Note: google "daki-makura" if you don't know what it is. :)

Chapter One

While they waited for Law to recover, the Mugiwara crew kindly put up some hammocks in the galley of the ship for their temporary guests. They also gave them free roam of the ship, and Sanji even told them the combination to the lock on the fridge. Although he didn't say why they needed one, the Survey Corps figured it out after two meals with Luffy.

Their first night on the ship, when the young ones and Hange were being entertained by the pirate crew, Erwin and Levi both had the same idea. As sounds of merriment rose above, by some unspoken agreement both men hung back in the galley alone.

Levi folded his arms over his narrow chest and looked out the archway toward the hint of moonlight intruding on the dimly lit galley. Even the moon here was bright, he thought. "Should we wait for the freak?" he asked into the cold silence of the room.

Erwin followed his gaze for a moment before shaking his head solemnly. "I don't see much point in a real strategy session just yet. Our options are limited until that man recovers."

"So."

"So."

Levi nodded. "Let's talk."

Erwin closed his eyes, his brows knit with partially concealed worry. "Although there's no need to do this now-"

"I don't care," Levi interjected. "Rather get it over with."

Erwin watched him for a moment to be sure of Levi's sincerity. At length, he nodded. "If you tell me either way, I will believe you," he said softly.

"I know."

"Were you at fault?"

Levi scoffed. "Really? Soft ball questions aren't your style, Erwin. Have you already gone soft from the cozy atmosphere here? Or did the food give you diarrhea?"

"Levi."

There was no room for nonsense in Erwin's tone. Levi abandoned his brief attempt to distract from the issue with a shrug. "What should I say? You know as well as I do, I could have had my hands tied and a meteor fall on my head. Whatever happens to that kid is still my responsibility." Levi briefly met Erwin's eyes, then looked away again in discomfort. "So yeah, I was at fault."

"I know that," Erwin said, perfectly aware as he did of the ripple of guilt he sent through Levi's chest. "But I also know that you're the only one who's capable of this duty. It's the reason we're talking at all right now."

Levi's fists tightened unconsciously. "Otherwise you'd just take him away from me at this point. Right?"

Erwin watched him expressionlessly. As always, the noble lines of his face concealed any hint of emotion or even tacit signal. Levi really wished that Mike were here, he needed a translator.

"I won't take Eren away from you," Erwin said eventually.

Levi had to admit some surprise at that, as well as an unexpected surge of relief. Erwin didn't usually make such definitive statements about things that could be so changeable. Apart from anything else, although Levi knew that Erwin trusted his skills, he still had doubts now and then whether Erwin trusted his decision-making. Not to mention his interpersonal relations. Did Erwin really think he was worthy of taking care of Eren?

"What are we talking about then?" Levi asked.

"I need to know if what happened was preventable," Erwin said. "If it was, I need you to explain why you weren't doing your job."

Levi gritted his teeth, turning away.

"If not, I need to know whether further safeguards over Eren are needed, or if we have to be prepared for a potential worst case scenario."

"I got it."

Erwin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then which is it, Levi?"

Levi took his time forming his reply. Erwin would easily see through a lie. Manipulation wasn't Levi's forte to begin with, so it was a bad idea. But to give him the truth, Levi first had to make sure he wasn't lying to himself either. He closed his eyes and recalled what happened earlier that day, though now it seemed so long ago. His jaw tightened as he realized the truth he had known at the back of his mind all along. Why his attention had been divided.

He opened his mouth to answer.

Clunk.

Both men looked up at the sound of a boot meeting the highest rung of the step ladder. A few more steps and they saw it was the samurai, and seeming first mate of this crew, Roronoa Zoro. He stopped at the bottom and glanced between the two men, realizing he'd interrupted something. After a moment, he picked his ear as if nothing about this situation interested him.

"I came to see if you guys got lost," he said. "Maybe I came at a bad time."

Erwin glanced up thoughtfully. "There's no rush. We can finish this discussion any time. Right, Levi?"

