Archive of Our Own

As a valued veteran of the Scouting Regiment, Levi had constant access to luxury.

There were the given privileges to someone of Levi’s status. He always had full access to meat and liquor when times were tough, and access to ‘new technology’ now that times were easier. Levi cared not to indulge too much; his own home was still powered by trustworthy wood, coal, flame and manpower.

Electricity wasn’t seen as useful or necessary for Levi. He didn’t learn to drive a motor car, either, as the usage of horse and carriage was just fine. There was something off putting about the use of motor and gas that made Levi feel uneasy—he was quite used to that gas being engineered for his 3DM gear, thank you very much. 

The steam rooms, however, that was something Levi could get behind. 

Levi wasn’t sure how they worked, but he wasn’t ignorant to the fact that his mistrusted electricity and some kind of generator were behind the magic. Levi wasn’t a coward to his desires, however, and made his request known to a couple of soldiers, of whom he assumed had more knowledge about how a steam room worked. He’d ordered them to prepare it by nightfall.

“R-Right away, sir,” Levi remembered one soldier gaped before blinking at the other. The two ran in the other direction in a scurry, most likely scrambling from the rare and direct interaction from famed war veteran Levi Ackerman.

Times may have changed, Levi snarled as he furiously undressed himself, but the brats always stay the same. 

As he strode to the steam room, towel and washcloth in tow, he thought solemnly of how quiet things felt around the castle. Gone was the air of grim urgency, the general anxiety, and the quieted cries of soldiers in night fits. There were no longer thin, hollowed faces in the hall, despaired by the constant shortages of food or supplies. 

The war was long over, with all his fellow cadets and inferior soldiers dispersing all around the newly discovered globe. In those years, he’d shed the title of ‘humanity's strongest’ once the threat to humanity had been eradicated. Now, Levi was retired to executive order in the military, a living relic from the times of giant, flesh-eating monsters. He held no more novelty as a local celebrity, but as a diplomat. Levi wasn’t sure which he hated worse, but he did enjoy the peace. With no constant threat to his life or stress, Levi retired himself to pencil pushing and travel. 

The cold air washed over Levi like an unwelcome blanket as he exited the castle. He sucked in a breath and strode over the cobblestone path, keeping his sandaled feet stiff. The moon was in full, casting a silver light over the forest and the brief, albeit private path from the castle to the sauna, which made itself visible behind the thick of some trees. Crickets chirped from an unseen distance, and the cold numbed his toes. 

Levi stepped into the quiet room with closed eyes. He welcomed the humidity with a low hum and a deep inhale. The air was thick and hot, and felt so intrusive it must’ve snuck behind his eyelids. The steam room was the most modern building in the structure, complete with a polished wood interior and a working bathroom. If Levi were feeling extra luxurious, he told the underlings to sprinkle a generous helping of scented oil, ones that smelled like mint and eucalyptus. But he was sure those brats prepared all the necessities for him, including the gentle oils and lotions within. 

How he looked forward to his alone time in the steam room. 

When Levi opened his eyes and found a man staring back at him, his mouth moved before his brain could capture what slipped between his lips. 

“What the fuck?”

The man stared back in equal shock, a hand caught in his hair, showcasing an array of rippled abdomen muscles. He was sitting closest to the door, not three feet away from Levi, his once spread legs now snapped shut, like an indecent maiden caught. 

The first thing Levi noticed was the man was tan, and all over his body. He also sported some hair, all over his calves in thick scores, his arms and his chest. Levi snapped his eyes upwards as he realized he was trailing the man’s body hair down his stomach and the way it gathered at the base of his hips. The towel the man wore (loosely, Levi might add) was limp with the dampness of the air, and left very little to the imagination. The man licked his lips and lowered his hands shyly over his groin, very self-aware of how his hunched over body was presenting itself. 

“At ease,” Levi grumbled, surprised at himself for saying such a retired statement. “I’m going to relax in the corner, soldier. Expect not to have any lively conversation.”

Levi decided not to make this an issue, though he was extremely annoyed at the presence of another. He remembered asking those brats to prepare this steam room in confidence, but he supposed he couldn’t be surprised. Luxuries in the military were rare, and it was common to see others jump on them before fully enjoyed by one. 

The sauna was a small room, barely smaller than Levi’s former sleeping quarters at the castle. Wood panels lined the walls and formed two rows of benches around the drain in the middle of the room. The room, now thick with the presence of two, didn’t smell as foul as Levi had expected. It was humid, but the only thing that smelled was the other man, whose scent was warm, like the sun on rock. He also smelled like musk, like the clean, untouched soil of the forest. 

Levi scoffed to himself as he settled in the corner of the room. He pressed his slick skin against the wall, opting to relax with his back completely straight. His eyes, however, didn’t shut. They wandered to the nameless soldier, who now tensed once more. 

Levi didn’t recognize him, and in the low, warmly-lit, humid, heavy room, that was sure to be impossible just staring at the man’s back. 

The man had a wide, muscular back with well-defined muscles and not a single scar or blemish. His warm, chocolate brown hair was long. It curled with the wetness in the air, and ended at the nape of his neck. The rest was tied back into one of the sloppiest buns Levi had ever seen, with tendrils of wild hair poking out along his hairline. 

Levi’s eyes narrowed. 

Granted, the military had grown tenfold since the fall of Shiganshina fifteen years ago, but Levi thought he ought to recognize someone so . . . sculpted. Judging from his stature, Levi deduced this man must’ve been tall as well. 

The man shifted his weight from one foot to the other, hunching over even more now. 

It was possible that this man was from the Garrison regiment, but it was highly unlikely, since they now considered themselves a research facility instead of wall management. From what he’s seen, there wasn’t anyone in the Garrison with a physique as impressive as this stranger’s. They were all a bunch of noodles, wry, hands calloused from research and eyes squinted behind glasses, another improved on invention since the times have changed. 

