Hello there! So first off I know nothing about boxing, and this was meant to be fluffy but it kinda turned a bit dark? Oops! any ways, I hope you enjoy, I'm not the most confident at writing each of these characters but I'm mildly happy with what I came up with! ^^;; Happy Birthday to a fab Sofia, who this story was written for!
"I told you, you don't need to do this."
"Well I am, okay."
Eren's fingers were unusually nimble as they wrapped a bandage carefully around Levi's wrist. He was just terrified of hurting the shorter boy any more then the bruises already showed.
"It was a great fight, Levi."
The older of the two only grunted in response.
"I mean it." Eren said, plucking up the courage to do so meanwhile pulling his hand back after securing the bandage.
"Thanks, but I've seen better.
Eren let out a little sigh of dismay.
"Why did you start boxing, Levi?" Eren's voice echoed through the empty boxing club, slightly unsettling coupled with the fact that the lighting was fairly dim.
Levi took a moment to ponder the question.
"Because I was good at it. Plus when people know you're in a boxing club and you've won trophies they just don't fuck with you. Came in handy for the neighbourhood I grew up in."
Eren blinked at him for a moment, taking in the fact that it was probably the longest he had ever heard Levi speak in the six months they had been dating.
"So you did it...for a reputation?" The brunette asked, starting clean the gash on Levi's lip tenderly.
"I suppose, but then I started to enjoy it." Eren nodded understandingly, standing up off his little stool so that he could see the cut better.
Eren could totally understand what would be so therapeutic about boxing. You could just release such a great deal of frustration.
Levi's eyes followed Eren's which made it difficult to concentrate.
"Why did you come to the boxing club, Eren?" Blue eyes met brown for a moment, causing Eren to clear his throat and move back.
"Just like you, I suppose. I needed people to back the fuck off." Eren shrugged and sat back down on his stool, making sure he hadn't missed any cuts or bruises."And now I'm glad I did."
Eren looked at Levi and saw that thing he did where he wasn't quite smiling with his lips, but his eyes were happy. If the brunette had tried to explain that to anybody, he might have seemed a little on the strange side, but it was a secret he enjoyed keeping to himself anyway.
"Is anywhere else hurt?" Eren asked, standing up again.
Levi shook his head surely but Eren wasn't convinced and walked around to his back, pulling up the end of his tank top to check.
"No, I-" Levi tried to protest but it was too late.
Eren had never felt so physically sick as when he for the first time saw the word 'rat' carved into his boyfriends back.
"Who did this?" Eren asked slowly, his voice laced with frustration yet quivering with fear.
Levi remained quiet for a moment before saying "Eren it doesn't fucking matter. They're old scars."
"I asked you who did this Levi!"
Again, silence from the shorter of the two.
I'll fucking kill them!" he yelled, pulling the fabric back down as he was unable to look at it any more.
Levi only rolled his eyes at how foolish the other was.
"I already did, Eren."
Eren looked at him with a new perspective from that moment.
Levi had murdered somebody.
Even if in revenge, it just made you look at a person differently.
"Oh, g-good." he muttered, nodding slowly as he wasn't entirely sure what else to say.
Levi reached out for Eren's cheek, and for the first time the brunette shied away.
"Eren, please-" Levi said, still stoic but it was enough to get the other to comply and lean into his touch.
"I told you I came from a bad neighbourhood." he said, leading Eren up to him so that he could press a soft kiss to his lips.
Eren lacked the desire to kiss back and simply pressed his forehead to Levi's.
"Why?"
"Because they're assholes, Eren. They did it for fun."
Eren let out a little growl of frustration, gripping onto the the fabric of his tank top.
"Does it hurt? Let me see it again..." Eren blurted after a moment of silence. He needed to familiarize himself with the scars so that they wouldn't make him uncomfortable any more.
"No, idiot. It's been years. Of course they don't hurt." he snapped at his foolish question, agitated that Eren wanted to see it again. In all honesty, he never wanted Eren to see it in the first place. It was such a clear reminder of Levi's past and it killed him, having to carry around a constant reminder of the poverty he was born into. All he could do was turn into into a point of motivation, striving to never have to live amongst the underbelly of society again.
Eren positioned himself behind Levi without waiting for verbal consent and slowly brought up the fabric again, hands gliding over his slender figure until the disfigured skin came into view.
The word was still so clearly written, even though like Levi said, years had passed since the attack.
"Eren this is ridiculous-" His sentence was cut short though by adoring lips pressed to the tender skin.
"Eren what the fuck-"
"I love what you were, what you are and what you will be." Eren said defiantly after pulling his lips away slowly.
Levi couldn't say much more then usual, but the statement meant a great deal to him.
"You're a sap, Eren Jaeger."
"Shut up man." Eren huffed, punching his shoulder lightly.
Eren Jaeger never quite accepted the scars on his Levi's back, but he never loved him any less.