Nothing was ever different. The smell, the dimness, the slight haze in the air. Nothing had changed in this place in the past two years he had been working here and it was pretty depressing to realize that it probably wasn't going to change any time soon. Eren sighed as he walked through the quiet bar area, dodging the bottles that hadn't been picked up yet. He could hear the owner yelling at one of the waitresses about doing her job properly. In about three seconds, she was going to fire back with a retort about it not being in her job description to pick stuff up from the floor. The argument would go back and forth for about twenty minutes before she'd eventually pick up the empties just to shut him up. It was a routine that had been going on for six months already and it was amazing that she hadn't been fired yet.

"Jaeger!" The stage manager called his name.

"Sir?" Eren looked up as he reached the stage. The man, named Zac, was squatting down to talk to him, a cigarette dangling loosely between his lips. He was the one part of this job that Eren actually liked because Zac was as cynical about it as he was. He'd had dreams about working on major dance productions, arranging their music and coralling the dancers. Unfortunately, he had somehow managed to insult someone so badly that they had forever screwed any chances he might have had of making it in that world. Since the owner of this place was his brother, Zac had a job for life but that didn't mean he liked it.

Zac pulled the cigarette from between his lips and spoke quietly. "There's word in the grapevine that some major players are going to be here tonight."

"Major players?" Eren asked, confused.

"Yeah. Guys you wouldn't expect to see in a strip joint in the ass-crack of town." Zac replied, glancing at the garish decor of the bar.

"Why the hell would they come here?" Eren muttered as he inhaled, grimacing at the stale smell of the place. It was a combination of stale cigarette smoke, too many different alcohols to identify, cheap perfume and the lingering scent of sick that no one was ever able to completely scour away.

"Search me. But it's got everyone backstage in a twitter. They're saying it might be their ticket out of here." Zac said with a snort.

Eren laughed with him. "Ticket to what? Spending a year shaking their ass to keep someone's attention before they get bored and throw them back here?"

Zac laughed harder. "I hear ya, Eren. But try telling them that when they've got stars in their eyes." He said as he got to his feet, brushing the seat of his pants with a quick flick.

"Thanks, Zac. I'll keep my eyes down on Planet Earth tonight." Eren said as he hitched his bag higher on his shoulder.

"Smart move, kid." Hannes said with a sigh as Eren walked away.

Stars in their eyes, huh? Yeah, Eren thought with a sigh. He remembered when he had suffered from those delusions at the start. Dreaming of dancing the way he wanted, of maybe being seen by a scout and becoming a professional dancer, he'd gotten a job here to help his sister. True, he'd been vague about the details of what he did but it was with good reason. If Mikasa found out what he really did here, she would freak. There was no doubt in his mind that she would try to force him to quit and if he didn't, she would probably go as far as threatening his manager to make sure he got fired.

But he did this for her. No other job around here paid as well as being a stripper did and the money he earned went straight into paying for Mikasa's classes. His sister had everything needed to make something of herself in this world. She was highly intelligent and had the drive to get out of this ass-crack part of town they lived in. Yeah, her classes were expensive and she also worked to pay for food and their apartment but it was the money he earned here that ensured she had a future to look forward to. And in Eren's eyes, it was worth it. So what if he had to shake his ass and pretend to be interested in the perverts and sad-sacks that came here and tried to take him home? Mikasa meant the world to him and if his working here could ensure that she got the qualifications to get ahead in life? He'd pretend the fuck out of it and keep shaking his ass to get the money for it.

Loud talking met his ears as he opened the door to the change rooms. Ugh. Grimacing, he waved his hand in front of his face as a cloud of perfume engulfed him. Hannes was right. The girls were definitely twittering in excitement. The guys were a little more quiet but they were also buzzed. Dodging piles of tiny costumes and hair and make-up products, he dropped down into his seat and let his bag hit the floor. His eyes immediately went to the photograph snagged in the frame of his mirror. His mother and father smiled back at him as he and Mikasa stood between them, him making a face and her with her a rare shy smile on her face. As always, the memory made him smile. His father had come home that day with the news that they had been granted full custody of Mikasa. His sister had been so subdued in the weeks leading up to that day, terrified that she would be sent to a different family. More than once, he had found her crying at night, trying to muffle her sobs. Those nights had been the rare times that she had caved in and slept curled into a ball next to him, letting him comfort her.

When they had gotten the news that she was officially a part of their family, it had been the first time he had seen a true smile on her face. And it showed in the photograph. That smile was his motivation, his reason for doing this. To come home and see her smile like that with the news that she had achieved another high distinction in her classes made every second worth it.

