A/N: I think you guys will like this chapter lol. Music inspiration for this one was El Tango de Roxanne from Moulin Rouge.

Eren surprised Levi at his work for the first time just a couple weeks later, just as autumn was trying to settle over the city. The days were getting shorter, the days weren't as heavy and warm, and the leaves were just beginning to change color when Eren waltzed through the doors of the small city library. Levi had told him how small and cozy it was, and he certainly hadn't lied; he could see the entire library just from where he stood at the entrance. There were a few small desks scattered around, each with someone sat behind it. There was a group of women all seated around a blanket that they were all working on, each knitting an edge, and all of them chattering about their families or the latest gossip. It certainly seemed like a nice place to work, in Eren's opinion.

It was easy enough for him to pick Levi out, as he was not only the only man working there, but of course in Eren's opinion, the most beautiful member of the staff. His timing was perfect as well; Levi was milling about the shelves, pulling a cart of books behind him and putting them on the shelves. And oh heavens, was he wearing glasses? They weren't anything special, but on Levi's face they looked so sweet and cute. He really looked like a librarian, and unbidden, all sorts of fantasies popped into Eren's dirty mind, fantasies that involved rolling Levi's cute sweater up under his chin, pulling his pants down and having his way with him in seclusion among the bookshelves. Eren sighed happily, imagining the other man's glasses all askew and his hair a mess from running his fingers through it. Perhaps someday Levi would let him make that fantasy a reality in the dark corners of his home.

For now, he made his way over to his friend, and since his back was to him he tapped him on the shoulder, and said with a grin, "Excuse me sir, do you think you can help me?"

Levi turned around automatically, lips parted as he prepared to deliver his automatic reply of, "Sure, how can I help?" before it died on his tongue when he saw who had said it. Instead, his face lit right up and Eren could see his cheeks flush a light shade of pink with his delight.

"Hey! What a nice surprise," he gasped. "It's so good to see you in my tiny little library. It's um, well it's not much, definitely not as nice as the one in your mansion…"

"Oh stop," Eren waved him off. "Don't put it down. It's yours, and it's very charming. After you told me about how you enjoyed working here, I figured I would come and see you in your element." He leaned in a bit with a smirk, forcing Levi to lean back a bit with wide eyes and a deep flush on his face. "The glasses are new."

Self-consciously, Levi looked away and fiddled with said glasses, adjusting them on his face. "I usually just need them for work, or when I write at home sometimes. When you're stuck reading and writing for most of the day your eyes tend to get tired."

The smile didn't disappear from Eren's face, and though he didn't say anything he didn't have to. Levi knew he liked the glasses, and for some reason that odd detail made him feel fuzzy all over. But they couldn't afford to flirt like this where everyone could see them, and upon a quick glance upward, luckily no one was looking in their direction. He stood up a little straighter, clearing his throat and asking, "So, what can I do for you, Eren?"

"Well," the boy placed his hands in his pockets, "I have a couple of gifts I wanted to give you. Your new little boy is ready to come home, for one thing, but you knew that."

"Yes!" Levi had to stop himself from bouncing on the balls of his feet. He had been so busy lately, but he certainly hadn't forgotten that it was finally time to bring his puppy home. "I finally finished buying all of his things. I did buy him a pillow to sleep on, but I'd much rather he sleep with me."

Eren "aww"-ed over that, and Levi rolled his eyes, grumbling, "Shut up."

The boy snorted. "Remember how you said you owed me dinner? Well, if you'd like, I could use that opportunity to drop off your puppy."

Levi mulled that over for a moment, but there was nothing to mull over. As much of a pitiful sight his apartment was even when it was clean from top to bottom, he still dearly would love the opportunity to be with Eren, completely alone. Or at least, the idea both excited and terrified him. Who knows what would happen?

"Alright," he eventually agreed. "Two days from now. Let me go shopping so I can make you something nice and give me a chance to make my apartment a little shinier."

Eren winked at him, and replied in a very low, quiet voice, "Sounds like a plan, Doll. I can't wait to see what you'll cook for us."

The older man swallowed hard at that, and his face flushed so hard that he felt dizzy. He couldn't handle it when Eren talked to him in that tone of voice, or called him "Doll," which he was doing quite a lot lately. It had become another way that he flirted with him, and Levi certainly didn't hate it, far from it, he just had no idea how to respond. So when he stayed silent, Eren backed off a bit and asked, "So, do you have any good recommendations for me? I trust that whatever you like will be good."

