight, but he’d yet to find a better way to describe what he was here to witness and write about. “I was wondering if you could tell me about your experience with the club? Totally anonymous, of course.”
Mouth parting, the young man seemed about to speak, but something passed over his face and he clamped his lips shut again, glancing across the room again. He wrung his hands behind his back. Something was putting him on edge, so Eren tried to subtly take a little more of a step back.
“You don’t have to, I mean. I was just hoping for a bit more insight from people,” he said.
Again, the young man opened his mouth, and again it was slammed back shut. Only this time, his eyes widened and fixed on something behind Eren. He glanced back, just in time for a tall woman to step around Eren and put her arm around the young man’s waist. She was in a full suit, though the shirt buttons were slightly askew, as if she’d been rushed or not paying attention when she’d done them up.
“It’s okay, pet, you may answer him. He’s just curious,” the woman said, lips brushing over the young man’s ear.
The young man let out a shaky breath, and gave Eren a tight smile. “I don’t mind answering a few questions.” The woman smiled and turned to Eren too, cocking an eyebrow as if expectant. Her eyes cast over him too, but that had happened with nearly everyone he’d passed here.
Fumbling with the ipad screen, Eren made sure the questions were back up, and started to open the first to type in the answer. “Well, I was wondering if you come here alone usually, or with a partner…?” He glanced at the woman, figuring he could guess the answer.
“I come here with my master,” the man said, dipping his head low. “But sometimes she lets me come alone and play with others.”
The woman continued to smile, unfazed clearly by the comment, or Eren glancing between the two of them. “With others?” he asked.
“He likes being used and reporting back to his master about it,” the woman answered for the young man, who seemed increasingly distracted by her fingers playing with the band of his underwear. “It’s more freeing.”
Eren sensed that maybe he should leave this pair to it, but the woman’s comment hinted at something a bit more interesting, so he turned his attention onto her. “Freeing in what sense?”
The woman grinned. “Freeing in that he doesn’t have to worry about behaving or anything from outside. He can just come here and become a plaything. No more worries.” Her fingers edged along the man’s stomach, the tips dipping inside the fabric of the underwear. Eren kept his eyes up. No one else had been so… busy when he’d spoken to them.
“Thank you, Marie, very helpful,” a voice called from behind him. The woman rolled her eyes, but the words seemed to snap her attention off of Eren entirely. She dropped down into the booth, pulling the young man with her, and like that, it was as if Eren had never existed.
Turning, he found himself meeting cool grey eyes. Levi, the Business Manager he’d met earlier, shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked just as unenthusiastic at Eren’s presence as he had at the bar, and Eren swore his gaze felt like a physical thing.
“That sub was barely present when you first approached him,” Levi said. “You need to pick your victims a bit more carefully.”
Victims, huh? So this Levi was definitely not a big fan of Eren being around. He’d sensed that at the bar, but now he was certain.
“So seeing as you’re clearly present, I take it now is the right time to talk to you about the finances?” Eren asked. Levi’s face twisted into a snarl, and he started walking away, but Eren just fell into step beside him and continued. “I was wondering if you had a previous venture. This place is extensive, and very well done out. I mean, an indoor pool? Where did you and Erwin get the funding for that?”
“This isn’t an exposé, kid. We didn’t do something shady to get here, if that’s what you’re aiming for.”
Eren laughed. “I’m not asking for a look into your bank statements, just a summary of how you got started.”
Levi led them back to the bar, and with a simple knock at the counter, a woman handed him a drink that he sipped on. Eren took the stool next to him as he sat, just to prove he was waiting. Levi’s jaw tightened, and he remained looking straight ahead at the wall to avoid meeting Eren’s eyes.
“Erwin bought the place run-down, redid the bar and started there. It started as a gay bar, and the city was lacking them back then, so it took off. I was brought on after he’d already made the shift into a sex club to help organise finances and we redid the rooms one by one as we went. Eventually bought the next building over and knocked through to it too. It didn’t pop up overnight.”
Eren put the ipad down on the counter, only tapping in a few short notes as Levi spoke, and trying to do so subtly. People were often put off when you were super obvious about noting or recording everything they said.
“And why a sex club?” he asked.
Levi grimaced, swirling his drink in his hand. The ice clinked against the glass. “Shouldn’t you be asking Erwin that? He’s the big boss, not me.”
“I already asked him, and he gave a very well-rehearsed answer about a safe space and that. But I meant why did you end up working here?”
“Erwin’s an old friend. And he offered me less hours and more control for the same pay that my old accounting firm gave me. And now I earn more.”
It was an oddly simple answer. Practically innocent. “And the whole sex club thing didn’t put you off?” Eren pressed, genuinely surprised that Levi could talk about taking the job as the Manager of a sex club as if he were just taking on a restaurant management job.
Levi finally turned, putting his drink down to prop his chin on his hand as he stared at Eren. “Why would it?”
Eren blinked. “Well… I mean, I think most people might not be as open to it so immediately.”
“Why? How’s this place any different to any of the clubs on main street? People are drinking, sweating, getting groped on the dancefloor, and hooking up in disgusting bathrooms. Here, the groping is definitely consensual and you can hook up wherever you want because we make sure it’s spotless, but otherwise, it’s the same.”
It was odd that Eren couldn’t find any way to deny that - Erwin had in fact spent a lot of time talking about the strict consent and cleaning expectations in the club, which did make it sound like a much safer and more trustworthy place than a typical nightclub that Eren was used to going to - but he felt like surely it couldn’t be that simple.
“But… sex is a bit more taboo, so even then, this place is going to have those stigmas, right? Did you worry about those at all?” he asked.
Levi’s stare remained blank. “No? Sex is sex. I like it fine.”
Shaking his head quickly, Eren snorted. “That’s not what I meant, and you know-”
“You don’t like sex? You think it’s taboo?”
“Wh-No! I’m not like… I’m not a virgin or anything.”
“What does being a virgin have to do with not liking sex? Our event organiser is a virgin, and she’s the kinkiest weirdo I’ve ever met. I’m asking if you like sex.”
Face growing hotter now, Eren stammered over his words. “Well… I mean, yeah. Course I like it.”
“So is it the kinks you find weird? The voyeurism? Exhibitionism? The public stuff, I mean. You don’t like that stuff.”
“Well… I… it’s… I wouldn’t say that, but I-”
“So you do like it?”
“Sex?”
“In public?”
It was the twitch of Levi’s mouth that snapped Eren out of it: the slight hint of a smirk he was fighting to hold back as Eren’s face grew hotter and hotter. He was being messed with. Levi was veering the conversation off entirely just to rile him up.
“You really didn’t want me to come, huh?” Eren asked sourly, hoping he could look irritated enough that it would overpower the furious red in his cheeks.
“I just wanted a drink,” Levi said, picking his glass back up and taking a pointed sip. His eyes never left Eren’s.
“So you’re trying to punish me?”
Now there was a smirk. Levi’s chin dropped slightly, tongue darting slowly over his lips. Eren watched it, unable to look away, not sure how one tiny movement could steal so much of his attention. “Hell no, kid. My punishments usually involve a lot less clothes and a lot more screaming.”
Eren’s shoulders dropped. He opened his mouth, though within a heartbeat he knew he had no idea what to say, so instead, he bit down on the inside of his cheek and pushed himself up, turning to go and return to his work for the night. He didn’t dare glance back to check if Levi was laughing at him.