I feel as though we all dream of a day where I don't post so sporadically:')

Also, Sexy Times Numero Uno

They'd been doing their thing for several weeks now - astutely not talking about what their 'thing' was that consisted of random movie nights, getting bad takeout, and having intense make-out sessions, but nothing beyond some over-the-clothes petting and simply sleeping together in the most basic of terms. It was also a bit overwhelming that, while he didn't have a "drawer", he had a bag with some basic clothes and a spare toothbrush sitting next to Eren's (Eren had gone all doe-eyed and sappy when he saw it).

Levi didn't didn't even plan to do any of that; he just happened to have some extra clothes with him because the kid had invited him over to watch bad reality TV, and he'd be damned if he was going to wear his dress jeans and button down when he could be wearing something cozier.

And he just kinda left it there.

And, well, honestly it hadn't occurred to Levi as something that people in any relationship would naturally spill. He knew Eren's - March 30 - but it didn't register as important that Eren didn't know his. Okay, and, maybe that statement wasn't entirely true, because Erwin had that talk with him on the way home Christmas Eve to get him to spill, but Erwin was a manipulative bastard, and it wasn't like his word could be trusted; so Levi had largely discounted the concept.

Thus, Levi felt it was perfectly fine to not bring up his because it didn't seem like that big of a deal.

That was until one night when Eren had a game night. Levi was a tad brutal at fucking Trivia Pursuit in his insistence to win, but Mikasa had the same intensity which made for an interesting game.

Frustrated with his losing, Eren pointed an accusatory finger at him and grumbled, "You only know all of this shit because you're twenty-eight, which is basically ancient."

"Twenty-nine," Levi corrected absently, ready for the next move.

Had he been as observant as a paranoid freak like him should have been, he would have noticed the shocked silence and the way everyone's eyes were glued to him. It wasn't until Marco coughed awkwardly and murmured something about grabbing 'something from the kitchen' and hastily dragging Jean at his side that Levi got the hint to look up.

"What?" He asked blankly, unsure why Eren was looking at him with something too muddled to define; some contamination between anger, frustration, and concern.

He got that set of emotions a lot, it seemed.

Mikasa and Armin were gauging how well their friend would take whatever the hell was going on, eyes occasionally flickering to Levi with something crossed between irritation and sympathy.

They all filed out shortly, Armin diplomatically (loudly) announcing that he remembered they had ingredients for rootbeer floats.

"What?" Levi parroted, eyebrows scrunching despite his best efforts.

"Twenty-nine," Eren stated flatly, like it was some big revelation.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I thought we decided age wasn't a problem," Levi frowned, ducking his head.

Of course it's a problem, you fuck. Who the hell wants to date some neurotic old guy with -

"You were twenty-eight when we met," Eren was still speaking in that matter-of-fact, borderline monotone voice.

"Yes," the word came out slowly, stretched to the length of four or five syllables instead of the one it was.

"And you're twenty-nine now."

Levi didn't know where the hell this was going, so just nodded once.

"That means - " Eren cut himself off with a sound that was definitely just the frustration talking, though some anger may have been present when his fingers clutched his scalp and started to roughly massage the roots.

"That means you had a birthday!" He finally erupted, arms slinging about all over the goddamn air.

Levi blinked. Yes, he had.

"Yes, I did."

"And you didn't tell me?" Eren demanded, leaning across to get his nose an inch away and usually his towering presence was comforting, but for the first time it didn't feel safe at all. He felt confused and threatened and stupid.

So, being the fuck-up he was, he drew back and lashed out,

"Why the fuck would I?"

He knew it'd be harsh, but he wasn't expecting Eren to physically flinch back as if he'd been hit.

And just like that, all of the fight drained out of him. His anger was like that usually; ignited in a flash and over sooner.

"I just...Was I supposed to?" He asked in just barely a whisper, eyes trained on the game's box so they wouldn't be met.

"Yes, Levi," the kid sprang forward to grip his wrists and, ah, there was the feeling of secure contentment he'd come to expect. "Yes," he emphasized. "You know mine."

"I - " he was interrupted.

"And weren't you saying we'd have to do something special?"

