Eren's eyes slipped open in the darkness, his gaze keen on the captain before him, sleeping and completely soundless. The boy bit his lip, Levi's chest rising and falling evenly as he looked on. Eren gave himself a reassuring nod, resolving that now was a better time than any.

The boy wriggled out of Levi's arms and slinked gingerly off the bed and onto the floor, crawling over to the large rolling mirror beside the bureau. Eren's eyes focused on his reflection, illuminated by the moonlight cutting through a small part in the heavy window curtains, his kneeling form straightening up proudly as he caught the glint of the rings adorning his chest. This, finally, was the night his bandages had come off, the dull pain and tenderness beneath them now long forgotten, especially now as Eren tilted his head this way and that, all to admire the winking silver at every angle. The boy grinned bashfully at the mirror, his fingers drawing up to feather along the smooth metal hanging from his body, a small shudder escaping him as pleasure blossomed across his chest, merely from the gentle nudge of the rings against his skin.

Eren's body blushed as the small mounds engorged around the piercings, just beneath the pads of his fingers. The captain truly was so loving, so very generous for bestowing upon Eren something so beautiful. The boy's face grew hot as he turned to stare at Levi's form beneath the sheets. The captain deserved only the best from Eren, he was so kind, his body was kind, embracing Eren and protecting him through every night, his punishments were kind, teaching Eren right from wrong, everything for the boy's own good. Eren would be best he could be, he would be the most beautiful pet for the captain, he would give all his love to the captain, he would never leave the captain's side, it was the only way to repay him for the comfort he brought Eren, it was the least he could do.

The boy started slightly, however, his chain of thought broken as Levi shifted under the sheets, the mattress creaking as he moved. Eren drew in a small breath, gave himself a final satisfied once over in the mirror, and crept back onto the bed, attempting to nestle carefully back into the captain's arms just as the dawn was beginning to peek through the curtains.

"Eren."

"Mmm…"

"Eren."

The boy opened his eyes slowly and scooted closer to the captain sitting leisurely against the headboard, his face nuzzling into Levi's thigh. "Good morning, sir."

Levi lifted a brow and reached down to run his fingers through Eren's hair. "I don't believe it's morning anymore, pup," the captain murmured knowingly, his eyes boring into the boy's face as Eren tilted it to stare sheepishly up at Levi. "I'm sorry sir, I was just tired is all."

"Oh? And why was that, Eren?" the captain inquired, feigning bewilderment as he angled his body towards the night table to fish out the boy's leash and collar from the top drawer, "you never sleep in this late, pup…"

Eren shifted his eyes and let his lip push out in a thoughtful pout before he rolled over and climbed up quickly onto Levi's lap, straddling the captain's hips. "I really am sorry, sir," the boy splayed his hands on Levi's chest, his eyes lowered meekly, "but it's just that your chest was rubbing on my rings and it woke me up and it made me want to—look…at them," Eren's voice trailed off, his cheeks reddening as the captain's fingers lingered on his neck once his collar had been set in place.

"I see," the corner of Levi's mouth ghosted up for a split second before his hands trailed down Eren's chest to flick the rings of silver back and forth gently, the boy's teeth sinking down into his lower lip as a jolt of heat shot straight down his belly to his groin. "well then we'll just have to let Erwin take a little look at your rings today too. I'm sure he would just love to see them."

Eren pulled away slightly, his eyes widening to study the captain's face. "Sir?"

Levi tutted and bounced Eren on his thighs, his fingers firmly kneading the boy's bare hips. "We're going to be having lunch with Erwin today and you'll be able to play with Armin, doesn't that sound fun, precious?" the captain supposed, his voice lowering to become almost inaudible, his eyes boring unwaveringly into Eren's. The boy pursed his lips and shifted his weight along Levi's lap, the captain's hands spreading across Eren's lower back to pull him closer against his chest. "Eren, daddy just asked you a question," Levi murmured, giving one of the rings a harsh tug with his forefinger.

