(CHAPTER 11) - Hurt and comfort

Eren fell to his knees in the wet, muddy road, both hands out, not knowing what to do, tears running down his face. Dimly he could hear Nile talking shakily to 911 on his phone.

The motorcycle lay halfway under the front of the Jeep. The back wheel was pinned under the tire that had been on the sidewalk and Levi was pinned under the bike. He was unconscious, one leg trapped beneath the bike, blood dripping sluggishly out of his hair and all down his face. Eren tremblingly tried to wipe the blood away.

"Don't touch him." It was Nile.

"Fuck you Nile Dok!"

Nile seemed to have sobered up a good deal. "No. No, I mean don't touch him, he's hurt. You might make it worse."

Eren snatched his hands away.

"Ambulance is on it's way."

Eren suddenly struggled to his feet. He circled around the bike, looking at Nile menacingly. "You did this," he said, advancing slowly. Nile began to back away. "You did this you … you fucker! You hurt him! You ran your fucking car over him!" His voice rose. It took on a hysterical edge.

"I'll kill you!"

Pulsating lights swept over the snowy street and the blare of a siren became loud. Nile backed into the street. Eren followed him.

"You rat bastard. You'd better run."

A police car skidded to a halt next to them, the ambulance behind it.

"Stop right there, Yeager." Nile said anxiously, both hands out. "The cops are here."

Eren stopped as two police officers ran up to them. The EMTs were already around Levi.

It only took a few minutes for the cops to straighten out what was going on. They cuffed Nile and put him in the squad car.

"Don't go anywhere, Sir," one officer said to Eren. "I need a statement."

"Can I go check on my … my friend?"

"OK, but don't go too far."

"Yes, Sir."

The EMTs had extracted Levi from under the bike and were putting him onto the stretcher. He was awake and cursing fluently.

"Levi!"

"Yeager!" Then to the EMT; "Fuck! That hurts! Take it easy!" The EMT blithely ignored him. "What the absolute fuck happend? One minute I'm pulling up on my bike, coming to check on you, and the next I'm waking up in fucking pain."

"It was Nile. He's drunk."

"Did he hurt you? Threaten you again?"

"We'll talk about it later. I'm fine. How are you?" He looked anxiously at the EMTs. "Is he OK?"

"He's scuffed up a bit but it looks like it's just a broken leg."

"Oh, Levi! Levi!" Eren threw his arms around the other man, kissing him all over his face, oblivious to the blood.

The EMT smirked. "You guys married or something?" she asked.

Eren let go of Levi's neck with lightning speed but Levi didn't drop his hands from Eren's waist.

"How did you know?" Levi said with a little, crooked smile. "We were married last Saturday. Guess I just missed having to hop down the aisle."

The EMT grinned, "Well, get in if you're getting in, Mr. Ackerman. We gotta go."

Eren, speechless, climbed aboard the ambulance and sat down.

At the hospital, they had to park Levi's gurney in the hall for a few minutes till an exam spot became available. Eren bent toward Levi.

"Why did you tell her we were married?!"

"Simple. They won't tell you anything about my injuries or let you into the exam room unless we're related or married. They probably wouldn't have let you ride in the ambulance. Now would you rather be my brother or my husband?"

Eren blushed fiercely and studied his hands.

"She called me 'Mr. Ackerman.'"

"Probably just her best guess."

"I kind of liked it," Eren whispered.

Small spots of color appeared high up on Levi's cheekbones. He studied his hands.

The exam went quickly. Levi was cleaned up, his head bandaged, and his leg x-rayed and put in a cast. Eren trailed after as they put him into a room.

He dragged up a chair and shyly took Levi's hand. Levi didn't take it back.

For a few minutes they just sat companionably.

Abruptly Eren's eyes filled with tears. "God, Levi, I'm so sorry."

Levi resisted the urge to stroke Eren's hair. "You didn't do anything, Eren."

"I did. I did. I should've talked to Nile, reasoned with him."

"He was drunk. I don't think you could've done anything." Levi picked at his blanket with his free hand. "What did he say to you?"

Eren hesitated.

"Tell me. Was it about me? About us?"

"He was rambling about his wife and about a project that I … helped with."

"Helped with?"

"Well, I did the whole thing for him. I made him a deal so he would leave me alone."

"That fucker."

"He said that Mr. Pixis found out that he didn't do the project. He threatened to tell Pixis that he'd caught us … having sex in the office."