It was also possible that the man wasn’t from the military at all, since he looked spooked at the sight of Levi. But it didn’t seem believable that a civilian would break into the castle, the last stronghold of the Scouting Regiment, just to use their beloved steam room. 

No, thought Levi with a scowl. This man must’ve been from the military and this branch. 

“Who are you?” Levi asked boldly. “And answer me truthfully. You do have your back to me, soldier.” 

The soldier hesitated, which made Levi smirk. The older man was sure glad to see that his intimidating way of speech hadn’t lost its spark over the years. 

“It-It doesn’t matter,” The soldier stammered, his voice making Levi’s brows twitch.

The recognition struck Levi like a cold shower. He knew he recognized this voice–the nervous affliction was enough to have Levi lean forward with an accusatory glare. This man was most certainly someone Levi had met before, he just couldn’t quite remember. 

“It sure as hell does,” Levi snarled with impatience. “Identify yourself, soldier.” 

A thick, tanned hand tangled itself in brown locks and scratched nervously—a tic—a tic that Levi recognized–a tic that the man exhibited when Levi first walked in. 

The realization and action of the soldier fell in tandem with each other, like the fluttering pages of a book dropped from a shelf. Levi sucked in a breath as the man turned and his eyes–those eyes–made direct contact with his own. The flutter of the pages were felt in his gut as he opened his mouth to speak. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Levi asked, sounding far more accusatory than necessary. His legs twitched, as if moving him to stand, but instead, Levi backed more into the wall. 

“I just um–” Eren gulped–yes, this man was Eren, Levi couldn’t be more certain. Eren, with his nervous speech, fires of revenge turned to embers with the eradication of titans, now a fully grown man. “I came by on leave, sir.”

Sir. Levi couldn’t help but feel burned by the former commonplace address to himself. He hasn’t been called sir by a cadet in many, many years. Sir to Levi was now said by those who saw him as a guest, a stranger, an equal. 

The formality fired Levi up. 

“To Paradis?” Levi asked, his question firing like a bullet. The two words shot from his mouth in a rather nasty way. 

Eren’s mouth fell open, surprised by the implication. Levi’s own mouth closed, guilted but how dumbstruck the younger man looked.

“This is my home, sir,” Eren answered light-heartedly. 

Levi scoffed. “Home? Haven’t seen you in nearly six years, Jaeger. Not since you were a scrawny little shit with a disgusting haircut–”

“I was–” A blush erupted over Eren’s cheeks. “I was undercover–”

“And now you’re ‘home’,” Levi crossed his ankle over the top of his left thigh, a maneuver that made Eren’s gaze snap away. “It’s a wonder you’d ever come back—the world seemed big enough to swallow you whole.” 

Eren mused a smile, as if Levi’s words were true. 

“This will always be my home,” Eren repeated himself. He was growing more comfortable.

“Hm,” Levi mused, leaning backwards to shut his eyes, knowing he was in the safety of Eren, who, even as a giant monster with giant teeth, would be hesitant to hurt a butterfly. 

Even with Levi’s eyes closed, he could tell Eren was still looking at him, which was a feeling he thought he would never feel again—not for another few lifetimes, at least. 

Eren was an acceptable cadet—he cleaned well, he was determined, eager to please and best of all, he trusted Levi. Like a shadow, Eren was often seen trailing behind his corporal, following orders and running meager errands. At the time, Levi truly thought nothing of it. After all, most other cadets were deathly afraid of him, so it was a lovely change of pace to direct a single chain of command. Levi, who was accustomed to that role for the commanders before him, respected the authority that Eren accepted without question. Levi thought of Eren as a useful young man. 

It wasn’t until Jean, of all people, made a snide remark one day. Levi couldn’t remember exactly what they were doing, but they were cleaning, and Jean wasn’t doing it well. He remembered making a remark. 

“Pay attention when your fellow cadets are cleaning, so you can match their pace,” Levi said—possibly, something alongside those lines. He couldn’t quite remember his own mood. He knew it was a rather hot day, and his agitation was high. He remembered his thoughts being occupied by the streaks left by Jean’s sloppy hands.

Jean, snorting, replied simply and disagreed.

“You mean like your precious Eren?” 

Levi remembered that comment like it was uttered yesterday. Most of all, he could remember how deeply it bothered him for that to be said. Levi was taken aback by Jean’s casual and bitter remark, so much so that it drove him away from talking to Eren for a couple of days. He remembered it kept him up at night. Levi stopped thinking of the menial, like Jean’s sloppy techniques and thought of how pristine Eren was when cleaning. Levi stopped thinking about Armin’s shaky posture and thought of how Eren would salute like a steady tree, unmoved and completely natural–had Levi always thought this way? Had Eren always plagued his mind like this?

Was Eren precious to Levi?

The thought itself was disturbing. Levi never considered anything in this world ‘precious’, not even life or dignity itself. He didn’t consider himself a man that kept things close and protected, least of all, people. Sure, he had a duty to protect Eren and by extension, his squad, but that wasn’t an obligation that Levi would’ve ever referred to as ‘precious’.

And this was when ‘it’ was very obvious, now. 

Levi knew this snarky comment couldn’t have applied to himself. Levi treated Eren as he did with other cadets, so it couldn’t have meant that Levi favored him. Levi cared for everyone the best he could. 

Eren, on the other hand . . .

Eren, still very much a teenage boy, developed a hopeless crush for his direct superior, Captain Levi. 

Jean’s remark highlighted Eren’s behavior. Levi discovered how odd it truly was for someone like Eren, who got into fights with cadets nearly every day of the week, to suddenly turn into a subdued machine for Levi’s liking. On more than one occasion, Levi caught Eren leaning in when the captain spoke, his eyes wide and attentive, his smile subdued, growing when light-hearted conversation took place and flattening when Levi spoke seriously. Levi began to notice how the titan shifter would mirror his opinions, if Levi were to remark how grating Hanji was that week, Eren would recite how Hanji exhausted him in their experiments the week before. 

