"Come in," I said and pulled him past the threshold.

"Thanks," he replied quietly and bent down to slip out of his Chucks.

Zeke breezed past us and sniffed his empty food bowl, before shooting me an expectant stare. I took Levi's hand and led him into the kitchen, which opened to the spacious dining area. I watched as his gaze caught on the set table and the single candle in the middle.

After I'd walked over and pulled open the back door to allow a draft of fresh, warm air inside, I got Zeke's food and refilled his bowl.

"You can sit down, if you want."

Levi nodded and plopped down on a chair at the table.

"I hope you like Italian? I wasn't sure if you eat meat, so I decided to make a meat-free dinner," I said a little sheepishly.

He smiled genuinely and nodded again before he replied, "That's fine. I eat meat, but not that much. And Italian sounds good."

I wanted to breathe an inward sigh of relief, but it came out loud against my will. To gloss that one over, I made quick work of placing the salad in a small glass bowl and taking it over to where he sat.

"What would you like to drink?" I asked.

"Water is fine."

I took his glass from the table, along with my own, and filled both of them with cooled, sparkling mineral water. Then I got my own salad and placed everything on the table before sitting down across from him. His gaze drifted curiously around the house, and I smiled at his curiosity.

"Don't worry, you'll get the full tour after we've finished dinner."

He blushed a little and then picked up his silverware. "Okay."

It took us uncharacteristically long to finish our starters, but only because we kept talking all the while. I found out that Levi was actually in the same grade as I was, which made him seventeen, his birthday was on the 25th December and he'd moved across the country from a small town called Mitras two years ago. He lived with his mom, Kuchel, and his uncle, Kenny. No siblings, no pets (even though he was fond of them). His two best friends were called Isabel and Farlan, and they lived in the same apartment complex as he did. I didn't know Isabel, but I knew Farlan from a few of my classes. He was tall, blonde, blue-eyed and gorgeous. I'd never been interested in him, but now that I knew he was close friends with Levi, I couldn't help but grow a little (a lot) jealous. Even more so because Farlan didn't hide the fact that he was gay.

"Seriously, how come I've never seen you or your friends at school?" I asked disappointedly.

"Well, we're not exactly elite," he chuckled. "We're more like the loner crowd."

I lifted an eyebrow at him. "Loner, huh?"

Then I told him about myself. About my parents, Zeke, Armin and Mikasa and the rest of my group of friends. He listened attentively, asking questions in between. I enjoyed his company more than I'd thought possible. I could keep talking with him forever.

"Uhm, you know... You and Farlan, are you...?" I trailed off and bit my lip.

I shouldn't have asked.

I peeked up at him and found him smirking at me.

"Are we what, Eren?"

God, was he giving me the runaround on purpose?

"N-Nothing," I stammered. "Forget I said anything."

He kept quiet and I shoveled the rest of my salad into my mouth. And then, my curiosity got the better of me.

"Are you... Together?"

He gave a short laugh and took a sip from his water before inquiring, "Is this your way of asking me if I'm into guys?"

"Uhm!" I sputtered and flushed crimson. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean... That's pretty personal, you don't have to... I mean, it's none of my business anyway, so—"

"Eren."

My troubled gaze snapped to his, my heart beating out of control at the way my name fell from his lips in that incredibly enticing voice. "Hm?"

Suddenly, I felt his leg brush against mine beneath the table and I'd have almost cried out in surprise. Was having the hots for him already making me hallucinate things?

"Let's say I was into guys," he smiled, slow and seductive. "What would you do?"

Oh, sweet Lord. Had the temperature just risen by like, one hundred degrees in here?

What would I do?

Thousands of images began to stream through my mind, creating hot waves that clashed on my skin. I imagined his lips on mine, his hands on my body, his nails in my skin. His voice whispering into my ear, my palms touching every inch of him. My name on his lips, his on mine. I fantasized about rolling through the sheets with him, our bodies moist and sticky from the hot summer air, our breathing uneven and raspy, asking for more.