Levi recalled his thoughts earlier about that and felt guilty. He patted Eren's hand where it gripped his own. "We haven't done anything wrong. Don't let it worry you."

Tears spilled down Eren's face. "There's no cameras on the 10th floor. It's his word against ours!"

"Well, let's cross that bridge when we come to it, OK?"

Eren squeezed his hand. "OK. God, I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm fucking fine. I wonder how Shadis's bike is."

"It was pretty crunched."

"Yeah. Shadis is gonna shit."

There was a long silence, each caught up in his own thoughts.

"Can we talk about us?" Eren asked eventually.

Levi yawned hugely. "Nope. I'm tired as shit and you have work tomorrow."

Eren looked crestfallen. Levi patted his hand again.

"Go. Go home. Get some sleep. We have time."

They released Levi the next day and Eren left work to be there as Levi hobbled out to the cab on his crutches.

At Levi's apartment, it was a very slow climb up the steep stairs. Once he was installed on his bed, Eren fussed around, tucking him in.

"I'll make you some tea."

"Can you feed Meggie, too? She's pretty good with foraging for herself outside but she's probably hungry."

As Eren carefully made the tea under Levi's watchful instruction, the cat in question showed up. She sniffed her food then hopped up on the bed with Levi. By the time the tea was ready she had settled herself beside Levi.

Eren put the pot of tea on the bedside table, careful of the three beautiful, delicate teacups and saucers on display there. As Levi sipped his tea with a contented sigh, holding the cup in his odd way, by the rim, Eren studied the only picture in the place—the one on his bedside table.

It was a candid shot of a slender, small woman with Levi's jet black hair and grey eyes. She wore a loose sundress and the shot had caught her just turning, smiling over her shoulder at the photographer.

"Your mom?" Eren asked gently.

Levi nodded and picked up the photograph, gazing at it fondly and sadly.

"Yeah. My uncle took the picture. It was a few years before I was born." Levi ran a finger over the glass covering the photo. "She looks so happy."

"What happened to her?" Eren asked quietly. "How did she pass away? What happened to your dad?"

Levi studied the picture for several moments and Eren thought maybe he wouldn't answer. Finally, he let a noisy breath out through his nose. He settled the frame back on the bedside table and sighed.

"Do you really wanna know? You might not like it."

Eren took Levi's hand. "If it's about you, I want to know."

"My mom was a prostitute."

Eren's jaw dropped. Levi pressed on.

"We were so poor. My uncle Kenny said that she moved to Mitras to be closer to him, to make a better life than they'd had in Shiganshina, but it was super hard."

"Did your uncle help her?"

"Well, that's the thing. Kenny's no good. Never was. He's into all sorts of things; protection, petty theft, drugs. She didn't know anything about that till she got here. My mom didn't want anything to do with that shit, so she struggled along on her own. Finally, she was broke and starving and had no choice but to turn tricks."

Eren squeezed his hand and wiped at his eyes. He'd had no idea.

"I was born soon after and she couldn't have gotten out if she had wanted. She had to take care care of me."

"What about your dad? Could he have helped?"

"I never knew my dad." Levi sighed. "He was one of her regular johns."

"Jesus, Levi, I'm sorry."

"I think she may have cared for him. She described him to me."

Eren smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. He was short, like me. Blond hair. He was nice to her."

Levi poured himself another cup of tea and splashed some milk in. He sipped gravely, his thoughts in the past.

"I don't remember much bad stuff. I remember having to go to a neighbor's when men visited. We were dirt poor but we were happy. Then she got sick. It was quick. She got even thinner than she already was and coughed a lot. The men stopped visiting. I remember being so hungry. If the neighbor hadn't fed me a few scraps along and along I'd probably wouldn't have made it. Then mom died." Levi shrugged. "I sat there in that room with her for days, then my uncle showed up."

Meggie repositioned herself, sensing his distress, tucking her small body in the crook of Levi's neck. She began purring and Levi stroked her gently. He looked so sad.

"Kenny raised you?"

"Yep. It was hell. He's a stubborn, contrary bastard but he loved his sister. The bad part was his 'business' as he called it. He saw me as heir apparent to his criminal 'empire.' I fought my whole childhood to stay away from that shit but it didn't work."

"You … you were a criminal?"

"I was. I never touched drugs, though. That shit'll kill you."

He sipped his tea.

