Sorry I didn't get this out as fast as I wanted. Sorry, sorry.

But yes! Rating change! Welcome to level M. 3

I just wanted to say that my conceptualization of Annie/Reiner/Bertholdt has been profoundly influenced by the fic We're the Gladiators by sevenswells. It's explicit and at AO3 rather than here though.

Oh, and now with a side of Ymir/Christa.

Ch 7: Boundless

Levi pushed into Eren's lips before pulling Eren's head back from the kiss. Eren stared into the stark grey eyes, searching for intention, but as usual, Levi was remarkably hard to read. Eren pushed forward again to try and reach Levi's lips, but Levi held him firmly in place.

"No," he said.

"But! Aren't we—"

"Shhh. Isn't the sacrifice the one who exhibits control?" He let go of the back of Eren's head and slid his hand down the side of Eren's face. He brushed his thumb over Eren's lips.

Eren swallowed hard. He was still transfixed in Levi's stare.

Levi began to undo the buttons of his shirt. The systematic pace as each one popped out of the fabric made Eren's heart race faster. When the fabric hung open completely, Levi put his hands on Eren's chest, sliding up to reach his shoulders.

"You were the one who asked to touch me last night. Do you believe in fairness? Or is it more important that you be using your hands?" Levi asked. "What kind of sacrifice do I have?"

Eren could hear his voice, but it sounded strange, like it was coming off someone else's tongue. "Touch me, Levi."

"Oh?"

"Touch me how you like to be touched," Eren said.

Levi frowned. "No, brat. We'll find out how you like to be touched. I want to be able to bring you to your knees whenever I feel like it."

"Seriously?" The timbre of Eren's voice was thin. "But I've never…"

"Exactly," said Levi. "You've never done anything, so you can't fucking tell me what you like. It's annoying." He slid the shirt off of Eren's shoulders. "Communication is an important part of our bond, and you need to learn how to tell me what you need."

Eren remembered the lecture from the afternoon. It was one thing listening to fighter-sacrifice theory, but it was something else to have Levi put it into a real world situation—this real world situation. How was he going to think straight in class!?

"I went out and got some things for us today," said Levi.

Eren blushed and his mind spun around. What kinds of things was Levi going to be doing!?

Now that the shirt was off, Levi got to his knees. He held his hands behind his back and undid the button of Eren's pants with his teeth. Eren stood there speechless.

"It's not that hard to do, brat." Levi smiled wryly. He pulled on the zipper and grabbed the waist, easing the pants over his hips, pulling them down his legs. Eren stepped out of them and made a step towards the bed. Levi grabbed his hips and pulled Eren back in front of him.

"I didn't say you could go. I'm not done yet," Levi said sharply.

He grabbed the bottom of Eren's boxers and pulled. Eren jumped and grabbed onto the waistband.

"But, you can't mean—"

"Easy, Eren. Tonight's about sensation. I'm gonna touch you everywhere I can." He grabbed Eren's hands and ran his thumbs over them. "I want you to trust me. I won't do anything that you don't want me to do. All you gotta do is tell me what you want."

Eren relaxed, breathing deeply. He was calm again. He squeezed Levi's hands. "I'm okay. It's just nerves. You…you can do it."

Levi nodded his head. He slipped his fingers under the waistband and pulled down. Eren closed his eyes. He felt two hands grasping either side of his knee, then felt them slide up his thigh in a fluid motion. Eren shut his eyes even tighter. He could feel himself beginning to harden. Between the air on his skin and the warmth of Levi's hands—fuck his hands were always so warm, Eren was completely lost.

"Eren," said Levi.

Eren opened his eyes to meet Levi's deep, searching stare.

"Eren," he said as he rose from his knees. Levi leaned his bare chest against Eren's and framed Eren's face in his hands. "You're perfect."

Eren let his arms wrap around Levi and he kissed him deeply. There was this warm feeling that kept radiating from inside his chest that sprung anew any time Levi touched him or spoke. He ran his hands over Levi's body, the curves of his muscles becoming more and more familiar under his fingertips. It was purely intoxicating to be together like this.