God, I wanted him. I wanted him so bad that my body reacted to the mere thought of having him in the worst ways. My jeans grew uncomfortably tight as a result. I shifted around, and then gasped when his foot wandered up over my calf to graze the inside of my thigh. I couldn't think clearly.

"I'd ask you to go out with me," I breathed, my eyes locking on his. "No actually, I'd make you go out with me. Because there's no way I could take no for an answer when it comes to you."

His toes burrowed into my clothed skin, and I released a soft moan at the sensation. My eyes wanted to close, but I couldn't let go of his gaze, which was burning into mine with an intensity that had my pores burst into heated goose bumps.

He smiled lazily. "So you'd force me?"

Damn, he was dangerous. I already felt like melted butter, and I was not even touching him.

"I'd convince you," I said hoarsely.

"And how would you do that?" He asked, his foot continuing its slow torture up and down my legs.

"Mh, first..." I whispered, staring at those beautiful, silver orbs. "I'd hook my finger into that illegally low neckline of your shirt and pull it down over your shoulder."

His hand shot up to his neck, to the very place I'd indicated, and he absentmindedly traced his fingertip along the neckline.

"And then?" He whispered.

"And then, I'd kiss you. Starting at your ear, to the soft spot just below your earlobe and then down along this irresistible curve of your neck—all the way to your gorgeous shoulder. I'd not kiss you there, though. I'd bite."

His nails sunk into the fabric of his shirt, his eyes squeezing closed. His breath rushed out of him in unsteady gulps.

I was turning him on.

The realization left me reeling with barely containable want. But whatever I was doing to him was nothing in comparison to what he was doing to me. He licked his full lips and pressed his back to the chair. I tried not to stare at the way his taut nipples seemed to delineate through his thin shirt now when they hadn't before. My fingers clamped around empty air with the need to feel them—to feel him.

"What about my lips?" He asked, his fingertips ghosting over his mouth. "Wouldn't you kiss my lips?"

A slow smile spread across my mouth, and I reached down to take his foot in my hands, gently massaging the sole. A soft moan left him, his cheeks dipping in a beautiful shade of cherry red.

"Oh no," I whispered. "I'd kiss you everywhere else, until you wouldn't be able to take it anymore. Until you'd beg me to take your lips."

His lips pressed together, as if he was imagining what a kiss would feel like.

"Shit. Eren."

My name left his lips on nothing more than a whisper, and I knew exactly what he was feeling right now; what he wanted, because I was yearning for the very same thing. My arousal was painfully hard at this point, longing to be satisfied. And the only one who was able to do that for me was Levi.

If I didn't regain the reason I'd lost somewhere on the way between my brain and my mouth, I'd crawl over the table and spread Levi out on top—beneath me, wearing nothing at all.

With a movement that was as uncoordinated as they came, I jumped to my feet and slammed my palms on the table.

"W-Well, uhm," I stammered. "Where are my manners? L-Let's get dinner, okay? I mean, we... We still have an entire course left!"

Levi mirrored my nervous reaction and sprung from his seat as well.

"Y-Yeah, right," he said. "Uhm, I wanted to... I mean... Can I use your bathroom?"

The mention of the bathroom made me remember the tiny, little fact that there was presently a raging boner between my legs. Horrified, my eyes dropped to my crotch, only to catch on the rather crude outline of my proud bulge.

Looking up, I saw any efforts to cover it up were too late. Levi was already fixated on the sight.

"Ah ha ha," I forced a shaky laugh, because seriously, what else did I have left at this point? "Fuck, this is not happening right now."

I turned away and buried my face in my palms. All I wanted was for the ground to open up and swallow me in one go. It wasn't my intention to hide just how much he was turning me on, but that didn't mean I was confident enough to present him with my boner on a silver platter. Not yet, at least. I was still wallowing in self-pity, at a loss for what to do, when I felt Levi's arms gingerly wrapping around my waist.

"Hey, it's okay," he whispered. "It... Happens."

"Yeah. Thanks," I mumbled in a pained voice.

Levi sighed into my back and suddenly, he gave his hips a soft push into mine. I felt it. He had a bulge too, and it had just rubbed against my backside.

