A Choice With No Regrets

Attack on Titan fanfiction

By

Blue Sonnet (Nana_41175)

Chapter Seven

Authors' Notes: Aaand here come the sexytimes! Brace yourselves, everyone! Please check the tags which will be updated regularly as the story progresses. Enjoy and do drop me a line!

"Levi," Hange called as they hung back at the entrance of the lavatory.

Levi knew she had been there awhile. She was also aware that she could not stay there forever, unless she would have people think that she had gotten cold feet on her wedding day.

The day had begun normally enough, with Erwin at his desk, poring over his never-ending paperwork. Apparently, being suspended by High Command had not reduced the volume of paperwork he needed to go over. She had told him so as she was seated on the sofa a few feet away.

He had merely smiled at her quip. "I'm finishing everything now so that I won't have to bring them along later," he had said.

Levi did not know why, but those words had run through her like a live current. The previous night, she had censored a trunk full of papers that he had intended to bring along together with his clothes and books. She had intended it half in jest, not realizing that he would take her seriously.

Then, at around noon, the flowers had started to arrive, and when somebody came in with the white lace cloth— apparently a special gift from one of the soldiers' mothers— to spread over the Commander's desk, Levi knew she needed to leave.

She had excused herself to take a bathroom break, and when locking herself into one of the stalls had dragged on for almost half an hour, she had emerged and washed her hands, a task that could take no more than five minutes at most. After that, she had merely stood there, gazing at herself in the mirror to the lulling tune of water dripping from the faucet, willing her breathing to slow down and the room to stop spinning.

That was when Hange had popped in. "Levi," they said once again from the doorway, in singsong, bringing Levi to the present.

"I heard you the first time, four-eyes," she muttered and turned toward the lounging figure by the door, a large grin plastered on their face.

"Come along. Erwin's waiting for you."

She had not planned it like this, to make a grand entrance (or any entrance at all). Yet the Commander's office was now filled to the brim with officers who parted to give way to the bride, and Levi had no choice but to endure the long, agonizing minute of entering the room with everyone's eyes on her as she approached Erwin, who had stationed himself at the foot of his table.

Erwin was chatting to the official presiding behind his desk, yet he turned at the sudden hush around the room in time to see Levi's approach. They were going to be married in their uniforms, and while Levi had hardly ever seen Erwin outside his official garb, he had never looked handsomer as he stood tall and straight, with the bright sunlight filtering through the latticed windows catching at his hair and expectation lighting his eyes.

So real. Everything looked so real and yet it wasn't. Erwin looked so calm, almost serene. Happy, even; yet Levi knew the man's talent at maintaining a convincing façade.

Levi tried to recall Erwin as she saw him the first time they met, with Levi on her knees and Erwin's cold, calculating eyes running over her.

"Levi, why don't we make a deal?"

This so-called marriage was nothing but another of Erwin's deals, Levi knew. The first one had gained her entry to the Survey Corps and lost her Farlan and Isabel. What would this second deal gain and cost her?

Unless I get what I want from him first, before he takes away my heart.

Erwin smiled as she drew near and he extended his hand for her to take. Levi tried to remember how she had hated him— hated him intensely, hated him enough to want to kill him— and she found that she could not meet that bright, clear gaze. She allowed the handholding— how could she not, in front of all these people— and his hand was warm as it engulfed hers in a sure grip.

This was no church wedding, yet the official started the ceremony the same way, with a declaration of whosoever had any reason why this man and this woman could not be married, let him come forth now or forever hold his peace.

There was tense silence for a minute, and Levi was almost sure that the gathered crowd would have leaped at anyone who would actually dare to step forward.

The official then carried on by asking the bride and groom if they wanted to exchange a few words.

Levi stared blankly at Erwin, unable to remember if this was one of the steps he had enumerated to her the previous night as an outline to the ceremony, since she had balked at an actual wedding rehearsal.

Taking in her stunned expression, Erwin quickly stepped in and took the lead. "Everything, Levi," he said. "I promise."

Well, that was short and to the point. And completely nonsensical. Trust the man to be talking in riddles.

"Yeah, well. Whatever," she muttered as she tossed around for something to say. She flushed as the room erupted with good-natured laughter. Finally, an idea occurred to her and she said, almost too softly, "no regrets."

Erwin seemed genuinely pleased as he looped her hand over his arm and the ceremony commenced in earnest. As they went through their responses to the official's questions, Levi thought back on Erwin's words, and it was not until they were about to exchange rings that she remembered.

I want everything you can give me.

She had said that to him only the day before, which was now a world away, and he was answering her now.