Levi pulled back, his lips kissed into a deeper red. He smirked. "If I'd have known that's all it would take, maybe I shoulda said, 'you're easy'."

"Hey!" said Eren, blushing. "You're the first person I've ever done anything remotely like this with." He paused. "I've had plenty of crushes, but…"

"But what," said Levi flatly.

"But you're the only one I've actually wanted to do something about," Eren snapped. He looked away, ears flat.

Now it was Levi's turn to blush. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Damn it, Eren!" He said. "Get over on that bed!"

Eren looked at him strangely. "Sir, was that another 'good' damn it?"

Levi grabbed him by the back of his head and wrenched him down into another kiss. Eren grinned as he was released. He walked over to the bed.

"Just lie on the top," said Levi.

"Ok." Eren climbed into the middle. He no longer felt awkward being naked, even with Levi there still half dressed, with his eyes on him. Excitement burnt through him.

Levi reached into a bag on his desk and pulled out a set of handcuffs with a fabric lining. He twirled it on a finger. "What did you say last night? You'd give me your heart, body, mind, and soul?"

Eren blushed. "Levi…is that how you want me?"

"I want you to be able to squirm and strain as much as you want," said Levi. "What do you want? Do you need more control? I can hold you down myself if that turns you on more."

Eren appraised Levi's face. He trusted him, didn't he? If he was going to be his sacrifice, he was going to have to trust him, and trust him with his life. Eren sighed.

"I want you to show me the best that you're capable of," Eren challenged. "I'll tell you if it's too much," he demurred afterwards, looking off to the side.

Levi smiled. This kid, seriously…

Levi latched one cuff around one wrist, threaded it behind a bedpost, and grabbed his other wrist and fastened it above his head. Eren gave a few tentative pulls at his restraints. Levi loved the way he looked as his muscles tensed and flexed.

"A few things before we start." Levi cleared his throat. "If you don't like something, tell me. If you do like something, tell me, damn it. And before you ask, brat, I'm not taking your ears."

"But!" said Eren. "Then what's the point?"

"I already told you the point." Levi spat. "It's for you to get used to telling me what you need. If you can't do it here, you won't be able to do it in battle! If you can't tell me what you fucking need, I can't fucking help you!" Levi slowed his breathing down. He hadn't meant to yell at Eren.

"Sorry," he said.

"No, I'm sorry," said Eren. His face softened. "I-I get it." He paused, looking uneasily at Levi. "It's because you don't want to lose me like…too." He looked away. "Is that it?" His voice creaked.

Levi stood there transfixed. He could feel his heart calling out to Eren, and it scared him more than anything else in the world. He was already attached, and there was nothing else he could do.

Levi sat down on the edge of the bed. He caressed the side of Eren's face.

"Well, fuck me." He sighed.

Eren looked back at him, startled to see the hungry look in Levi's eyes.

"Brat, there are plenty of ways for me to make you cum without taking your ears," he said.

"Eh?" Eren's eyes grew wide.

"I know some people think I'm an asshole, but I'm not that cruel. I'm not gonna play with you and leave you strung up and frustrated."

Levi got up and walked back over to his desk. "One more thing."

He pulled out a black silk scarf. Eren looked at him confused.

"It's a blindfold. I want you to just concentrate on the sensations I'm giving you. I don't want you to think about anything else," Levi said.

"To be honest, sir, I don't think I'll be able to concentrate on anything else," said Eren. "I'd still like to use it though."

Levi tied the black silk around him, pulling it tight, but not overly so, closing it with a soft square knot.

"How do you feel?" Levi asked.

"Good, but a little weird. I don't know where you're going to come from, so my skin feels a bit strange, like it's trying to imagine your touch in a million places at once," Eren confessed.

"Do you want me to start from the top or the bottom? Or would you rather me choose?"

"The top." Eren said. "Will you get my back at all? I'm not sure what these cuffs will let me do…"

Levi leaned into Eren's ear. "I'll reverse your hands. I told you that I'm going to touch you everywhere. Places where no one else has touched you before. Places that belong to me now."

Eren whimpered.

Levi smiled. "It doesn't take any effort to get you worked up, does it?"