Levi chewed on his lip for a minute, before eventually saying, "I um, well, I like to read a lot of fairytales."

"You do?" Eren exclaimed, "That's wonderful! I still enjoy them myself. I could stand to read more though. Here, show me your favorite anthologies of fairytales."

"Yes sir Mr. Jaeger," Levi teased, and led him on into the library.

000

At the end of the second day, promptly at five o' clock, Eren was knocking on his door, large suitcase in one hand containing one gift, puppy tucked into his vest and supported under the rear with his other hand. He was wearing a pristine high collared white shirt and one of his nicest pair of trousers held up by a belt with an intricate buckle. His buttons on his vest were also a bright silver, worth more than anything Levi possibly had in his apartment. He was probably dressed far too fancily for just a friendly dinner between two friends, but he couldn't help it. Without even thinking about it, he seemed to always be subconsciously trying to woo his crush with every tool at his disposal. That always seemed to involve lavish gifts, charming words, sweet pet names and soft touches, all born from the genuine love and care he held in his heart for Levi. And from how he had acted at the Laughing Fox, touching Eren gently, keeping close to him and offering him those cute little smiles, he was hoping maybe…maybe….

Maybe he had a chance.

When he heard the sound of Levi's footsteps approaching the door, Eren looked down at the puppy, telling him, "Here comes your papa," and then the door opened. Upon seeing the adorable sight of Eren standing there with his wild, dark hair in his by contrast fancy clothes, holding a puppy and a large suitcase like he was looking to move in, Levi sighed and shook his head at him fondly. It was just the exact sort of thing he had come to associate with the boy, and it endeared him like nothing else.

"Come in you two," he said, holding the door open and stepping aside. "I'm just about to take the roast off the stove."

Eren let himself in, bringing in his suitcase and set it against the wall. He toed off his shoes as well, looking around at the inside of the apartment. It definitely wasn't anything flashy, with its bare wooden walls and sparse furniture. He supposed this made sense; Levi said no one ever came to visit him except for Hanji, so he wouldn't have had many places for guests to sit. His bed was pushed in a lonely corner, and what Eren did notice as somewhat odd was that there were candles and a few small oil lamps filling his nightstand, as well as his window sill that sat on the head of the bed.

Before he could dwell much on that, the puppy began to wriggle around, demanding to get down and explore the new space. With a laugh, he set him down on the floor, watching as he skittered around, sniffing every corner of the room. While he watched Levi set aside the roast, he asked, "So have you decided on a name for him yet?"

Levi nodded, waving aside the steam the floated up from the roast on one of the iron shelves attached to the stove. "Oh yes, I even have a name for your registry. How does Ackerman Prince Charming sound? To honor all the fairytales that I'm making you read."

Eren lit right up when he heard the name. He had told Levi before that, since the breed was so new, he was making a point to register all of his puppies with the AKC, and though this usually cost his buyers extra, of course there was no extra charge for Levi. Part of wooing him that he didn't even think about. "I love it! Scotland is one of the lands famous for its fairy stories too, so it's perfect for him."

Turning down the stove, Levi excitedly bent down, sitting on his haunches and tapping the floor in front of him. Eren didn't fail to notice that he had a couple of chunks of meat in his fist. "Come here Prince! Come here, look what I have for you."

Prince lifted his head, sniffing the air, and once he figured out where the meaty smell was coming from, he tottered over on his stumpy legs to stop in front of Levi. He sniffed at his hands, looking for the morsels. One of the sweetest, most delighted smiles Eren had ever seen on the other man's face spread his cheeks, and he fed a couple of the pieces of roast to the puppy. It was all Eren could do not to explode from the happiness he felt blooming in him from the sight.

"Here, watch, you can teach him some tricks, even though he's just a puppy," Eren explained, taking a couple pieces of roast. "Though with terriers, don't expect them to obey you most of the time. They're very stubborn and independent."

He knelt down next to Levi, showing him how to get Prince to sit and lay down, the older man watching with rapt attention, even when the puppy didn't always do as he was told. He laughed, petting his back, saying, "Well, I don't really care if he can do tricks, as long as he loves me."

