Rating: M

This contains malexmale action, you've been warned!

ErenxRivialle

Filler Couples

/Edited Chapter/

Chapter 18:

Pointless Wars

Levi looked around, irritance flashing across his dark eyes. The building was unusually quiet today and there was no reason for it, either. He would better expect the floors to be filled with noise from boisterous people of all kinds, instead of the click of keyboards and soft voices over phone calls.

He knew something was up; it was pointedly obvious to him. Although, everyone seemed like they believed Levi was buying this seeming less normal day.

Levi had his guess on what they were planning and he already hated the idea. It was New Year's Eve, and around this time of year the corporation was busier than ever with calls from clientele and partners about the new year. So, after a stressful two weeks during the holiday season, many wanted to relax and let loose.

Like last year, this usually was the reason for the Recon Corps biggest party of the year. There was something about having a bunch of overworked workers get together in one confided space, on a holiday, that led to a bunch of overly loud drunks and badly sung karaoke. Just thinking about it gave Levi a fucking headache.

But, they planned it every year, and this year, Levi didn't get an invite, and instead, was told to meet at the dance hall sometime in the evening. It was only with this obvious action that Levi knew that the building was doing something secret, without his knowing. However, he just ignored these frivolous actions that were soon to come apparent and went on his merry way, doing what he was supposed to do. His job. Much unlike the others that worked here.

He took a deep sip from his coffee, sticking his tongue out at the taste and shaking his head. After working here for a couple months, Levi would think that Eren would get his coffee order right. But, instead, he was continuously given coffee that tasted like shit.

Eren was a frivolous boy with an even wilder imagination. Although, he seemed worn and tired, almost like an old man, Levi could see under the mask, there was something else. He had the heart of teenager, strong, and willful. And, at every twist and turn of their relationship, Eren never ceased to surprise him. Did he think that a sexual relationship would come from hiring him? Definitely not. But, was he unhappy where the relationship between them was? Not exactly.

It wasn't very professional. But, please, the both of them knew that. However, neither had any plan to stop what they were doing either. Either way, Levi couldn't help but see the continuous possibilities in his mind of what the future might hold for the two of them.

For one, if they were to be found out, especially by a blabber (Hanji), Levi can't guarantee he could convince Erwin to keep Eren around. The man did favors for him, but he kept business and personal favors separate.

For two, they could stop this relationship; go to being just boss and subordinate. But, Levi couldn't foresee if that would be so simple.

And, for three, they could become exclusive. But, Levi wasn't interested in a boyfriend, and he believed Eren feels the same way. Plus, he didn't think Eren and he could get along for so long.

He felt stupid just thinking about their "future". It made him think of a cheesy reality television show where the teenage girl can't stop thinking about marrying her perfect boyfriend. When, in reality, they would end up breaking up in a few weeks. It almost hurt his brain to think about it.

Moving on, Levi entered his office, flipping up a switch, letting light fill the room. When he could see, Levi noticed a figure sitting in his chair.

"Erwin." He spoke out loud. In front of him, behind his desk, swiveling in his chair, sat the older man, his blonde hair slicked back in a mature style. He wore an expensive suit, showing off his higher position. He gave off this aura, that many would cower behind, making them feel small and underdeveloped. But, to Levi, he was just a simple man.

"What are you doing in my office in the dark? If you were doing something gross, I would prefer not to know." Levi stated, walking forward, shutting the door behind him. Erwin only let out a small chuckle, used to this sort of treatment from the shorter man.

"Not exactly. I was just waiting for you." Erwin replied, raising a thick eyebrow. He got up from the chair, stretching his legs and brushing off the nonexistent dirt on his chest pockets.

Levi just rolled his eyes before setting down his briefcase on the floor next to his desk, and moving towards the looming cabinet of books. It was a bit chilly in the room, giving the room a bit of a musk smell.

As he looked upon the books in front of him, he noticed, how old and torn they are now, compared to when he had first bought them. The pages of the books were not as white as they once were. And, the bindings were falling apart every time the book was pulled from its spot on the shelf. It was almost sad to see how the books grew older, became less able to function. It was a reminder that human life was quite the same.

He slid a finger across the shelf, checking for dust, but not finding any. Levi's boots hit the ground with a thud as he turned toward Erwin again, getting fed up with this "secretive" tone. He was already irritated for the day.

"What do you want then?"

