"It's dark in here," Eren said.
"Your powers of observation are exceeded only by your good looks," Levi said dryly. He stepped around Eren to light a lamp only to hear a clunk and a hiss of pain as Eren walked into a chair. "Stand still a moment, would you?" He struck a match and lit the lamp on his desk. Eren had been here before but never after dark, and he looked around the room like he'd never seen anything like it in his life. There wasn't much to see; Levi had only moved in here a few months ago himself, and there was a desk and a couple of chairs, a wardrobe, and his bed in the corner. It could have been anybody's room, although it was exceptionally clean.
Levi went and opened some windows.
"You're lucky," Eren said. "To have windows," he explained, gesturing weakly when Levi looked of his shoulder at him.
Levi turned his face to the breeze as the hot air inside his room started to shift. "In this weather I think you have the best room in the castle. You're going to freeze your nuts off in winter though."
Eren huffed a soft laugh. They were both speaking in hushed voices, as if someone might overhear. Levi gazed out the window at the familiar view. Only a couple of lights were on elsewhere in the castle. He'd been tempted to pin Eren against the door as soon as it had closed, but he didn't want to surprise him; he needed Eren to walk into this with his eyes open, and if he decided to walk out, Levi wouldn't hold it against him.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Nervous." Eren sounded like he was still standing in the middle of the room.
Levi smiled faintly to himself. Truth be told, he was feeling similar. He let the moment stretch on, savouring standing on the cusp of this beautiful mistake. This wasn't a memory, this was now. He heard Eren's footsteps on the carpet, but was surprised when he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder.
A moment's breath against his cheek and then Eren leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. He had bottomless courage, didn't he? Levi turned his head and kissed him back, properly, biting gently at his lips, making his breath catch. They broke apart for a moment, seeking confirmation or reluctance in the other's eyes. Levi saw only anticipation and delight.
Eren smiled, and Levi slid his hand up to cup the back of Eren's head, his fingers ruffling his clean, soft hair. He smelled like soap and lust. They arranged themselves. Levi put his back to the open window, putting his weight on the windowsill as they wound their arms around each other, shuffling their feet.
Eren caught one of Levi's hands and held it carefully, frowning at the bandages wrapped over the burns.
"I've had worse," Levi told him. It wasn't enough. "It was worth it," he added, and that was.
When Levi tilted his head up and kissed Eren he was greeted with a hot, open mouth. He allowed himself a brief smile before he accepted the invitation, sliding his tongue past his teeth. Eren made a slightly choked noise and pressed Levi against him before retaliating, as clumsy as the way he tried to shift his weight, as harsh as his breathing. He was a terrible, wonderful kisser; earnest and fervent and hungry. Levi pulled his lips back and pressed his teeth into Eren's tongue until he retreated and Levi chased him back, more gently.
It had been a long time since he'd done anything like this, but he didn't seem to have lost the knack. Levi let his hands wander up and down Eren's back while Eren panted against his mouth, his fingers digging into the fabric of Levi's jacket. He didn't know if this counted as one kiss or two hundred. The breeze on the back of Levi's neck was cool, but nothing else was.
His blood was alight and he felt feverish. He was glad, so glad, he'd made that promise earlier, or he'd be lost, caught between guilt and desire. As it was he could only twist his hips away slightly, and concentrate on fucking Eren's mouth with his own. It was all he'd allow himself tonight, and his raging erection would just have to deal with it.
They broke apart and Levi scraped his teeth down Eren's jaw and sucked gently at his neck.
"Levi," Eren whispered, choked. "Wow." Then he came to his senses, or lost them completely and squirmed down to sink his teeth into Levi's neck, just above his cravat.
"Ngh!" Levi stiffened and flung his head back.
"Sorry!" Eren drew back sharply.
"I swear to you," Levi said, struggling valiantly to get this breathing under control – his heart was a lost cause. "If you leave a mark, you won't live long enough to regret it." The effect was marred by the fact that, if Eren's mouth was any indication, his own looked entirely too debauched to be giving orders and making threats.
Eren didn't seem to notice, however. "Sorry, Levi," he muttered, not looking very sorry at all.
Levi shifted and winced. Somehow he hadn't noticed how painfully the windowsill had been digging into his lower back.
