As soon as Eren heard the weighty slam of the groaning oaken door behind him, nerves finally took hold and his grip on the smooth vial in his left hand tightened. Thick liquid sealed within the tincture blinked in the dim candlelight when the recruit broke into an awkward smile.
"Good evening, Corporal."
"I told you to call me by my name when we're alone," was the short bark of a reply. Booted legs leaning onto his desk, Levi gave the younger boy a brief glance of acknowledgement as he stood at the office door before setting his eyes back on the battle tactics strewn across his desk. "Good day?"
Their daily meetings always began with small talk. Pointless, and often meaningless conversations acted as a mere façade to hide the passions of their relationship; nothing would give Levi more satisfaction than bending Eren over his desk and then dragging him into bed for a second round. It was Eren who craved the romance as well as the intimacy - Levi's detached exterior had hardened him to the whims of amour.
Eren grimaced, "we did lots of training today."
"Hmph."
Walking towards his corporal, Eren raised the vial that was still in hand and smiled victoriously, eyebrows arched. A faint roseate blush was dusted across his cheeks. Levi tried to look as disinterested as possible and avoided Eren's eyes, though his curiosity was piqued as soon as he saw the tincture. "What?"
"Look, I bought this," Eren set the vial down gently, ensuring that its cylindrical shape wouldn't cause it to roll off the desk. Made of glass, the vial was filled with a gel of a faintly pink hue.
After swinging his feet down from the desk, Levi leaned forward and inspected the tincture, expression apathetic. "And what is it supposed to be?"
The question seemed to excite the young recruit, as that blush only intensified and he bridled coyly. "It's, ah, um..."
"Yes?" Prompted Levi, noting how the only other time he'd seen Eren with such a flush was in bed, during one of those late nights where Eren had snuck up from his dormitory and persuaded Levi to let him sleep with him. Steamy, sleepless nights filled with only raw sexual exertion had been increasing in quantity over the last few weeks.
Levi didn't know what it was - whether they were both men, or whether it was because they spent so much time together in the same squad - but he couldn't get enough of the young titan-shifter. It was an infatuation that was as surprising as it was sickening.
"It's...oil," Eren murmured, his smile transforming into a devilish smirk as he slunk into the corporal's lap. With their hips in contact and Eren's legs dangling off the chair, Levi couldn't help but cock his head to the side and slap his hands onto that ample behind.
"If you want me to fuck you, then get off my lap and into bed," he growled, sending a ripple of arousal through the younger male's body. Usually, Eren annoyed him when he was being audacious, but he found himself craving more.
Pressing his lips to the smooth skin of his lover's neck, Eren inhaled nuzzled the side of Levi's face, gently shaking his head. "Not tonight."
Surprised, the older male pulled away from Eren and loosened the embrace. "What's wrong?"
Squirming uncomfortably under the other man's gaze, Eren shrugged and sat back a little, "I feel...sore. And the oil is too expensive to be used as lube."
Anger swelled up within the corporal and his he clenched his jaw in a rare sign of annoyance. "Have I been too rough with you? Eren, you need to tell me-"
Frantically shaking his head, Eren protested hastily, "no, no, not at all. It's just...well, we do it most nights."
"And you need to rest your ass?" Levi mumbled, protectively pulling Eren forward again and planting a kiss on his jawbone.
Smiling into the romantic gesture, Eren returned his affections with a brief kiss to the forehead. "Yes. That's why I brought that." Lurching behind himself abruptly, Eren pushed his weight onto the desk as he reached out the grab the vial. Securing it within his grasp, he reseated himself comfortably on Levi's lap; slowly began to unscrew the cork that sealed it.
"What is it for?" Levi asked, recognising a sweet, faintly nostalgic aroma arising from the tincture when the cork was removed.
"It's massage oil," Eren finally explained, holding the vial carefully to avoid spilling it, "and it's supposed to smell like roses."
"Will it wash off easily?" Levi asked, finding the thought of going to bed sticky decidedly unappealing.
After inhaling another breath of the sweet-smelling oil, Eren shrugged and bit his lip suggestively. "I'll help you wash it off, if you want."
A few short moments later, Eren and Levi were seated upon the corporal's bed, several metres away from his bed. Busy hands tugged feverishly at Levi's clothes as his jacket and cravat were removed, exposing a tight undershirt and straps that accentuated his toned chest. Before their jaws locked in a passionate kiss, those straps were undone and that shirt was discarded, leaving the squad leader's sculpted torso subject to Eren's eager eyes.
Dark abrasions ran across the top of Levi's chest where the 3DMG straps had been too tight. Eren found himself with similar marks when his own clothes from the waist-up were shed, leaving both of the males topless and aroused. The key to that fated basement was looped around Eren's neck, as per usual; a symbol of hope that he was never far from.
"Sit between my legs," Eren finally said, once they were both in a state of undress.
Not one to normally take orders, Levi complied with a huff and nestled himself between the legs of his subordinate, expression slightly discontented.
When he heard Eren fumble and drop the vial, the short quip of 'hurry up' was muttered rather impatiently. In truth, he was curious to see just how far Eren would take things - if he'd be good at this 'massage' thing at all.
