CHAPTER TWENTY

It was seven at night, but he could've sworn it was three in the morning. What a day. Training had started at noon, and so did the ass-kicking. The three-hour workout had been brutal. Running laps. Jujitsu. Hand-to-hand weapons training, including an introduction to nunchakus, or nunchucks.

Those two wooden sticks connected by a chain were a nightmare for him, but he wasn't about to give up. Levi had already left and Eren had insisted on staying down in the basement.

He started spinning them again slowly at his side, the whirling sound oddly relaxing. Gradually increasing the velocity, he set them flying at a clip and then switched them to his left. Took them back. Again and again, until the sweat was once more coming out on his skin. Again and again and -

Ah, damn it!

He clonked the shit out of himself. Right on the head. The blow made him weak in the knees, and after fighting the sag for a moment, he let himself sink down. Bracing himself with his arm, he put a hand to his left temple. Stars. Definitely seeing stars.

In the midst of all his blinking, soft laughter drifted up from behind him.

Mikasa was coming at him, hiding a smile behind one of her hands.

"What are you doing there, Eren? Since when do you have a thing for these kind of instruments?"

"Laugh all you want, but if I keep this up, I'll surpass you in no time," Eren said playfully. Mikasa giggled some more and moved behind Eren, taking his hands in her own. "We'll see, brother. But I won't bet on it if you keep doing it like this. See, the trick is to get a feeling for the spins. Before you start doing artistic turns that'll only make your head bleed, you should stick with just spinning them until you get it. Don't haste."

Sounds familiar. "That's what Levi said as well."

Mikasa backed away from him, and a strange tone mingled in her voice. "Levi."
Eren turned around to look at his sister. It was still a mystery to him why Mikasa seemed to think so little of his teacher. He knew, they used to work out down together for quite some time now, and he'd guessed that Mikasa had already gotten used to the man. But now that they were talking about him, Eren seemed to be wrong.

"Yes, Levi... Say, Mikasa, what's your problem with him? Is he bullying you when no one's watching or what is it?" Though he seriously doubted, his sister would be affected by something like that.

"No, of course not. It's not that I have a problem with him, rather than with the two of you." Eren gave her a questioning look. "I don't know, the way he looks at you feels strange. Almost as if he wants to devour you."

Eren tried to will down the blush he felt making its way onto his cheeks, but wasn't sure if he succeeded.

"But you seemed suspicious of him even before he and I started hanging out."

Mikasa hesitated, obviously looking for the right words. "I just don't want him to hurt you."

"How could he hurt me? It's his job to keep us safe, remember?"

"I don't mean in a physical way, Eren."

Trying to play dumb, he said: "W-what are you even talking about? It's not like we're dating or something." Yep, he definitely had lost the battle with his blushing cheeks by now.

Mikasa looked at him worriedly. "Just be careful, okay? I care too much about you to see you hurt."

Before Eren could counter with anything, his sister already headed for the door.

Was it really that obvious what was going down between him and Levi? He couldn't believe that Levi was actually looking at him the way Mikasa said. If anything, it was him who looked like he wanted to lick Levi from head-to-toe. He doubted, he had any effect on the older man at all. Since the first time they kissed in the living room, Levi always seemed out of it when they were making out. Eren almost thought that he had lost interest in him already, but just didn't know how to tell him. And Eren was too scared to ask, because then it might be over even quicker.

He decided to call it a night, put away the nunchucks and went up the stairs.

On the ground floor, he looked outside the window. The night was the color of a dove, the stars faded by a thin saturation of clouds that was backlit by a full moon. According to the calendar spring was coming, but it was just in theory, if you went by the landscape. The fountain in front of the mansion remained out of commission for the winter, empty and waiting to be refilled. He went to the large double-door that lead to the backyards and stepped into the cold night.

To his left a few trees were like black skeletons reaching to the sky, pleading with their bony arms for the sun to return and get stronger. Snow lingered on the lawns, stubbornly hanging in over ground that was still frozen solid.

The compound's security wall was off in the distance, a twenty-foot-tall, three-foot thick bulwark that encircled the property. The thing was strung with security cameras and motion detectors, a good soldier packing a shitload of ammo. But all that was just small potatoes, really. The true keep-out was the 120 volts of electrical charge that ran across the top in curls of barbed wire.

Safety first. Always.

Funny, how this explained the stoic raven's presence, and at the same time, it did not.

It's been over two months by now and no other word from the mysterious threat. As much as he'd been against the stranger in his home, he was glad about his father's actions now. It still felt silly and unreasonable to him, but at least he was gaining some sort of profit from it.