"What I want is more information on the Titans, but we both know, that's a dead end." He spoke carefully, but strong. Levi nodded, agreeing. There was a silent understanding between the two of them. Both knew that, unless something came up, without new information, they couldn't make any new connections. It was an endless cycle between patience and will. Levi wanted to move into action, make something happen, however, Erwin had a better idea. He believed it would benefit them if they held back and waited. And, as much as Levi detested that idea, he would stand by it, because he trusted his boss.

"Did you see the news last night?" He asked, his mind wandering to the news that had aired the night before. He had seen it right after dinner.

"Yes, another missing girl." Erwin confirmed, remembering it as well.

The news had aired the night before, showing a clip of a woman who had gone missing. She was a good-looking twenty something year old, a life ahead of her, even had a young child. But, in a split of a second, she was gone. And Erwin wanted to know why.

"The last one was a man, about the same age. They looked different, and the news didn't tell enough information in order for me to create a connection." Levi threw out. He shuffled his feet, thinking for a moment, before speaking again.

"I need into that place."

"No." Erwin's answer was stern. His eyes were cold, a harsh look flashing across their surface as he denied Levi permission to go. He knew full well that Levi's patience was very little, and he could only hope the man didn't act on his own.

Erwin started to move towards the door, his body language telling Levi that this conversation was over, even if it didn't go in his favor. Levi huffed, blowing a hot breath of air out of his mouth, like steam almost.

"Fine, we'll wait it out, see what happens." Levi gritted his teeth, only to Erwin's amusement. Levi's boss already had his hand on the doorknob, though.

"I just wanted to confirm." Erwin stopped for a moment, before turning back around to Levi.

"Hope you don't plan for a quiet night." He said with a joking tone. Shutting the door behind him and making his way to his own office. He had a lot on his mind, a plan to think out, research to be done, and a lot of paperwork. But, Erwin had an idea. One that he hoped would work.

"Shitty boss." Levi called after Erwin with a growl. He stomped to his desk, pulling out his chair, checking for dirt, and promptly sitting down.

Levi really didn't need to think what Erwin meant, he heard him loud and clear. He had known the man for some time now. Erwin was strong, willful, and a natural leader, it was of no surprise to Levi that he would call the shots since the beginning of the operation.

It just irritated him, because everything was moving too slowly. The man flexed his fingers, convinced Erwin was making him wait on purpose. They had known each other too long for Levi to be too compliant about the whole thing, but he would respect Erwin's orders.

What he wanted to do was break into the Titan building and extract information himself. It was a whimsical plan, but they were stuck in an armistice, where neither side was budging, and something dramatic had to be done. And, if it got him caught, so be it.

Not too mention, Levi was annoyed with Erwin's leaving comment. He didn't even have to think about what Erwin meant, he already knew that it proved that there really was a party tonight. And, if he didn't know about it, it most likely meant that it was a surprise.

The night was going to be a long one.

[]

Eren got there early. Petra had requested that everyone reported to the grand lounge late that night. At first, Eren wasn't sure if he'd make it. His shift at the Club ended almost a half hour ago, and he was sure he still had makeup on, but hopefully no would notice.

His shift at work was much more energy draining on this particular night. It was New Years Eve and it amazed him how many people had shown up, instead of holding their own party.

The Club holds a special every New Year's Eve, where many people attend by themselves or in groups. The event held routine dancing for the customers, drinks were half off, and there were separate holdings, mattering on preferred gender. This meaning, that, for the first hours of the night, there would be only male employees at work, and in the last hours of the night, the female employees would switch with their male co-workers.

This system worked well, bringing in a higher amount of customers, due to many customers view of homosexuality and masculinity (the men dancing), as well as holding a popular event where one can go looking for a cheap drink. Eren swears they get twice as drunk when the drinks are half off.

Not too mention, it brings the worse of people as well. It was actually this time of year that was the worse for the employees. The whole night through he had hands moving up his thighs, could smell the drunks that never left him alone, and felt the eyes that undressed him.

It was disgusting to him. He felt like he had mice running up his skin, leaving goose bumps of exposure up and down his arms and legs. It was hard to shake off, and even after so many years of dealing with the same things, he couldn't believe it still affected him so.

Now, at this corporate New Years Party, he couldn't believe he had made it at first, slipping into the quickest outfit he could find. In this case, it was a pair of dark denim jeans that clung to his thighs and a t-shirt with one of his favorite sport teams on the front. It was simple, and he looked severely underdressed, but it would do.

