Falling - Oneshot
Levi had noticed Eren falling behind in the training compared to other members of the squad. Seeing as Levi was charged with Eren's safety, he knew this was something he needed to rectify.
Pulling him away from group training, Levi took him to the forest by the castle for private lessons, knowing he could give more individualized training at a speed the brat would be comfortable with.
Arriving in the woods, Levi immediately had Eren work on maneuver gear. The brat was already pretty decent with that, but Levi decided to work on improving every area of his training. Eren had the potential to be one of the best soldiers in any one of the three military divisions, even without his Titan shifting. He just needed the right teaching and practice.
After a while of flying around, Levi decided the improvement was enough for the day so they stopped to save energy and gas. Levi decided to train him in hand to hand combat next, since he would use that more in his Titan form. The Female Titan had nearly bested him (had actually beaten him once, too), and Levi wouldn't let that happen again.
They still trained in the woods. The terrain was more like what Eren would be fighting in as a Titan, and he needed to get used to watching his surroundings for roots, low branches, and hidden tree trunks. The shadows from the leaves above trained his eyes and observation skills. The humidity caused by the plants would help his tolerance for different environments.
It wasn't too long after they'd started working on improving Eren's kick forms when Levi realized the humidity was from more than just the plants. Dark clouds, blocked by the thick tree tops, hid the sun from view, an early warning of the storm that was destined to come. Levi considered training Eren in how to fight while it's raining, but thinking about all of the mud that would no doubt cover them both, be decided to postpone that particular lesson. It didn't rain all that often anyway.
The moment the rain began to fall, Levi grabbed Eren's wrist and dragged him to the barn neatly situated close to the edge of the forest. Generally used for storing extra gear or horses, it was currently empty due to the hard times humanity had fallen under when Wall Maria was lost.
"What are we doing in here, Captain?" Eren was looking around the barn, taking in the sights and trying to hide how nervous he was in the situation.
"We didn't bring horses, it's a long walk back to the castle, and it's raining. I don't like dirt, but mud is even worse. We can wait it out. Hopefully, it won't last all that long."
Eren nodded and wandered over to a window. He looked out, watching the rain as it fell. After a few minutes, the brat seemed to get bored, so he sat down under the window, leaning his head against the wall.
Levi walked over and stood in front of him. "You okay, brat?"
Eren looked surprised- no, shocked, at the Captain's question. "I'm fine, sir. Just a bit tired. How do you have so much energy?"
Levi shrugged. "I'm don't have energy. I'm just used to running on fumes." The raven wasn't sure why he had just said that. A shrug would have been enough, all the brat would have expected, really. He just wanted to tell him, for an unknown reason.
"Well, there's no reason to do that right now. The storm seems pretty strong. It'll be a while. You should sit down." Eren looked up, earnest in his request that Levi relax.
Levi cocked a brow. "You want me to sit on the ground?"
Eren smiled softly. "Yes, Captain. I want you to sit on the ground. You aren't any good to humanity if you're dead on your feet."
If Levi had expressions, he'd have given a very critical, questioning one to Eren. "If you insist."
"I do."
Levi sat down in the space under the window next to Eren. "Why do you care all of a sudden?" The question sounded accusing, as if Levi thought Eren had hidden motives for his supposed concern.
"It's not sudden, Captain. I've cared for quite a while."
Levi's head jerked up to the teen from where he had been staring disgustedly at the dirt all over the ground. "What's that supposed to mean, brat?"
"Captain, I've always cared." Eren was blushing the same shade as a tomato, like he wanted to become one with the fruit. "Your safety. Your health. I can trace it back to when I was a kid, watching the Survey Corps march through Shiganshina. Every time the Corps went out, I hoped you'd come back alive, uninjured. When I finally got to meet you, find out the kind of person you are, that desire only intensified." Eren glanced up at the Captain, hoping he wasn't upsetting his idol. "I'm actually surprised you haven't noticed yet."
Levi sat in silence, staring at the brat with a well-concealed dumbfounded expression. He opened his mouth to say something, but he then realized he had no idea what to say. He closed his mouth and looked away from the brat. "Tch."
They both fell silent, listening to the sounds of the storm outside. The rain pounding against the metal roof of the barn was rhythmic and soothing, almost like a lullaby. The random clashes of thunder were like cymbals, turning the storm into a symphony. Levi found he couldn't stay awake very much longer. Frustrated, he went to stand, to move in order to stay awake, but Eren grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down.
"Just sleep, Captain. If something happens, I'll wake you up. You don't always have to be on guard, Captain. If you are, you'll wear yourself out. So sleep."
