Notes: We get a big discussion in this chapter that took me SO much work to write. I originally hadn't planned to address this topic until much later in the story! But I think it creates more tension here. Also, prepare for a shameless amount of fluff in the second half of the chapter for Erwin's Birthday party.

Previously: Erwin attends a trade negotiations summit in Mitras, where foreign delegates meet with Paradisian leaders to form new agreements between their nations.

While Erwin is gone, Levi and Armin meet up without him, and grow even closer...

Chapter 20: An Impossible Dream…

Erwin

The travel-weary Commander arrived home to the Survey Corps just in time for dinner. He joined Levi, Hange and Mike at their usual table in the mess hall.

"You've been on the road all day. Nobody will blame you if you want to go eat in your quarters," Levi said flatly.

"Grumpy's right; you look ready to fall face-first into your stew!" Hange cackled.

Erwin actually considered it for one blissful moment. But then a curious crowd swarmed their table, hurling questions at him about the trade summit. The soldiers had already heard of its success in the newspapers - three new countries had formed trade agreements with Paradis. Most notably, after many days of tireless discussions, they'd also managed to hammer out an official peace treaty with the imposing nation of Marley.

But everyone wanted Erwin's unique take on the proceedings, and hear his opinions on what it meant for the future of the Survey Corps. Maintaining his stoic smile as he endured their interrogations stole every ounce of his strength. At one point, his glaze flickered to the corner of the room towards a familiar mop of golden hair.

Levi's right, he mused fondly, it is getting a bit long.

Then Armin swivelled his head and locked eyes with him. A crooked smile curved those irresistible lips, sending sparks of adrenaline through Erwin's system. Within seconds, the roguish flirt turned away and was back chatting animatedly with his friends.

That's another thing Levi is right about. Armin really is a little brat!

Infused with a burst of fresh energy, Erwin focussed his attention back to the soldiers surrounding him. He shared their joy at the momentous progress Paradis had made, and the peaceful future it signified for its citizens.

"Alright, you've all spent enough time pestering the Commander. Let the man eat his dinner for fuck's sake!"

Hange and Mike sniggered as the crowd dispersed at the chill in Levi's voice. Nobody was foolish enough to provoke the Captain further.

Nobody except Erwin.

"I was actually enjoying speaking to my soldiers," he admonished in an undertone.

"Yeah? Well I enjoy seeing you get some goddamn peace for a change. Now stop talking and eat your dinner."

Grinning, the Commander did as he was told.

For the last fortnight, Erwin had been surrounded by people almost constantly. And yet, he hadn't managed to shake off a persistent grip of loneliness. It wrapped its tendrils around him every time he thought about what he'd left behind. Random things triggered a sharp pang – from hearing a joke he knew Levi would enjoy, to discovering information about another nation which Armin would find fascinating. Even sampling the delicious foreign delicacies made him wish the men could savour them too.

As much as he'd cherished the opportunity to attend such a historic summit, there was no escaping his ties back home.

Walls, how I've missed him…

Both of them.

Levi arrived at Erwin's quarters later that night.

The Captain's steely façade crumbled as he pulled his partner into a passionate embrace.

"I know you're exhausted Erv. I can always come back over tomorrow night if you're too tired –"

Levi's words trailed into a mumble as Erwin pressed against his mouth in a hungry kiss. He tasted like mint, and the citrus scent of his soap was a balm to Erwin's fatigue. Levi leaned in closer, begging for more.

Looks like he's missed me as much as I've missed him.

They stumbled into the bedroom to continue their activities. After a breathless bout of love-making they lay together, wrapped in each other's arms and pleasantly relaxed in the misty afterglow of sex.

"So tell me, how were things with Armin while I was away? Did you two play nicely?" Erwin asked, trying to quell his mounting curiousity. Thoughts of what the men had gotten up to had been taunting him for the past two weeks.

Levi shrugged. But his rushed voice indicated his eagerness.

"Tsk, you didn't miss much. We ate sugary crap, played cards, and he helped me with my tea-making experiments. Oh, and I accidentally got him tipsy after giving him some mead. He showed off his room to me too. It's very… decorative."

Erwin laughed, stroking Levi's hair. "You're such a liar - it sounds like I did miss a lot! Did you think about me at all while I was gone?"