The wind held a cheek-slapping chill as he walked over to the right, the pebbles of the courtyard shifting under his shoes.

Since their last incident in the gym, the training might have had continued, but Levi was once again on distance to him. They talked normally, sometimes they ate together with his family. But other than setting times for their lessons, Levi didn't looked out for his company.

Eren followed down the snow-patched lawn, passing flattened down flower beds and the swimming pool in the back. The wind smelled like earth and cold air, a combination that made the inside of his nose tingle.

He wondered if he could make Levi sleep with him as long as he didn't find the courage to tell him, he wasn't interested anymore. It would be nothing but a pity-fuck, and Eren knew it. But he would take it. He would take everything, the man was willing to give him.

Up in his room, Levi sat on his bed and wondered if Eren was ever going to sleep in his bed again. It had only been a few nights, but he felt like missing the warmth against his body already. Strange how fast the mind adapted to some things.

He stood up to get into his bathroom, when he passed the window and noticed a movement in the courtyard. He stopped in his tracks and saw the brat walking in the chilly night with his sweat-soaked training clothes still on him. Anger crawled up his chest. He went for the handles and opened the window wide, leaning outside.

"You sure want to fuck with you heath, don't you?" he barked at the boy who turned around and looked up with a puzzled expression. Their eyes met. "Get your ass up here or I will do it for you," Levi threatened.

He watched the boy stumbling back into the mansion and a few moments later, Levi smelled him through the door before he even knocked. "Come in already."

The brat opened the door and stepped inside before a level A shudder rattled through his body.

"So fucking reckless."

Levi walked up to him and grabbed Eren by the hand, pulling him towards the bathroom. "Since when was I degraded to a stupid babysitter, I wonder," Levi said as they stood next to the shower and reached for Eren's shirt.

Except his hands didn't make it. They were caught by a pair of cold palms, and Levi lifted his gaze to the boy's eyes. He stared into a face that was unreadable. And didn't like that at all. Even the kid's scent didn't tell him anything this time. "What's up, brat?"

As if returning to himself from God knows where, Eren's expression softened and his cheeks heated up, becoming pink. He still wasn't saying anything though. "Come on, spit it. What's on that useless little head of yours?"

The brunette squirmed a bit as his blush intensified and the scent of his arousal flared up. "I- I was wondering… I want…," he stuttered, then squeezed his eyes shut before blurting out a bit louder: "I want to sleep with you!"

It was almost adorable that the brat did make such a fuss about something Levi knew all along. But he couldn't really focus on the cute brunette in front of him when what he was saying meant risk for him as well. He was more than tempted to give Eren what he asked for, if he didn't fear for the effect the kid had on him. Only the thought of being with him like that made his body hum in a dangerous way, and he felt the tips of his teeth tingle.

"You reek of sweat. There's no way I am going to sleep in the same bed with you like that. Take a shower and we'll see what we can do about this. And do it properly." He reached inside the cabin and turned on the hot water before he headed out the room, closing the door behind him.

Maybe there was a way he could satisfy the brat for now without getting into too dangerous territory. Walking through the room, Levi listened to the sounds on the other side of the door as he waited for the brat to finish.

He could make this just about him.

He felt good today. The hum was definitely there, but it felt controllable. He could do this. He had fed earlier that day. And last time he managed somehow as well.

Twenty minutes later, the door opened and a cloud of hot steam curled into the room. Eren had switched into one of the robes that always hang on the bathroom's wall and shyly walked out of the doorframe.

Levi's eyes followed him as he moved around the room, circling him, getting closer. He forced his face to relax, kept his breathing even, made his body still while Eren would find the guts to engage him. When he hadn't made much of a progress five minutes later and Levi was sure, he had himself under control completely, he said: "Sit down in the armchair."

Eren did as he was told and placed his ass on the leather-clad cushion. Levi got to his feet and approached him, sensing that he was already getting hotter.

He stopped in front of the brunette and looked down at him. "You sure, you want this?"

Eren nodded and chewed at his lower lip, averting his eyes to the ground.

"Alright." Levi slid his fingers through the thickness of brown hair, combing it back down the other's nape, before caressing them along his jawline. He grabbed Eren's chin and lifted it up to pull that delicious mouth up to his own.

He kissed him soft at the beginning, just to keep him distracted as he reached for the knot of his robe to open it. Knowing that Eren wasn't as confident as he pretended to be, Levi figured he would feel less ashamed if he wasn't looking at him directly. It'd also solve one of his own problems.