Levi scowled over at the swordsman. Delaying admitting his mistake to Erwin would only make it harder, make him doubt himself more. If he didn't admit his reason soon, maybe Erwin would start to doubt him too. Maybe he already did.

Levi cast his gaze away, holding back his frustration. He didn't want to delay this, but he lacked the courage to push the subject when Erwin was willing to drop it. "Sure," he replied softly.

Erwin nodded politely to Roronoa as he passed him to climb the ladder. Levi held back a moment, still caught up in his thoughts.

Honestly, if he were in Erwin's position, he would take Eren away from Levi. Or at the very least, put someone else in charge as well. It pained him to admit it, but what he had done was wrong. To anyone else, it would have been a minor mistake, easily forgivable. But Levi knew exactly how deadly a single mistake like that could be on the battlefield. He would find it hard to forgive himself for the reason he hadn't been paying close enough attention to the kid that day. The reason Erwin would be justified never to trust him again. He closed his eyes.

Levi was surprised when he eventually turned to see Roronoa still waiting there, though by now Erwin was long gone. Levi watched him with a questioning look.

"Yes?" Levi asked sardonically.

At first, the swordsman held back, though looking as if wanting to say something. His eyes watched Levi with an intensity that almost felt like desire, but the kind of playful desire of a tiger watching a grazing gazelle. Levi was used to being admired, hated, feared, in particular looked down on, but feeling like a piece of meat was somewhat unusual.

In the end, though, the swordsman closed his eyes with a thoughtful expression. "Nothing. My bad."

"Well thanks for that weird moment," Levi commented, brushing past him to climb the ladder. Not waiting to see what sort of expression the swordsman was making as he left, Levi brushed past him to join the others on the deck.

By the time he arrived, the giant skeleton had produced an extraordinary instrument shaped like a shark, and with it was filling the night air with raucous music. It was almost impossible not to dance to. The bright mood soon spread to the Survey Corps in spite of their predicament, many even getting up to dance. Somehow it was hard to be grim around this pirate crew. An awkward Eren was coaxed into dancing with the little animal, Chopper. And Hange found a strange comradeship with the skeleton, happily consenting to singing a duet. The music (and beverages) flowed as the night went on and inhibitions fell away. But not everyone was so willing to join the revelry.

Levi knew he should have been thinking about how to get back, especially when the others seemed to be letting their guard down. There were many things to consider, even when they were apparently so helpless now. The nature of these people with their fantastical powers. The intentions of the one called Law. Whether he had really brought them here on accident, if not what he was planning. But instead of worrying about their immediate situation, as should have been his instinct, a simple phrase kept echoing in his mind:

Am I going to have to tell him?

As the night wore on, soon enough it was joined by a second...

If I don't, he'll stop trusting me.

And before long...

Erwin doesn't trust me.

And finally...

I'm going to lose Erwin.

As the jollity continued and the others grew more and more friendly and relaxed, Levi's gaze sank deeper and deeper into the cool surface of the ale in his hand. So deeply in fact that he failed to notice the gaze of the only one apart from himself not joining in.

At length, Levi's cold eyes flicked up at something happening across the deck from him. First he only saw Erwin. Then his eyes were drawn to Erwin's hand as it lifted. Erwin's hand gently took Robin's as she offered it to him. The two rose together and faced one another in the center of the deck.

The music slowed to a gentle dancing tune. The skeleton was clearly being considerate of them. Levi's eyes widened, unable to leave them as Erwin and Robin effortlessly joined together in fluid movements, somehow moving as one without a word spoken between them. Robin's tall, willowy figure melded perfectly into Erwin's large, muscular arms, and his masculine stability perfectly complemented her gracefulness. Though their eyes didn't meet, both smiled contentedly as if they had always been dancing together. Levi's fingers slipped and he nearly dropped his drink.

Instead, he set it down. Without looking at anywhere but the space just before his feet on the ground, he headed inside the ship's interior. He wasn't thinking, at that moment he just wanted to be anywhere away from what was happening on the deck.