Eren may not have been precious to Levi, but Levi was sure as hell precious to him.

Levi was very much uncomfortable when this news was made obvious to him, for a multitude of reasons. For one, it has never made sense that Levi was the object of anyone’s affections, especially Eren’s. Levi was short for his age and sex, as well as a bit of a hermit. Some might call him stuffy, crude, unrelenting and a touch sadistic. This was made obvious on the day of Eren’s trial, when Levi thought he shattered the boy’s hero worship by kicking and beating the daylights out of him. Instead, however . . . 

“What’s so funny, Captain?” Eren asked aloud, much to the embarrassment of Levi, who hadn’t realized he let out a chuckle when ruminating. 

It took a minute to realize this had been said in the steam room, here and now, and not somewhere in the reaches of Levi’s memory. 

“What?” Levi snapped. 

Eren hesitated. “You were kinda laughing just now, sir.” 

“Turn the fuck around.” 

“Yes, sir,” Eren swallowed thickly, doing as he was told. 

Eren was also young. Every iteration of their age difference was made obvious in most interactions. Eren never seemed to understand Levi’s subdued attitude about most things, and Levi felt pity for Eren’s gung-ho nature about conquering their world and freeing it from titans. Eren’s persistent determination translated to optimism, and sometimes stubbornness. 

Levi understood that part, save for the optimism. 

The tone of their former relationship was colored with relatability, as well as unfamiliar. Discussing lightly over topics like Hanji’s experimentation as well as the general fatigue that came with being ‘Humanity’s Last Hope’ as well as ‘Humanity’s Strongest’ highlighted their strengths together. Their dedication to humanity was unsung amongst others, and Levi had always admired Eren for that.

“Tell me, Eren,” Levi spoke, urging his eyes to open slowly. “How’s the big, grand world? Was it everything you ever hoped for?”

He tried not to sound bitter, but he found it extraordinarily difficult to do so. This didn’t get past Eren, who stayed facing away and scratched the back of his neck. 

Levi had admittedly ached for Eren in his absence. When he heard that Eren was one of the first to sign up to leave Paradis and travel the world, Levi could hardly be surprised. Eren was one for freedom and adventure, and he knew that. He was just taken aback by how easy it was for him to leave. 

“Uh . . .” The syllable left Eren with an undeniable tense energy, making the older man hold his breath.

Levi found himself squirming at this reaction–what was Eren hiding? Did he find someone out there, someone to fill the butterflies in his stomach that Levi surely squashed by being himself? Of course, it only made sense for Eren to move on. Levi was simply a teenage crush, a childhood hero and a rigid superior officer as a young adult. Eren must’ve grown up to realize how insufferable and bitter Levi was. 

“It’s a lot,” Eren laughed, the statement empty, as if he’s said it a million times over to a million people who’ve asked. “Time seems to move by faster, and people seem more selfish. I’ve missed it here, to be honest. Life is simpler.”

Levi didn’t respond. How could he? He had nothing to add or take away from Eren. 

“That’s not a bad thing,” Eren added, giving a gentle look to his Captain. “I hadn’t realized how much I took Paradis for granted. I forgot how much stepping on the streets and walking down the houses felt like home to me.”

Levi’s mouth quirked. “Is that so?”

Eren kept a steady gaze. “Have you . . . have you not left the island?”

“I have,” Levi countered. “A few times.”

The brunet seemed stirred by the news, his eyes widening then flickering downwards. “Oh. I don’t think I’ve uh–nevermind.”

Levi didn’t have to ask. He was aware of the missing link Eren was pondering on. 

In the past six years, Levi’s left the island a handful of times. Being the former ‘Humanity’s Strongest’, Levi was dressed up and primped to be a diplomatic relic, a strong symbol of the ‘abominable human spirit’, that even tiny, insignificant pieces of shit could do well for their country. These treks were funded by the government, excited that they could show off a bit of their own in a world that was much more advanced. 

Levi quickly stopped attending these sorts of things. 

“Did you ever go to those galas?” Levi asked, bringing the question back to Eren’s burning curiosities. “Like the ‘Cherry Blossom Gala of Peace’ in Hizuru?”

Eren’s face lifted with recognition. “Yeah!”

“I spoke there.”

A subtle horror crossed Eren’s features. “Oh, I–uh, okay–” He laughed, embarrassed, which brought a pull to Levi’s brows. 

“To be honest, I was pretty wasted.”

Levi snorted. “I’m hurt.”

Levi tried not to think of Eren being in Hizuru at the same time he was. Though Levi didn’t see much of the country, he was fascinated. Levi remembered being around beautiful people, exotic faces that surely drew in strangers to this new allure. Levi swallowed thickly as he thought of Eren’s embarrassed laughter. 

“I am too,” Eren snorted. “To have witnessed you say words? In front of people? It’s a shame I missed it.”

“I wasn’t there long anyway,” Levi’s voice fell in volume. “Like you said, life is simpler here.”

Eren blinked slowly. Levi could feel his burn of embarrassment, the eagerness of his own words to move on to another subject. 

Levi ruminated on Eren’s bold confession, the sharp sting of a juvenile sense of humor. That surely must’ve been a trait picked up from the outside, where Eren was surely more fawned over than Levi was. Eren must’ve been a celebrity outside the walls, too important to attend speeches made at galas, popular enough to get drunk off liquor and alcohol with strangers. 

“I bet you gave a cool speech,” Eren added. 

Levi snorted. “I didn’t write it.” 

His brows raised to his hairline. “Wh—I don’t believe that.” 

“I didn’t,” Levi repeated. “My travels outside Paradis were hardly my own desires. I told the big guys if they wanted me to dress up, show my ugly mug to the outside world, make a speech about rainbows and holding hands, I better not lift a finger.” 

Eren laughed.

“I can’t believe you’re still the same,” Eren said with a particular fondness that made Levi’s eyes narrow. “I thought overcoming humanity’s greatest enemy would’ve . . . changed you.”