"Yeah, but that's you," he answered pathetically with an even more pathetic gesture.

"And I'm not allowed to feel the same way?" Eren sighed against his ear, forehead coming to rest against his shoulder in what could have been affectionate but was more likely weary.

"I - " his tongue seemed to take up his whole goddamn mouth, and his throat felt swollen. "I just never celebrated it all that much."

"Well, we'll have to change that," Eren told him leaning back just enough to peck him on the nose.

"You're an idiot," Levi rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but your idiot," He grinned again, beaming at Levi's noncommittal grunt. And just like that the tension was gone; that seemed to be how most of their fights played out though. A stupid misunderstanding and an exchange of shouting that lasted all of thirty seconds before they both melted along with their anger.

"So when is it?"

"When is what?" He wasn't even trying to evade; was just fucking oblivious to signs of tenderness like that.

That earned him a gentle punch but a fierce scowl.

"Your birthday, dumbass."

"Oh, December 25," he stood up in a stretch, the words being dragged out as he reached towards the ceiling.

Eren was mumbling that date to himself before he snapped to his feet - snapped in front of Levi's face - and shouted,

"That's on Christmas!"

"I noticed," he remarked dryly.

Eren groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I missed your birthday and it was on fucking Christmas."

"That's even better. You got me something already, so we're - " That was, apparently, the wrong thing to say.

"That makes it even worse!" The kid bemoaned dramatically.

"How does - ?"

"I didn't spend a goddamn cent on your Birthmas gift - " oh god, Hanji wasn't the only one who called it that " - so I got away Scott-free from getting you something on the two biggest days of they year!"

"Most people would - "

All of Levi's attempts at reason were drowned by Eren's theatrical wailing - loud enough that Mikasa had enough and stalked back in to see what was going on.

She looked ready to murder Levi before she froze in her tracks, cocking her head and staring at Eren as if her intense gaze would help her understand him better.

As soon as he noticed her, he lumbered over to latch onto her shoulders.

"His birthday is on Christmas and I didn't know it! I didn't - "

"I don't hate you any more, it's fine," Levi tried again and, maybe he would have been successful had Jean not decided it was his turn to waltz in and boast about how he'd never missed Marco's birthday.

(That had the two not-boyfriends blushing and not meeting each others' eyes at the slip.)

Jean cleared his throat and continued as if that had never happened.

"You suck, Jaeger. You didn't - "

"Maybe you shouldn't - " Marco was easily overpowered by Mikasa's,

"I will shove your balls up your ass and into your throat."

That got him to quiet enough; Eren, too, stopped his tirade in lieu of the new ammunition at laughing at Jean's expense of the creative insult.

And Eren didn't bring it up the rest of the night, at least, not while the others were there, and Levi was torn between relief that it was over, and anxiety that it would be brought up again in private.

It was, but in a much more pleasing manner.

. . .

They'd barely finished wiping down the counters and sticking the game back into its spot in the TV cabinet, when Eren shoved him against the wall, shoved his tongue down his throat.

"Horny brat," Levi gasped when their positions allowed, pushing back until he was the one crushing Eren into the plaster.

"Perverted geezer," He retorted, hands sliding down his torso, fingers slipping into the waistband.

"I'm not - " Levi protested weakly, not sure if he really meant it or not. They hadn't really talked about this beyond proving they were both clean, but it would be something to look forward to down the road. Was it really the end of the road? Was he ready to - ?

"Not all the way," Eren assured him. "But I've been told I'm good with my hands."

Something small and needy and, fuck, could be called an actual fucking whimper leaked from between Levi's lips when Eren simultaneously began palming him and licking his neck. Grounding the heel of his hand mercilessly against him, Eren shifted so his thigh went in between Levi's knees, giving him better access and providing more pressure.

"You - You - " he struggled to think of an adequate insult, too blindsided by his rapidly forming erection, and the kid's tongue doing that thing.

Eren just hummed into his skin, fingers trailing into his boxers now and teasing the tip, swiping the precome and smearing it upwards.

