'Careful, ' Mike is saying, voice low. 'Don 't think about it too hard. Breathe. Follow your gut. '

Levi breathes in, slowly, draws back the arrow. His arm trembles. He hears birds, faraway shouts from training recruits, falling leaves. The target on the tree seems to move further away the longer he waits. He exhales, and lets it fly loose.

It hits the target, smack in the middle. Some autumnal leaves flutter down onto the grass.

'Incredible, ' Hange grins, and takes a bite of their apple.

Mike huffs. 'Luck, ' he says. 'Beginner 's luck. '

'I told you, ' Levi says, and with anyone else, it wouldn 't be boasting, but he likes to make Mike insecure. 'I taught myself ODM, why would this be different? '

'It takes years to get an eye like that, ' Mike scoffs.

Levi picks another arrow from the quiver at his waist, knocks the arrow. 'Bet, ' he says.

Hange gasps. 'Yes, ' they say, spitting apple, 'let 's bet, Mike.

Mike folds his absurdly muscled arms across his freakishly muscled chest. 'I don 't believe in gambling, ' he says, nose in the air.

'Well, that 's a lie, ' Erwin says reasonably. Levi twists; he had thought Erwin would be away for another night, at least. He 's still wearing his heavy coat like he 's just back from riding. 'Excuse me, Hange, Mike, ' he interrupts, politely. 'Levi, ' he says, 'a moment of your time. There 's something I need to discuss with you. '

Levi frowns, relaxes his arm and rests down the bow. 'Why? ' He says, aware that he 's in front of others, and there 's usually an unspoken rule that Levi treats Erwin as his Captain when in company.

Erwin lifts his brows. 'Some information from the Interior that concerns you, ' he says, lightly. 'Unless you 'd like to talk about it here? '

As usual, Erwin 's called his bluff. Levi unhooks his quiver from around his waist and lets it drop. 'If you insist, ' he says, 'Captain. '

Erwin walks stiffly all the way to his office. He does not talk to him. He doesn 't even look at him. Levi wonders what information he could possibly have ' maybe some more of his crimes have come to light. That could be problematic, of course. 'Hey, Erwin, ' Levi starts after they mount the stairs to his office, 'what 's with the suspense, you 're going to make me piss myself. '

Erwin doesn 't even respond. He just walks down the hallway, his footsteps heavy on the floorboards

Levi clears this throat. 'If this is about ' something that I did as a kid, you should know that Kenny made me do it, ' he says. 'Probably, ' he adds, under his breath.

Levi gets the sense Erwin is waiting for something else. He 's reaching into his pocket for the key to his office.

'Or maybe later, right? I never did anything to an asshole who didn 't deserve it. I mean ' who hadn 't wronged me. Which is the same thing. ' A beat. 'Almost, ' he mutters.

The door to Erwin 's office swings open. He enters, and Levi follows.

Erwin slams him into the wall. Levi feels his eyes widen with shock, feels himself brace for retaliation, but Erwin is kissing him before he can even dig his knee into his ribs. He blinks rapidly, hands aimlessly pinning themselves against the wall, until he comprehends the situation. Then, he shuts his eyes, slanting up onto the balls of his feet so Erwin doesn 't have to bend so much, letting Erwin 's tongue take what he needs.

When Erwin pulls back, he feels dazed, slightly. 'Good meeting then? ' He half-slurs.

In response, Erwin hooks his hands around Levi 's waist and lifts until they 're nose to nose. It should be infantilizing, humiliating, absurd. But from Erwin it provokes only ' some kind of strange gut-punch. There aren 't many people who could do this to him. There are even less he would let, willingly. ' 'You 're so small, ' Erwin breathes against his lips, distracted. He kisses him again, and this time his teeth scrape his bottom lip. 'I could just ' just move you, easily, anywhere. '

'Not really, ' Levi reminds him, and he lurches, hooking his ankles behind Erwin 's knees and pulling, collapsing them on the ground in tangle of limbs and sore elbows.

Erwin is already tugging at the catch of Levi 's pants. 'You have no idea, ' he inhales at the crook of Levi 's neck, one hand palming between his legs, 'what I 've had to sit through. '

'Please don 't tear my button, ' Levi replies, taking the rest of it in his stride. He swallows the gasp that gets forced from him when Erwin 's squeezes him, thumb stroking down him, uncoordinated. It 's not enough for Erwin, though; he 's fumbling with the waistband of Levi 's pants, tearing them down his legs. He rips at Levi 's boots and discards them in the corner, a hand to Levi 's throat, pinning him to the floor.

And he 's breathing hard, panting like an animal. What is that in his eyes? Not hate, Levi hopes, but some akin to it. There 's a draft from the floorboards beneath Levi 's back; it makes his naked skin prickle. 'Let me see you, ' he asks.

Erwin 's nostrils flare, his brows drawn so tightly together they could be one. 'No, ' he tells him, and his nails dig into Levi 's skin.

Levi grips the hand around his throat. He 's not afraid of it. Erwin is bearing down on him like a monolith, as is he can possess Levi through sheer force of will. 'You going to tell me what I 've done? ' He tries.