He looked around, hoping to find someone who was familiar, but everyone around him seemed to be from different departments. One group spoke loudly with each other, laughing at a joke one of them had said, and continuing to poke fun at one another.

Eren decided to take a look around. The hall was amazing, long and spacious, almost like a room where a ball would be held. But, instead, the hall was filled with a bunch of office workers, who just needed to relax after a stressful holiday season.

Long windows were spread across three of the walls; the other wall was bare, with a stage in front of it. The walls were a bland cream color, but the ground was a deep red, making the room appear fancier than bland at first glance.

Eren didn't want to know how much it must have been for them to rent out, either way, it would probably put a down payment on his house.

Making his way across the open dance floor, he walked towards the tables where a couple of people sat in groups. Not everyone had made it here yet, but he was sure this place would fill up soon enough. It was all he could hear anyone talk about during work, and their excited tones got him a bit excited as well.

There was just one little thing. Levi didn't know about the party. It was a surprise birthday/New Year Eve party for him. In which Eren had learned that Levi's birthday had been on Christmas. Only he had found out 4 days after he angry? No. Was he a bit hurt? Yes. He had been over at Levi's place only a week before, in fact, he had been at Levi's house on his birthday, on Christmas. So, why didn't Levi tell him about his birthday? He would have liked to know.

It only irritated him that he hadn't known. Well, maybe not irritate. No. He was hurt that he hadn't known. Sure, they aren't in the sort of relationship, and yes, Levi is much more private than many others that Eren knows, but he would expect a bit of decency of giving him a bit of a heads up.

Just thinking about it put him on edge, so he shook his head and took a chair at an empty table. The chairs had a soft cushion on the bottom, as well as the tables were draped with a nice sheet of white for decoration. The cloths were soft, silkier than Eren's bed sheets at home, and he had to stop himself from rubbing his face into the fabric and falling asleep. He was truly exhausted.

"Eren!" A voice screamed in his right ear. Eren let out a girly yelp, covering his mouth with both his hands and turning to the source of what had scared him. Turning around, Hanji was right behind him.

"Jesus, Hanji, you scared me." He brought his hands down, now one hand clutching at his chest. Eren was a bit red in the face from embarrassment of being scared so easily.

"I hope no one else heard that girly scream. Or else, no one here would let you forget about it." Hanji told him, spinning around in a just below the knee's purple dress, pulling out the chair next to Eren, and sitting.

He watched Hanji for a moment, amazed that she wore dresses, in fact, this is the first time he had ever seen her in one so formal. He'd seen her in a dress before, but nothing that looked so adequate. The dress wasn't low cut, wrapping around the front of her chest in the shape of an oval, and draping itself around her shoulders.

It was a deep plum color, clinging to her hips and bust. Following down her body, the dress clung to her thighs, but ended at her knee, a small slit up the side. It was gorgeous, probably worth a couple thousand.

She wore little makeup, simple black heels on her feet, but, even though she looked much more ladylike that usual, he thought of it as absolutely entertaining that the rest of her wasn't so put together. Her hair was up in its usual ponytail, messy and hairs falling out of place. She still had her usual crazed look inside her little brown eyes. Not to mention, she sat with her legs apart, slumped as her elbows lay on her thighs. Eren couldn't help but chuckle. Her old habits really showed through her efforts.

"Were we supposed to dress up?" Eren looked on, realizing that many of the others were dressed mostly the same.

"It is a New Year's Party. But, it's fine! Levi probably didn't dress." If that were her words of encouragement, Eren would rather hear that he was supposed to dress well. He was a bit annoyed by his lack of knowing. How dumb of he.

Eren let the conversation drop, not in the mood to speak. Hanji saw the change in Eren's demeanor. The boy didn't seem like his usual self. He looked a bit off.

"Anyways, speaking of Levi, how's it going between you two?" Hanji watched carefully for the boy's reaction. Eren looked up quickly, wondering how she knew.

"It's fine." Eren told her, leaving it there, and telling her that he wasn't interested in talking about it. As nosy as Hanji was, she knew boundaries, and she kept it there. They sat silently together for a few minutes, until Hanji couldn't sit any longer. Hanji looked up, surprise flashing across her eyes. In the door way stood Levi, looking upon the partygoers.

Looking where Hanji was, Eren noticed that the hall had filled with a lot more people since he had first entered, and it seemed like Levi had arrived.

"People! You were supposed to warn me when you saw Levi!" Hanji yelled, but no one was listening.