Levi stared at the shifter yet again, shocked at Jaegar's sudden boldness. He looked away, seemingly searching the room for a response.
Apparently not finding any, he huffed in resignation and leaned back against the wall. "Brat, I swear if you tell anyone about any of this, I will slowly saw off your arms and legs at the joints, let them grow back, and then do it again."
Eren had the guts to laugh. "I figured as much, Captain. Besides, who would I tell?"
"Tch." Levi closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
Eren watched as his Captain slowly relaxed his muscles and the grumpy facade fell from his face. He looked so peaceful while sleeping. So much younger, too, though Levi never really appeared old in the first place. But when the Captain was sleeping, it looked almost as if the two were the same age, teenaged soldiers in a war for freedom.
Over an hour passed by, and the rain had only begun to let up once before it returned to full force. Eren suspected it would rain the rest of the day, which meant he'd be stuck in a barn, alone with Captain Levi, for hours. He wasn't opposed to the idea in the slightest, merely nervous as to how those hours would play out. Perhaps Levi would end up sleeping for the entirety of them. Eren had already decided he wouldn't wake the Captain up. Levi was exhausted, and if sitting in a barn while it rained was what it took for the Captain to get his much needed rest, Eren would gladly do what he could to help.
So when Levi shifted in his sleep to lean against Eren, he didn't complain. He didn't move. He didn't speak. All he did was smile. It felt good to have Levi touching him, relaxed against him, comfortable with his presence and with their touching bodies. Eren figured that Levi would never allow this if he were conscious, and would probably get as far away from him as possible the moment he woke up, so he decided to savor the experience as much as he could.
That is why he slowly lifted an arm from his side and gently slid in around Levi's waist, holding him to his body. He just sat there, watching as his Captain slept, enjoying the moment while it lasted.
The rain continued to pound against the roof. The storm suddenly seemed to get heavier after yet another hour and an extra loud boom if thunder mixed with a flash of extremely bright lightning jarred Levi awake. He didn't move, didn't blink, didn't even open his eyes. The word jarred, in this context, merely was referring to his mind. He was asleep, then he was suddenly awake. His body did not move. He had trained it not to. His mind was alert, but his body was limp, that way any would be attacker would think him still asleep.
Levi used the senses available to him to survey his surroundings. He couldn't see anything with his eyes closed, but he could feel himself leaning against a body. He could feel an arm draped over his waist. He could smell the sent that Levi had long since associated with Eren Jaegar: pine trees and apples.
Levi figured out what had happened. While he was dead to the world, either had moved in his sleep, or the brat had moved him. Either way, he was now leaning against Eren, and the brat had been bold enough to touch him, in a very familiar way.
The raven found he quite liked it, leaning against Eren, being held by the teen as he was now. He knew he couldn't let Eren know that he liked it, and he could tell from his breathing that the brat was still awake.
Knowing his body didn't betray the fact that he was awake and letting Eren hold him, he figured he could get away with pretending to be asleep. That way, he could enjoy being held without compromising his facade of indifference toward the boy.
He did know that, because of their positions, Levi could open his eyes without Eren being able to see, so he did. Now he could pretend that they were both awake, both consenting, and both enjoying this rather intimate activity of sitting in silence and just touching. Levi loved it. He wished it wouldn't have to stop later. And part of him thought that maybe Eren didn't want it to stop either. He told himself it was just wishful thinking, but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe it wasn't.
The longer Levi sat there, the more aware he became of the different ways and places they were touching. Apart from Eren's arm around his waist and fingers tracing shapes into his hip, Levi's head was resting on the brat's shoulder, his forearm propped on the kid's thigh, and his elbow just barely nudging Eren's crotch. Their thighs were pressed together, and Levi could feel Eren's breath with every exhale, causing his hair to flutter against his forehead.
All these thoughts of touching Eren, of feeling Eren, and especially of the location of his elbow quickly worked on his facade, tearing away in small pieces the lie that he was peacefully sleeping. Heat pooled in his lower region, his heart rate sped up, and his breathing was less even, less composed, and more erratic.
After only seconds of his change in breathing, Eren spoke. "You're awake, aren't you?" The words were whispered, and he sounded almost afraid of being right.
"Yeah, brat, I'm awake."
Eren sighed in disappointment, a fact that confused the raven. "You probably want me to move now, don't you?"
"Do you want to move?"
Eren swallowed. "No."
"Then don't." Levi didn't know what was wrong with him. He should be pushing the brat away, not snuggling slightly closer to the teen's frame. He should be irritated that Eren had taken the liberty of touching him, not silently wishing the brat would touch him more.