Erwin examines him, coldly. Then: 'No, ' he says again, and stands, abruptly. He strips off his heavy overcoat and dumps it over the back of the couch, loosening his cuffs. He tugs at his bolo tie, undoes the first few buttons of his shirt. Rubs at his own throat, like he 's relieving some great tension. Levi sits himself up on his hands, his bare ass freezing on the floor. He watches Erwin 's forearms with something that can only be called fascination.

Erwin picks at something in the drawer of his desk and throws it at Levi without warning. He catches it deftly, of course. A tin of grease.

'Open yourself, ' Erwin tells him, gruffly.

Levi raises his brows. 'What, ' he dead-pans, 'no flowers? '

'Funny, ' Erwin says, flatly. He sits heavily in the chair behind his desk, rustles impatiently through some papers.

'Hey, Erwin, ' Levi calls, 'you really should 've known this kind 've thing would come up when you sniped me from the streets. ' He doesn 't know what 's got Erwin twisted but he can imagine ' God, he can imagine, a series of nightmarish options, each more incriminating than the last. 'Is this about Clay? ' He tries, pushing up onto his knees. His shirt covers his thighs.

'The fact you assume you 've done something wrong is enlightening, ' Erwin tells him, shortly. 'Who the fuck is Clay? '

Levi feels his brows raise ' when was the last time he heard Erwin curse? No, when has he

ever

heard Erwin curse; he 's usually all mild manners, that forceful patronisation that makes you bend to him rather than snap, like a rotten twig. But Levi thinks, this is going to turn into an interrogation ' he knows all about Erwin 's examinations, by now, has months of experience, at how he wheedles those answers out from under you. He pops the first button of his shirt, then the second. 'No one, ' he lies.

'No one, ' Erwin sneers, sifting through papers, reaching for a quill. 'Well, he certainly sounds like no one. Perhaps I should add that to the list of answers I need out of you ' '

'I really don 't know what you expected, ' Levi drips, absently rubbing the slice of collarbone peaking through his unbuttoned shirt. He lets the material fall off his shoulder, just a little. 'I 've never lied about it. Really, you only have to ask.

'You tell me nothing, ' Erwin snarls, and then seems to forget whatever he was going to say next. He appears to be arrested, staring a hole through Levi 's fingers, gently stroking his skin in small little circles. 'I ' ' he continues, voice slightly less convincing, 'I 've defended you. To everyone. To Shadis, and Zackly, and Mike, and the council ' '

'Oh, the

council, '

Levi mocks, 'we care so deeply about what they thing about ' '

'We

care, '

Erwin interrupts, 'so long as they hold the power to have you thrown in a cell and left to rot. Or worse. ' Erwin shudders. 'Much worse, ' he mutters, trying to source his ink pot

'Under the tray, ' Levi informs him, and rewards his accidental honesty with another button. Erwin stares, ink pot in hand, letter forgotten, as Levi rubs the flat of his palm up his throat, shifts his knees apart. So, someone wants Levi dead, then. Okay, and? Join the fucking club. Not the first time, won 't be the last.

Erwin glares, then. 'Touching yourself like that, ' he mutters, distractedly, 'just what are you trying to pull? What do you think you 're doing? '

'I don 't know, is it working? ' Levi asks, and he pops another button, exposes a nipple.

'Goddamn, ' Erwin mutters, thickly. 'I don 't want to ask where you learned all that. '

I watched the women,

Levi thinks, honestly. 'Tell me what I 've done wrong and I 'll tell you. Information for information, how about that? ' He can sell Erwin some lie, something erotic, something he 'll like.

See, Erwin? I can be a manipulative bastard too, when I want.

Erwin is writing something, scoffing. 'I 'm sorry, ' he says, briefly looking up, 'were you under the impression you were in charge, Levi? Fuck yourself, ' Erwin orders, then. 'You 're hard, aren 't you? This is the only way I 'm giving you what you want. ' He scratches furiously at the page in front of him. 'And make it quick, would you? '

Fuck yourself.

Levi feels himself shiver, internally, palming himself. He drops one fist to the carpet between his thighs, pops the tin of grease and works it between his thumb and two fingers. 'You know, ' he starts, slipping a finger between his cheeks, 'this would be easier if ' '

'Shut up. '

Levi raises his brows. And he shuts up.

This has never been particularly fun. Not the first time he ever did, not the second, and not even now, however many years later. It 's a proclivity he doesn 't really like to examine, along with every other aspect of his being. He 's known since he was a child that he only wanted men ' an inclination that never bothered him, that felt as natural as anything else, growing up among all that sex the way he did.

This,

though. He resists the urge to shudder, the fibres of the carpet burning his knees, a thin sheen of sweat painting itself across his brow at the exertion of it, holding himself tense to push one finger, then two, inside.

His hair falls in his eyes and he has no way to push back. So he fucks himself. On the floor, in front of Erwin 's desk, awaiting answers he thinks Erwin does not want to give him, in the hope of ' what? A good, hard, fuck? He hadn 't known he 'd wanted it until Erwin pushed him up against that damn wall. The man is ruining him, he thinks. There is no person alive Levi lets treat him this way, and he doesn 't believe in self-delusion ' he 's not Erwin, after all. No, he can call a spade a spade, knows that what he 's doing is irregular, contrary to his very nature, or at least, the person he 's cultivated, the one who takes no orders, who survives first and asks questions later. Goddamn. God-fucking-damn, he asks himself, not for the first time, what the hell he gets out of all this at all '

He has to fall forward to push deeper. He lets his hand slide across the carpet, lowers his chest to the floor, thighs split. He chokes, trying to work his fingers further inside himself, pulling out to play with his rim, easing it looser, over and over. If he was of a more exhibitionist nature, he might try and given Erwin more of a show ' he can fake that, if Erwin wants it, or if he needs to. But this is so clinical to him, it always has been, it 's hard to build up the '

'Ass up, ' Erwin orders.