"Yo, Eren! You hear about tonight?" Hitch called from her end of the room.

"Yeah." Eren replied, lifting up a sharpener as he eyed the blunt end of his eyeliner.

"Yeah? That's your only response? Yeah?" Hitch snapped in disbelief.

Eren raised an eyebrow. "You really think any of us are going to grab the eyes of some rich asshole? In this dive?"

Hitch scoffed at him. "Maybe not you but look at me! Tell me what isn't eye-snagger material about me?"

"B-Cup chest and a voice that makes me think nails on a chalkboard was composed by Beethoven." Eren muttered, shaking a few shavings off the sharpener.

"Fuck you too, Eren." Hitch said with a laugh, flipping her short hair as she grabbed a tube of bright pink lipstick.

"Not your colour, Hitch." He called out.

"Take your opinion and shove it." She replied, slathering her lips with the stuff. Eren rolled his eyes and turned back to his reflection. Carefully, he lined up the black pencil with the inner part of his eye, dragging it slowly along the lid and making a small wing when he reached the edge. So many customers had told him that his eyes were enchanting, the bright green practically glowing when the lights were on him. His eyes were the one thing he paid attention to, highlighting them as much as possible with eyeliner. Soon enough, he had thick but elegant black wingtips at the corners that tapered to thin points at the inner parts of his eyes. Next came eyeshadow. Using a soft brush, he brushed his eyelids until they were smudged with dark grey, starting off thick and intense around his eyes before smudging and fading towards his eyebrows.

"Dude, it scares me that you're so good at that." Thomas muttered enviously as he watched Eren apply the make-up.

"Scares my sister too." He replied. Well, maybe not scare. Mikasa actually loved it that he was so good at it since she was pretty damn useless at applying anything other than mascara. She'd asked him about it once and he'd shrugged it off, saying that it was a necessary skill if he wanted to become a dancer. Not exactly a lie. He did need to know how to apply it if he wanted to go professional.

A soft bing from his bag caught his attention. Digging around, he pulled out his phone to see a text from Mikasa.

"Armin's wondering if you want to go see Big Hero 6 tomorrow." It read.

Before he could reply, a second message came through that made him smile.

"Don't you dare say no." It was followed by a picture of his father's necklace being dangled over the toilet.

Eren smiled and quickly typed an affirmative. He'd probably be tired but it had been a long time since he had seen Armin for longer than an hour so it would be nice for a change. As he put his phone away, he dimly caught the sounds of a song coming from the stage area. The sound check had started. The smile left his face. In another hour, the doors would open and the customers would start coming in, wanting to be entertained. Eren's eyes went to his box of outfits, stuffed under his table to make room for everyone else. Opening it, he eyed all the tiny scraps of sparkly, shiny and tiny. He really didn't feel shiny tonight and Hannes probably knew it. Digging around, he felt leather against his fingertips. Grabbing hold, he pulled. Out came the one outfit that he actually liked. Okay, the shorts were past tiny and into barely-there territory but the leather was wonderfully soft and actually felt good against his skin when he danced. The sides had to be tied together with laces to make sure they stayed up but the crowd adored them. His ass practically hung out of them but that was kind of the idea.

"Oh, you're wearing those tonight?" Mina said as she walked past him.

"Yeah. Don't know if I still have the stockings." Eren replied, feeling around in the box.

"I've got a set that will work for it if you want them." Mina offered with a smile as she pulled a pink cowboy hat off one of the shelves.

"Would you mind?" Eren asked?

"Nope. Just make sure you give them back to me." Mina replied. Darting back to her own table, she pulled a thin black length from one of her drawers and threw them to him.

"Nice." Eren said with appreciation, running the fishnets through his fingers. They had a small fine weave and would make his legs look darker in the lighting of his performance. And they matched the rest of the outfit so that helped. Stretching them out, he found that they were the type that didn't need a garter belt to clip onto. Stay-ups, actually.

Digging around once more in his box, he found the top that went with the shorts. It barely reached his midriff and was laced up the front. It actually had long sleeves but those sleeves only covered the top section of his arms. The under arms had large cut-outs that showed the skin, the fabric actually belted in place. The very ends of the sleeves formed into fingerless gloves that made it easier to handle the pole. Standing, he got changed, dragging his jeans off and stepping out of his underpants.

"Eren! How the hell do you have such a good ass?" Hitch moaned, glaring at him.

