Previously: Erwin called Armin to his office to share the news he's gotten the library assistant job. Levi came in, and they began to discuss the prospect of a threesome in more detail…
Chapter 7: The Best Laid Plans...
Levi
At Erwin's suggestion, the three of them moved over to the cosy sitting room behind his office.
Levi knew Armin was thinking the same thing he was as he sat down at the table – this was the very room where Levi and Erwin had been having sex when Armin walked into the office a few nights ago.
Still, he saw the wisdom in Erwin's decision to move out of his office. Now it felt more like a casual discussion between work colleagues or friends, rather than two higher ranking officers talking to an inferior soldier.
Guilt still gnawed at him over Armin's misunderstanding as to why he'd gotten the library job.
But he had the courage to confront us directly about his doubts, Levi thought approvingly. If this threesome thing is going to work, he needs to be honest with us, and unafraid to voice any concerns, or ask any questions.
And now they'd explained to Armin that he was under no obligation to take part in anything, or make any lasting commitment, the young soldier was visibly more relaxed. The fact he was still interested made it clear he was considering the threesome purely of his own free will.
Erwin opened a bottle of wine and poured out three glasses. Familiar with assuming leadership of any given situation, the Commander took charge over this one too. First of all, he assured Armin that nothing sexual would happen tonight; they were simply discussing the prospect.
But now this threesome idea was a real possibility, and they'd established a mutual interest, Levi's nerves were all jittery. He usually only felt this sort of sexual anticipation around Erwin. He did his best to mask his excitement, and kept a guarded expression on his face.
The boy might still decide to back out, he warned himself. You don't want to scare him off by coming on too strong...
Armin was understandably awkward about the delicate topic, but he didn't hide his genuine interest. Levi noticed the rapt attention he paid to Erwin – it was obvious he idolised the man. Levi hardly blamed him, the Commander was at his most irresistibly charming and attentive.
On the other hand, Armin was wary of Levi. He was hesitant when speaking to him, as if nervous of getting a sharp reply.
We'll have to work on that. If this arrangement does go ahead, I can't have him terrified of me.
Armin took a sip of wine, before valiantly posing his first question. "I was wondering… Why are you asking me, of all people, to do this with you? Is it just because you know I like men too?"
"That definitely brought you to our attention, but it's not the only reason we picked you," Erwin chuckled. He glanced at Levi, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Honestly, inviting someone into our relationship isn't something we properly talked about until a few days ago," he continued. "It's something I was interested in, but I didn't expect we'd ever find someone both Levi and I liked enough to ask."
"After you walked in on us the other night, we discussed it more seriously." Levi kept his voice neutral, betraying no flicker of his awkwardness. "We realised we were both attracted to you. I knew Erwin wouldn't approach you about it, so that's why I did it myself."
Armin went very red and stared down at the table. He looked equal parts pleased and mortified to hear that his Captain and Commander both found him attractive.
"Don't act modest," Levi rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You must know you're hot."
"We admire your intelligence and kindness too," Erwin added, shooting Levi a wary look.
Levi scoffed. "As usual, you have to act the gentleman." He winked at Armin. "I'll tell you later what else he admires about you."
Armin couldn't hide his grin at this comment. "So, um, how exactly would this arrangement work? "What do you want me to do?" He clasped his hands on the table, looking like he was trying his best to act professionally about the whole situation.
"Only what you're comfortable with," Erwin said. "We'd expect you to be vocal about your preferences and dislikes. But keep in mind we're both new to this scenario, and there may be sides to it we haven't considered. Hence why it's vital for you to communicate with us openly, and without embarrassment. Is that alright?"
"Sure, that makes sense," Armin agreed. He bit his lip, glancing between the other two men. "Can I ask how you two got together?"
Erwin raised his eyebrows at Levi, seeking his permission to answer. Levi swirled the liquid in his wineglass. They hadn't discussed sharing this with Armin. But he trusted his partner to be discreet about the most personal details.
"He already knows too much incriminating information, why stop now?" Levi replied flatly.
"I swear I won't share a word of this with anyone," Armin said. His tone was so serious, Levi half expected him to add a solemn salute. "And I understand if you don't want to talk about your relationship – I was just curious."