“Changed me how?” Levi challenged. “It’s already taken half my eyesight—a few of my fingers, to boot.” 

The brunet rolled his eyes, his face falling to the floor, contemplative and careful. 

“I thought you would’ve . . .” Eren’s sentence died in the heated fog of the room. “I don’t know.” 

Levi’s gaze flickered. He wondered, briefly, if he should interrogate Eren further on his train of thought. There was something wispy and intangible about the way Eren spoke—Levi’s insides twisted. He was rapidly growing uncomfortable. 

As was his nature, Levi made a joke. 

“Think I’d pop out a few kids or something?” Levi joked lamely. 

“Something like that, yeah.” 

Levi felt air leave his lungs and he choked. The sensation was sobering, a wash of cold air, and Levi found himself leaning in. 

“Seriously?” Levi chortled. 

Eren looked flush with embarrassment. He turned away from Levi, now, whose steely gaze had nothing but planes of muscles to focus on. 

Eren shrugged. “I-I—yeah, it sounds stupid out loud, but I didn’t meant it like—like that, it’s just . . . I thought—“

“I wasn’t a white picket fence sort of man, Eren,” Levi admitted. “And eradicating those shitstain titans from Paradis wouldn’t have changed that.” 

“Well, I know that now,” Nervous laughter bubbled from Eren. “But I don’t know, sir, I thought you’ve always wanted a quiet life.” 

Levi made a humming sound. 

A quiet life? Levi frowned. He wasn’t sure he ever had anything of the sort. Sure, the underground was quiet, in its own eerie way. The silence was a symphony of cave water, echoes and the occasional human noise, like coughing or wheezing. Those moments were rare, and only when Levi lent an ear back then. Most of the time, he was fighting for his life on the streets, learning to be fast and lethal. 

“Don’t think I could handle a quiet life,” Levi admitted aloud, the words reaching Eren before Levi had a chance to realize what was said. 

“I think you deserve one.” 

“Well,” Levi shrugged dismissively. “I have one now. My life is being a representative of Paradis, trying my best to cast an even and fair hand on our politics. It doesn’t hurt that I’m a famed war hero.” 

His words were spoken with such a bitter veracity that Eren’s eyes grew wide. Levi surprised himself with how unimpressed he’s become with his own lifestyle. 

“That’s hilarious.” 

The two words made Levi blush. He hadn’t once thought about stepping outside of this role, and he never thought about how it might look to those who knew him from before. Those subtle moments of embarrassment, however, were enough. Levi knew he looked like a court jester. 

“And you?” Levi was desperate to get the heat off himself. “What do you do? Travel just to get drunk and pump your dick into foreign tastes?” 

Levi clearly crossed a line. Eren’s brows furrowed and he immediately leaned away, as if the words struck him like a hand. “No, it’s not like that . . . I just, I live, sir. I live with freedom.”

I see, Levi thought to himself, his brows raising. 

“No home, no marriage, no children,” Levi hummed. He was assuming. “You’re a free man.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Eren laughed, making Levi’s blood run cold. 

Levi wasn’t entirely confident if Eren was dismissing Levi’s first claim or the latter. He felt his ears burn as he waited for the clarification. 

“I have a house, it’s just small,” Eren chided. 

No wife. No children. 

“Not exactly what I would’ve predicted for you,” Levi was slow to reply. His brows drew together. He tried his best to keep his expression cool. He couldn’t show his interest. 

“Really?” Eren’s brows rose. “How so?” 

Eren couldn’t help but show his, it seemed. 

“You were such a nurturing little shit,” Levi scoffed. “It’s hard not to imagine you caring for a few brats of your own.” 

Eren hummed. “I didn’t realize it was something you thought about often.” 

Levi’s expression fell open. “It’s-It’s not—damn it, I—“

“I’m just messing with you, Captain,” Eren laughed. Though Eren’s laugh was a joyous sound, an easy, infectious noise that filled Levi with warmth, he was far too embarrassed 

“You’re so easy to mess with,” Eren ran a hand through his hair, shaking out droplets from warm chocolate brown locks. 

“I’m too old for that shit,” Levi grumbled. 

“That’s what you’ve always said,” Eren’s voice dropped, his eyes fluttering to the floor. His thumbs found each other, picking at the side of his nail bed. 

“And it’s always been true,” Levi replied promptly, not minding terribly when the silence between them entered the space. It was almost as though a stranger had entered the steam room with them, sitting, waiting. 

It gave Levi some breathing space. He leaned back once more, knowing he was in Eren’s safe, reassuring presence. 

Eren. 

Levi couldn’t believe his two eyes. He rubbed a stressed hand over his sore neck as he thought about Eren, the man sitting not even three feet below him. 

Eren was a grown man, now. His voice hollowed out to bellow at a few octaves. His jaw had thickened, rounding out those giant green eyes of his to look more sultry and mature instead of naive and childlike. 

“What are you thinking about?” Levi offered, his one eye noticing prompt details, such as Eren’s roaming eyes and the slight adjustment of the towel over his groin. 

“I’m just glad,” Eren answered as evenly as he could’ve, though the ‘glad’ came out more as a squeak. “You . . . haven’t changed much. It just—well, it makes me realize I haven’t changed much either.”

“How so?” The inquiry came out before Levi could control himself. His heart raced as he realized what he had asked. He steadied his own breath and reminded himself that he was still human, and human beings were vain. 

The sigh from Eren’s mouth came out easy. “I . . . This is . . . This is so embarrassing, but I think I can finally tell you.” 

Levi inhaled, the herbal smell of the room holding his breath. He felt dizzy. 

“Okay,” Levi tried, his voice flat, no comfort or discomfort. He wanted to be still, as if Eren were a deer Levi approached on the edge of a forest. 

Eren gulped, his eyes fluttering, now. “We’re both grown men.” His mouth twitched, and out of mercy for the younger man, Levi had an inclination to tell the younger man to stop talking. Levi could die without this confession. 