He kissed his way from the brat's full lips down his jawline and to the cradle of his neck. As he felt his pulse against his lips, Levi realized that this probably wasn't the best place to stay if he didn't want to lose it. So he just kept hovering above the brunette so that his face was hidden even if Eren would turn around.

"Put your feet up."

It was a relief to hear the bathroom door shut, and after his shower he spent even longer than he usually did, brushing his teeth and flossing and using the toilet. When he started to rearrange the Q-tips and the Motrin in the medicine cabinet, he knew he had to go back out. He opened the door.

Levi was right where he'd expected him, all the way over on the edge of the bed, facing him with his eyes open.

As he came across the room, he wished he'd stop looking at him. He felt like he was fainting in a couple of moments due to the blood rushing in his ears, so nervous was he. Trying to prolong the time until the final crash, he wandered from one corner of the room to the other, thinking about anything else than what was happening right now. He remembered himself talking to Armin the other morning. It was the day after his date, and he was teasing Armin about his date, even though he really was curious how it went. The blonde had told him that they had eaten in a fancy French cuisine restaurant and then went for a walk along a nearby river. He hadn't needed his conversation starters, which he had written down in the car on the way to her despite Eren's dissuasion. Armin said, he had felt like the last fool on earth for most of the evening, but yet he had so much to tell that Eren knew, his buddy had had a great time. From what he said, he hadn't done so badly, which was probably also the reason that Krista kissed him goodbye on the cheek in the end. The look on his friend's face was just adorable as he let this little information slip.

As Eren tried imagining what Armin might look like when he is kissing someone, he bumped into the corner of some table, noticing that he'd spaced out a little too much. Refraining from rubbing his hip bone, Eren refocused on the present. Levi still hadn't moved an inch, but he was no longer looking at him. As Eren started to worry that he had screwed up before it even started, he heard Levi say: "Sit down in the armchair."

Following his instructions, he walked over to the brown leather-clad piece of furniture and sat down.

Levi was now the one on his feet, and Eren could feel his full body flushing as the man came closer to him, step after step and with the suppleness of a black panther before stopping right next to his toes. Even those metal eyes reminded him of a predatory cat as they looked down on him. "You sure, you want this?"

Oh God, Eren didn't know anymore if he was seriously ready for this. Hell, by the way those eyes were piercing him, he wasn't even sure if he was going to live this through.

Unable to say a single word thanks to the big knot in his throat, he nodded his head.

"Alright," he heard Levi say before he felt a pair of cold digits running through his hair. They went down to his neckline, then along his jaw, leaving his skin tickling everywhere they touched, before Eren felt his chin being pushed up. As he felt Levi's soft lips caressing his own, he instantly melted under his touch. Their contact was so gentle, it gave him goosebumps along his spine despite the rising heat that was rushing throughout his body.

When the raven finally pushed his tongue into his mouth, the caresses of their lips soon turned into them licking and sucking at each other. Eren started panting, and when he pulled back to get some air into his lungs, Levi's lips traveled to his jawline and further down to the cradle of his neck.

He felt the raven's mouth closing over his erratic pulse, before he heard him giving another command. "Put your feet up."

Eren placed the soles of his feet on the cold leather, and suddenly felt way too exposed in this new position. He had almost forgotten how very naked he was under the robe he was wearing and now even its knot had become undone. His knees were up by his chest and the silken fabric fell around his sides, leaving his whole front uncovered. He was relieved that Levi wasn't openly staring at him, otherwise he would feel way too uncomfortable to stick with his plan. God, tonight it would finally happen.

Unsure where he had to put his hands, he reached around the other man's neck and placed his lips in the cradle of the shoulder in front of him. Eren shivered at the sensation he felt crawling through his stomach while pale digits blazed a trail along his chest. The moan he released vibrated along the other man's skin. Any remaining type of doubt was shattered when those fingertips encountered his nipple. Eren sucked in a breath, which caused a delicious suction along the other's neck and filled his mouth with the taste of that heavenly skin. He shuddered against those fingers before arching into the touch, no longer caring what the logical side of him said. All he knew was the moan that slipped him and the sudden rolling of his hips. A hand grabbed his chin, pulling him from the location on the raven's neck to glue their lips together. Eren was choking from the lack of air or the feeling of those digits blazing trails across his pecs, he wasn't sure. He didn't care. He couldn't breathe because of Levi, and that was all that mattered to accept the suffocation and continue to kiss him back. Eren released one of Levi's shoulders, placing the hand on the other man's still clothed chest and marvelled at how the muscles twitched underneath his palm. He hissed into the kiss when he went lower and one of his fingertips slipped underneath the hem of Levi's shirt. Feeling bare skin almost as hot as his own, he couldn't seem to catch his breath or get enough of him. His hands felt like fire, burning over every part he touched. He aimed even lower on Levi's body, but when his fingertips brushed over the button of the man's dark blue jeans, a hand grabbed him, stopping his action before he reached for his goal.