"See?" He whispered, his voice now laced with clear embarrassment as well. "It happens."

My eyes turned the size of legit golf balls, and I wanted to turn around to... I didn't know. Thank him politely, and then move on to kiss him senseless because he'd put up the effort to actually make this humiliating situation bearable for me.

But as soon as he felt my movement, he pinched my side and pressed up to my back.

"D-Don't look, you idiot!" He squeaked. "J-Just tell me where the fucking bathroom is!"

Apparently, he was unaware that him pressing our bodies flush like this made me feel the aforementioned bulge rub demandingly against me. It took everything I had not to reach back and touch him.

"Oh y-yeah, it's just down the hall, last door on the left," I managed on a shaky breath.

And then he let me go and rushed down the hallway with inhuman speed, the door slamming shut behind him.

Well... What a huge success. We'd both managed to get a boner with minimal touching, even before the main course.

Talk about being compatible.

I busied myself with preparing the ravioli to not linger on everything that could have happened just now. It was beyond hard to keep my hands off of Levi as it was, but even I knew we were moving too fast. I didn't want to rush things like this. That might sound cheesy as hell and usually I wasn't exactly the overly romantic type, who wanted to "wait" and all that, but with him, I wanted to do it right. I wanted it to be slow and sweet and perfect. Not some sloppy mistake we'd regret afterwards.

I took extra effort to prepare the ravioli on the dishes, adding fresh basil on top of the tomato sauce. When I'd set everything on the table and took a seat, Levi still wasn't back. I bit my nails when my nervousness made a reappearance. What if he wanted to leave after what had just happened? It would be his right, and I could and would do nothing to stop him.

Leaning back against the chair, I took a large gulp from my water and then shot to my feet to refill his glass. I lit the candle, and then I walked to the back door and let my gaze travel over the sheltered lounge ensemble we kept in the garden. When my mom had put up orange-colored lampions last summer, I'd rolled my eyes at how cheesy they looked. But now, casting their soft glow on the dark cushions, I revised my opinion. They actually looked pretty nice.

"Eren?"

I snapped out of my faraway stare and turned around to find Levi shuffling self-consciously from foot to foot. I noticed that his bangs were a little wet at the tips, so maybe he'd gone and splashed some cold water on his face. Good idea.

"Hey," I whispered, smiling. "Everything okay?"

"Mhm," he replied. "What are you doing?"

"Just looking out at the garden. Are you still interested in a house tour?"

Oh god, please be interested.

"Yeah, I am," he replied, and his smile was shy, but genuine.

With a grin that was a little too obvious, I walked back in and reached out to run my fingers through his hair. Before I touched him though, I stopped, shooting him a questioning look. Maybe it was stupid, but I wanted his permission.

He took a step forward, right into my touch. His hair whispered over my hands, and I didn't waste a second to twirl a few smooth strands around my fingers. He bit his lip, his cheeks coloring a soft rosé, before he tentatively turned his head so that his lips rested against my palm. Then, he closed his eyes and placed a single, sweet kiss on my skin. I almost fainted. Did he even have an inkling of an idea what he was doing to me? He was a breath-taking mix of hot and sweet, one that had me tripping over my words and fumble for what to do next.

My other hand came up to his face and I stepped closer, my fingers trailing down his neck to dance over his shoulder blades. His breath caught seductively.

"God, Levi, you—" I trailed off when I realized I had no idea how I could even begin putting into words what he was doing to me, how he was making me feel things I'd never felt before.

"I...?" He pressed, and of course he wanted to know.

"You're amazing," I said, figuring the word might come close to what he actually was.

He smiled up at me—a sweet, happy smile—before he got on his tiptoes and placed a lingering kiss on my cheek.

I sighed blissfully.

"Do you want to eat? Or leave it for later?"

"No, let's eat. Those ravioli look too good not to," he said.

His hands tugged mine from his hair and led me back to the table.

We ate in relative silence, gazing at each other only to quickly look away with a blush whenever the other noticed. When we were halfway through our meal, I let my fingers creep over the table to gently tap his. He smirked and caught my fingers in his palm, lacing them together. Even if that meant we were left with only one hand to eat, neither of us let go, and I was perfectly fine with that.