From the little quirk of the Captain's mouth, Erwin braced himself for a teasing retort.

"No, not at all. Actually, Armin and I have made plans to run away together. We're going to live by the sea, and adopt a killer whale."

"Well, that does sound better than the life you have here with me," Erwin sighed, mock-resigned. "But seriously, tell me more. Did you enjoy spending time with him?"

It was a huge relief knowing Levi had someone else to keep him company. There was only so much he could endure Hange's excitable ramblings, or Mike's unusual sense of humour. Armin, on the other hand, didn't seem to ruffle Levi's feathers in the same way.

His partner shifted in his arms to meet his gaze. "Yeah, he's a great friend. He's not a replacement for you though. Especially not when the brat gets drunk after only two glasses of mead."

Erwin chuckled, a warm glow spreading over him at his partner's loyalty. He wanted nothing more than to savour this quiet moment; certainly not do anything that might shatter it.

But I need to talk to him about what's been on my mind these last few days…

"There's something I want to discuss with you," Erwin said, keeping his tone light. "I shared a room with Nile during the summit, and we got talking."

"Oh fuck. You're not running away with him or some shit, are you?"

Erwin snorted, in a most un-Commanderly fashion. Levi knew very well that Nile was like a brother to him. Despite being the respective leaders of the Survey Corps and the Military Police, they'd retained a strong friendship since their cadet years.

"No, nothing like that. But I did discover something interesting about his relationship with Marie."

"You have gossip about the straight-laced Nile Dok?!"

"Don't breathe a word of this to anyone," Erwin warned.

"Erv, who the hell would I even talk to? Just tell me!"

Erwin lowered his voice conspiratorially, relishing Levi's attention.

"Alright, but you won't like this first part. Marie was at one of the informal evening parties, and we got talking. She said she wanted to ask me something. So we went outside somewhere more private."

Erwin paused for dramatic effect. He continued after Levi huffed out a noise of impatience.

"She asked if I was interested in sleeping with her."

"Wait, what?"

"I was shocked too. But she assured me Nile would be fine with it, because they had an agreement for this sort of thing. I still refused her, of course."

Erwin had enjoyed a brief fling with Marie soon after he graduated from cadet training. Not long after they broke up, she and Nile began a relationship. When Marie fell pregnant, they'd rushed into a marriage. Now they had three daughters, and by all accounts seemed to be reasonably happy together.

"I asked Nile about it later that night. He explained that he and Marie are in what they call an 'open relationship'. They give each other permission to sleep with other people, and they don't consider it to be infidelity."

"Fuck… this sounds like the plotline of one of those salacious romance books Armin told us about!" Levi shook his head. "Are they really both happy with that sort of arrangement?"

"They seem to be. Circumstances forced them to marry too fast. This is a way for them to explore other opportunities, while still being faithful to their marriage."

Since discovering his friend's secret, Erwin had wondered how many other people were in unconventional relationships, but felt pressured to keep it a secret.

"You know, their open relationship isn't all that different from our arrangement with Armin. The only difference is we're both involved with the same person." Erwin mulled over the information he'd gathered from speaking to various diplomats at the summit. "Situations like this might be scandalous in Paradis, but other nations aren't limited by our traditional beliefs about sexuality and gender. They're far more liberal about different types of relationships too." He sighed, breath ruffling Levi's hair. "After living such secluded lives within these walls, we've still got so much to learn."

Erwin gripped Levi's hands tightly, holding them against his hammering heart. "I don't want to be held back by our country's outdated conventions. After all, it never stopped the two of us from getting together, did it? We chose what was right for us; not caring what others thought of same-sex relationships."

Levi made a small noise of assent. His furrowed brow made it clear he was wondering where Erwin was going with all of this.

"And it didn't stop us from initiating a threesome with Armin, either. But with how our arrangement with him keeps evolving, I wonder if we should open our minds to other possibilities?"

"Like what?" There was a curious lift to the Captain's voice, edged with caution. It reminded Erwin of a wild cat being baited with food from a human.

Broaching this topic was proving just as thorny as he'd expected. But he charged on regardless.