“These are the secrets of a child,” Eren nodded, sounding as though he were comforting himself more than rationalizing thought. “And . . . and they—well . . .”

Levi watched Eren’s two strong hands with all his fingers wrestle against one another, nails picking at the sides of calluses and wringing. If Eren’s nerves were a heartbeat, Levi swore he felt it hammer against his own rib cage. 

“Back then, I . . .” Eren licked his lips. “As a cadet, I had very strong feelings for you, Captain.” 

The confession felt like a plume of ice into Levi’s gut. Like a diver into a cold, bitter ocean, Levi felt his nerves plummet and numb. 

He waited. Perhaps there was more to say, more to explain. 

Levi wasn’t surprised, oddly enough. There was that inkling of an instinct a long while ago, perhaps before Jean had said something. He’d always noticed Eren, even back then. 

It was one thing to have a small thought, however, and another to hear it from the horse’s mouth. 

“I didn’t notice,” Levi blurted, regret already warming his cheeks. He tried to give mercy. 

Eren’s mouth fell open, a violent blush erupting on his face and ears. “You—shut up, of course you did! It was—Walls, it was so obvious.” 

“I didn’t,” Levi asserted, crossing his arms. “At least, not on my own. Your friend, Kirstein, made a distasteful joke one day, and it all started to make sense.”

“Fucking Jean,” Eren hissed beneath his breath. “I knew he said something.” 

Levi snorted. “It’s quite alright, Eren. It was an age-inappropriate crush. Hardly something unusual for a kid.” 

“So . . .” Eren inhaled. “You didn’t think I was weird? Before you knew about it?” 

“Of course I did. But thinking you were head over heels was another thing.” 

“I can’t believe it,” Eren continued. “I spent years being stressed about you finding out about this big secret of mine, thinking I was disgusting, only for you to just . . .” 

He motioned vaguely with both his hands. 

Levi hummed a short, apathetic note. “You were a boy capable of turning into a titan, Eren. I assumed you had other things on your mind.” 

“I did. Thinking of you helped most days.” 

“Is that right?”

Levi invited the flirtation with a broad chest. He smiled softly, taking in Eren’s acknowledgment of the fact that they are both grown men with seriousness. 

“It is.” 

The separation being made between Eren as a teen and Eren as a man was easy. Levi could hardly remember what the scrawny brunet looked like—not terribly different from all the other shy and awkward teens from his time. 

Eren as a man was different.

Eren, as a man, was in front of him.

“Is it safe to say that . . .” Eren gulped, piecing together the missing parts between them. “It’s not weird now. Is it, Captain?” 

“Levi,” He instinctively reacted. “Levi is my name.” 

Eren looked at him. Levi felt flattered by the blush that came over his skin. 

“If we’re going to do this, you’re going to use it,” Levi instructed. “You’re calling me Levi.” 

-

They propped open the door. 

Hyperthermia was Levi’s first concern, as he’d already begun to feel dizzy towards the sunset of their flirtatious back and forth. 

When Eren finally rose to meet Levi on his bench, Levi quickly instructed Eren to prop open the door before he made his way over. Eren didn’t look surprised to be commanded. 

He simply stood. To close the door, Eren stumbled over himself as he did so, crouching over and making himself smaller, still very much conscious of the fact he was bare naked in front of Levi. 

Levi blinked. His eyes were drawn to the thick cock that sprung loose, arching beautifully and nearly hitting Eren’s belly button. Levi wasn’t startled by the size moreso than the fact that it was—

“You’ve been hard this whole time?” Levi quirked a brow. 

Eren’s blush was blooming over his cheeks, now. His expression positively miserable as he bent down to push the door open. 

“I can’t help it. I keep—I keep smelling you in this room.”

Levi had no inclination to tease Eren. He simply crossed his arms and watched as Eren made his way back to him, sitting at his exact place before, on the bench below. 

“I used to touch myself whenever I smelled you back then,” Eren’s eyes went down to Levi’s legs. Levi, who hadn’t bothered closing his knees together, welcomed the hungry look. 

The warmth that licked up Levi’s belly was shocking. He hadn’t expected arousal at such a crass statement, especially when it was concerning Eren’s nearly decade long crush. 

“Can I touch you?” 

“You may.” 

“God, I want to see,” Eren mumbled to himself as the towel around Levi’s waist was opened, wilting white petals of a flower spread open. Levi swallowed hard as he tried not to be self conscious, his scarred body and abdomen twitching. 

His cock was thick, not fully erect, laying gently in the crest between his hip and stomach. Levi cleared his throat, glancing away. 

“Beautiful,” Eren was again, talking to himself. He placed his hands on Levi’s thighs, the most polite movement he could’ve done. 

“You here to look?” Levi snapped, the impatience catching Eren’s attention. 

Eren bit his bottom lip. “Being blunt has always been a turn on coming from you, Levi.” 

An involuntary twitch of Levi’s half hard cock made Eren’s eyes light with fire. Coming to a realization, Eren huffed, amused. He smiled. 

“Do you like being talked to like that?” He offered, teasing as his lip lowered to kiss Levi’s knee. 

“Alright,” Levi snapped, halting Eren before he himself could get too flustered. “Enough.”

Levi puckered his lips, but it was far too late. Eren was massaging his left leg, kissing the strand of muscle as he murmured praises. Levi couldn’t quite catch all of them, as he clenched his fists so hard that the dull pain coming from his palms bit at his senses. 

“Relax,” Eren laughed. 

“That’s rich,” Levi growled. “Coming from you.” 

“I just want to make you feel good,” Eren smiled innocently. “How do you want me to do that for you?” 

Levi’s lips flattened. 

Levi’s history hasn’t allowed for an exciting arrangement of sexual encounters. Things with other bodies were always clinical, straightforward and hardly affectionate. The minutes spent with Eren were far different than anything he’s ever experienced thus far. 