Levi smirked. "You're being a nosy little f-" he faltered at Erwin's narrowed eyes. "What I mean is, you're totally taking advantage of this opportunity to get some juicy information. I suppose I should be flattered you want to know the sordid details." Levi shrugged, glancing at Erwin. "I'll let you do the honours."
"It's not sordid," Erwin clarified. "And it's hard to say when exactly we got together… I suppose we shared a rather close emotional relationship for a few years. We were able to confide in each other better than with anybody else, and naturally we started spending more and more time together. It was about two years ago we crossed the line into a romantic relationship. And even then, we took things very slowly at the start."
It was strange for Levi to hear his partner discuss their relationship so openly – this was the first time they'd properly spoken of it to another person. Hange and Mike had figured it out, but respected their privacy and never discussed it. Sometimes Hange gave them knowing little smirks and nudges, but they were careful never to do it with others around.
Levi's relationship with Erwin had always been a private thing between the two of them. But he supposed now Armin was part of their secret, too.
Erwin was being intentionally vague about the specific details though. Like the issues they had when the relationship first turned sexual. Not to mention their more recent bedroom explorations...
Although Armin isn't exactly clueless about our unusual sexual exploits. He did walk in on Erwin bending me over a table and 'punishing' me…
A mix of white hot arousal and shame shot through Levi. He didn't regret Armin's little intrusion - since it had led to their current situation. But he was still self-conscious about him overhearing 'Humanity's Strongest Soldier' being spanked and moaning like a goddamn whore.
Thankfully, he's been very mature about the whole situation. It appears we haven't made a huge mistake in trusting him...
Armin was smiling attentively, as he listened to Erwin discuss their relationship. Levi supposed he wanted to get to know them more on a personal level before potentially doing anything intimate.
"Can we discuss your experience?" Levi interrupted. Despite teasing Armin for being nosy, Levi himself was dying to dig into the man's past. He tried not to look too eager though.
Armin's eyes widened, and he gave a shaky laugh. "This feels like a job interview. Will you be looking into my references?"
Well damn. That wine certainly helped him relax if he's making jokes now.
"We're not judging you," Erwin assured him, smiling warmly. "But it would be helpful to know your own experiences."
Armin bit his lip. Why was it so fucking hot when he did that?! Levi strove to maintain his neutral expression despite the excitement thrumming in his chest.
"Well, I was with Jean for a few months last year. It wasn't really a proper relationship – we were just messing around. But it felt like we'd gotten together by default, and I didn't have any romantic feelings for him. It got a bit uncomfortable for me. So we broke up. We're still friends now, even if it's sometimes awkward."
"What exactly do you mean by 'messing around'?" Levi asked. Now he was definitely the one being a nosy fuck, looking for all the juicy details. He'd been curious about Armin and Jean ever since he'd walked in on them together.
Armin's face flushed. He looked at Erwin, as if to ask did he really need to answer the question.
"Hey, if you don't want to answer something, you can just tell me," Levi said. "I don't bite."
Armin swivelled his gaze back to Levi. "I'm sorry Captain, I-"
"I'm not your Captain right now, either. Not when we're dealing with personal matters." Levi made an effort to inject his voice with kindness. "Now, if you want to call me Captain as part of some bedroom game, that's an entirely different matter. But only if that's something you want to do."
Armin responded with a shocked silence.
Fuck, I was just messing with him! If I'm not careful, I'll scare him off before we've even started. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut.
Luckily Erwin stepped in to smooth things over. "Don't worry Armin, he's teasing you. But he's right – there's no need to call us by our titles in private. We're all equals in this situation; you certainly don't have to defer to us, or obey us. That's not what we want at all." He gazed warmly at the younger man.
Armin chewed his lip, before blurting out, "Can I ask you about what I saw – I mean, overheard you doing together in the office last week?"
Levi caught the accidental slip up. Heart hammering, he demanded, "Did you just overhear us that night, or were you watching us?"
Armin glanced down and fidgeted with his sleeves for a moment. To his credit, he lifted his gaze back up to meet Levi's openly. "I didn't realise what you were doing at first, I thought Erwin was hurting you. So yes, I did look in the door, and I saw you in here. I'm sorry," he added, staring apologetically between them.
