Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Erwin gazes down to the books and papers sprawled at his feet. His ocean blue eyes shimmer with a familiar feeling burning in his chest. Math equations scribbled quickly across light blue lines stare back at him. The book he just checked out at the library first thing that very morning is split face down, its precious clean pages touching the filthy linoleum floor. Erwin feels the heavy dark feeling pool at the bottom of his stomach. His lips are in a tight line, holding back the feral sound that is lodged in his throat. His hands tighten into fists until his knuckles turn white and his body turns stiff. He can feel his entire face grow hot and his vision blurs with frustrated tears that threaten to break free.

But as quick as the feelings overwhelm him, they begin to dissipate. Erwin’s father once told him he has the patience of a saint. Erwin concludes that the dirt on the library book doesn’t matter. It won’t erase the words printed on the pages, it won’t taint the story within. And as for his notes, he can always rewrite them. They are replaceable. 

His shoulders slump as he releases a breath of defeat. It’s not worth it , he tells himself. 

“Fucking loser.” His tormentor snickers as he slaps the back of Erwin’s head and his glasses tumble off his face. Satisfied, Zeke Jaeger turns around and briskly walks away. Bored once he feels he won’t get a rise out of Erwin Smith. Two other senior boys follow the Senior, laughing along with him. 

“Good one, Zeke!”

“What a fucking spaz.”

“Get bent, Smith!” One of them shouts over his shoulder as they turn the corner and join the rest of the school population. 

Erwin’s blue eyes flicker up, watching them go with fuzzy vision under the fringe of his golden hair that became loose from its pomade as Zeke pushed him around. The freckles on the bridge of his nose and the ones that spread delicately along his reddening cheeks are vibrant from the summer sun. He had spent his entire summer break camping with his father and catching bugs under the hot July sky. Erwin sniffles and kneels down to pick up his glasses, putting them back on. They’re new; a pair of black browline glasses. He got them just two weeks before school started. 

Senior year of high school has started even worse than he had imagined. He keeps himself from muttering under his breath, nervous that Zeke will hear him even though he is long gone. It’s the first day of school and the halls are loud with excited commotion. Multiple students reunite with their friends to compare class schedules and swap summer adventures. 

Erwin collects his papers, stuffing them into the book. He studies the notes he took from his precalculus book the night before. He hadn’t been able to sleep, too nervous to return to school and it had been the only thing he could think of to get himself to doze off. He scowls at the notes. School just started and he has already begun to study the textbooks needed for his classes that semester. 

“Pathetic, Smith…” He mutters under his breath. 

The school bell rang, alerting students to get to their first periods. Erwin remains crouched down in the empty hallway of the second floor that only leads to a janitor’s closet. Zeke had corralled him there so as to not be seen by any of the teachers. All excitement left his body. He had been so excited to see his friends again, in fact, he texted Hange his schedule the night before and found that they had first period together. Erwin’s still thrilled to see them but he’s embarrassed. Hange always has a way of finding out when something is off. 

Erwin picks up the book next, taking notice of his hand as he picks it up. He has grown two inches over the summer and one whole shoe size. Erwin Smith is a tall boy, not entirely lanky whatsoever. He’s broad shouldered and well built and definitely still growing into his intended size. He’s like a Great Dane puppy, meant to be big but still growing into his awkwardly huge paws. He’s taller than Zeke Jaeger, that goes without saying and much heavier to boot. Erwin could easily pick him up over his shoulder and chuck him out a window but he’s not a cruel boy. It’s his mild mannered personality that lets his bullies fall into a false sense of security.  Not to mention the fact that Erwin despises confrontation. He’ll avoid his problems like Pac-Man on the run. 

His shoulders slump. He should at least stand up for himself instead of crumbling into himself the way he does. Erwin just hates violence; he doesn’t want to stoop to their level either. The second bell rings, branding Erwin late to class. At that point, he could care less. What are they going to do? Suspend him for being tardy on the first day? He rises to his feet and gazes out the window as a bird flying by catches the corner of his eye.  He then hears a couple of voices and laughter breaking the silence that has fallen after the second bell rang. 

Erwin steps towards the window and is surprised when he sees three students still lingering outside, hidden by the dumpsters at the side of the school. He presses his forehead against the glass, suddenly very curious. His lips part slightly when he notices a ring of smoke rising from the tight knit circle. His thick brows raise in shock when he sees the smoke emanating from a small cigarette held by one of the boys. There are three of them, all huddled together in a close circle. One of them, the boy holding the cigarette, is a lanky, dark blond haired boy that Erwin recognizes right away. His name is Furlan Church. He doesn’t know him well but he had a couple classes with him in Sophomore year. Next to him stands a shorter girl with red hair in pigtails. She looks like she’s talking fast and animatedly but her voice is muffled behind the glass. She brushes off the cigarette when Furlan hands it to her, denying it and opting to continue her story. 

Erwin doesn’t recognize her. He turns his attention from her to Furlan as he hands the cigarette to the last kid. Erwin’s eyes widen and his lips part when he sees him . It’s the Ackerman boy. Levi Ackerman. He’s back. 

He’s casually leaning against the dumpster with one foot flat against it. He’s dressed in black skinny jeans, a black band shirt with The Cure logo on it and a black jean jacket covered in pins and patches. His silky jet black hair is styled with an undercut. The strands above his eyes fall forward, lightly brushing the ivory skin of his handsome face. He takes the cigarette with delicate yet long fingers and places it between plump, well shaped lips. Erwin’s breath hitches. He’s got to be the coolest and most beautiful person Erwin has ever seen. 

Quick like arrows, the boy’s steel gray eyes dart to the window, spotting Erwin. Erwin freezes when he realizes he’s been caught. The boy holds his gaze, slowly pulls the cigarette from his lips and smoothly exhales a puff of smoke. Erwin feels his face grow hot and something flip in his stomach. He quickly takes a step back from the window, ashamed that he was caught spying. He holds his things to his chest and scurries to his first period. 

“Way to go, you dumbass!” He hisses to himself, “As if you need another bully.” And yet, the image of the boy outside imprints in his mind. 

___

Erwin arrives at his first period with flushed cheeks. He’s not the only student that shows up to class late. His teacher seems lenient but warns them that it will be the only day she will overlook their tardiness. He spots Hange sitting towards the back of the class and is immediately drawn to them. They’ve been saving him a seat the entire time and smile widely when they see him approaching. 

“Oversleep or what?” Hange, his best friend, asks in a low whisper once Erwin sits and begins to bring out a pen and his notebook. Their expression relaxes a little. “Didn’t you get my text?” 

Erwin avoids their eyes and simply gives them a sheepish smile, “Sorry. I didn’t get the chance.” 

Hange knows immediately and leans in, placing their hand on Erwin’s shoulder. “Text me next time.” Their voice is laced with empathy and concern. 

Erwin sighs, sinking into his chair, “Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind as Jaeger shoves me into another locker.”  Erwin deadpans. 

Hange glares at their notebook, “I hate that kid. He’s such an ass. He needs to be taught a lesson.” 

Erwin shrugs, “His home life must suck. That’s probably why he’s acting out.”

“Mm. Maybe.” Hange shakes their head, “Still. Just because daddy doesn’t love you doesn’t give you the excuse to pick on others.” 

“It’s fine, Hange. Let’s just drop it.” Erwin mutters and leans forward to write his name on the corner of his paper. 

Erwin S. 

“Hey, you got new glasses after all!” Hange changes the subject and Erwin immediately perks up. 

“Yup! I figured getting rid of my dorky glasses would help...” he goes silent. 

“Get noticed less?” Hange finishes. 

He nods, feeling rather stupid about being so excited over something so pathetic.

“Well, if it matters, I think you look great with or without glasses.” Hange pushes their own glasses up with the tip of their finger. Their frames are a little smudgey. 

Erwin looks at his best friend and smiles gently, happiness swelling in his chest again. Jaeger is a dipshit but his friends are the best people in the world, “Thanks, Hange.” 

The teacher begins to introduce herself along with the syllabus once she feels all the students have made it to class. Erwin slowly calms down as the class progresses and the minutes tick on by. Hange’s words make him feel a lot better. He’s grateful to have a friend like them. Zeke Jeager is just another bump in the road, he tells himself. In a year’s time Zeke will no longer matter, nor will any of the moments in this forsaken place. High school can be such a cesspool of cruelty and angst. He cannot wait until it’s all behind him. 

Erwin feels better at the thought of getting into his dream school and moving far, far away. Far away from Zeke Jeager and all other bullies. Erwin is suddenly reminded of Ackerman, Levi Ackerman. He had caught him watching from the window. Erwin feels an uneasy feeling fall to the pit of his stomach. He only knows of Ackerman because he had been suspended during their junior year. Erwin doesn’t know for what reason or why he was still gone after his suspension was surely lifted. Even before the incident, Erwin hadn’t spoken to him before but he had seen him around. He had always thought Ackerman was cool. Scary but very cool.  

It doesn’t matter, he tells himself, he’s sure the other boy wouldn't be able to pick him out of a line up. Erwin believes he’s that forgettable. 

___

“Have you decided on a club yet?” Hange asks as they make their way towards their second period class. Much to Erwin’s dismay, they don’t share the next class. He wishes he could share every class with his best friend. 

They pass by students from multiple grades as the halls fill with the sounds of loud chatter and the squeak of sneakers upon linoleum floors. The seniors hang by their lockers with cool ease, chatting and gossiping about one thing or the other. Meanwhile the Freshman are timid, carefully making their way through the halls, occasionally peeking at their schedules to make sure they’re heading in the right direction. 

“Not yet.” Erwin answers with a smile, excited at the topic at hand. Jaeger and Ackerman are both thrown to the back of his mind. “I was thinking of joining the Film Club.” he says ever so proudly. 

Hange raises a brow, “Aren’t you already in a film class?”

“Yes, for my elective, but that’s just studying the plot from literature to screen. In the club you get to make an actual movie! Well, not like a whole movie but a Short.”

Hange tilts their head back and cackles, “You’re such a film dork!”

Erwin looks down to his feet, he feels his ears go warm. “I have this cool idea for this horror script where there’s something eerie happening in this guy’s basement and he becomes obsessed and--well, I’ll let you read it for yourself.”

Hange heavily pats Erwin on the back, hard enough to make him flinch, “Whatever you say, Del Toro.” She refers to him by the name of his favorite director, Guillermo Del Toro. “I’ll see you at lunch?”

“You know it.” He and Hange bump fists and Hange enters the swarm of students. “You know where to find me!”

Lunch comes faster than Erwin expected it to and thank goodness because he’s starving. Once he finishes picking out his lunch, he takes his tray of chicken tenders and mac and cheese and goes out through the back cafeteria doors that lead out to the quad centered in the middle of the otherwise indoor school. Multiple students litter the outdoor area, sitting on the green thermo plastic covered metal picnic tables that are scattered about. Others sit along the walls and on the planters. Wherever they find a spot. The late August weather is forgiving, keeping the afternoon cool enough to be enjoyable without breaking into a heavy sweat.

Erwin spots the round table just at the far end of the quad, sitting beneath a thin tree. The “nerd table”— or so a lot of the kids like to call it. Erwin is a little offended when he heard their table was branded that back in their Freshman year. It wasn’t as if they were as weird as the theater kids that sat a few yards away. Alas, he’d rather sit outside opposed to in the cafeteria where Zeke and his friends sit. 

He smiles when he sees Hange already sitting down with Moblit, Petra, Nile and Marie. Petra is the first to spot him and waves him over with a bright smile. 

“There you are dude. What took you?” Nile asks as he and Moblit scoot over to make him some room. 

“Probably talking with the lunch lady again, weren’t you?” Marie teases him and Erwin’s cheeks grow pink. He used to have a crush on Marie that lasted a little too long. From fifth grade to freshman year to be a little more exact but Erwin dumped that crush when Nile confessed his crush on her. Erwin didn’t want to get in the way of that and ruin his friendship. Plus, he was never brave enough to tell Marie herself anyway. 

“Norma is very nice once you get to know her.” Erwin defends himself as he takes off his backpack and lets it drop at his feet, just under the table. He sounds just a little too defensive when he says it. 

Nile and Marie snicker. 

“Hey, leave Erwin alone.” Hange comes to his rescue like always. Moblit nods along in agreement. “Norma is nice. She gave me an extra cup of applesauce!” Hange brings out the cup from their sweater pocket, raising it up in mid air like it’s the Holy Grail. Their eyes almost sparkle with amazement. 

Moblit raises a brow at them, “Why is it in your pocket?” 

“Why not?” 

Erwin just laughs and digs into his chicken tenders, happy to be with his friends. Even if they tease him from time to time. 

Erwin and his group of friends are just a few of many that prefer the outdoor benches. Amongst them are the group of goths, punks and skater kids. Their table sits against the wall of the art building, a mere fifteen yards from the nerd table. Levi Ackerman sits amongst the group, sitting on top the table with his worn out black and white converse on the bench. His elbows are resting on his thighs as his eyes scan the quad. 

He spots him from what feels like miles away. With that blond hair, he’s hard to miss amongst the crowd of brunettes and redheads. Levi racks his brain until he finally remembers his name. Erwin. 

Erwin something, Levi is sure of it. He’s seen the tall, nerdy boy before. They also went to middle school together but they never shared any teachers or classes before. Levi could recall him back in middle school with his caterpillar eyebrows and sweater vests. Always with a book to his chest. But Erwin’s always just been that, some kid around the school. Levi only knows his name because buttfuck Jaeger wrote “Erwin’s gay” on his locker at the beginning of Sophomore year. Very original. 

“Dude, where's your food?” Furlan asks as he drops his tray on the table with a loud slap.  

Isabel scolds him as she sets her tray gently on the table, “Be careful. You’ll spill.” 

“As if this shit is edible anyway.” Furlan makes a face. “Or real meat for that matter.” 

“Not hungry.” Levi mutters and looks back to the nerd table. Eyes lock on Erwin, his side profile to Levi. Earlier that morning, Levi half expected a teacher or even the principal to come skulking around the dumpster to suspend them for smoking on school grounds but no one came. Even though Erwin saw them smoking, no one came to scold them for it.

Guess Blondie didn’t snitch like I thought. Levi thinks to himself and almost feels bad for thinking badly of Erwin. Almost that is but Levi can’t help it, Erwin just looks so presentable with his button up shirt and khaki pants. Plus those old school glasses make him look like he sleeps and eats in a library. He’s the picture perfect teacher’s pet. Still, there’s something about him that catches Levi’s eye. 

Levi’s thoughts are disturbed when a chicken tender makes its way into his view. He startles and pushes Furlan’s hand away, “Ugh, dude, what the fuck.” 

“Eat me, Levi! I died for you!” Furlan mocks in a high pitched voice, making the chicken tender dance about. “Please!” 

Levi rolls his eyes. Levi is eight months into his new vegetarian diet and Furlan has yet to stop giving him shit about it. “Knock it off.” He went cold turkey and has been doing pretty well. 

“Why are you so cranky?“ Furlan asks, taking a big bite out of his chicken strip. 

“Because he quit smoking.” Isabel says, she pauses and looks at Levi. “Wait, you quit right?” 

“He smoked this morning, noob. You were there.” 

Isabel rolls her eyes. “You said you’d quit.” She turns to Levi, her brows pinched together. Levi doesn’t even smoke that much or that often. The cigarette Furlan stole from his older cousin is the first one he’s had in weeks. Smoking wasn’t even an enjoyable passing of time but a teenage urge to nonconform. 

“Yeah, yeah. I quit as of now.” Levi waves her away with his hand, his eyes still on the other boy. 

Furlan snorts and Isabel frowns at him, “Don’t get suspended this year. Or worse, expelled.” 

“Yeah dude, the band sucked without you while you were grounded last year.” Furlan takes a drink from his bottle of Dr. Pepper. 

“It’s not a band, Furlan.” Levi reminds him. The three of them often get together to play and write songs. Levi is very talented at the bass while Furlan plays guitar and Isabel rocks the Synthesizer. However, neither can or want to sing so they aren’t much of a band. They don’t even have a name despite Furlan dubbing them “Furlan and the Crotch Rockets”. 

Levi loathes that name and refuses to acknowledge it. It’s disgusting and in bad taste. Furlan is one of his two best friends, the kid is funny but his sense of humor stayed in middle school. Still, bad humor or not, Furlan would take a fall for Levi any day of the week. He’d help him hide a body in the middle of the night if need be and Levi would do the same. 

Isabel changes the subject, “Anyway, are we going to the park after school? My mom finally broke down and got me those Moxi wheels I’ve been wanting. You know, the Fundaes.” Her eyes lit up with excitement. “They’re so smooth.” 

“I’m in!” Eld Gin butts in their conversation. The blond boy leans his body against Furlan. Furlan groans under his weight. “Nanaba too.” 

“Wait, what?” Nanaba’s voice comes from down the table, confused and unaware of their conversation. 

“Count me in too!” Furlan smiles brightly, pushing Eld off, “Levi, you in?” 

Levi finally looks away from Erwin and his friends. He didn’t realize Hange was his friend. Hange lives across the street from him, “Uh, no, sorry. I promised my parents I’d babysit tonight.” He sighs, stealing a French fry from Isabel’s tray. “Maybe another day.” He takes a bite. Isabel is the only person Levi would be caught dead sharing food with. He doesn’t trust anyone else with their hygiene. Luckily for him, Isabel washes her hands every opportunity she gets. 

Furlan shrugs, “No worries dude. Next time for sure.” 

A small, relaxed smile spreads across Levi’s lips. “For sure.” He confirms. Even though he hates high school, it feels nice to be amongst his friends and other kids his age. He can’t stand to watch another episode of Max & Ruby at home. He’d go crazy. 

Levi jumps off the table and sits down on the bench to face his friends. Lunch goes by in what feels like seconds when someone asks the age-old question, “The Smiths or The Cure?” which sets the entire table in a long and very detailed discussion that includes many of the other teens in the group including Nanaba, Eld and Mike. 

Levi’s answer is simple: The Cure. But, The Smiths are good for those depression days or a nice serving of heartbreak. The bell ending lunch finally rings and Levi gets up along with the rest of the table. 

“What’s next for you, Levi?” Isabel asks as they make their way into the school and down the hall. 

“World history.” Levi sighs heavily. It’s one of the only classes he doesn’t share with Isabel or Furlan. 

Furlan fist bumps him, “Have fun.” 

“Later, Bro!” Isabel waves at him and she and Furlan disappear down a different hallway. Levi stops right before the stairs that lead up to his history class. He keeps Isabel’s words in mind. She’s right, it would be best if he doesn’t get suspended his senior year. 

So with no other option, Levi goes up the stairs and to class. Mr. Arlert’s classroom is blessed with two doors. One towards the front of the class and one towards the back where the late students like to sneak through. Levi enters through the back of the classroom and to his luck, multiple seats in the back are open. He picks one and plops down, letting his body melt into the chair. 

The students file in one after the other from both doors. Levi barely pays them any mind. He already has his notebook out and is jotting down songs for his little hobby of creating mixtapes. His current obsession is the little collection of cassettes and CDs he has squirreled away in his room. He usually gifts them to Isabel and Furlan but he gave one to his mother once when he first started. 

He’s in the middle of writing down a Joy Division song when a patch of gold catches the corner of his eye. Levi’s cool gaze flickers up and his body tenses immediately. There he is, as if fate has decided to grace Levi with all the senior’s dorky and awkward presence. Erwin Blond Boy Whatever His Last Name Is, is walking into his classroom from the front of the class. He has his backpack hung over his shoulder and is pushing his glasses up as his cautious eyes roam the desks in the front of the class. He picks the second seat from the front, second row from the wall and sits down. Of course he would sit up front. 

What a nerd… Levi’s lips part as his body slowly sits up. He watches Blondie open his backpack and bring out a binder with colored dividers. He skims through them until he finds the second to last one and Levi can only imagine that he’s color coded his classes. What a fucking nerd .

Levi’s mouth feels dry and his palms feel sweaty. His thin, perfectly shaped brows pull into a confused frown. There is just something he can’t pinpoint about the other senior. Erwin lifts his head to read the board, his expression pensive. His bright cerulean eyes wander to the front door, curious of the incoming students. It’s as if he can feel Levi watching him, for he slowly turns his head to look over his shoulder and catches Levi’s gaze. 

Shit.

Chapter Text

Erwin feels his blood run cold when he meets those cool, gray eyes from earlier that morning. They watch him with a deep concentration from across the room and it takes Erwin’s brain half a second to respond; his expression twists into one of embarrassment and panic. He quickly turns around and faces the front of the class. His heart beats wildly in his chest and his fingers grip the wooden desk. 

What the hell is Levi Ackerman doing in his world history class? In all his years of going to the same school, they’ve never shared a class before. Erwin doesn’t even think they’ve even shared the same lunch period. 

Breathe, just breathe. Erwin repeats in his head over and over like a beloved mantra. Just because Levi spotted him that morning doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean Erwin’s on his bad side. He didn’t even think about ratting them out. The thought never even crossed his mind. Erwin might be a teacher’s pet at times but he’s no snitch. Hence why Jaeger has never gotten in trouble for his cruel acts against Erwin. 

Mr. Arlert stands in front of the class and introduces himself, stealing Erwin away from panicked thoughts. Mr. Arlert is a stout, blond man with a blond mustache and kind blue eyes that crinkle when he smiles. His hair is brushed back and he’s wearing a maroon tie with little airplanes on it.

“Good afternoon, class! I’m Mr. Arlert and welcome to world history.” He stands in front of the class and shoves his hands into the pockets of his khaki slacks. He looks around his class, just happy to be present in the art of teaching. 

Erwin begins to slowly calm as he listens to his teacher tell the class a little bit about himself. Mr. Arlert seems kind and he’s got that pep to his talk and Erwin knows his class will be a fun one. Most teachers don’t express love for the subject they are teaching but Mr. Arlert is different. Erwin can tell he really cares about history. 

Erwin finds himself smiling, relaxed by his teacher’s excited and upbeat tone, that is, until Mr. Arlert says, “Now, how about one by one, everyone stands up and introduces themselves.”

Erwin tilts his head slightly, thick brows going up in question, eyes blinking quickly in confusion. He sure was not expecting that at all. The entire class groans in protest. One kid even drops his head on the desk with a heavy thud , dreading the request. Erwin sinks into his chair, placing a hand over his arm. He can already feel his face going hot. He knows he gets red easily. It’s not just when he’s out in the sun for too long. 

“Oh, it’ll be fun! C’mon, your name and three facts about yourself.” He walks over to the row by the front door, “Starting with you, Sir.” 

The boy in the front row sighs heavily and stands, “Hi, my name is Gunther Schultz...” 

One by one they get up. The closer they get to him, the deeper Erwin sinks into his chair. He doesn’t know many kids in the class. He recognizes a couple of them like Gunther, Luke Cis and Rico Brenszka. He’s had classes with them in the past before. 

He wishes Hange was in class with him. They always manage to bring him out of his safe space. Hell, he wishes even Nile were there too. Even if all he can talk about is Marie. Erwin is pulled from his thoughts when he hears the cool and collected voice of Levi Ackerman coming from the back of the class. Erwin finds himself slowly turning around and finding enough courage to take a peek at his fellow senior. 

Levi is standing by his desk in all his black clothed glory. He casually runs his hand through his black hair to get it out of his face but slowly, the inky strands fall back into place. Erwin’s lips part in awe. He’s never seen anyone look so cool without even trying.

“Hey.” Levi speaks up, reluctant to do so but with no sas or sarcasm to his tone. Erwin feels his stomach flip at the cool tone of his voice. He suddenly feels very self aware and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “Name’s Levi.” His eyes remain ahead, unbothered. 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Levi.” Mr. Arlert says, “What fun facts would you like to share about yourself?”

Levi raises a brow and after a couple of seconds reluctantly says, “I like skateboarding, bass guitar and french fries.” And with that he plops back down on his chair without a further word. 

“Very good! French fries are amazing. Next!” 

The kids go one after the other, some more enthusiastic than others. The girl behind Erwin is next. She stands with much enthusiasm, simply radiating pure joy. 