He entered sudden silence as the door to the deck closed behind him. All at once, as soon as he was away from the noise, his head filled with irrational thoughts of little substance and far too much emotion. He hadn't even gathered the courage to tell Erwin how he felt and someone was already taking him away. She had her hands resting on his shoulders, a place Levi had never touched. Things like the fact that he had never asked to touch Erwin's shoulders, or that the two had just met and it was unlikely they were getting married any time soon, didn't reach him. It was all he could do to keep his breathing regular as he simply strode away from the scene that had robbed him of his last shred of control.

Distracted by the turmoil inside him, Levi wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He bumped headlong into a brutally hard, muscular body, evidently someone returning from the bathroom.

Roronoa Zoro, by now rather drunk, raised an eyebrow down at Levi. His eyebrows lifted briefly. "Mm?" he asked in his purring bass. "Ah, the gloomy one. What's your hurry?"

Levi gritted his teeth. Hell with this. He didn't care anymore. He grabbed Roronoa's arm and dragged him back the way he had come. "Come with me."

"Whoa...hey!"

Roronoa protested but didn't try to pull away as Levi dragged him down into the galley. As soon as they were both down in the dim light, Levi closed the hatch behind them. Now the sound of their breath and heartbeats was only occasionally overpowered by the gentle sounds of the creaking ship. For a moment, Levi stood with his face lowered, saying nothing.

Roronoa sighed. "Well. Here we are. What can I do for you?"

Levi replied so quietly he didn't even hear it himself.

"What was that?"

"Just shut up," Levi snapped.

Without hesitation, he stood on his toes and wrapped his arms around Zoro's neck, pulling himself up. He stole a kiss. Zoro's eyebrows twitched, but still he didn't resist. Levi drew back for a moment, his expression blank as he was thinking with his cock at the moment. None of Levi's previous partners had noticed the way his higher functions totally shut down when he wanted sex, but somehow he was sure Zoro did.

The swordsman's expression cooled to something close to mild irritation. "You just want a daki-makura?"

"Don't talk. It's distracting," Levi shot back, without a hint of remorse. He kissed Zoro again.

After a moment of resistance, Zoro's lips softened to his own. Levi shivered with misdirected desire, imagining pulling himself up toward a face that was a big higher up, and shoulders a bit wider. Hair a bit longer. And blonder. Nevertheless, he gently raked his fingers through the short green hair at the back of Zoro's neck, enjoying the flinch pass over the swordman's muscular body as he brushed a sensitive area. Would Erwin flinch like that too? Where was he sensitive?

At this point about one in three people that Levi ever seduced this way (there had been quite a few, ever since he started working under his unrequited love) would stop to ask him what was wrong, if they could help. A few to ask if he loved them. To date, no one had ever outright refused him. To be honest, although Levi made most decisions on instinct alone, this one included, if anyone would be the first to refuse it would likely be this samurai, he thought. But Zoro did none of the above.

He didn't much respond but neither did he pull away as Levi continued kissing him. Levi decided if he wasn't going to fight then that was good enough, he could do everything else for himself. In fact, he much preferred it this way. Then he could pretend he wasn't really doing this with another person.

He pushed Zoro back against some crates and boldly straddled him. Zoro merely watched expressionlessly as Levi sat back on Zoro's hips and started to undress. Levi cursed under his breath as he realized something.

"No lube," he muttered bitterly.

Zoro scratched the back of his neck in thought. He glanced at a crate across the room, seeming to consider whether he should say anything. At length, he sighed. He thumbed at the crate.

"Nami traded that marine woman for some bath products on Punk Hazard. If you don't mind incurring the wrath of Nami, you could take a look," Zoro said.

"Nh," Levi grunted, eyes following Zoro's thumb. He was honestly very interested in bath products in general (like the ocean for Eren and Armin, baths were something he dreamed about but never got to have for himself). He decided whoever Nami was (he barely had the willpower to remember his own men's names, he definitely didn't need to remember anyone here), it was probably worth her wrath.