Levi looked over towards Hanji, following her voice and twitching an eyebrow. He turned his nose, trying to ignore the woman, but she was already running towards him.

Eren sighed, watching as Hanji tried to get Levi's attention, to which he ignored. Levi can look as annoyed as he wanted, but Eren knew that he and Hanji were actually quite close.

The music was turned up, as the DJ noticed the increase in people, some type of popular pop music started to play through the speakers, causing people to yell, hold up their drinks, and move towards the dance floor.

Following them, Eren got up, making his way to the bartender. He wouldn't drink as much as last time, but he needed something to calm his mind. Grabbing a beer, he brought it back to the table where he was sitting and decided to watch the people on the dance floor.

He noticed, now, Hanna was here with her fiancé. They were grinding on the floor, drinks in hand. Eren couldn't help but let out a small grin at her sloppy attempts to rub her ass against her lover's groin, they were so off beat.

When she noticed Eren watching, she waved at him, a big grin plastered on her face as she waved with her whole arm. It was obvious she was drunk, but it was entertaining as well.

Petra was dancing normally, Gunther across from her. Erwin was in the corner of the room, watching his employee's attempts at dancing, holding what looked likes a glass of champagne. When someone slipped, he only raised his eyebrows, before returning to taking a sip of the drink in his hand.

"You better not get drunk off your ass again." Eren looked over, Levi was taking a seat next to him, pulling the chair out from the table. He was dressed sensibly, a dark suit with a dark blue tie around his neck. It was simple, but it was tight around his shoulder blades and his chest, giving him a bigger build. Erin silently cursed Hanji. Levi's clothes fit right into the scene around him. Eren rolled his eyes.

"Trust me. That is not going to happen again."

"Really? You're chugging that beer pretty fast." Eren gave Levi a look of annoyance and kept drinking. Levi watched him quietly for a few moments. Levi took a sip of his own drink before speaking again.

"Bad day?" Eren nodded in response to Levi's question. Eren wasn't surprised Levi noticed, he knew he was acting pretty obvious. He didn't want to be in a bad mood for the party. They were supposed to be celebrating Levi's birthday, but he just wasn't in the mood to celebrate.

Eren knew Levi was waiting for him to elaborate, and he knew he at least owed him that.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday when I was over?"

"It didn't come up. As well, birthdays are unnecessary." Levi blew hot air out of his mouth, shifting his gaze to the dance floor. He never found birthdays important. He thought of them as a frivolous celebration. Age was only a reminder of death.

"Still, you could have mentioned it."

"That's what you were so worried about? You're such a child." Levi shook his head. He really should have known.

As much as Eren tries to act like an adult, mature and older; he was a stupid teenager at heart. He had an adult life now, but Levi could tell he didn't have the childhood he should have had, resulting in what he is today.

Not too mention, he started so young, in a job meant for those with little innocence. Levi didn't know how Eren felt about his job at the Club, and he doubted he'd ever really know how it must be for him. But, what he did know is that working there was difficult for Eren, and Levi saw how it drained Eren every single morning he showed up for work.

It was this fact that reminded Levi that Eren wasn't an oblivious teenager. In fact, he was a grown adult, forced to grow up to quickly. But, his mind was still young in certain ways.

"I'm not a child." Eren challenged. Levi spun quickly, now understanding what sort of mood Eren was in.

"You've done nothing to prove otherwise." It was a bit of lie, but Levi wanted to see just how far Eren would go. He knew he might be pushing to far, but it almost seemed there was a barrier between the two right now, and Levi wanted to break it.

Eren was about to respond, red faced and steaming when something interrupted the two.

Lights began flashing, ripping away their attention, looking towards the door Eren's mouth about dropped open.

Coming in, was a series of men and women in police officer outfits. Before Hanji even spoke to introduce them, Eren already knew what they were doing here and he could only feel his heart beat rapidly.

"Strippers are here!" Hanji yelled over the now pounding club music. Eren's eyes got wide. Now, he knew the people weren't from his Club, since they didn't travel, but this group could have easily known him.

There was a lot of competition in the city; a lot of dancers went to different clubs to see what other buildings they were competing against. Being a dancer could be very rewarding, the money was good, but if another club stole away their customers, their income would become minimal. This sparked a lot of competition between the dancers of the city.

People were cheering, and the strippers were making their way around, their tall boots smacking against the floors.