A sense of unreality washed over her again as she watched Erwin slipping the ring onto her finger, and as she did the same to him, her hand incredibly steady as she slid the larger golden band into place. Afterward, there were documents to sign, the most important step to seal their deal. As she finished with her signature, her handwriting frail and waiflike beside the solid, confident flourish of his own, she looked up to see him watching her, his eyes paler than usual, alight with an emotion she had never seen there before. And then he was leaning down just as the official said, "you may kiss the bride."

He kissed her with a soft press of lips just as the room erupted into applause and cheers, and there was no time to think, no time to react as the official declared, "I now pronounce you Man and Wife."

Just like that, they were married.

For the wedding luncheon, the soldiers had converted the mess hall into a place festooned with white, with proper plates and cutlery as well as glasses on the long wooden tables. There was far too much talk, too many speeches interrupting the meal that was already proceeding at snail pace, and nonsensical demands that the bride and groom kiss.

It was only later that Levi would know of the touching detail that each soldier had contributed a bit of their wages to give her and Erwin their wedding reception. They had both stipulated earlier on that they would refuse gifts.

The shadows across the lawn were already growing long when she and Erwin boarded their carriage, loaded with their luggage, but not before they were made to walk through an honor guard of selected friends with swords drawn over their heads. By that time, Levi was too bemused to resort to anything other than her default scowl, but a glance at Erwin told her that he was enjoying himself immensely. It was a rare sight, and despite her growing fatigue and irritation, she felt warmed by his pleasure.

Finally, they boarded the carriage, and Levi slumped into the cushioned seat as soon as the door was closed.

"Long day," Erwin said, still smiling as he regarded her.

"Long," she echoed as the carriage started down the cobbled stone path. Now that they were alone, she could feel the carriage shrinking, slowly squeezing the air out between them.

Luckily, Erwin did not press her for conversation. "Get some rest, Levi," he merely said as he settled into his seat opposite her. "With any luck, we'll arrive at our destination before midnight."

She refused to ask where they were going, and Erwin did not volunteer any information. They had long since left behind the smoothly cobbled streets of the city and the rumbling and bumping of the carriage along country roads did not make conversation easy. It was just as well. Levi settled into her corner of the carriage and did not realize that she had fallen asleep until she felt a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake.

At first, she thought it was just another rest stop, the last one being several hours ago when they had stopped for dinner at a small, cozy inn, but then Erwin said, "we're here, Levi."

She sat up, suddenly wide awake, and watched Erwin descend the carriage to thank their driver and, judging from a chorus of excited voices outside, to greet several newcomers. Fobbing off Erwin's outstretched hand, she descended the carriage by herself and found that the newcomers were the keepers of the place in which they were going to stay. They formed a neat line, a family of seven and some servants, talking excitedly to the Commander as he shook hands with them in turn. Levi shook hands with them as well and nodded wordlessly to the messages of congratulations.

It was only when they got through the first building that Levi realized they were in some sort of wooded resort, dotted with individual cottages. Some were occupied, their lighted windows little squares of yellow against the dark night. When Levi turned inquiring eyes to Erwin, he merely said, "I called in a few favors."

It was more than a favor, the owner of the resort explained as he led them personally to their cottage, his wife trailing amicably behind. It was an honor to be having Humanity's saviors with them on this very special occasion.

Small, lighted stone lamps dotted the trail, lending an intimate touch to a setting that was already profoundly affecting Levi. Seclusion, here with Erwin, after months and months of shared life in the barracks. The only time she had ever felt like this was when they were outside the walls, yet that was a different thing altogether. There were no titans here, yet Levi was not sure if Erwin— her husband, for crying out loud— was not someone she would need to guard herself against.

There was more talk and much admiring once they arrived at their cottage and were shown inside. The interiors were simple yet tastefully done, the nuptial bed about a mile wide and strewn with rose petals. Levi had to suppress a sudden shiver as she glanced at the bed and hastily directed her gaze elsewhere.

The bathroom was a marvel, with a porcelain tub and taps with hot and cold water— such luxury after the three minute showers that Levi was accustomed to in the Corps.

Despite the long tour and the elaborate discussion, talk was soon exhausted and their hosts smilingly bowed out, leaving the two of them alone at last.

"I'm sure you'd want to use the bathroom first," said Erwin, before awkwardness could settle down between them. "Our trunks have yet to arrive but they might be here by the time you're done."

Levi turned without a word and headed to the bathroom. It was only when she was safely in the tub and immersed in warm water that she was able to breathe more freely.

It was going to be a long night, she knew, and there were things to be done. She could not afford to lose control, lose herself. Knowing Erwin, he would probably do his best to offset her plans, maybe even discover a secret or two about her before the night was out. She needed to keep herself together if she wanted to succeed in conquering the man outside whom she had just married.

After what seemed a short while, she emerged from the tub and, after a moment's consideration, decided to draw Erwin some hot water to warm his bath. Their trunks may or may not have arrived, but Levi was damned if she was going to ask Erwin to hand over some of her clothes. After drying herself briskly with a huge towel, she donned one of the pair of soft, terrycloth robes hanging on hooks by the door and stepped out, braced for battle.

