July 2nd, 853

Days had passed before Eren asked for Levi to see him. He had wanted to ask for him sooner, but Mikasa's constant presence had prevented it. Despite his best efforts, he hadn't forgotten their little "talk" when he'd first woken up, and he knew any mention of the Captain would send her into a quiet rage. Her mothering had died down quite a bit when she realized she and Jean were marked for each other (rather she had started mothering Jean more and Eren less), but whatever progress they'd made had dissipated since Eren woke up. If anything, she was more intensely watching him now than she had been before. At least when he was injured, she was worried - now that he was awake, there was nothing to distract her fury towards the captain and the idea of him "deflowering" her brother.

It had taken an hour of arguing and Armin and Jean physically removing her from his room before he was finally left alone. Now that he was able to think freely, he realized how completely terrified he was of the impending conversation. All he knew for sure was that Levi knew they were soulmates and seemed to be ok with it. It was still unclear if Levi was interested in him romantically, but that was the point of asking him to his quarters. He was nervous but resolute - he wanted to know what the older man wanted now that everything was out in the open.

Hanji had ordered him to bed rest for at least a week, so going to the captain's room was a no go. Armin had promised to relay the message, but it had been hours since they left. As the day dragged on and the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon, so did Eren's meager confidence. Whatever grand gesture he'd planned was just a vague memory - he was in full on panic mode, and a quiet but swift knock at his door was enough to shove any last remnant of bravado he had out of his mind.

"Come in." His voice was a strangled squeak and he mentally cursed himself for sounding so young. The brunette inhaled deeply, but when he lifted his eyes to meet the older man's his breath caught in his throat. He'd always had a vague idea that the Captain was attractive - strong jaw, clean hair cut, smooth face, piercing eyes - but when he stood there in his casual grey shirt and black pants, no straps or gear in sight, Eren felt himself swoon. Levi had always intimidated the brunette, but today the lack of his uniform made him feel less like an unattainable god of death and more like a man. His usual scowl was replaced with a small smile, his dark eyes lacked their fierceness, a glint of emotion in its place leaving his face soft and vulnerable. It felt like he was seeing Levi - not the Captain, not Humanities's Strongest, not a soldier - just Levi, for the first time.

The shorter man was the first to speak. "Did you get anything for dinner?" He stood a few feet from the bed, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. He looked small and unsure, a complete 180 from the man that had beaten Eren to a pulp the day he met him.

"Yeah, Armin Jean and Mikasa brought me something earlier." The teen sat up and moved to sit at the edge of his bed, gesturing for the shorter man to join him. Levi hesitated briefly before giving in and sitting beside Eren, mere inches separating them.

"That explains why they weren't at the mess hall. I saw Mikasa a bit later on, she looked like she wanted to kick my face in even more than usual." There was a smile smile on his face but his eyes held no happiness, only concern.

"Uh yeah, sorry about her. You know how Mikasa is, she's just... worried." The brunette did his best to diffuse the tension that had grown between them, but it only seemed to amplify. The dark haired man looked at him then, mouth hung open, a question on the tip of his tongue. When he finally willed himself to speak, Eren felt he'd been slapped.

"Because you almost died, or because I'm your soulmate?" He looked away again, searching for anything other than those damn bright green eyes that starred straight into his soul.

"Both, Sir. Mostly because of your uh, reputation, uh... sexually." The brunette's words were barely a whisper, but Levi heard it all the same. A deep sigh left the smaller man's lips, heavy with the weight of his past.

"Please don't call me that when we're alone Eren, not anymore. I just want to be Levi to you now. Anyway, don't worry about Mikasa, I understand why she's concerned."

Of course he had a reputation. Every year he grew older, but the fresh recruits were always the same age, always young and bright eyed and eager and completely naive to what a total and complete jackass Levi was (or at least as he pretended to be for appearances sake, but you are what you pretend to be.) It wasn't that he liked them because they were young - he wasn't a creepy old man - he just knew that anyone who'd been around for a while would have started to see how cold and disinterested he was, and would subsequently lose any interest in him.

So whenever he found a particularly attractive young woman (or man, he didn't really care) he'd invite them to his quarters for an evening. Levi was many things, but coy was not one of them - he was always direct about the nature of the invitation. If they accepted, it was for sex that night and nothing else - there was never the promise of more. Of course there were always a few who tried to find their way back to him, to prove that he wanted more, but it never worked. They were too proud to admit that Levi didn't want them for more than a night, and the rejection afterwards had left such a bitter taste that most avoided him for the remainder of their time in the corps.