"We never intended to continue things for so long with him," he said bluntly. "While we're still agreed that it's a temporary arrangement, we've come to relax many of our rules about our interactions together. And let's face it, we both panicked a few months ago when we thought Armin was going to end things. That incident forced us to confront how much we care for him, beyond just sex. At that time, deciding to keep him in our lives as a friend after the threesome ends seemed like the best option available to us."

Levi remained silent, mouth twisting, waiting for the point his partner was trying to make.

Words and speeches were Erwin's specialty. But right now, one wrong step might send him stumbling into dangerous territory. He took a deep breath before diving headlong into the unknown.

"Tell me honestly – how do you feel about Armin? If it weren't for me, could you imagine yourself in a committed relationship with him?"

Levi stiffened in his arms like he'd turned to ice. Then he jerked back, releasing Erwin's hands. His face blazed with disbelief. "That's crazy Erv, I'm in love with you! There's no way I'd choose Armin over you."

"What if you could have both of us?"

The wounded expression dissolved into a detached mask. Now Levi's face was indecipherable, even to Erwin, who could read him better than anyone. Those grey eyes were mysterious pools in the candlelight, with no reflection of his true emotions.

"I don't understand. What are you getting at?" he asked in a flat tone.

How could Erwin express this new possibility that was dawning in his mind? He decided to simply speak from the heart.

"I've seen how happy you are with Armin. The way you fight not to smile around him, how you secretly enjoy his teasing, and how excited you always are for our meetings with him – both sexual and otherwise. I've never seen you opening up with anyone else but me in the same way. And watching your happiness makes me happy too."

"I – I enjoy watching you with him too." Levi's words were hesitant as he plunged into this confusing realm of honesty. "I used to be jealous of how you both talked about books and other shit I have no fucking clue about. I guess I was afraid you'd realise he was a better match for you. But then the little brat grew on me too. At some point, he stopped feeling like a threat to our relationship." Levi twisted his hands in the bedsheets, flexing and unflexing his fingers. He raised his gaze to Erwin, features sombre. "Our relationship has changed since Armin joined us. But it doesn't feel like a bad thing."

"I couldn't agree more," Erwin said breathlessly.

The truth hung unspoken in the air between them - Armin's presence in their relationship made it better.

"Have we gotten in too deep with him? Do you think we should break it off?" The words dragged from Levi's mouth. He didn't quite manage to conceal his disappointment.

"It depends how you look at it." Erwin lay flat on the bed, raking a hand through his hair. "Neither of us are dissatisfied with the situation. But what are our long-term intentions? Do we want to keep things casual with him, while we continue to prioritise our own relationship? Or are we open to more serious commitments?"

"Erv…" The single word was soft, wishful, and spiked with unmistakable regret. "You're being far too optimistic. There's no way things can continue long-term – whether on a casual basis, or more serious. It's too dangerous, can you imagine if word got out? I know mindsets are growing more liberal, but there's still the staunch traditionalists to contend with. They'll tear your reputation apart if they hear you're sleeping with two subordinates! I couldn't live with that sort of risk of being found out. And I'm not sure you could either."

He's right… but also wrong.

Erwin had contemplated the very same problem over the last few days. And he'd come to a difficult decision.

"I wouldn't risk it only for my own sake, no. But if exploring different options with Armin was something you wanted too… Well then, I think we could figure something out."

Levi shifted onto his back, hands folded on the pillow behind his head. He remained silent as he absorbed this information. Erwin could guess at the man's train of thought. This proposal meant Levi would also be taking a gamble to his own reputation. He was already worried about his and Erwin's relationship becoming public knowledge, and had made it painfully clear that his preference was to keep it a secret. How would he deal with the potential scandal of a threesome hanging over him?

There was another important issue Erwin needed to address too. "If we are determined to keep everything a secret, it may limit our options. For instance, if we decide to give Armin a more equal role in our relationship, how would we manage that? You and I have reason to spend time together in public without raising suspicion, as our friendship is already established. But it would be strange for us to be seen socialising with a younger soldier all of a sudden. And it seems unfair to always be expecting him to meet us in secret, under the cover of darkness. Even if our intentions were to make things more serious, I'm not sure he'd ever be fully equal in the relationship."

Levi made a noise of irritation, rubbing his palms over his face.