On second thought, Levi kind of did know what was wrong with him. He had feelings for the brat. He had a crush, a huge crush, on Eren Jaegar.
Levi glanced up to see Eren smiling at him. "Are you sure, Captain?"
Levi nodded, turning to look back at the floor. "Did I stutter?"
"No." Eren was silent for a moment before speaking again. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, Jaegar. I'm doing anything worth thanking."
"You're letting me touch you." Eren swallowed, seeming very nervous about where this conversation was going. "That deserves a thank you. At least, in my opinion."
When Levi looked up, he saw that Eren was blushing slightly, obviously embarrassed by his words. "Do you want to touch me, brat?" Eren went to open his mouth, but Levi interrupted him. "I can tell when you lie, brat, so don't. Just tell me."
Levi had meant the words to come out more harshly than they did. As it was, his voice had been soft, soothing almost. Eren immediately relaxed at his tone. Looking him in the eye, Eren quietly answered his question. "Yes, Captain, I want to touch you."
"How much?" Levi twisted his body slightly to get a better look at the teen.
Swallowing, Eren stumbled over his reply. "A-a lot, s-sir."
Levi, having his elbow in the same position, felt Eren's manhood become just a bit less limp. Levi cocked an eyebrow. "In what way?"
Eren's blush had increased tenfold and he was stuttering and stumbling too much to get out a reply. Levi quickly moved to straddle Eren. "Like this, brat?" He grabbed Eren's hands and moved them to rest on his hips. "Is this how you want to touch me?"
Wide eyed, Eren quickly nodded. "Y-yes, Captain."
"Levi."
"W-what?"
"My name is Levi. Use it."
"Okay..., Levi."
Levi felt pleasure surge down to his middle at hearing Eren say his name. He moved his arms up to wrap them around Eren's neck. He promptly ignored the part of him that told him to stop, to do the responsible thing, to not give in to his desires. "You want to touch me, Eren?"
Levi saw the teen shiver when Levi called him by name. Levi never did, and it was something they both quite enjoyed in that moment. "Yes, Levi."
"Then do it. Touch me." Eren immediately complied. Maintaining eye contact, Eren slipped his hands from Levi's waist up to his shoulders, his fingers tracing the lines of his muscles. It felt good, so good, to both of them, and neither wanted him to stop.
Slowly, so as to give him time to change his mind, Levi leaned in, bringing his lips to Eren's. The kiss was sweet and slow. Eren hadn't known Levi could be so gentle. Only a few seconds later, Levi pulled away.
"Are you sure you want to touch me, Eren?" Levi wanted to give Eren every opportunity to change his mind. He wouldn't force him into anything. He couldn't. No matter how much he wanted it, Levi knew he only wanted it if Eren wanted it too.
"Yes, Levi, I just... Can we take it slow? I don't want to... rush anything."
Allowing a soft smile to grace his lips, Levi nodded his agreement. "Of course." With that, he leaned forward again and captured Eren's lips with his own.
They continued to kiss, loving every second of it. Eren's fingers trailed over the muscles of Levi's chest and abs before his arms encircled Levi's waist, pulling him closer.
They kept at it for much longer than they had thought they could. Eventually, though, they both grew very, very tired. The rain was still a lullaby, a sweet song making them unable to continue. Levi pulled away from Eren's lips, looking into his bright green eyes. "I think that's enough for today, Eren."
The teen frowned with obvious disappointment. Levi chuckled slightly at the sight. "Don't worry, brat. I said 'for today.' There will be many, many more days to come, if I have any say in it."
Eren immediately brightened and pulled Levi closer in an embrace. "You have a lot of say in it, Levi."
Levi chuckled again, but he shook his head. "Only as much as you."
Eren's grin widened. "God, Levi. You're just too good to he true, aren't you?"
"Don't know about that." Levi pulled out of the embrace, climbed off of Eren's lap, and returned to the position he was in when he woke from his nap. Snuggling into Eren's side, he allowed a small grin to cross his face when Eren once again wound his arm around Levi's waist.
Levi's elbow grazed Eren's rock hard member as he got situated. Eren gasped at the friction and Levi smirked. "You've still get a bit of a problem there, don't you?"
Eren laughed. "The same problem you have, Levi."
The raven hummed and relaxed against Eren. "One of these days, we'll have to take care of our problems together." Eren blushed but nodded his agreement.
The two soon lapsed into silence and fell asleep together in the barn, waiting for the rain to cease in its fall. Each knew they were very much like the rain: falling, hard and fast, for the man that lay beside them.