No one has ever kissed his legs so softly, looked at him with such hunger and no one had ever praised Levi before. Not like this. 

“I like when you talk,” Levi managed. 

“You do?” 

“Don’t make me repeat it.” 

“Okay,” Eren smiled, kissing Levi’s leg. “I won’t.” 

Eren climbed. From his spot in between Levi’s legs, Eren now sat next to him, his shoulder at chin length for Levi. This man was broad, all tone and muscle, and the sight of it made Levi cower only slightly. 

He refused to let Eren get an inkling of this emotion.  

He slipped a hand around Eren’s neck, tangling fingers into dark brown locks of hair before bringing him to his neck. Eren’s lips parted naturally, puckering and pressing to the pale skin beneath. 

“Fuck,” Levi groaned as Eren bit gently.

The pace was explosive. Large hands immediately raced over Levi’s body, calloused palms and thick fingers massaging the pale skin. He found his body rocking, leaning into the touch, his own breath heavy in the air. 

“Don't be afraid to moan, Levi,” Eren groaned, his voice fried. “I would love to hear you.”

Eren was the first to touch Levi’s cock. His hands glided over Levi’s sweaty body and gently touched his thick cock, which was already standing at attention. His hips shuttered at the large warmth that enveloped his cock, and his voice croaked. The unfamiliar sound startled him, and he clenched his teeth. 

“That was good,” Eren laughed against his neck. 

From Levi’s neck, Eren rose and began suckling Levi’s ear. Levi curled into the sensation. Levi tried hard to stifle his gasps, but his body betrayed his stoicism. His hips buckled into Eren’s fist, only encouraging the younger to glide slower. 

“Your cock is amazing,” Eren purred. “Can I see more of you?” 

Levi swallowed dryly.

If he hadn’t been so relaxed, he would’ve declined. Levi would’ve shoved the younger man away and taken the reins, shoving his cock in that deliciously round ass. Never in a million years would he think he would melt at the thought of having it the other way around. 

But then he thought of Eren, his tan skin and the thick hair and muscle he’s had the pleasure of seeing up close. He couldn’t deny how delicious it must be to have someone like that take him, and so, he accepted. 

Eren was more than excited to have Levi climb into his lap. Eren wrapped his arms around Levi and kissed his jawline as thick, pale legs caged him in. 

“Is this how you imagined things?” Levi asked, his voice breathy as he maintained quite a bit of space between his groin and Eren’s lap. 

“If you want my honest answer, yes,” Eren’s gentle hands stroked up Levi’s back. “I always wanted you, but I didn’t know how back then. I didn’t know how to do things, how it would look or how you would look, I just knew that I needed you.” 

“It wasn’t until I . . . I had broader experiences that I knew,” Eren’s voice lowered. “I needed you to take me, and I needed to be inside of you. I wanted to taste you, I wanted to press you against my bed.”

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance, his hands meeting wet strands of Eren’s hair. “How flattering, bringing up your past lovers.” 

“It only made me want you that much more,” Eren’s whispers floated over Levi’s nipple, the ghost of his lips making Levi arch his back curiously into the sensation. 

Levi couldn’t help it. 

The thought of others being able to touch Eren’s body, his naked valleys and mountains, being able to feast their eyes on something like this . . . the thought was almost enough to sour Levi’s mouth. 

“You’re just—“

“I don’t want anyone else,” Eren interrupted, his hands lowering to squeeze Levi’s thighs, the space right beneath his buttocks. “No one else can make me feel like you do.” 

Wicked thoughts made the older man rock into the feeling, letting Eren’s body entangle him like a snake. Wet, welcome heat took over his nipples, the small pink buds prickling in pleasure. The dark shadow casted by Eren’s jaw as his mouth encapsulated Levi’s areola made Levi’s mouth fall open. 

Eren’s hands moved firmly, gentle, and with purpose. His fingers dug into Levi’s flesh and worked him open, letting aching bone simmer and black hair dangle. Levi’s pale, thick abdomen rocked on top of Eren’s lap.

His core blossomed. Levi was worked open with an embarrassing amount of ease. Sweat and moisture gathered inside of him. Eren eased to three, nearly four fingers pistoned to Levi’s entrance. Levi, who’d gone soft with concentration, was breathing low and heavy. 

“Your body fits so good with mine, Levi,” Eren broke the long silence, suckling wet kisses across Levi’s sternum to work his mouth on Levi’s other nipple. 

The need began to burn. Levi could see it, he could feel it, the reality was so close: he wanted Eren to split him open. He wanted to ease his body up and down on the one beneath, Eren’s thick cock sheathed inside his entrance. 

Levi pulled back, wobbling on his two feet. He admired Eren. 

The heat pulsed his skin, making him spin. 

The younger man looked wrecked, sweat dripping off the sides of his body and his hair, now pulled from its bun, was out. His hair was loose, tumbling down to his collarbones and dripping. His chest heaved, puckered muscles twitching with anticipation. 

“This feels like a dream.” 

“That's the hyperthermia talking.”

Eren laughed. “Your humor is so sexy.” 

Before Levi could object, Eren slipped his hands around his waist and had him turned around. Levi let himself fall back into his lap, and couldn’t find it in himself to object when Eren’s hands and mouth moved once more. 

A wet, desperate tongue made patterns on the side of Levi’s neck while big hands eased him onto his lap. With his help, Levi’s feet were perched on either side of Eren’s legs, his entrance almost perfectly aligned with his cock. 

“Grab that bottle,” Levi muttered. 

“Mhm,” Eren replied, his long arm reaching out for the various vials shoved to the side of the sauna. 

Some were essentials, herbs crushed and extracted to improve the smell of the sauna. Others, usefully, were massage oils for aching muscles. 

Drizzled honey like syrup coated Eren’s fingers. Levi, who couldn’t quite resist, began to stroke his softened cock at the anticipation. A spark lit up his senses, as Levi’s long forgotten self-induced pleasure began to drive him closer and closer to the edge.