They were dressed to entertain, Eren could appreciate that. Tight leather pants stretched across their skin, enclosing their legs in an almost unmovable fabric (Eren would know). The pants stretched to the ground, wrinkling at their ankles.

A police vest stretched across their bodies. For the women, the vest had two buttons in the front that clasped the vest tight across their bust and showing the full effect of the push up bra they were wearing.

For the men, however, the vest was open, showing off bare chests and showing every flex and movement of there tanned stomachs. Both genders had a feather whip in their belt.

They looked like an attractive bunch, with the light and the darkness inside of the giant ballroom, it was a bit difficult to see their faces. But Eren knew this group was most likely from an expensive, successful place.

Eren could hear Levi mumble Hanji's name, all while shaking his head. Unfortunately, for the both of them, Hanji was getting closer.

"Levi! Do you like the strippers?" Hanji joked, knowing full well that Levi did not care for them. She had only gotten them for the other employee's, since they were all bent up and stressed out. This way, the employee's could relax a bit.

"You idiot." He scolded her, but she just giggled. It was obvious she's had quite her share to drink tonight too. Eren just rolled his eyes. Eren was thinking that he might just go. None of the strippers seemed to recognize him either, but he wasn't going to stay around and lose that chance.

"I'm leaving!" Eren yelled over the pounding music. He stood, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair.

"Ah, but you're around your people." Eren spun so quickly, his coat dropped from around his shoulders.

"Levi!" Hanji scolded. She knew her friend had a big mouth and little concern to other's feelings, but he had taken this one too far. But, he had already said it and the damage had been done.

"Excuse me?" Eren was offended. So offended by such a blatant insult that was heaved his way. He was used to being insulted by Levi, but he was already in a bad mood, and now he was just fed up.

"Don't you feel at home, is all I mean." Levi added.

"Don't worry, no one heard." Levi reassured him. But, that's not what Eren cared about. What he cared about was the respect he knew he deserved. Maybe Levi wasn't used to respecting other people's space or their boundaries. And, Eren knew that Levi lacked social skills he should have gotten as a child. But, he had taken it too far.

"That's not the point. How can you think that's ok to say to me?" Levi shrugged, not truly understanding what had been said wrong. He was more dwelling on the fact his employee didn't seem to know his place.

"I'm your boss, remember. Watch what you say."

"Why should I watch what I say, when you can't even hold a normal conversation without making someone want to punch you." Eren was just letting it boil over. He was at the point where he wanted to pull his hair out.

"Well, if you are going to be this immature, you might as well just be a performer." Levi's eyes flashed with anger at the younger boy's lack of courtesy of his elder. He used his right hand to wave off the comments he was making.

Hanji quickly stepped in.

"Boys, boys, calm it." Hanji gave a nervous laugh. The smile on her face was fake and awkward, as she tried to get the two of them to back off of each other.

"I'm out of here." Eren repeated. He gave a curt nod to Hanji before picking up his jacket, stepping around her, and heading for the door. He wasn't going to stand here any longer.

He moved across the floor swiftly, feeling Levi's eyes on his back, but he wouldn't allow himself to turn around. His mind was cloudy, and his movements sluggish, but he continued walking.

Expertly, he moved around everyone dancing, making room for the strippers and the employees. He got to the edge of the dance floor, the door in sight, when something ripped him from his main objective.

Seeing the flash of hair, he turned quickly, mouth agape as he recognized who exactly it was.

"Jean?" He asked, incredulously.

"Eren?" Jean had turned to him at the same time, each suprised by the other. Jean's eyes widened as he looked like a fish out of water. He quickly looked around at where they were, and then down at his outfit, that matched all the other strippers.

"Eren?" The both of them stood there, watching each other, not knowing what the other was going to do next. Not even sure what they wanted to do next. But one thing was clear they both had second jobs. So, if one told, the other would most certainly be found out in a matter of time.

Next thing Eren knew, some girl had her hand on Jean's shoulder, trying to move him in the direction of the dance floor, so he could do his job. Jean seemed to have a fleeting fear cross his eyes before he got up from his spot and followed the woman.

Eren watched him go, before making his way back to the exit. This only further proved to him that he really should leave. Slamming the door behind him, Eren let the cold air blast his face, but he didn't care.

He had much more important things to think about at this point.

Wow, hello everyone! This is much later than I wanted (sorry!), but I had just started school again.

Eh, I don't have a lot to say in this chapter.

Thanks for all the Reviews, Favorites, and Follows! You guys are super motivational!