Levi blinks sweat from his eyes. 'What? ' He demands.

Erwin is still frowning at the page in front of him, writing frantically, hard enough that Levi is worried he might split the nib. 'I said, ' he repeats, briefly breaking to dip the quill in ink, tap off the excess, 'put your ass up. '

'It 's not, ' Levi grunts, propping his chest against his forearm, 'a good position to '

'I don 't care. '

'I 'll leak, ' Levi hears himself admit, the tips of his ears heating, 'on the carpet. '

Erwin raises a brow, uncaring. 'And? You 'll clean it after, won 't you? '

Levi feels himself revolt.

Feels

it ' that urge to protest, something like irritation, the instinctual revulsion at being told to do something, anything, by anyone. He thinks, briefly, hysterically, that Kenny would kick in his teeth if he could see him now, and the thought nearly kills his arousal dead, starts up his protest, until he lifts his eyes and meets Erwin 's, metal-on-metal, like two blades hitting each other on an open field.

He presses his cheek to the floor, and lifts his hips.

'Better, ' Erwin says, roughly, and Levi thinks that means something to him.

Better,

Erwin has told him. He would to be better. He would like Erwin to call him all kinds of things, and then let him ride him on this floor, the only place is in this godforsaken office they

haven 't

fucked '

Erwin stands, abruptly. He fishes around in his cabinets, looking for his envelopes. Levi bites his cheek. He wants to say,

second drawer for King 's crest, third for Corps,

but doesn 't trust his voice. He presses his lips to his forearm, mouths at his rucked up shirt, feels it tipping down his back as he arches, exposing more skin. His nipple scratches against the carpet. His knees are sliding, burning. Lower, lower, lower.

Erwin seems to realise he 's forgotten to write something. He sighs, annoyed, and turns back to his desk, his back to Levi, bending over the chair to correct something. Something sparks, low in Levi 's belly; he stretches his arm across his back, fucks himself absently, eyes all heavy-lidded. He had been right ' it 's not a good angle, not for anything, because he can 't get deep enough at all, just the tips of his fingers slipping in and out of himself. His cock is leaving a wet smear across his stomach, but worse than that, he knows that gravity will take that wetness lower, and really, he 's only thinking about this poor carpet, heavy red fibres with cream-embroided flowers, slightly blurry in his vision.

Erwin stands again. He turns, and seems surprised to see Levi there beneath him, as if he had forgotten. He observes him for a while. Levi 's knees burn, and his wrist aches from the angle of his fingers inside himself. 'Get up, ' Erwin tells him, eventually, after a minute or less of silent, inscrutable judgement. He points to the fireplace opposite the couch. 'Sit there, ' he orders. 'Back against the wall. Let 's talk. '

'Talk, ' Levi agrees, and his words feel strangely slow in his mouth, like ' hmm, like honey, he thinks, the kind he takes for granted now, that Erwin will sometimes sneak him from the officer 's breakfasts if he helps him with his paperwork in the mornings. He sits himself on the granite precipice of the fireplace, has to arch his hips to stop himself from smearing grease across the stone. 'You know, Erwin, I never took you as the kind of man to throw tantrums ' '

'I said back against the wall, didn 't I? ' Erwin tells him harshly, moving back to the cabinets. 'What part of my orders have been particularly unclear to you, Levi? Hmm? ' He slams the drawer shut, rattling the framed portrait of his parents above it. He frowns at it, as if it 's rattling has reminded him it 's there, and folds it down on its front.

'I would like an explanation, ' Levi says, even as he shuffles back against the wall, and he thinks himself quite brave for demanding it, honestly, given Erwin 's current mood.

'An explanation, ' Erwin repeats flatly. 'From me? ' He scoffs. 'Put your hands above your head. '

Levi does, and then blinks at himself. Is he fucking stupid? What made him do that? He wrinkles his nose with part disgust at himself, part puzzlement '

'Yes, let 's talk about explanations, ' Erwin continues. 'A few things, ' he says, slotting the letter neatly into its envelope. 'You lied to me, for starters. '

'Which time? '

Erwin glares. You weren 't punched by thugs in the Underground, ' he says, 'it was a group of MPs. '

Levi rolls his eyes, feels himself start to mount his defence, dropping his hands to his knees. Oh, for fuck 's sake. That little thing? All of this for

that?

Levi 's almost disappointed. 'It 's more complicated than that, ' he begins, 'it wasn 't unprovoked ' '

'Hands, ' Erwin growls. Levi blinks. He lifts his hands and presses them back against the wall above his head.