"Ahh..." The unexpected touch made Eren moan into the other's mouth, and continue to shiver against the other hand that was wreaking havoc on his body. If he thought last time had been arousing, he was completely out of his mind now. His body was pulsing in need, and Levi's smooth palms seemed to only edge on the flames. The grip on his hand loosened and Eren spread it along the other's stomach. Those abs were jerking as if Levi was restraining from thrusting his hips, and Eren could faintly feel the heavily beating heart just above his fingertips. He jerked back from Levi's mouth when he felt a sharp tweak on one of his nipples, but the only noise that left his parted lips was a grunt. He dipped his head backwards at the strong sensation fluttering over his skin.

"Tell me when to stop, brat." He heard the man above him say, throwing Eren a bit off before he captured his mouth again, bringing forth a weak groan when he nipped his lower lip. Fingers ran along the muscles of his stomach, making it extremely hard to focus on anything other than the burning sensation that was returning full force.

His skin seemed extra sensitive when those fingertips drippled along the expanse of his exposed abs. Eren convulsed into the touch, wanting to press harder against these digits.

Parting once more, he swallowed shakily, his lips seperated for no reason than to keep his airways open. He could feel his legs trembling, and he nearly saw white when the overly sensitive skin of his shaft was suddenly brushed. He felt pathetic at the cry he let out, his entire body jerking off of the chair. The touch was so soft, too soft, and his body was shamelessly seeking more. The pressure danced over his cock again, creating a slow stroking rhythm that had his spine nearly snapped in half. He huffed out heavy gasps of air, trying to cool his overheating body. But the stimulating strokes were only raising the temperature of his sweltering skin, starting to make his forehead sweat.

And when those sinful fingers finally closed all around his blistering hot skin, Eren shouted. Levi's hand was ruthless and skilled while it rolled his arousal through his fingers, coxing Eren's body to arch even higher than before. Nimble fingers swiped over the tip of his cock which leaked with pre-cum. Eren's mouth became worthless, and he wouldn't be able to tell him to stop even if he wanted to. Hell, he couldn't even tell him to keep going.

But all of a sudden, those sinfully good feelings got replaced. Eren's eyes flew open as one slippery fingertip encircled the tight ring of muscles below his balls, and his body tensed up as that tip pushed through it, entering him. He gasped and bit into Levi's shoulder to keep from yelling out as the finger got pulled out of him and was pushed back inside in one smooth motion. His body pulsed against the intrusion, his muscles drawing up tight and squeezing.

"Relax, Eren," the raven's voice purred into his ear as he pulled out of him once more. "And you will enjoy this."
Eren bit back his retort, because he knew Levi was right. He knew, this was going to be part of it.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to force his body to relax, to be still. He tried to think of the lips against his pulse, of the other hand that kept stroking up and down his still halfway stiff member, trying to overwrite the strange feeling down below. When his body finally somehow accepted the weird feeling after a few more pushes and pulls, the pressure increased again and it seemed as if Levi was stretching him even wider than before. There were two fingers inside of him now, opening like scissors as they moved within him.

As much as Eren tried to relax and get used to it, the unpleasantly feeling wasn't fading. It didn't hurt, but it was far from feeling arousing.
When he started worrying how much worse it might get until the final act, Levi added a third finger, slowly injecting them in and out. Caught between the divine touches on his dick and the uncomfortable and now even a bit painful ones below, he feared that the latter was gaining the upper hand. Just as Eren felt Levi driving his fingers all the way into him at a slightly higher tempo and stretching him to the point of tearing, another sensation joined in his confusion. That… felt… good...

"Faster," he breathed into the hot air.

A questioning sound made it back to his ears, so he whispered again: "Please… do that faster…"

He didn't need to ask again. Levi was picking up the speed of his thrusts as the hand on his member kept pace with the other one.

This feels different… oh God, this is better…

Completely overwhelmed and unsure about what he should concentrate on, Eren started panting again, moaning against the man's skin as Levi's hand reignited the arousal that now rushed through his veins like blood. Eren swore when the blistering pleasure coiled with a feeling of pain and awkwardness. As the sensations became almost too much, Eren turned his head and ground his teeth together to keep from crying out loud. He felt Levi licking at his throat as he pumped his fingers in and out of his ass, hammering him deeper into the chair. His other hand continued gliding across his erection, pulling and rubbing against it. With every thrust of his fingers, he seemed to sink deeper into him, moving his finger around inside of him.