“Hi, my name’s Frieda Reiss.” 

Erwin turns his head to look at her and his lips part slightly. Frieda Reiss. Now that’s someone he’s never seen before. She’s a pretty girl with long black hair and brilliant light blue eyes. So light they almost look like ice. 

“I just moved here this summer with my dad and little sister. I have a few other siblings that live out of state. I like baking and…” her cheeks blush a little when she says, “spending time with my family.” Her blue eyes meet Erwin’s and he quickly closes his mouth and gulps. 

She keeps her eyes on him as she sits back down with a soft smile on her face. Erwin looks away while Mr. Arlert welcomes her to the school and hopes she feels at home. 

Finally, it's Erwin’s turn. His feet get stuck on the straps of his backpack as he attempts to sit up and almost loses his balance. A nervous little chuckle escapes him as his clumsy limbs finally get him upright. The nervous laugh is a defense mechanism and he already feels his neck growing hot.

He faces the rest of the class, a nervous hand comes up to rub the back of his neck. “Uh, hi. My name’s Erwin Smith.” His voice sounds like it's on the verge of cracking so he clears his throat. A couple of kids snicker, making him even more nervous. He then catches Levi’s gaze again and his face immediately grows hotter than his neck. Erwin quickly looks away, pushing up his glasses again. He feels like an utter fool in front of everyone, “I like film, reading and video games…” he finishes quickly and his eyes flicker to Mr. Arlert as if to ask if it's okay for him to sit down now.

“Pleasure to meet you, Erwin. We’ll definitely do a lot of reading here, so welcome.”

Erwin smiles at Mr. Arlert. Feeling comforted by his response, he sits back down. 

-

Smith! That’s his last name. The poor kid is tripping over his own feet as he tries to introduce himself. Not to mention that dumb look he has on his face when he looks at the new girl that sits behind him. Levi scoffs silently to himself and leans back against the chair, crossing his arms like he doesn’t care. Erwin’s little nervous laugh after almost tripping isn’t even cute or anything, Levi tells himself as he suddenly feels tense. He’s not even sure why he’s so hung up on Blondie to begin with. The kid is as plain as white bread and probably just as boring. 

Levi looks back down to his list and continues to scribble songs but his eyes constantly make their way back to that blond head up front. Erwin’s ears are slightly red and so is the back of his neck. He looks rather stiff like he’s afraid to move and sure enough, for the rest of the class, Blondie is solid as a rock. He doesn’t move or bother to look over his shoulder anymore and as soon as the bell rings, he’s up on his feet and practically runs out of the classroom. 

What a weird kid. 

The last period of the day drags longer than Levi would have liked but alas, the final bell of the day rings, letting the school population loose into the neighboring streets. Levi collects his skateboard from his locker, says goodbye to his friends and rides his board home. 

Levi doesn’t live too far from the school and even though he loves to skate, he can’t deny that he misses his car. Levi learned how to drive while he was being homeschooled and even passed his driving test, earning himself his driver’s license. Sadly, his car broke down right in the middle of summer vacation and Levi and his friends were stuck for the rest of their vacation to wander the streets in their neighborhoods.

Levi enters the middle class neighborhood, riding his board down the street. A canopy of trees covers the street with cool shade. It looks quite beautiful during the fall when the countless leaves begin to change into hues of yellow, red and orange. Levi stops his board when he reaches the two story cape cod style home. His forest green 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport sits on the driveway. Levi’s dad promised it would be fixed soon. Well, his adoptive dad to be more precise. 

Levi picks up his board and goes up the front steps of the porch. He digs into his pocket and unlocks the front door. The Ackerman home is quaint yet homey with family portraits hanging on the walls. Potted plants and vased flowers adorn multiple corners and spaces of the house. Children’s toys scatter the wooden floors and plush cream rugs. It smells like cedar and Levi’s favorite green tea. 

“I’m home!” He calls out, dropping his backpack and board by the door.

Almost immediately, Levi hears the quick pitter patter of bare feet upon the wooden floors. She comes running in from the direction of the kitchen, throwing her arms in the air. Her jet black hair is in the tiniest little pony tail. She’s wearing an old baby blue shirt that used to belong to him.

Levi kneels down and opens his arms for his little adoptive sister to crash against him. “Whoa, easy there.” He chuckles. 

Three-and-a-half-year-old Mikasa Ackerman hugs him tight. “Hi, Bubba.” She says in her little gentle voice.

Levi snorts, “Levi. C’mon, I know you can say it. Lee-vy.” 

Mikasa points at him, “Bubba.” She confirms. Levi sighs. Mikasa couldn’t pronounce “brother” when she began to talk, so the nickname of “Bubba” came about. Levi has tried relentlessly to kill it but the little girl is stubborn. 

“There you are.” Mrs. Ackerman pops her out from the kitchen, smiling when she spots Levi. She’s drying her hands with a kitchen hand towel. “How was your first day, Sweetheart?” 

Levi sits Mikasa against his hip. He shrugs, “Bearable.” His tone casual. 

Mrs. Ackerman sighs, she’s been raising Levi since he was just a little older than Mikasa. He arrived into their home as a gangly little thing with a mop of black hair. Angry and distrustful of everyone around him but once they gained his trust he was the sweetest boy. “Well, I’m sure your friends were happy to see you back?” She asks, hopeful for a positive answer. 

Levi shrugs, “I guess so.” A toy on the ground catches Mikasa’s attention and she points down at it. Levi gently sets her back down. “It was kinda nice to be back…I guess.” He admits. 

Mrs. Ackerman wraps an arm around his shoulders and gives him a reassuring hug, “Alright, come on and have something to eat. Your father and I will be leaving soon and I want to hear about your day before we go.” 

-

The first thing Erwin does when he gets home is drop himself on his bed. His father is a professor at Stohess University which is in the next city over. He teaches evening classes so he usually isn’t home until very late. Erwin is thankful that the university semester started the week before. He would hate his father to see him with such a drained expression. 

Erwin takes off his glasses and sets them down on his nightstand, next to his Playstation4 controller. The first day of school is finally over and Erwin can now relax in his safe haven. The first day has its ups and downs. He is happy to see his friends again and he likes the majority of his classes but he admits that the day didn’t start out the best. He made a fool of himself in world history but his film class made it up for it. Not to mention clubs will be meeting for the first time this coming friday. Erwin is excited to join the Film Club. He wishes Hange will join him but he knows that they’re joining the Science Club along with Moblit and he doesn’t want to take that from them. 

Erwin brings out his phone and texts Hange.

Erwin [4:15]: Overwatch tonight?

Hange [4:16]: You know it! Same team?

Erwin [4:16] : Definitely.

Hange [4:17]: Alrighty! 8 p.m. sharp!

Erwin sets his phone aside and goes downstairs to get himself something to eat. The fridge is filled with prepped meals that Mr. Smith made the night before, knowing that he wouldn’t be home once classes were in full swing and he did not want to leave Erwin to fend for himself. Erwin was capable of eating nothing but potato chips and energy drinks if he’d let him. 

Afterwards, Erwin goes back up to his room and turns on his computer. He exits out of a few tabs left open until an all black website with rows of videos pops up. Every single thumbnail shows two guys in compromising positions. “Shit!” Erwin mutters and quickly exits out of the porn website he had forgotten to log out of.

His cheeks flush red and he feels the tug in his jeans. Erwin’s web browsing had expanded over the summer and by the beginning of august he was looking up nothing but gay porn. It had started out as a curiosity that blossomed into something more exciting and just a little bit confusing. Growing up, Erwin knew he liked girls. As a boy he found himself curious when it came to other boys. During puberty he often thought of them the same way he thought of girls but he thought every straight boy had those kinds of feelings. They were just passing thoughts. Nothing to be taken too seriously. Or so he tells himself. 

Putting the thoughts of the website aside, Erwin brings out his homework for the day and gets started. His AP classes have already dished out some homework and he’s eager to get started on the first novel assigned for his film class. They are going to read the novel, watch the film and then write a paper about the adaptation. Erwin’s very excited and cannot wait to talk about the class with his dad. 

-

Never Let Me Down Again by Depeche Mode plays from Levi’s prized record player on soft volume. It sits pretty on his dresser across from his bed. Countless posters of his favorite bands and movies cover the walls of his dark gray room. His skateboard rests by the door and his backpack hangs from a coat rack in the corner by the closet. Levi’s room is extremely clean for a teenager. He’s meticulously clean, and has been ever since he was very young. His adoptive parents never had to remind him to clean his room. 

Levi sits at his desk, compiling another mix in his itunes playlist. Mikasa’s baby monitor sits by his keyboard. He occasionally takes a peek at it to make sure she’s still sound asleep in bed. Their parents should be home any moment now. He hasn’t even bothered to check to see if he has any homework assigned, he can’t even recall any of his teachers announcing anything. Even if he does, it can always wait. Levi doesn’t care much about school.

A soon as Levi completes his new playlist, there is a knock on his door. Levi spins in his desk chair. “Come in.”

Mr. Ackerman peeks his head in, “Hey, son.”

“Hey.” Levi leans against the chair. 

“Everything go well?”

Levi presses his lips together, thinking through his day and nods, “Yep.”

“She behave ok?“ He refers to his sister. 

“Like always.” Mikasa is an easy going kid to Levi’s luck. She doesn’t fuss much and is a good listener. 

He nods, “Good. Oh, hey, you better keep this weekend open.” 

Levi raises a brow, “Why?” 

“It’s a surprise.” Mr. Ackerman pats the door frame with a smile, “Don’t go to bed too late.” 

The corner of Levi’s lip goes up in an easy going smile, “Alright.” 

“Goodnight, son.” 

“Night.” 

Mr. Ackerman closes the door and leaves Levi to his privacy. It took Levi a very long time to call the Ackermans “mom” and “dad”. He doesn’t know his biological father, the man could be dead for all he knows and he has very little memories of his biological mother. The ones he does have are filled with hospital hallways, the smell of antiseptics and the beeping of machines. Another smell Levi remembers from his childhood is stale cigarettes and the peculiar smell of an old car. His Uncle Kenny. He doesn’t remember much of him either. He wasn’t with him long. 

Levi still has the small burn mark on the palm of his hand where he burned himself with the car lighter in his uncle’s old car. They were such weird times. 

Levi shuts down his computer and turns off the baby monitor, knowing that his parents will check in on her now that they’re home. He stops the music and climbs into bed, dreading the next school day to come. He just knows the week is going to drag on by. He checks his phone and opens up the group chat. There are a couple of texts from Isabel and Furlan, letting each other know they made it home safe from the park once they went their separate ways. He is relieved to know but doesn’t bother to respond to the chat. 

He drops himself on his full-sized bed and stares at his ceiling. Erwin Smith wanders back into his thoughts, clumsy limbs and all, causing Levi to scoff under his breath. Curiosity gets the best of him, he jumps off his bed and goes to his bookshelf where countless records and CDs are aligned in order by artist. He crouches down to the bottom shelf, where he finds it. Wedged in the corner, forgotten but not left covered in dust, is Levi’s junior year year book. His parents insisted for days that he buy it. Of course he put the order in before he got suspended. It was Isabel who brought it over and he never bothered to even look at it. 

Levi pulls the year book off the shelf and plunks back down on his bed. He opens the pages up to the Junior section and skims the pages. The tip of his lean finger skims along the names until he hits his: Erwin Smith 

Erwin’s picture radiates in Levi’s eyes. A smile so bright it’s contagious. He’s wearing a pair of black thick rimmed glasses and there’s a cowlick of blond hair sticking out of his otherwise perfectly combed hair. Even in black and white, his eyes shine brilliantly. There’s a blemish on his right cheek and Levi wonders if he freaked out about it before the picture was taken. 

A puff of air escapes Levi’s heart shaped lips, “What a fucking dork.” 

He stares at the picture a little bit longer before he feels his stomach flutter. Bullshit. Frustrated, he closes the year book and tosses it to the foot of the bed. Erwin Smith is just another kid in the halls and he’ll stay that way. 

-

Erwin smiles when he sticks a picture of his Overwatch main on the inside of his locker. D.Va. She’s his favorite tank and thanks to her, he won play of the game the night before two times in a row. He would have gone three for three if Nile hadn’t shown off with Genji. 

The second day of school started without any incident from Jaeger. Luckily, Erwin has yet to come across him and he hopes it stays that way. 

“Morning, Sunshine!“ a heavy hand slaps against Erwin’s back and he flinches, afraid that Zeke already found him. However, it doesn’t take him long to process his friend’s voice.  

“Hange!” He gasps, fixing his glasses, “You scared me.” 

Hange leans against the locker next to his and bursts out laughing, “What? I scared Overwatch’s biggest hero?” They tease him. 

Their smile is contagious, “Not even. I couldn’t have done it without Moblit. No one plays Mercy like he does.” 

“That’s true but still. Great job, my dude.” Hange claps for him. 

Erwin laughs, “Thanks.” He collects his needed books for the day and closes his locker. 

“Did you do any of the reading? Wait, no, of course you did.” Hange brings their backpack over their shoulder, “Wait? Were there questions we had to complete at the end?! I didn’t finish reading—“ 

Hange’s voice traces off in the distance when someone catches Erwin’s eye. It’s Levi Ackerman. He’s strolling up the hall with his skateboard under his arm. His eyes look sleepy and his expression is emotionless. He looks like he’s in another world all together. Erwin immediately opens his locker back up and sticks his head inside to hide. 

“Anyway, is that a yes?” Hange pulls the locker back slightly, causing Erwin to jump a little. His eyes shift from Levi, who turned the corner into another hall without noticing him, to Hange. “Are you listening?”

Erwin clears his throat, “Sorry. Thought I saw Jaeger.” He lies. 

Hange shakes their head, “C’mon, you big dork. Let’s get to class.” 

-

The first week of school goes by in a strange blur and it’s finally Friday. Erwin somewhat successfully manages to avoid Zeke, only catching him in between classes or in front of teachers. Zeke will call him names from across the halls or flip him the bird when a teacher’s back is to him but other than that, Erwin manages to keep a distance. He doesn’t see Levi much either, managing to avoid him as well even though they share the same class. Levi comes to class after Erwin, slipping in through the back door and Erwin is out of the class as soon as the bell rings so they don’t cross paths often. 

However, during class, Erwin manages to steal little glances at Levi. He does it when he pretends to turn around to look for a pen in his backpack or when he stands up to sharpen his pencil at the pencil sharpener that sits on the counter towards the side of the class. Erwin doesn’t even use pencils. He hasn’t since middle school. 

Erwin is deeply confused. Levi makes him nervous and those cool gray eyes intimidate him. He figures if Levi wanted to call him out regarding the spying incident, he would have done so already but Levi hasn’t approached him or done or said anything to threaten Erwin. Erwin is hesitant but tries not to dwell too much on it. 

The bell that ends world history rings and students commence to stand and collect their things to leave for their last period of the day. 

“Remember!” Mr. Arlert calls out as the room fills with scooting chairs and shuffling papers, “Next week we’re going to start on Ancient Rome! Our first project is coming up in the next few weeks so keep that in mind as well!” 

Erwin gathers his things, lost in thought when he hears her voice. 

“Any plans this weekend?” 

Confused, Erwin looks up. Freida Reiss is looking right at him with a kind smile; she has yet to pack her things. Erwin looks behind him and then back at her, “Me?” 

She giggles, “Yes. You.” 

“My friends and I are hanging out.” Erwin answers with a shy smile. He and the gang are planning to go to the aquarium to celebrate the first week of school. Erwin is very excited about it but he’s also excited for the start of clubs later after school.  “Do you have any plans?” he asks out of courtesy. 

“I’m not sure yet.” Freida answers, brushing a lock of her long, black hair behind her ear. Her eyes are on Erwin as she speaks, “Probably research some topics for the project coming up. I know it's kind of early but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.” 

Erwin’s eyes wander, catching Levi as he exits the classroom. “That’s-- that’s true.” His voice trails off. Once Levi is out of view he continues to stuff his notebook into his backpack, “Let me know if you decide on something neat.” He smiles at Freida, “Have a good weekend.”

She beams, “Thank you, Erwin. You too.” 

Erwin stands and leaves the class. They’re stopping by the library during his film class to check out a couple of books on their next assignment so he’s eager to get going. 

-

The final bell of the day has rung, and kids begin to file out of the school. It’s Friday and the first week of school proved to be rather tricky for Levi. He told his friends he’d do his best not to skip class or do anything that would risk him getting suspended again. So Levi attended all his classes that week and sat through the boring lectures. It all feels like bullshit.

Levi opens his locker to take out his skateboard. His dad had been excited about their weekend plans all week but refused to say what exactly he had planned. Levi was going to find out soon enough. 

“Have fun at film club!” Levi hears Hange’s familiar voice shout from across the hall and looks up. Down the hall he spots Hange waving ferociously. They’re wearing a white lab coat and a pair of goggles on their head. Levi’s gaze follows their voice and spots him. 

“Thanks, Hange! Text you later!”

Blondie has multiple books of all sizes in his hands as he walks; his attention is still on Hange instead of the space in front of him. He has a small smile on his handsome yet boyish face. He’s blond. Too blond. Levi doesn’t know if that’s even a thing but the walking golden sun coming his way is blinding. Not to mention those eyebrows of his. What kind of seventeen-year-old kid has eyebrows like that? But the closer he gets, the more Levi is able to take in his looks. He sits so far away from him in world history that he has not had a chance to take a proper look and the yearbook picture doesn’t do the real thing justice. 

Erwin’s got freckles and a funny way of walking. Like he grew overnight and hasn’t figured out how to manage his new height. In a way, he somewhat reminds Levi of that nerdy kid from that movie he saw with Mikasa the week before school started. The one with the little witch girl. All he needs is a bike and a striped shirt. 

Levi lets out a small scoff, closing his locker with a slam. He’s slightly amused with the connection. 

The loud slam of the locker catches Blondie’s attention and he looks up, meeting Levi’s steely gaze just mere yards from him. His bright blue eyes widen in what looks to Levi like shock. His face goes pale and he bites his bottom lip nervously. He immediately makes a u-turn on those big feet of his and-- SLAM! 

Levi winces as Blondie smacks right into a locker. A group of girls turn their heads, giggling once they realize what happened. Blondie’s face, ears and neck go red and he quickly fixes his glasses and hugs his books to his chest, scurrying off in the opposite direction like he just walked into the girl’s locker room by accident. Levi watches him go with a raised eyebrow and parted lips, “What the fuck…” 

What’s his deal? It almost looks like Erwin’s afraid of him.

Chapter Text

A Dead Kennedys cover band plays in the vast yard behind Mike’s cousin’s house. Partially a junkyard, there is nothing but dirt, rocks, broken down cars, dead weeds and cigarette butts. A pit forms in front of the cover band, creating a cloud of dust while bodies push around, going in circles. Teens and young adults scatter around the yard, drinking cheap beer and smoking weed. The music is so loud, people shout to one another to continue their conversations. A couple makes out against a chain link fence and someone’s pet Pitbull is roaming around, tail wagging ferociously. People pet him as he comes and goes, as happy as can be. It’s past eleven but there is no end in sight. 

“Fuck you!” 

“Do something, you emo bitch!”

“Levi, stop!”

Isabel’s voice over the music does nothing to stop Levi’s fist as it makes contact with the other teen’s drunken face. Tight, white knuckles make contact with blotchy skin and a cloud of dirt rises when the drunk stumbles backwards, colliding with two tin trash cans. A group of three teens that hang by the fence, stand watching with snickers and curious gazes. 

“Fucking say that again!” Levi steps forward, the cold of the night has numbed his limbs. His black denim jacket hasn’t done much to keep him warm but the whiskey he had earlier has kept him warm enough. 

Isabel jumps in front of Levi, placing her hands on his chest to push him back, “Bro, stop! That’s enough!”

Levi steps forward again, his jet black strands fall over his face, his lips are parted and his cheeks are slightly flushed. His pupils are dilated, ready to fight. Levi is not one to fly. Chemical Warfare plays through the yard, riling up the crowd. “No, I want him to say it again. C’mon, Duran, get up on your fucking feet and say it to my face.” A bead of sweat runs down the side of Levi’s temple and down his cheek. How the hell was it so hot? 

Duran spits blood on the floor and laughs, “Fuck you, Levi.” He gets on his knees and holds Levi’s gaze, “You fag .”

Levi sees red and steps from behind Isabel. He throws himself on Duran and grabs him from the collar of his dirty band shirt, his fist winds back and then comes crashing with full force against Duran’s face, over and over.

“Levi! Stop!” Isabel screams, attempting to pull Levi off Duran, “Furlan! Where the fuck are you?!”

“Ey! Ey! Ey!” Isabel hears another familiar voice and relief floods through her. Mike is on them in a matter of seconds, helping her to pull Levi off of Duran. A couple of older teens have gathered too, pulling Duran up to his feet and pushing him back to help separate the two. 

Mike Zacharius. Blond, tall, with a growing thin mustache and just two years older than them is a sight for sore eyes. An angel come from heaven to help them in Isabel’s eyes. He hooks his arms underneath Levi’s and pulls the younger teen away from the scene of the fight. 

He drags Levi to the farther end of the yard where the music isn’t as loud and they can hear one another without shouting. The fight by the side of the house doesn’t even alert half of the scene. The band continues and so does the mosh pit. They turn a couple of heads but not many. 

“What the hell is wrong with you, Ackerman? I turn my head for one minute and you’re already picking fights?” Mike lets go of Levi and pushes him against the side door of a broken down van. Isabel follows them, her eyes over her shoulder, still trying to scan for Furlan in the crowd. 

Mike pounds the door of the van and the door slides open. A brunette haired teen boy sticks his head out along with a puff of smoke. Mike points with his thumb towards the back of the yard, “Beat it, Rem.” 

The boy named Rem whines but says nothing. “C’mon, y’all.” He jumps out along with five other teens. They reek like weed and cigarettes. 

Levi leans against the van and runs his hand through his hair, exhaling. Mike was a junior when Levi was a freshman and entered the same friend group. Even though Mike graduated two years prior, they often see him and keep in touch. “Well?” he asks Levi. 

“Duran started it.” Isabel tries to come to Levi’s rescue. 

“Thought so.” Mike shakes his head, “What was it this time? Fruit Picker? Fairy? Homo? Fudge Packer ?”

Levi waves him off, “Alright, stop.” 

Mike scoffs, “Fuck him, Levi. That dude’s a prick. But c’mon man, you’re gay, you better own that shit.”

Levi scoffs, “I do but that doesn’t excuse some asshole calling me demeaning names.”

Mike shrugs, “He probably does it cause he likes you and wants to suck you off.”

“As if. Don’t be sick.”

“What? It’s just a blowjob. You don’t have to like him.”

Levi bites back a laugh, “Fuck off.” 

Mike chuckles and places his hand on Levi’s shoulder, “You good, dude?”

Levi brushes his nose with the back of his hand and sniffles, “Yeah, I’m good.” His fist aches something awful and his pride is a little bruised but other than that, Levi is fine. He didn’t mean to go off the rails and let Duran’s homophobic bullshit get to him but the whiskey loosened him up and Levi saw no reason to not defend himself. Not only that, it took him a lot of courage to come out to friends his sophomore year for people to just take advantage of that. He’s done taking people’s bullshit. 

“Look man, Duran ain’t cool for calling you shit like that. I told Jurgen not to invite that asshole. But that doesn’t mean you get to start shit for no damn reason. Wise up, Levi. You’re almost eighteen. Don’t be an idiot and do something you’ll regret. The law ain’t gonna go easy on you.”

Levi scoffs, “Alright, I get it.”

Isabel walks over and places her hand on his shoulder. Mike’s right. Levi’s gotten into a lot of trouble in the past. He carries a lot of trauma from his early childhood and it has spilled into his teenage years as hormones make everything so much worse. Nonetheless, Levi knows hormones aren’t an excuse to get arrested for battery. 