He reached out and touched Eren's cat ears. "I remember when I had these. I used to love it when someone rubbed them or rolled them. Or when someone did this." Levi began to gently nibble on the ears. "Have you ever felt that before?"

"N-no, I've never felt that. It feels good." Eren paused. "Roll one while you bite the other."

"My first commands," Levi said dryly. He rolled the left one in his left hand as he gently bit at the right one.

"But isn't that what you wanted? I mean—" Eren was silenced with Levi's lips.

After lavishing some more attention on Eren, he stroked his hands through the boy's hair. He pulled against the grain of the hair.

"That! I like it when you do that."

Levi stroked both of his hands through the hair, letting it sluice between his fingers. He massaged the scalp and Eren let out a little moan.

"You're so sensitive," Levi teased. "You love to be touched in general, don't you."

"It's only because it's because it's you," said Eren. "Now rub harder."

Levi worked his hands harder and bent his head down, fluttering a set of eyelashes over Eren's lips. When Eren gasped at the sensation, he kissed him lightly. Eren tried to lean into the kiss, but Levi kept pulling back, so that they remained touching but only just barely.

"That's not fair!" said Eren.

"And what can you do about it?" Levi taunted. Eren pulled at his handcuffs.

"I command you to kiss me hard, and I want to taste your tongue."

"You're so bossy."

Levi interlocked his lips with Eren and pushed through them. Eren moaned into him and he continued to stroke his tongue against Eren's. He had to smile when he noticed Eren breathing normally. He ran the tip of his tongue over Eren's bottom lip twice before biting it gently. Eren bit back, trapping his lower lip. Levi smiled. The boy was getting good.

"We've tried those ears. Now, these ones," said Levi.

Levi licked upwards, starting from the earlobes and went upwards. He blew over top the trail he licked, watching Eren shiver and strain against his bonds. He breathed heavily in Eren's ears, and that only made him strain more.

"Lick me, then come up close and tell me exactly what you want to do to me."

Levi leaned over and licked his other ear, leaving his lips just a hairsbreadth away.

"I'm not gonna fucking tell you anything, brat, because if you know what's coming, it ruins the surprise," he purred. He kissed the edge of his earlobe and moved onto Eren's neck.

"Argh!" Eren voiced his disappointment.

Levi ran his hands over Eren's neck. "Hmmm."

"What?" Eren asked.

"I don't have a name I can give to you, but I can definitely mark you to show that you're mine." Levi played in the divot between Eren's collarbones. "I'll do it, if you have the courage to bear it."

"Everyone knows I'm with you anyway," said Eren. "I had to come out and say I was living with you in class today. It was so embarrassing."

"Do they really know?" Levi asked. "I can think of a few who don't. One person who'd probably be pissed."

"Just do it. I wanna know what it feels like," barked Eren.

Levi set to work on the sensitive skin on Eren's neck. He kissed hard, drawing skin against teeth. Eren cried out which only spurred him on harder. He cut his way down to Eren's collarbone. He traced a finger over the bruised path, examining his handiwork.

"You're gonna get some looks tomorrow," he teased.

"Can I see?" said Eren.

"When we're done." Levi straddled Eren and sat down. "You'll have all the time in the world to look."

Now Levi turned his attention to Eren's arms. He ran his hands up them and scratched his nails down them. He bent over at the waist, taking one of Eren's hands. He took the index finger in his mouth and sucked on it, swirling his tongue around it.

"Hey!" said Eren. "Isn't that like what you do for, you know…"

Now Levi just wanted to screw with him. "For what?" he said dryly.

"You know, when you're gonna give someone…"

Levi started laughing at him.

"Okay, you're just fucking with me!" Eren growled. "Do I get one?"

"No. That's a different lesson. But you can imagine what it would feel like." Levi took the finger in his mouth again and then shoved it partway down his throat, against the soft tissues that lined the back.

"Holy shit," said Eren. "Levi…"

Levi pulled the finger out of his mouth with a pop. He positioned himself lower, his hips now inline with Eren's. He could feel Eren's hardness and instinctively he ground up against it. He sat up there and pulled his hands over Eren's chest. Running his index fingers over nipples, he flicked them gently.