'It wasn 't unprovoked, ' Levi repeats, levelly, even though his heart feels like it 's dropped into his stomach. 'They attacked me. '

He sees Erwin 's eye twitch. 'They? '

'Why do you think a group of MP 's would be Underground? ' Levi asks him, defiantly. 'You think they were out there giving out food? '

'You left quite an impression. '

'Good, ' Levi snarls, lifting his head off the wall with the force of it. 'They had it coming. '

'Such an impression that Commander Jansen had it in his mind to have you arrested. ' Erwin slaps the envelope down onto the desk. 'That MP you beat bloody was quite graphic in his description of what he 'd have done to you. '

'That 's because he 's probably a pervert, ' Levi says. Jansen is more of an unknown quantity ' new commander, not a name Levi recognises. He certainly didn 't frequent any of the parties Levi robbed.

'I wasn 't talking about sex, ' Erwin snaps, 'he wanted to have you hanged. '

'Erwin, ' Levi sighs, and wiggles his fingers, 'it 's always about sex, ' he tells him, knowingly, and thinks, perhaps, he has overstepped.

Erwin straightens. He approaches Levi, lays each foot down heavy on the floorboards as he walks. Levi feels himself shuffling back against the wall, as if he can back himself any further into the corner than he is. 'Do you think, ' Erwin asks him, eyes narrowed, voice tight, 'that this is funny? '

Levi is not intimidated. He 's never been intimidated in his life. 'No, ' he says, carefully, Erwin looming over him, staring down at him like he 's a fish on the end of a line.

He drops into a crouch, places a hand on each of Levi 's knees. 'You should keep these open, ' he says, coldly, pulling apart his legs.

Levi realises he 's hiding his face in his shoulder. He hastily pulls back his chin, makes himself look up at him, defiant. Erwin is the furthest thing from joking, he realises. He looks genuinely rattled.

He flexes his thighs, shifts them wider. Erwin seems to examine him from down the length of his nose; his hard cock, half-obscured by his unbuttoned shirt, his lean, thin arms. Levi thinks he might be leaking against his stomach. Erwin sees that, too.

'Good, ' Erwin says, standing. He puts his hands in his pockets. 'Better. Lucky for you, ' he says, turning away, 'I have a friend in the police who owes me a favour, although this is the last one he owes me. ' Erwin kicks the chair at his desk back into place. 'I was hoping to use it on something worthwhile, ' he mutters, 'but instead I had him spin a tale about how you 're such a liability that the best thing Jansen could do is let you stay with us and combust us from the inside. '

'That isn 't true? '

'You tell me, ' Erwin sneers. He 's fumbling around his desk, looking for something, growing more irate the longer he can 't find it. 'Where are my fucking cigarettes? ' He asks.

Levi raises his brows. More cursing. He really is so very rattled. 'Check your field jacket, ' he suggests.

Erwin does. They 're there. He lights up and stands by his window; the fall sunlight is particularly sharp. 'I hate them, ' Erwin mutters, hand braced against the wall. 'All of them, ' he draws in smoke, 'They make me sick. '

Levi swallows. His mouth is growing dry, and his arms are starting to ache. 'You and me both, ' he agrees.

'You know what 's worst? It 's not just that they 're happy to watch your people starve, or ignore perversions and crimes for money to line their own pockets, ' Erwin exhales smoke, angrily. 'It 's that they 're so damn hypocritical about it. '

Levi rolls his neck, his stiff shoulders. 'I take it you didn 't get what you were looking for, ' he mutters, letting his head hit the wall with a thunk.

'I 'm not a begging dog, ' Erwin seethes. He turns, braces his hands on the back of his office chair, nails digging into the leather. 'Shadis sends me out looking for scraps like a starving orphan. No offence, ' he adds, frowning.

'None taken. '

'He 's stopped going, ' Erwin snorts without humor, 'because he knows they laugh at him. He can 't take it, so he sends me instead. Again and again, so I can listen to them mock my dead friends. '

Erwin shuts his eyes. He brushes the hand holding the cigarette against a brow, accidentally drops ash on his vest. 'And you know, ' he says, exhaling slowly, deeply, as if releasing some great tension. 'They slaughtered my father. He was so gentle, ' Erwin frowns, as if remembering, 'and they killed him anyway, for the crime of

thinking.

'

He opens his eyes, stares at Levi as if he 's just remembered he 's there. 'Do your arms hurt? ' He asks.

'Yes, ' Levi admits.

'Good. I haven 't finished with you yet. ' Erwin sits heavily on the couch opposite Levi, one ankle braced on his knee. 'Why are you even obeying me? ' He asks, with a touch of irritation, like maybe he expected a fight.

Levi sighs. 'I 'm trying not to examine it too closely, ' he says honestly.

Erwin barks a laugh. 'You 're funny Levi, did you know that? '

'It wasn 't a joke. '

Erwin leans forward to pick at the ashtray on the coffee table and balances on the couch 's arm. He flicks ash, takes another drag, then leans back, settles in. 'Why did you go Underground? ' He asks, to start.

'I told you, ' Levi says. He twists his wrists above his head and Erwin glares, warningly. 'To give out food. '

'But? ' Erwin prompts.

'But nothing, that 's why I was there. '

'You wore your wings, ' Erwin notes, exhaling smoke through his nose.

'If they know I 'm a soldier they 'll let me back up without paying tax. '

'And? ' Erwin presses.