"Armin," he began weakly, before swallowing and carrying on in a firmer voice. "Armin told me something when we had that bath together. He said he hopes to find love like ours someday." Levi released a long, slow exhale. "We can't give him what he deserves. And stringing him along indefinably might hinder him from pursuing other romantic options. I can't do that to him."

It was as though Erwin were sinking through the bed to the cold, hard ground below.

There might still be ways to make it work, to make it fair for Armin! What if Levi and I get ahead of any potential scandal by announcing our relationship? Then if things are still going well with Armin after a certain amount of time, and we're all in agreement, we could consider making that public too. It would be embarrassing, yes. But being above board with everything would be the safest way to go-

No. Erwin sliced through his rambling thoughts before they could strangle him with useless possibilities. Levi wants our relationship to remain a secret. And I respect his decision.

Even if it means closing ourselves off to something that might have brought us a lot of happiness?

Erwin shifted closer to Levi again, enveloping his smaller body in his arms. He was lucky to have him. He wouldn't gamble on some elusive dream if it meant risking Levi's love.

"So… where do we go from here?" he asked, trying to adopt a business-like tone. "I think it would be cruel to finish up with Armin all of a sudden, when he's still enjoying things as much as we are. But perhaps we should consider setting an end date in the coming weeks?"

"Yeah," Levi murmured. Erwin could feel his fingers laced around the back of his neck, twisting in agitation. "Fuck, there's still so much we'd planned to do… remember that fantasy he told us about? We should make sure to do that before we end things."

A glow of affection swelled inside Erwin as he recalled Armin's suggestion from a few weeks ago. The man certainly had a creative imagination. "Why don't we arrange that for our next meeting?"

"No. Armin's fantasy thing can wait." Levi unlaced his fingers from behind Erwin's neck, and poked him in the chest. "He and I have been arranging a special night for you. Since it's your birthday next week, it's the perfect time to do it."

A special night? For me? Wait… were they discussing this while I was away? Those sneaky little brats!

"Levi, you don't need to -"

"Yes we do," The Captain cut in, sharp as a blade. "Look, I originally organised this threesome as a gift for you. But you ended up managing the whole yourself thing anyway. You always put mine and Armin's needs above your own. Now it's time for us to give you a break." Levi raised a dark eyebrow, face crumbling into a beseeching expression. "Will you please let us do this for you?"

Erwin opened his mouth to protest again. But his partner rarely asked for anything so openly. It clearly meant a lot to him. Besides, he couldn't deny a spark of excitement for what the men might have planned…

"Alright, fine. Just so long as Armin doesn't feel any sort of pressure to do it."

A snort of laughter tore from Levi's throat. "Are you joking? Armin had five pages full of suggestions! And the scenario we came up with was mostly his idea."

"You're doing a role-play?" Erwin's interest was well and truly piqued now.

"Maybe," his partner replied mysteriously. "We can discuss it more tomorrow. You should have a think and tell me if there's anything in particular you'd like to try out on the night. I'm sure we can tie all our ideas together. But it's late now, we better go to sleep."

Erwin was impatient to press more on the topic, but Levi was right. They were both up early tomorrow - for a meeting where Erwin would update the Survey Corps' officers about how the trade summit in Mitras would affect their goals going forward.

"Night Levi. I love you." He placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"Love you too, Erv."

Levi

"Happy Birthday Erwin!" Armin cried as soon as the Commander stepped inside his quarters.

Erwin's gaze swivelled around in confusion. His tidy sitting room was transformed into an outdoor autumnal scene – with acorns, pine cones, chestnuts and leaves scattered over every available surface.

Amongst the rich foliage, Levi's fanciest tea set rested on the table, along with a decadent spiced carrot cake with vanilla frosting. Levi had almost missed dinner in his rush to pick it up from the bakery in town earlier.

The dazed expression on his partner's face made it all worth it though.

"I told you I didn't want a fuss!" Erwin shot Levi what was surely meant to be a disapproving look. But it was spoiled when he started pacing around the room like an excited overgrown child.

"You only said that to me, not Armin," Levi shrugged. "All I organised was the food. It was Armin's idea to decorate the place."

"So this is why you ordered me not to come back here before nine! Come here you brats."