"Hey!" said Eren. "I'm not a girl."

"I have more than enough proof that you're not." Levi shifted his hips, making Eren very aware of how close they were.

"Just try this sensation." Levi rolled his left nipple with his tongue. He grabbed it gently with his teeth and pulled back…

"Actually…I like that…a lot," said Eren. "This time, bite me a little harder."

"Gladly." Levi moved to the right side with his mouth, his hand still playing with the left nipple. "If you like this, you might even like being clamped and being teased."

Eren squirmed against his bonds as Levi attended to his chest. "Whatever you want to try with me, I'll let you do it," he said breathlessly. "You're incredible."

"Brat, you just don't know any better. And me, I've had practice." Levi reached up and ran a hand through Eren's hair. "I'm gonna flip you over now."

"Now?" Eren was completely lost in his sensations.

Levi freed one hand from the handcuffs, helped Eren onto his front, and then closed the cuff on his free hand.

"Just another thing." Eren could hear Levi shuffling around in the bag on the desk.

Levi came back and crawled on the bed, straddling his waist. Eren gasped as a warming liquid was poured onto his shoulders. Levi coated his palms in it and began to knead the muscles in his shoulders and neck. He compressed and rolled his hands over Eren's back. The way that Eren's form glistened under the oil was gorgeous. Levi stopped, taking in the breathtaking view.

"Who said you could stop," said Eren weakly.

"It's your own damn fault," said Levi. "The view of the world down your back is a place I'll have to return to when you're ready."

"Huh?"

"You'll understand when we get there." He kissed the back of Eren's neck.

He continued his way down Eren's back, kneading into the lumbar region. Finally, he rested his palms on Eren's ass.

"I'm a pervert, so humor me. On your knees."

"But…"

"I already told you I'm not gonna take your ears. But I am going to touch you where no one else has ever touched you before."

Eren shakily got to his knees.

"Spread your legs a bit more." Levi nudged his thighs apart.

Eren cried out at the feeling of being so exposed. "Levi…"

Levi ran his hands up the backs of Eren's thighs and grabbed the round curves of his ass cheeks. He massaged them, pulling them further apart and earning him more moans from Eren. He traced his index finger down the crack to where the hole was. Eren whimpered as he circled around it, stroked down and across it. Eren made a keening sound.

"Aren't you going to put something in me?" Eren asked, confused as to why Levi had stopped.

"Nope." Levi drew his hands away.

"A finger wouldn't take away my ears," said Eren.

"I know," said Levi. "Just enjoy the touch. You did like it, didn't you?"

"You're right, no one's ever touched me there," Eren breathed. "I never knew I had so many places that I wanted you to touch. You want me to tell you what I like, but it's as if you already know."

Levi lightly continued down past the hole to a soft patch of skin. He bent in and kissed it, causing Eren to gasp and jump.

"Levi…"

It was taking everything in Levi's power to stay cool-headed. The warmth pooling in him at seeing Eren restrained, blindfolded, and blatantly exposed only got worse the more Eren said, and the more he squirmed at his bonds, in his immodesty, in his desire.

"Time to flip you over," Levi said. Again he unhooked one of the cuffs and Eren returned to his back. He kissed him gently on the lips.

"Will I get to do this to you?" Eren asked.

"If you want." Levi sighed. "There's a lot of other stuff that we should do first."

Levi sat down by Eren's hips. He saw Eren engorged and impossibly hard. The tip of his cock was wet and dripping, the drops slowly running down.

"I was planning to start at your feet. But, if you'd rather cum right now…" Levi lightly stroked the underside and Eren made a small noise in the back of his throat. "Tell me, and I'll take care of it."

"Levi," said Eren. "Make me cum."

Levi went to the desk and pulled a bottle of lube from his bag. He sat back down by Eren and coated his palms in the clear liquid.

"You're not going to last very long," said Levi.

"Tch! Shut up! It wouldn't be that way if you hadn't spent all your time teasing me!"

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself." He grabbed Eren in his dominant hand. "I'm going to mark you down here too, where nobody will see it other than me."