"I had completely given up on the possibility of ever having a soulmate. I was so resolute that I would never have one - that they were already dead - that I missed all of the signs my body sent. I suppose it didn't help that my words are on my lower back. What I'm trying to say is that if it had to happen now, I'm okay with it being you."

"I'm glad it's you too, Levi, even if you didn't want it."

If Levi was honest with himself - and he generally was - he wasn't sure what he wanted. It was hard to understand your emotions when you hadn't allowed yourself to feel anything for the last decade. The experience was entirely overwhelming for him.

"It's not that I didn't want a soulmate Eren, but you have to understand that I turned 18 a long time ago... finding out I had one now, after all this time... was like ripping open an old wound. And then when I thought I'd lost you before I even had the chance to really have you, I just... it was just... hard. I'm glad it's you Eren, but I'm fucking terrified of letting myself feel something for someone. I haven't allowed myself to do that since we lost Petra and the others, and I know that if I let myself have this with you, I'm never going to be the same again. I am so scared of messing this up - of hurting you, of losing you." His knees were tucked into his chest , his forehead resting gently on them as he ran his hands through his inky strands, massaging small circles into his scalp. He waited for a response from the brunette but received none. After what felt like hours, he fainlly had enough composure to lift his head and chance a look at the man beside him.

Eren's face was unreadable - too many different emotions struggling for dominance on his features. He turned to face Levi, the turmoil still present but lessened. "There's no right answer, you just have to choose the choice you'll regret the least. But the truth is, it doesn't matter if you leave me today or tomorrow, or ten years from now - I already love you, Levi." A strangled whimper left the shorter mans' throat, but the brunette refused to leave anything unsaid. "So no matter what I'm going to get hurt if you leave me. And I know I'd rather have the chance to be with you and get to experience a soul bond with someone I trust, someone I care deeply about, than to always have to fight the way I feel about you and wonder what if." The brunette looked down at the man beside him, but his face was once again hidden in his knees. He expected Levi to be mad, to tell him he was young and didn't understand his feelings, but Eren knew it was for nothing. He had finally come to terms with his own feelings - Levi had to do the same. The silence between them was heavy and oppressive but the teen remained still - the ball was no longer in his court, all he could do was wait.

Minutes passed before Levi shifted his hips, closing the gap between them until their sides were pressed together. Dark strands fell down onto the younger mans shoulder as his head fell to the side, allowing himself a closeness he'd only experienced in his most private thoughts. A quiet gasp left Eren's lips, but the shock wore off quickly. His right arm moved then to circle the smaller man, pulling him even closer into his side, his fingers tracing small gentle circles on Levi's shoulder. It wasn't a confession, but Levi was always one to prefer actions to words.

"Okay brat. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm willing to try." His voice was deep and gravely, filled with emotion, face covered in a deep blush.

Eren's entire face lit up at those words, a smile stupidly plastered across his mouth, eyes bright and shinning. Levi had come to him, allowed himself to be vulnerable, and made the first move - it was the teen's turn to take care of him now. He shifted to face the man at his side, keeping one arm behind him as he moved the other to hook beneath the knees still tucked to his chest. The motion was swift, and if Levi had any strength left in him he would have likely struck out in defense, but Eren was too fast and by the time he realized what had happened, the teen had laid him down, bridal style onto the side of his bed. He joined him a moment later, pulling him towards his chest, his fingers continuing their previous ministrations on his shoulder, easing away any remaining tension. Warm skin pressed to his forehead, warm breath mingled with his own. Noses bumped, one set of lips grazed across the other - it was over before it really started, and then the taller man laid on his back, waiting. Levi curled into the man beside him, one arm and leg slung over his torso, head tucked into the crook of his arm. He was still adjusting to being in such a vulnerable situation, but the intimacy was not unwelcome. He didn't remember the last time someone had touched him so gently, so full of love and affection. Sex had always been quick and efficient, a means to an end. This was something entirely different, and he relished in it. There was so much more he wanted to see and do and touch and taste and feel - but for once, he didn't want to rush it. No one could see what the future would bring them, but for the first time in a very long time, Levi allowed himself to hope.


Thanks for making it to the end with me! I hope you enjoyed it.

I am 100% going down with this ship.