Eren bumped their shoulders together playfully. "Oh he will. What's not to love about you, Doll?"

That made Levi's face flush bright as the simmering embers in his stove. He scratched the back of his neck, shaking his head and mumbling something that sounded like, "You're going to kill me," before getting up and saying more clearly, "Here, go sit down at the table. It's already set, I just need to bring the food over."

"You sure I can't help?" Eren asked.

Levi wagged a finger at him and insisted, "Don't you dare. You wait on me hand and foot when I come to visit you. Let me do the same for you for once."

The boy snorted, "Yes sir," and did as he was told, plopping himself down in the chair. This really was a cute little table, and Eren wondered if it once belonged to Levi's parents. And speaking of cute, he couldn't believe how adorable the older man looked placing plate after plate on the table, which included a giant roast, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and…was that an honest to God pie sitting on the counter for dessert? Eren laughed. "Did Thanksgiving come early?"

Levi shrugged. "I didn't know how hungry you would be. Besides, I wanted to make something special for you. Since, you know, I know you're used to that sort of thing."

Oh heavens, what was Eren going to do with him? Thinking that he would accept nothing but the best food all the time just because that was what he ate at home? He rolled his eyes. "Levi Ackerman, if you had cooked us dirt and shit pies I would have eaten them because you had made it. You're very sweet, but you don't need to do anything to impress me. You should know that by now, yeah?"

He shrugged, hesitating by the table. "I do, yeah. I suppose that's not entirely it either." He wrung his hands slightly. "I just…you're very special to me, Eren. There's not much I can do to show that, but I can cook, so I figured…" he trailed off, feeling a sudden wave of hot anxiety wash over him. He then abruptly sat down and announced somewhat loudly, "Well, let's eat before this gets cold."

They filled their plates in silence, but their minds were anything but, both of them contemplating what Levi had just said. Eren would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't hoping to make some sort of move tonight, to do something that would show his interest in courting the other man. He thought that admitting he was interested in men and then taking him to a mollie-house would be enough to make his intentions clear, but he supposed Levi was denser than he thought. He couldn't blame him though; from how nervous he acted around not only Eren, but any other man that was even mildly attractive, he figured that Levi was afraid of his own desires and feelings.

He stuck his roast beef with his fork before sticking it in his mouth. It was indeed very good, and he could tell Levi had put a lot of care into making it. Maybe he was trying to woo Eren in his own way. After all, anyone knew that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, and the boy was no exception. Any man that knew how to cook he would bow to and fall all over himself to please. However, he had met Levi's type before in his life, the mollie who denied his true self, whether it was because of religion or societal expectations, or a toxic combination of the too. People that despised what they were and tried to change themselves but simply couldn't. It was heartbreaking, but he understood.

But he couldn't let Levi fall victim to that kind of despair. He had to hold out a hand and save him from himself, to let him know that these sorts of feelings were okay. Slowly though, he told himself. Baby steps. He couldn't scare him off, had to handle him delicately, like the porcelain doll he resembled.

"This is very good," Eren offered with a soft, genuine smile. "You like cooking?"

Levi nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit. Good. "I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom. My dad didn't like it, of course. Says cooking is for women, but I had fun doing it, so who cares." He shook his head despondently. "I did a lot a things that he considered stuff women were supposed to do, like cleaning, cooking, reading, making up stories, that sort of thing. I know he loved me, but he was so concerned on me turning into a proper man. He called me an invert more than once, and"-

He cut himself off, choosing instead to put more food in his mouth. Eren stared at him sadly for a moment, before saying quietly, "I'm sorry. There's nothing wrong with you, Levi, you know that right? And I mean, from what you've seen at the Laughing Fox, there's nothing wrong with being an invert."

Levi took a bite of his mashed potatoes, not replying. He looked too tense again, not looking at Eren, and the boy knew he had to try another tactic to make him comfortable again. He hated seeing him upset in any way, it was just awful, especially if it was because of him. So, he said, "Hey, so I got through a lot of the fairytales you recommended to me. I think my favorite is Snow White. It's just so dark, but charming, and I loved how messed up it is. Better than the more sanitized versions I've seen." He of course did not mention that a major part of the reason he loved the story was because Levi looked like how Snow White herself was described, and the whole time he had read it, all he could do was imagine his crush as the title heroine. It had certainly made the story more enjoyable.