"As soon as I was old enough, I got a job and moved out, and here I am. Dirt poor but free."

"No wonder you resented me," Eren said. "I had all the advantages you never had."

"It is what it is. You're a good kid, Eren."

Eren grinned. "I told you not to call me 'kid.'"

"You are a kid, Kid. Hey, you want some hot chocolate? I can tell you how to make it."

"How about I make us some lunch?"

"You trying to poison me? You couldn't boil water."

"I can heat up soup!"

The corners of Levi's mouth turned up. "Sounds good."

Before Eren could even get a can open Levi had dozed off. Smiling, Eren carefully washed out the teapot and cups and curled up on the couch. In minutes he was asleep, too.

The next day was a good one. Nile wasn't at work, of course, he had been charged with a misdemeanor DWI and would probably be serving time for property damage and injuring Levi.

Eren sat down with Pixis and told him everything that had happened between Nile and himself. Pixis was way ahead of him. He and the police had checked the lobby cameras and determined that Nile had to be lying. Levi and Nile had passed each other in the elevators, Levi coming down in one and Nile going up in another. There was no way he had caught Eren and Levi doing anything.

Eren was so relieved.

The Triumph, surprisingly, wasn't out of commission permanently. The back wheel was bent all to hell and the big silver box that held the sandwiches was dented up pretty good but the bike would run. Eren knew Levi would be pleased. He cared for the little bike almost as much as Meggie. OK, not that much, but still. It was special to him.

Since Shadis wouldn't have his bike back for a while while it got repaired, Christa and Petra volunteered to pick up all of floor 10's sandwiches in Petra's car.

Three days sailed by. Eren came straight to Levi's apartment every day after work, fed Meggie, made tea (he was getting quite good at it) and hot chocolate. He nuked something in the microwave or on the hot plate for the two of them and helped Levi to the couch where they held hands and watched TV after Eren had told him about his day.

On the fourth day, Eren found Levi stumping painfully around the kitchenette, something delicious on the hot plate.

"Levi! You need to rest! I know your leg hurts."

"Fuck it. My leg hurts in the bed. I'm tired of being horizontal. I'm tired of canned soup and crackers. I was going insane." He poured dry rice into a pot of boiling water and put the lid on.

"Welcome home. How was your day?"

Eren stopped in his tracks. He slowly took off his coat.

"Home?"

Levi froze. "Well, shit."

"Levi, we have to talk about us."

"Aww, Kid, can't this wait?"

"Now's just as good a time as any," Eren insisted stubbornly.

Levi sighed.

"I told you I didn't want a relationship …"

"Levi this is a relationship. We're in one right now."

Levi looked up, startled. Eren was right.

He dragged his cast leg to the sink and began noisily washing a pan. He refused to look at Eren. Eren stepped up behind him, not too close.

"Can we at least try? Take it really, really slow?"

Levi continued to scrub the already clean pan. Finally, his shoulders, high with tension, relaxed and slumped. He spoke without turning.

"Are you sure, Eren?"

Eren reached out and touched him. Nothing overt, just a hand on his shoulder blade. Levi immediately tensed back up then relaxed slowly.

"I'm positive."

Eren almost blurted out what he was thinking. He was thinking he was falling in love with the man. Had been for a while. He kept quiet.

"What will your mom think?" Levi asked in a small voice.

"My mom will love you," Eren said firmly. He knew his mom. Carla Yeager would be delighted with anyone who brought her son such joy, who took such good care of him.

"I was just a common thug, Eren. I deliver sandwiches for a living and clean successful people's offices. This is all I'll ever be. Just me."

Eren stepped up beside him.

"You're all and everything that I want."

The rice pot hissed on the hot plate.

They watched The Boys on Netflix and ate beef stew over rice. Eren scarfed down three servings.

"Well, it's nice to have someone who appreciates my cooking," Levi said wryly.

Eren took a swig of beer. He had a grain of missed rice stuck to the corner of his mouth. Levi reached out and picked it off. "Slob," he said fondly.

Eren swallowed.

"Can I kiss you?"

Levi, taken unawares, blushed faintly. He shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said gruffly.

Eren kissed him softly and sweetly … and Levi responded.

The tip of Levi's tongue danced across Eren's lips, and Eren's lips parted in response. Levi gently probed, exploring Eren's mouth, playing with his tongue.

The kiss was supposed to have been sweet and chaste and quick and now, Eren was flushed red and gripping Levi's shoulders like a lifeline. He kissed back, mentally cursing his relative inexperience. Levi didn't seem to mind.