"Uff, no more," Levi huffed after I'd served him generous seconds. "I'm going to explode."

"Please don't," I laughed, before I got up to walk over to him and reach out my hand. "Ready for that tour now?"

"I am," he smiled and took my hand.

I led him into every room, showed him all the tiny knickknacks my mom liked to keep, all the decorations we'd put up. I kept my room for last.

"And this," I said, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious when I opened the door, "Is my room."

I let him take the lead, and followed close behind. He stepped inside, and I watched as his eyes took everything in—to the posters on my wall, to my not-so-orderly desk, to my bookshelf and wardrobe, until it came to rest on my bed. To my luck, I'd remembered to change the sheets earlier, and they were now covered in navy blue satin that I'd chose solely because it had reminded me of his work uniform. There were even three horizontal white stripes and an anchor on them. I passed him by and sat down on the bed, watching him curiously. Whatever he thought of my room, he didn't let it show on his face.

"So, what do you think?" I asked nervously.

"It's nice," he said. "Very you."

Reaching out my hand, I took his and pulled him to sit on the bed beside me. Our shoulders were touching, and it was enough to drive a delicious little shiver all the way from my neck to the tips of my toes.

"Is that a good thing?" I asked.

He removed a piece of lint from my jeans, rolling it around his fingers.

"Yes. It is."

His hand brushed over the sheets, a small smile dancing over his lips.

"I like your sheets."

"Mh, I like them too," I hummed. I had a feeling he knew why I'd chosen this very set.

My fingers slipped behind him to trail down the curve of his spine. He shuddered.

"There's still one place you haven't seen yet," I remarked.

His eyes lit up. "The garden?"

I nodded and took his hand to lead him back downstairs and out the back door.

"Wow."

I smiled as he walked down the paved walkway to the roofed sitting area with its lampions. The light was slowly fading, emphasizing the soft glow of the small lights. Behind the lounge sofa and chairs, our swimming pool was sparkling in the warm evening light.

"You have a pool?" Levi half-squealed.

He rushed over to where the waves gently hit the marble edges. I loved the pool. Just watching the water sloshing around always had a soothing effect on me. I joined him by the poolside and dipped a bare toe into the water. The temperature was just right; refreshingly cool, but still warm enough to stay in there for hours. Levi was still watching the pool in awe as I took a step back and began pulling my shirt over my head.

"Eren, what are you—"

I had to bite back an excited groan when he trailed off after his gaze had caught on my bare chest. His eyes lingered, a beautiful sparkle making them shimmer in the low light surrounding us. Without a single touch, goose bumps started to form all over my skin. Just his gaze on me was enough to make me feel hot all over, in the most delicious way.

I let my shirt fall to the floor and got to work on my jeans. I felt Levi's eyes on me, making me yearn for his touch more than anything. After I'd stepped out of my jeans and kicked them away, I was left standing in only my black boxer briefs. I was torn between peeking at him to see the expression on his face, and just diving into the water to evade the simmering suspense that was charging the air with electricity.

I wanted him to like what he saw. To find me just as attractive as I did him.

One glance, and I knew he was not disappointed. I wanted to scream with relief and excitement. His bottom lip caught between his teeth, his eyes burning a hot trail all over my body as he continued to rake them over me from top to bottom. It was too much. I couldn't last like this, I was already squirming with the need to close the distance and feel those gorgeous little palms on my bare skin.

Wrenching myself from his gaze, I jumped. The cool water caught me and returned my overheated body to relative normalcy, but the effect didn't last long. Not when I came back to the surface and found him standing there, his cheeks flushed, his eyes halfway closed.

"Come in," I said, a lazy smile on my lips.

"No... I mean, I can't really..."

"Of course you can. And I want you to."

"I... I didn't bring any swim trunks..."

"So what? You can go in with your underwear."

Goddamn, Levi in underwear. With me, in the pool. I clearly didn't think this through.