A hiss escaped Levi’s lips as soaked fingers met his entrance. 

“Fuck,” Levi let slip. 

“I got you,” Eren murmured back, his lips meeting the back of Levi’s neck. “Let me take you.” 

Eren was careful when stretching Levi open with the oil. Compared to the slow and steady pace from earlier, this was laced with pleasure. Levi felt ready, he was ready to feel fucked and split open. The slickness that ran down his cheek and thigh, sliding against Eren with ease made him feel absolutely filthy. 

“Give it to me,” Levi commanded, pushing on his feet to allow Eren the space. 

“Are you sure?” Eren’s voice was hoarse, strained. Levi was sure he was at his limit as well. 

“Now,” Levi pressed. 

“It’s so hot when you take control,” Eren groaned. 

Their movements were rushed as their bodies twitched together. After a few fated breaths and slight adjustments, Levi felt Eren’s thick cock prod at his entrance, hot meeting warmth. 

“Ah, fuck—“ Levi gasped, his core bursting open at the seams as Eren pushed through.

He couldn’t describe the feeling other than being completely stretched and filled. He wondered if his bones were somehow moving, his organs pushing to the side to make way for Eren. Of course, that wasn’t possible, but it felt very real. His own body twitched involuntarily as he sank down, adjusting. 

“Tight,” Eren supplemented the delirious thoughts. “Holy fuck.”

The way Eren’s voice broke on those three words flamed Levi’s fire. A dark, curious thought disrupted his wave of pleasure—Eren, in pain, at Levi’s mercy. 

“Take it,” Levi commanded, his teeth gritting. “No stopping, Eren.” 

Eren’s forehead met the back of Levi’s neck. Hot breath raced down Levi’s back as Eren struggled to breathe. 

“Le-Levi,” Eren panted. “I don’t-I don’t know if I can control myself.” 

“Keep it together,” Levi grunted. “Let me . . .”

Levi sank his hips slowly, enjoying the burn as his walls were stretched open. His eyes rolled back into his head, his core feeling full and taken. He could feel himself shape around Eren, taking him inch by inch. 

A burning light lit Levi’s body from the bottom up. He’d never felt such a feeling, such a fullness nor completion. The knowledge that this was Eren beneath him made his body tingle, taking him much higher. 

He pulsed his hips, rocking up and down. The movement was slow, controlled, strained. Eren’s thighs began quivering below him, and Levi grit his teeth as he kept himself together. He refused to be the first one to falter. 

Eren showed a great amount of restraint, his thick thighs flexing as he forced himself to remain still. 

“L-Levi,” Eren whined, his voice cracking into a higher octave. “I-I can’t—“

“Take it, Eren,” Levi ordered. “Take it until I say so.”

“It’s so good,” Eren gasped for air as Levi completed another round of slow, deliberate pulses. “Fuck, you’re taking me so good.”

Levi indulged in the praise. He loved hearing Eren’s words sweetly wrap his being. Levi didn’t consider himself a vain person, but to have someone like Eren worship him with words was enough to drive him over the edge. 

Eren placed heavy hands onto Levi’s hips, rocking his own in tandem alongside Levi’s slow movement. 

“More.” 

“And you’re so beautiful,” Eren felt encouraged to move his hips slowly. “I’ve always loved how you looked—your muscles, your hair, your eyes, all of it.”

Levi felt his control being relinquished. He ceased to move, his very being punctured by Eren’s sharp and fastening pace. 

His low groans filled the space between them as Levi let go of inhibition. Eren fucked him hard and fast now, slipping his slick cock in and out of him at an animalistic pace. His own feet planted against the floor as he filled the air with sounds of skin slapping against skin.

He reached an aching hand down and gripped his own cock, slick and tense and erect. As Eren fucked up into him, Levi fucked into his own hand. His pleasure skyrocketed, and soon, he felt close. 

The pressure in his gut began to feel tense, hot, aching all at once. Heat prickled upwards, racing up his cock and sending electric tingles over his own nipples and throat. 

Eren spoke, but the words didn’t matter. It was the familiar rumble of Eren’s voice, the identity of this very same man beneath him that brought Levi to completion. 

Levi called out an expletive, or perhaps Eren’s name as he came. He jerked his slick cock hard and tight, shooting hot fluid all over his hand and feeling it sprinkle over his and Eren’s legs. He continued, the burning desire hardly doing anything to soften his cock or arousal. 

“Levi, Levi, Levi,” Eren chanted, his voice clearer now. “Fuck, don’t stop, I’m-I’m close—!”

Levi raised his hips, allowing Eren to slip out completely. 

Levi could hear Eren’s breath ripped from his throat as his orgasm was delayed. 

Daringly, Levi turned over his shoulder and smirked at the devilish look on Eren’s face. Eren looked shocked, desperate and aroused all in one. 

“Levi, please,” Eren panted, his voice completely wrecked. He was on the verge of tears, his tone tilting. His brows were twisted and his cheeks flushed, and Levi then decided that desperation looked incredibly good on Eren. 

“What was that?” Levi tilted his head. 

Fingers dug into Levi’s hips. “Levi.”

“Yes, Eren?” 

“Let me . . .” Eren whined. “Please, please, please, I-I need to be inside you.” 

“Fine,” Levi smirked. “You’ve been good.”

Levi turned, the balance and sudden throb of a headache making him tilt. Eren took a hold of his hand and eased the older man back into his lap. Levi steadied himself on his knees, his soft skin pressing into the wood on either side of Eren’s thighs. 

Levi couldn’t wait; he wrapped his string around Eren’s neck and tangled his hands into those thick brown locks. He yanked Eren’s head backwards, knocking his skull against the wall behind them and shoved his tongue into his mouth.

A strangled cry came from this move of domination, fueling Levi to push further, to be filthier. He openly sucked on Eren’s tongue, thick saliva gathering at the edge of their mouths. 