"Let's move somewhere more comfortable," he said. The room had cooled down now, they didn't have to stand next to the window. Eren stepped back and turned to look at the room and Levi took the opportunity to tuck the end of his cock up under his belt. Marginally better. Out of the way, at least; he didn't think it was going to go down any time soon.
"Um, the bed?"
"We're not both going to fit in my chair, where else?" He gave Eren a gentle push and he stumbled forward. "Take your boots off," he reminded him.
Eren limped slightly as he walked awkwardly over to the bed and sat on the edge to take his boots off. He didn't get very far; when he noticed Levi shrugging off his jacket and unbuckling his harness Eren appeared to forget everything he was doing and just stare. Levi tugged his cravat loose with one finger, and strolled over as he took it off before folding it carefully and tossing it on the bedside table, his eyes on Eren's face. He'd never admit it, but he liked showing off, especially for such an appreciative audience.
Eren leaned back as Levi bent over him, his teeth scraping across his lower lip and an apprehensive look on his face. Levi brushed Eren's hair away from his eyes.
"Relax," he said. "I made a promise, remember?"
"Whatever you want." He could see Eren swallow. "It's fine, Levi." It probably was; Levi couldn't imagine Eren denying him anything he wanted, but he wanted Eren to be sure he wanted too. So he smiled and shook his head.
Eren's eyes widened as Levi knelt down in front of him. He allowed his gaze to slide only briefly over Eren's crotch, and the outline of his cock pressed against his trousers.
"Levi?"
"I'm taking your boots off," Levi said, lifting one of his feet and tugging. They'd given him a new pair after getting the old ones soaked. "Why, what did you think I was doing?"
Eren mumbled something, it might have been 'I don't know, Sir,' and busied himself taking off his jacket so he didn't have to look Levi in the eye while he pulled off his boots. He was so fucking cute.
Levi placed Eren's boots side by side next to the bed, and then he sighed and rested his head against Eren's knee. A moment later he felt Eren's hand running through his hair, his fingertips rubbing at the bristly undercut. Levi wondered how long he'd been waiting to do that.
Levi looked up when it became clear Eren probably wouldn't complain if all he got to do was pet him like a cat all night.
"Finished?" he asked.
At Eren's nod he straightened up and pounced on him, pushing him down against the unwrinkled bedspread and kissing him thoroughly. Then he had to stop and take off his boots, because he'd forgotten, and Eren laughed. They rolled around each other, wrinkling up the perfectly made bed, and fumbling with buttons and Levi got his lips around Eren's earlobe and Eren rocked his hips against Levi's thigh and it was electrifying and Levi repeated his promise in his head, over and over. He let Eren roll him onto his back and look down at him and dip his fingers into the hollows above his collarbones, and then he used his tongue and Levi gasped and Eren grinned.
"What if I leave marks where no one can see?" he suggested.
Levi narrowed his eyes. "I'd like to see you try."
And they wrestled. Eren laughed as he curled around to nip at Levi's neck and ears, and Levi palmed the smooth, flat planes of Eren's chest and stomach, trailing his fingers through the line of hair down from Eren's navel and feeling his stomach muscles quiver.
Eren admired him, too, tracing the indentations the 3d gear harness had left in his skin.
"Look at these shoulders," Eren muttered reverently, before sinking his teeth carefully into Levi's bicep, and Levi noticed he wasn't leaving marks, despite his earlier comment. Levi didn't leave marks either; at least, none that lasted. Eren tasted faintly of soap and salt and Levi found himself mentally keeping track of how much of Eren's torso he'd trailed the tip of his tongue over. He got an elbow to the head for his troubles, as Eren squirmed away from Levi's lips on his ribs.
"Sorry, ticklish," he gasped out, looking guilty and Levi forgave him instantly and hauled himself up to kiss him again. Eren decided he wanted to pin Levi beneath him which was clearly not going to happen, but he tried vailently and they nearly fell off the bed. Eventually Levi straddled Eren's back and bent his arm back until he conceded.
It was not the way adults made love; it wasn't even foreplay.