Zoro leaned back against the crates, cradling his head in his hands as if ready to take a nap. "You don't know Nami very well," he muttered absently. "Don't look to me for protection when she finds out."

But Levi was still too agitated to pay much attention. He wanted sex. He open the crate and looked through the various bottles inside. There wasn't much, and it was mostly soap and perfume, but he did find an oil-like lotion that looked plausible. He returned to Zoro and shamelessly straddled him over his hips once again. Though it was a struggle to stop, his eyes caught something on Zoro's chest and he found it impossible not to comment on it. It was a massive scar.

"Good job surviving that," he muttered, honestly impressed. But the moment after he said it, Levi sighed. The fact was, any physical feature as unique and obvious as this made it hard to imagine this chest belonging to someone else.

Zoro glanced at it. "Mm." His eye flicked up to view Levi's expression and he smirked. "You don't like guys with scars?"

Levi scowled, though he couldn't help glancing from Zoro's one remaining eye to his scarred one, which was of course the swordsman's intention. But Levi merely scoffed. "Don't look down on me. Being slutty and being shallow are too different things."

To prove his point, Levi continued his attentions by pushing Zoro's tunic off his shoulders. He ran his hands along the steely skin as it was revealed into the low candlelight. A slight blush came to Levi's cheeks. He had to admit that even in the Survey Corps, musculature like this was rare. It was understandable. There was so little protein in their diet, few people were able to build substantial muscle no matter how fit they were. If Levi and his comrades could be compared to rabbits, fast and strong but not well built, then this man was probably something more like a thoroughbred racehorse.

But soon Levi closed his eyes. Thinking about this man didn't ease the pain in his chest. While running his hands down the smooth skin of Zoro's chest, he leaned down and licked his nipple. From his position he couldn't help but notice the gradually hardening bulge underneath his hips. Though Levi wasn't much better off himself.

"I'm surprised," Zoro said, his tone hardly different from normal. "The one with the ponytail was saying you're a clean freak. You're willing to lick someone you just met?" He gave a proud laugh. "Either that was a lie or you must like me a lot."

"Switch flipped," Levi replied without missing a beat, leaning back to undress his upper half. "When I want sex I lose track of things that disgust me." As further proof of this, he let his jacket and shirt flutter to the ground in a disorderly pile.

"Hm," Zoro commented, sounding disappointed.

For the moment, Zoro continued to be a passive bystander as Levi finished undressing his upper half and started on his lower. Finally Levi stood up before him, running his hands up Roronoa's powerful legs over his trousers. It was exciting being able to feel the muscle without being able to see it yet. He wondered if Erwin's leg muscles felt similar to this. Were they harder or softer? Was his skin warmer or colder? Erwin's legs were a little leaner from looking at him. Would they twitch when Levi caressed them?

A shaking sigh escaped Levi's lips. He pulled down the swordsman's trousers, though just enough to reach his cock. Without looking at it, he hungrily swallowed as much as he could. Though the swordsman managed to hold back any overt reaction, his cock twitched and grew thicker and hotter in Levi's small mouth. Levi couldn't fully stifle a moan.

Was Erwin's cock this thick? Levi blushed as he ran his tongue along the soft, warm surface, savoring the strange flavor. He had pictured Erwin's being a bit longer than this. He imagined how it would feel sliding in and out of his mouth, giving Erwin pleasure, and his hips twitched with desire. What would Erwin's face look like as Levi sucked his cock? Would he moan? Levi shuddered. Without stopping what he was doing, Levi reached for the lotion. In no hurry as he selfishly, slowly licked Zoro's cock, he poured some lotion into his hand and spread it over his hole.

Levi's eyes fluttered as he swallowed Zoro's cock to the back of his throat while teasing his own entrance with his finger. Levi's mouth was small so he couldn't fit much inside. Would Levi's mouth satisfy Erwin?