"Genetics. And squats." He muttered, pulling the booty shorts up and clamping his legs together to keep them in place. He made quick work of the laces on the sides, sliding them through the eyelets and making sure they were tied tight at the top. Last thing he needed was for them to actually slide down while he was dancing. Sitting back down, he slid the stockings up his legs, not even noticing the smooth glide of shaved skin anymore. The lacy bands at the tops hugged his thighs tight enough to assure him they wouldn't be sliding down any time soon.

The top was as difficult as always. Getting out of the thing was easy. Getting into it required patience because he kept snagging on the arm belts. But it didn't take long enough to irritate him and once his fingers were through the gloves, he grabbed a set of boots. Ordinarily, they probably would have been for women. But the two-inch chunky heel and studded fronts suited his outfit perfectly so he didn't actually care.

A knock at the door brought his head up. The manager walked in, exhaling a cloud of cigarette smoke. "Okay, guys. Hitch is starting things off tonight. Thomas will follow, then Mina..." He droned on until all the names were listed. Eren was somewhere in the middle. Which was actually pretty good. It meant he'd be able to leave earlier than usual.

"Sweet! This means I get the high rollers early!" Hitch said happily, clapping her hands together in glee.

Eren sat back down, accepting the list of songs each of them would be dancing to. His eyebrows went up as he saw what had been chosen for him. Well, at least he'd picked the right outfit.

Eren watched as Hitch dropped back into her chair, her make-up smudged with sweat. "Did you really need to go out there a third time?" He asked, crossing his legs.

She flipped him off. "I saw the high-rollers. Trust me when I say I'll do anything to get their attention." She replied, snagging a tissue and wiping away the smudged eyeliner from underneath her eyes. Eren shook his head as he stood up. He was up next and he could hear the ending notes of Mina's song. Checking his eyes, he ignored the lipgloss Hitch threw at him. He hated the stuff. It made him feel like there was an oil slick on his mouth. Walking out the door, he nodded at the bouncers who gave him friendly smiles. At least they were always polite and actually looked out for the dancers.

Standing behind the curtains of the stage, he looked out at the audience. Mostly men, as usual. The occasional woman and the usual ones that you couldn't be sure about. Mina's song ended and the crowd cheered as she slid back down to the stage, taking a neat curtsy as she stood comfortably nude in front of them. She smiled at him as she got off the stage, patting his arm reassuringly as she walked away.

Hannes signaled to him and Eren climbed the steps, listening as the manager announced him. It was the standard lines with words like exotic, erotic and a lot of other rhymes thrown in. Squaring his shoulders, Eren took a long step forward as he moved into the light. Murmurs of appreciation went off as he moved, his hips rolling in a way that probably wouldn't have been natural in any other situation. But he knew how to work the crowd and they loved it when he walked like that.

As he reached the pole and the lights dimmed a little, a shiver slid down his spine. Curious, he looked up and scanned the crowd. Someone was staring at him intently enough for him to actually feel it. Most of them were in the dark but eventually, his eyes came to the front row. And he found the source.

Whoa...no wonder Hitch was so eager to grab their attention. Two men were sitting directly in front of the stage and they stood out like sore thumbs. Whereas everyone here looked either tired or grungy, these two were something else. Both men were dressed in suits that probably cost more than he could make in three years of working here. The smaller man was dressed in black, wearing a cravat of all things. But it was white enough to almost glow against the rich black of his suit. His face was intense yet somehow almost delicate. Despite the scowl on his face and his brows being drawn, he was somehow beautiful. More beautiful than anyone Eren had ever seen. His skin was pale and unmarked and his eyes, even in the gloom, were an icy grey that burned as he stared at Eren. Dark strands of hair tumbled down his forehead and partially obscured those eyes but didn't diminish any of their intensity.

The other man was tall and muscled, with an air of control around him. Unlike his companion, his pale blond hair was swept back and neatly parted, a darker undercut just showing. His face was harsher than the others but the bone structure was aristocratic and refined. The harshness came from his expression, his dark blond brows furrowed over a pair of ice blue eyes that seemed to stare right into Eren. He was as handsome as his companion was beautiful and the combination of the two of them was one hell of a potent mix.

Eren shivered as he forced himself into position, standing with his back to the audience as he waited for the music. Hannes nodded at him and hit play. The first strained notes of "Close Up" by Frou Frou exploded from the speakers and Eren began to move, his hips rolling from side to side as he curled his spine, bending backwards before snapping forward and spinning around to grab the pole.