Trembling fingers were coated in the slick, sweet gel when the younger male made a start. He pressed his lips to the toned shoulders of his lover, biting the skin gently and feeling the other man lean back in a passionate response; lips met lips once more, and the feeling of glowing skin-on-skin was liberating. With a shuddering realisation, Eren acknowledged the fact that he had no experience on how to massage someone. At all.
Hand paused in the air, he hesitated; ran his eyes over the fine muscle on Levi's shoulders. The recruit paled in comparison - slim shoulders flanked a torso that was supple, tan and toned. The corporal was facing away from him, and Eren himself was resting against the headboard. Different in stature, despite the similar lifestyle they shared.
Thin, elongated scars ran across Levi's entire body – faded reminders of injuries that he paid no heed to. Still, Eren kissed some scars in a delicate show of consolation. He wondered if one day his own body would be as damaged as Levi's was.
Dragging himself away from his thoughts, Eren gently brushed his slicked fingers across one of Levi's shoulders, applying a soft pressure. A curt sigh in response was interpreted as an encouraging sign, and the recruit swiftly oiled up his other hand. With fingers curled around the muscle of each shoulder, Eren pressed his chest to his lover's back, the throbbing muscle in his chest beating as they kissed once more.
In truth, Levi was surprised. Eren had barely even started, but the firm strokes combined with the soothing scent of rose had Levi yearning for more. Those hands wandered in a lazy exploration of his body, seeking out the spots that would have him moaning in approval.
"Is it good?" Asked Eren, after a few long minutes of silent bliss.
Finding himself without words, Levi merely nodded, his expression softening and eyes lidding. Pleasing pressure travelled further down his back, silky oil freshening his skin as his back was covered. A thin sheen of the gel on skin reflected dim light. Exhaling languidly, Levi gradually felt the muscles in his back relax deliciously, and when he slumped a little, Eren was there to prop him up.
Exposing such a vulnerable side to himself - a sleepy, relaxed side - was not within Levi's nature. However, the trust he placed within Eren was a trust that could only be rivalled by the respect he regarded Erwin with; then again, his relationship with the recruit was clearly intimate - unlike his relationship with Erwin. Sure, they'd flirted a few times, before Levi had concluded long ago that the Survey Corps' commander probably didn't 'swing that way'.
Eren, on the other hand, hadn't felt as abuzz since he'd lost his virginity. These were humanity's strongest shoulders he was rubbing – shoulders with the capability of slaughtering every one of those filthy titans. The admiration and respect that Eren had for Levi was returned with scarce affection from the corporal; on the outside, Levi was cold, detached and blunt. During the quietest times, when nightfall was far behind them, Eren felt as if he was far closer to Levi than anyone else had ever been.
Opening his eyes, Levi gave a small yawn, anticipating every rub and grind of those hands against his skin. "What lie have you spun to your friends tonight?"
Shifting uncomfortably in place, Eren merely shrugged and continued caress his partner, his hand focusing around the waist. 'Lying'...the choice of words made everything sound so deceitful. "I told them we were talking about battle formations."
"And they believed you?"
"Armin and Mikasa suspect something, I think...but I don't think they'd ever guess that...that-" Eren's speech stilted as his face flushed.
"That we have sex almost every night?" Levi quipped brutally, his voice rising a little - not in anger; it was more like frustration. He disliked the sneaky, and often scrutinised way their relationship was regarded by others. Commander Erwin knew of their intimacy, and in Levi's eyes, no one else needed to know. It was an unnecessary risk that, if exposed, could horribly obliterate the already-poor state of the Survey Corps' reputation.
"You're thinking too hard," came a soft warning from Eren, who had noticed the way that he'd tightened up, "can you turn around?"
Once more, Levi did as requested, and, sat cross-legged in front of the young recruit, he let his gaze fall to the bare chest of his partner. Steady breaths made that lean chest rise and fall rhythmically, and pert nipples caught the corporal's eyes immediately.
"I'm going to do the front. Do you want to lie down?" Eren asked, his voice decreasing in volume with every passing minute. It was understandable; the air around the two males was so drowsy, so utterly relaxed that loudness would taint the perfection of it.
Lying on his back, the oil there already having dried, Levi cast his eyes to the beautiful male above him. After carefully kneeling on the bed, the vial lying sealed on the blankets, Eren straddled his superior. He sat directly on the groin, placing his weight where he knew Levi could stand it. The pressure in such an erogenous area was obviously an attempt by Eren to try and set off a spark within him. And it was working.
Long eyelashes framed eyes like jewels that seemed to change with every movement of the light. It was something that Levi had noticed before - Eren would be standing in direct sunlight, his eyes somewhat cerulean in hue, and then the next moment his eyes would be greener as he rested in the shade. Combined with a slim form and handsome facial features, it was clear that Eren was a good-looking young man – and Levi often found himself worrying.