Pushing gently, Levi urged Eren to lie down on the couch. Eren settled back eagerly, squirming his hips to get his legs under and around Levi's, being careful of his cast. They made out for several minutes only breaking off when they needed air.

Finally, Levi groaned and dropped his head to Eren's shoulder.

"What is it?" Eren said, taking a selfish moment to caress Levi's back. "Is it your leg?"

Levi spoke without raising his head.

"We gotta stop or …" He lifted his head and made eye contact. "I'm afraid I might not be able to stop myself."

Eren blushed red up to the roots of his hair and realized that that large, hard item he thought was in Levi's pocket was, in fact, Levi.

He gently ran his fingers over the short hair of Levi's undercut. "What if I don't want to stop?"

"Jesus, Eren, are you sure?"

"Do you know how many times I've jerked off thinking of you?"

Levi snorted. "A billion?"

Eren grinned. "I was going for the world record."

"Brat." Levi kissed him. "So how's this gonna work? I can't fuck anybody with this leg."

"Then let me do the work."

"Ohhh, naughty Eren is here."

"Get on your back."

For several seconds (and amidst much grunting and a curse or two) they maneuvered themselves so that Levi was lying supine on the couch. Levi stripped his shirt off as he watched Eren shed his jeans onto the floor.

Eren threw one long leg over Levi's hips and settled downward, intentionally grinding the bulge there.

Levi groaned and lifted both arms over his head. Eren pulled his shirt over his head and fingered his nipples, looking down at Levi, pale and taut, in as sultry and provocative a manner as he could manage. It worked. Levi's eyes fell to half-lidded and he let his gaze wander over Eren's long, tan torso. He finally dragged his eyes back up.

"You gonna fuck me, Yeager? Ride my cock like I know you want to?"

Eren shivered and Levi's gaze traveled downward again. He ran his hands slowly up and down Eren's long thighs, drinking in the sight of all that supple flesh.

"You like the view?" Eren asked.

"Beautiful."

Eren leaned forward abruptly and they kissed. Levi's hands palmed Eren's torso, pinching his nipples and making him moan into Levi's mouth. Eren reared back, frowning.

"Shit. Lube."

"Feel around in the couch cushions."

Eren did and immediately produced a small bottle of lube. "What the hell?"

"You weren't the only one going for a world record."

Their lips met again, wilder this time, desperate. Levi bucked his hips up into Eren's crotch.

Panting, Eren struggled out of his boxer briefs, his cock springing free. Levi shoved his jeans and underpants down just enough to release his own erection. For a moment both members rubbed against each other and both men took a second to admire each other.

Eren's cock was longer than Levi's but skinnier and straight (although it did have a small provocative lean to the left which was adorable.) Levi wrapped his hand around both and stroked slowly. Eren's head fell back and he closed his eyes. "God. That feels so good. You'll make me cum doing that."

"Then let's get this show on the road." Levi drawled, running his palm over both heads, spreading pre-cum.

"Fuck!' Eren scrabbled at the lid to the lube poring a generous dollop onto his fingers and reaching around behind himself.

For a moment Eren fingered himself, sighing, spreading lube while Levi stroked slowly and watched him, enjoying the show. Eren had to yank himself back to reality.

"Ready? I've never tried this position so bear with me,"

Levi dug around in the pockets of his jeans and produced a condom. "Gotta be ready for anything," he said at Eren's quizzical look.

He rolled it on slowly, gripping the base of his cock with one hand and kneading Eren's hip with the other. "You set the pace. Take your time."

Eren shuffled forward on his knees, cock bouncing against his belly, and arranging himself above Levi's dick. He positioned himself and slowly sank down, legs trembling with want.

For a second the head of Levi's cock caught on the rim of Eren's hole and he bit his lip, squirming a bit and pressing down. When it popped in he gasped.

"S'it Hurt?" Levi asked anxiously.

"It's been a while and you're not a small guy for such a small guy."

"Hey, no short jokes or the fat dick goes away."

Eren grinned evilly. "Nuh-uh. I've got you pinned. You and your fat dick are mine now."

A flush crept up Levi's face. "Then ride it, College Boy. I'm all yours."

Levi kept up his easy light stroke on Eren's cock as the young man pushed downward. "Jesus you're gorgeous, Eren. How'd I get so lucky?"