"Sorry, sir!" Eren gasped and hissed, a slight burning pain radiating out from his nipple as the captain's lips turned up in a smirk. "Yes, it sounds like lots of fun!"

"Now, that's what I like to hear."

Eren reached forward tentatively to tap the large brass knocker against the door, his body shifting in Levi's arms as it soon opened, revealing a smiling commander. "Hello, hello!"

"Thank you for having us today, Erwin," the captain muttered, squatting down to let Eren onto the floor, the boy nuzzling tightly against Levi's boots as Erwin crouched down to scratch behind Eren's ears, his eyes lighting up in amusement as the boy shrank away slightly. "Still so shy with me, Eren?" the commander supposed with a warm grin.

Eren shifted his eyes down and away before his face was buried in the white denim of Levi's trousers, Erwin standing up slowly with a sigh of mock exasperation. "One day you'll be excited to see me, dear, one day…"

Eren let a small puff of air out through his nose and nestled stubbornly against Levi's calf, the captain's hand reaching down to stroke the boy's hair tenderly. As far as Eren was concerned, the commander was sorely mistaken. "Eh, don't think I can do it, sweetheart?" Erwin chuckled, his large hands moving to rest on his hips, "well I'll just have to try my best," the commander winked and gave a devilish grin, his arm opening graciously, "now it's a wonderful day, let's not waste it by withering away inside."

Levi nodded curtly and gave Eren's leash a tiny tug, the boy crawling forward faithfully alongside the captain as Erwin led them away past the kitchen and through the open door leading out into the garden. A low whine grew in the back of Eren's throat as he caught sight of Armin playing alone by the modest willow a few yards away, his neck straining against the tight hold of the leather cord wrapped around Levi's fingers. The boy rose up on his knees in an instant, his arms wrapping around the captain's hips, his eyes large and beseeching. "Please, sir, can I please go play with Armin?"

Levi stared down his nose at Eren before he crouched down with a grunt, his fingers roaming along the boy's neck as he unhooked the leash from Eren's collar. "Go. Erwin and I will just be here at the table. Be good, pup, don't make too much noise."

Eren gave a happy squeal and planted a wet kiss on the captain's cheek before turning away to scuttle off on all fours through the grass. "Armin! Armin!"

The boy laughed and opened his arms, embracing Eren tightly, his blue eyes shining brighter than they ever would have in Erwin's company. "I've missed you, Eren!" Armin laughed, his gaze souring however, the moment the commander's deep chuckle rang jovially across the garden, "I have some things…to show you…"

Eren bit his lip and dug his fingers anxiously into the grass, kneeling forward slowly, his face growing close to the child before him. "What is it, has the commander been hurting you? Even after you were nice to him?" Armin reached out his hand and rolled the ball he had been playing with earlier back into his lap, his arms crossing over it to hug it close against his belly. Eren bit his lip, his brow knotting thickly as he extended his hand to enclose Armin's fingers within it. "What…what did the commander do to you?"

"Eren, Armin! You two boys come here for a moment and have some lemonade!"

Erwin's voice booming out so suddenly through the garden wrenched Eren out of his worries and back to reality, his body turning grudgingly towards the two men at the lawn table, Erwin standing proudly as Armin started reluctantly forward, and Levi sitting with one leg crossed over the other, his finger curling to beckon Eren towards him. The boy bounded immediately through the grass, Levi becoming nearer and nearer until Eren found himself kneeling dutifully at the captain's feet, his chin resting on the captain's knee.

Levi reached down to run his fingers through Eren's hair absentmindedly, his gaze stoic as he stared down at the boy kneeling before him. "Would you like to try some lemonade, pup?" Eren nodded and rose up higher on his knees, his hands flat on the captain's thigh as Levi touched his glass gently to the boy's lips. "Take a small sip first, precious."