'And, while I was down there, some MPs in a bar saw my wings, figured they 'd take the chance to beat up someone in the Survey Corps, and got more than they bargained for. ' Levi smirks. 'Is that so hard to believe? '

Erwin twists his finger in a circle. 'Roll back, ' he says, 'why were you in a bar. '

'Tch, because I wanted something to drink, obviously. '

'You don 't drink. '

Levi exhales, slowly. 'Can I put down my arms now? '

'You can do what you like, but I 'll make you put them back up, ' Erwin warns.

Levi fixes his jaw. 'You just going to leave me like this? ' He complains, 'I went to all that damn effort for you. You owe me. '

'Yeah, ' Erwin agrees, 'let 's talk about what we owe each other. '

Levi glares. Erwin glares, too, in his own way; he 's watching Levi, every inch of him, spread open for his approval. He resists the urge to bring his knees to his chest. It 's not that nakedness bothers him ' it 's the intensity of Erwin 's eyes, the knowledge that he 'll be staring because he can, because Levi is letting him. He feels himself heat, like a prickle down his spine. He chews the inside of his cheek.

'You 're blushing, ' Erwin says, voice gentler than before.

Levi thinks it 's harder to breathe than it should be. He 's intimately aware of every breath he takes, the feel of the air at the back of his throat, the way his chest lifts, as if presented for Erwin 's eyes. His tailbone is aching. The places where the grease has touched are cool, cooler than they should be, exposed to air in a way they never are. 'I don 't blush, ' he says, flatly.

'You do, ' he says, and he raises his hand to his own face as if to illustrate, lightly draping the curves of his skin, 'the tips of your ears. The tip of your nose. '

Levi tries to will it away. 'I 'm going to put down my arms, ' he warns.

'Okay, ' Erwin says levelly, 'I won 't finish you. '

'Fine, ' Levi replies. He doesn 't move.

'Fine? ' Erwin presses. 'Go on, then. '

Levi shuts his mouth, stiffens his jaw, presses his chin into his shoulder to avoid Erwin 's eyes. 'Just get on with it, ' he mutters. 'Finish your damn lesson. '

He doesn 't have to look to know Erwin is smiling. 'I don 't care what you do on your own time, ' he says, 'I 'm not angry you got into a fight. I 'm angry you lied about it. You made today difficult for me. If I 'd known, I could have pre-empted it, and Nile would still owe me instead of the other way around. Do you understand? '

Levi narrows his eyes, petulant. 'Yes, ' he mutters.

'Do you really? ' Erwin takes another drag of his cigarette and flicks away ash.

'I understand, Erwin. '

'Captain. '

Levi glares. 'You 're pushing it, ' he warns.

Erwin stands. He looms over Levi, one hand on his hip, the other holding his cigarette, as if trying to decide what to do with him. He crouches, and their noses almost touch. He smells like smoke and rose cologne, the irritating, fruity stuff they like in the capital. 'There 's something else we haven 't discussed, though, ' Erwin is saying through half-lidded eyes, swollen lips. Levi is barely listening. He tips up his chin, strains to press just that little bit closer '

'Why are you still hard? ' Erwin murmurs, into his ear.

Levi winces. 'Maybe I just like you more when you 're angry. '

Erwin 's smile is teasing. He takes a deep drag and exhales smoke onto Levi 's upturned face. 'Your arms hurt, ' he states.

'Obviously. '

'You haven 't put them down. '

Levi breathes in his smoke. 'Yeah, ' he agrees.

Erwin presses his thumb against Levi 's chin, tips his head to the side as if Levi is an experiment, or a particularly challenging game of checkers. 'Open your mouth, ' he orders.

Levi does.

Erwin frowns. 'No, actually, ' he says, like he 's just remembered something, 'close it. '

Levi does that, too.

'Why were you in a bar Underground? ' Erwin asks him, quietly. He keeps his thumb on his chin, as if he can control the words that come out.

'I wasn 't, ' Levi tells him, honestly, because the compulsion to lie has sifted from him like grass through fingers. 'I heard them talking shit. I followed them in. '

'Ah, ' Erwin understands. 'So I suppose, by your metric, it was unprovoked. '

'It was, ' Levi tells him. 'I talked back. They hit first. '

'What did they shit talk? ' Erwin asks him, although he must be aware of the inevitable answer.

'You, ' Levi says, simply.

'Me, ' Erwin smiles.

Levi 's upper arms are trembling. He shuts his eyes with the effort to keep them pinned against the wall. '

Someone

has to defend your honour, ' he sneers.

Erwin clicks his tongue, lightly. 'Well, ' he says, his eyes boring holes into Levi 's skull, 'how about that? '

He slips his thumb past Levi 's lips, rubs the pad of it in a little circle around his tongue. Levi shifts his hips. He can 't focus on the touch, really ' it 's nothing but a distraction from the task at hand. He needs to keep his hands pinned above his head. Erwin slips his thumb deeper into Levi 's mouth, his forefinger stroking the underside of his chin. It 's deeply disconcerting, and deeply distracting, and probably the most deeply erotic thing Levi has ever experienced.

