Something wet slapped against his stomach. Eren jerked in surprise, his eyes opening open as he snapped out of the doze he'd been in.

"Your dick's hanging out of your shorts." Annie muttered as she stood over him, her face as empty as ever. She wasn't looking at him but rather keeping an eye on the door, like she was expecting it to open any second. Eren raised his head from the leather couch and found that she was right. And she'd dropped a wet towel on his chest.

"What's the towel for?" He asked, struggling to sit up.

"Clean-up if necessary." Annie replied, finally looking at him. Eren blinked in surprise as he saw the barely-hidden concern in her ice-blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he grabbed the waistband of his shorts and pulled them back into place, stuffing his cock back inside. He winced as he felt how sensitive the flesh still was, his body still tingling with the after-effects of what Levi and Erwin had made him feel.

Annie sighed. "I know you didn't ask for help but are you really okay with what they did to you?" Her voice was soft as she asked the question.

Eren looked away. "I don't know." Picking up the towel, he wiped his face. While there wasn't a lot to clean-up thanks to Levi swallowing everything, the cold dampness of the towel did work to clear his head and make him think properly. Come to think of it, what the hell was he thinking? In the years he'd been doing this, he had never let anyone even come close to touching anything underneath what he was wearing. That had been his one stipulation when the manager had given him the position and the one thing they had both agreed on. There had been too many incidents with other strippers to let that rule be broken and the manager was actually very protective despite how much he loved his money. Okay, there were different rules for the private dances. The strippers held the power there and were allowed to dictate how much touching was allowed. If it went too far, all they had to do was signal the security camera and the situation would be broken up.

So why, after such a long time of refusing to let anyone touch him, was he actually letting so much happen? Annie had been working here for just a little bit longer than him so she was more than aware of his rules. So it was no wonder she was concerned.

Annie shoved her hands in her pockets with a sigh. "Don't let yourself become addicted, Eren. It never ends well." With those words, she walked to the door and slipped through it, murmuring something to Reiner and Bertholdt. The big blonde guy nodded and scratched his head while Bertholdt tipped his head back and sighed.

Eren got to his feet, grateful that his legs weren't shaking anymore. Exiting the room, he looked at the two security guards. They didn't say anything which spoke volumes about their confusion. Unable to think of something to say, Eren headed back to the change rooms. Through the walls, he could hear people cheering. Judging from the music, it was probably Mina on stage. No one else danced to Cascada, finding that it was too fast for them. Mina on the other hand somehow found a way of working the songs to perfection, using the speed to full advantage and turning her routines into feats of acrobatics that were more suited to something out of Cirque De Soleil than a seedy strip club.

The change room was quiet, no other dancers in sight which Eren was actually grateful for. The last thing he wanted to deal with was Hitch and her bitching. Yanking off the shorts and the mesh shirt, he kicked the boots off and pulled his own clothes back on. A soft ringing from his mobile phone caught his attention.

Mikasa. Frowning, Eren placed the phone against his ear. "Yeah?"

"I set the stove on fire." His sister mumbled, sounding embarrassed.

Eren snorted. "What were you trying to make?"

"Pancakes." Came the reply.

"Only you could mess that up."

"Shut up. Can we afford a repair?"

Eren thought for a second longer than necessary. "Yeah. Call for one tomorrow. I got paid extra tonight so it's okay." No way was he admitting why they could afford it.

"Kay. Sorry, Eren." Mikasa said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. We'll go out for breakfast tomorrow." He said, smiling.

"My treat since I messed up." Mikasa said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Deal. Pancakes then." Eren laughed as Mikasa agreed and hung up. At least that situation was normal and one that he could easily deal with.

A soft sound of distress woke him. Eren blinked himself awake, squinting at his alarm clock. Three-thirty in the morning? What the hell? Rubbing his eyes, he pushed himself upright. Without the pillow muffling his hearing, he could hear it. Mikasa. That was definitely Mikasa. Eren jumped to his feet and ran out of his room and shoved open the door to his sisters bedroom. Her curtain was open and the ambient light from the streetlights outside was enough to let him see. She was curled up tightly on her bed, hugging herself tight as soft sobs shook her shoulders.