Eren was sixteen, and Levi tried very hard to pretend he was too. He wanted Eren have the chance to fool around without pressure and without expectations. He deserved that much; so much of his childhood and adolescence had been taken from him. To give some of it back was a privilege, more than Eren could guess. Levi released Eren's arm but didn't shift his weight, instead feeling Eren's ribs move between his thighs as he panted. Somewhere along the line they'd lost their shirts over the edge of the bed, although Levi had folded his carefully first. Levi pressed his lips against Eren's bare shoulder and ruffled his hair.
"Levi-" Eren was trying to twist around to reach him, dishevelled and breathless and beautiful. The lamp was burning low.
"You should sleep," Levi said.
Eren frowned and sighed as deeply as he could with Levi's weight on his lungs. "I don't want to."
"We'll have more training tomorrow." He regretted merely uttering the word; ever since he'd closed the door behind them it had been as if they were living in no time and no place, that they could wrap themselves up in each other and the universe extended no further than this room.
"Yeah."
Levi rolled off him, lying back against the pillows, and Eren sat up, running a hand through his hair and eyeing Levi's bare chest.
"You're beautiful," he said abruptly.
"You have strange taste," Levi replied.
Eren hung his head. "Levi, am I-? That is, is this okay? I'm not bothering you am I?"
Levi shook his head in bewilderment and sat up, "I just spent the best part of two hours with various bits of you in my mouth. If it bothered me, I would have spat them out. What's wrong, Eren?"
"Well you're always doing things for people. If you thought this was best for me-"
He broke off as Levi groaned and pressed his palm to his forehead. "You're such a fuckwit, Eren." He shuffled over to the side of the bed to sit beside him. "I can pretty much guarantee this is not the best thing for you. Not by a long fucking shot. You should have someone your own age, someone whose orders you aren't obliged to follow, and someone whose primary task isn't to kill you if you step out of line." Levi bent his head and looked at him out of the corner of his eye, "Where you're concerned, I'm not as strong as you think."
"Oh. That's..." Eren cupped his hand against his chest again and even in the low light Levi could see his face darken. It was the closest he was going to get to a confession, and Eren seemed to know that.
"And if you're still not convinced, give me your hand." He held out his own. Eren hesitated for a moment and then placed his hand in Levi's. Levi turned it over with a matter-of-fact air and pressed Eren's palm to his crotch for a moment. "I guarantee you," he said, as Eren gasped and his fingers started to curl around him. "I am not faking that." He pulled Eren's hand away and flung it back into his lap.
"Levi," Eren breathed, reaching for him and leaning in.
Levi caught his hands. "Another night, Eren."
"When?" Eren asked. Horny brat.
"Whenever it feels right. Whenever I'm not exhausted; not everyone got to nap all afternoon, you know. Now put your clothes back on and go back to the dungeon. What you do then is your business."
"You know, if you're not my Corporal when we're like this then you shouldn't be giving me orders," Eren pointed out. Levi narrowed his eyes and glared at him. "I'm going, I'm going." He started pulling on his shirt. Paused with it over his arms. Leaned in and pecked Levi on the lips before putting on the rest of his clothes with the silliest smile Levi had ever seen plastered across his face. It suited him.
The next day Mikasa asked to speak with him in private.
Levi led her away from the other recruits while they cleaned their gear, aware of Eren staring at them with a worried expression. Of course they'd find out; if Levi had learned to read Eren like a book and he'd known him for less than a year, his friends would have no trouble.
"Speak," Levi said.
"Will all due respect, Sir," Mikasa said, in such a way that indicated not a great deal of respect was owed. "Isn't it inappropriate for you and Eren to be." She flushed, and frowned, glaring at a spot somewhere on Levi's chest. "Doing whatever it is you're doing?"
"Yes," Levi said. "It's against regulations and you're well within your rights to report this to Erwin and have Eren removed for my custody." She blinked at him in surprise. "If that's what you want."
He met her angry gaze unflinchingly. Eventually she dropped it.
"No, Sir. It's not."
"For what it's worth," Levi said. "I don't know what he's thinking either. I gave him plenty of opportunities to change his mind, and shall continue to do so."
"He seems happy, Sir." She looked miserable.
"He's lucky to have you, Ackerman."
She took a deep breath, "Yes, Corporal."
There was nothing more he could say. Mikasa turned back to the others and forced a sad smile. Eren, ever the idiot, beamed.