"I hate you," Levi breathed out, hands involuntarily wrapping around the brat's torso and pulling him down, pulling him closer because even with fingers on his cock and lips on his collarbone there wasn't enough touch going on, was too much space between them in general.

"I doubt that," he smirked, nipping at the bone and tickling his balls.

"It's - it's true," he gasped, keeping the noises to a series of gasps and pants because he'd never been particularly vocal.

"Yeah?" An almost violent twist that brought a pleasurable amount of pain and had him biting his lip.

Levi nodded against him, found his teeth biting at any of Eren's exposed skin and tugging gently - found himself more turned on by the brat's groan than his hand stroking at a ruthless pace only to slow down teasingly. A second hand went into his pants, this one gently manipulating his balls and letting a stray pinky rest against his entrance.

Another small noise akin to a whine left Levi, because he wasn't ready - the brat knew he wasn't ready - and the finger never went any deeper. It just remained a steady presence, sliding against it but never pushing inside, and somehow that was hotter than if he had taken an entire fist.

He lasted longer than he had expected, really. Because the kid wasn't a kid at all; was some kind of goddamn sex god even if he was just using his hands.

But soon he was coming - hard - in his pants like some kind of goddamn fucking teenager, legs weak and sagging against Eren (who was still nuzzling his neck) to keep himself from collapsing.

"Good?"

How could the kid talk while he was still kissing, was still milking his dick even though there couldn't possibly be anything left to milk? Finally stopped only to wipe his stained palms on Levi's equally stained boxers.

"Shut the fuck up," Levi scolded breathlessly, suddenly impatient and latching both hands onto the side of the kid's face to smash their lips together, to force his tongue down his throat and remind the brat that he wasn't the only dominant partner here.

Eren's other hand was traveling to grope his ass, Levi's in turn sneaking up his shirt and pinching his nipples.

Eren gasped so hard he broke the kiss for a second.

"Like that, hmm?" Levi leered, twisting harder and relishing in the way the kid's body slumped into his and groaned.

"This - this was supposed to be about you," Eren mumbled. "Was supposed to be your birthday present."

He couldn't help but bark a laugh, sobering a little at the pout aimed at him.

"It's a lovely gift, Eren," the kid melted at the way Levi rolled his name around his mouth. "But I don't need anything."

Hands sliding down a toned stomach and dipping lower, he added, "Except maybe to fix something down here."

His jeans were tented, and something heady grew in Levi's stomach at the curiosity of just how long Eren had been like that without his noticing.

"Levi - !" He stopped himself, transfixed, as Levi slipped down to his knees, making quick work of opening the fly but no other move to remove clothing.

Then his mouth was sucking through the fabric, moistening it and teasing Eren.

"That's not - " his voice gargled on lust (or maybe just be spit; they'd certainly been making enough) " - That's not right, Levi."

He hummed, knowing full well the vibrations would be felt and poked his tongue out so that was the only thing giving any friction.

Whining now, and a small involuntary buck before he got himself under control.

"Levi, I need - " he cut himself off.

"What?" Levi questioned, moving back to sit and look up properly, to take in the flushed face and mussed hair and bright eyes.

"More than that," he waved about, but it was obvious what he was talking about.

"Then why don't you guide me?" Levi offered huskily, placing both of Eren's hands on his head.

"Levi - "

"Stop saying my fucking name long enough to tell me what you want," he growled with both impatience and authority.

"Stop being a fucking tease, for one!" He squawked, finger digging into his scalp before relaxing.

He obliged by pulling the kid's leaking dick out of his shorts. But not doing anything else.

Eren's head had flung back in anticipation, fingers absently pressing into Levi's skull but not moving it with any amount of force.

A full thirty seconds went by before he groused,

"Why the hell aren't you doing any - ?"

"I told you to tell me what you want," it was low, it was husky, because at first he just wanted to get the kid off, but the wait was starting to give him a chance to recover too.

"I - " he choked (and, oh, he wouldn't be the only one soon) "Suck me off."

"Be specific."

The kid whined again, like a fucking dog or some shit and Levi couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't been serious about that part, was already burying his nose in the dark, wiry hair and flattening his tongue against the base, fingers taking extra care of the tip.