Levi inserted a finger into his own hole and sighed pleasantly around Zoro's cock. It had been more than two months since he had any action, and the last time he had been on top. But he was in a mood to be fucked. He pushed his finger inside to get used to it as fast as he could. Picturing the feel of Erwin's fingers driving inside him was enough to make a slim trail of precum drip from his cock. After a few more minutes he was trembling with desire, easily able to fit two fingers inside.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," came a low voice.

Levi flicked an irritable glance up at the swordsman. He didn't want to stop what he was doing long enough to tell the asshole to shut up, he was ruining his fantasy. But when he caught a glimpse of Zoro's expression at that moment, it was utterly cold. Levi had to raise an eyebrow at that one; judging from the state of the swordsman's throbbing cock, he clearly didn't dislike this. But obviously something else was going on, because Levi might almost say he looked pissed.

Zoro continued to watch him coldly without saying anything for a moment. Then he tilted his head in contemplation. "What's the matter? You don't want me to talk?"

Levi glared up at him. Obviously not, you dick.

"It would make it harder to concentrate," Zoro continued casually. "When you're busy picturing someone else."

Levi's frown sharpened but he didn't stop what he was doing. Instead he returned his attention from Zoro's face to his cock, still using his fingers to search for his own sensitive spot. He added a third and flinched, making an embarrassingly feminine sound.

Zoro's cold, black eye watched him dispassionately. At length he asked, "Are you really having fun there, all by yourself?"

Levi had stopped listening. His eyes were closed and he was imagining Erwin's large, rough fingers in place of his own inside him. Now and then a moan escaped him as he unconsciously swallowed deeper as his fingers probed his own insides.

"Good for you," Zoro went on, in the same cold tone. "But since you interrupted my evening, I'm going to enjoy myself too if you don't mind."

Levi gasped as he felt a thick finger joining his own. He felt a brief flare of anger at the impertinence of this man, taking what hadn't been offered. But Levi had forgotten, it was much more stimulating receiving pleasure from someone else, no matter how he felt about that person. Even these thick, calloused fingers brought Levi pleasure he could not reach himself. And when he pictured some slightly longer and even more calloused fingers, his cock twitched and he gurgled into Zoro's cock as shocks of pleasure rushed over his skin. How would Erwin's fingers really feel, moving in and out of him?

With difficulty, Levi removed his own fingers and attempted to focus on Zoro's cock. But Zoro didn't give him long to get used to this before he added a second finger inside him. Levi moaned, his hips twitching. He halfheartedly swallowed Zoro's cock a few more times before Zoro's fingers delved deeply and he threw his head back with a cry. It was that spot, the one his own fingers were too small to reach. It had been so long, he'd forgotten what it felt like. It was such a shock, he had to grit his teeth to stop an orgasm coming. He collapsed against Zoro's chest, gasping.

Zoro gave a self-satisfied chuckle.

Levi looked up to glare at him. "Bastard..." he muttered.

"I didn't say anything," Zoro replied innocently, before plunging his fingers deep inside Levi again.

Levi clung to him, trembling. It felt so good he didn't think as he nuzzled his head against Zoro's chest, breathing in his scent. He must have bathed recently; he had a wonderfully clean, masculine smell. He guessed that Erwin would smell even better though, less rough. Although, maybe also...less sexy.

Levi unknowingly bit down on Zoro's chest as Zoro stroked him more and more passionately. Zoro grunted in a very satisfying way before he pushed his head forcefully into the crook of Levi's neck like a cat and breathed in deeply. The sensation of Zoro's breath against his neck made Levi cry out, his fingers digging into Zoro's arms as he held him. He wanted to cum.

"Enough..." he muttered, barely using any volume lest he sound wanton.

"Hm?" Zoro murmured near his ear.

Levi shivered before rounding a glare on him. "Enough. I'm loose. Put it in."

"You get off on the dominatrix thing, huh?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm finding it hard to think of a less nuanced come-on."

"Are you fucking around?"

"A little bit."

A vein throbbed in Levi's forehead. With a glare that had sent lesser men crying to their mothers, Levi lifted his head and met Zoro's one eye. He didn't say anything, knowing he didn't need to. His displeasure and the reason for it were obvious.

