I'm really sorry for the super long wait, and would like to give a huge thank you for sticking around. I just had so much going on these last months with school and work, but I managed to write bits and pieces of this chapter during that chaos. Now that I have some free time I glued what I had together as best as I could. So I apologize in advance for this jumbled mess. I do hope you guys enjoy it either way. Eren's POV. The song for this chapter is "Linger in my arms a little longer" By Peggy Lee


My eyes hadn't opened yet, but I knew this wasn't a dream. Only it was too perfect for it not to be a dream. Everything that happened last night was on constant replay. Over and over it kept coming back to me with perfect clarity. My skin tingled at the reminder of every touch, caress, kiss. I was afraid that if I opened my eyes I might forget something, even if it was just a tiny detail. Worse, I was terrified I'd come to realize that last night never really happened.

Then I felt a light weight wrap around my stomach and a warm body press against my back. "I know your awake." Levi's rough whisper ghosted over the back of my neck.

I shifted my stiff body so I was facing his direction. Finally opening my eyes and taking in the face of the man in front of me. His usually styled hair was flat against his forehead making him look younger. A sleepy smile stretched across the lips that had kissed me with so much passion. His liquid metal eyes devouring me just like they had last night. Everything about this man was perfect, and I had him all to myself.

He wrapped both arms around my sides pulling me in closer and spreading his palms across my lower back. My face was shoved into the crook of his neck and I didn't bother protesting. I simply snuggled in even closer than I already was. He hummed in satisfaction and began rubbing slow circles at the dip of my spine. I hadn't realized my lower body was so sore until his warm palm began lessening the pain. His assuage touches had me moaning my relief against his neck.

"How do you feel?" He asked in a tone laced with genuine concern. With my head buried into the crevice of his neck I could feel every syllable reverberate through his throat. The vibrations flowed seemed to flow throughout my entire body. I once believed his body was cold and coarse like the marble statue he closely resembled. That is until I was able to feel how soft and warm he really was. He's always managed to surprise me in one way or another.

"I think I might need a wheelchair for the rest of my life." I settled for a playful reply rather than reveal my actual discomfort.

Levi gave a light chuckle. "I'd happily push you around, but you're on your own when it comes to the stairs."

I gently shoved my fists into his chest. "Oh, what a gentleman." I replied in a mocking female voice. Levi burst into laughter and I soon followed. Hearing real laughter come from him always managed to make my heart leap. His smiles and laughter were so rare that I often found myself mentally organizing them into a list. So far they've all been a jumbled mess, I just couldn't pick a favorite. His laughter ended to quickly for my taste and soon he was looking down at me expecting the real answer to his question.

My laughter faded with his, but my smile remained in place. "Honestly, I'm so sore I don't know how I'm going to get out of bed, but I don't regret it."

One of his eyebrows rose in sync with his smirk. "Oh?" He suggested in a teasing manner.

I lifted my head and kissed him slowly. "I could never regret doing that with you?" I said against his lips.

"Doing what?" Levi asked moving one hand up my spine. Each finger softly gliding over every vertebrae before moving to the side and doing the same to my ribs. His soothing touches contradicted his teasing tone and words. All of his action managed to heat up my face into a blush that rapidly spread all over.

"L-Levi!" I exclaimed both as an answer to his mocking question and in defense to his actions. He leaned over pressing his lips to mine. The kiss was soft and chaste, nothing like the heated kisses we shared last night.

Levi was a contradiction of his own. Everyone's idea of him was one of a calloused and distant man who only knew of violence and power. I was one of the few who bared witness to his gentle and attentive nature. I praised whatever god there was that allowed me to see all the love he could offer, which I gladly accepted as my own.

Ending the small kiss I decided on ravishing him with kitten like pecks. I pulled back and sprinkled his face with a billion little kisses. I could hear a low chuckle rising in the back of his throat and quickened the pace to cover his entire face with smooches. The chuckle instantly turned into full blown laughter as he held my face still with both of his hands. Watching Levi laugh this hard was the best thing in the world. My heart beat harder with each second his laughter continued. And there it was, my favorite laugh. This moment definitely topped all the others I kept stored away.