There’s another burst of loud commotion and they all turn to look towards the opposite side of the yard where a couple of Mike’s college friends are falling over drunk. They have a few girls with them and their banter sounds to be getting out of hand. Mike sighs heavily, “Fuck. I have to go deal with this. Isabel, stay with him please.”

“I will.” Isabel leans against the van next to Levi. 

Mike turns his attention to Levi and points a finger at him, “And you, Balboa, fucking cool it.” 

Levi brushes him off with his hand, “Yeah, yeah.” 

Mike shakes his head and turns to leave, almost bumping into Furlan who has two beers in his hands. Mike pats him on the shoulder as he makes his way back into the crowd to deal with his friends. Furlan watches him go and then hurries over to Levi and Isabel. 

“Hey, what happened?”

“Where the hell were you?” Isabel demands.

“Nothing.” Levi interjects at the same time. “Nothing happened.”

Furlan snickers, “What? Did you get into another fight again?”

Levi looks away and Isabel gives him a disapproving look, shaking her head at him. Furlan’s smile is cleaned right off, “Oof. Sorry…” He takes a drink from his beer and after a couple of seconds asks, “Who won?”

“Furlan!” Isabel snaps, “Knock it off.”

“What?! Damn, sorry.” He offers his beer to Levi, “Want some?”

Levi’s face scrunches in disgust, “Not after you’ve put your lips on it.”

Furlan shrugs and takes another swing from his beer, not even bothering to offer the unopened beer to Levi. “Alright, well, it’s Friday night and the night is still young. You guys wanna stick around here or go to the diner for a burger?”

Levi pushes himself off the van, “I could go for some fries.” He’s done with the scene of the gig and the smell of weed and cheap beer is getting to him. 

Furlan wraps an arm around his best friend’s shoulder and shakes him, “Atta boy, Slugger!”

Levi chuckles and pushes him off, “Shut up.” 

Less than an hour later, the three end up at Sina’s Diner. A popular 50’s themed diner in town where a lot of the highschool kids flock to on most nights. Furlan buys Levi a large order of fries and an Iced Tea and gets himself and Isabel a couple of burgers. Under the light of the diner, Furlan and Isabel can see that Levi is without a single scratch. His hair is a little out of place with a cowlick sticking out from the back and the collar of his Bauhaus shirt is a bit stretched out from the tussle but other than that, he’s fine. That fight is not his first. Levi’s just lucky he didn’t get a single scratch or his adoptive parents will not let him hear the end of it. He doesn’t want to disappoint them again. 

Levi watches Furlan pick up the ketchup bottle and drench his fries with it. He scoffs, “You’re an animal, Furlan.”

Furlan raises a brow, offended, “What? What I do?” 

Isabel rolls her eyes and takes a bite from her burger. Levi snatches the ketchup bottle and neatly squirts some in the corner of his paper tray. “Your fries are going to get soggy like that.”

Furlan shrugs, “But I like them like this.” 

Levi just shakes his head. 

“Anyway,” Isabel cuts in, “How was everyone’s first week?”

Furlan snorts, “Stupid. I got Magath for gym. He’s going to kill me.”

“Honestly, Furlan, that’s what you get for failing gym last year. What kind of Senior has to take gym class again?”

Isabel is right. In their school, Seniors don’t typically have physical education. It’s saved for grades nine through eleventh, however, if a Senior failed a class the previous year or is short on credits to graduate, then gym class is mandatory to help them pass. Luckily for Furlan, he only has to take one semester. 

“Hey, whatever, it’s just one semester.” He takes a big bite out of his burger and shrugs.

“What about you, Levi? How was your first week?”

Levi looks uninterested in the conversation. He doesn’t care much for school but Isabel looks enthused and eager to know so he indulges her. “It was okay.”

“Just okay? Nothing exciting happened? Oh! Any cute boys?” She gives Levi a sly look. 

Erwin Smith crawls back into Levi’s mind and he almost chokes on a french fry. Now, why does Erwin come to mind when Isabel asks about cute boys? Erwin “Blondie” Smith isn’t cute! Levi feels his cheeks grow hot. No fucking way is that dork cute. 

All week the dorky blond has come bumbling in and out of the classroom, raising his hand at every question and laughing at Mr. Arlert’s jokes. He’s embarrassing. The way he’s always so attentive in class and how his questions are precise and loaded with curiosity. Levi has noticed that he’s helpful too. Whenever the kid next to him leans in with a question towards the end of the class, Erwin is more than happy to answer. He must also be writing a lot of notes for he’s always going to sharpen his pencil at the station near Levi’s desk. Who still uses a pencil in high school?

Furlan laughs and Isabel pats his back, “Whoa! You alright?” She’s too concerned to catch his blush. 

Levi covers his mouth with a napkin and coughs, “Yeah…wrong pipe.” He clears his throat. “Nope. Nothing exciting. No cute boys either or whatever. Just a bunch of loser kids in boring classes with annoying teachers. That’s all.” 

-

When Levi finally finds his way home, it’s well past midnight. His parents and Mikasa are fast asleep. He made sure earlier that night to text his parents that he’d be home late. Levi hates to make them worry or disappoint them; especially when they have some kind of surprise waiting for him in the morning. 

Levi carefully takes his dirty shoes off at the door and quietly makes his way upstairs, not wanting to bring any crap from the junkyard into the house. He leaves his shoes on the porch, he’ll worry about cleaning them tomorrow. He can hear the TV in his parents room, they must have fallen asleep while watching a movie. They do that sometimes. Levi heads down the opposite end of the hallway and passes Mikasa’s bedroom. He thinks about stopping to check on her but he reeks like dirt, cigarettes and sweat. Just all the glory of a good backyard gig. 

So instead he grabs an old but clean band shirt, clean boxer shorts and his old gym shorts and stumbles into the bathroom to turn on the shower. There’s no way in hell he’s going to get into bed with all the muck of the night. Levi hates germs and being dirty in general. Not to mention, all the dirt he probably got in his hair from the fight. 

Levi steps underneath the hot shower and immediately relaxes. The water falls over his black hair, flattening it against his head and over his eyes. His shoulders feel tense and his lower back aches a little. He’ll admit that he went a little overboard with the drunk Duran but Levi has no regrets. The asshole had it coming. The hot water stings his hand and he checks it to discover light bruising on his knuckles. 

Levi scoffs, “Fucking prick.” He refers to Duran and grabs the shampoo to wash his hair, his fingers scrubbing through his black locks as he tilts his head back to wash out the suds. He then scrubs the rest of his body, including his sensitive knuckles and lets his mind wander. The gig was fun, Levi was having fun until the drunk asshole wandered into their perimeter and noticed Levi. There is always some jerk that has to go one step too far. 

His thoughts continue to wander until he thinks about Isabel’s question at Sina’s and once again Blondie’s face is playing in his mind like the scene of a movie. Levi feels his anger dissipate as Erwin clouds his thoughts. That friendly, dorky smile. That hair that is too blond and bright like the sun. Those eyes that are the color of the sky; Levi can stare at them for hours on end... 

Levi feels a curious pressure at the bottom of his stomach and opens his eyes to look down. “Oh, what the fuck!” He frowns immediately. 

He’s got a boner. A rock hard boner. 

“No.” He shakes his head, “No. No. No.”  

Levi immediately turns the water off and grabs his towel in utter denial. There’s no way Erwin Loser Smith gave him a hard on. There’s no fucking way. He steps out of the shower and vigorously dries his body as if the rough treatment on his skin will ease his dilemma. He refuses to believe or even acknowledge it. Levi quickly throws his clean clothes on and vigorously brushes his teeth while he starts to think of his turn offs: bad breath, homophobic assholes, bad hygiene, his old Gym teacher, Mr. Lovof, who would spit when he yelled. That one time Furlan got sick in the back of the car on the drive back from Taste of Chaos and puked all over Levi’s shoes.

That definitely does it. Levi gags at the memory of the most disgusting car ride of his life but surely, the memory kills the pitch in his tent. He takes another moment to fully gather himself and exits the bathroom, wondering what the hell that was all about?

-

“Will you hurry up and pick one already?” Nile is growing impatient and Erwin tries not to roll his eyes at their conversation. He can hear him and Marie fussing behind him. Marie is having trouble picking out a souvenir and can’t decide between an octopus plushie or a turtle plushie. 

Erwin is in front of the keychain stand, twirling it, blue eyes searching for his name. He saw the name “Irvin” which is kind of close enough and even the name “Elvin” but he cannot spy “Erwin”. How the hell do they have Elvin but not Erwin? It makes no sense!

Erwin huffs and crouches down a bit, his fingers running along the shark shaped keychains until he comes to a name “Levi”. Erwin gulps at the name and looks over his shoulder. Nile and Marie are still deciding on a stuffed animal and Hange and Moblit are looking at t-shirts by the far end of the Aquarium’s souvenir shop. Hange is snickering at a shirt with an Orca on it that says, “Whale, hello there!” Moblit laughs along with them. 

Erwin shakes his head and looks back to the keychains. He’s still holding on to the one that says “Levi”. His face feels hot. The last time he saw Levi, he acted like a complete idiot and embarrassed himself right in front of the other Senior. Erwin can still feel the slight bump on his forehead from where he hit the locker dead on. Erwin wants to just melt right into the floor and never come out, he’s never felt so embarrassed before. Levi must think he’s a total loser. Erwin’s expression saddens and he stands up, letting the keychain go. He thought about Levi the entirety of his Friday night. So much so that it affected his gameplay and he wasted D.Va’s Ult more than once. That never happens to him. Erwin’s always on his game when it comes to Overwatch. 

Erwin finally finds his name and picks up the little shark keychain. He smiles to himself and then wanders off to find something for his dad. His dad had to go out of town that weekend but will be back Sunday night. 

“Did you find something?” Hange catches up to him while he’s looking at some nice and expensive wooden pens. 

“Yeah, just a keychain so far.” Erwin raises the little shark. The loop of the chain is around his middle finger, the shark hanging against the palm of his big hand. “What about you?”

Hange snickers, “Just a t-shirt.” They shrug.”Moblit’s getting a hoodie.” 

This piques Erwin’s interest, “I want a hoodie too.” He places his hand on Hange’s shoulder and passes them on his way to the hoodie and sweater section. Hange follows after him, chatting his ear off about a box of Sea Monkeys they saw. 

Erwin picks out a nice forest green hoodie with white embroidered lettering that reads, “Aquarium of the Pacific” with the aquarium’s logo, a khaki baseball cap with sea otters on it along with the aquarium's name, one of the expensive wooden pens for his dad and the shark keychain. Once he pays for everything, he joins his friends outside the souvenir shop. 

They have been at the Aquarium for the greater part of the day and took their time with every single exhibit. Erwin loved every moment of it, especially when they got to touch the Moon Jellies. 

“You guys ready to head out? Or is there anything else you want to see?” Moblit asks. He drove them in his mom’s 2009 Honda CRV. 

“Oh, let’s see the eels again!” Hange suggests.

“Ugh, those things are so creepy.” Marie chimes in, making a face and hugs her turtle plushie. 

“They kinda look like they told a joke and are waiting for you to laugh.” Erwin comments, trying to make them seem a little bit more appealing. He almost feels bad for the creatures. 

Hange laughs, “What the heck?”

“So the eels?” Moblit suggest, smiling at Hange. 

Erwin raises a brow at the way Moblit smiles at Hange but says nothing. 

“You guys go. Marie and I are gonna get a pretzel.” Nile wraps an arm around Marie and the two head towards the food court, back in their own little world.

“What about you, big guy?” Hange asks Erwin, “Wanna come with?” 

“Nah, you guys go. I’m gonna look at the baby otters again.” 

“Alrighty, meet you at the exit in thirty!”

Erwin makes good on his word and goes to the otter exhibit again. He’s totally enamored with the little sea creatures and by the time it hits that thirty minute mark, Erwin has seen his fill of the otters and even makes a pit stop at the Moon Jelly exhibit. On his way back towards the exit, he spies Nile and Marie still sitting down at the food court. They sit close together, practically in each other’s faces as if the rest of the world around them doesn’t exist. Erwin looks away and wonders if one day he too can bring his crush to the Aquarium. Now that he looks around, like really looks around, Erwin notes all the couples walking around hand in hand. He thinks of the keychain with Levi’s name on it and feels that strange twirl in his stomach. 

The whole idea just seems so foolish to Erwin. Even if his curiosity of Levi leads to a crush, there’s no way a boy like Levi will look his way. Levi is so cool and laid back. He’s popular amongst his friend group and Erwin’s never seen him get bullied so he’s sure the rest of the school has some kind of respect for him. That or they’re just afraid of him after he got suspended. Still, boys like Levi never go for boys like Erwin. 

-

Once everyone has their fill of the Aquarium, the group of friends load into Moblit’s mom’s CRV and head back to town. The drive is filled with merriment. Hange rides shotgun and has control of the music. They play Voxtrot and when Berlin Without Return plays, Erwin can’t help but to sing along with Hange. 

“ The color of milk, the color of sky, the colors of you, the colors don’t lie! ” they sing together, almost laughing, “ And I don’t know you, baby. You don’t know me, we are just victims of the same situation !” 

That ebony hair and that milky skin make their way back into Erwin’s thoughts and he feels something hum in his chest. The lyrics so unabashedly remind him of Levi and Erwin strangely finds himself looking forward to world history on Monday.

When the song is over, Hange lowers the music and turns around, “Sina’s?” They ask. 

“Hell yeah!” Nile throws a fist in the air, “I’m starving!”

“Me too!” Marie chimes in. 

“Count me in!” Moblit says but keeps his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road.

Hange looks to Erwin, who sits by the window behind Moblit. “Erwin?”

He smiles at his best friend, “Yeah. I could go for a burger.” 

“Alrighty!” Hange turns around, “To Sina’s!”

-

“Holy shit, Levi.” Furlan says as he jumps out of Levi’s beloved forest green 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport once it's neatly parked in the Sina’s Diner parking lot. “Your dad is so fucking cool. I can’t believe he finally hunted down that missing part to make this bad girl run again.” 

Levi steps down from the driver’s side and closes the door. “Tell me about it.”

“So this was his big surprise for you this weekend?” Isabel asks, closing the door to the passenger’s side. Levi had mentioned to them that his dad had asked him to keep his weekend open of any plans. As soon as it hit seven in the morning, he was knocking on Levi’s door, ready to work on the Jeep together. 

“Yup. Sure was.” Levi meets them behind the Jeep. “He wanted me to help him put it together so I could start the car myself.” 

“That’s very sweet of him, Levi.” Isabel says with a smile, “I’m really glad to hear that.” Isabel and Furlan know Levi’s past. They know he was adopted by relatives after his mother passed away when he was very young. They know about his uncle who he stayed with for less than a year before he went to live with the Ackermans for good. Levi trusts them enough to let them know such sensitive truths about him. 

Levi smiles gently, “Thanks.” 

“Shit. The place is packed.” Furlan breaks the caring moment between friends and both Levi and Isabel look over to see the diner. Furlan’s right. It’s packed to the brim. Teens as well as families and young adults file in and out of the place while parties wait to be seated outside. They can’t even be mad, Sina’s is popular and it's a Saturday night. 

“We can go somewhere else? We were just here last night.” Isabel suggests. 

“Or we can get the food to go?” Levi opens the back of the Jeep, revealing an empty and clean trunk. His skateboard is the only thing that sits inside. “If Furlan promises not to eat like an animal, we can just chill and eat here.” He hops onto the back of the Jeep, worn Dr. Marten boots hanging in the air. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Isabel hops onto Jeep, sitting next to Levi. She digs into her satchel and hands a twenty to Furlan. Levi pulls out another twenty and hands it to him as well. 

“Get as much as that can buy us.” 

“Deal.” Furlan takes the money and goes inside the diner to order the food to go. It should be way faster than putting their names down. So off Furlan goes while Isabel and Levi hang in the back of the Jeep. 

Isabel is going on about her first week. Apparently there’s an annoying guy in a couple of her classes but when she talks about him, Levi notes the way her cheeks blush. He doesn’t say anything or tease her, he just smiles and lets her vent. He occasionally glances at the entrance of Sina’s to see if he spies Furlan coming out with their food. He’s starving after having worked on the Jeep all morning. 

Levi does a double take when he sees a familiar blond head exiting Sina’s front doors. He immediately recognizes those browline glasses, the thick eyebrows behind them and the piercing blue eyes. Blondie? Levi’s lips part slightly as he watches Erwin emerge from the diner with his group of friends. He’s got a red soda cup in his hand and is drinking out of the straw. When he finishes drinking, he pulls the straw from those pink lips and says something Levi cannot hear from across the parking lot. However, his friends laugh and make their way onto the parking lot in the opposite direction. 

Levi watches as they stand in front of a silver CRV and continue their jokes and conversation. It’s then Levi notices a lot of other teens are hanging out around their cars. Isabel is still talking about school, she’s changed the subject to the clubs she visited on Friday but Levi’s attention is still on Erwin and his friends. 

He watches the way Erwin stands with one hand in the pocket of his black jeans. He’s wearing a pair of white, red and gray Reeboks and a forest green hoodie. The sleeves are pushed up to his elbows and Levi’s stomach flips when he notices the small detail. Something about that is so attractive. Erwin is dressed a lot more casual than he dresses at school. Levi bites his bottom lip, what in the world is happening? 

Erwin appears to be so different in front of his friends than he is in class. He seems so at ease and comfortable and awfully chatty. Levi can almost hear his laughter from across the small lot but it's mixed with the laughter of his friends. 

Just then, a piece of crap Honda Civic obnoxiously pulls into the parking lot from the opposite entrance. It tears Levi’s attention away from Erwin who has yet to notice him and Isabel. He watches the civic pull up to the empty parking space two cars down from Levi’s Jeep. A group of four teenage boys jump out of the car, one of them Levi recognizes. It’s Zeke Jaeger. Levi scowls at the sight of the Senior. Popular Zeke Jaeger with his flowy blond hair and soft blue eyes. He may be popular but the guy’s an ass, Levi can’t stand him. Not to mention, he’s overheard Zeke’s not so kind words to Erwin in the school’s halls. 

“Damn, what’s taking Furlan so long?” Isabel asks, unaware of Levi’s pensive inner thoughts. 

“I don’t know, you should text him. See how much longer.” Levi suggests, looking from Zeke to Erwin who’s still standing around, talking with his friends. If Zeke notices him, he’s bound to make a bee line for Erwin and ruin his night. 

Levi grabs his skateboard and slides off the Jeep. He places the board down and sets his foot upon it, rolling the board under him back and forth. His eyes focus on Zeke as he walks towards the diner. Just as Zeke’s about to look up and notice Erwin and his friends, Levi kicks the board from under him and watches it shoot out and roll straight for Zeke’s ankles. 

“Ah, shit!” Zeke stumbles, “What the shit?” His friends are surprised. One of them laughs. 

Levi cooly walks over and picks up his board from the ground, “My bad, man. Accident.” 

Zeke turns to look at Levi, his back to Erwin and his group. “What the shit was that for?” He steps up to Levi, towering over Levi by several inches. He’s tall but not as tall as Erwin, which makes Levi wonder why Blondie lets this mindless monkey push him around. 

Levi tilts his head back, his cool eyes looking up at Zeke. Their emotionless intensity causes Zeke to become nervous and he takes a step back. “I said it was an accident.” Levi repeats. He peers from behind Zeke to see Erwin and his friends climbing into the CRV. All the doors close and the car roars to life. 

Isabel watches from the Jeep, nervous and unsure if she should step in just yet. 

Levi’s eyes flicker from the SUV to Zeke, “Now if you’ll excuse me.” He turns his back and walks back to the Jeep. 

Zeke shakes his head and curses under his breath. He turns and pushes his friends towards the diner, continuing their way. Furlan passes them by on his way out, unaware of what just happened. In his hands he carries two wide boxes filled with food and drinks. 

“Finally!” He joins them, “Let’s eat!”

Isabel ignores him and asks Levi, “What was that about?”

Levi shrugs nonchalantly, “My foot slipped.” 

Furlan tilts his head back and groans, “Why do I always miss everything? Seriously, guys, what happened?” 

-

The rest of the weekend goes by in a quick blur and before Erwin knows it, it’s Monday and he's back in school. Hiding inside a restroom stall to be more exact. Erwin sighs heavily, all of this nonsense just to avoid Zeke and his goons. He leans his head back against the stall until the bell rings. Erwin cringes internally; Mr. Arlert will be upset if he’s late. Erwin’s almost never late and he sure doesn’t want to make it a habit. 

So after the bell stops ringing, Erwin books it out of the boy’s restroom and runs down the hall and up the stairs to his fifth period class. Maybe if he sneaks in through the back door, he won’t disrupt the class. Erwin’s so preoccupied with the awkwardness of walking in late that he doesn’t notice when someone else reaches out for the back door. 

SLAM!

Erwin collides right into another student and stumbles back from the shock of the impact. Without thinking he reaches for them, grabbing them by the shoulders to keep them from stumbling backwards, “Oh shit! I am so, so, sorry!”

Erwin freezes immediately. The cool, silver eyes of Levi Ackerman are staring right back at him.

Chapter Text

Levi’s pupils are dilated, and his expression is filled with both confusion and surprise. It takes Erwin a couple of seconds to realize that it’s Levi Ackerman in the flesh right before him. He’s not a product of his daydreaming whatsoever. He’s real and in the flesh. Erwin notices his hands on the other boy’s shoulders and immediately lets go. He begins to stutter, unable to remember the English language. “I—Uh—Umm—“ 

Levi’s gaze is on him like molten steel and Erwin feels himself begin to sweat from the overwhelming nerves balled up in his stomach. His cheeks blush a violent crimson and he averts his eyes, “I’m so sorry.” He repeats, pushing his glasses up with the tip of his finger. “Are you okay?” His eyes flicker from the floor to Levi, shyly waiting for a response. He really hopes he didn’t hurt Levi when their bodies crashed against one another. 

Levi’s just standing there with the same stunned expression. Erwin grows nervous, afraid that Levi will tell him off. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if Levi Ackerman punches him straight in the face and absolutely abhors him from then on. He can handle the hate coming from Zeke Jaeger or the other kids but not from Levi. That would absolutely end Erwin and he’s not even sure why; he doesn’t even know Levi that well. 

It takes the dark haired boy another second or two to come to his senses and once he does, he nods. 

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Erwin asks with great concern, trying to pry an answer from Levi. His silence is unnerving. 

Erwin hears Levi scoff coolly and he says in that laid back, melodic voice of his, “Relax, Blondie. You’re good.” 

Erwin’s blush deepens at the sound of Levi’s voice. Wait— did he just call him Blondie? One of his thick brows goes up in question, a quizzical expression covers his face. He feels his heart begin to race and he’s suddenly very self aware of his size, his hands and the color of his hair. He’s so much taller than Levi and can easily lift him up in his arms if he really wants to. 

Erwin opens his mouth to speak, distracted by Levi’s sharp yet delicate features. His eyes are such a piercing color and up close Erwin can really take him all in. His nose is straight but as cute as a button and those high cheekbones are carved by Gods. His cheeks are slightly chubby and soft and Erwin just cannot bring himself to think straight. Has Levi ever had a pimple? His ivory complexion is flawless, it really is unfair, Erwin thinks. Levi looks like he walked out of a dream. 

Erwin grows nervous again at all the thoughts that are racing through his mind in a matter of seconds. His ears feel hot and he’s sure he looks like an idiot. Unsure of what else to say, he reaches for the door and pulls it open, stepping aside so Levi can go in. 

Levi raises a brow at him and steps inside, muttering a quick, “Thanks.”

Erwin nods and steps in after him. Mr. Arlert looks up when he sees them walk in and smiles but doesn’t stop to interrupt the introduction to today’s lecture. He seems to be in a good mood and Erwin is relieved not to be scolded for his late arrival. 

Erwin watches Levi sit down at his desk in the back row and passes by him on his way to his own seat up near the front. He doesn’t even notice when another kid throws an eraser at his backside and snicker with his friend. He’s too entranced in what just happened moments ago with Levi.