Erwin enveloped Levi with one arm, and swooped Armin into the hug with the other. The librarian huffed out a laugh at being squished up against the other two men. Levi decided to complete the three-way hug by wrapping one arm around Armin and other around Erwin's waist.

Before we know it, this will all be over… best to make the most of it while we still can.

He'd debated over whether to invite Armin to this initial part of the night. But the look of pure delight on Erwin's face as he came in the door told him he'd made the right call. And he hadn't been able to resist Armin's enthusiasm at throwing a party for their Commander.

Besides, it's a good idea for all of us to relax together before the next part of the night… I hope Erwin can forget about his goddamn work for once, and let us take care of him tonight.

Erwin released them from the hug and towered over them with a colossal grin.

"Thank you both, this is really – wait, what's that?" Erwin's voice rose with suspicion, as he spotted the brown paper packages behind the couch.

"Your presents!" Armin declared. He snatched his own gift up and handed it to him.

Erwin's features shifted into unease. He glanced at Levi with furrowed brows.

Levi had been wary too when Armin asked him if he could give Erwin a birthday present. Was it a step beyond their arrangement's boundaries? But Armin's arguments eventually won him over – the gift was simply a token of their friendship. Wasn't it all right for friends to exchange presents?

I hope I made the right choice in allowing it. Erwin might think differently…

"Don't worry, it's only something small," Armin assured him.

A crease marred Erwin's forehead. He sat down on the couch to unwrap the package. Armin sat on the armchair opposite him, waiting eagerly for his reaction. Levi perched on the armrest beside Erwin, equally curious as to what the present would contain. (Even though he would bet his best cravat it was a book, based on the rectangular shape.)

He bit back a sarcastic remark as the mystery was revealed.

"Wait – it's not a book?!" Levi peered suspiciously at the large box. Perhaps the book was inside it…

"It's called a 'jigsaw puzzle,'" Erwin said, reading the cover of the box. He opened the lid to reveal hundreds of colourful pieces. Frowning, he flipped the box around to see if there was instructions on the back. But there was only a scenic picture of various animals - including some Levi didn't recognise, which must be from other parts of the world.

"Well, this is… it's really…" Erwin's composure vanished like smoke in the wind. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what this is."

Since Levi had known him, the leader of the Survey Corps had faced down titans, corrupt government officials, and the shocking revelation of the existence of the outside world.

But this was one of the few times he'd seen the man lost for clever words.

Armin grinned broadly. "Haven't you seen any of these before? I guess they're fairly new…" He took the box from Erwin, and explained how the pieces fitted together to create the picture on the box.

"There's one thousand pieces in this puzzle." Erwin stared at the cover of the box with unconcealed alarm. "How… how long will that take to complete?"

The librarian pursed his lips. "Eren and I just finished one of the same size. We worked on it for a few hours most weekends… I guess it took us a few months in total?"

At the stunned expressions from the other men, Armin fiddled with the cuffs of his blue jacket. "I know it seems daunting at first, but it's actually really fun! I was thinking you could both work on it together?"

A warm smile etched Erwin's face, as if he recalled that he'd encountered worse challenges than this before. He could handle a jigsaw puzzle.

Levi, however, wasn't so sure.

"This is such a thoughtful gift Armin. Thank you," Erwin said graciously. "But if we get stuck, we might need to ask you for help."

"When's your birthday Armin? I don't think you've ever told us." Levi cut in, keeping his tone casual.

"Oh, it's next month, November 3rd!" Armin said with a smile. A fraction of a second later, his eyes widened. "But please don't get me anything!"

"That's fine. We weren't planning to."

The relief on Armin's face sent a triumphant ripple through Levi. He shared a smirk with Erwin, who was clearly thinking along the same lines as him.

That brat's getting a fucking birthday present whether he likes it or not!

Levi handed Erwin a paper bag containing his own presents. He watched with silent glee as his partner pulled out a series of gifts – a fountain pen engraved with Erwin's initials, a new fluffy bathrobe, and a large jar of homemade tea leaves.

Erwin unscrewed the lid of the latter and inhaled the spicy scent.

"Did you make this yourself? It smells incredible!"

Levi's chest swelled with the compliment. It had taken a lot of experimenting to get the chai tea mixture right. But he'd been determined to create Erwin's favourite blend.