Well that answered that mystery. He appreciated Armin's apology – but it wasn't completely his fault. He and Erwin had forgotten to lock the office door in the first place.
Besides, who could stay mad at Arlert when he turned those gigantic fucking puppy dog eyes on you?!
Levi decided to lighten the mood. Partly to cover his own mortification that Armin had seen him in such a vulnerable position, and partly to reassure the young man.
"Don't worry about it. And just so you know, we cleaned the table afterwards." He indicated the same table they were sitting at.
Armin looked confused for a moment, before realising Levi had made a joke. Then he gave a little gasp of laughter.
Erwin smiled sheepishly at Armin, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yes, we suspected you might have looked in on us. But what was it you wanted to ask us about that night?"
"Oh, right," Armin took a sip of wine, as if to gather his courage. "Well… I hope this isn't too personal, but I wanted to ask about that er… game… you were playing. I never did anything like that with Jean, and I'm curious."
"We've only started exploring with that in the last few months," Erwin explained. "It probably seemed strange to you. Sometimes we play different roles; such as with one of us in charge, and the other being submissive. We usually end up using our real ranks, because it's the easiest thing to work with."
"…That makes sense," Armin said slowly. "I don't mean to pry. I'm just wondering what exactly we would be doing; and if I'd be comfortable with it, before making a decision."
"We won't rush into anything," Levi answered before Erwin could. They'd already discussed this between themselves. "And if you're uncomfortable with the role-playing, we won't do that when you're with us."
"Actually, I wouldn't mind trying something like that." Armin's face had taken on a rosy hue again. "But I might mess it up," he added, twisting his clasped hands on the table in front of him.
He was actually interested in role-play?! Levi hadn't expected that in a million years.
"It's just a bit of fun," Erwin assured him, chuckling. "I was nervous about it when we started too, but after some practice you gain confidence. If you're interested, we can keep it light to start with."
Armin smiled brightly and nodded. Not for the first time, Levi was proud of Erwin's ability to put others at ease.
"We got a bit side tracked earlier, discussing your own sexual experience. Do you mind telling us exactly what that consists of?" Erwin asked.
Armin didn't answer at first; he twisted his mouth like he was considering what to say. "I'm sorry, it's just so awkward talking about this!" he finally admitted.
Catching Erwin's eye, Levi raised his brows and made a little head tilt towards Armin. Thank the Walls his partner was able to interpret this obscure gesture, as permission to be a little more physical if needed.
Erwin reached over and put a reassuring hand on Armin's shoulder. "I know it's difficult, but if we're considering something so intimate, we need to be able to talk openly about these things."
Levi almost felt ashamed at the excitement rippling through him, as he watched his lover touch the younger man. He should feel jealous, not turned on! Would it be the same in the bedroom? Or would Levi's jealousy emerge once he saw Erwin pleasuring another man? Right now, the thoughts of that only quickened his pulse.
"It's not much," Armin shrugged. "I've only been with Jean. And we never… um… well, we never went all the way."
"You mean you never had anal sex?" Levi probed, trying to wheedle the specifics out of him.
Armin winced, and mumbled, "Yeah. I didn't really want to do that, so we just did other stuff."
"It's completely fine if you're not ready for anal intercourse," Erwin said quickly. "We can do other things you're more comfortable with."
"I'm not definitely ruling it out – I just didn't want to with Jean." Armin sighed (rather dramatically, in Levi's opinion). "It didn't feel right doing it with him, maybe because I didn't love him? I was also scared of it hurting. Anyway, I don't know how I'd feel about it in another situation."
Well, he's really opening up to us now, Levi thought approvingly.
But he also felt a twinge of disappointment. One of his fantasies he'd discussed with Erwin about this threesome was the prospect of topping Armin. Both of them were interested in doing this, and also in watching the other partner doing it. If Armin wasn't comfortable with anal sex though, this was off the table.
I don't want to pressure him into anything though. I'm glad he's being honest with us and setting some boundaries.
Erwin coaxed more details out of Armin – apparently his sexual encounters with Jean had consisted of oral sex and handjobs.