Eren pulled away quickly the second sour and sweet began to crawl along his tongue, his eyes clenching shut as he smacked and puckered his lips, a happy giggle breaking out from between them. "Sir, I like this! I like this a lot!" Levi shook his head and let out a sigh before he gently pulled Eren close again by the chin and lifted the rim of the glass back up to the boy's mouth, Eren taking larger gulps each time, the new strange flavor tickling him wonderfully.

Erwin's eyes creased happily as he looked on, his arms wrapping around Armin to pull him fluidly into his lap, the boy turning his face away to grimace out of the commander's view. "You know, I'm just ecstatic that you like it, Eren," Erwin said warmly, his hand snaking slowly up Armin's thigh, "I made it with Armin's help, the poor dear wanted to do it special just for you."

Eren pulled his lips away from the glass and turned them down, his nostrils flaring as the commander spoke, his face digging resolutely into the fabric of Levi's trousers. "Eren," the captain muttered sternly, reaching down to pull sharply on one of Eren's rings, "what do we say to Commander Erwin?" Eren squeaked and jolted against Levi's leg before he tilted his face slightly, so that is lips were no longer buried in the captain's thigh, "Sorry, sir. We say 'thank you for the lemonade, Commander Erwin'," the boy said quietly, his face turning back into Levi's pants and away from Erwin's eyes.

The commander chuckled and bounced Armin on his thigh jovially. "You're very welcome, Eren, I can have you over for lemonade whenever you like, dear, lord knows I'd love to see that pretty face of yours around here more often." Eren wrinkled his nose at Erwin's offer, his stomach churning in disgust before he resolved to scramble defiantly up into Levi's lap. "Oi, pup…"

Eren ignored the captain's chiding tone and burrowed his face into Levi's neck, his nose filling with the man's sweet cologne. "I'll go only where Captain goes," the boy whispered into Levi's skin, his fingers curling and gripping the captain's jacket. Levi tutted and shook his head as he reached down and pinched Eren's inner thigh, the boy giving a yelp before squirming about on the captain's lap. "I do apologize, Erwin," Levi murmured, his hand snaking toward the small sack between the boy's legs, "Eren is being very," the captain's fingers closed tightly around it, Eren fidgeting and whimpering desperately, "difficult today…"

"Oh, Levi it's quite alright, the poor thing is just bashful," Erwin laughed, his hand running up Armin's lower back, the boy holding back a shudder, "why, even Armin has opened up to me a tad," the commander cooed, his lips playing up along the boy's ear, "it just took some time is all. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Armin's eyes lowered sadly, his small hands balling into fists. "Yes, papa."

"That's my darling," Erwin clucked, his finger tapping the tip of the boy's nose lovingly. "Now," the commander's eyes shifted and fell, almost hungrily, on Eren, "I've noticed that someone has been given a very gorgeous gift," Erwin mused, nodding approvingly as Levi shifted Eren on his lap to expose the boy's chest, despite a protesting whine. "My, my, these are just lovely," the commander murmured, leaning forward and dragging his thumb against one little mound, the silver turning over smoothly back and forth under his finger. Eren gritted his teeth and made to shrink back against Levi's body away from the offending hand, but the captain's fingers however, gripped the boy's length tightly before they pinched it sharply in warning. "Sit still, pup," Levi whispered into the shell of Eren's ear, "daddy can't show you off if you're squirming like that. And if daddy can't show you off then daddy has to punish you."

Eren squeaked out a small apology before his eyes widened as the commander took Armin's hand in his own and brought the boy's fingers to Eren's rings. Erwin smiled knowingly into Armin's hair, the boy's cheeks flushing red as Eren gawked at him in astonishment, his fingers gripping Levi's anxiously. Armin let his hands linger on Eren's chest, his finger nudging one of the rings this way and that, his eyes wide with wonder despite the bashfulness painted across his face. "Do you like them, dear? Do you want papa to get you pair just like that?"