Once again, that seemed to work. Levi smiled gently, loosening up now that they were talking about one of his great passions. He replied, "That's what I love about fairytales as a whole, the fact that there's a charming aspect to how dark they are. It shows us the mindset of human society in more ancient times and the values they held most dear."

"Oh yeah? Well then, what's your favorite example of the ancient human mindset?"

Levi breathed a laugh at that, and Eren considered that a win. "Sleeping Beauty. No matter which version you read, it's so dark. But it has all the elements of a fairytale that I love: fairies and dragons, princes and kings and princesses. It made me grab a stick and pick up a trash can lid a lot as a kid pretending I was the prince fighting the dragon."

"That is one of the cutest things I've ever heard."

They settled into conversation for a bit after that, discussing their favorite tales back and forth, Eren even eventually saying, "You know, there's a Russian ballet for Sleeping Beauty that just came to America. We should see it together sometime."

Levi gasped. "Really? You mean it? Oh Eren, that would be wonderful, I would love to go with- I mean, I'd like that very much."

The boy chuckled at his reaction. Really, he was too adorable for his own good. "It's a date then," he said with a wink, causing the other man's face to flush bright red.

However, he didn't seem uncomfortable that time.

When they eventually finished their roast and then their pie, Eren insisted on helping him clean up, but Levi once more denied him, saying that even more than cooking, the cleaning was his favorite part. Eren sighed, shaking his head and mumbling something about him being odd, because who enjoyed cleaning anyway.

Levi was just glad that that was the reason he found him weird instead of the fact that he was a man and enjoyed cleaning.

As he sat there scrubbing, he decided that things were getting out of hand. He thought this would be easy having Eren over inside his place, that he would be so embarrassed over the state of it in comparison to the Jaeger mansion that he wouldn't be able to focus on his massive crush on the other man. But ever since visiting the Laughing Fox pub, it was as if the floodgates had been opened. In this tiny, intimate space, surrounded by his own things, he felt oddly confident. He felt his shame over his own feelings lessen and his desires grow.

But of course, fear kept him from acting.

It was horrible how it warred with his want to make a move, however. Just staring at Eren playing with Prince on the floor was enough to make him want to hold him and never let him ago. Just seeing his face made him made him want to kiss him senseless. Yes, the shame was still there, but, God was he tired of fighting this war every single moment of every day. By contrast, Eren looked so carefree, so comfortable with himself and what he wanted.

And Levi…he so desperately wanted to be like that. Eren was his goal in so many different ways; his idol, his beloved, and slowly, his new reason for happiness, his light in the dark that had plagued him for all of his life. He could be his guide into this new life if he'd just let him. If he could just stamp down his fear, he could be happier than he could ever remember being. But he could also be discovered and tossed in jail, his reputation ruined, his chances of ever getting published thrown away forever. Yet, if they kept it a secret, if they were careful, no one had to find out.

Why did this have to be so difficult?

Levi's dishes clanked in the sink rather loudly, getting Eren's attention, and when the boy looked at him, he saw that his shoulders were tense again and his face was drawn. He bit his lip, scratching Prince behind his ears while the puppy sat dozing in his lap. Seeing Levi upset triggered an odd sense of anxiety in him, and he couldn't stand it. That beautiful face should never look so upset, not ever, not while Eren was around. So, he carefully moved the puppy from his lap and placed him in the little basket Levi had set up for him by his bed, before getting up and heading over to his suitcase. Hearing his footsteps, the older man looked up from the sink, hands still in the water. He watched him open the suitcase, the top clicking and popping up. Since he was facing the front of the suitcase, he couldn't see what was inside just yet, and he craned his head slightly, leaning away from the sink and absently wiping his hands on his pants. He was still watching curiously when Eren finally did stand up, holding up-

No, it couldn't be.

"I did say I had another gift for you," he declared softly as he walked over to Levi's desk and placed the object on top of it. The older man gaped, padding slowly over to it and running his fingers on its shiny black surface.

"Where in the hell did you get your hands on a typewriter?" Levi breathed. "They cost more than my rent."