He 's shivering all over and doesn 't know why. It 's too hard to even lift his eyes; to look Erwin in the eyes would be some kind of violation. He wants to sit here, warm and cold all at once, intimately aware of the space of Erwin 's body, the weight of his forearms and light brush of his clothed knees against Levi 's bare ones. He curls his toes, his heels slipping on the floorboards. When Erwin starts to slide his thumb out of his mouth, he chases it, eager, lips straining as he pulls it out with a wet slurp.

Erwin wipes his hand on Levi 's cheek. 'Good, ' he says, quietly. 'Thank you, Levi. '

'For what? ' Levi asks, and his words a slightly slurred, like a drunk man 's.

'For this. ' Erwin gestures, running his hand down Levi 's chest possessively. 'And for defending my honour, of course. '

'Oh. ' Levi shuts his eyes, swallows, licks his lips. 'You 're welcome, I guess. '

'You can put down your hands, ' Erwin tells him, gently. Levi does, with relief; his hands are tingling, the rush of blood through his muscles invigorating. He groans slightly, lets them rest limply against his knees. 'How do you want it? ' Erwin asks him indulgently, fingers carded in his hair.

'What is this? ' Levi replies, head tipped back, leaning into the touch.

'A reward, ' Erwin tells him.

Levi licks his lips to wipe away the taste of Erwin 's skin. He rests his hand on Erwin 's knee. Erwin stares at it, then frowns at him, uncomprehending, until Levi pulls himself forward, two hands on Erwin 's shoulders, to straddle that thigh. Erwin loses his balance; he tumbles back, Levi still clinging to him, has to braces his hands against the floor to stop them from crashing to the ground for the second time that day. 'I wonder what your neighbours think about all this, ' Levi says distractedly, his cock caught between his stomach and Erwin 's hip. He nips at Erwin 's chin, mouths along his jaw, just for the pleasure of seeing the other man 's eyes go heavy and hazy.

Erwin sighs, like he 's releasing some great tension, head pushed back under Levi 's ministrations. His slaps his hand backwards, searching for the couch, and pulls them both until he 's leaning against its base, his head falling against the cushions. It 's too short for him. It exposes his throat, arched, all that ' that thick muscle, corded against his neck, the heavy bump of his adam 's apple, pulse throbbing beneath Levi 's lips. Just a hint of stubble, rough against skin. And that ugly cologne is fading beneath fresh sweat, the dust they 've rucked up from the carpet, and the lingering mossy smell from Levi 's morning beneath the trees.

'Like this, ' Levi tells him, grips his wrist and pulls it to cup his ass. 'Do me like this, c 'mon. '

'Goddamn, ' Erwin croaks, thickly.

Levi could make him cry out all kinds of things, if he wanted. Never before has this been anything but stress relief to him, he thought. He 's a human being, he needs touch as much as anyone. He doesn 't hug, he doesn 't sit in companionable silences, he doesn 't absently link arms with friends or share a bed on a cold night. Sex is all he has to fulfil that need, and up until now, Erwin was fulfilling it admirably.

But now. He wants Erwin to draw that feeling back for him, that hazy unbelieving, that shivery ' shivery something, all through his body to the tips of his toes. He cups Erwin 's face with his forearms to kiss him, rubs himself against him as he does, taking everything he needs from his lips. He can 't just take, though, he realises. To get that feeling back, Erwin needs to give.

'C 'mon, ' Levi urges him, knowing the weight of him has to be pushing against his cock, he can feel it against his hipbone. 'This is what you want, no? '

Erwin 's lips are swollen. He must have kissed him harder than he thought. 'Levi, ' Erwin murmurs, more a whisper, his voice hoarse, 'what 's gotten into you, huh? ' He gently strokes the back of his hair, but Levi doesn 't want gentle. There was nothing gentle about the way Erwin put his thumb in Levi 's mouth, had him fuck himself on the floor of his office, pushed him up against that wall, or pulled apart his legs. What they do can never be gentle. They 're both too damaged for that, even if Erwin is still telling himself he 's not. No, whatever this is ' this relationship, companionship, partnership,

agreement,

it 's based on a blood debt, it 's born out of violence, the guts of Levi 's friends, the scar on Erwin 's palm. They 're soldiers, aren 't they? Levi is a soldier, now. And Erwin is his commanding officer. So why pretend otherwise? Let their sex be a natural extension of that.

He snaps the catch on Erwin 's slacks. He wants him naked, would prefer him naked, but his need is now, and clothes are effort. He licks the shell of Erwin 's ear, licks his lips, mouth wet, throat thick. 'Do you want me to beg? ' He asks, kissing Erwin 's jaw, so lightly.

He feels Erwin freeze. 'No, ' he gets out,

bites

out, 'no, not yet, Levi. '

So he fucks him hard, then, one hand twisted in Levi 's hair. Levi lets him use him. He silences himself against Erwin 's shoulder, will never bring himself to vocalise this kind of pleasure, his stupid, pathological fear of his own voice, his own need. But he thinks Erwin can feel it, vibrating against his skin, because he fucks his harder than he ever has before. 'Goddamn, Levi, ' he pants, his hips slapping against Levi 's thighs, working hard to meet him, 'you 're mine first, you hear me? I found you first, before any of them, and if they want you ' they have to fucking prise you from my fists. '

For that, for those words, Levi helps him. He lifts himself up off of Erwin 's waist and then back down, up and down, up and down, place where their bodies meet beating together with a plosive smack. He 's dripping with sweat, he realises, but his gut is so warm, his muscles burning so beautifully, that the sickness of all their fluids doesn 't bother him.