Armin's hand shot back quickly, the second Erwin's voice broke his lips. "No, papa, I don't," the boy shook his head vigorously, his gold hair flapping about wildly, "they look like they hurt." The commander chuckled and sprang Armin up and down on his knee, the boy lowering his head dejectedly as Erwin tutted with a knowing smile. "Well, we'll see tonight, sweetheart, maybe I can convince you otherwise."

The boy's eyes grew dull and lifeless in an instant, watering immediately at the man's words, his face paling in realization. "Yes, papa."

"Papa?"

Armin nodded solemnly as they ascended the grand staircase and entered the boy's room, the men having stayed outside to converse over a drink or two as the sun set. "Whenever I call the commander papa he smiles and for the most part lets me have my way. That's why he let me leave with you just now," Armin paused and shuddered, "otherwise he would've had me on his lap all night."

Eren kept his eyes down on the hardwood floor before he sat at the foot of the bed and drew his knees up to his chest. "You don't love the commander though," the boy murmured, his teeth digging into the inside of his cheek, "I call the captain daddy. But that's because I love him and because he takes good care of me. But it's different for you…"

Armin sank down before Eren, his head dropping gloomily. "Do you blame me? I didn't ask to be given to him, he hurts me almost every night, you know that, Eren, and…and things," the boy's voice lowered and his eyes shifted anxiously towards the bedside table, "have gotten worse." Eren leaned forward, his hand extending to curl around Armin's forefinger and squeeze it gently. "What do you mean worse?"

The boy merely shook out his hair and stood wordlessly, turning to open the bedside drawer and haul its contents into his arms before he sat back down, his cheeks staining red in shame.

Eren reached forward and took one of the strange objects from the boy's arms and turned it over in his fingers, his brow cocked in bewilderment. The silver contraption in his hand, almost resembling a pair of wide clamps really, glinted in the lamplight, heavy and foreboding in Eren's fingers. "What—what is all of this?"

Armin took the instrument in Eren's hand and squeezed the two handles together, as if they were a pair of scissors, and watched Eren's eyes grow large and uneasy as the clamps spread apart broadly. "Commander puts…he puts this in my bottom," Armin paused, his lips contorting into a grimace as Eren's jaw dropped, "and it…you see it stretches me—my bottom—really wide," the boy buried his face in his hands, his voice cracking, "it hurts, it hurts so badly, and the commander puts his fingers inside me while I'm spread like that, and he licks me," Armin shook and sobbed into his hands, the pads of his fingers dampening quickly, "and he spits inside my bottom when it's all wide and then he takes the metal thing out and then he puts his whole hand inside me and he pushes it in and out and I—".

"W—why…why would he do that?!" Eren flew back flattened himself against the foot of the bed, his body positively itching, his eyes wide and watering. "That—it doesn't make sense, how can he even, why?"

"It makes him all excited, and he takes his hand out and he makes me lick it and then he uses his privates and he spills that sticky white juice inside me and then he makes me squat so he can watch it drip out!"

Eren stared, utterly awestruck and terrified at the child before him, red faced and hicupping between waves of tears. "But—but, wait!" Eren lunged forward, his fingers clutching tightly at Armin's shoulders, the boy's swimming eyes remaining shamefully lowered. "What if you run away! What if you come live with me and Captain! He's so loving and kind and he will only punish you if you've been a bad boy! Isn't that perfect?"

Armin's sniveling halted as Eren's voice permeated through the boy's mind, the possibilities of a better life sparking his thoughts to move a mile a minute. "M—maybe…I could," Armin squeaked, his face raising slowly before his lips broke into a faint smile.

Eren pursed his lips before his gaze hardened and his brows knotted sternly, his hands trailing down Armin's shoulders until the boy's fingers were held tightly in his own.

"You're coming home with me, Armin. That way we can play together every day, and the commander won't hurt you anymore." Eren paused, his jaw setting in determination, "I'm not leaving here without you."