His hands were still cupping my cheeks when I reached up and moved them over my lips. I kissed every dent and curve inside both of his palms. Glancing back up at his face I caught sight of the bedside clock behind him. Its sleek black hands indicating the time as 11:32. I really wish we could have stayed like this for a while longer, but today was too important to be wasting time.

"We should probably be getting ready." I sighed motioning towards the clock. Levi took a quick look at the time and in a split second I was lifted into the air. He had flung my over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Levi! W-what are you doing?!" I screamed at the retreating bed.

"We need to shower before doing anything else." Came Levi's monotone response. From my position I could see the room had a already been cleaned up from last nights activities. It was obvious he cleaned everything before going to sleep. God, what would I have done with this clean freak a few years ago. I used to be a huge slob until my mom fired my maid and forced me into slavery. Well it wasn't really that dramatic, but I still hated picking up after myself.

"I could've walked by myself, you know."

"Yeah, I know. You're just too slow." Levi's voice hinted at the smirk that was most likely widening. I was about to voice my own retort when I was suddenly cut short by Levi flipping me onto a standing position. The bathroom floor was freezing making me wish Levi hadn't put me down. He turned around and started messing around with the shower knobs.

From my spot I could visibly see all of the dark red lines marring his shoulders. I could feel my face burning at the realization that they were from last night. I tentatively placed my fingertips on one of the scratches. Unaware of my intention Levi had stiffened at the contact before slowly letting his muscles slacken.

"Do they hurt?" I asked running my fingers over the rest of the abrasions on his pale skin. Thankfully they weren't wounds, my nails aren't sharp enough to actually penetrate his skin. The scratches were more like bruises that would fade away in a day or two.

"Not really." Levi said as he reached over and touched the marks himself. He hummed in acknowledgment as if he didn't even know they were there until now.

Returning to his previous task he tested the temperature of the steaming water. With a little adjustment to one of the knobs Levi turned back around and began pulling at his boxers. Even though I saw him completely naked a couple of hours ago I wasn't able to stop the raging blush currently consuming my face. Trying to avoid any awkwardness I busied myself with my own boxers.

Levi had already stepped into the shower leaving the curtain open for me. There was no reason for me to be hesitant, yet I still remained in place. Standing still just staring at the water splashing against the tile. Knowing that behind the rest of the curtain was the most beautiful man being completely soaked from head to toe.

Suddenly in a quick flash a hand from behind the curtain was holding onto my wrist. I was violently pulled into the shower that my knees hit the raised tub. Ready to smack my face straight into the showers wall, I was surprised when my cheek met flesh. Looking upwards I noticed Levi still had my wrist in his right hand, while his left arm was wrapped around my waist. My face was pressed flush against his chest leaving the rest of my body acutely bent.

Embarrassed over the compromising position we were in I began stuttering unintelligible nonsense. "I-i was. . . You grabbed. . . and then me fell. . ." Levi released his hold on my wrist and reached for my chin. The gentle touch instantly stopped my rambling. I slowly straightened my posture as he lifted my face. The way he looked at me with concern made me give him a reassuring smile back. He nodded in understanding and began retreating his hands back to himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pull that hard." Levi said pushing his dripping wet bangs to the side. Watching his body stretch as his hand glided through his hair reminded me of scenes from those erotic foreign films.

"It's alright, I'm fine now. . ." I tried changing the topic so we could move this moment along. "Weren't we going to shower." I don't know how much longer I can stand seeing Levi's body gleam with beads of water. Just staring at him was enough to entice me further than before. It would be more than humiliating getting a visible boner in the shower.

Shuffling around Levi's body I managed to step into the cascading water. Standing under the stream I felt some of the tension in my muscles loosen. I let out a sigh and began running my hands through my own hair. I hadn't realized Levi was observing me the entire time until I wiped at the drops of water clinging to my lashes.

Smirking at my sudden blush he stepped closer, almost pressing his body against mine. I could feel a single droplet glide between both of our abdomens. The electricity running up and down my spine caused my breath to quiver. Hearing the stutter in my exhales Levi locked his iron gaze with mine. He then moved his arm upwards reaching out behind me. His face was getting closer the farther his hand outstretched and so was his body.

His advances came to a halt the instant our noses touched. His dark and half-lidded eyes filled me with the need to close my own. I held my breath and braced myself for a kiss.

A kiss that never came. The second I opened my eyes Levi pulled back completely. Stunned from the sudden distance between us I was left gaping like a fish.