He comes first, finishes in the sticky gap between his stomach and Erwin 's. His teeth tear into the shirt on Erwin 's shoulder.

I 'll sew it,

he thinks absently, floating bonelessly as Erwin continues to use him,

as an apology.

When Erwin comes, it 's animalistic ' he had been doing an admirable job of keeping his moans huffed and breathy, but the climax seems to take him by surprise. Levi clamps their mouths together, watches Erwin 's eyes roll back inside his head, and ' those brows, those thick, straight brows, turned up helplessly, his face flushed red.

'Goddamn, ' Erwin keeps saying, over and over, as Levi clenches him through the aftershocks, 'Goddamn, oh goddamn, Levi. ' His hands grip his ass, as if weighing each cheek, squeezing absently, leaving red marks in his skin, no doubt. His skin feels slippery, cool against the air. And he 'll never admit it ' never, at least, not to Erwin 's face, but '

Fucking hell. The man knows how to fuck.

'We need ' ' Levi starts, the panic setting in. How long have they been at this, rutting on the floor like animals? How long were they gone? Others will notice. Hange and Mike saw them leave together, and Mike already ' well, already knows, if Levi is honest with himself, but they 've been skirting around the issue for weeks.

Erwin grips his wrist, pulls him back against his chest. 'Wait, ' he 's breathing, head tipped back against the couch. 'Hold on. Look, ' he says, jerking his chin exhaustedly at the clock on the mantelshelf, 'training stops at four. We have time. '

'I need to bathe. '

Erwin huffs a laugh. 'Levi, ' he says, incredulously, eyes half shut, 'the things you let me do to you. Does it make you feel dirty? '

'Everything makes me feel dirty, ' he tells him, defensively. His sweat is cooling all sticky on his skin. 'I like orders. Order, ' he blurts, correcting himself stupidly, embarrassingly late.

'You do, ' Erwin agrees, and he says it so fondly, absently tucking Levi 's bangs behind his ear, 'I 've noticed that about you. '

'Shut up, ' Levi warns, smacking his hand away, even though he can feel his extremities flushing. What a shitty, shitty tell. His father must have been made of milk for Levi to be so pathetically pale.

'Who 's Clay? ' Erwin asks, suddenly. Levi groans, smacks his brow against Erwin 's shoulder.

'No one, ' he says, and it 's probably honest. 'Just some guy. I ran with his crew for a couple years, that 's all. '

'Doing illegal things, ' Erwin surmises, but there 's a slight smile on his lips, no real reproach.

'No, doing very legal, safe, fun things. Yes, obviously, fuckin ' illegal things, ' Levi mutters. 'There 's this ' there 's this kind of stone, down there. We called it ice caves, beneath the Underground, but it 's not really ice, it 's like ' ' Levi waves a hand. He 'd always quite liked the work, actually, once he got over his fear of the equipment, falling into that shimmering abyss. 'Gangs use it for all kinds of things, they fight for access but ' you have to be small, to fit through the cracks, ' Levi snorts. 'So they use kids. '

'I 've never heard of it, ' Erwin says, and that sounds like it bothers him. 'Ice stone? It doesn 't strike you as odd that we 're sitting on reserves of a potentially useful natural resource and no one has tried to commodify it save for a couple of thugs? '

'Oh, I 'm sorry, ' Levi rolls his eyes against Erwin 's shoulder, 'what exactly about growing up in an Underground city beneath a land ringed by three walls that protect us from walking giants strikes you as normal? Nothing here makes sense, Erwin, I thought you knew that by now, ' he yawns.

And Erwin laughs. 'Yes, ' he says, 'fair enough, I suppose. Progress must be stifled, of course, that is our way. '

Levi groans. 'Goddamn, ' he mutters, 'do you have to make everything political? '

'Sorry, ' Erwin says, and he does sound apologetic, 'I 'll refrain from boring you with my pillow talk. '

'You are very bad at it, ' Levi agrees, into his skin. He didn 't even realise he had his ear propped against Erwin 's shoulder, absently twisting a lock of his hair around his finger, like a baby. He clears his throat, picks himself up. 'They 'll start to wonder, ' he warns him.

'Yes, ' Erwin sighs, 'they will. ' He turns his head to look out the window, where the sun is just starting to lower in the sky. 'I suppose, ' he shakes his head, bothered by something. He lays his fingers against Levi 's bare chest. 'Look, ' he starts again. 'I know better than anyone you don 't need someone looking out for you ' '

'Damn straight. '

Erwin 's smile is fleeting. 'But you should know, it works differently up here. You 're getting a reputation, ' Erwin warns him. 'I can 't protect you from all of them, Levi. If they decided you 're too much of a risk ' some kind of wild-card ' '

'Then I 'll just have to hop the fence, won 't I? ' Levi says blithely. He 's not immune to Erwin 's concern. He had wanted to tell him, but then Shadis had given him that shit-talk about no criminal activity, not bringing the police down on their heads, and it ' it irritated him so damn much, that he thought that about Levi, that they all did, and that they were probably right. He 'd spent the first half of that evening washing their blood off his fists, the spray of it from his face.