She told herself that she was ready to take on Erwin, but she was not prepared to see him lying on the bed, still fully clothed and passed out with a book lying face down on his chest. He looked so peaceful lying there. Apparently, he had merely decided to settle down with a book and had unexpectedly dozed off.

Just how long had she been in the bathroom? Levi wondered. She glanced at the wooden clock across the room and was startled to see that it was almost one in the morning.

"Hey," she said, nudging Erwin awake. He came to with a soft grunt, blinking. "The water's still warm. Better take that bath before sleeping."

He yawned and looked as though he might close his eyes yet again. Levi grabbed hold of his arm and hauled him up to a sitting position.

"Going, going," he muttered with a sleepy smile and Levi had to stop herself from looking away.

Concentrate, she reminded herself grimly.

She arranged herself on the bed, amidst the fragrant red and pink and white petals, feeling more than a little lost as she waited for Erwin to finish his bath, which she was sure would not take long.

He came out after only ten minutes, clad in the other robe and toweling his hair dry. He paused as he took her in, lounging across the bed in nothing but a bathrobe, her head resting on the palm of one hand, the other one holding his book.

"The History of Trost," she recited before looking up at him with lidded eyes. "Just the sort of reading material for the Commander to bring to his honeymoon."

Erwin laughed. "I've got other selections in the trunks," he offered as he sat down on the tiny divan opposite the bed. "Perhaps Hange sneaked in a romance novel or two. I saw them lurking by one of the trunks when I was packing."

"I wouldn't put it past them," Levi agreed as she gazed at Erwin. "So, what? You're going to be spending the night over there?"

"That depends."

"Don't be dumb, Erwin. You'd have to stick out your shins when you're lying down on that thing. Unless…" Here, Levi lifted a brow. "Unless, of course, you're really tired and would prefer to sleep. An old man like you would need his rest."

"Levi."

"Well, come here then."

He did as he was told, and Levi liked it very much that he was docile and obedient. The feeling of ordering Erwin around was entirely new. She watched his careful approach, the way he paused by the side of the bed, as if unsure, almost shy.

Leisurely, Levi lifted a leg and settled her bare foot on the soft fabric that covered his crotch, enjoying the sound of his rough, indrawn breath as he jolted beneath her light touch. "Funny," she murmured. "And there I was, thinking you were too tired."

He shook his head from side to side, and Levi almost laughed at how boyish Erwin looked at that moment. She let her foot trail against him, feeling him stir and harden beneath the robe.

"You know what I want, Erwin," she said.

"Everything," he replied, his voice deep as he gazed at her with darkening eyes.

"Kissing," she reminded him. "Like I said, there will be no fucking unless you can convince me thoroughly that you're good at kissing first."

"What sort of kisses?" he asked, his voice incredibly soft.

"All sorts," she said. "Whatever you're capable of."

He smiled as Levi waited, her heart pounding, to see how he was going to argue his way out of that one. He didn't. In fact, he did not say a word as he took hold of Levi's foot, cradling it at the ankle and the instep with tender hands as he bent down to kiss it with soft lips.

Levi squirmed, taken slightly off guard. She had not meant for him to start with her foot, but whatever. The bastard was showing himself to be quite resourceful, and Levi was curious. She watched, hardly breathing, as he trailed his lips to her instep. Without warning, she felt his tongue against the sensitive arch and she almost jerked away.

"Not the toes," she warned, seeing the intent in his eyes. "You're gross, you know that?"

He chuckled, a rich dark sound she had never heard before. All the while, he held her foot securely with the fingers of one hand and he bent down to pay homage to her ankle, her shin. He sank down onto the bed as he progressed up her knee and paused at the junction where leg gave way to thigh and her skin changed, became more sensitive.

She shot out a warning hand just when she thought he would continue, and he captured her hand, pressed a kiss into her knuckles.

"How am I doing so far?" he queried, and smiled as she set her lips together in a stubborn line.

"Not bad," she conceded.

"Only not bad?" he asked teasingly as he took her index and middle fingers into his mouth and sucked.

She bit back a moan, body tensing at the unmistakable, explicit message of his tongue fluttering against her fingers. She stared at him almost in disbelief. Could this be the same man who sat behind the Commander's desk, stiff and correct, his face a smooth mask as he issued orders for an entire garrison of soldiers?

As he released her fingers from his mouth with a soft pop, Levi wondered whether she had underestimated him yet again. It was a dangerous trait of his, along with his devious, talented mouth which now sought hers without any trace of shyness.

Levi moaned into his open mouth as he devoured her, his kisses warm, thorough. This. During their past kisses, she'd had a fleeting idea of what he was capable of. Yet she was surprised by the depth of his feelings, hidden until now.