"Alright, so you haven't had anal sex. But have you ever fingered yourself, like when masturbating?" Levi asked bluntly. He was eager to know if Armin had any anal penetrative experience at all. He did his best to block out the tantalising images of Armin finger fucking himself.
Armin took a hasty gulp of wine. "Um… yeah, I tried it a few times. But it was uncomfortable, and I didn't get far. Is that… will that be an issue for this arrangement?"
"Not at all," Erwin gave him a light pat on the arm, and Armin visibly relaxed. "This is why we're discussing everything now, so we have a better idea how to progress. Speaking of which, there's a few things about this general arrangement that Levi and I would like to talk to you about..."
Erwin went through the 'ground rules' he and Levi had come up with; making it clear that Armin should speak up if he had any issues with them, or wanted to add any of his own.
He explained it was vital that relations between them were kept confidential – they would meet in Erwin's quarters on specific nights, and only during these pre-arranged encounters would they engage in any sort of physical intimacy. And in the same way he and Levi were discreet about their own relationship in public, they expected the same caution from Armin.
Since Erwin and Levi were new to this sort of arrangement themselves, it was likely they'd think up more 'rules' or boundaries if things progressed beyond a single meeting. Armin was free to voice his own suggestions too.
Erwin slipped into what Levi called 'commander-mode' while running through all this – his voice took on an effortlessly authoritative tone, and he betrayed no hint of embarrassment at the fact he was essentially discussing how they were planning to meet up and fuck each other. (Or whatever it was Armin was comfortable with doing.)
Levi marvelled at Erwin's instinctive ability to navigate any social situation, even one as awkward as this. Armin seemed reassured at how seriously they were taking the whole thing, and at how much consideration they'd clearly put into it. He agreed he was happy to keep it a secret, and to behave as they normally did in public.
"We also need to make clear that this is a temporary arrangement." Erwin stared intently at Armin, his voice still polite, but expression firm. "It will only go on as long as we're all comfortable. But it will end eventually."
When Armin nodded his assent, Erwin continued in a slightly softer tone, "Both of us respect you and want you to enjoy yourself. And I suppose if this arrangement goes on for more than a few meetings, it might feel like something of a temporary relationship. But understand that Levi is the most important person in my life, and his happiness is always my first priority.'
Well… damn. Erwin had made this fact clear to Levi when they'd discussed the threesome over the last few days. But hearing him bluntly tell Armin sent a surge of pure affection through him.
How did someone as cold and emotionally-stunted as me, end up with a man like this?
It gave Levi the courage to speak for the first time in several minutes. "I feel the same way about Erwin,' he said, finding it hard to keep his face and tone neutral. It was so much harder to talk about this emotional stuff than sex.
"Of course." Armin nodded again, looking earnestly between the two older men. "Thanks for being open about all this. I know it won't go on forever, and of course your relationship is your first priority. Besides, I can't even imagine how a three-way relationship would work full-time, so I never had any expectations of this becoming permanent! I don't need that complication in my life. And Eren and Mikasa would find out eventually.'
Levi's hackles rose at the mention of Armin's best friends. They were exceptional soldiers, sure (especially Mikasa who was part of his own elite squad). But fuck, were this trio protective of each other. He'd heard about Mikasa punching Floch Forster in the face over some altercation about Armin last year. Levi was secretly proud of his cousin; Floch was notorious for his abrasiveness and intolerance, he no doubt deserved the punch.
But what would Yeager and Miss Ackerman do if they discovered Armin was fucking around with two of his superiors? They'd probably jump to the wrong conclusion, and assume their friend was being taken advantage of. It might even result in their arrangement being made public – as well as Levi's relationship with Erwin.
And Levi wasn't anywhere near ready to deal with the consequences of that. At least not yet.
"It goes without saying, but you will do everything in your power to keep this a secret from your friends, right?"
"Definitely," Armin agreed. "It would be too hard to explain this whole thing to them."
"It's certainly a strange situation, but hopefully a pleasant one for all of us." Erwin smiled and held Armin's gaze. The young man stared back with an intent, almost hungry look.