Eren cautiously tip-toed forward until he could see her face. His heart clenched as he saw the sorrow contorting her features. Her eyes were screwed tightly shut and her lips were parted over gritted teeth. A nightmare. Eren sighed sadly as he sat down on the bed next to her.

"Mikasa. Come on. Wake up for me." He murmured, reaching out and gently stroking her shoulder. Her eyes shot open as she jerked awake, her hear whipping around to stare at him. Shit. Her eyes were red, brimming with tears.

"You're okay." He whispered. "You were dreaming."

Mikasa shuddered as she took a deep breath. Slowly, she relaxed her arms and pushed herself into sitting position. She was still shaking. Sniffing, she wiped her eyes. Eren felt a pang when she wouldn't look at him but this was the usual procedure for when she had a dream like this. When they had been younger, she had never hesitated to curl into him for comfort. But now, her own desire to appear strong for him stopped her from doing it. And it sometimes hurt.

Eren continued to stroke her shoulder. "What happened?"

She sighed. "It's stupid." She replied softly.

Eren squeezed her arm lightly. "It's never stupid. Tell me."

Finally she looked at him. Her dark eyes were shining slightly from the tears. "It was just the night my parents died. You were there but you couldn't hear me. I was...I was yelling at you to run. But you couldn't hear me." Her words were halting as she breathed past the hitching sobs.

"I can hear you now." Eren murmured before yanking her arm so that she sprawled across him. Mikasa gasped in surprise, stiffening against him. Before she could pull away, Eren closed his arms around her in a tight hug. "I can always hear you, Mikasa. And I'm always right here next to you." He said into her hair. A surge of relief went through him as he felt her wrap her arms around his waist and hug him back. Sighing, she relaxed against him, her head resting on his shoulder. A soft feeling of peace fell around them as they sat there in silence. It had been a long time since Mikasa had suffered from a nightmare like that and it was rare that she ever let herself be comforted. Yeah, she could be soft and kind when she was with him and Armin but there was always some kind of wall around her that she refused to lower.

That wall had gone up the night her parents had been killed. Something inside her had broken so badly that it had never healed right. Eren had watched as his mother and father had tried to break through her wall, to get Mikasa to open up to them. But trying to break her wall had been useless. She would be polite and answer every question directed at her but she'd hidden behind it. Until the night when he had first heard her crying. Eren had been annoyed at first but the second he saw her face, trying so hard to keep quiet so that no one would hear, he'd been lost. Instead of breaking through her wall, he'd done the equivalent of climbing over it to hold out his hand from the top, there to pull her up to a safe place.

Smiling into her hair at the memory, Eren said, "It's been a while since you've let me hold you like this."

Mikasa sniffed. "I hate crying." She mumbled into his shoulder.

Eren snorted. "I'll have the painkillers ready when you wake up." If there was one thing he had learned about his sister, it was that crying gave her headaches. Fierce ones. She became downright scary when they were bothering her so having a big supply of painkillers on hand was important.

"Do we have chocolate?" She asked quietly.

"No but I'll grab some as soon as I wake up." Eren replied, squeezing her tightly.

He felt her smile against his shoulder. "Don't bother. I'll just order chocolate pancakes." She murmured.

"Good idea." Eren said with a soft laugh as she pulled away from him and rubbed her eyes. "You should get some more sleep. You've got an advanced class tomorrow."

Mikasa nodded as she lay down. "Stay until I fall asleep?" She asked softly.

Eren nodded, taking her hand and threading their fingers together. His world outside of this apartment might be confusing the fuck out of him but right now, right here with his sister, this was something they both needed. It was normal and for him, normal was really necessary right now.

Why did Armin need so many textbooks? And why the hell was Jean here? Eren scowled as he shoved his hands into his pockets, glaring at the two of them. Armin was shaking his head at something Jean was saying. Knowing how this usually went, the horse-faced jackass was probably offering to pay for the textbook and wasn't going to take no for an answer. And as a result? Armin was getting hopelessly flustered, desperately trying to say that he would pay for it himself.