Erwin steals a quick glance at Levi, over his shoulder before he sits down. Wow , Erwin thinks to himself, he’s so freaking cool. 

“Psst. Hi.” Frieda whispers as soon as Erwin sits down.

Erwin’s gaze flickers from Levi to Frieda. He looks a little lost in thought, almost forgetting that there are other students around. He gives her a small smile and a little wave before he digs into his backpack for his notebook and pen. 

“Now give me a moment while I get this PowerPoint to work.” Mr. Arlert stands aside to his desk while he fiddles with his work laptop, mumbling about how it was working last period. Meanwhile, a trickle of conversations begins to flow through the class. 

“How was your weekend?” Frieda asks. 

Erwin hears her question from behind and turns slightly in his chair to look at Frieda. His father taught him it’s polite to look at someone when they are speaking to him. 

He smiles, “It was good.” He can’t help but let his gaze wander to the back of the classroom to Levi. The boy, dressed in all black from head to toe, has his eyes focused down on his lap, most likely on his phone. 

“What did you do?” Frieda catches his attention once more, trying to maintain a conversation with him. 

“My friends and I went to the aquarium.” He tells her but keeps it short, still too distracted to fully pay attention. 

“Oh, that explains the hoodie.” She smiles, pointing at his new forest green hoodie with her pen. 

“Yeah.” Erwin’s smile is bright. He can’t help it, it’s in his nature to be kind to others. 

Frieda tries to hold his gaze. “It’s a beautiful color. Green really suits you.” 

Erwin is a little surprised by the compliment. He’s about to respond when Mr. Arlert speaks up, “Okay, there we are. Ancient Rome! Who's ready?” 

The conversations die down and everyone gives him their attention. Erwin gives Frieda one last sheepish smile before he turns around to pay attention to Mr. Arlert. 

-

Levi can’t even hear a single word Mr. Arlert is saying from the front of the class. His mind is buzzing from his little encounter with Erwin “Big Boy” Smith. Why the hell is that boy so damn big? For what? For damn what?! Levi tries to make sense of it in his mind but those too blue eyes and those adorable fading freckles have jumbled up his mind and made his limbs into complete mush. He’s so much taller up close and the size of his hands make Levi’s stomach flip. The blond boy can easily pick him up and throw him over his shoulder if he really wants to. The thought alone sends all of Levi’s senses in complete overdrive. Smith is totally his type. Tall, blond, beautiful eyes with a kind smile. Even though he looks like a walking encyclopedia, the teen is handsome. Levi can no longer deny that. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck! 

Levi hangs his head, hiding his eyes underneath his bangs. He can feel the heat in his cheeks and ears and the feeling of Erwin’s hands on his shoulders are blazing. He tries to collect himself but the feelings hit him like a bus. He was not expecting any of it and now he’s sitting there trying to regain his senses. 

Levi slowly looks up to the front of the class to steal a quick glance at Erwin. He’s facing forward and focusing on the lecture. His hand is scribbling away at his notes. Levi can’t believe how concerned Erwin was about the whole ordeal. Most kids just bump into him and excuse themselves, some just give him dirty looks or roll their eyes but Smith was crumbling with apologies. 

What a pushover, Levi thinks. That’s probably why Jaeger pushes him around. 

Levi tears his gaze from Erwin, ignoring the swirling feeling in the pit of his stomach. He tries to tell himself that it’s nothing. That none of it matters but the feeling doesn’t go away. 

-

It’s late in the evening by the time Erwin gets home from Film Club. They’re supposed to meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after school and so far they’re off to a good start with six members. Erwin only knows one other person in the club and that’s Petra Ral. She’s Marie’s friend and hangs out in the art class during lunch. She’s a very sweet girl so Erwin feels at ease knowing she’s there. He can be very awkward when it comes to meeting new people. 

Erwin sets his beloved Screenwriter’s Bible 6th Edition on the kitchen island and goes to open the fridge. His father left him some healthy options but Erwin goes for the Mac and Cheese leftovers and pops a bowl in the microwave. As he waits for the food to warm up, he hears frantic meowing at the backyard door. 

“Peach?” He pushes off the counter and goes to open the glass slider. As soon as a foot is open in the door, a big Orange tabby runs into the kitchen, meowing bloody murder.

“Peach!” Erwin gasps in pure relief, “Peach where have you been?” He collects the cat into his arms, extremely relieved to see him alive and well. 

Peach, the family cat, gruffs at being picked up so suddenly. He had slipped out of the house without his family’s consent and had finally decided to show up. 

“Dumb cat.” Erwin mutters but hugs him regardless. “Coyotes are gonna have you for a snack if you don’t stop sneaking out of the house.” He sets the orange ball of fur back down and fetches a can of cat food from the pantry. 

Peach rubs himself against Erwin’s ankles, purring like a motor. Once Peach is fed, Erwin collects his bowl of Mac and Cheese and goes up to his room where he turns his PS4 on, sits on his gaming chair and selects The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim from his library. He’s in the middle of the House of Horrors quest and is determined to finish. 

As the starting screen loads, Erwin picks up his phone and texts Hange. 

Erwin [6:15]: Peach is back!! 

Hange [6:17:] HUZZAH!! I told you he’d be back! 

Erwin [6:17]: I was worried he was coyote chow. 

Erwin is about to text back when his screen lights up with an incoming call. It’s his dad. Erwin immediately answers. 

“Hey, Dad.” His face lights up a little. It feels like he hasn’t seen his dad in ages. 

“Hey, son! How are you? Are you home yet?” 

“Yeah, just got in.” Erwin twirls in his gaming chair to face his door where Peach is now sitting in the doorway, licking his paw. “Guess what? Peach came home.” He doesn’t even wait for Mr. Smith to guess. 

“Is that so? I knew he would turn up. That darn cat.”

“Yeah, me too. We need to make sure he doesn’t sneak out again.” 

“We will. Have you eaten yet?”

“Just eating now.” 

“Okay, good. How was your club?”

“It was cool. We discussed our favorite entertainment companies and the recent films they have produced.” 

His dad chuckles on the line, “And you like those artsy ones, right?” 

Erwin smiles, “Yeah, A24’s my favorite. They produce very good films. Remember Midsommar?” 

Mr. Smith sighs, not as thrilled as Erwin, “How could I forget?” Erwin has made him watch some very questionable movies that are just not his taste but they make Erwin happy and he likes to spend time with his son so he bears through them. 

“I thought it was good.” Erwin shrugs, not sure what’s to dislike about the film but his father wasn’t a big fan. 

“Well, that’s good son. Just don’t let that be the movie you show a girl on a first date.” He jokes with a chuckle. 

Erwin sinks into his gaming chair and his smile slowly disappears, turning his expression a little forlorn. He thinks about Levi and what it would be like to bring him home to watch Midsommar or The Lighthouse. Would that be so weird? “Um, I guess.” Is all he can say. He can’t be mad, his father doesn’t know. 

“Alright, son. Well, I just wanted to check in and let you know I have a board meeting. I’ll be a bit later than usual today.”  

“Okay, Dad. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Thanks for letting me know.” 

“Good. I’ll see you later tonight then. Love you. Oh, and Erwin, please, please do not stay up too late playing games.” 

“I won’t. Love you too. Bye.” Erwin hangs up the call and throws his phone on his bed. Hange had responded to his text during his call but Erwin doesn’t bother to check. He’s not sure why his father’s small joke bothers him so much. 

Erwin has had crushes on girls. He liked Marie for the longest time but boys are attractive too. Levi for instance, he’s so handsome yet beautiful. Erwin can’t begin to explain it. He loves the way Levi dresses, in nice black or muted colored clothes that always look well taken care of even when they appear to be vintage or well worn. With his cool band shirts and doc marten boots. His hair is always well kept in that cool undercut style and he smells nice! Of course Erwin caught his scent when they crashed into one another. Erwin begins to wonder how much stronger that scent is at the crook of his neck, just above his jaw. 

Erwin snaps out of his thoughts and looks down at his bowl of forgotten Mac and Cheese. He sighs and sets it down on his desk, having lost his appetite. His thoughts wander to Zeke. Zeke is a good looking guy too even though Erwin will never admit it out loud. He has nice hair, beautiful colored eyes and has a nice build. He’s got that boyish yet handsome look one would find in a teen fashion magazine and he plays sports. But he’s a total mouth breather and Erwin’s sure he’s not very smart. Still, he doesn’t measure up to Levi in Erwin’s mind. 

Peach enters his room, jumps on his bed and curls up at the foot of the bed to snooze. It's then that Erwin realizes the game screen had finished loading long ago and the Skyrim theme has been repeating over and over. He grabs the controller and exits the game, not really in the mood to play anymore. Perhaps a movie will numb his mind instead.

-

Erwin meets Hange bright and early the following morning on their way to their first period. The hallways are rowdy with the already loud banter of the school population. “Hey Hange?” Erwin begins as they make their way past the other students in the hallway. The air smells of overused Axe body spray and syrup from the cafeteria’s breakfast. 

“What is it, Big Guy? Did you forget the homework?” Hange peeks up from the textbook they’re holding. Inside are multiple multi colored sticky notes they have stuck inside. They’re all filled with their crazy handwriting. Hange’s handwriting has always been a little chaotic; it's as if their hand can’t keep up to the momentum of their mind. 

“No, I’m okay. I was just wondering something.” The more he tries to sound nonchalant, the more obvious he sounds. He clears his throat and averts his gaze, “You know that kid, Levi, right?” 

A bright expression instantly fills Hange’s face and they perk up, “Levi? As in Ackerman?”

Erwin nods, “Yeah.” His lips press together in a thin line. 

“Short, emo and angry?” Hange tilts their head. 

A laugh escapes Erwin’s lips but he stops himself and clears his throat. “Um, yeah, I suppose so.” Erwin doesn’t think Levi is an emo kid despite the fact that he always wears black. His aesthetic is a little different but Hange’s description of him is a little funny to Erwin. 

Hange chuckles and closes their book, “Yeah, I know him. He lives a couple houses down from me. We used to play together as kids but he was a little weird. Such a germaphobe. Why, what’s up?” 

Erwin shrugs, trying not to look shocked that Hange grew up next door to Levi. He absolutely never knew that. Then again, he’s never told them about the neighborhood kids he grew up with. 

“Nothing, he’s just in my world history class and I thought he had left school or something.” Erwin half lies. He hasn’t told Hange about the incident with Levi the day before. Nor has he told them about all the risky thoughts he’s had about him. He’s not sure what to make of it himself. It’s probably not even anything, he tries to lie to himself. 

“Oh yeah. Well from what I know, he chose to be homeschooled for the remainder of Junior year.”

“Oh…” Erwin grows quiet. So that’s why he was gone for so long after being suspended. 

Hange slowly frowns after realization clicks in their mind and they look up, “Is he bullying you?” Their eyebrow goes up in question. 

“What?” Erwin’s voice almost cracks, “No! No, not at all. He hasn’t really said anything to me.” Erwin tries to deescalate the situation. “He’s just in my class is all.” His eyes shift back and forth from Hange to the floor.

“Oh okay. Well if he picks on you, let me know. I have no issue ratting him out to his mom.” Hange reaches the classroom door and pulls it open. “I know where he lives.” They threaten in a joking manner. 

Erwin laughs, “I don’t think that’s necessary but thanks.” 

Throughout the day, Erwin thinks over his options and decides that he will say hello to Levi when he sees him in world history. Perhaps finally introducing himself properly will diminish all the nerves he has regarding the dark haired teen. Erwin would also like to apologize again for ramming into him but when he gets to world history later that day, he doesn’t see Levi right away. Instead, Levi comes sneaking in through the back door multiple minutes after the bell rings. Far tardier than he usually does or did when he and Erwin collided. 

Erwin steals a careful glance over his shoulder as Levi sits down under Mr. Arlert’s watchful eye. Alas, their teacher doesn’t scold him, just welcomes him in and goes about his lecture. Erwin then hopes to catch him before he leaves. Maybe he can casually walk out with him and say hello. The idea seems like a good one until the bell rings and Levi jumps out of his seat, rushing out of the door as if there’s a fire. The next day is the same and so is the one after that, all the way up to Friday. Levi comes after the bell rings and leaves before the end bell is done. Erwin’s a little disappointed but there’s not much he can do. Also, if he recalls, he himself had been pulling the same stunt to avoid Levi during the first week of school. 

As the week goes by, Erwin lets the little incident with Levi slip to the back of his mind and enjoys the start to his weekend. On Friday after school, the Film Club wraps up their first full successful week with the streaming of a classic French film, The 400 Blows. That night Erwin continues his quest on Skyrim and on Saturday he and Moblit go over to Hange’s and they spend the day playing video games and watching movies well into the night. On Sunday, Erwin helps his dad with the yard work underneath the hot, late summer sun. Peach sunbathes at the window of the living room, only partially miffed that he’s not trusted to nap in the yard anymore. By the end of the day, Erwin is freckled and exhausted, unwilling to accept that Monday is just hours away and his weekend has come to an end. After he showers, he sits with his dad in the living room and the two of them watch a documentary on Ancient Egypt while they eat dinner in front of the TV. 

Before Erwin knows it, it’s Monday again. The day is pretty uneventful for the most part. Erwin is eager to get to his club meeting that afternoon; he wants to share some opinions with Petra regarding The 400 Blows. He is so focused on his own thoughts that he doesn't take his usual peak over his shoulder to see if Levi has arrived to class. The late bell rings and Erwin has all of his attention set on his notes. Quiet conversations fill the rest of the class as students settle in and bring out their notebooks and pens. 

Mr. Arlert is sitting at his desk, just having finished the roll call for that period when the back door opens and Levi sneaks in. His round, blue eyes look up to see the boy approach his desk in the back. He smiles, "Mr. Ackerman, there you are."

Erwin slowly raises his head and looks at Mr. Arlert first before he turns his head to see Levi standing by his desk, all his attention on their teacher. For a minute Erwin thinks the other senior will be scolded for his repeated tardiness but instead Mr. Arlert motions to the empty chair on the left side of Frieda. 

"Please take this seat, son. I don't want you to miss this lecture, it is very important and might give you some ideas for your upcoming group project." 

None of the other students seem to even care that Levi was asked to move. None of them care but Erwin. He can feel the back of his neck turn hot and his fingers begin to jitter. He shifts in his chair, trying to find a casual yet comfortable position to sit in but it all feels wrong. He listens to the soft sounds of Levi's approaching steps and the way the chair scrapes against the beige carpet. It's a bold color choice for a high school classroom. 

Levi sits at the desk next to Frieda where Mr. Arlert suggested he sit without putting up a fuss. He's so close that Erwin can turn around, reach over and touch the top of his desk. If he were to exchange a handwritten note with him, Levi would be able to grab it, no problem. 

Calm down , calm down , Erwin repeats over and over in his mind, don't be weird . In his mental panic, he knocks his pen off his desk, and it rolls about a foot away. 

Behind him, Levi notices the pen rolling his way and leans over to pick it up. He sits up straight, only half annoyed that Mr. Arlert made him move closer up front but there’s no point in fighting it. The pen feels warm in his hand, just being in Erwin’s grasp moments ago. Levi feels something in his stomach twirl. He considers reaching over to tap Erwin on the shoulder and return the pen but he finds himself feeling shy all of a sudden. 

Just as he’s deciding, Erwin turns his head to the floor, in search of the pen. Levi’s heart flutters and he sticks the pen out in his direction as a silent offering. 

Those brilliant blue eyes fly up to look at the pen in Levi's outstretched hand, then they look at him directly and Levi holds his breath. Erwin’s pink lips part a little in surprise and then reaches for the pen, accidentally brushing Levi’s fingers with his own. Levi stiffens at his touch. 

“Thanks.” Erwin says, his voice is soft as to not disrupt the class. A smile then crosses his face as he keeps his gaze locked on Levi’s.

Chapter Text

Levi can barely retain any information on Ancient Egypt when he’s sitting so close to Erwin Smith. Every day of the week he’s been forced to get to class on time, unable to sneak in from the back any longer. Still, Levi is left with little to complain over. He spends the class with his cheek resting in his hand, elbow upon the desk as his eyes rest on Erwin. Blondie is smart, he’ll give him that. He takes diligent notes and asks insightful questions that Levi would never even think to ask. He’s helpful too. Of course Levi already knew that; he could make it out from his old seat in the back of the room but now having the blond boy so close makes him more aware of everything. 

He makes note of the way Erwin holds his pen, the way he prefers college ruled paper over wide ruled. How he likes to use highlighters when preparing his notes. He’s extremely diligent and it baffles Levi how he can retain the smallest details from last night’s chapter. He has a funny little shark keychain on his backpack with his name on it. Levi scoffed under his breath when he first noticed it. Still, it's cute, he’ll admit that to himself and himself only. 

However, Levi also notices something else. And that something else is the dark haired girl that sits behind Erwin. Levi watches the way she sticks her well manicured hand to tap Erwin’s shoulder and the way her smile brightens when he turns around to greet her. She’s constantly asking for his attention, asking to borrow a pen or wondering if he finished a certain question from the homework. Levil rolls his eyes at the way she giggles at practically everything Smith says. It’s not even anything funny. 

Levi leans back against his chair and sinks in a little. His arms rest on his desk, his lead pencil twirls in his hand. He lost his preferred pen somewhere. Can’t recall where. His fingers twitch as he remembers Erwin’s soft touch. It was just a small little brush of his fingers but it lit something inside of Levi that he didn’t think possible. 

His eyes flicker up and land upon Erwin once more. He’s facing forward again, rummaging through the textbook. Levi studies his hands; they’re big with long yet sturdy fingers. His nails are cut short and Levi wonders if he’s a nail biter. Still, he imagines the way his fingers would feel pressed against his bare skin, making their way down past the hem of his jeans. He’s sure his hands are strong, he still remembers their strength as they kept him from stumbling backwards. His eyes travel up his wrists, to his forearms. He’s wearing a short sleeve button down shirt, exposing his arms covered in fine blond hairs, barely visible. Levi’s gaze travels up his neck to the curve of his cheek and up to his ear where his glasses sit. He studies his well combed hair and the buzz of his undercut. He looks like a college professor, for crying out loud. 

“Alright class--” Mr. Arlert’s voice booms through the class, disrupting Levi’s thoughts. He gives a little jump, startled that he had been caught and sits up. “There is no homework for tonight--” Whoops and cheers spread through the class and Mr. Artlet chuckles, “Alright, alright. I know its exciting. No homework but keep in mind that tomorrow we’ll be starting our projects and Monday, we will be officially getting into our teams to work on them. So please start gathering ideas for your topics.” and with that, the bell rings. 

Levi begins to gather his things when he hears Frieda ask Erwin, “Have you chosen a topic yet?” She leans her body across her desk to get closer to Erwin. 

Erwin turns in his chair to answer her, his body facing Levi. “No, not yet.” His tone is honest and he sounds a little shy.  “Have you?”

“I think it might be interesting to do a project on their mummification process.” 

Levi can’t help but to eavesdrop. 

“That would be very interesting.” Erwin says and turns back to continue packing up his things. 

“Do you think Mr. Arlert will let us pick our own partners?” Frieda asks, her voice lowering just a little.

Erwin pauses for a moment, his eyes fly up to meet Levi’s. Levi panics internally and looks away, embarrassed that he got caught eavesdropping. Erwin begins to stutter and clears his throat. “Uh, um, I’m not sure.” He rushes his answer. Levi takes another peek to see that Erwin’s cheeks are flushed red. “Maybe.” He finishes and continues to pack up his things. 

“It would be cool if we could be partnered together.” Frieda suggests but Levi doesn’t stick around to hear Erwin’s answer. He grabs his things and heads for the door. 

-

Depeche Mode plays from a small Bluetooth radio on the ground. Mike is sitting on the disgusting maroon colored sofa in the alley behind the record store, a cigarette between his fingers. The sky above them is blue and Levi finds himself feeling peaceful underneath the cool air. The summer heat is dying down and he’s glad for it. 

Mike has noticed his demeanor is a little off and has sniffed Levi’s bad mood from a mile away. 

“Hey little man, what’s happening?” He takes a lighter out of his jacket and begins to light the cigarette as it sits between his lips. “Aren’t you supposed to be in school right now?” 

Levi leans against the alley wall, arms crossed. He did, in fact, skip the last period of the day, bothered by the weird jealous feelings that were beginning to eat away at his stomach and his nerves. 

“No big deal.” He mutters, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, “Just a waste of time anyway.” 

“Hmm. Is that so?” Mike exhales a puff of smoke. 

“Nothing but useless crap. Who cares about mummies, anyway?” He sounds sulky.

Mike chuckles, “That’s oddly specific. Who pissed in your cereal?” 

Levi crosses his arms. “No one.” 

Mike taps the cigarette and ash falls on the ground, “Mmm, sure.” He studies Levi’s tense exterior. He doesn’t usually come around the alley unless something is bothering him. He hates the smell of cigarettes and stale beer. 

“That sofa is disgusting.” Levi comments in order to change the subject, “You should kick it to the curb.” 

Mike looks shocked and offended, “What? Throw away ol’ reliable here? Have some respect, Ackerman. This sofa is history. It’s part of tradition.” He extends his hand, smoothing out the dirty velvet of the sofa. 

Levi scoffs with disgust, releasing his arms to his sides. “What tradition? Contacting Hepatitis?” 

Mike throws his blond head back and laughs. “No, man. Your first lay. Or, your first kiss if you’re too chicken to fuck, I guess.” 

Levi frowns at this, “What?” 

“I kissed my first girl on this sofa and so did Tomas, Abel and many before us. Even Oluo got some action-- or so he says he did.” 

Levi makes a disgusted face, “That’s…” 

“Romantic?” Mike offers, fixing the collar of his Eraserhead shirt. 

“Fucking disgusting.” Levi finishes, “And you’re sitting on it. You’re telling me people fuck on that thing and you’re sitting on it?” 

Mike laughs again, setting his elbows on his thighs, the cigarette hanging from his long, lean fingers. “You say that until you’re in the moment. Then you won’t care where you’re at, you just want to get into their pants.” He smirks to himself as if remembering a fun romp, completely ignoring Levi’s last comment. 

"Bunch of animals.” Levi mutters. He can’t imagine pulling his pants down on that sofa. No matter who it’s for. 

He then thinks of Erwin and his hands turn to fists. The thought of Erwin sitting back on that gross thing, eyes looking up at Levi as he straddles him, holding his gaze. Levi feels his stomach flip in a weird way and his cheeks feel warm. Is Erwin a good kisser? Of course not. Look at him! He’s probably only ever received a kiss on the cheek from his mother. Would Levi be his first kiss? 

Levi’s lips part at the audacity of his own intrusive thoughts. So bold to assume he would be Erwin’s first kiss. He lowers his gaze, even bolder to assume that Erwin is into the same sex. Now that is a very bold assumption, Levi concludes. He’s sure he likes girls, like that girl, Frieda Reiss. She’s pretty, Levi will give her that. Elegant too with great penmanship and pretty clothes. 

They would make a cute couple, the intrusive thoughts win again and Levi becomes angry. 

“How’s Nanaba?” Mike asks, changing the subject. 

Levi flinches, afraid Mike can read his thoughts. “Fine.” He raises a brow at Mike. 

Mike just nods and says no more on the subject. Levi pushes himself off the wall and sits down on a wooden stool covered in stickers and marker. He finds it a little less disgusting than Ol’ Reliable. 

“I’d offer you a smoke but you’re a minor.” Mike says before taking another drag. As if he’s never let Levi do anything illegal before. 

“Don’t want one anyway.” Levi half lies. He’s stressed and Smith has made jelly out of his brain. A cigarette might be a nice temptation but even if he wants to, Mike won’t give him one. “And for the record, I’ll be eighteen this year.” 

“The legal age is twenty-one.” Mike reminds him.

“Shit.” Levi tilts his head slightly, realizing that Mike himself isn't twenty-one yet. 

Mike taps the cigarette again, “Novem— no, December right?” 