Fuck! I can't wait til we actually get started on this. Armin clearly wants this as badly as we do…
Erwin continued in a steady voice. "While Levi and I view you as an equal in most ways in this arrangement, there's no avoiding the fact you're still the odd one out. That said, we want to do everything in our power to ensure you enjoy it. So it's vital you communicate with us – such as speaking up if anything makes you uncomfortable. Even if you want to try something, and then change your mind, you should never hesitate to tell us to stop. We want you to feel safe with us."
Wanting to add his own reassurances, Levi said, "Erwin is more intuitive than me about intimate matters, but you can trust that I have your best interests in mind too. Ideally, we want you equally comfortable with both of us, but if you find it easier to speak to one of us about a specific topic, that's fine. We'd rather that than you keep it to yourself."
Levi knew Armin would lean towards confiding in Erwin more than him. It gave him a tinge of envy, but he couldn't blame the man. Part of why he'd fallen for the Commander himself was because of his irresistible gentlemanly charms.
"Don't let Levi's abrupt manners put you off either," Erwin grinned, reaching out to grasp his partner's hand in his own. "There's a lot more to him than he displays in public."
"Tsk. Don't get sentimental, Erwin," Levi scoffed. His lips quirked at the inquisitive way Armin was staring at them. At this stage, I shouldn't be surprised that he enjoys watching us…
"Despite his best efforts to prove otherwise." Erwin shook his head, but gave Levi's hand a squeeze. "So Armin, is there anything else you want to discuss?"
Armin toyed with his empty wineglass, a shy smile lighting up his boyish features. Levi had no idea how he'd been so oblivious to the man's good looks until the last few days. "Actually, you covered most of my concerns. But I'm still worried you'll be put off by my limited experience. I don't want you two to be bored… you're clearly far more knowledgeable and capable than me."
"Your experience isn't an issue," Erwin assured him. "We'll just take things slowly at the start, and see how it goes. You might still decide to back out, and that's completely fine. There won't be any hard feelings."
"So, am I right to think you're still interested?" Levi asked.
On the whole, the discussion had gone as well as he could have hoped. Armin was still struggling with his innate shyness, but he'd clearly made efforts to push past his comfort zone and open up to them. Levi knew the man had an unexpected inner resolve, but he'd still been unsure if a threesome would prove to be too much for him to deal with.
But all we've done is talk so far. He might change his mind later when we actually start being physical…
Armin glanced between the two men, his face flushed from alcohol and excitement. "Yes. I'd definitely like to give it a go!"
Erwin rewarded him with a dazzling smile, his expression radiating warmth and energy. Just as he'd done a minute ago with Levi, he grasped Armin's smaller hand in his own. He gazed meaningfully at Levi.
Getting the message, Levi leant over the table and covered Armin's free hand with his own. The young man's breathing hitched and he bit his lip, unable to look at either of them.
Levi's heart was hammering in his chest. He could only imagine how Armin felt; with these two older, powerful men either side of him. Armin's hand trembled underneath Levi's. Was he overwhelmed already, with this gentle gesture?
How easily we could turn into a whining, writhing mess…
"Is this alright?" Erwin asked softly.
"Y-Yeah." Armin lifted his gaze to the Commander, and gave a small embarrassed smile.
Erwin leant his head down by his ear. "Would you like to meet us in my quarters this Friday night?" he murmured, in the same intimate tone he used in the bedroom. It sent a spike of arousal straight to Levi's groin. Judging by the dazed expression on Armin's face, he wasn't coping much better.
"Umm… Yeah. I'm… I'm free on Friday," Armin replied shakily.
"Levi and I discussed ideas for how to start things off," Erwin continued, flicking a crooked smile in his lover's direction. "And it might help break the ice if you watched us together first?"
"Obviously you've already watched us." Levi smirked. "But you have our permission this time. What do you think? Or have you any other suggestions?"
Armin swallowed, evidently overcome by the two men's attention on him. "I – I think that's a good idea."
"If you feel comfortable, you can join us afterwards." Erwin squeezed the smaller man's hand. "But there's no pressure."
"And if you change your mind at any stage, it's perfectly fine," Levi reminded him. "We only want to do this so long as you're interested too."
Caught between his Captain and Commander like this, Armin definitely looked interested.