“Scoot towards the edge,” Levi ordered silently, lifting his hips for Eren to follow instruction. 

When Levi turned back around and saw Eren’s eyes meet his, he was quick to grab Eren’s jaw with his non-dominant hand. The sudden movement shocked Eren, which gave Levi ample time to shove two fingers into his mouth. 

Eren gagged slightly at the rough intrusion.

“Hold it,” Levi’s command was low. “I know you can.” 

Angry, disobedient green eyes blinked at him as Eren did as he was told. His tongue wrapped deliciously around Levi’s digits. He worked up a rhythm that was a feast for the eyes; Levi relished in seeing those eyes lower and focus as he bobbed his head against Levi’s fingers. 

Levi ached to see the real thing, though, this would have to do for right now. Levi had other plans. 

Anchoring himself on the back of Eren’s neck, Levi reached his hand backwards. Eren, catching on, spread his legs. He cracked an eager smile, his own breath quickening in excitement as Levi rubbed his entrance. 

“Shit,” Eren melted, his shoulders drooping. “I don’t think I’ve ever—fuck that feels good.” 

“Like me playing with you?” Levi asked, curling his hip playfully, his slick cock digging into Eren’s. 

“That feels so good,” Eren dumbly repeated, pressing his forehead into Levi’s shoulder.

“Good,” Levi replied, muttering beneath his breath. With his middle finger, he pushed past the ring of muscle, sighing at the resistance. It was a strain to reach his hand back and bend his wrist at this angle, but Eren seemed to enjoy it.

Their bodies writhed together. Their cocks nudged against one another and slid between their heated bodies in a rhythm that felt completely natural. They moved together like this, dancing in a lazy rhythm as Levi progressed to two fingers inside of Eren. 

Levi studied Eren’s expression in the mean time. Heavy, trying to concentrate, a dazed look over his eyes as he dumbly let himself be stretched open. 

“Can I fuck you again?” 

“Are you really asking for permission?” Levi scoffed. 

“While you—“ Eren stopped himself, as Levi playfully tilted his hand and pressed against Eren’s walls. 

“Nghh—!” Levi felt all of Eren’s body tense beneath him as he hit that spot. 

“That-That feels amazing,” Eren breathed. “You’re so good at this, Levi—I-I can’t—“

“So, fuck me then,” Levi teased, starting a slow, accurate thrust into Eren. “I’m not going to stop.”

Pressing a hand into Levi’s back, Eren lifted his pale hips and let his own cock slip behind Levi. Levi, who pressed his remaining hand into the back of Eren’s neck to stabilize himself, remained inside Eren while they adjusted. 

They both moaned in unison as Eren slid in with ease. His cock pulsed happily at its place inside Levi, and instead of thrusting upwards, Eren slowly rolled his hips, enjoying his tightness inside Levi and the presence inside of his own entrance. 

“Do you want to take more, Eren?” Levi asked, his voice heavy. 

“Give it to me,” Eren begged. 

Levi did as he wished, his own delirium resisting the idea of teasing Eren any more. 

He slipped another finger in, rocking his hips back as he started a furious pace. His own arousal, budding up, was neglected in favor of maintaining his pace with Eren. 

Levi flexed his muscles as he squeezed onto Eren’s thighs. He fucked himself onto Eren’s cock, his pace with his fingers growing sloppy as he stretched Eren open at the same time. 

“Fuck!” Eren called out as his hips stilled. His hips shuddered, pumping harshly as he filled Levi with his seed. 

Levi breathed as he watched the younger man come undone before him. 

With Eren’s approaching orgasm, Levi pulled his hips forward and back, vigorously milling the last of Eren’s seed into himself. He felt greedy, he felt indulgent, but most importantly, he felt complete. 

He slowly retracted his fingers, a movement that made Eren’s his shake. 

“Wow,” Eren gulped. “I’m—I’ve never—“

Levi frowned.

“Eren?” 

Eren’s head snapped backwards, his eyes rolling into his skull. 

“Fuck!” 

-

“Disgusting, Eren,” Levi clicked his tongue as he watched the taller man shake his head, splashing bits of soapy water everywhere. 

“And what is that supposed to say about you?” Eren teased, licking a wicked tongue over his teeth. 

Levi rolled his eyes. 

He continued his shower, separated from the steam room area only by a half-wall. 

“Wash yourself thoroughly, Eren,” Levi instructed. “We worked up quite a sweat.” 

As if it were happening again, for the first time, Eren blushed. “We did.” 

“Yeah, I thought I went and killed you,” Levi clicked his tongue at the memory. “Death by sex. Only you could suffer a fate so embarrassing.”

He was sheepish now, degrees more than he had been moments ago. Eren closed his eyes and turned to the water, his fingers scrubbing meticulously into his scalp. 

After Eren passed out, Levi had the morbid thought of where to hide such a huge and important body. But, by the graces of the divine, Eren was still breathing. So, in an embarrassing sequence of events, Levi dragged the big idiot to the showers, dousing him in cold water and waiting until he woke up. He also propped the door open even more, letting the cool air be enough to revive Eren.

“Thank you for that,” Eren muttered, a red blush taking over his cheeks. “That was . . . I didn’t expect that.”

Levi opened his mouth, most likely with an instinct to joke. He wanted to tease Eren, to dismantle this new, weird air between them. 

But nothing came out. 

“Levi?” Eren asked after a pronounced silence made the younger man open his eyes again. 

“Nothing,” Levi waved dismissively. 

Levi felt the need to say something. His instinct was to assure Eren that the sex was amazing, despite the sudden fear of death. The moment rattled Levi more than he was willing to admit, though death was a cold mistress that often danced with Levi before. 

Instead, he found himself asking. 

“Would you like to share a kettle of tea with me?” Levi cleared his throat. “You know . . . Come into my place and sleep for the night?” 

Eren smiled, the smile breaking his puppy dog like eyes into content squints. He laughed, a light and easy sound before pressing his lips back together shyly. 

“I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.”