When he looked up at Eren and met his eyes, the boy's eyes were sparkly with mirth. He replied with a smirk, "Doll, did you forget who you're talking to? My father could probably afford to buy this entire apartment complex if he felt like it. And with the money I make, well, I can afford to spoil you as much as I want." He looked down at the typewriter, tapping on a couple of the keys lightly. "I figured with this, if I taught you how to use it, you could type your stories out a little faster than you could write them. And while you type, I could hang out with you and I could paint, and you could dictate the details of the scene so they'd be accurate to your story. I mean, I really want to see what world you're keeping in your head, you know? I'll bet it's really- Levi?"

He halted in his ramblings when he looked up from the typewriter to Levi's face, shocked to see tears welling up in the other man's eyes. One spilled down his cheek, and he made no move to wipe it away. Eren gasped, holding up his hands in a gesture of apology.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," he sputtered. "I didn't mean to make you more upset, I just thought"- His hands hovered over him, wanting to comfort him but afraid to, afraid that Levi would bolt if he touched him too carelessly. So instead, he ran his fingers through his own hair, tugging at the strands in his distress. "Shit, I'm sorry. I thought this would help, I didn't mean"-

"Eren, why are you so good to me?"

Well, that certainly shut him up, that simple, wavering, soft question that Levi uttered. He sounded so lost, even a little frightened of how Eren would answer as he gazed at him with those pleading eyes. The boy opened and closed his mouth a few times, finding that any words he could have used to explain himself just wouldn't come. His breath was lost, that simple question like a punch in the gut. What was the right answer? What could he say that wouldn't frighten Levi away from him for good?

Absolutely nothing.

The boy gripped the back of the wooden desk chair, his knuckles turning white. He ground his teeth with his own indecision and remained silent, until Levi prompted him again, "Eren?"

God, he just couldn't lie to him when he sounded like that, like Eren could save him or break him. It was too much. So, he answered back just as tremulously, "Do you not know? Even when I told you I was an invert, and then taking you to a mollie-house…"

He trailed off, too afraid to say more. If he did, Levi would surely never speak to him again, and he couldn't bear that. If he lost Levi...if he lost enough people, he was afraid he'd go down the same route as his mother.

Levi took a step towards him, but averted his eyes, wiping them. "I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this sort of thing. I'm not like you, good at figuring people out. I have enough trouble figuring myself out, and it's only because of you that I'm just starting to. So please, just tell me. Whatever it is, I won't be angry. I promise."

With that, he placed a hand over the boy's, and Eren couldn't take it. That simple touch melted at his resolve like the spring sun melting the final frost of winter; immediate, overwhelming, and final. He squeezed his eyes shut, holding back tears, before finally admitting in a hoarse voice, "I adore you, Levi. From the moment I first met you at my father's party, I've wanted nothing but your happiness, and I'll do everything I can to make that happen. Yes, I've desired other men before, but none of them have ever made me feel as wonderfully weak and sick with longing as you have. Even if you don't want me in that way and never will, I can respect that. Just say the word and we'll never speak of this again. Just as long as you don't disappear from my life completely, please. I couldn't- couldn't bear that."

And there it was. Everything Levi had ever wanted to hear from the boy. The weight of it and its implications made him start trembling, and he placed a hand to his mouth, trying to hold back sobs. His own emotions threatened to crush him, and he wasn't sure if he was going to cry, throw up, or scream with elation. His knees tried to buckle, but he held himself up with all of his strength, and he dared not look at Eren's face, knowing he'd be unable to handle how raw, vulnerable and afraid he must have looked. Indeed, Eren's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and he felt nauseous. Things were silent for a moment between them as the tension between them drew tauter and tauter, like a noose being pulled around their necks.

"Levi, please say something," he rasped.

The older man's shoulders shook, tears pattering onto the hardwood floor beneath his feet. His voice was thick when he finally replied, "I hoped- but I was so scared, still am, so scared I can't breathe. You're so…and I'm, well- Eren I've never"- he gripped his hair, and finally looked up at the younger man with desperation clouding his grey eyes, looking more helpless than Eren had ever seen him before. His chest only felt tighter when Levi wheezed out a single simple yet terribly loaded question, so softly that Eren had to strain his ears to hear it:

"What do I do?"

This was it. He was looking for an answer to the biggest question that had plagued him his entire life. Not only what he should do next in that moment, but what should he do about these feelings he had carried for so long? Should he continue to fight them, or give in? What should he listen to, his heart or his head? Like Eren knew the answer to that. But Levi looked like he would shatter if he didn't say something, or worse, if he lied to him. So he said the only thing that came to mind, and he meant it wholeheartedly.