They quickly decided on the other details – a time for their rendezvous, an excuse Armin could use if anyone saw him going up to Ewin's quarters, and how Armin should contact them if he wanted to call off the meeting, or had any more questions.
Levi's mind raced with the possibilities of their potential encounter. How the fuck am I supposed to wait til Friday?!
Erwin and Armin looked eager to get started too – they were practically eye-fucking each other already. And Armin kept shooting Levi nervous little glances and smiles.
"Erwin and I will shower beforehand. If you could do the same?" Levi hoped this didn't sound accusatory - because Armin looked as though he had decent cleanliness standards. But it was something Levi was fussy about.
Armin didn't seem to take offence. "Of course." Then he added in a rush, "Do we have to wait until Friday to meet?"
Levi's heart almost stopped. If I suggested we all go back to Erwin's quarters now, I'm pretty sure Armin would agree.
He could shower there too, so there really wasn't any issues with this idea…
Except for one. Armin was after drinking two glasses of wine, and maybe not in the best frame of mind to be in a vulnerable position with two men.
As agonising as it was, Levi knew waiting a few days was the wisest course of action. It gave everyone time to be fully certain they wanted to get involved – instead of rushing into something they might later regret.
It took Erwin a few seconds to respond, and Levi could tell his partner was sorely tempted too. "It's probably best for us all to think over this for a few more days," he said kindly.
Levi let his eyes wander up and down the man's slight frame. "Don't get us wrong Arlert - we're eager to get our hands on you too."
Armin's face flushed (really it did that a lot) and his expression turned a little self-satisfied. Which was pretty fucking hot.
"Well, we should let you get to bed now," Erwin said, tone shifting effortlessly back into formality. "Remember to be at the library at 9 tomorrow morning, so you can be introduced to your new duties."
Armin looked stunned. "With everything we've talked about, I'd almost forgotten about the job!" he laughed. "I can't wait to start."
They all said goodnight, and Armin left the office in high spirits.
Soon afterwards, Erwin and Levi returned to Erwin's quarters. After climbing into bed, Levi saw his partner had the world's biggest grin on his face.
"That went about as well as we'd hoped. Maybe even better," he said breathlessly, pulling Levi into a tight embrace.
"He might still change his mind," Levi reminded him. "You know what he's like – he could overthink the whole thing and decide it's not worth the stress."
"Maybe… but he's definitely very interested," Erwin said smugly. "I was a bit taken aback that he wanted to meet sooner! But it might have been the alcohol talking."
Despite his warnings, Levi couldn't supress his own exhilaration that Erwin's fantasy was so close to coming true. To be fair, getting Armin in their bed was now a shared fantasy for both of them…
"You can still change your mind too." Erwin tilted Levi's chin to stare solemnly in his eyes. "I meant what I said - you mean everything to me."
"Urgh, not this sentimental bullshit again," Levi teased. "Look, I'm still nervous, but it's something I want to try with you. I can't promise I'll do more than one night, though. We'll see how it goes."
He gave a mock sigh. "Besides, we can't disappoint poor Armin… we've already hyped this thing up for him! Between the two of us, we'll give him a night to remember."
"Don't worry, you're the one who's got my full attention tonight," Erwin whispered in his ear, in that irresistible sexy bedroom voice. Honestly, the man was positively dangerous when he set his mind to it.
Levi pulled his face down and kissed him hard.
"You're goddamn right," he growled.
Notes: Wow, this Chapter was a lot of work! It needed a huge re-write from the first draft. It practically doubled in length I hope you enjoyed it, because I really love how it came together. Sometimes discussing intimate things is better than the actual sex… but there WILL be lots of smut soon, I promise!
This is a good time to mention I have a detailed outline for this story – and we've just hit the end of Part 1. Yes, there will be 3 Parts, and maybe 24/25 Chapters in total. The upcoming Part 2 will focus on the development of the threesome, and introduce the kinks I want to explore. There will also be some subplot drama for Armin, Levi & Erwin. But the threesome is the main focus, and the subplots will ultimately play a role in shaping Armin/Levi/Erwin's relationship.
I'd really appreciate your comments on this chapter, your support helps me stay motivated!
I'm also on Twitter at SweetScofield :D