'Oh yes, ' Erwin drawls, 'because it 's that simple. '

'I could do it, ' Levi says, carelessly. 'If I had my equipment and a good horse. '

A beat. 'You probably could, ' Erwin agrees, and Levi thinks he 's sound ' not annoyed. Flat.

Jealous,

Levi realises. 'But I have need of you here, Levi. Do you understand? '

'Sure. ' He feels tacky, slimy, like he needs to scrub at his skin with a brush.

'Which means, you can 't get yourself arrested, ' Erwin presses. 'Or worse, ' he shudders. 'Really ' what did you do to those officers?

Levi shrugs. 'Hell if I know. They swung first. I might 've ' I don 't know, ' he admits, and clears his throat, suddenly very interested with a speck of fluid crusted on Erwin 's shirt, scraping at it with his nail. 'Broken some legs. Two legs, actually. On the same person. '

'Levi, ' Erwin admonishes, but more with shock than anger.

'Broke an arm. Got someone good in the gut, a couple noses ' what does it matter? They shouldn 't have sat there talking all that big talk, ' Levi mocks. 'They always talk big. It always ends in tears. '

'What did they say? ' Erwin asks, lightly. 'Just before you go, I mean. '

Levi inhales and holds his breath. 'Just ' you know, ' he exhales. He stops his nervous scratching, lays his hand against Erwin 's shoulder. He feels, suddenly, a rush of warmth for the man. He doesn 't know why. It 's so sudden, and so sure ' it 's the kind of warmth he would sometimes get watching Isabel count her ribbon collection, when she was still young enough to care. Other things, of course. When he would cut Furlan 's hair, brush it away from the nape of his neck.

Not bad,

he 'd say, and Levi would ' well, he always got the sense he could accidentally fuck it up, and Furlan would still smile, tell him,

not bad,

because he knew it was important to him. And so that would make him feel this warmth for him, unfamiliar, in a chest that 's usually so cold.

'They said some things, ' he continues, evasively. 'One of them said you had fucked up eyebrows, which ' obviously, I agree. '

'Obviously, ' Erwin nods, solemnly.

'And I guess there were some ' accusations. ' Levi clears his throat, shifts on Erwin 's hips, brushing his nose. 'You know, I 'm your ' what, attack dog, or something like that. And they called me short. I don 't

like

that, Erwin. '

'Levi, ' Erwin prompts, softly.

'But, uh, ' Levi sighs, looking up. He meets Erwin 's eyes. 'They seemed to think you were some kind of mad-man, y 'know. They talked about you like you were a lunatic, like you were stupid. ' Levi frowns, remembering it. 'In fact, that is what they said. They called you an idiot. '

'You call me an idiot all the time, ' Erwin reminds him. 'You 've called me lunatic before, haven 't you? '

'

I

have, ' Levi mutters, petulantly. 'I have. I 'm allowed to, though, that 's different. They just thought ' they don 't even understand. '

'Understand what? '

'What all this is for. Why we do this. You, I mean, ' he corrects, shaking his head, 'why you do all this. And ' you 're not stupid. That 's the best thing about you. You know everything, I mean ' ' Levi doesn 't know why his words are coming out stumbled over each other. He feels like a child, Kenny looming over him like a shadow.

What,

he 'd sneer,

were you dropped on your head as a baby? Speak, boy, even babies can do it.

'Not everything, no one knows everything, ' he rambles.

Erwin is staring at him. 'Levi, ' he says, flatly.

'What? '

'Don 't. Not for me. Understand? '

Levi frowns. The room feels very cold, all of a sudden. 'I don 't understand, ' he says, slowly.

Erwin looks away. He pinches the bridge of his nose, then sniffs, lifts his head like it 's aching. 'Don 't, ' he orders, softly, nodding as if the impress the command. He cups Levi 's waist, his thumbs against his ribs. 'Not for me, or for whatever you think ' whatever you think I do this for. I 'm sorry, ' he mutters, and starts to shift beneath him.

Levi climbs off him, quickly. 'I didn 't mean, ' he hears himself say, 'that I did it for you, I just mean ' I don 't like stupid people, and they were ' were ' ' he doesn 't know what he 's defending himself against.

Erwin nods, but he 's already standing by his desk, busying himself with papers. 'No, no, ' he agrees. 'I know. You just shouldn 't be getting yourself into trouble on my account, ' he smiles, tightly, without it reaching his eyes. 'And especially not over ' words. ' He clears his throat. 'Sorry, ' he adds, fingers lightly caressing the envelope on his desk. 'If you could ' hand this to the courier desk, when you go. '

He holds it out, limply, and Levi won 't pretend like it doesn 't sting. He nods. ' 'Course, ' he says, stiffly. It doesn 't matter. Nothing matters at all. Erwin is probably just ' embarrassed on his behalf, that Levi could cause such trouble over stupid comments. Levi knows Erwin probably hears worse to his face all the time. Perhaps he thought ' no. No, it doesn 't matter at all, he resolves himself. He takes the envelope, addressed to somewhere in Mitras. He dresses quickly, quietly. He 's lost a button off his shirt, he realises. He doesn 't know how it happened. It must have just lost itself, thread loosened in their struggle. Rolled and fallen between the cracks in the floorboards.