"Armin helped me out with taste testing it. So if it's crap, you can blame him."

Armin didn't respond to his jibe. He was too busy staring at the frosted carrot cake like he hadn't eaten a proper meal in days. Which certainly wasn't true – Levi had a clear view of Armin earlier in the mess hall, and he'd definitely eaten dinner.

Not that he'd been spying on Armin, of course.

"I'm sure it tastes great," Erwin chuckled, leaning over to plant a kiss on Levi's lips. "Thank you darling, these gifts are amazing." His mouth curled as he took in Armin's hungry expression. "I think it's time to try out that cake."

Despite their plans for the later part of the night, they didn't rush savouring the treats. Levi cut three thick slices of cake onto plates and handed them out. He brushed a cluster of acorns away to make room for his own plate. Honestly, it was like being at a tea party in the goddamn forest. But he couldn't deny Armin's choice of decorations were pretty. If impractical.

Levi brewed a pot of his home-made chai tea. To his relief, Erwin exclaimed it was the best blend he'd ever tasted. Even better than the expensive brand they usually bought at the market.

"Well, Armin helped," Levi shrugged, secretly glad he'd asked the man for help with this gift.

Armin didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation. His sole focus was on the plate in front of him.

"This cake is the best thing I've ever tasted."

"Even better than cinnamon rolls?" Levi asked innocently.

The young man's blissful expression turned to wariness. Clearly he wasn't over the trauma of his old nickname.

"If you even think about nicknaming me carrot cake-"

"We wouldn't dream of it," Erwin assured him. With a smirk he added, "We much prefer cinnamon roll."

Ignoring their sniggering, Armin leaned back in the armchair and crossed his legs. He fixed his gaze to the side as if bored by the discussion. "Since it's your birthday, I'll let you away with that this time."

Levi feigned surprise as Erwin shot him a confused look.

I suspect Arlert is testing out his role for later on. If he manages to re-create that same cold confidence, we're in for a very interesting night…

But Armin's frosty façade was shattered when Erwin examined the autumn-themed wreath on the mantelpiece. Red, orange and brown leaves were woven around a circular twig frame, sprinkled with pine cones, berries, and sprigs of russet ferns.

"I've never seen anything like this. Did you get it in the market?" Erwin asked.

"No, I made it!" Armin declared proudly. "I got the idea from Eren. He was making one for Mikasa, and I asked him to show me how to do it. We ended up making a few to hang up as decorations in the library. Emilia was thrilled - I think she forgives Eren for all the times he's shouted in the library now," Armin grinned. "But anyway, I made an extra one for you."

"Armin… you shouldn't have gone to so much trouble-"

"Oh, I just didn't want you to be jealous of the plant I gave to Levi." The librarian stared down at his teacup, swirling the contents around. Then he lifting his gaze to fix it sternly on the Captain. "That plant is still alive, right?"

"What will you do if it's not?"

Armin looked on the verge of dropping his teacup in horror (which would create such an unfortunate mess). So Levi quickly added, "Don't call on Mikasa to murder me just yet. The plant's fine."

The librarian narrowed his eyes at the Captain's teasing. But he apparently chose to ignore it because he turned to Erwin and asked about his other birthday plans.

"I'm going out tomorrow night with my friends," Erwin replied. "Although I hope we're not out too late…"

"Tsk, you know what Hange, Mike, and the others are like when they get drinking! We'll be out all night."

"Oh speaking of Hange, I was talking to them in the library a few days ago!"

Levi swivelled his gaze from Erwin to Armin as the young man offered up this information.

"What? Why were you talking to Hange?" Inexplicably, his chest tightened. Which was stupid. Armin wasn't forbidden to talk with their friends. It's not like he would divulge any incriminating secrets to them. The man knew how to be discreet.

"They were checking if we'd gotten any new science books in from other countries. They visit the library every so often, but this was the first time we had a proper conversation." Armin scratched his neck. "It was nice hearing about Hange's experiments, but I couldn't get them to leave. And they take the concept of being quiet in a library as a guideline, not a rule. They're even louder than Eren!"

"You should hear them after a few drinks," Erwin laughed. "But they're a lot of fun, along with Mike and the others. Levi and I would probably bore each other to death if we didn't spend time with different people."