Levi nods. He wonders when Erwin’s birthday is and his gaze falls downcast upon the dirty ground covered in cigarette butts and empty beer bottles. Erwin Smith with his perfect demeanor and big ass eyebrows. It isn’t fair, Levi thinks. It isn’t fair the way his heart skips a beat when he sees him. It isn’t fair the way his stomach flips and flutters when he hears him speak. It isn’t fair that nothing makes sense. That Erwin makes nothing make sense. Levi feels himself being turned upside down. Like his ankle is caught in a trap, knocking him off his feet and yanked upwards, multiple feet in the air. It’s unnerving. 

None of it is fair because Levi can’t grasp it. He can’t figure it out. It confuses him and makes him angry. He knows he likes the same sex. Has known for a very, very long time but what he doesn’t know is…why Erwin? Why the nerdiest boy in the school? He’s a loser, a nobody. 

But Levi is a nobody too. 

Mike must see the war in Levi’s eyes for he takes in a deep whiff through his nose and leans back against the sofa, “Little man, I can smell the lies from here. What’s up? And don’t lie—“ he cuts Levi off before the teen can deny anything. 

Levi exhales the breath he had been holding, “Um, well…” his eyes look to the back door of the record shop. He knows Oluo is inside manning the shop. He doesn’t want him to overhear them. 

“Out with it, Cobra Kai.” 

Levi lets his gaze fall down to his all black converse. “How do you know if you like someone?” He steals a peek at Mike. “Like, actually like them.” 

Mike stares at him with those all knowing eyes of his. He bites back the urge to crack a smile and Levi glares at him. 

“Oh.” Mike sits up, leaning forward and sitting his boots on the ground flat, “The woes of love.” He puts out his cigarette in an ashtray on the ground. 

“Shut up. It ain’t like that.” He isn’t sure why he’s even bothering to ask Mike. Maybe because Mike has graduated, because he’s a couple years older and because he’s experienced. It makes sense to Levi. More sense than asking Furlan who will only laugh and joke around. Or Isabel who will poke and prod until she finds out who the boy in question is. 

“Well, what’s it like?” 

Levi feels nervous. He shrugs, “I don’t know.” 

“Okay, well,” Mike begins, “Does your dick get hard when you see them?” 

Levi scoffs, going red in the face, “What kind of fucking question is that?” 

Mike puts his hands up, “Hey man, I’m just asking.” 

Levi feels his ears go hot. He remembers how hard he got in the shower at the mere thought of Erwin and his dumb, tall frame. “What if it did?” 

Mike nods, “I’d say yeah, you’re into this guy. Because I am assuming it’s a guy, unless you’re suddenly into girls which I doubt.” 

“Fuck off.” 

Mike laughs, “C’mon, Small Fry. Lighten up and tell me about your boy crush.”  

“It ain’t no fucking crush” Levi tries to sound cool about it but the tone in his voice betrays him. It’s clear in that drawl that makes his voice distinct. “I don’t know what it is…” he lies. 

Mike makes a face, like he doesn’t believe him. “Alright then, aside from fapping it to them. When you like someone, they stick out amongst the others, ya know? You find their jokes funny even though they’re cheesy and they can do no wrong even though they’re stabbing you through the stomach.” He wipes his nose with the back of his hand. “Shit like that.” 

Levi let’s Mike’s words simmer in his jumbled mind. He didn’t masturbate to the thought of Erwin but he had wanted to, deep down, he knows he did. Erwin is the only one he notices in class. No one else seems to exist. His stupid puns in class are funny and Levi hates puns. And lastly, when Erwin rammed into him, Levi didn’t care. He doesn’t even remember it hurting and if he did, he wouldn’t care either. 

“Shit like that.” Levi confirms. He says nothing else, just leans back and crosses his arms, “What a load of shit.” 

-

That evening, Erwin is in the living room finishing up his homework for the night when his father comes home. 

“Hey, dad.” Erwin calls out, listening to the garage door open and close. His focus is locked on the final question of his AP Government homework. Peach is on the sectional sofa behind him, licking his paw and wiping his face. 

“Hey, son. How are we?” Mr. Smith asks as he comes into the kitchen and sets his briefcase and a white box with a wrapped ribbon around it on the table. 

“Good.” Erwin answers, “You’re home early.” He’s distracted but his tone is jovial, happy to have his father home a little early for once. 

“Yeah, well there was a small turn out to my evening class so I let everyone go home early.” He explains. He sounds a little tired but that’s to be expected. Erwin’s father spends many hours at campus. 

Erwin looks up when he finishes his work, “That was nice of you.” 

Mr. Smith chuckles, “Yeah well, their first exam is coming up so I’m cutting them some slack.” He walks over to the mini bar in the living room and pours himself a glass of whiskey. “I brought you something, by the way.” 

“Oh…” is all Erwin says as his attention goes to his phone where the group chat is going off. His mind then computes his father’s words and his blond head shoots up. “Wait, what?” 

Mr. Smith laughs, gesturing his head over to the table where the box is. “Take a look.” 

Erwin jumps to his feet and hurries to the box, taking it in his hands. It’s not too heavy but it isn’t light either. He tips it over, “Can I open it now?“ his eyes shine behind his glasses, excited as a young boy. 

“Of course.”  

Erwin rips into the box and reaches his hand in. The tips of his fingers meet a soft, warm texture. His eyes then widen a little when he pulls out a soft blue cable-knit sweater vest with a V neckline and ribbed trim. Erwin feels it between his fingers; it feels rich and well made. 

“A colleague of mine just got back from Ireland. I asked if she could bring back something for you on my behalf and I’d repay her for it. She found this in Galway and sent me a picture of it. I thought you might like it. The color suits you.” 

Erwin feels his smile widen, he lowers the vest and shares his smile with his father. “Thanks, Dad. It’s great. I love it.” 

Mr. Smith walks over with his cup of whiskey and places his hand on Erwin’s shoulder, giving it a soft grip. “You sure?” 

“Definitely. I’ll wear it tomorrow.” Erwin genuinely likes the vest. It’s a beautiful color that matches his eyes and it came all the way from across the ocean.

“Good.” He nods, pats Erwin on the shoulder twice and goes to sit down on the sectional sofa next to Peach, “Regina will be happy to hear that you approve.” He takes a drink and leans his head back. 

It’s a very thoughtful gift and Erwin is grateful. It’ll match perfectly with his favorite khaki pants. 

“By the way, guess who I saw today?”

“Who?“ Erwin puts the sweater vest back in the box and places it on the table. He takes a seat back down with his cards. 

“Dr. Jaeger.” 

Erwin pauses, his blues slowly go up to look at his dad. He knows Dr. Jaeger all too well. Not only is he his dad’s colleague and old acquaintance but also… 

“You know his son, don’t you?” Mr. Smith takes another drink. “The older one?” 

“Zeke.” Erwin reminds him, “Yeah, I know him.” Resentment begins to fill inside Erwin and he loses complete interest in the conversation. 

“He was telling me that Zeke isn’t doing so well in his classes. He’s a bit familiar with your academic past so he was asking if you could—“ 

Erwin cuts him off before he can continue, “Uh, I can’t.” His dad doesn’t know about the bullying and Erwin doesn’t want him to find out. Especially if it’ll cause problems with his colleagues. 

Mr. Smith chuckles, “You haven’t heard what I was about to say yet.” 

“I can take a guess.” Erwin mutters, averting his eyes so his expression won’t be clear on his face. The last thing he wants to do is tutor Zeke Jaeger. He can already imagine Zeke punching him for asking too hard a question. “Besides, I have a big project coming up for my world history class and I’ll be really busy with my partner. I’m sure Zeke can find someone else to tutor him.” 

Mr. Smith sighs softly, only slightly disappointed but he’s sure Grisha Jaeger will understand. He smiles at his son, understanding of his situation, “Alright then, don’t worry about it. Thank you, son.” 

Erwin forces a smile, “Uh, yeah, sure Dad.” He picks up his books and homework. “I’m gonna be upstairs for a little while. Hange and I are gonna play online.” 

“Okay, have fun. I’ll call you when dinner is ready. Think we’ll do take out tonight.” He finishes his whiskey. 

“Okay, Dad.” Erwin gives his father another small smile and retreats upstairs to his room. 

Mr. Smith turns his head to look at Peach. “Looks like it’s just us two then, Peach, my friend.” Peach stands to his feet, arches his back in a big stretch and then jumps off the sofa to follow after Erwin. Mr. Smith blinks, “Or not.” He shrugs to himself and gets up to pour himself another drink. 

-

Erwin tries to drown out the sound of puckered lips kissing over and over like the tap of a leaky faucet. The quad is lively that day, more students than usual are out in the quad, enjoying the fresh weather. Still, the sounds of multiple conversations and bursts of laughter do not drown out the sound at their table. Erwin turns his head, annoyed. Hange shifts next to him and Moblit looks a little embarrassed. 

Hange clears their throat, looking straight at Nile and Marie as they kiss over and over, swapping lovey words in between kisses, “So--” Hange interrupts them, “Would you donate your kidneys to one another if need be?”

“What?” Marie pulls away, confused by the question. 

“Ugh.” Nile rolls his eyes, “Okay, we get it. We’ll stop.” He already knows where Hange is going with their question. 

“No, I’m honestly curious.” Hange insists, teasing them. “Imagine it. Nile, you grow old, get stuck in a dead end job, begin to drink because you and Marie have too many kids and not enough money and then BAM! Your kidney gives out. You think Marie would donate her's to you?”

Marie and Nile look at Hange with both shocked, uncomfortable and awkward expressions. Erwin just watches with curiosity but he won’t get into it. 

“They’re joking!” Moblit cuts it, “They’re just joking. Right, Hange?” He gives them a pleading look and Hange sighs.

“Sure.” 

Moblit places his hand on Hange’s shoulder and pats it gently. Erwin just bites back a smile. Hange always knows how to get under Nile’s skin. They know Marie will be questioning him later that night, asking if he ever would give up one of his kidneys to her. In turn, annoying Nile. 

Marie stands to her feet, her face still flushed, “I’m gonna go get a Coke.”

Nile stands up after her, “I’ll go with you.” He then gives Erwin an annoyed look for laughing under his breath. 

Erwin watches from over his shoulder as they walk away towards the cafeteria. It serves them right for making the entire table feel so awkward. Kissing is fine and all, they’re allowed to but in the middle of everyone trying to eat? Now that’s just rude, Erwin thinks. 

Erwin’s eyes catch a flash of black and white going up the wide quad steps on his way to a table by the art building. It’s Levi. His eyes follow him, disrupting his thoughts on Nile and Marie.  

“Ugh, sorry Moblit but that sound was driving me insane!” Hange takes an angry bite from their sandwich and then relaxes, “Besides, if they weren’t flirting so much in the chat, we wouldn’t have lost as many games last night.” 

“Yeah, we almost had the game in Ilios. That sucked.” Moblit agrees. “We did okay in Dorado, though? If that counts for anything.” 

The two begin to discuss the maps from the night before. Meanwhile Erwin’s eyes wander to Levi who has now found a seat amongst his friends. Erwin notices that he sits with all the goth and punk kids of the school. They all like to gather at the table closest to the art building. He sees the two other Seniors that Levi was smoking with on the first day of school. 

Hange notices Erwin’s lost gaze and waves a hand in front of his face, “Uh, hell! Earth to Erwin!” 

“Rout 66…” He mutters.

Hange raises a brow at him and fixes their glasses, “What are you--” Their gaze follow’s Erwin’s to the table up the quad steps. They recognize Levi and a few other kids. They have Furlan for a class and the girl, Nanaba, is in their Spanish class. 

Erwin clears his throat, turning his attention back to his friends, “Sorry, what?”

Hange and Moblit share a look of concern, “You okay there?”

“I thought we were discussing maps.” Erwin looks down to make sure he didn’t spill anything on his new sweater vest. Moblit and Hange had both paid him compliments on it that morning. 

“Mmm, well, we were.” Hange’s attention drifts back to Levi’s table but they pay it no mind, “You feeling okay?”

Erwin sits up, scratching the side of his head, “Uh, yeah. Sorry, I’m just a bit distracted because we’ve got this big project in my next class and I’m not sure who I’m gonna be partnered with.”

Hange’s hand pats him on the shoulder, “I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re very likable.”

Erwin snorts, “Yeah, right.”

Hange shrugs, “Don’t believe me then.”

“I won’t.” He confirms, half joking. 

“Don’t you have a friend in that class?” Moblit asks before taking a drink of his Gatorade. 

“The new girl.” Hange chimes in. 

Erwin just shrugs, “Frieda’s nice but I don’t think we’re friends. I mean, I don’t think she sees me as a friend or anything. At least I don’t think...”

“Stop being such a Debbie Downer. I’m sure she likes you just fine.” 

The lunch bell rings loudly through the quad and the three friends get up from the round table. Erwin grabs his backpack and swings it over his shoulder. His eyes wander back to Levi’s table where the other Senior is already leaving the quad. 

-

Erwin sees that Levi is already in his seat by the time he enters the class. He’s leaning back against the wall, uninterested eyes on his phone. Erwin feels awkward all of a sudden and goes to sit down. He notices that Frieda has yet to arrive but he pays no mind to that. He sets his books for Film Club down on his desk and takes his backpack off, hanging it on the chair before sitting down. Once he’s seated he turns his body to fetch a pen from his backpack. He frowns when he can’t find one. 

Erwin scans his brain to realize that he had loaned his pen to Hange at the beginning of lunch. He forgot to get it back. Erwin looks to Frieda’s empty desk and then his eyes shift to Levi. His heart seems to jolt in his chest and he bites the inside of his cheek, growing nervous and self aware of him. 

“Can I help you?” Levi’s low, cool voice comes and Erwin’s eyes widen in surprise. 

Levi’s now looking at him; his expression is unreadable, almost cold. Erwin feels his body begin to grow hot beneath the sweater vest. He has been caught staring at Levi and he wants to melt into the floor and disappear. 

“Do you have a pen I can borrow?” He blurts out.

Levi pauses, processing Erwin’s words. He then leans over to pull one out of his backpack and offers it to Erwin. Erwin takes it and smiles at him, “Thank you. I’ll return it, I promise.” and with that, he turns back around. 

-

Levi just sits there, watching as Erwin “Lost His Pen Again” Smith, takes a second pen from his hand and turns around as if nothing ever happened. His smile is burning into Levi’s memory. It is so…charming? Delightful? Brilliant? He can’t put the right word to it so he thinks about what Mike said the day before and applies it to the way he’s feeling in that moment. 

Levi’s never really had a crush on anyone before. He’s kissed other boys before. Boys from other schools, boys from backyard gigs, boys from the record shop, boys up to no good. But kissing them, touching them, feeling their bodies heavy above him, don’t make him feel anything as close to the way Smith makes him feel. A simple promise of returning his pen has Levi excited for the end of class. How pathetic, he thinks to himself. Boys are just a way to pass the time, not to get hopeful over-- excited about. 

They’re past times, hobbies, something to do on a Friday night when his friends are unavailable. Still, even though there have been boys before, nothing has surpassed kissing and touching over clothes. Levi’s never gone further than that. He’s never…

“Erwin and-- Levi.”

Levi’s fevered thoughts come to a halt when he hears his name called out along with Smith’s. His gaze flickers to meet Mr. Arlert’s. He’s standing in front of the class with a sheet of assigned groups. “Sorry boys, there aren’t enough students in the class so your group will only be made of two.” He lowers the paper and turns to the rest of the class, “So now that you have your partners, on Monday we will begin researching our topics. Be sure to agree on a topic by the end of class on Monday. You can make your decision at the library but make sure--” Mr. Arlert’s voice dissipates into the background and all Levi can hear is the sound of his beating heart.

Did he say that he and Smith, Erwin Smith are partners? He slowly looks up to look at Erwin. He’s sitting still but his ears are red. 

When Mr. Arlert retreats to his desk, the class explodes in multiple different conversations. Levi remains still, unsure if he should say anything to Smith. 

“Oh, that’s a shame,” he hears Frieda say to Erwin, “I was hoping we’d get to be partners.” 

Erwin turns in his seat, he’s got a sheepish smile on his face, “That’s alright, I’m sure your group will do really well.”

Frieda is about to say something when the bell rings, ending class. Mr. Arlert calls out, amongst the sound of moving chairs and student chatter, “Remember your topics!” 

Levi looks from Mr. Arlert when his pen is presented back to him. He looks to see Erwin’s extended arm, handing him back his pen. “As promised.” He tells Levi. A kind expression gently covers his face.

Levi forces himself to move and takes the pen back. “Thanks.” He mutters. 

Erwin nods, standing up as he hauls his backpack over his shoulder, “See you Monday, then.” Levi thinks that maybe for a moment Erwin is talking to Frieda but his eyes are locked on him. Levi just nods, silently.

“Have a good weekend, Frieda.” Erwin says to the new girl.

“Bye, Erwin. See you Monday.” 

And with that he’s gone.

Levi sits there, thinking to himself, …what the hell just happened?

He shakes himself from the awkward spell he feels he’s under and stands. Doesn’t even bother to look at Frieda or offer her a form of goodbye the way Erwin did. He doesn’t know her so it’s fine. He exits the class with the rest of the students and heads down the hall, in the opposite direction of his sixth period class. 

-

Erwin and Levi.

Mr. Arlert’s choice was loud and clear. Erwin and Levi are to be group partners for the upcoming class project. He can’t believe it. He just can’t wrap his head around it even though it's the simplest thing. Erwin almost wants to chuckle at the universe’s little joke. What are the odds? 

School’s been out for about an hour and the hallways are empty. Erwin forgot his copy of The Screenwriter’s Bible in his locker and is on his way back from fetching it. He had stuck it in there in between classes and now needs it for his club meeting. He told his new friend, Petra, that he would show her some examples of inciting incidents to help her with the screenplay she’s currently working on.

Erwin is lost in thought and doesn’t notice when Zeke comes out from the direction of the boy’s locker rooms and notices him. A wicked smirk crosses his face and he calls out, “Hey, Smith!”

Erwin flinches at the sound of the most annoying voice he has ever encountered and halts. Before he knows it, a heavy hand lands on his shoulder and grips it tightly, “Hey, what’s the rush? Where you going?”

Erwin turns his head to see Zeke at his side. His brows furrow, “Hey…” is all he manages to say. 

Zeke snorts. He smells strongly of Axe body spray and it makes Erwin a little lightheaded.  “So I heard from my old man that you’re quite the tutor?” His grip tightens even more causing Erwin to flinch a little. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Erwin lies. He moves his shoulder, brushing Zeke off of him, wondering if he knows that Erwin rejected the offer to tutor him.

“Hey!” Zeke snaps and pushes Erwin. 

Erwin flinches when his back makes contact with the cold, hard metal of the lockers. He hugs his Screenwriter’s Bible to his chest, eyes averted. He’s afraid Zeke will rip the beloved book from his hands and toss it to the ground like he’s done with his belongings before. 

"I’m talking to you." Zeke steps closer, “Or are you dumb?”

"I'm just trying to get to my club meeting." Erwin mutters, he catches a whiff of Zeke's breath and his brows furrow again. Why is he so damn mad at Erwin all the time? He never did anything to him. It doesn't even matter to Zeke that their fathers are colleagues, that they've known one another for many years. To hell with all of that, Zeke must think. Erwin doesn't get it. 

Zeke scoffs, "What's up with this stupid sweater vest, anyway?" Zeke flicks Erwin's shoulder, the rapid hit of his thick finger stings. "Do you always dress like an idiot?"

"It's none of your business." Erwin's tone is defensive. Zeke can insult him all he wants but he's going to draw the line when it comes to his dad. Erwin stands straight, making Zeke take a step back. He's so exhausted from having to deal with his menacing attitude. 

"What did you say?" Zeke squares up to his face, or at least tries to. Erwin is a couple inches taller than him. Nonetheless he stands too close for Erwin's comfort. 

"C'mon Zeke, just leave me alone, alright? I didn't do anything to you." Erwin tries to reason with him. 

"Shut up--"

"Oi, Monkey Breath.” Both Erwin and Zeke pause when they hear the cool and collected voice approaching. Erwin looks up to see Levi Ackerman casually walking over with his hands in his pockets. He almost can't believe his eyes,  "Why don't you take a couple of steps back and leave him alone?" 

Erwin nervously looks at Zeke, surprised to see a look of nervousness shoot across his face. Does he look scared? Is he scared of Levi?

"This doesn't concern you, Ackerman." Zeke's voice wavers but he does take a few steps back from Erwin. 

Levi walks up to Erwin, his hands still in the pockets of his black jeans. He's wearing a pair of Dr. Marten Oxfords and a white band shirt tucked into his jeans and belt; the short sleeves of his shirt and jeans are cuffed, exposing firm biceps. Erwin tries not to stare but it's hard. Levi looks very nice in white. He looks very nice in anything. 

"Actually, it does. Blondie here is my project partner," Levi points at Erwin with his thumb, "And if you do anything to jeopardize my grade in class I will fucking curb stomp your ass, Jaeger." 

Zeke's face turns red and his eyes go wide. He begins to stutter like a child still learning how to talk. Erwin's eyebrows go up in surprise. He's never seen Zeke so afraid of someone before. It makes him wonder if he's had any altercations with Levi before. If he did, Erwin wouldn't know. 

Zeke clears his throat and averts his gaze. "Whatever, man. I'm out of here." He secures his backpack over his shoulder and bolts.  Muttering something about a waste of time. 

Levi and Erwin watch him go until he turns the corner into another hallway and disappears. Erwin's body relaxes but then tenses back up when he realizes that he's alone with Levi. 

"You alright there, Blondie?" Levi asks him, his expression seems to relax when he gives his attention to Erwin. 

Erwin turns to meet his steely gaze. The tips of Levi's inky black bangs are hovering just over his eyes. The contrast of the dark color against the beautiful color of his eyes is almost breathtaking. It takes Erwin a moment to answer, "Um, yeah, thanks. I'm okay." 

"That guy's a total ass. Don't listen to him." Levi has taken a step back and is now facing Erwin, giving him all of his attention. His head is crammed upward to meet his gaze. There is a vast height difference between them.

Erwin chuckles softly, "Yeah, he is." He fixes his glasses, "Um, thanks, Levi." Levi raises a brow, he looks as if he's not sure what Erwin is referring to, "For getting Jaeger off my case." 

 "That chimp pick on you a lot?" Levi asks. 

Erwin nods, embarrassment flushing his face. "But I'm not very sure why. I've never..." Erwin looks down to the floor again, cutting himself off. He's sure Levi wouldn't want to hear his nagging. Still, its frustrates him that Zeke just won't leave him alone when he's never done anything to get on his bad side. 

He hears Levi scoff and looks up to see his face. His expression is still calm and collected but there's a look in his eyes that Erwin can't quite pinpoint. "Next time he bothers you, just come find me. I'll handle his monkey ass." 

A small smile spreads across Erwin's lips. "You don't need to do that."

Levi shrugs nonchalantly, "Nah, I don't need to but I'm gonna." 

Erwin holds Levi's gaze, his smile growing wider, "Thanks, Levi." 

Levi's cheeks turn a soft shade of pink and he looks down the hall. He likes the way Erwin says his name, "Yeah, whatever. Don't mention it." 

The two of them stand in the hall in complete silence. Erwin smiling and Levi blushing. Erwin then remembers he was on his way to his club meeting when Zeke stopped him. He's about to tell Levi he has to go when the other Senior's voice stops him. 

"Erwin, right?" 

"Hmm?"

"Your name."

Erwin's smile cannot be more brilliant. "Yeah, Erwin. That's my name." He confirms, the nerves balled up in his stomach just blurt out word vomit, making him sound like a dummy.  

Levi nods, trying to look casual. "Cool." He takes a step back and before he turns to walk away, he points at Erwin's sweater vest, "Nice vest by the way." 

"Thanks, it's a gift from my dad." Erwin overshares but he's beaming. 

"He's got good taste." Levi nods and turns his back to Erwin, walking away, "See ya in class, Blondie." He waves but doesn't turn to look at Erwin again. 

“See you.” Erwin waves. 