"Whatever you want."

Such a simple, yet loaded statement, because Eren meant both to do whatever Levi wished right then with him, and that he was indeed free to do whatever he liked from now on because he no longer had the influence of his parents dictating what he should and shouldn't be doing. Levi was his own person, and if he wanted to sin, then that was his choice. Even though Eren had no idea what was so sinful about loving another person with your whole heart and soul and wanting to see them as happy as you could possibly make them.

He stood there in front of Levi, solid and unyielding, his eyes intense as they bored into the other man's, pleading hard for him to make his decision. And Levi was caught in his gaze like he was under a spell, unmoving. The two of them could hardly breathe, the air in the room was so heavy.

But Levi remained frozen, too wracked with indecision, unable to think. So slowly, bit by bit, Eren began lean forward, watching Levi's reaction every second, eyes flickering from those pink lips to his eyes and back again. If there was even the slightest sign that he should back off, he would. But Levi held his ground, lips parted as he began to breathe faster, eyelids falling to half-mast. The closer Eren drew, the pinker Levi's cheeks became, the redder and more enticing his lips appeared, and the louder his panting became. Eren's heart was pounding so hard that it was painful, and oh heavens, had Levi's eyelashes always been that long? He was beyond any beauty that Eren could ever hope to conjure on his canvas, porcelain perfection in this grey, bleak city. He was Eren's Doll, his muse, his inspiration to make something more out of himself than he was, and his reason to smile every day. His own personal fairytale come to life.

All he had to do was break out of the dark woods of his own fears and gently claim his beautifully shy, shining treasure, if he would allow it.

So, finally, finally, Eren took that final leap, and let his eyes fall shut, tenderly pressing his lips against Levi's.

Levi went rigid. Couldn't breathe as his lungs seized. And then his eyes slipped closed as well, his mind going blank and his ears ringing. His heart stuttered, his neck prickled, and his thoughts slowed until they melted together into one syrupy, incomprehensible mass. This is what we've always wanted, his thoughts screamed. See how right it feels? See how you quake and shiver for this boy, how hot you burn and yet how cold your bones feel? This is love, and lust, and everything your body and heart have always wanted. Give in, let go.

No! his fear snarled, cutting through the warm bliss. He couldn't do this, this was wrong, shameful. This was illegal, and if his neighbors heard, they would call the police on him. He was sick, twisted, going to Hell. Levi ripped himself away from Eren with a gasp, eyes snapping open and looking like he had seen a ghost. He stumbled backwards, breathing heavily, holding himself to calm the shivers that skittered over his skin. Warmth had begun to pool low in his abdomen, traitorous, potent desire so unfamiliar and yet beyond anything he had ever felt in his dreams making itself known. He paced, distressed and torn, whimpering and squeezing his eyes shut, unsure of what he should do. Once again, his mind waged war with itself, What Is Right battling What I Desire, the two tearing each other into a bloody mess.

Eren could only watch helplessly, wishing he could comfort him but holding himself back. It was the moment of truth, and whatever happened next would have to up to Levi. The nerves nearly made the boy vomit as he watched to see which side of the other man would emerge victorious, and what kind of person would rise out of the wreckage.

Levi fixed him with a tense, wide-eyed stare, finally stopping his pacing. He stared at Eren for a moment, his eyes shining and darkening with thousands of wonderful and terrible emotions, before he stomped purposefully back over to him. Eren stayed in place, preparing for the worst, preparing for the words that would send him out the door and out of Levi's life for good.