"But I don't have a spare one," he said, biting his lip. I knew he wanted to come in here with me, what he needed was a tiny push in the right direction.

I swam slowly to the edge and propped up my elbows on the warmed-up stone tiles surrounding the walled in pool.

"Well, you could always go naked? I've always wanted to go skinny dipping. I'll join you," I drawled, my voice a little too high-pitched with miserably hidden excitement at the prospect of us actually going skinny-dipping together.

His face turned the color of a very ripe tomato, and I chuckled.

"N-No way," he stammered.

I laughed and splashed a handful of water on him.

"You can have a pair of mine, okay? Now get in here before I make you," I said with a mock-dangerous edge to my voice.

"Fuck, okay," he conceded. "I... I'll come."

I made myself comfortable on my spot at the edge, letting my legs drift through the water below me.

Seeing him toying with the hem of his shirt made me realize how bad I wanted to see him strip, right there before my eyes. I was actually yearning for it, but not only because he was the most attractive thing I'd ever seen, but also because being like this with him—barely wearing anything—gave us both an air of openness; of vulnerability. And I wanted that. I wanted to be bare with him, without any barrier to hide behind. Just him and me.

His eyes locked on mine, gray on green, as he took his shirt off with a slowness that bordered on teasing. When his shirt joined mine on the floor and he popped the button on his jeans, I thought I might faint and drown in the pool, and wouldn't that be a nice death?

The denim whispered over his toned legs, inch by inch, until it pooled around his ankles. He was so beautiful. I'd imagined Levi naked at least a hundred times, but the reality surpassed my wildest expectations. The soft evening glow illuminated his pale skin, making warm shadows dance over his body. His skin looked so smooth and kissable, adorned by a light flush that played around his chest and thighs. Looking at him took the last breath away that was still rearing beneath my ribcage.

I could only stare as he made his way over to where I held onto the stone edge of the pool, trying my hardest not to fall into an awe-induced coma and drown after all.

"Your mouth is hanging wide open and it looks ridiculous," he smirked.

I wanted to snap my lips shut at that, but found myself incapable of moving a single muscle inside my body when he sat down on the rim in front of me, his beautifully shaped legs dangling into the water, whispering over my skin below the surface.

"S-Sorry. I'm staring. But to my defense, it's like a magnetic pull. I'm helpless," I smiled.

I drifted closer to where he sat and tentatively brushed my hands up his legs, tracing the column of his calves. Even in the water, he felt amazing.

"Mh, this is nice," he breathed, and his hands wandered over his own thighs down to meet mine on his knees.

"It's more than that," I whispered back.

I let my hands come up to rest on his hips, where I gave the soft skin a gentle squeeze.

"Want to come in now?"

He nodded and bit his lip, before he placed his palms on my water-slick shoulders. I held tightly onto his hips and lifted him down into the water next to me.

"Woah, it's cold," he ground out. Unconsciously, he moved closer to me to preserve some warmth between us.

"Aw, here," I said, pulling him against me. "Let me warm you up."

He hesitated for a brief moment, but then he wrapped his arms around my neck. The water slid over our chests before they met and touched. I bit back a moan, and then another one when I felt his legs locking around my waist—first tentative, then tight. We'd never been this close before. All the rationality I had left threatened to swirl away with the waves, along with my self-control.

I stroked his thighs under water, holding them in place as I began to walk slowly around the shallow end of the pool.

"Better?" I asked, nuzzling the crook of his neck and relishing his incomparable scent.

"Mhm, just keep going," he whispered.

His wet hands slipped into my hair, and I felt the sweet tugging sensation when he wrapped the strands around his fingers to play with them. I was pretty sensitive when it came to someone touching my hair, and he hit all the right places, drawing out that moan I'd been trying to hold back.

And then, out of nowhere, he placed a kiss on the side of my neck. I forgot how to breathe. My step faltered, and I almost slipped.

"C-Can you do that again?" I asked, my voice sounding pathetically needy.

I felt his lips curve against my shoulder, and then I closed my eyes when he placed a wet trail of open-mouthed kisses starting from my shoulder all the way up to my ear. I shivered when the tip of his tongue dipped into the shell, licking carefully around the skin.