He stands there with his mouth agape in awe, watching as Levi leaves down the hall and out of the school. "Wow..." he whispers, "Is this real life?"

Chapter Text

It is seven in the morning and Levi is downstairs vigorously cleaning the kitchen floor. He’s in his old gym shorts and a New Order shirt, down on his knees with a bandana around the bottom half of his face, scrubbing away a scuff from Mikasa’s tricycle. He’s wearing his earphones, blasting The Smiths because the amount of angst that’s rushing through his body is way too much. 

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour but heaven knows I'm miserable now. 

He dreamt of Smith during the night. Dreamt of his blue eyes and thick brows, of the blond hair on his arms and his dorky laugh in class. He dreamt of those lips pressing against his own, of those big arms towering above him like strong pillars. 

I was looking for a job, and then I found a job and heaven knows I'm miserable now.

He dreamt of his voice, whispering against the skin of his neck. The sound of his laughter and the warmth of his smile. The feeling of his lower half brushing up against Levi’s own. It had all felt so real. It was heavenly, that is until his eyes fluttered open and he felt the cool, sticky mess in his boxer shorts. 

Levi’s been cleaning ever since. The entire house smells of Fabuloso. It’s the only cleaner Levi trusts enough to do the job right. Of course, straight bleach works too. Still, all the cleaning in the world can’t get him to forget that dream. It felt so real and Levi has no clue how he’s going to look Erwin in the eyes on Monday. They’re starting that dumb project and have to spend the whole class period in the library. A whole class period with Erwin “I make you jizz in your dreams” Smith is going to be interesting for sure. 

And Levi cannot lie to himself. He’s excited. He’s giddy with the idea of spending one on one time with Erwin. There’s just no denying it anymore. Levi likes Erwin. Like a lot, a lot. He will admit he fought it at first. Levi always figured he’d end up with some tall, badass punk boy that plays drums and has multiple tattoos. Perhaps even some piercings. But instead his crush is a blond nerdy boy with a shark keychain on his backpack that makes puns in class and probably plays video games. Nonetheless, he’s handsome as hell. Those eyes are unreal and those hands… 

Levi wants to feel them in real life. He wants to talk to Erwin, spend time with him, feel his warmth and not just in his dreams. It all makes Levi feel sappy and that annoys him so he scrubs the floor even harder as if he can scrub Erwin from his mind. 

Mrs. Ackerman appears at the doorway with Mikasa on her hip, still dressed in her pajamas. Mikasa’s hair is cow licked and messy, straight out of bed. She looks at her older brother with sleepy eyes and mild interest. 

“Levi?” Mrs. Ackerman calls his name. The entire kitchen is spotless and so is the living room. She knows Levi likes to clean, he’s always been obsessed with cleanliness ever since he was a little boy. The therapist said it was the way he coped after living in such filth for a greater part of his young life. 

The Ackermans knew the state the boy lived in before he went to live with him. His birth mother was so sick she couldn’t clean or work. By the time his uncle found him, she was on the brink of death and he was a scrawny emaciated thing covered in lice. The first touch of cleanliness he knew after that was the sterile room of a hospital. Kenny’s house was better but not by much. Levi started cleaning about a month or two after he arrived with his relatives. The Ackermans were concerned and tried to get him to find other “child friendly” ways to cope but it didn’t work. Alas, they chose not to take cleaning from him and let him clean until his heart’s content. 

Levi doesn’t hear his name being called out over the music until he feels someone’s presence looming close by. 

“Levi!” 

Levi rips out his earphones and looks up at his mother. “Yeah?” He takes off the bandana. 

She looks around the spotless kitchen. The counter almost sparkles. She chuckles but the concern is clear in her eyes, “What are you doing cleaning so early in the morning?” 

Levi averts his gaze, leaning back on his feet. He wipes his nose with the back of his wrist. “I couldn’t sleep.” 

His mother grows even more concerned. She lifts Mikasa up a little higher, resecuring her position. “Are you having nightmares again?” 

Levi feels his cheeks go blazing hot. If having wet dreams about Erwin Smith are nightmares, then sure. But he can’t say that to his mother. “Uh, no. I just couldn’t get comfortable. It felt too hot.” He lies. 

She sighs, “Well, alright then. Thank you for cleaning. It’s spotless.” 

“Pot-less.” Mikasa mimics. 

“Sure.” Is all Levi says. 

“Wait, did you start a laundry load?” She turns her head to look in the direction of the laundry room down the hall. 

“Yeah, why?” Levi raises a brow. He had thrown his soiled boxer shorts in the wash before anyone got up. His father tried giving him the talk about the birds and the bees when he turned twelve and Levi just could not handle having to go through something like that again. Besides, by that time he had already come across sex in television shows and movies he wasn’t supposed to be watching. Some things were not unknown to him. 

“It’s done.” She confirms, having heard the little tune. 

Levi shoots up to his feet, his face beat red, “I’ll get it!” He runs out of the kitchen and to the laundry room, almost slipping on the wet tile on his way out. 

Mrs. Ackerman sighs and looks to Mikasa, “What’s gotten into your brother, huh?”

“Bubba’s fast.” She says, eyes following after Levi. 

When Levi fishes his laundry, he goes upstairs to shower and comes down just in time for breakfast. His mom and Mikasa are sitting at the table while his dad is at the kitchen counter preparing some pancakes. 

“Levi, there you are.” Mr. Ackerman is happy to see him. 

“Here I am.” He says with a yawn and sits down, eyes sleepy. His hair is still wet from his shower and his cheeks are faintly pink from the heat of the hot water. He had scrubbed himself raw in order to suppress the urge to masturbate to the memory of the dream. 

“Heard you were up early.” He muses. 

Levi just shrugs, pouring himself some tea. “Couldn’t sleep.” He mumbles. 

“Well, luckily it’s the weekend.” His dad walks over and sets a plate of pancakes in front of him, “You can always go back to bed if you want.”

“Thanks.” Levi looks over at Mikasa whose little face is messy with syrup. Levi takes a napkin and leans over, wiping her face clean. “You’re a sticky mess.” 

“You’re sticky.” She tells him with a giggle, letting him clean her face. She usually fights having her face cleaned unless it’s Levi. 

“So how's the Jeep running?” His dad asks and takes a seat at the table. 

“Fine.” Levi answers, “No issues.”

“That’s good. I’ll have to check the oil but I put in a new filter so we should be fine for a while.”

Levi just nods, his mind wandering back to other things, mainly Erwin. He wonders what Erwin does on Saturday mornings. Probably watching cartoons , he jokes to himself. 

“If the tire pressure light goes off, please let me know. Worst case scenario it's another nail--”

His dad goes off about the car while a hazy look covers Levi’s eyes, his mind is a million miles away from oil changes and tire pressure. 

-

That Saturday, Erwin finds himself sitting on the sofa after his early morning run. He still has bedhead and is holding a bowl of cereal while his eyes are glued to the TV. His cheeks are ruddy from the run; he just couldn’t sleep and felt antsy thinking about the after school incident with Levi and Zeke. Running calms his nerves and he’s got good stamina for someone who would rather play video games all day than join a sports team at school. 

“Adventure Time, Come on grab your friends! We're going to very distant lands—“

He lifts the spoon to his mouth and takes a bite. An orange fruit loop falls onto his Dungeons & Dragons shirt. Peach is sitting by the backyard slider, occasionally meowing to be let out but Erwin isn’t having it. 

“Sorry, Mister. You’re strictly indoors.” He tells the cat without looking away from the TV. 

“Good morning!” Mr. Smith comes downstairs, dressed in his semi casuals. He’s got on a nice cotton button up and pressed khakis. 

“Hey, dad.” Erwin greets him. “You’re awfully chipper this morning.” 

“Well, your dear ol’ dad has a luncheon to go to.” 

Erwin raises a brow, “A luncheon? With who?”

“Just some colleagues from work.” He goes to the kitchen and begins to prepare himself some coffee. “Do you have any plans today?” 

“Yeah, I’m going to Hange’s later. Is that okay?”

“Oh, that’s nice son. Yes, of course. What are you kids up to?” 

Erwin takes another bite out of his cereal, chews and swallows. “We have a game of Haunting at House on the Hill. I bought the Widow’s Walk expansion with my allowance so we’re gonna play a few games.” 

Mr. Smith pauses, the mug in his hand, “Is that like Monopoly?” 

Erwin just smiles sheepishly, “No, not really.” 

Mr. Smith just nods, “Do you need a ride? I can take you after the luncheon.” 

Erwin finishes his cereal and gets up to wash the bowl, “Moblit’s picking me up in his mom’s car.” 

“Oh, good.” His dad sits at the table with his coffee and paper. He has a little time to kill before he has to leave. 

Erwin rinses out his bowl and places it in the washer. He then lingers, leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed, “...So Moblit’s saving up for his own car.” 

Mr. Smith nods, eyes still on his paper, “Moblit’s a good kid. He deserves a good car.” 

Erwin nods in agreement. “Yeah, uh, so about that…” he averts his gaze, fiddling with his fingers in a nervous manner. Peach is at his feet, rubbing himself against Erwin’s legs. “I was wondering when you can teach me to drive again?” 

Mr. Smith places the paper down on the table and looks at Erwin. He has attempted to take Erwin out to learn how to drive once before but it was not the best experience per say. He gives him a sad smile, “Erwin, son, I know you’re itching to learn how to drive and get your license but…I’m still very nervous about you driving.” 

Erwin frowns immediately, “Dad, c’mon! I’m about to turn eighteen and I’m the only one of my friends who can’t drive!” 

“Hange doesn’t know how to drive either.” His dad points out. 

Erwin becomes a little flustered, “Yeah but that’s because Hange— they— Hange isn’t interested in learning yet but I am!” 

Mr. Smith rubs his temple, he doesn’t like to touch the subject. “We’ll discuss it later.” 

“Dad—“ 

“Later. I promise.” He cuts Erwin off, using that tone that means he’s done with the subject. 

Erwin signs heavily, his shoulders slump and he just nods, “Okay, fine.” He knows it does no good to push his father too much on the matter. He has his reasons and Erwin can’t blame him. 

Mr. Smith gets up and pats his son’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, son. All in good time.” 

Erwin just nods, “Okay.”  He clears his throat and backs away, “I’m gonna go shower.” He turns his back and hurries upstairs before his dad can stop him. 

-

“Levi! Earth to Levi! Hello?!” Furlan ferociously waves his hand in front of Levi’s face. The three of them are in the Ackerman’s garage later that Saturday night, practicing with their instruments. 

There are multiple band and movie posters covering the walls of the garage. There’s an old green sofa and a coffee table, a couple of amps, some old skateboards hanging from the wall, along with a pink tricycle, an old stroller, a red wagon, a tool box, an extra fridge and shelves lined neatly with cleaning supplies and labeled storage bins.  

Levi is sitting on the amp connected to his blood red bass guitar, eyes off in the distance. He’s thinking of Erwin and how that sweater vest matches his eyes. They’ll get to talk on Monday and the thought alone sends him off in his own mind where no one else can follow. 

“Hello!” 

He frowns when Furlan waves his hand in his face and smacks his hand away. “ What ?” He snaps.

“Dude, what the fuck is your damage? You’re like a jillion miles away.” Furlan huffs, taking a step back. 

Isabel is standing in front of her synthesizer, randomly pressing keys. She doesn’t even bother to look at them. “Leave him alone, Furlan. Can't you see he’s pining?” 

“What?” Both Levi and Furlan ask in unison, looking at her. Furlan’s tone is more of a question of confusion while Levi’s a half snarl. 

Isabel shrugs, eyes on her beloved instrument, “I said, he’s pining. ”

Furlan just looks even more confused. His guitar hangs from his neck and shoulder. Levi frowns at Isabel, leaning slightly forward, “I am not pining.”

Isabel raises a brow at him, “Do you think I’m stupid?” 

“Yes.” Both Furlan and Levi answer her question. 

She rolls her eyes, “The both of you are idiots. Especially you, Furlan.” 

“What did I do?” 

“It’s obvious Levi has a crush.” 

Levi scoffs. “You’re imagining things.” He looks down at his bass and plucks a couple strings. He tries not to let his face show it but Isabel knows him too well. 

“Sure, that’s why you look like you’re a widow waiting for her husband to come home from the war.” 

Shit. 

“Levi likes someone?” Furlan finally catches on. 

“No. I don’t.” Levi mutters sourly. 

“Who is it?” Furlan looks from Levi to Isabel as if she has all the answers in the world. Isabel shrugs and Furlan turns back to Levi, “Who is it, Levi?” 

“You don’t know him.” Levi lets it slip and then immediately regrets it. 

“I knew it!” Isabel grins, utterly elated. 

Furlan’s eyes widen in surprise, “Dude, what?” A laugh escapes him next, “Does he go to another school? Is it one of Mike’s friends? Ugh, please don’t tell me it’s that douchebag, Jaeger?” Furlan scrunches his face in disgust, “The whole female student body drools over that ape.” 

Levi rolls his eyes and stands from the amp to put his bass away on its stand. “Leave it alone, Furlan. And fuck no, it isn’t Jaeger.” Levi remembers the way he cornered Erwin against the lockers after school on Friday. Erwin looked genuinely nervous, it turned on some kind of light switch in Levi and he felt the need to stick up for him, “That dickhead has it coming though.” 

He’ll personally wring his neck if he touches Erwin again. 

“Then who is it?” Furlan keeps prying.

“Don’t worry about it.” 

“Tell us!” 

Isabel purses her lips in thought, eyebrows furrowed, “Levi likes them tall, so he must be tall.” 

“You’re right.” Furlan points at her like she discovered a vital clue. 

Levi scoffs under his breath, “Will you two stop trying to guess?” He never really hides things from his best friends. He, Isabel and Furlan tell eachother everything but for some odd reason Levi is feeling very overprotective of Erwin. He feels like his friends might poke fun at him for how he dresses or the way he walks around with more books in arms than necessary. He feels himself becoming upset at the thought of anyone bothering Erwin. 

Furlan takes his guitar off and sets it aside, way more interested in prying into Levi’s personal life than playing covers. “Dude, come on, we’re your best friends. Don’t you trust us?” He gives Levi puppy eyes. 

Isabel copies Furlan and shoots puppy eyes at Levi as well. “Yeah, don’t you trust us?” 

Levi closes his eyes, exhaling. “Fine. Fine!” He’ll never get them to shut up if he isn’t honest. 

-

“Smith? Tall, blonde and a total geek? That Smith?” Furlan tilts his head back and laughs, spilling beer from his can. 

The group had left Levi’s house and he had driven them down to the Lover’s Lane Creek where he parked the Jeep in an old camp ground and the three shared a couple of beers. Lover’s Lane is a popular hang out spot amongst the youth by night so other cars litter the area. A spot also favored by lovers, hence the name, some cars park further than others, their windows fogged. A group of four young adults have a fire pit going. Their laughter and conversations are almost monotone to the three high schoolers. 

Levi finishes his one beer, crumpling the can and tossing it in a bag in the back of his Jeep. He’ll make sure to toss it out at a gas station before returning home. 

“Erwin Smith.” Isabel states after taking a drink from her beer. Her cheeks are already a little bit flushed. She’s a lightweight but Levi never lets her drink too much. Not under his watch. “His name sounds familiar. I don’t think I know him?” 

“I had him for a class one year. He’s such a nerd.” Furlan can’t contain his laughter. He stumbles back from the back of the Jeep where Levi and Isabel are seated on the bed. 

“Will you shut up?” Levi snaps, the alcohol in his system isn’t much but it's making him short tempered. It frustrates him that he’s so hung up on Smith and they’re not even friends. 

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Furlan apologizes. 

“I think I’ve seen him at lunch.” Isabel says, turning slightly towards Levi. “He’s got glasses, right? He’s friends with Nile Dok.”

“And how do you know Nile?” Furlan questions. 

“He’s dating that girl, Marie. She did the morning announcements last year. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh yeah…” Furlan trails off. His eyes wandering to the fire pit yards away. Someone’s car is playing Van Halen in the near distance. 

Isabel then turns her attention back to Levi, hiding her smirk behind the beer can, “So you like Erwin?”

Levi nods, elbows on his thighs, beer in one hand. He looks a little embarrassed and shy. A soft tinge of pink covers his pale cheeks and a soft look fills his otherwise aloof gaze. 

“A lot.” He sighs, “He’s a total dork but the guy is really smart. And he’s nice. Too nice. When he talks to me, he actually acknowledges me.” He can feel the heat growing in his chest, “He makes me feel seen.” 

Levi leans back and takes a drink from his new beer. He tells himself it’s the last one. He won’t risk anything. “And the fucker is funny too. I hate it.” He grits through his teeth. 

Furlan’s jaw drops. He looks from Levi to Isabel who holds the same shocked expression. Neither of them have ever seen Levi so sprung on anyone before. Not even on that older teen, Kurt, the skater kid from the park that he had a crush on sophomore year. Kurt was a wiry kid with shaggy blond hair and sun tanned skin that had a Steamboat Willie stick and poke tattoo and liked Iron Maiden. He moved to Santa Barbara and Levi never saw him after that. 

Levi senses their silence and glares at nothing. “I’m pretty sure he’s straight though.” He feels the need to say. 

“How do you know that?” Isabel asks, making a face. Levi has a bad habit of jumping to negative conclusions. 

Furlan snorts, “Have you seen how he dresses? That boy ain’t straight.” 

Levi glares at him, “Shut up.” 

Furlan snickers. “Well, have you asked him?”

Levi scoffs, “Oh yeah, sure I have. Hey, Smith. Your loafers are looking a little gay today. Do you like dick?” 

“See?” Furlan points, “Just like that!” 

“Get bent.” Levi takes another drink. A big one. 

Furlan walks over and places his hand on Levi’s shoulder, “C’mon, man. We’re your best friends.” He leans against Levi, his breath reeks and Levi scrunches his nose but Furlan’s tone of voice is serious,  “If you want Nerd Boy Smith, then we’ll help you get Nerd Boy Smith. Right, Isa?”

“Of course!” She agrees. “We just want you to be happy, Levi and Erwin looks like a good guy. He looks like he’ll be a good influence on you too.” 

Levi’s eyes narrow, he puts his hand up, pushing Furlan’s face away from his, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Isabel shrugs meekly, “I’m just saying, maybe he’ll be motivation enough for you to stop skipping your classes and you know, graduate ?!” 

Levi rolls his eyes again and looks away. Furlan is still hanging from his neck. 

“I’m serious.” Isabel continues, “It’s senior year and you keep goofing off. If you keep at it, you’re not going to walk and then you’re going to ruin your chances of going to college with your lover.” 

Levi’s head snaps back at Isabel so fast it’s a miracle his neck doesn’t break, “He’s not my lover .” 

She shrugs, unmoved by the icy look in his eyes that could kill. “Oh, please. You want Erwin to be your lover. You want it so bad and don’t even try to lie because you’re shit at it. Besides, you’re going to be so fucking butthurt when he goes to college without you and you have to stay in Los Feliz and work shit shifts at The Smell. Is that what you want?” 

Levi averts his gaze. Isabel is right and he knows it. Even if he does date Erwin “I’m going to Harvard without you” Smith, Levi isn’t as prepared to go to an Ivy League as he is. The best he can do is a community college and then a transfer if he’s lucky. But Erwin looks like he can choose any university he wants. He’s that smart. A rock falls to the pit of his stomach. He hadn’t thought about that if he’s being honest. Levi always just lives in the now. He isn’t thinking of a year from now. He’s thinking of how he’s going to survive a conversation with the guy on Monday. 

“Or what? Don’t tell me you’re going to work with Mike and the guys at the record shop?” Isabel continues to ask the real questions. 

Levi blinks, imagining sharing a close space with Oluo. He scoffs. “Okay, fine. I get it.” 

Furlan smiles to himself, a little too proud, “Operation: get that dick is a go.” His voice slurs a little.

Levi scoffs in disgust and finally pushes him off. “I’m cutting you off.” He points at Furlan. 

Furlan chuckles and throws his empty can along with Levi’s. “Look man, it might seem like we’re meddling in your business but trust me, we just want what’s best for you and if Smith is going to make you happy then we’re all for it.” A serious look then crosses his face, “The fucker is tall though. Not only tall, he looks like he’ll fill out to be a whole ass football player by the time he turns twenty.” 

Levi raises a brow not seeing his point, “So?” 

“So?” Furlan repeats, “It’s no secret that you’re small as shit, my dude. Smith’s probably packing a monster, can you handle that?” 

“Fuck you!” Levi spits, jumping off the Jeep and pushing Furlan back. He tries to be angry but the alcohol in his system makes him laugh instead. Furlan laughs too. 

Isabel groans, “Don't be disgusting, Furlan.” 

Levi isn’t offended. He can get annoyed with Furlan but he knows Furlan’s jokes at the end of a serious conversation are just like a coping mechanism. It’s his thing. 

Levi leans back against the Jeep, hazy eyes down to the forest ground, “He probably does have a big dick.” He nods to himself, a small, lazy half smile spreads across his lips. 

-

Levi gets home late that night. He sobered up before getting behind the wheel of his beloved Jeep and drove his friends home, waiting for them in the driveway to make sure they made it safely inside. He’s feeling a little elated after their conversation about his crush on Erwin. Levi still feels a little embarrassed but is pleased to know his friends are supportive. He’s just going to go ahead and ignore the part where they discussed dick sizes. 

Also, Isabel made some good points. Levi really likes Erwin and if he wants a future beyond high school with him then he needs to get his shit together. 

On his way up the stairs, Levi passes by multiple family portraits. The first portrait at the bottom of the stairs was taken shortly after he arrived with his new family; it’s just his parents and himself. The last portrait at the top is of the four of them, including Mikasa. It’s the most recent family portrait taken just the year before during Christmas time. He finds the portraits to be a little embarrassing since they capture the awkwardness of his preteen years but they’re a solid reminder of how lucky he has been in life despite the rough start to his life. 

Levi is almost to his room when he hears her little voice and turns around. 

“Bubba?” Mikasa is standing sleepily by the door of her room. She rubs one of her eyes with a tiny fist, with her other hand, she holds a stuffed Kuromi plush, hugging it to her chest. 

“Hey, what’re you doing up?” Levi goes to her. His voice is gentle and soft when it comes to his little sister. 

“I woke up.” Mikasa’s little voice is heavy with sleep and she appears to be a little disoriented. She raises her arms for him to pick her up and Levi obliges. 

“Is that so?” He settles her in his arms and takes her back to his room. “Were you dreaming?”

She shakes her head, her eyes only half open. Both she and Levi had inherited the beautiful silver colored eyes of the Ackerman family line. 

“You smell funny.” She tells him, referring to the beer and the smell of everyone’s weed and cigarettes down by the creek. 

Levi feels a little guilty, “Sorry.” 

Mikasa yawns, leaning her forehead against his cheek. 

“Alright, well let’s tuck you back in then.” Levi sits Mikasa back down onto her bed and gently tucks her in along with her Kuromi plush. 

“Bubba, it’s bedtime.” She says, her little eyes begin to close, losing the fight. Levi remembers how nervous he was when his parents sat him down and told him he would be having a sibling. A million thoughts ran through his mind and amongst them all, Levi feared that they would stop loving him and cast him out the moment this little girl was born. 

But oh how he had been so wrong. 

“Mhm.” Levi hums, brushing her bangs aside, “Goodnight, kid.” 

“Goodnight, Bubba.” 

“Can you call me Levi?” He tries. 

“No.” 

Levi chuckles. “We’ll try again tomorrow.” 

-

The library is almost quiet. Soft murmurs fill the otherwise strictly silent air as Mr. Arlert’s class fills every single table and book aisle of the large room. Groups are hunched over on the tables with a chosen book or two in between them, others stand in aisles, still choosing a topic for their project. 

