Takes place in chapters 24 and 25 of the main story.

Chapter 5: Of Devotion and Control

"I didn't think you'd be back from the capital so soon." Hands in his pockets, Levi leaned against the door of Erwin's office, frowning at the commander sitting behind his desk. "Will that drunk old man be enough to keep the Assembly in check?"

Erwin was sorting through stacks of documents with awkward motions of his remaining arm. "If you mean Pyxis, I suppose it will be fine. Zackly might have… worrisome tendencies, but he seems quite content with the current situation." He paused with a piece of paper in hand, considering Levi with a shrewd look. "Though I'm guessing you're not here to ask me about politics, am I right?"

The hands in his pockets clenched into fists for a moment. Coming here had probably been a bad idea; Levi still hadn't decided how to best approach the subject weighing on his mind. "That's right," he admitted, his tone casual. "Maybe I'm just here to inquire about your bowel movements. Y'know, after all that stress, I'm wondering if you even had the time to take a nice shit, lately."

Well, that was pretty much all he had in terms of stalling for time, and Erwin did not seem impressed. His heavy brows drew together. "Out with it, Levi."

"That's what I've been meaning to say to you."

Impatience was written all over Erwin's face. "As you just pointed out, I'm quite busy these days. We all are. So do me a favour and say what you've come to say."

Dammit. The man was as humourless as a stone, and exactly as easily distracted. A few seconds passed before Levi finally asked what he'd come here to ask. "What was that about, earlier?"

"You'll have to be more specific." And there was that calculating look Levi hated so much in his commander's eyes again.

Now Levi's patience was the one being tested. "Don't mess with me."

Erwin's brows lifted. "Do you mean my discussion with Nora after lunch?"

"What else?" Levi could already hear his own annoyance in his voice—always a bad sign.

"You could ask her."

Yeah, right. That would be even more useless and tedious than this conversation. "Well, I'm asking you, so spit it out already." He scowled.

"If you insist…" Erwin was watching him as he spoke, blue eyes glinting. "I offered her a position as a squad leader."

There was a distinct sinking sensation in Levi's chest. He was silent for a beat too long.

"Oh." Well, of course. Why the hell was he so… shocked? Nora was the logical choice, and sure to watch over the brats she commanded carefully.

But who'd keep an eye on her, then?

When she was taken from him, he'd probably not even be there. And he sure as hell wouldn't be able to do a damn thing.

Levi focused on his indignation, doing his best to ignore the rising panic, the frantic beat of his heart. "And you couldn't have mentioned this briefly to me first—"

"This concerns Nora first and foremost." Erwin's frown turned bemused. "And now I'm wondering if I am going to have the same conversation twice."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It does not matter. She declined."

"What?" That threw him off. Levi didn't even try to keep the surprise from his face. "Why would a stubborn brat like her pass on that opportunity?"

He really did not like it one bit when that scheming look Erwin sometimes got was directed at him. "You're rather fond of her, right, Levi?"

He felt his expression freeze up, together with his chest. Part of him wanted to laugh, a bigger part wanted to punch something. He did neither, of course, remaining still as a statue against the door in his back. "What kind of shitty question is that? She's a member of my squad." Levi's voice was flat. Usually, his inexpressive demeanour served him well in situations like this. He was quite sure he couldn't fool Erwin, though.

The perceptive man gave a short nod, as if he had his suspicions confirmed. "And because you're so fond of her, and she seems to return these affections, I would have thought you wouldn't want to hold her back."

The words whirled around in Levi's head, stirring his blood. What the fuck was Erwin supposed to know about Nora's… affections? The woman was about as communicative as Levi on his better days, maybe. And to top it off with that ridiculous accusation… She'd be the very last person he'd want to hold back.

He glared at Erwin. "I've just about had it with your bullshit. I'm not holding anyone back." With his temper flaring hot in his chest, his voice had grown colder.

The commander was unimpressed by his wrath, going on as if Levi hadn't even spoken. "It's none of my business what you two are doing in your free time—"

"Damn right it's not—"

"That said, it would be quite unfortunate if it interfered with your duties in the Survey Corps—and her ambitions," Erwin said, his voice as factual and calm as his expression.

Levi could hear the drum of his pulse in his ears, gritting his teeth so tightly it hurt his jaw. He remembered too well the last time he'd been so angry, and once again, it was his own damn fault, and hers.

That stupid, stubborn, shitty brat.

"Tsk." He gave his commander a last, scathing look before turning on his heel and striding out.

Oh, he'd give her an earful. And fix this fucking mess she'd dragged him into.

To hell with Erwin and his assumptions.

#

Confronting Nora didn't go as Levi had planned.

It never did.

She did not relent, did not want the position; no matter what he said, no matter how he provoked and challenged her. When she asked him if he wanted her out of his squad, she looked genuinely hurt, and even though she was being ridiculous again, he felt bad.

"I know your dream, and I'll be damned if I let you pass something like that up because of… me," Levi said, disbelief and disgust colouring his voice.

Nora neither confirmed nor denied it. But she stepped closer, telling him she was exactly where she wanted to be, her heated gaze on his face.