"Our friends are fine. In small doses. Does anyone want more tea?"

Levi refilled their cups, staying silent as Erwin shared stories with Armin about their friends' antics. He mulled over his discussion with his partner a few nights ago. They'd established that having a romantic relationship with Armin was out of the question. But how would they tackle the prospect of maintaining their friendship with him? Was it possible for them to include the man in their existing friend group, or would they always keep him separate? A secret part of their lives forever?

We have a lot more to figure out. Is it possible to become friends with Armin publicly, without raising suspicion? Perhaps we could pretend we've gotten to know him through his work at the library. And I suppose it helps that Hange is already on good terms with him...

Maybe this isn't as impossible as it seems?

The pot of tea had long been emptied, and nobody (even Armin) was capable of eating another bite of the rich cake. Levi hated to interrupt their cosy chat. But it was time to move on with the next part of the night before they all fell asleep.

Levi uncurled his feet from underneath him on the couch and stretched. He pulled away from his partner to stare him dead in the eye.

"Commander, would you like your next present now?"

In mere seconds, Erwin went from a drowsy man at the end of a hard work day, to the sharp military leader who refused to let sleepless nights affect his performance.

"Are both of you ready?" After the other two men nodded, he stood up, looming over them. "Alright. Give me a few minutes to shower first, and I'll meet you in the bedroom."

"Not so fast," Levi said. "We want you to change into your training uniform after your shower."

Erwin's thick eyebrows rose in amusement. "With or without the ODM gear?"

"With it!" Armin piped up. "I mean, if you're ok with that?"

Erwin barked out a laugh. "Since you're so enthusiastic, how can I say no?"

"And wait for us in your study when you're ready. Just pretend to be doing some paperwork," Levi said.

"My study?" The Commander darted his gaze between the other men, lips tilting. "Very well."

Before he left the room, he planted a kiss on Levi's head, and crossed to the armchair on the other side of the table to do the same for Armin. Then he strode down the hall towards his bedroom. Levi had arranged earlier that he should use the en-suite to get ready, while he and Armin would take the main bathroom.

"Should we go get ready too?" Armin asked. "I showered before I came over like you asked, but I'd like to brush my teeth after all that cake."

Since they usually had tea and a light snack before their threesome encounters, Armin now left a spare toothbrush here for the sake of convenience. He'd suggested leaving pyjamas too, but Levi felt like that was a step too close to a permanent situation. Instead, he was happy to keep allowing the man to borrow his own clothes.

"Before you do that, I want to talk." Levi patted the couch beside him, the spot where Erwin had just vacated.

The librarian walked around the table and took a seat beside him, hands clasped in his lap like he was bracing for bad news.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Why would you assume that?"

"Well, you look very serious…"

"I always look serious, that's just my normal face." Levi clicked his tongue. "I thought you knew me better than that, cinnamon roll."

"Don't call me that!" Armin's exasperation was spoiled by his burst of laughter.

Good, he's relaxed again. But is he still up for what we have planned for Erwin?

"How do you feel about the whole role-playing thing for tonight? We can do something else if you're having last minute doubts."

"I'm nervous, but I still want to go ahead with everything. I just hope Erwin will enjoy it." Armin tilted his head, features clouding with calculation.

"Wait, are you having second thoughts, Levi? Will the scenario make you too uncomfortable?" He leaned forward and gripped the Captain's hand. "Listen, if you've changed your mind, that's fine. Even if you want me to leave, I'm ok with that-"

"Calm down Arlert! I don't want you leaving on me now. We're going to seduce the Commander together, alright?"

The librarian's face glowed like the sun's rays reflecting off water.

"Alright, let's do this Captain."

Notes: Sorry for the cliffhanger!

How do you feel about the discussion on poly and open relationships? Do you think they can resolve their concerns over forming a committed relationship with Armin? And how do you feel about their current plan – to end the threesome, but stay friends with him?

I got a bit carried away with the fluff in Erwin's birthday party scene… and I had lots of fun figuring out presents and decorations (especially the jigsaw puzzle!)

Please let me know what you're liking so far, and if you have any suggestions or theories (Smut ideas welcome too!)

PS: Yes, next time we FINALLY see Erwin's Special Night. I feel like I've been hyping this up forever…