He pumped his hand up and down Eren's cock as he kissed the inside of his thigh. He could feel Eren's back arch at the stimulation. He pulled his head back, lightly bruising the fair skin against his tongue before he let go. Then he worked Eren with both hands, one hand sliding down, quickly followed by the other, giving the illusion that Eren was fucking a slick, infinite, spinning tube. Each time, he flicked his thumb over the head, over the thin bridge of flesh, and Eren moaned.

Levi slowed down his pace. Eren let out a questioning gasp. He moved one hand to Eren's balls and cupped them, massaging them in his palm. He left the other hand stroking Eren's shaft.

"Levi," Eren breathed. "Faster…"

"Like this?" Levi sped up a little bit and played a little longer with his thumb on Eren's frenulum.

"More!" Eren demanded.

Levi complied. He watched Eren's face change, his clenched teeth giving way to an open, moaning mouth.

"Levi!" he cried. "I'm…I'm gonna cum!"

Levi narrowed his eyes and worked Eren's shaft even faster and even harder. Eren cried out in ecstasy, straining against his bonds, against the bed.

"Levi!"

The warm liquid spurted out over Levi's hand, over Eren's stomach. Levi gave a last few pumps, feeling Eren soften in his hand. He let go and licked his hand thoughtfully. He reached over and took the blindfold off of Eren.

"You taste good," said Levi.

"Eh?" Eren tried hiding his face under an arm. "That's embarrassing."

"Nothing more embarrassing than everything else I made you do."

Levi reached down by the side of his desk to where a hand towel was. He wiped off his hands with it and began to clean up Eren.

"Hey, let me go and I'll take care of all that." Eren blushed. "You've done enough for me."

Levi got the key out of his pocket and undid the locks on the handcuffs. Eren pulled his arms down and stretched them. He rubbed his wrists, but they weren't that sore. Eren began toweling off, but the remnants of the lube just kept sticking.

"Levi, where are the showers in this place? I didn't even think about it yesterday since I got here so late."

"There's lots of places, but there's an old style bathroom in the west wing has one of those old claw-footed bathtubs. You wanna clean up with me?

Eren smiled. "Sure. Besides, after all of this, I owe you something."

"Nah," said Levi. "You don't owe me shit." He threw Eren's pants at him. "Get your ass half dressed if you're gonna go to the bath. Have at least some shame."

Eren smiled. "Yes, sir."

xXx

Annie was ridiculously sore from packing up their old house and unpacking everything to their new location. The house itself wasn't bad; the natural lighting inside was a poor and she liked the darkness it gave. She couldn't complain about her muscles of course because Reiner and Bertholdt did the lion's share of the lifting, but it wasn't her fault that she came up to their chests. She could still beat the shit out of them in hand-to-hand combat, and that's what mattered to her.

She looked to either side of her in the bed. Reiner and Bertholdt were both fast asleep, each of them curling in, facing her. Reiner's face looked so peaceful in his sleep, and Bertholdt looked uncharacteristically carefree. Annie snuggled her back against Bertholdt and curled to put her forehead against Reiner's chest. She liked it because she could feel two heartbeats that way.

On their first mission together it was the dead of winter, and they had operated from a house without heat. She took Reiner's offer and slept with them in the same bed to stay warm at night. It was a long time, years since then, but even when they moved to a heated house a few missions later, sleeping together was just natural, comforting even. She didn't care if they never got up the courage to take her ears; there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

Annie closed her eyes finally ready to fall asleep herself.

A happy, jaunty, repetitive tune played from over Reiner's shoulder. It got louder and louder the longer it played.

"Fuck." Reiner stirred as Annie crawled over him to get at the nightstand. "This better be a good reason for getting a call."

She grasped her phone, the pink one in the middle with the crystal charms because her boss had a sick sense of humor.

"What do you want," she asked after seeing the caller displayed on the back.

Reiner and Bertholdt were now awake and listening, too.

"A second chance? I don't care if it's going to be harder." Annie pulled on her hair.

Reiner traced a finger on Annie's stomach. "What is it?"