But instead, the older man grabbed him by his vest and yanked him back down, and Eren only got a glimpse of his wet, desperate eyes before, with a whimper from Levi, their lips were smashed back together. Levi was tired of fighting his feelings, so utterly exhausted and beaten from doing so, that much like a warrior at the end of the battle, he was too weak to continue to do so. The kiss was brutal, bruising and frenzied, teeth clacking, bodies pressing together closer and closer as Levi took hold of his head and refused to let him go. He was sobbing around their kisses, having no idea what he was doing but knowing that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop. Eren responded, crushing Levi's body to his, holding him around his waist and knocking the wind out of them both, kissing back with just as much passion and fervor. For Levi, eleven years of repressed tension and desire for the same sex were pouring out of him in one glorious moment. His lips were tingling, his body was burning, and a sort of mania born from years of repression made it so that he was incapable of doing anything but kiss Eren with everything he had or he felt he would die. That lust he often felt in his dreams flared to life, scorching his veins and settling heavily between his legs. He felt Eren stroke down his back, lower and lower until he was cupping his rear, and without any prompting he pressed their pelvises together, grinding them like in his dream, and Levi gasped into the kiss, face flaming hot. His knees buckled, and if Eren hadn't been holding him he would have collapsed. He hung off the boy's neck, wanting and consumed and wracked by feelings he didn't fully understand because he had never experienced before. Lust was so much more powerful than he had ever imagined it could be, and with his cock throbbing and core shivering with sweet, newborn passion, he tore his lips away from Eren's and began kissing down his jaw and neck, panting heavily between kisses, whimpering and whining pathetically.

When Eren felt his lips on his neck, that seemed to snap him out of it, though it was a gradual process. He sucked in a breath, eyes still shut, lips parted in bliss as he felt Levi lick and nibble his way down the sensitive skin, feeling his damp breath against it. The shorter man's hands were caressing his chest, and he could feel him trembling in his arms. But they couldn't go any further than this; whatever was burning through Levi's body was most likely the result of lack of experience, receiving his first kiss awakening his libido harshly and fully. As much as he didn't want to, Eren began to push him away.

"Levi," he tried to say firmly, but it came out more like a groan, an encouragement for him to keep going. More resolutely, but gently, he repeated, "Levi. That's enough for now."

When Levi snapped out of his daze and met the boy's eyes, oh, the utterly debauched expression on his pretty face made Eren shoot so hard in his trousers so suddenly he thought he might faint. He was breathing hard, face red, eyes heavy with unshed tears, and saliva shining on his lips, a trail sneaking down the side of his lip. He was still gripping Eren hard, using him to hold himself up, trembling like a leaf in the wind. He looked broken in a precious way, like he was adrift and Eren was the only thing holding him together. It was glorious, but also heartbreaking. He was clearly aroused, but frightened by it, his whines sounding more like sobs again, and the boy pulled him close, feeling Levi bury his face in his shoulder.

"Shh, darling, it's alright," he said softly, holding the back of his head. "I know, I know. Easy, precious. Calm down now. I know you're scared and overwhelmed. That's how I was when I had my first kiss with a man too. Just breathe for a minute."

Levi did as he was asked, remaining in Eren's arms and breathing him in, letting his scent calm him down. After several minutes, when his breath came easier and lighter, the boy finally dared to back up enough so that he could see his face, holding it in his hands. His eyes were less clouded now, but at least he didn't look like he was going to bolt. His hands remained on Eren's chest, palms warm and firm.

"So I can take this to mean you share my feelings?" the younger man asked wryly. Levi huffed and pouted adorably.

"What was your first clue, Sherlock," he grumbled.

Eren snorted, and then brushed some of his mussed hair behind his ears. Levi felt chills run along down his neck and back when he felt his nails scratch lightly behind his ears, his skin extra sensitive to any small touch from Eren after going years without any touch at all. The boy then chanced to ask, "Does this also mean you wouldn't mind if I courted you? I promise to treasure you and give you every happiness that I'm able."

Levi sighed, leaning into one of Eren's palms. He then replied hesitantly after a moment, "I know you would…I'm just still scared. What if someone finds out? And I still hate myself for feeling this way, but…I'm tired of denying what I feel for you, or the fact that I've felt this way about men since I was a boy. It's wrong, but I can't fight anymore, Eren. I'm too weak."

"Absolutely not," Eren denied vehemently. "You're one of the strongest people I know. You're making the decision to be yourself despite what society says is right. I admire you so much for that because I've seen friends kill themselves because they couldn't bear it. You're still here and breathing. That's a miracle."

Levi shook his head. "No. I'm here because of you. I made this decision because I guess I figured I care about you more than I fear the repercussions. You're a persuasive man, Eren. As beautiful and vibrant as princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty." He squeezed him a little tighter, adding, "My Aurora."

Eren laughed, and held him back just as tightly, agreeing. "Yes, yours. Yours for as long as you'll have me."