He left her gasping softly for breath when he was done with her mouth. She felt him trail moist kisses down her throat, his cheek rough against her skin, and before she realized it, he had parted the vee of her robe to gaze at her small, bare breasts, free of their bindings for once.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "You're so beautiful, Levi."

"Erwin, wait." It was a mere whisper. He may not have heard it as he bent down to take a dark nipple into his mouth.

She had a plan, she told herself. She had a plan of her own but right now, she could not seem to remember what it was.

Levi could not suppress a low cry as her back arched, her body responding all by itself to that hot mouth, that authoritative tongue as it teased her nipple into a hard, throbbing nub of flesh. Her hands were in his hair without her knowing it, and now she pressed his head down as he transferred his attention to her other, waiting breast. It felt good, the way he suckled at her flesh. It felt too good.

She was so distracted by his mouth that she almost did not feel his hand and those long, calloused fingers trailing down the firm muscles of her abdomen, heading south. Suddenly panicked, she shot a hand down to stop him.

He looked up at her; his hair, always so immaculately combed, falling over his eyes. "I'm sorry, love," he said, his voice reassuring. "I forget myself. Kisses only, yes?"

Without waiting for her reply, he parted her legs and placed a swift kiss on the inside of one thigh.

"Wait," gasped Levi, her voice ragged.

Erwin lifted his head again, and Levi saw the slowly spreading smile on his lips, the glint of satisfaction in those heavy lidded blue eyes.

"What's the matter, Levi?" he asked, his voice silky. "I thought you wanted kisses. All sorts, you said."

Levi cursed. "This is payback, isn't it? For yesterday?"

Erwin gave a low, rich laugh. "I don't know what you mean, darling," he said before dipping his head once again between Levi's legs.

Fuck this man, thought Levi just before she lost all coherent thought.

Her fucking husband.

She cried out as he bit gently at the sensitive skin of her inner thigh before soothing the hurt away with his tongue, his fingers spreading her apart as his lips trailed higher, just a little bit higher until he was there.

She startled herself with the scream that left her lips as she felt his pointed tongue on her delicate folds, tracing against them lightly before delving in deeper, opening her at last to the gentle but insistent probing of his tongue.

"Hush, love, not so loud," he said, laughter in his voice before he bent down again to lap at her.

She bit down on a fist to muffle her cries as she shoved frantic fingers into his hair, clutching at him tightly as he found her clitoris, swollen and sensitive against his rough, circling tongue. She bucked against him, urging him to pick up the rhythm he had started with his mouth; to love her like no other man had ever done.

She jolted as she felt his hand reach up to caress her breast, the small mound readily fitting into his huge hand.

"Here, touch yourself," he said as she reached up with a tentative hand to lace her fingers through his. "Take what you want, darling. Everything you want. Everything you need. It's all yours."

The musky scent of arousal was thick in the air, mingling with the faint perfume of roses. Her scent. She breathed it in, her mouth softly open as she touched her breasts, her nipples, the sensations sharply pleasurable as it shot down her body, combining with the touch of her lover's mouth against her wet, molten core. She was mindless to everything except his clever tongue that knew how to please her. The waves grew stronger as her body hungrily gathered itself in, coiling hard and tight as she thrashed against him, seeking release, the filling of a void she had never known existed within her.

At the last moment she felt him pull back to plunge his tongue deep inside her, his stubbled cheek rubbing against her most sensitive point. She could not muffle the scream as her body arched off the bed, succumbing to the spasms that coursed through her— wave after glorious wave of delight.

Slowly, she came back to herself to find Erwin moving, his huge body sprawled against her legs, his hand wrapped around his engorged length, urgently moving. As she watched, he stiffened as white shot out from between his fingers. He groaned as he slumped against her.

Except for their panting breaths, everything was silent for a moment.

Finally, Levi licked her dry lips and said, "You…you could have…inside me…"

Erwin was smiling as he lifted his head, as he moved to kiss her. It was a night of firsts as she tasted herself on his tongue.

"Soon, darling," he promised. "We've got time for that. As soon as we have a little talk first thing in the morning. For now…"

He moved to cover Levi with the blankets, rose petals fluttering all around them. Erwin spooned behind her as she curled into a tight ball, her sated body still thrumming with aftershocks.

"I hope this settles once and for all any doubts my wife may have with regards my kissing abilities," he whispered into her ear, even as she wondered how on earth she could have underestimated him so thoroughly.

Teaser for the next chapter:

Erwin stared at Levi, blue eyes wide. "Levi?" he said incredulously. "Levi?!"

Levi smiled through clenched teeth. "My turn," she said.

(It's ultrashort, I know, but let's just say the fun continues, hohoho…)