Any remaining focus, however, was lost when Levi's fingers hit one special spot inside him dead-on. Eren gasped, unprepared for the onslaught of physical and emotional pleasure. It was like a high, like some drug had enhanced the feeling of those slim digits slipping against his over-sensitive skin.

"Hah...n-no..." He couldn't stop the swelling that filled his stomach, barely teetering on the edge. He shook his head hard, as if somehow it would stop the winding inside of his stomach. But Levi didn't listen to his pleadings. He flicked his wrist fast enough to have Eren's heel dig into the rug, while his fingers kept thrusting mercilessly into his body and against that bundle of nerves and it drove him to heaven. His body stretched and Eren arched his hips completely off the chair. His breathing picked up, and he was getting dizzy from how hard he was tossing his head around. "I'm - aahh - comming!"

With a tightened stroke of his hand, Levi sent his careening over the edge. Eren's body thrashed as he came, eyes flying wide open as the pleasure smashed into him like a ram. The amplified feeling of being touched by someone else sent shocks throughout his body. His fingertips tingled with bliss while Levi continued to stroke him through the orgasm. It felt unreal, an intense ecstasy that ran through him, enhanced by the constant hammering against his prostate. After what seemed like an eternity, the high was fading and his ass slowly fell back against the leather, his body sweaty while cum rolled along either side of his thighs. His heavy breathing was the only sound filling his ears, and he felt too spent to lift a limb.

He moved his gaze to the ceiling, trying to refocus. By the time he got a hold of his racing heart and his numb mind, Eren rolled his head to the side to watch silently as Levi tugged his shirt back in his jeans. He ran one hand through his hair before looking back at him, almost glaring.

"What?", was all he said.

Eren wanted to answer with a counter question, but when he tried, his voice still wasn't back on call. He coughed slightly before giving it another shot.

"What are you doing?" he somehow managed as Levi headed for the bathroom.

Without stopping, he replied: "Getting ready for bed."

"But we haven't… you didn't..."

A moment later, the raven came back, a toothbrush between his lips. "Whwat?"

Eren couldn't help but find of the otherwise so stoic man standing in front of him with his toothbrush between his teeth somewhat adorable. Seeing him like this made him feel like he had pushed down another one of his barriers.

Meeting the other's eyes straight on, Eren said: "What about you?"

But instead of answering him, Levi went back into the bath, and Eren heard the sink's tap running. Coming back again, Levi walked up to him, offering a wet towel.

"No need to hurry. We've got plenty of time. Let's get to bed for now."

Feeling a very different kind of warmth spreading through his stomach than just mere moments ago, Eren took the towel, wondering what is was for before he noticed that he was still very naked and stained with his own cum.

He wiped himself clean, and when he looked up again, Levi was still standing there, this time offering him his hand.

Without hesitation, Eren gladly took it since he guessed he might be a bit wobbly on his feet.

He was right.

And the hand only helped so much as they guided him back into the chair when his legs denied him their services.

Looking up at Levi entirely helpless, Eren saw the other man sigh.

But then something unthinkable happened…

Levi smirked at him.

A mouth-closed, one-sided, cardiac arrest-causing smirk .

"If that's all it takes for you to not be able to walk anymore, you're not going to survive me actually fucking you."

Eren's jaw dropped to the ground, and he sat there completely dumbfounded.

Before he knew what happened, he felt an arm sliding under his knees and another one behind his back. As he was pushed against Levi's chest and carried to the bed, Eren thought how easy it was to forget about his unnatural strength because of his height. But damn, if it wasn't sexy. Blushing like a princess and also feeling like one thanks to the robe hanging on his body like a gown, and even more so when Levi laid him on the cool sheets of his bed, Eren wondered if what Levi said was actually true. If they really would have enough time. He just hoped, they would.

When he felt the exhausting claiming his body, he closed his eyes and slipped under the covers. Even though it was already black behind his eyelids, Eren could still tell when Levi shut off the last light in the room. He felt the raven's body slide into the warmth of the sheets, and he wanted to curse at how easily his muscles relaxed. Like they were waiting for him or something. Sleep crept through him, but not quick enough for his mind to ignore the soft skin gliding along his hip to capture his body into a hold.

The only thing he did was sigh before completely succumbing to his slumber.