Zoro seemed mildly amused by this but said nothing. Instead, he added another finger. Levi gasped, withering against Zoro's chest once again. That one twinged a little. Well, he hadn't used this hole in months, so it was understandable. But Zoro was pretty thick. It would likely be tough at first.

"Where's that lube?"

"Here."

"Nh."

Levi frowned at him irritably. "You can talk about lacking nuance. Was that 'thank you' or 'fuck off'?"

Zoro turned his lips against Levi's ear and murmured huskily, "It was 'fuck you', actually." While Levi gritted his teeth against the wave of desire that struck him at this lusty whisper, Zoro coated his cock with lube again. "I'd say you're ready now."

"I was ready ten minutes ago too, dickhead," Levi grumbled.

But instead of pursuing this fight, he succumbed to his desire. He shifted his hips up toward Zoro's. He wrapped his legs around the larger man, resting his small hands on Zoro's thick, muscle-bound shoulders. He swallowed in anticipation. He took Zoro's throbbing, slick cock in his hand and guided it toward his hole as she slowly sat down further on Zoro's lap.

Levi expected it to hurt, but unfortunately (for his sanity) the moment Zoro's cock touched his hole he wanted to cum. He bit back a whimper of passionate agony as he slowly sank further down. Inch by inch he slowly accepted Zoro's hot length inside him. He had a few moments of being embarrassed at the no-doubt lustful expression on his face, but he caught Zoro watching intently where their bodies were connected. By the time Zoro was fully inside him, Levi's cock was twitching pitifully and leaking precum in a slow stream, aching to cum. Levi shut his eyes tight to keep control.

But a few seconds later, Zoro grasped Levi's slender hips in his large hands.

"Hey..." Levi murmured in panic, fearing what was about to come.

Zoro lifted him and then thrust to the deepest part of him.

"Ngh!" Levi cried, scratching Zoro's skin as he trembled, focusing all his energy on stopping his orgasm. He wouldn't be able to bear the shame if he came so soon. No matter what, he wanted to hear this brute grunting with pleasure before he gave him the satisfaction.

Zoro frowned in discomfort. "You're still tight. That was your pride talking when you said you were ready before, wasn't it?"

Levi could hardly admit that far from not being ready, he was desperately close to cumming. Indeed, it did sting a little, but in a way that almost made it more exciting. He couldn't stop himself from gripping into the thick, rippling muscles of Zoro's arms as Zoro slowly pulled him up and down again.

"Hm," Zoro muttered, seeming frustrated. "I can't tell if you're enjoying this or not. Why don't you move for yourself?"

Levi bit his lip and let his head fall on Zoro's shoulder as he caught his breath. He didn't want Zoro to see his face now, ashamed of how good he was feeling. But there was no getting around it now.

"I...can't..." Levi murmured, so quietly he didn't even hear himself.

Zoro craned his neck back to try to see his face. "What was that?"

Levi felt himself blushing as he gritted his teeth and glared at Zoro for a moment before melting into his desire and looking at him pleadingly. "Fuck me more...please..."

Zoro's eyes widened. Moments later, a slight smirk met his lips. "Since you asked nicely."

Without pulling out, Zoro grasped Levi tight against him for a moment to stand up. Levi gasped at the sensations assaulting him, from the change in angle inside him to the strong arms encircling him to the shifting muscles under his fingers. Zoro turned and laid Levi down on his back on the crates. He smirked again, making sure the angle was comfortable for both of them. He wrapped his hands around Levi's ass. Then he drove as deep inside Levi as he could.

"Ahhh!" Levi cried, throwing his head back as precum flew from his cock. Over and over Zoro pounded inside him, making his vision go blurry with sensation. Within moments, Levi came onto his own chest.

Yet neither Zoro nor Levi wanted to stop. Zoro noticed, but he merely squeezed Levi's ass and continued thrusting inside him, barraging Levi's prostate with jolts of pleasure. Levi choked out gasps, raising his hands to cover his eyes in desperation. Wordlessly, Zoro pulled Levi's hands to his sides. He lifted them up to force Levi against him like pulling the reins of a horse.