Erwin finds Levi standing in one of the aisles, eyes on a low shelf of history books, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. Erwin studies him for a moment, he’s wearing those nice oxfords again and a dark green and black flannel along with a Joy Division band shirt underneath. He looks really nice. But of course, Levi always looks nice. He has a very cool style. Erwin had thought of Levi the entire weekend. He had sat in the passenger’s seat of Moblit’s mom’s car on Saturday, looking at the houses in Hange’s neighborhood, wondering which one was Levi’s. Hange had said he lived a few doors down. A part of him hoped he would see the punk boy out in his front yard. Alas, that would be too good to be true and Erwin was too nervous to bring up the subject to Hange later that night.

Erwin studies Levi’s side profile before he makes himself known. He’s never seen someone with such sharp yet delicate features before. He’s so handsome yet beautiful at the same time- if that's even a thing. Those puffy lips, his straight nose, the curve of his ear, the soft hairs of his undercut. It’s all so enticing. And he’s small. At least a whole foot shorter than Erwin. He’s even shorter than Hange. How is he real? Erwin snaps out of his stupor and finally goes up to him. 

“Hi, Levi.” He says with a small wave of his hand. 

Levi snaps out of whatever thoughts he was having and his head turns to look at Erwin. Surprise flashes his eyes for a quick second and then he blinks, looking utterly unimpressed. Almost bored, Erwin thinks. 

“Hi.” Levi says softly. 

Erwin stands next to him, facing the books as well. He grabs the straps of his backpack. “How was your weekend?”

Levi raises a brow but answers cautiously, “Fine. Yours?”

Erwin perks up a little, “It was nice.” He then lets his gaze fall, feeling awkward again. “So, um, I guess we’re supposed to have a topic picked out by the end of class or else Mr. Arlert will pick one for us.” He pauses for a beat, “Do you have anything in mind that you’d like to research?” He turns his head, offering Levi a polite smile. 

Levi’s eyes are on the books before him again. He just shrugs. “Whatever you’d like, Blondie. I don’t care.” 

Erwin suddenly becomes nervous and he hopes he isn’t annoying Levi. He looks away and then does a double take to look at Levi again. Is he blushing? His cheeks look flushed. 

“Are you feeling okay?” He asks, concern obvious in his voice. 

Levi looks at him like a horn grew out of his forehead. “Yeah? Why?” 

“Oh.” Erwin says, “You just look a little flushed is all.” he shrugs meekly. His innocent observation makes Levi’s eyes widen and his face’s red color deepens even more. “You should go see the nurse if you aren’t feeling well.” 

Levi stutters but he manages in the end, “I’m fine. It’s just hot in here.” He lies. 

Erwin thinks it’s a bit cool in the library but maybe Levi runs hot. Then again, Levi’s wearing a flannel. His eyes wander down the other boy’s smaller body. He looks like the type that would get cold easily. Erwin’s a big boy. He runs hot. Levi doesn’t look it but what does Erwin know? He doesn’t really know much about Levi. He can’t just assume so he accepts it. 

“Okay, well, I was doing some reading over the weekend.” Erwin turns and fully faces his body towards Levi, his voice is animated but he keeps it low so as to not get scolded by the librarian, Mrs. Norton. “And I came upon the Egyptian Gods. I think it would be very cool to do a project on the God of Death, Osiris.” 

Levi remains silent. Erwin grows nervous. Perhaps Levi wants to do something else after and is just too shy or polite to say it?

“Would um…would you like that? Levi?” 

Levi ends up nodding, “Sure. Sounds metal.” 

Erwin feels himself smiling. “Okay, great. Hopefully there are still some books left that we can use.” He crouches down and begins to look through the books on the shelves. 

-

Levi is so starstruck he can’t even form full sentences. His shower that morning was extra long as he prepared himself for this specific class. He even tried some of his dad’s cologne. Not a lot, just a little dab on his wrist. 

Smith is wearing that dumb Aquarium hoodie. The forest green one that brings out the gold in his hair and he can smell his shampoo. He smells like cedar and something else Levi can’t quite pinpoint but it's comforting and alluring. Levi looks down at his feet and notices his shoes. They’re red, white and gray Reebok high tops. He remembers those from the diner’s parking lot. 

Levi’s stomach whirls when Erwin says his name. He even asks him how his weekend was. Smith is nice. He’s too nice and Levi doesn’t exactly know what to do with that. He doesn’t think he’s ever had someone else that isn’t in his friend group be so nice. His conversation with his friends on Saturday night really put things in perspective. 

He looks down at Erwin as he’s crouched down looking through the books that are left. He pushes his glasses up and with a finger, skims the books. Levi’s eyes are on his blond hair, it looks so soft and Levi fights the other to run his fingers through it. Goddamn, his hair is like golden sunshine. Levi feels the strange urge to sniff his hair. 

What the fuck?! You fucking psycho. He thinks to himself, taking a step back, Might as well ask him to put the fucking lotion on his skin while you’re at it. 

His eyes flicker back to Erwin’s hair. He reminds Levi of a yellow baby duck. Duckling soft. 

“Oh this one might work.” He hears Erwin say and the tall boy sits down on the floor, crossing those long ass legs of his. His thighs stretch out his jeans. Levi gulps and his lips part. What kind of nerd has the thighs of a football player? He can only imagine how strong Erwin would be if he worked out or got into sports. He gulps. 

Levi feels awkward just standing there so he sits down next to Erwin. “Shouldn’t we get a table?” He tries to look away from Erwin’s thighs and the package above them. Levi remembers his conversation regarding his size with his friends and his entire face goes red. 

“Huh?“ Erwin looks up from the book, completely unaware of Levi’s thirsty thoughts. 

Levi realizes that he’s close enough to count all the fading freckles on his face. He wants to reach his hand out and brush them with the tips of his fingers. What would it be like to kiss them gently? Does Erwin know how precious they are? Levi hopes the summer sun lingers around a little longer. 

“Oh, yeah, we can if you’d like. There might be one available.” Erwin says next. 

Levi thinks about all their other classmates. He then notices the silence around them. They have far more privacy sitting in between the bookshelves than they do out in the open. 

“Here is fine.” He ends up saying. 

Erwin smiles, delighted with the idea, “Great.” He looks back down to the book. He moves himself just a little, his knee bumping against Levi’s, “Oh, sorry.” He says casually and then continues on, ”What’s interesting about Osiris is that-“ 

Levi can’t even listen to what Blondie’s saying. His eyes are right on their knees that just touched and his face has begun to turn a shade of red again. Relax, you dumbass, relax. 

Levi gulps and his eyes look up to land on Erwin. He's skimming through the book, his thick brows together in a pensive manner, still talking about Osiris and fertility and all Levi can think about is how their knees touched. And Smith is so calm about it! 

“Oh, sorry” ? What?! What was that? 

No, it’s fine. Levi thinks half sarcastically, please do it again. 

He wants to smack himself for being so desperate. Blondie’s probably straight anyway. He just screams it despite what Furlan says. Besides, the way a person dresses doesn’t always reflect their sexuality. Right? 

Levi’s eyes catch the shark keychain and his mouth blurts out before his brain can stop him, “I like your keychain.”

Erwin pauses and then that goofy grin of his crosses his face, “Yeah?”

Levi nods. “I…like sharks.” He mutters and internally kicks himself. “I like sharks?” What the hell? Levi thinks he sounds like a total idiot.

“Me too.” Erwin agrees, “I was so relieved they had my name.” He takes the little keychain in between his fingers, “I thought they wouldn’t. Actually, I also saw that they had your--” He stops himself and begins to stutter. It sounds like he’s about to say “Your” but stops himself and blurts out-- “Yogurt!”

Levi frowns, eyeing him, “Yo-gurt?”

Erwin clears his throat. His eyes shift, “Uh. Yeah. Yogurt.” 

“Yogurt.” Levi confirms, his brows still in a pensive frown. “You like…yogurt?” He looks at Erwin with a raised brow. 

“Um…yeah.” Erwin lowers his head, his cheeks turning pink. Levi can see his fingers are twitching a little. “Peach.” he mumbles. “But strawberry is good too.” 

How the hell is someone so cute? Can you get any cuter, Smith? Levi’s expression softens. 

“Me too.” Levi says in order to make Erwin feel just a little better. “Like yogurt that is.” He knows what it’s like to feel like an embarrassed idiot and tries to make Erwin feel a little better. 

Erwin just forces a smile and meets Levi’s gaze. The two stare at one another, Levi feels like he’s drowning in the bluest ocean, softly floating below the waves. It feels heavenly until a couple of giggles snap them out of their trances. 

Erwin quickly looks back down to the book, “The syllabus says we need a five page essay and a powerpoint slide. That shouldn’t be too hard.” He looks rather embarrassed and Levi bites back a smile. 

“If you say so, Blondie.” Levi hides his gaze, his hands turning into tight fists from the whirl of butterflies wreaking havoc in his stomach. Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck!

-

The bell rings ending the class, Mr. Arlert’s class files out of the library on their way to their last period of the day. Levi is amongst the crowd. Erwin had been on the verge of asking him a question when Frieda interrupted them and took Erwin’s attention. Levi felt awkward so he just left without a word. 

He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. It's ridiculous to be jealous of Frieda. Erwin isn’t his boyfriend and he isn’t Frieda’s either. They’re just friends, or so he tells himself to soften the blow. It’s not some sort of competition. Levi grows frustrated with his new feelings. He’s never felt this way before. Erwin fills his thoughts day and night--

“Levi!”

Great, he’s even hearing him in his head. Levi groans, running his hand up his face and through his hair. This can’t be happening. 

“Levi, wait!” 

Wait, that’s real. Levi stops midway in the hall and turns around to see Erwin hurrying to catch up to him. He awkwardly makes his way through the small sea of students, accidentally bumping into a shorter girl. He gives her an earnest apology to her and then catches up to Levi. 

“Blondie?”

Erwin catches his breath, “Wow, you’re fast.” He chuckles softly and stands up straight.

Levi raises a brow, trying to look impassive but his heart is beating wildly in his chest. 

“You left before I could give you this.” Erwin sticks out his hand. 

Levi lands his gaze to the small piece of paper in his hand and takes it. He opens it to find a phone number written inside. Levi’s eyes widen for a second and then he looks up to meet Erwin’s brilliant blues. Erwin looks a little nervous. 

“It’s my number.” Erwin states. 

“Yeah, I sort of gathered that.” Levi deadpans but his senses are going haywire. In his hand he is holding Erwin Smith’s number. 

Erwin’s eyes shift from the lockers down to his feet. “Um, you know, so we can stay in contact to work on the project. Mr. Alert says we’ll have more time in class but uh--I was--” He stops and clears his throat, his eyes looking at everything but Levi, “I was thinking that it would be detrimental if we got together outside of class to work on--”

“Yes.” 

Erwin stops talking and finally meets Levi’s gaze. He still holds that icy look but his eyes are soft.

“I mean, sure. Great. Whatever you want, Blondie.” Levi says in his deadpan tone. 

If Levi were smiling on the outside, he’d look like an utter fool.

Chapter Text

“So you don’t think it was supernatural?” Hange asks as they lean against the locker, arms crossed as they engage in a deep conversation with Erwin regarding the film they saw separately the night before. 

Erwin is facing the inside of his locker, placing his text books inside, “Well, it could be but I like to think that the family was actually hallucinating from ergot. It was discovered that the fungus in the bread caused dizziness, convulsions and psychosis— amongst other things and people were eating moldy bread a lot back then .” Erwin explains, “I think the family ingested ergot and began to hallucinate everything that leads to their downfall. The witch, Black Phillip, their own paranoia and their hate for Thomasin.” 

Hange frowns, “What about the baby though? He just disappeared like nothing? And the first son? He came back all possessed.” 

Erwin pauses, thinking his argument over. “Hmm, you have a point there. But think of it this way—“ 

-

Levi slowly peeks out from behind the door of his locker, one single eye peering down the hall where Erwin is standing at his locker speaking with Four-Eyes. 

Hange’s his neighbor and Levi hasn’t hung out with them in a long time. They played together a lot as kids, though it was mostly one sided. Once Hange realized a kid their age lived in the neighborhood, they went over almost every day asking “Can Levi come out and play?” And of course his parents encouraged him to go out with the weird little gapped toothed kid with the big glasses that talked too fast and refused to wash their hands. It was overwhelming for kid Levi but deep inside he liked the distraction. He wouldn’t admit it and was often mean to Hange. He would scold them and constantly complain about their dirty hands and scraped up knees. But Hange was just a kid being a kid. Nonetheless, they stopped coming around during middle school. Levi supposed they had met Erwin and their other friends. But perhaps it was his fault. He started to avoid them upon hitting puberty. 

It was just too weird of a time for Levi. He had realized that he liked boys a little more than just being friends with them. His voice had started to crack and morning erections freaked him out. It was overwhelming and embarrassing and all around confusing. He didn’t need Hange around to point out his incoming body odor. It would have been the end of the world for him. 

Still, if he knew they were friends with Erwin, Levi would have just gone over in hopes that Erwin would be there. He frowns to himself, feeling guilty. No, he can’t let himself be that desperate. Or that shitty of a person. Even if Hange terrorized him with bugs they found, they don’t deserve to be used like that. 

The two nerdy friends are talking animatedly, like they’re in some kind of heavy discussion. About what? Levi doesn’t know. What do nerds talk about? Homework? The Discovery Channel? Their D&D campaign? Levi can’t even begin to guess. 

Isabel closes her locker and notices Levi. Furlan does as well. 

“Are you staring at him?” Furlan raises a brow, looking up from his phone. 

“He reminds me of Wildest Dreams…” Levi murmurs absentmindedly as he buries his head back into his locker, losing all hope. 

Isabel’s face contorts with confusion, “Isn’t that a Taylor Swift song?” She looks at Furlan who is just staring at Levi. 

“Taylor’s version or —“ Furlan begins to ask Levi. 

“Wait, you listen to Taylor—“ Isabel asks immediately, too curious to let it go. 

“Shh. Isabel not now. Levi is having a moment.” Furlan cuts her off, completely avoiding the question. 

Isabel rolls her eyes and secures her messenger bag to herself, “Levi’s been having moments. He looks like a creep.” She looks at Levi and raises a disapproving brow, “Staring like that. Knock it off, bro. It’s cute but you’re starting to scare me.” 

“I’m not a creep.” Levi says, his voice echoing in his locker. He hangs his head, utterly love sick. The tips of his bangs hang over his hazy eyes and he lazily taps his index finger on the locker. It’s been a day since Erwin gave him his number and he still hasn’t had the guts to text him. How many days should he wait? Will he sound too eager if he texts him right away? 

“Ok sure. Whatever you say, Sir Pines-A-Lot.” Isabel sighs, “I’m going to class. You two better do the same.” She turns and makes her way down the hall. “I mean it, stop skipping class so close together.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Furlan waves her off, “We’ll make it there.” 

-

“Want a smoke?” Furlan asks as he jumps to sit on one of the sinks in the boy’s restroom. 

“Nah, I’m good.” Levi leans against the wall. 

They, in fact, did not make it to class. 

Furlan isn’t interested in making it to English and Levi came to the conclusion that he doesn’t care about his classes if Erwin isn’t in them. So far only world history matters in his book. 

“Did you text your boyfriend yet?” Furlan asks.

Levi rolls his eyes, “Smith isn’t my boyfriend.” 

Yet. The little voice in his head says. Levi stiffens and he looks away. 

“And I haven’t yet.” He had told his friends about receiving Erwin’s number the day before. Levi had gone home feeling like he could fly. He didn’t even care when Mikasa called him “Bubba” when he arrived home. However, when it came to actually texting him, he had become a little hesitant. 

“You should text him.” Furlan encouraged him. 

“Furlan—“ 

“C’mon, Levi! You like him don’t you?“ Furlan’s question is earnest and Levi can sense the seriousness in his tone but he feels himself shut down on the matter. 

Levi frowns, “Yeah but that doesn’t mean I have to do anything about it.” 

“Pfft. At this rate you’ll die a virgin.” Furlan digs into his backpack and brings out a piece of gum instead of the pack of smokes he swiped from Oluo. 

“Fuck off, man.” Levi pushes himself off the wall and crosses the restroom. It’s the least used one in the whole school. He reaches into his backpack and brings out a black permanent marker, scribbling on the wall with it. He draws Koko the Clown’s Ghost giving the finger. “I don’t care about that shit.” 

Furlan shrugs, “Whatever dude, just text him. He gave you his number for a reason. He’s probably expecting it.”

Levi’s still scribbling away. “Let him wait then.”

Furlan laughs, “That’s fucked up. Smith’s kind of nice.” He shrugs and brings out his phone to look through his socials. “Have you seen the way Jaeger picks on him? That dude’s been on his case since freshman year.”

Levi finishes drawing Koko and above him writes: SIOUXSIE RULES. 

He feels the anger boiling inside of him when he thinks of Zeke. There’s just something about the attention he gives Erwin that Levi doesn’t like. And it isn’t just the fact that Zeke bullies him. Levi’s seen it first hand, it feels personal. “Just let Jaeger try something.” he tries to draw something else but the marker is going dry, “I’ll fucking wipe the floor with his face.” 

Furlan raises his brows, “Protective of Smithy Boy, aren’t we?” 

Levi scoffs at the name, “Don’t call him that.” He tosses the marker over his shoulder and turns, leaving the restroom in a silent, angry stride, leaving Furlan behind, confused and with his tongue tied. 

-

Erwin sits in class, distracted. He’s checked his phone multiple times but Levi has yet to text him. He wonders if he did the right thing in offering Levi his number and hopes he didn’t offend Levi in any way. Of course not, it’s for the project. Erwin tells himself. He slouches in his chair, finicking with his pen. 

Maybe the reason Levi hasn’t texted him is because of said reason? If they haven’t decided much on their project, there isn’t much to talk about yet. Erwin chews the inside of his cheek, he didn’t think that one through. He sits up and scribbles on his notebook until his pen forms the letter “L”. Erwin feels himself melt and drops his head on the desk, his arms cushion the blow. 

Hange sits next to him, eyeing him with curiosity. It isn’t like him to be so distracted in class. Their teacher is feeding them gold and he’s yet to ask a million questions. Erwin supposes that it doesn’t matter. He’ll see Levi in class and maybe then they can set something for their project, he doesn’t need to text--

Erwin feels his phone vibrate in the pocket of his jeans and immediately freezes. Slowly, he leans back against his chair and carefully brings his phone out, hiding it on his lap. It’s a random, unsaved number followed by:

Hey Blondie, it’s Levi. 

Erwin’s smile widens from ear to ear and his feet bounce a little. He catches his reaction and settles down. Silently cleaning his throat and relaxing his body. His eyes sneak their way up to his teacher to make sure she hasn’t noticed him with his phone out. Sure enough, her back is to the class, writing something on the board. 

Erwin looks back down to his phone and rereads Levi’s text. Levi calls him Blondie. He likes that. With quick thumbs, Erwin writes a response. 

Hey Levi, what’s up? 

He stares at his response, wondering if it’s good enough. It feels a little dry. He deletes it and rewrites his message. 

Hi! 

Erwin frowns. It sounds too short, too cold and too disinterested. 

Hi, Levi!!!

Should he add so many exclamation points? Maybe that makes him sound too desperate. He deletes his response again, growing a bit frustrated with himself. Erwin is a smart young man, he’s quick to come up with solutions but he’s realized that with Levi, he forgets how to function. Like what was that about the yogurt? He sounded like a total idiot! Levi must think he’s a total loser and is only entertaining their texts as a way to secure himself a good grade. It’s happened before, kids befriend him just to use him for his notes or homework answers.

No, Levi’s not like that. Levi’s different. 

Hey Levi :) what’s up? 

That should be good enough, right? Erwin doesn’t second guess himself and presses send. His heart is wildly beating in his chest and his stomach whirls with anticipation. He makes sure to save Levi’s number and is about to put his phone away when Levi responds. 

Thought you should have my number…are you texting in class? You don’t look like the type to break the rules. 

Erwin bites back a little laugh. So is that how Levi sees him? As a nerd that follows all the rules? Erwin doesn’t mind it, it's kind of true after all. 

Erwin: Already saved. Yes, I am. I’m not a total dork, you know :p 

Levi: I’d beg to differ, Smith. 

Erwin: lol sorry, can’t be as cool as you are. 

Levi: You think I’m cool? 

Erwin: Mm yeah, I think so. 

Levi doesn’t respond for a little while that time but Erwin figures he might be busy in class. After a few minutes pass, he receives another text. 

Levi: You’re a dork. 

Erwin finds it hard to contain his smile. It’s just simple banter but he can’t help himself. 

-

“What’s going on?” Hange asks when they exit the classroom after the bell rings. They’ve been eyeing Erwin all class and are dying to know what he’s got going on. He looks like he just won the lottery with that big goofy grin and that glint in his eyes. 

Erwin looks at them, none the wiser, “What do you mean?” He fixes his browline glasses. 

“Erwin, I’m not dumb.” Hange wiggles their eyebrows, “Wait a minute…are you texting someone?!” They almost shout into the hall. 

“Hange!” Erwin looks around, alarmed of who might hear. He grabs Hange by the shoulder with one hand and with the other puts his finger to his lips. “Keep it down, please!” 

“What? Why?” Hange looks around too and then their eyes widen, “Are they in the perimeter?!” 

Erwin groans, “It’s nothing like that.” 

“Erwin Smith, you Sneaky Snake.” Hange pushes him to the side so they’re out of the way of the other students, “Who were you flirting with all of class? And don’t lie! I saw the way you smiled at your phone.” They make a disgruntled face, “You look like Nile when Marie sends him a racy picture.” 

“I believe it's called a nude.” Erwin says in his intellectual know it all tone. He never realizes when he’s doing it so his friends tend to let it pass. 

Hange rolls their eyes, “Okay, thanks for the term, Professor.” 

Erwin misses their sarcasm, “You’re welcome.”

Hange tilts their head back and groans, “Erwin! Tell me! C’mon, I’m your best friend, aren’t I?”

Erwin sighs, “You are my best friend but nothings going on.” He shrugs, “I’m just texting my partner for my Ancient Egypt project.” 

Hange crosses their arms and leans on the wall by the water fountain. “And whose that? Because I doubt Ancient Egypt has you that giddy.” Their glasses slide a little down their nose. 

“Levi.” Erwin answers casually like it's the most normal answer in the world. 

“Lev-- Ackerman? Thee Ackerman? ” Hange stands straight up, their expression doused in surprise.  

“Yeah. Mr. Arlert partnered us together.” Erwin explains with a little shrug. 

A sly smile crosses Hange’s lips, “Well, well, well. I didn’t know the dark, quiet and rebellious bad boy was your type.” 

Erwin’s eyes widen and his face turns red, “What?” He steps back, laughing nervously, “Why-- why would Levi be my type? Levi’s a guy. A guy. I-- I don’t think-- you see, it’s because--”

Hange sighs heavily, they wrap their arm around Erwin’s shoulder and leads him down the hall in the direction of their second period. “For a smart guy, you’re pretty stupid.”

“I don’t follow.” Erwin’s cheeks are still ruddy red. 

“Erwin, you’re my best friend. I know you. Like very well. Besides, birds of a feather flock together.” They smile and pat his cheek. “Tell me all about it when you’re ready.” 

Erwin sighs but smiles at Hange, “Thanks, Hange.” 

“But make it sooner rather than later!” They cackle, patting his back hard. 

He laughs, wincing slightly, “Sure.”

-

The day goes by extremely slowly for Levi. He ditches the majority of his classes to linger around the school and hide out in the bathroom to text Erwin. They’ve kept a steady stream of texts throughout the school day but Levi is itching to see him in class. Alas, lunch hour has arrived and he’s sitting out on the quad bench by the art building with his friends. He leans against the wall, eyes occasionally looking ahead to steal quick glances at Erwin’s table. The tall blond sits with his friends on the round bench, his smile is contagious and Levi wonders what he’s telling them. 

He pushes his glasses up his strong nose and laughs at something that Berner kid says. Levi has yet to respond to Erwin’s latest text. It’s been almost an hour and he’s not sure how to respond to it. He brings out his phone, hiding underneath the table and reads it over. 