Shuddering at the contact, Levi bit his lip and raised his eyes skyward to the ceiling as Eren proceeded with the massage. Sore irritations on his skin were soothed and kneaded away. Honestly, despite his inexperience, Eren wasn't at all bad at what he was doing; fingers swept from his collarbone down to his hips in fluid movements, sometimes circular in rotation, the gel enhancing the pleasure evermore. Occasionally, he'd allow his fingernails to gentle scratch down smooth skin, which elicited a response from Levi that made Eren want to rip his own clothes off.
"Oi…Eren?" Levi murmured quiescently, his low voice barely above a whisper.
Pushing himself forward so he could hear better, Eren leant over, his face hovering over his corporal's. "Yes?"
"The other recruits. Do they…bother you?"
Puzzled by this sudden enquiry, Eren sat back and frowned. "What do you mean?"
Eyeing the younger male, Levi continued bluntly, "are they erotic?"
Jaw dropping, Eren immediately shook his head, his before-flushed face now crimson. "No, of course not! Why?!"
Sitting up and seeing he'd flustered the younger male, Levi pulled Eren down into an intimate embrace that was equally tender and protective at the same time. "Young people can be greedy when it comes to sex. I just want to make sure you're not being misled."
"Mis…misled?" Eren repeated, burying his face into the crook of Levi's neck and mumbling to himself. He slid off Levi's lap and instead nestled himself fluidly into the man's side. Oil lubricated the younger male's torso as he cuddled closer, and he was surprised by the warmth of the gel. He'd half-expected it to be cold, but it had done its job much more effectively than he had hoped for. "I think…ah, that you…"
When Eren trailed off and left his sentence unfinished, Levi raised an eyebrow and gave him the tiniest of nudges. "Yes?"
He stubbornly shook his head. "Doesn't matter."
Levi rolled his eyes impatiently when he heard that familiar phrase – whenever Eren said that something 'didn't matter', it often meant that he was simply too worried about his corporal's reaction to tell him. "Come on, Eren. Tell me."
Hiding his face, Eren buried his face even more so into Levi's neck, inhaling the comforting and familiar essence of his lover, "ngh, no."
"Are you disobeying an order, recruit?" Levi said, his voice hardening but still low. It was an old trick that got Eren every time – he simply couldn't disobey one of his corporal's orders.
Grimacing, Eren pulled away from Levi and looked into his eyes. "I just thought…thought that it was ironic that you were worried about other people misleading me."
Levi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "explain."
Rolling onto his back and averting his eyes elsewhere in embarrassment, Eren continued, "well, before I met you and we…we did this, well…" he paused to take in a deep breath, "I didn't even know that men could have sex. I mean, I didn't really know how men and women did it either. I'm still not sure."
Silence passed for a few seconds before Levi managed to muster a reply, "Normal, I suppose. One might say that the way men copulate isn't natural."
"I guess." Eren sighed.
A laugh shook Eren when Levi leaned over, covered him with his own body and planted a string of kisses down his neck. That collarbone was gently bitten, the shell of his ear tugged and lips bruised with a barrage of affectionate pecks. Eren kissed back wholeheartedly, always a little insecure that he wasn't doing it right, or he'd accidentally bite Levi's tongue; their jaws locked, kisses deepening even more as their arousal kindled.
After several minutes of a passionate embrace, the younger male slowly pulled away, feeling overheated and slightly dazed. "Corporal, can I ask you something?"
"It's Levi," his superior grunted, "and yes."
"What's an aphrodisiac?" Eren asked, his face the epitome of innocence.
Levi sharply met the other male's eyes, a faintly incredulous expression on his face. "Eren, I thought we went over things like this."
It was true that they'd had frank discussions about topics of a sexual nature several times, and they almost always ended with Eren leaving feeling horribly embarrassed and with more questions that he'd arrived with. Levi had explained everything, from masturbation to how to properly lubricate oneself. Sometimes they'd even practised together.
"I forgot," Eren said, well aware that his attention span was limited due to the amount of time he spent fantasising about ways he could kill titans, "is it bad?"
Secretly finding the innocence endearing, Levi sighed and shook his head, "no. It's something you eat or drink that makes you feel aroused. Some herbs can do it."
"Aroused?"
"Gets you hard, basically." Levi clarified. "Why?"
"Oh…" The younger male sighed, realisation crossing his face, "the vendor at the stall said that if you drink the oil, it acts as an aphrodisiac. I didn't know what it meant."
Upon hearing these words, Levi sat up suddenly and grabbed the vial as fast as he could. "There's still enough left for us both to have a drink, Eren."
"Or…you could oil me up as well," Eren purred, his voice dripping with amorousness as he slid forward and pressed himself against the curve of Levi's back. In return, his waist was seized and he was pinned against the bed, the cold metal of the key on the loop around his neck cooling his burning chest. Their eyes locked once more.
Although Eren had earlier deterred the other male from having sex, he felt as if he wanted it more than ever. He rolled his hips upwards, searching for friction as he whimpered in a sign of desperation.
"You sure you want to do this?" Levi inquired, the aroma of rose going straight his crotch.
A curt nod of consent was all that was needed; the "I love you" that followed certainly left Levi reeling.
After the candlelight was blown out and the door securely locked, both of the males sealed themselves in a haven of soft touches.