Eren could only moan as he finally seated himself fully. He took a moment to get used to the stretch then began moving. Levi's breath hitched and his eyelids fell to half-mast again. He moaned and ran both hands down Eren's sweaty chest, fondling.

Eren's cock drooled pre-cum onto Levi's belly and he hastened into a rough, eager, bouncing rhythm.

"Fuck, Eren."

"Le-Levi. It feels so good. I feel so …" he whined, " … full!"

Levi snapped his hips up at that, driving his cock all the way in, making Eren cry out in ecstasy. "Levi! Yes!"

"Fucking fuck, yeah Eren. Ride me. Fuck me like you mean it."

Eren ratcheted up his speed, rolling his hips and driving down to meet every thrust of Levi's. "Oh, fu—haa!—Levi! Harder!"

Levi's second-hand couch began to creak as they rocked together, gasping. Levi soon felt that electric tingle in his groin.

"Fuck, Eren, I'm not gonna last long. So-sorry! You just feel so good!"

"Wait for me, old man! Ohh, god!"

Levi growled, gripping Eren's hips almost painfully. "Cocky brat. Show me what you've got."

Eren's hand flew to his cock, gripping tight, squeezing and stroking, rocking on Levi even faster.

"Eren …" Levi warned.

Eren's breath was coming in sharp gasps now, his head rocking back on his neck, his free hand on Levi's broad chest, fingernails digging into the pale flesh, leaving marks.

"Levi … Levi—ahh! You wanna come? Come inside of me?"

Levi groaned, low in his throat, "Killing me … Yeager …"

"Do it. Come for me. I wish … I wish there was no condom so you could fill me up …"

Levi came then with a guttural yell, cock throbbing.

Erens orgasm burst upon him without warning and he came as well, mouth open in a silent scream, cum splattering Levi's chest.

For a long moment they just rested, panting, then Eren slowly and reluctantly lifted himself up. His legs shook.

Levi sat up with a grunt, removing the condom and tying it off. He inspected his chest. "Great. Covered in jizz again and I can't take a shower."

"But it's good jizz," Eren said, grinning. He pulled on his underpants shakily. "It's my jizz."

"True," Levi said, stretching for a kiss. "Help me up."

"Old man …"

"Yeah, yeah, this old man just gave you a pretty good ride, I hope."

Erens smile was blinding. "The best."

"Come on and shower. I gotta wipe off as best I can. I'm sweaty and sticky."

Levi limped around the couch and Eren caught his arm.

"Say, Levi?"

Levi paused.

Eren fidgeted nervously, not looking at the other man. "I thought we could, maybe … keep doing this … for however long."

"Fucking? You got it, Kid."

"No, well I mean, yes, but …" He finally looked up shyly and gestured around Levi's apartment. "This. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Levi let out a slow breath through pursed lips. Eren's face was an open book, eager, uncertain, longing.

"I've never been anyone's boyfriend before," Levi said quietly.

"Will you be mine?"

Levi realized suddenly that he was happy. Happier than he'd ever been in his life since his mom died. He scrubbed the short hairs at the back of his head. "OK."

Eren leaped into his arms so hard they almost fell, hugging him fiercely and smearing his own cum between the two of them.

"Oh, eww, Yeager!"

But he hugged him back.

A week later all of Eren's stuff was at Levi's apartment. Meggie was standing on the small pile of boxes, sniffing around, and Levi and Eren were lying together in the bed, sweaty and spent.

Levi lazily traced patterns on Eren's shoulder with one finger and Eren was gently running his palms over the scratches on Levi's chest.

"I'm sorry I keep marking you up. You feel so good, I just get carried away."

Levi looked down at the marks, vivid on his pale skin. "Don't fret it. I like it. Badges of honor. Maybe I should start wearing button up shirts with the buttons undone. Drive the women wild."

Eren slapped him playfully. "Hey!"

"Maybe I'd sell more sandwiches." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I gotta boyfriend to support now."

Eren grinned and threw both arms around Levi's neck and gave him a fierce hug..

"Oh, yuck, Yeager, there you go again. You'll get cum in your hair!"

Eren settled with his head on Levi's shoulder. He nuzzled into his neck "I can't wait till you get the cast off then we can shower together."

"In my shower? There's barely enough room for one."

"Ohh, maybe we could try shower sex," Eren said, muffled. He raised his head and looked at Levi lovingly.

"And it's our shower."