"Ngh!" Levi cried, ashamed but unable to fight the waves of pleasure washing over him. He had cum so recently all his nerves were on fire. Part of him was scared and wanted this to stop as soon as possible...but it was a small part.

"Ah...ah...fuck...so good!" Levi whimpered.

Zoro said nothing, but his breathing heightened as he increased the pace, ramming Levi's insides. Levi closed his eyes tight, clenching his teeth and moaning as a stream of drool ran down the corner of his mouth.

Zoro made a noise like an animal and let Levi's hands drop in order to grasp his hips. He pumped once more inside him and then filled his insides with cum. Levi shuddered, his consciousness fading in and out with the sensations rattling his mind. Zoro held him tight against his hips as he continued cumming for several long seconds after that.

When Zoro finally stopped cumming, he rested his hands on the crates on either side of Levi's body and the two panted there for a moment to recover. Levi kept twitching now and then as the endorphins slowly faded from his brain. He closed his eyes, hoping it would linger for a moment longer. His chest ached as he thought of Erwin's twitching cock filling his insides with proof of his pleasure.

A few minutes later, Levi faced away from Zoro as he restored some order to his clothing. Of course he was going to need to go straight to the bathroom to sort out the mess that moron had made coming inside him. That was what he was thinking about as Zoro watched him with his arms folded.

"Satisfied?"

Levi flicked a scowl at the swordsman. "You want something?"

For a moment, Levi felt some judgment in Zoro's unforgiving, one-eyed gaze. But soon enough it passed from Levi to look absently at the exit.

"No," Zoro replied. "Just impressed. Personally I wouldn't be satisfied getting fucked by some guy I barely know as a substitute for someone I really love."

The muscles in Levi's jaw tightened. But he merely straightened his cravat, saying nothing.

"Well. It's none of my business." Zoro pushed off the post he'd been leaning on and headed for the hatch.

"Hey."

With a withering look, Zoro turned at the sound of Levi's voice.

Levi snapped his jacket straight on his shoulders. He turned his dark eyes on the swordsman. "You weren't bad. Keep me company the next time I need a fuck."

Zoro laughed coldly. "You don't hold back at all, do you? Whatever, I don't mind." But slowly, his smile faded. " 'Keep you company'? Maybe. Fuck you? No."

Levi blinked in absolute shock. He'd never been so insulted before. Actually, he was sure no one had ever outright refused him in this way before. "Excuse me?"

"Don't get me wrong. If you just want a fuck-buddy, I don't really have a problem with that." After a moment of thought, Zoro turned and strode back to where Levi was. He gripped Levi's cravat and drew him close. "But if you ever picture that guy when you're with me again, I'll cut you."

Levi felt a small shiver of fear run up his spine. The power of this swordsman's gaze was on par with Erwin's. He didn't want to test it.

"You can't do it, can you?" Zoro muttered, holding Levi's gaze with an unreadable emotion. Or maybe it was no emotion at all, which was ever scarier. "He's got you and you can't get free. In that case, either grow a pair and do something about it, or get over it. Stop involving other people in your selfish game."

With that, he released Levi's rumpled cravat and walked out. When the hatch thumped shut behind him, Levi stood in the lonely silence left behind. He reached a hand up to the cravat he'd now have to wash and iron. Yet somehow, he didn't feel pissed about that.

Surprisingly, what he thought about now was that this violent swordsman was kind. But more than that, he felt the gaping hole in his chest where his love for Erwin lay. A love that he knew would never come to anything. He always forgot the two-sided coin of fucking to ease his desires; during sex he could forget about it, but after he was left with somehow even less than he started.

He gazed at the darkened wood of the galley floor and thought about what he wanted to do. For now, the fear of losing what little he had stopped him from making a decision. Instead, he sighed.

"He sure preaches a lot, for an animal who'll cum inside a guy on a first date."

And privately he added, Still. Not such a bad guy.