Eren watched as the two of them went back and forth, the same arguments being tossed between them. Rolling his eyes, he dug his I-pod out of his bag and shoved his headphones on. Scrolling through his library, he settled on "Run To You" by Bryan Adams.

"When you two are done, I'll be waiting outside." He muttered as he walked past them. Armin yelped some kind of reply to him but was quickly side-tracked by Jean taking the textbook out of his hands and pulling him deeper into the bookshop. Probably to find a private alcove or something. Lord knew the guy couldn't keep his hands off Armin for longer than five minutes. Grimacing at the mental image, Eren walked out the door. Oh, it wasn't that he didn't like the relationship. Hell, he was happy for Armin. His best friend had been in love with Jean for three years and had only last year managed to pluck up the courage to confess. Turns out that Jean had felt the same way but had been under the impression that Armin was straight. That still made Eren laugh. Armin being straight was like the Pope admitting he did drag shows in his free time.

Hitting play on his I-pod and hearing the plucking of the guitar, he leaned against the wall of the bookshop with a sigh. This song was perfect for a dance. But even as he thought that, a shiver ran down his spine as potential choreography slid into his mind. Choreography for a private dance rather than a main-stage performance. Biting his lip, Eren increased the volume, fighting the urge to start moving to the music.

Something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Eren turned and his eyes widened. Standing on the corner of the street talking into a cellphone was Erwin. Next to him stood Levi. Both men looked irritated. Erwin's eyebrows were furrowed as he spoke into the phone while Levi was impatiently drumming his fingers on the hood of what was no doubt their car. No one in this part of town owned something that expensive. It just screamed money and it, along with them and their fancy suits, were gathering a lot of attention.

Erwin jerked the phone away from his ear and shoved it inside the pocket of his coat before saying something to Levi. The smaller man somehow managed to look even more pissed before he jerked his head in the direction of a cafe. Erwin nodded and they began to move away at a brisk walk.

Giving in to an impulse he didn't understand, Eren followed them. If anyone had asked him why he was doing it, he probably wouldn't have been able to answer them. He didn't understand it himself. With the song still playing in his ears, Eren chased after them. The irony of it wasn't lost on him though. Run To You indeed, he thought with a snort.

He froze as both men halted at a pedestrian crossing. As they began to turn around, like they sensed they were being followed, Eren ducked into an alleyway, pressing himself hard against the concrete. Why the hell was he doing this? Did he want them to know he was there? Then why was he hiding? Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. He dug around and pulled out his I-pod and hit repeat on the song. Maybe thinking about that dance would stop him from chasing after them.

A sudden hard vibration against the wall next to his head had Eren snapping his eyes open before he froze in place. Erwin!

The blonde man was standing in front of him, his towering height and large muscles frame caging Eren in. Or maybe that was more due to the fact that his palms were flat on the wall on either side of Eren's head. His lips curved into a smirk. Over the smoky lyrics, Eren heard him as he spoke. "You're not very good at sneaking up on people, Eren."

"Who said I was sneaking?" Eren said, unable to make his voice steady. He was breathing way too hard to manage that.

"What do you call ducking into an alley after you followed us down three streets?" Erwin replied, one hand going to Eren's lips. His fingers dragged along them, slipping between them and rubbing softly. Any snappy response that might have been in his head fled as the soft touch went all the way through him, lighting up every nerve ending in his body.

"Knock it off. I'm with friends." Eren forced out, suddenly scared at how much he wanted more of the touch.

"They can wait." Erwin murmured, lowering his head and dragging his lips down Eren's neck. A soft gasp escaped Eren as Erwin held him in place.

"Make it quick, Erwin. That jackass isn't going to be easy to deal with if we're late." Levi said from the entrance to the alley. He was leaning against the concrete wall, arms folded as he watched. He didn't look as angry as before. Hell, he looked amused. And more than that, it looked like he was enjoying the show in front of him.

"Understood." Erwin murmured into Eren's neck, sliding his palm down the centre of Eren's chest, raising goosebumps in its wake.

"Stop it! People can see us!" Eren gasped out.

"Not with me standing here. Now shut up and just let Erwin touch you. He's been craving it since you last danced for us." Levi replied in a bored voice. "And keep your voice down. I love your screams but if anyone comes in here, it'll be because you can't keep your mouth shut rather than any other reason."