In the hand he had reached behind me was a bottle of shampoo. Levi's expression was one of utter satisfaction. I didn't like feeling played with, so with my best doe eyed stare I whined. "Leviiii~" The cherry on top happened to be the pout I added in last minute.

Levi simply brushed off my pout and chuckled while squeezing a fair amount of shampoo onto his palm. "Come here." He said motioning for me to come closer. I took one step forward and his hands were promptly running through my hair smearing the shampoo around. My eyes drooped to a close from the pleasant sensations every stroke and caress of his fingers created. The soft scratches at my scalp caused quiet moans to flow from my lips. A soapy hand drifted down my cheek and stopped at my jaw. Opening my eyes I stared at Levi, absolutely enraptured by all the attention he was giving me.

"Eren, you're so beautiful." His face and tone were both so serious that I didn't know for sure if he was joking or not. Lost for words I smiled shyly and adverted my eyes. He moved his hand back into my hair and began working through the soap again. "I wasn't lying, you're the most beautiful person I've ever met. I'm positive anyone who's seen you would agree."

I grabbed onto his forearms, causing the soft motions in my hair to stop. Levi wore a questioning expression when he returned his eyes towards mine. "Thank you." The soft whisper was the only way I could say it without my voice cracking. I moved his arms down my sides until they were embracing my hips. Then wrapping my own arms around his neck, and pressing our bodies together. Leaning my head towards his, now forehead to forehead, we viewed each others facial features. "I love you, Levi." The pure joy that spread across Levi's face when I had said those words was picture perfect. The urge to kiss him hit me full force and I wasn't going to deny myself the pleasure.

The kiss was small but it was so much more than our mouths merging. It was a promise, one that stated that I'd love no other. That I'd never want to leave his side. The way he kissed me back I knew he understood the meaning behind my kiss. After the kiss we sort of just held onto each other. Hugging him close to me was all I ever wanted to do but now really wasn't the time.

"Levi, can we seriously finish taking a shower. The shampoo is getting in my eyes."


Levi and I eventually finished cleaning ourselves off. Levi dressed up in his signature black dress pants, white button up shirt, and dark gray tie. I went with my usual look of gray slacks with a matching gray blazer over a light blue button-up. Later on I'll be going down to Main Street with Mikasa and Armin to pick up my attire for the dinner tonight. We'll also be picking up a dress for Mikasa on the way there.

Expecting the whole place to be in an uproar over excitement or anxiety, I was surprised to hear only silence. It was about 1 O'clock when we walked downstairs for a little nibble. The dinner didn't start for another seven hours so we had plenty of time ahead of us. The few people I saw around the lounge or dinning room were quietly working on one thing or another. Most likely going over any last minute details.

Mike, Gunther, and Erd were sitting in the dinning room discussing something about the papers in front of them. Levi got a mug of tea and a bagel from Sasha and headed over towards their table. I looked at the array of food in front of me. Any other day I would have wanted to try some of everything, but my appetite wasn't feeling up to it. My stomach felt like it was rolling in acid at the moment. Most likely reacting to the anxiety vibrating through my body.

"Hey Sasha, do you have any yogurt and some fruit back there?" I asked leaning over the counter.

"Hmm, I think we have some vanilla yogurt in the fridge. As for the fruit, how do you feel about peaches?" Sasha replied motioning for me to follow her into the back kitchen.

I rounded the counter and fell into place behind her. She reached the fridge and began rummaging through it and instantly pulling out a tub of plain vanilla yogurt. From my place near the sink I could see the inside of the fridge was overflowing with food. It's a miracle Sasha actually knows what's in there.

Placing the yogurt on the table she spun around and opened the pantry getting a bowl full of peaches. Washing the peaches and then her hands Sasha began peeling and cutting then into small pieces.

"I'm really glad you agreed to the peaches. Connie bought too many and I didn't know what to do with them." Sasha commented as she finished cutting the last chunk. At that time Erwin and Armin walked into the kitchen.

They were walking side by side with Armin tucked under Erwin's arm. Upon noticing Sasha and I they paused and slowly pulled apart. Erwin walked over to the hot coffee pot and poured himself a mug. He gave us each a good morning and then left to join the others next door.