Eren's grip tightened, pulling his head closer and soon he craned his neck down enough to roughly command,

"I said, stop being a tease and suck me off."

Levi swallowed something along with lust, and didn't need to be told twice. Tongued the slit and tasted the precome (practically tasted Eren's whimpers, strangled moans); swallowed him down and hollowed his cheeks, allowed his hands to help and didn't mind a bit when Eren forced himself deeper.

And maybe Levi was pretty quiet, but this kid was nothing but breathy moans and strangled grunts; words of praise abruptly cut off by an expletive. He just about lost it when Levi's tongue moved involuntarily along with a harsh suck, jerking forward and hitting the back of his throat.

"Sorry, sorry," he murmured, fingers working on steadily massaging Levi's hair only to scrape along the skin, pull him closer before hastily apologizing again.

It wasn't much longer before he abruptly let go and shouted, "Pull off, I'm going to - "

He did, but Levi didn't move. Continued bobbing as he had been and squeezing out every drop, licking up the shaft after he'd swallowed it all to ensure Eren was clean. Reveled in the way Eren's sensitive dick made him keen and shiver as Levi kept it up, finally sitting back on his heels after wiping stray saliva from his own mouth.

Both stayed in their respective positions, panting and leaning on each other - Levi's head on the kid's knees and Eren's hands weighing down his shoulders.

"That was - "

"Yeah. Happy birthday to me," Levi huffed.

. . .

It was mostly because his knees were getting sore as fuck on the hardwood (stop, you perverted fuck) floors, but soon Levi hauled himself to his feet and make the executive pronouncement that he was "fucking disgusting".

Eren pouted a bit, but that quickly morphed into a sheepish smile when Levi commented,

"You had a nice willing mouth to come into. I had my pants. Which, mind you, you cleaned your fucking hands on."

It only took a beat for Eren to lean down and murmur, "You complaining?"

"Shut the fuck up. I think you got some flecks in my hair," he mumbled more to himself, running his fingers through his hair and, yep; stale semen. What more could anyone want idling around their scalp. "I'm taking a shower."

He was already brushing passed the kid, but was jerked back by fingers circling his wrist.

"Need help with that?"

"Horny brat," was his only response before pushing away.

. . .

So they had just done a thing.

Not the thing, but a thing.

And somehow he was okay with that. Was okay with having sexy times with someone who he'd be seeing again beyond repeated flings. Wasn't overwhelmed by how much he screwed everything over and he wondered if this is what remission felt like.

That absence of something terrible, the anticipation of its return, but an utter relief so strong it didn't matter.

He took his time in the shower; was sure to scrub each flake from his hair (he washed it twice) and massage each inch of skin to make sure no lingering grime - sweat, dirt, or otherwise - settled. Traced a stray scar or two and realized he wasn't worried about how Eren would react. Wasn't even worried if he'd ask about them, because he found himself musing he might not mind answering.

. . .

He'd barely stepped from the steamy bathroom - and it hadn't been the fun kind of steamy but maybe it would be soon - when Eren was on top of him, maneuvering so he was pressed against the door.

"You really like to shove me against things, brat," he observed when his tongue was free enough to do so.

"I can't help its being sexy," Eren laughed, pulling away the same breath and lacing their fingers together as they went into his bedroom.

This was the first time there had been any amount of planning in Levi's staying the night. Not that when Eren rung him up he said, "oh, I'm having a game night, and, by the way, sleep over so we can get it on". But when he showered he slipped into his spare sweats and a loose tee, Eren had stripped to a shirt and his boxers, and they were going into his bedroom with every intent to sleep.

Any other time, it had been crashing by mistake on his couch, or, so exhausted from staying up, that they slipped into the brat's bed fully clothed and feeling other-wordly the next morning.

And yet here they were, holding hands and waltzing into his bedroom after some hand to mouth experiences (what the fuck did that even mean; just call it sex even if it wasn't the sex, Levi). And, yet, here they were, crawling under the covers and lying beside each other so their arms were around the others' waists, Levi's face buried in his chest and his nose burrowed in his (twice-washed) hair.

And, yet, here he was thinking that maybe - just maybe - this wasn't so bad.