"L-Levi..."

"You like that?" He whispered against my hair. His hips began moving against mine, his rhythm soft and slow at first, before giving way to a quicker pace that had me groaning helplessly.

"I like it too much," I breathed, holding him as close as I could. "Don't stop."

He chuckled under his breath, before his kisses were joined by impatient suckles and brusque bites. There was no way I'd last like this, but all I could do was beg him to continue, to give me more in this rushed, breathy voice I couldn't quite recognize as my own. This was the most thrilling feeling I'd ever experienced and I didn't want it to stop.

I pushed him back against the edge of the pool, trapping his body between mine and the tiled wall. The temperature outside had dropped, which made the steady waves around us feel even cooler. But with Levi pressed flush against me, all I felt was heat, scorching every inch of me and leaving me oversensitive to his touch.

My hands squeezed and stroked his thighs under water, before I slipped up over his hips, along his sides, across his shoulders until they were cupping his flushed face. His eyes were half closed, his lips glossy and slightly swollen from nibbling my skin. The sight was too much. I stared into his gorgeous eyes and brought my forehead to his. My breathing came raspy and labored, and I couldn't remember if I'd ever wanted anything in my life as much I wanted him right now, in this moment.

"Levi," I panted. "I..."

Whatever I'd meant to say was lost to a drawn-out cry I tried to muffle in his shoulder when his palm brushed over my chest and grazed my nipple.

Levi grabbed a handful of the messy brown hair at my nape and tugged my head back slightly, only to lick across the underside of my chin. I moaned, harsh and broken.

"What do you want, Eren?" He whispered, his hot breath kissing my skin and driving me absolutely crazy in the process.

"I want—Ah, shit," I breathed when he bit my shoulder hard enough to bruise it.

"Tell me," he insisted, licking the stinging spot his teeth had left.

"I want to kiss you," I whispered, my voice breaking on the last word.

For one moment, my eyes caught his, our gazes setting every part of me on fire. And then, the moment passed, and Levi didn't give me any time to realize the fact he wouldn't tell me no. I was entranced, unable to move, only capable of holding on as if letting go meant losing him.

He stopped just shy of my lips for the duration of a heartbeat, and then he kissed me. Really kissed me, and god, it was nothing short of perfect. Sparks of excitement, arousal, elation, bliss—all wrapped up in a sudden burst of emotions triggered by the feeling of Levi's lips on mine raced over me, through me, inside me.

His tongue brushed against my lips, and I opened up willingly, sucking him inside. He tasted absolutely amazing, like honey and spice and everything I'd love to taste when I kissed someone. Giving up on another part of my self-control, I let my hands wander. I felt his back, his sides, his chest, even the firm swell of his behind. Even if I'd tried to hold back, I couldn't. I was too far gone; having him in my arms and feeling him on my lips was an utterly irresistible combination that had me begging for more.

A hot flare of tight arousal shot through me when he began to push up on my hips while he kissed me, and his hard length brushed against mine. Could it be he wanted this just as much as I did? The thought was too good to be true.

My nails buried desperately in the fabric of his wet underwear, bunching the cotton up in my fists. How was I supposed to hold back from touching him... More? From going all the way here in my own damn swimming pool?

"Ahh, Eren—" Levi released a sexy moan when I began to knead his ass cheeks—more as a mean to calm myself than to be pushy.

"Y-Yes, like that," he moaned, rutting against me, "Fuck Eren, yes... T-Touch me more."

Who was I to refuse what he was asking for, when it was the one thing I was yearning to give?

I pulled him close to me, never breaking the kiss, as I left our corner and began walking over to the marble stairs as fast as I could. I didn't care about our clothes, or the fact that I left puddles of water all over the floor inside the house. All the way up to my room, Levi was moaning into my skin, biting at my neck, whispering into my ear.

He was testing me in the most tempting way possible, and I was not going to resist.

I needed to be with him; I needed him, so much more than I ever needed anyone else. What I wanted was to be his, to just let go and let myself fall—because I knew he'd be there to catch me.