With a ragging blush covering his entire face, Armin came to stand by my side. Both Sasha and I were completely at a loss for words, staring at him with our mouths agape.

"Will someone please say something." Armin begged looking uncomfortable with the whole situation.

I glanced over at Sasha who was staring back at me. From the expression on her face she wasn't going to be the one to ask. So I decided to take the role.

"A-are you and Erwin . . . You know." I tried asking the question more coherently but the initial shock still hadn't worn off.

"Umm, Yeah. We kind of got together last night." Armin answered quietly, almost going unheard, but we both heard it clear as day.

"You guys totally did it!" Sasha exclaimed her excitement. If she hadn't beat me to it I would have said the same thing. Armin's darkening blush was enough to confirm the statement.

"Finally!" We both screamed as we hugged him.

Calming down a bit Sasha offered Armin some Yogurt and Peaches. She then said something about meeting up with Connie downstairs and left us. We chose to stay in the quiet of the kitchen. Each leaning against a counter-top, both obviously sore from late night activities to sit down.

The awkward, yet comfortable silence was interrupted when curiosity got the best of me. We spent our time exchanging certain details about our nights and finishing up our breakfast. During a laughing fit Armin managed to choke on some yogurt which only ended up raising the volume to our laughter.

This continued for another ten minutes until we discovered we had nothing left to talk about and empty bowls. We washed both dishes and headed into the next room. I walked up to Levi giving him a hug and telling him I was about to leave. Wrapping his arms around my waist he leaned over for a quick peck on the lips, which I eagerly returned.

When Levi pulled away the corner of his lips tugged into a mischievous smirk. He jerked his head motioning behind me. Turning slightly I could see Armin tucked securely under one of Erwin's arms. Erwin bent over and nuzzled the top of Armin's head making him blush. They were absolutely adorable together it almost made me want to punch a kitten to feel manly. Which, just to clear things up, I would never do anything of the sort. I can't even kill a spider on my own.

Turning back around in Levi's arms I gave him one last kiss on the cheek and said goodbye. Armin and I headed strait for the staircase and made our way down. There was no need to go looking for Mikasa. She was most likely already waiting for us downstairs. Sure enough, the second we opened the door to the garage there she was leaning up against Armin's car with a knowing smile.

The look she was giving us made a blush spread from the base of my neck to the tip of my ears. Trying to look at anything else but Mikasa my gaze landed on Armin who had an even deeper blush than my own. This was going to be an awkward ten minute drive into town. Might as well get it over with as soon as possible.

"Are we heading out or what?" I said sidestepping Mikasa to get into the back seat.


The drive was ten times more awkward than I expected. Mikasa had turned over in the passenger seat making her able to look directly at Armin and face me sitting in the back. Armin was driving giving him the excuse to ignore anything being said. I, on the other hand, was being ambushed with embarrassing questions.

"I know you got laid, you can't hide it from me." She started off.

"Yes, yeah. . . First time." I replied in an embarrassed mumble.

"Was it your first time together, or was he your first?" She asked right away.

"B-both." I couldn't even look at her anymore. All of a sudden the taxi to our right looked a bit yellower than the rest. I wonder if they used a different paint. Maybe it was a reflection of the sun.

"Did he hurt you?" Her voice harshly dipped into a threatening tone. That alone made my head snap back in her direction.

"What! No!"

Mikasa raised her eyebrow at my hasty reply. She leaned over the armrest and came closer towards me. Armin wanted to complain but he obviously didn't want Mikasa's attention turned towards him. She was inches away from my face now and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did you use a condom?"

"Yes! Mikasa, please I don't want to talk about this anymore!" I started pleading while trying to push her away. When I finally managed to get her back into her seat we had just turned into Main Street. We couldn't get two feet from the intersection with all the traffic. The whole street was flooded with cars and people alike.

I made Armin back the car up and turn into the opposite street. There was a parking garage near by that I knew had spots available. It would be easier getting through the crowd on foot than by car. The attendant at the garage entrance recognized me and let us in without question. The first available spot we found was on the third floor. Even though this was a pretty safe parking area I still asked Armin to lock the car.

Having already walked down a set of stairs this morning we decided to take the lift down to the first floor. Once we were out of the garage and on the sidewalk Mikasa slid between Armin and I. She linked her arms with each one of ours.