Annie put her hand over the phone receiver. "We may have another shot at Eren."

Both pairs of eyes grew wide, expectant.

"Okay, so he's going to be visiting Trost, the town by Three Walls, tomorrow during the day. Shopping, whatever, I don't care," Annie said.

"Will he be alone?" asked Bertholdt.

She made a quiet sign with her finger over her lips. "So he'll be with Infinity again. Oh, he's even more bonded with Infinity now. Peachy. And Restless? He might be with Restless, too?"

Annie sighed. "Yeah, I know, it's not your job to decide those things. Thanks for the heads up. Bye."

She hung up the phone. She tapped it against her lips.

"What do you guys think?" She ran her hands over their arms and grabbed their hands. "Eren will either be going to town with just Infinity, or both Infinity and Restless tomorrow. It depends on how much Infinity feels like a drama queen. We have to be careful, as it is broad daylight in a heavily populated area."

Annie looked at Bertholdt. "What do you think Bertl?"

"I think we should call boss and see if he still wants us to bring Eren in or if he just wants us to turn him," he said nervously. "I don't think we can face Restless and Infinity at the same time in a public place."

"Hmmm." Annie thought deeply about the situation. "You know, that isn't half bad."

"It wasn't?" Bertholdt was surprised.

"Yeah," said Reiner. "If we can get a hold of a car or something and can distract Infinity and Restless for ten minutes or so…we could easily drive off with him and turn him, and he'd be one of us! He'd have no choice but to defect from Three Walls."

"I called boss last time," Annie said dryly. "Reiner, you do it. I don't feel like being the one to wake him up."

"Yes, ma'am," he said as he grinned and dialed an all too familiar number.

xXx

Ymir was dead tired. No one came to the top floor of the west wing at night, well apparently except for a half naked Eren and Levi who were disgustingly all over each other. They didn't notice the silent girl who blended in with the backdrop of old Victorian furniture. Even if she was dressed in neon and dancing the can-can, she was pretty sure that neither one of them would have noticed her with how lost they were in each other.

There was only one reason why she was here. She glanced at her phone and put it back in her pocket. Quietly she crept down the staircase, through the maze of rooms to where the dormitory quarters were. She went to her sanctuary, the place where Lawless rests, opening the door.

"Ymir! Where have you been?" Christa got up from her desk.

Ymir slunk inside the doorway. "Sorry, I had to make a phone call," she said.

Stiffly, Ymir sat on the edge of the bed. Christa walked over to her. She kneeled on the mattress between Ymir's splayed legs and put her arms around her neck. She rested her forehead against Ymir and closed her eyes.

"Who are you calling?" Christa's voice was a whisper. "You did this the other day, too."

Christa ran her fingers through Ymir's hair. "I thought we agreed not to keep secrets."

Ymir smiled. "I can tell you a secret, but you'd never believe me."

"Try me." Christa pushed Ymir onto her back. She twitched her tail. It always made Ymir smile to see her like this, so cute, so unaware of everything that was around her.

"One day there will come a time when we don't have to hide anymore," said Ymir. "I don't know when it will be or how it will happen, but it's true."

Christa's eyes went wide. "Ymir, that's dangerous."

Ymir reached up and touched Christa's face. "I know. That's why I made sure that I could protect you. I'm your fighter. I'd do anything to save your life."

Christa reached into Ymir's pocket and got out her cell phone. She looked at the recent calls. All of those not made out to her were all made to the same A. Leonhart.

"Should I call them?" said Christa, studying Ymir's face.

"You can call her if you want. She's kind of a bitch to talk to, though." Ymir shrugged. "Your choice."

"Fine," said Christa. "I'm deleting this number from your phone. Don't call it ever again."

"If that's what you want, I'll never call her again. I have what I need to keep you safe, so I don't need her anymore. Okay?" Ymir looked up at Christa, waiting.

Christa smiled. "Okay," she said.

She bent down and kissed Ymir, drinking her in deeply. There was still a lot to Ymir that was a mystery to her, the missing ears, stories half told. But she knew that she loved Ymir more than anything, and that Ymir loved her even more than that.