Eren glared at him but any irritation or embarrassment he felt fled as Erwin's hand trailed the last few inches and cupped his groin, rubbing at his now half-hard cock through the fly of his jeans. Eren moaned softly, his hands clenching into fists at the pleasure that began to course through him.

"What are you listening to you, Eren?" Erwin asked softly as he pressed soft kisses up to Eren's ear, his breath fanning over the sensitive skin.

"Bryan Adams. Run...Run To You." Eren whispered.

"Appropriate. I'd like to see you dance to that for us." Erwin said, a smile in his voice as his fingers undid the button of Erens jeans. Eren clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle a cry as Erwin pushed his hand past the waistband of his underwear and found his swollen cock, his fingertips grazing over the leaking slit. Eren's eyes clamped shut as Erwin's fingers wrapped around his cock and began to pump back and forth, the movement slightly restricted by the fact that his pants were still on. But something about the confinement made it even more intense, Erwin's grip somehow becoming tighter and hotter as the fabric limited his movements.

As the guitar riffs of Run To You slid through his ears, his hips loosened and began to move to counter Erwin's strokes. Eren gasped against his palm as his own movements got faster, his need to come bearing down on him faster than ever. Was it because he was embarrassed? Or because they were in public and a secret part of him actually found that exciting?

"Levi. I need your handkerchief if you don't mind getting it dirty." Eren heard Erwin say over the music.

"Dirty? I wouldn't say this is dirtying my handkerchief." Levi replied, whipping it out of his breast pocket and handing it to Erwin. The smaller man smirked at Eren, licking his lips slightly. "This is the only thing I will ever see as actually improving the state of that piece of cloth." He murmured as he turned back to watch the entry of the alley.

Eren cried out against his palm as Erwin placed the handkerchief over the head of his cock, the soft material sticking to the flushed flesh as his leaking precum soaked it.

"Go ahead and cum, Eren. I won't leave any trace behind." Erwin whispered in his ear. As his warm breath fluttered against Eren's ear, that was all it took. Eren threw his head back and screamed into his palm, his hips bucking wildly as his cock jerked in Erwin's hand. Those long fingers kept pumping, driving him on and milking every last drop of release from him, the handkerchief soaking up every drop.

Gasping, Eren sagged against the wall with shaking knees. Erwin smiled softly and pressed a soft kiss to his temple. "As beautiful as ever, Eren." He murmured. With a quick twirl of his hand, he pulled the handkerchief from inside Eren's underwear and stared at the soaked square of cloth. It had probably been pristine and white before Levi handed it over. Right now, it was a sticky mess that had Eren blushing despite himself.

Levi took it from Erwin and slid it into the pocket inside his jacket. "That's one thing I don't feel compelled to ever see clean." He murmured as he eyed Eren with heat in his eyes. But then he scowled. "We're late." He muttered.

Erwin sighed before quickly doing up Eren's jeans, a lingering caress making Eren groan. "Indeed we are. He's going to be difficult to deal with now."

"Worth it, though." Levi replied.

"True." Erwin looked down at Eren with a knowing smile. "We'll be back at the club tomorrow night, Eren. Be prepared to dance privately for us."

Eren forced his voice not to shake as he asked, "Why not tonight?"

Levi actually laughed. "You don't work tonight."

Eren blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"Flash some extra cash at your manager and he's willing to share anything." Levi replied as he began to walk away, Erwin following him closely.

"That's...not fair." Eren muttered as he pushed himself away from the wall.

"Tomorrow night, Eren." Erwin said as he left the alley. For a long time, Eren stood staring at the entrance to the alley, wondering what the hell had just happened. Giving into them at the club was one thing. This in the alley? Either he had lost his mind or he was quickly on the path to that happening.

A chime sounded from his phone. Pulling it out, he saw a text from Armin asking him where he was. Groaning, he stuffed it back in his pocket and headed back to the bookstore. Hopefully Armin and Jean had resolved their argument about the textbook. Right now, that was far more appealing to look at than to examine what the hell was getting into him when it came to Levi and Erwin.