"We won't get lost this way." She said holding on tighter when we reached the crowd.

The dress shop was closer than the men's attire down the street. For being only three shops down it was still a long walk. If Mikasa hadn't linked our arms together we would have definitely been lost in the wave of people. It took us almost fifteen minutes to actually reach the door and stumble inside.

The inside of the dress shop was a huge contrast to the sea of people outside. There was four other young ladies getting measured or trying on already altered dresses. Mikasa had already been measured earlier this weak. Besides the last minute looks we were mainly here to pick up the dress.

We were helped by a very nice girl named Hannah. She lead us to an unused platform and took Mikasa to the back. Armin and I sat on a comfortable little couch waiting for them to come out. Which didn't take long.

Hannah came out first and held the curtain open for Mikasa. The second she stepped out of the curtain we couldn't take our eyes off her. Stepping onto the platform we had a full view of her beauty. Mikasa had on a long metallic gown with a white fox fur wrapped around her shoulders. In a dramatic show she jutted her foot out from underneath the dress. The silver heels shimmered under the florescent lighting. She was absolutely stunning.

"Whoa, if I didn't have a boyfriend I'd be all over you." I said still admiring her appearance. Armin gave her a mock wolf whistled in agreement.

"Oh, good, I was going for the man eater look." She replied twirling the fox fur. I thought her face was going to split in two from her smile. She was beaming while turning around so we could see every angle of the dress.

"You're beautiful. The other dinner guests won't be able to take their eyes off you." Armin stated, and I easily agreed with every word he said.

"Alright guys, that's enough." Mikasa said raising her hands to cover the light blush.

After a few more cat calls Mikasa couldn't take anymore and went to the back. She came back out with her usual black pants, white button up, and red scarf. Hannah had already carefully folded the dress into a box and bag it with the other two boxes containing the fox fur and shoes. Shoving Mikasa and her wallet aside I paid for everything.

Thanking Hannah I grabbed the bags and stepped out onto the street. There was less people than before but it was still over crowded. Mikasa linked our arms together again as we made our way down to the Tailor Shop.

Since we were lumped together it was easier to push through the mass of shoppers. It was faster getting to the tailor than the dress shop. We were inside and ready for the clerk in under ten minutes. The tailor appointed to me was a young man, maybe two years older than me. His name was Franz Kefka.

Even though he was young I could tell he knew the job well. He showed me the suit I had ordered and explained every detail perfectly. I was extremely impressed with the suit and Mr. Kefka.

He walked us over to a display room similar to the platforms at the dress shop. Armin and Mikasa took the bags from my hands and placed them on a table. Sitting down on the couch they eagerly watched me follow Franz to the back. He showed me to a changing room and placed the suit on a hook. Before leaving he assured that he'd be back to check on me.

The suit was made to my exact specifications. I watched myself in the full length mirror as I started piecing it together. It was the customary black slacks and white button up shirt. I decided to go with a dark navy blue jacket, black bow-tie, and a silver hankie to match Mikasa's dress. The suit fit wonderfully, it almost seemed like it was hugging my body. I was straightening the tie when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." I said guessing it was just Franz.

My first mistake was guessing wrong, then it was having my back to the door. I could see the man that entered the small changing room through the mirror. I have never seen him before and he was getting closer. Before I could turn around and properly face him there was a cloth being pressed against my face.

Panic had instantly taken over my body. I raised my hands trying to claw away the drug soaked cloth. The man behind me was a whole lot stronger and used his other arm to hold my arms in place.

The more I panicked the more I couldn't control my breathing. I was gulping down lung fulls of whatever drug they were using. With my arms being pinned against my chest my next best option was using my legs. I began kicking anywhere I could reach. Kicking behind me, to each side, and in front of me.

I could only hear the damage I was doing. A tear of fabric, most likely from my own suit. The little stool in the corner tumbling across the floor. The harsh intake of breath behind me indicating I had hurt the man. Lastly I heard the cascading rain of shattered glass from the mirror.

Feeling myself being dragged out of the small space I continued my onslaught of aimless kicks. It was only weakening my already deteriorating state of consciousness, but I didn't care. As long as I kept moving someone would eventually see what was happening. The worse part was that I knew it wasn't going to happen. My body had already gone limp and my eyes were fading to black.