His brain stopped working properly. "I don't understand," he said, and it felt like a lie. He couldn't bring himself to believe it, despite the implications in her eyes, her body language, the things she said and didn't say.

And yet, he saw.

He was deep in shit, yes, but maybe she was, too.

#

The instant he kissed her, Levi knew he wouldn't stop until he'd had all of her.

As soon as he had Nora pinned beneath him on his bed, he forced himself to slow down, to make the most out of every second he could touch her like this, had her surrendering herself to him completely.

Her reactions to him were like a dream. He let his mouth run its course, once again, not even caring, this time, while he took his sweet time tasting, prodding and teasing her. His words, his touches and kisses—his smell, even, according to her—seemed to drive her out of her mind, same as she did to him, and seeing and hearing and knowing this heightened his need to unbearable measures.

That was a particular kind of torture he could find immense enjoyment in.

Still, Levi had never been a patient man, and he had her naked soon enough—every inch of that perfect body laying exposed before him, for him to explore to his heart's content. At least, Nora seemed far from complaining—that was, until she realised exactly where his mouth was headed, and she was being ridiculous again.

Levi really, really wanted to taste her, so he told her to shut up, and did.

Fuck, but he'd never enjoyed eating out a woman so much.

It wasn't until he had reduced her to a trembling, whimpering, delicious mess that he felt like pulling away—and only because having her come undone on his tongue had robbed him of the last bit of his patience.

Being inside her, finally, was a thousand times better than he could ever have imagined. And he had imagined it quite a lot, had been sure it would stand without comparison. Yet, his fantasies couldn't hold a candle to the real deal.

She was hot and tight and perfect beneath him, and he was surrounded by her voice, her scent, the feel of her; every inch of him filled with the maddening, mind-numbing knowledge that it was her. That it was Nora moaning softly into his ear, and her arms wrapping around him as if she'd never want to let go, and her fingers digging into his back.

He'd been going in slowly, so slowly, or it would have been over before it even began. And he still wasn't ready to move, was fighting hard to restrain himself. That she clenched around him, seeming as far gone as him, did not help; he was cursing and breathing through the tension, the intensity of it all.

When he trusted himself enough to start moving, he was only distantly aware of his hand holding onto the soft skin at Nora's hip, only distantly aware he'd buried his fingers in that hair that drove him as crazy as the rest of her; he was more occupied with the noises she made, the way she touched him, held him. Fuck, but the way she felt around him, so hot and wet. Overwhelmed by the flood of sensations threatening to pull him under, he was struggling to hold onto the very last shred of his control, struggling with every slide and every delicious thrust.

It didn't nearly last long enough.

They egged each other on, too lost in the immense pleasure to hold back any longer. As soon as she came apart around him, his own inevitable release overtook him, their movements unrestrained and almost violent as they rode it out together.

Relinquishing all control.

They remained connected, afterwards, skin to skin, and for once Levi didn't mind the sweat or other bodily fluids, with her hand stroking through his hair—his scalp tingling pleasantly—and him breathing in Nora's scent, his face nestled into the crook of her neck.

They could clean up later.

When she did say something, at last, commenting on their latest activities, there was humour in her soft voice. And in his, as he answered. He grew serious when she asked him to come up with a suitable description for this, and all he could do was look at her face; her eyes wary and expectant, but still glinting with amusement.

This had been, without a doubt, the best moment of his whole damn life.

"This was better than tea," he told her, and her answering giggle went right under his skin.

#

He had left a fucking handprint on her hip.

Not to mention the bite mark on her shoulder.

Levi never, never lost control over his strength. His body was a perfectly honed tool, obeying his commands; every movement precise and deliberate. It seemed like an extension of his mind, sometimes. He always knew exactly what to do, and that he could.

That was, apparently, until Nora got too close. It was bad enough he frequently lost control over his head and his mouth, but an entirely different calibre if his usually dead reliable body betrayed him like that—and he hadn't even noticed, for fuck's sake. Probably because he'd been too occupied with… well, everything else, and desperately trying to prevent everything else from ending too soon.

He'd had sex, in the past, and this—this utter loss of control—had definitely never happened before.

It was safe to say he wasn't just a little freaked out. No; what this did to him, what she did to him, was straight-up terrifying.

And the woman responsible couldn't care less. After their shower, when Levi had discovered what he had done, Nora had only looked at the blooming bruises with mild curiosity, made her shitty jokes, then shrugged them off, together with his apology. Damn, she was so irritating.

They'd gone to bed, then, not bothering to put on clothes, and if not for his reluctance upon that rather unsettling discovery, he'd probably have fucked her again. Hell, he would have definitely fucked her again, and the way she'd watched him, the look in her eyes defiant and hot as they settled under the covers—pressing her slender, naked body to his—she would have gone right along with it.

Now, Nora was sleeping, breathing against his shoulder, one arm and leg slung over him. While the bruise in the shape of his hand was hidden beneath the blanket, the bitemark on her shoulder was unconcealed.

Taunting him, tormenting him, keeping him awake, no matter how glorious she felt in his arms.

Even so; the worst part of all this was that he couldn't find even the slightest inkling of regret in him.

AN: I hope this was... insightful.