Making a show of curling his fingers around the pole, Eren swung around it, using his momentum to make a full rotation and slowly slid down the steel, landing on his knees. Arching his spine, he dropped backwards onto the stage before curling onto his side and moving sinuously to his front, raising his ass as the song continued. Lifting his head, a sudden rush of awareness went through him as he met two pairs of eyes.

The high-rollers were watching him intently, their gazes unblinking. The smaller man had rested his chin on his fist while the blonde had steepled his fingers together in front of him, a smile curling his lips. Why a line of fire suddenly streaked down his spine, Eren really couldn't say but the way they watched him...it made him feel like they were the only two people in the room. All the other customers faded from his peripheral vision as he found himself focusing on them.

As the song picked up, the words "You're out of your mind" definitely fit the way he was feeling. Eren pushed himself to his hand and knees and began to crawl forwards, a slow weaving movement designed to show off the arch of his spine and the curve of his ass. Reaching the edge of the stage, he pushed himself up, legs spread as he slid his hands up his torso, catching the laces that held the front of the shirt together. With a light tug, they came loose and he felt his breath falter as he saw the smaller man part his lips and inhale deeply.

As the leather parted, Eren once again brought his hands down to his chest, his fingers curling around the edges of the top and slowly peeling it away. Throwing his head back and jacking up on his knees, he jerked it from his shoulders and let it catch on his biceps, the tightness of the leather securing it in place. On a low note in the song, he rolled his head forward, his mouth slightly open. Oh god. The blonde man was leaning forwards, his thumb pressed against his lips as his ice blue eyes somehow managed to smolder in the dimness that partially obscured the audience.

Eren's breath sped up as he reared back, pushing himself to his feet before executing a neat spin on one of the two-inch heels, once again presenting his back to the audience. He could dimly hear people cheering but it was distant, like he was a kilometer away from a stadium where a game was happening. The two stares locked on him were so consuming that everything else became white noise; unimportant and easy to ignore. Feeling a shiver race across his shoulders, Eren swayed his hips from side to side as he began to pull the leather down his arms, the slow drag of the material rasping against skin which was suddenly a hell of a lot more sensitive than usual. A soft thud told him that the top was completely off him, curled onto the floor of the stage and ready to collect when he was done.

As the song started to reach its climax, Eren grabbed onto the pole before spinning around so that his back was pressed against it, his arms over his head and his fingers clasped around the cool steel. Arching, he began a slow descent, rolling his hips forward until he was almost in a crouch before raising himself back up. Curling himself around the pole, he used it to spin a full circle, legs clasped tightly to secure himself. The final few notes of the song sounded and he allowed himself to sink back down to the stage, landing in the same position as before, legs spread and arms linked above his head.

Looking up, those eyes were still on him but both men were whispering to each other as they looked at him. Eren breathed deep, his chest pumping. And suddenly, like a switch had been flipped, the sound came back. The audience was cheering wildly, men hollering in approval while woman shrieked in delight. His stage name was being chanted but it was lost in the din they were causing. Standing up on legs that were suddenly shaky, Eren bent down and grabbed his top, turning to the exit of the stage. Hannes gave him a thumbs up and mouthed "That was new" before he signaled behind him. Eren wiped his mouth as he slid behind the curtain, wishing his breathing would slow down.

Mina was waiting for him, her smile wide. At least she was dressed now. The girl was way too comfortable in the nude but that made her very good at her job.

"That was something else, Eren!" She whispered excitedly, grabbing his hand and leading him back to the locker room.

"Guess I was into it tonight." He replied as they opened the door and the bright white halogen lights temporarily blinded him. Not waiting for a response, he dropped into his chair and grabbed a towel, wiping away the sweat that had formed from the dance. Hitch was glaring at him but he ignored her as he checked his phone. Mikasa was home and had texted to let him know that there was left-over pizza in the oven because she'd been too lazy to cook.

"Jaeger." Eren looked up as the manager came in.

"Yes, sir?"

"You've been requested for a private dance." The manager said with a smile, rubbing his hands together.

Eren groaned. "Do I have to?"

The manager raised an eyebrow. "They gave me five hundred just to get you to do it. Don't ask me what they're going to pay you for it." Eren's eyebrows flew up. Five hundred just to book him? Who...But the answer came to him immediately. Those two men.

"Okay." He said quietly, picking up his top and pulling it back on.

"Sweet. I've told Reiner to take you to the private room. He and Bertholdt can secure it while you're in there." The manager said happily as he ducked out of the room, calling the two bouncers over to him.

Mina grinned at him, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Knock them dead, Eren." She said happily.

"Right." Eren murmured as he opened the door.