That’s very cool. I’ve actually never seen that one believe it or not but I’d like to one day :)

Somehow their conversation turned into the topic of movies. Erwin had asked what his schedule looks like regarding a time they could meet to work on their project, which then led to Erwin mentioning his Film Club after school most days. And so their movie discussion began. Levi brought up the movie Puppet Master which Erwin hasn’t seen. Now Levi is left wondering if Erwin’s last text is some kind of open invitation to watch it or if it’s just a mere comment. 

Levi drowns out the sound of his friends talking. Isabel and Nanaba are in a deep discussion about roller skate brands and Furlan is stuffing his face with cheese pizza. Levi’s basket of french fries are untouched. All he can focus on is the nerdy blond boy across the quad. 

Levi unlocks his phone, frustrated with himself and texts Erwin back. 

I have it on DVD…

Yes, suggestive. He likes it. It’s bold. It implies that he wants to hang out outside of the school and outside of their project. He feels his stomach go nauseous and quickly adds:

You can borrow it if you want.

And sends the text. 

Fuck! You dumbass. Levi looks up to see if he receives the text. He waits and watches as Erwin pauses what he’s doing to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. Levi’s heart is beating wildly against his chest, it's so loud in his ears. His fingers jitter and he feels the need to bite his nails. Levi’s plump lips part slowly as he watches Erwin stare down at his screen. A wide smile graces his handsome face as he reads the text he just received. Levi’s text. Levi watches the way Erwin bites his bottom lip and texts something on his phone. He then casually turns off his screen and sticks his phone back into his pocket. 

Levi’s phone vibrates immediately. The feel of it alarms him and he almost drops the phone. Levi eagerly looks at his screen. 

 I’ll take you up on that offer. Maybe we can watch it together after one of our project meetups?

The next thing Furlan and Isabel know, Levi’s head is hitting the table. 

“Oh, shit!” Nanaba gasps.

“Levi!” Isabel jumps to her feet to check on him. 

“Dude! You okay?” Furlan shouts with a mouth full of pizza but Levi’s soul has left his body and gone to heaven.

-

Levi heads to world history shortly after the bell rings. When he looks up from the table, Erwin has already left the quad so he decides to follow suit. He bids farewell to his friends and goes into the school, making his way through the student filled hallways. He pulls out his phone and rereads Erwin’s text. He has yet to answer. 

Speaking of the tall blond dork, Levi sees him down the hall, heading in the direction of his locker. His head is slightly hung, looking down at his phone in his hand. Levi feels his pace quicken to catch up to him but before he can, he sees Zeke walking up the hall. He walks in that cool stride of his, with his hands in his pockets, his feather soft hair is slightly brushed back with an easy hand. Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Zeke’s eyes darken when he notices Erwin stop at his locker to pick up his history book. A sly smile crosses his handsome yet smug face and he makes a straight line for Erwin. 

Not on my watch, you fucking animal. He steps out from behind Erwin without saying a word, expressionless eyes staring deep into Zeke’s gaze. 

Zeke’s eyes widen when he sees Levi step in front of Erwin and something similar to fear crosses his face. He quickly wipes the expression from his face and takes a step back, changing his direction and ignoring them completely. 

Erwin barely notices Levi and looks up from his locker in surprise. “Levi?” He looks over his shoulder, completely missing Zeke. He never even saw him. 

Levi turns around to face him. He’s always taken back by the sheer size of Erwin. He feels himself gulp and his stomach whirls. How heavenly would it feel to have Erwin’s body pressed against his own.

He tilts his head back slightly to meet those precious blue eyes, forcing his feet to stay upon solid ground. “Sup, Blondie.”

Erwin smiles so warmly when he looks at Levi, “Are you headed to class?” Levi swears his eyes shine but he’s sure it's just his imagination. 

Levi nods. “Mhm.”

“Want to walk together?” Erwin’s smile turns sheepish. He suddenly looks very shy. 

Only if you hold my hand. Levi’s mind thinks and he feels himself stiffen at his racy thoughts. He clears his throat and shrugs carelessly, “If you want.”

“Yeah. I want.” Erwin answers and quickly closes his locker as if Levi will change his mind if he doesn’t hurry up.

-

The two teens make their way to class, walking in the same easy stride. Erwin is so nervous, trying to keep himself calm, cool and collected. Yet, he can’t believe he’s walking with Levi. Their height difference is astronomical but Erwin doesn’t mind that. He likes it. 

He imagines himself picking Levi up off the floor, pushing him against the wall and kissing him. Erwin’s brain malfunctions for half a second, shocked with his own boldness. There’s no way he’s having such daring thoughts. 

“How’s your day been?” Erwin asks as they make their way through the crowd, trying to think of anything but ravaging the shorter teen at his side. He tilts his head, looking at Levi. All his attention on him. 

Levi shrugs, he almost looks like he’s trying to keep his composure. He kind of seems nervous but Erwin is sure he’s misreading things, “It’s been whatever.” He seems a lot more talkative through texts but that’s okay. Erwin figures he’s just shy. 

“I suppose that's a good thing?” Erwin cautiously studies him. Levi’s got the cutest, roundest cheeks. How can someone with such cute cheeks be so rebellious and bad? Whatever he did to get suspended the year before is surely justified. 

Levi feels Erwin’s eyes still on him. He looks away, too shy to look at him at that moment. “Yeah, suppose so.” Is all he manages to say. “Um…” Levi’s voice lingers a little, “How about yours?” 

“Really good.” Erwin perks up, thrilled that Levi asks. His texts made Erwin’s day but he’s not going to weird him out by admitting that. “But it’s getting better.” He says with the shrug of a shoulder and pushes his glasses up. 

Suddenly, a freshman boy comes running from up the hall with a friend chasing behind him. They push past Erwin causing him to bump against Levi. Erwin reaches up to place a hand on Levi’s shoulder and holds him steady. “Oof! Ah, sorry about that.” 

“You- you can do that.” Levi mutters like word vomit but Erwin doesn’t catch what he says beneath the freshman’s loud laughter and shouts. 

“Hmm?” Erwin looks down at Levi, a little confused. 

Levi averts his gaze, “Nothing.” 

Erwin laughs a little, “You okay?” 

Levi’s face turns a shade of red and he stutters. “Yeah. Never better.” 

Erwin shakes his head at the younger teens but says nothing further on the matter.

-

They reach their classroom and Erwin opens the door for him, stepping aside to let him in first. Levi is a little taken back but nods, “Thanks...” And steps into the classroom. 

The two of them sit down and Levi can’t help but to watch Erwin bring out his notebook and pen from his backpack, that dumb little shark keychain hanging there. Everything about Smith is just so damn appealing. His red corduroy backpack, the little shark keychain with his name on it. His forest green and navy blue windbreaker with the red and yellow patterns across the sleeves, his light blue jeans that are cuffed at the bottom-- 

Levi’s eyes quickly dart to the bottom of Erwin’s jeans. They’re cuffed. Levi remembers the bisexual stereotype regarding cuffed jeans and shirts and wants to laugh but keeps himself from it. Instead, he lets his gaze travel up Erwin’s neck. His skin is slightly tanned and Levi wonders if he spends much time outdoors. At one point, Erwin raises his hand and Levi takes the opportunity to admire it. Long, sturdy fingers, short clean nails, a writer’s callus sits proudly on his ring finger. Levi just knows his hands are warm. 

He lets his cheek drop onto his hand and exhales. Smith will be the end of him. But what a sweet end it will be. 

For the last half hour of class, Mr. Arlert lets his students get together in their groups. Erwin picks up his things and sits down on the empty desk in front of Levi. Levi notices from the corner of his eye as Frieda looks at Erwin with a small look of disappointment that Erwin doesn’t even notice. She gets up and goes to sit with her group. Erwin turns around with his notebook and pen in hand. 

“So for the essay, I was thinking we could split it in parts? Same goes for the PowerPoint.” He sets the notebook on his lap and begins to scribble away.

Levi raises a brow, watching him in mild disbelief. He’s like a completely different person when his brain is in academic mode. Erwin bites his bottom lip, his expression turns pensive as he writes. “Five paragraphs.” He raises his hand and counts with those precious fingers that Levi wants nothing more than to feel inside of him, “Hook, topic sentence, thesis, main ideas, restate thesis, restate topic sentence and conclusion.” 

Levi’s lips part and his Adam's apple moves when he swallows, imagining the feeling of Erwin’s fingers opening his hole. Holy fuck… Levi is thirsty with racing thoughts of Erwin fucking him. He feels dizzy and leans back, slowly sinking into his chair. He begins to feel guilty about having such thoughts while Erwin’s just sitting there, stupidly innocent and unaware. 

“Am I forgetting anything?” He looks at Levi.

Levi stiffens. Is Smith giving him a boner in the middle of class? Fucking hell, Smith. Stop looking at me like that. Levi shakes his head. Erwin nods and looks back down to his notebook. Dammit, you’re such a fucking nerd. Levi’s expression softens and so does his heart. Erwin is a nerd and he has absolutely fallen head over heels for him. 

-

When Levi arrives home later that evening, he finds the house completely empty. His mother went out to run some errands and took Mikasa with her while his father is at work. Levi carefully takes his shoes off at the door and closes the door behind him. He goes upstairs and heads straight for the shower, feeling sticky after his hot car ride home. He locks the door behind him and undresses as the water begins to heat up. 

Once the water is hot enough and to his liking, Levi steps under the stream and lets the soothing water fall upon his exhausted muscles, relaxing the tension he’s been holding since world history. Levi tilts his head back, feeling the heat swim through his jet black locks. He lets out a heavy sigh. Finally, it was a hell of the day and he’s not even halfway through the week. His mind recollects the events of the day, reminding him of Erwin’s texts and their small conversation on their way to class. Levi liked the way he felt when he saw Zeke cower in his presence. His days of picking on Erwin are over. He will never lay another finger on him if Levi can help it. 

Erwin.

Tall, blond, intelligent, dorky and absolutely gorgeous Erwin. With his goofy smile and warm laugh. Those fading freckles that delicately grace the bridge of his nose are too much for Levi to handle. Levi rests his head on the shower wall and closes his eyes. Erwin fills every inch of his thoughts and there’s no way of stopping it. But Levi doesn’t want it to stop. He wants to think of Erwin, dream of him, and see him at school. He wants to see him in his room, on his bed, beneath him and on top. Levi wants him every which way and it's driving him insane. 

Slowly, he begins to feel the all too familiar feeling grow between his legs. His dick hardens beneath the hot water that runs down his body. Levi keeps his eyes closed and gently wraps his fingers around his erection, firmly grasping it. He lets out a low moan as his wet lips part. 

“Fuck…” he moans lowly as his hand works its way up and down. He thinks of Erwin and his stomach flips and he grows even more eager for the feel of his hand. He quickens his pace as he imagines Erwin’s strong hands grab him from behind, tightening around his waist. He thinks of his lips grazing the back of his neck as his hot breath tickles his ear.

Levi begins to breathe harder as his grasp tightens, moving up and down, then circling around the head of his penis. What would Erwin’s lips feel like around his cock, taking him whole in his mouth? 

“Fuck…fuck…Smith…” Levi groans. The sound of the water begins to slosh, making squelching noises as he begins to get closer and closer. 

Levi’s free hand turns into a fist, pushed against the wall as his other quickly brings him to the edge. He thinks of Erwin’s voice, it's soft yet deep with a boyish charm to it, young and carefree. When he spoke about their paper, he held an authoritative tone. Levi imagines him using that stern tone to whisper dirty words into his ear, to tell him how sweet he looks bent over like a good boy. Is Erwin capable of doing that? Can he take that academic, know it all tone of his and put it to work in ways that will make Levi see stars? He seems so innocent, so sweet and inexperienced. Levi wants to be the one to show him, to help him find out what he likes, what he’s capable of. To break the rules and corrupt him down right dirty. 

Levi bucks his hips, fucking his own hand as fast as he can. “Smith, Smith!…” He moans, “I’m coming…ngghh..I’m coming!” He reaches that sweet climax and his body tenses as he comes. It feels like he unloads for a long time, riding that delicious wave of ecstasy. He continues to imagine Erwin. His hands, his lips, the sound of his laughter. The sweet image of kissing his lips. Fuck, does Levi want him bad. So damn bad. 

When he comes down, Levi’s shoulders slump and he rests his head against the wall, his breathing heavy. Slowly he opens his eyes, catching his breath. He’s never come so hard or so damn fast before by just using his hand alone. “Fuck.” he groans, feeling embarrassed for coming to the thought of Erwin and how quickly the mere thought of him made him finish quickly. It just felt so heavenly. 

Seeing him face to face is going to be awkward. Levi looks down at his feet where he sees the little loads of white liquid circle the drain and disappear. He sighs and reaches for the body wash. How the hell is he going to get through their project? 

-

The basement gig is loud as shit. Levi can barely hear himself think amongst the black clothed, chain smoking, leather wearing crowd. There is a Billy Idol cover band on the makeshift stage playing “White Wedding”. He leans against the back wall, setting his black Creeper shoe against it for better comfort. He’s dressed in black from head to toe with a studded belt and his favorite black leather jacket, an heirloom from his deceased biological mother. He looks at his nails, chipping off the black nail polish, growing a little bored out of his mind. It’s Friday night and the whole gang begged him to join them for the Dark Wave gig in West Hollywood. Mike stands next to him along with Oluo, Nanaba, Isabel and Furlan. Tomas, Dieter and Nifa are there too. They talk to one another, practically shouting in each other’s ears, passing back cans of Pabts Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life amongst one another.

The band is in the middle of their set and a pit has formed in front of the small makeshift stage. People push each other around, rocking out to the music, hands and fists in the air. Levi occasionally looks over to the band towards the far end of the basement. The crowd isn’t as rough as other gigs he’s been at but he has noticed a pair of eyes constantly looking his way. 

Levi slowly blinks in their direction to see a cute crust punk boy with dirty blond hair and chestnut eyes. He looks back at Levi and smiles before turning back to his friends. Levi glances away, bored. The crust punk is most likely older than him, not that he cares unless they want to catch a case but that night his fake I.D. is burning a hole in his pocket and he’s feeling restless.  

The rest of the school week was a complete whirlwind of embarrassing moments for him. He and Erwin had yet to come up with an after school meeting time to work on their project but had time in class to do so and Levi had nothing to show for it. Nothing but stuttered answers and frustrated bashfulness. Levi had a hard time looking Erwin in the eyes after he fapped it to him in the shower. Still, it is one of the best hand jobs he has ever given himself. 

Their texting had also continued but Levi never gave him an answer to Puppet Master. He left Erwin on read for a couple of hours until Erwin double texted him, changing the subject. They continued on from there. Levi really wants to set something up, any excuse to see Erwin. Hell, Pupper Master creeps him the fuck out but he’ll put up with it if it means being around Erwin. 

Every moment Levi spends talking to the nerdy boy, the more his crush sinks its teeth into him. Erwin is so articulate and his study strategies are almost flawless. He’s very organized and talks about Osiris like he practically worships him, himself. Everything he reads amazes him. Levi is less impressed with what he’s learned so far, school really isn't his thing but he has come to realize that he likes seeing that glee and excitement in Erwin’s eyes. No wonder the other students flock to him when they need help. He’s like a walking encyclopedia. 

Levi begins to feel a strange feeling at the pit of his stomach when he thinks of the nerdy boy. Does he miss him?

Tsk! As if. 

Levi denies it. He might as well be floating in “the river of denial”. He wants to punch himself for that stupid pun. Erwin is starting to rub off on him. That Friday afternoon in class, he told Levi, “Never trust an Atom, they make up everything.” with a smug little smile. Levi wanted to punch him then and there but his adorable laugh as he continued to jot down notes melted Levi into a puddle. Smith makes himself laugh and Levi finds that to be very endearing. 

That adorable son of a bitch. How fucking dare he make me laugh at a pun. 

Levi silently scowls to himself at the memory from earlier that day and sets his attention back on the band. Fuck, he misses Smith. He fucking misses the nerd. His smile, his clumsy movements, and his stupid puns. He thinks about his phone resting in his back pocket. Erwin hasn’t texted him back, Levi assumes he’s with friends. He did mention something about a Haunted Hill board game or rather. He must be playing that now. 

“Want some beer?” Mike shouts in his ear. 

Levi waves the can away with his hand, “Nah, I’m good.” 

Mike is already a bit buzzed, “What? You’re not drinking tonight? C’mon Short Stuff.” Mike sure scolds Levi a lot for someone who constantly offers beer to a minor. He places his hand behind Levi’s neck and gives him a friendly squeeze and shake, “C’mon! Pit! Pit! Pit!” He throws his fist in the air and Furlan, Tomas and Dieter follow after him, shouting and pushing their way through the already drunk crowd. 

Levi exhales. It’s a perfect basement gig with just the right amount of cheap beer and weed. He can feel everyone’s good time through their heartfelt shouts and the movement of their bodies whether they’re up at the front or slowly swaying in the back. He’s about to turn his attention to the girls to join in their conversation when he feels a presence step in front of him. 

“Hey!” He hears the shout amongst the music and the shouts of the crowd. 

Levi looks up to see the blond crust punk that has been eyeing him the whole time. Levi doesn’t come across many crust punks outside of their scene so the young man oddly catches his attention. But what is it with these blond boys? It’s like Levi has a type. 

“Hey, yourself.” Levi says back, his tone cool and mildly uninterested. 

“You smoke?” He asks. 

Levi shakes his head. 

“Drink?”

“Not unless it's liquor.” He keeps those icy eyes on him, expression totally unimpressed and unwavering. 

“Oh. Sweet. I got you then.” The punk reaches into his jacket vest and brings out a small bottle of Jameson. Now he has Levi’s full attention. “Like to share?”

Levi raises a brow, his foot still on the wall behind him, arms crossed, “What’s in it for you?” 

The punk boy leans in closer to him so he can hear him better. Levi’s smooth voice tickles his ear and his smile widens in excitement. “Your company, I guess.” He tells Levi back. 

Levi scoffs, “That so?” The punk boy smells of cigarettes and sweat but that’s to be expected due to the tight enclosure they find themselves in. 

“So is that a yes?” He offers Levi the bottle of Jameson.

“Why the fuck not.” Levi shrugs and takes the unopened bottle. If it had been open he would have downright declined but since it’s still closed tight, Levi does not mind taking the first sip. Sip? As if. He takes a long gulp of pure Irish Whiskey and swallows it in one go. He grits his teeth as the taste of pure liquor warms his mouth and burns down his throat. He suddenly feels warmer inside. He hands the bottle back to the punk boy and pats his shoulder, “Thanks.” Levi then suddenly and very casually strands up straight and walks away, leaving the punk boy a little stumped. 

Levi leaves the basement and goes up the stairs of the venue, ignoring the “Hey, wait!” of unwanted company. 

That kid can provide Levi with all the liquor and flirty remarks but he’s no Erwin Smith and Levi doesn’t want anyone who isn’t Erwin Smith. 

-

The song “Master of Puppets” plays through Paradis Records as a small influx of people trickle in and out of the small record shop. Levi sits on the wooden stool behind the register with Mike as he checks people out. It's Saturday afternoon and Levi is sulking like always. “Hey, man. Are you gonna help or are you just gonna sulk there?” Mike asks after finishing up a transaction.  

His eyes are slightly gaunt and he looks pale. His dirty blond hair is slightly messy and he yawns. 

Levi rests his elbow on the back counter and rests his cheek on his fist, looking absolutely bored. Mike is hung over as shit and Tomas, who was supposed to open up shop with Mike, called off for the same reasons. They all got hammered at the gig the night before, everyone but Levi who left early. 

“And where the hell did you go last night?” Mike asks, “Nanaba said some punk kid was chatting you up and you just up and left. That true?” 

Levi shrugs meekly, “Got bored.”

“He offend you or something?” Mike leans against the counter and crosses his arms. He’s got that dad tone in his voice. 

Levi shakes his head, remembering the hungry look in the punk’s eyes. He’s come across a lot of boys like that. It's usually the younger ones, around his age or Mike’s age that come sniffing at his door. Levi’s demeanor always comes off as if he’s older than he is. But that young face of his doesn’t lie. Not to mention the fact that he hangs around places for people of legal age, sneaking in with a fake I.D. It's bound to happen. 

“No. Quite the opposite.” 

“So some crust punk wants to fuck and you bail?”

Levi shrugs again, “I don’t know where he’s been.”

Mike tilts his head back and laughs, “That’s fucked up but alright, you make a good point.” he then groans, “I ain’t drinking another Pabts in my life.” 

Levi scoffs, “I call bullshit.” 

The little bell above the door rings, alarming the two that customers have arrived. Mike notices when Levi does a double take and immediately drops behind the counter to hide. 

Confused, Mike looks to the three teens that just walked in. They seem normal enough, pretty dorky, probably will head to the Indie pop section, “Hey, welcome in.” He says lazily but friendly enough. 

“Hi.” They say back and filter in, spreading out through the shop. 

Levi carefully peeks his head from behind the counter, gripping the old wood with the tips of his fingers. His eyes scan the shop until he sees Erwin. No fucking way. There ain’t no way Blondie just walked into Paradis. 

“You alright there, Bond?” Mike asks. 

“Shh! I’m not here.” Levi hisses. 

Mike makes a face and kneels down to hide along with him. He’s too old for this shit and way too fucking hungover, “Are you hiding from these kids?” 

Levi ignores him. 

“Do you owe them money?” He then frowns immediately, “Whose mom’s car did you key?”

“No one’s!” Levi whispers, annoyed. “Why do you always assume I did something bad?”

“Because I fucking know you, you little delinquent.”

“I already told you, I didn’t set that dumpster on fire!” Levi retorts, he knows exactly what Mike is referring to. 

Mike snorts, “Why are you so scared then? Don’t tell me one of them is that crush you told me about?” 

Levi carefully peeks behind the counter again. Mike watches the way Levi’s body stiffens at his question. The way his eyes widen a little and his lips part slightly. He looks like he just saw the world’s seventh wonder. 

“Oh, fuck.” Mike stands to his feet, his eyes scan across the shop until they land on the group of three that just walked in. Two of them are off on their own, giggling amongst each other as they skim through the records together. The third, the tall blond one with the 80s windbreaker and black colored Xenomorph T-Shirt, is calmly looking through the metal section. He’s a dorky looking kid, third wheeling at best. But Mike catches the way Levi looks at him and only him. The other two aren’t even on his radar. 

It then clicks in Mike’s head. The light switch turns on. A laugh escapes him, “Holy fuck Levi, you’re in love with Freaks and Geeks over there?” He gestures at Erwin with his thumb. 

Levi drops himself behind the counter again so Smith won’t see him, “Shut the fuck up, Mike!” He hisses, lowering his voice so he won’t be heard. “You’re loud as shit.” 

Mike leans on the counter, “Go talk to him. He’s over there all by himself.” He crosses his arms, greatly amused at this. And to think he almost called off due to the major hangover he’s nursing at the moment. 

“Fuck off.” Levi waves him off. 

“Come on, man. Don’t be a fucking pussy.” Mike looks down at him, keeping his voice down as well. He doubts the trio can hear them talking. The music is playing at a reasonable level around the shop and the three teens aren’t the only people in there. 

“That’s an outdated misogynistic term and fuck you.” Levi argues back, continuing to hide himself from Erwin. Burrowing himself behind the counter like a little gopher. 

Mike looks from Levi to Erwin and back to Levi. “Good thing you're small, man.” 

Levi frowns, a little confused, “What?”

Mike reaches down and grabs Levi, lifting him up from the floor and practically drags him around the counter. Levi squirms, surprised by the sudden attack. “Let go, you fuck!” 

“Nah, you’re being a bitch! Go talk to him!” They argue in hushed voices. Levi tries to break free the closer they get to Erwin but Mike’s grasp is firm and he shoves Levi towards Erwin. 

“No, no, you bi—“ He stops himself, standing in the middle of the aisle with Erwin mere feet away from him. His body tenses and he feels like a deer caught in the headlights. There’s just no way Erwin is there at the shop. What are the odds? Levi’s been going there for years, to shop or hang out with his buddies and he’s never seen Smith there. It’s like the universe is playing a game with him. 

“Heaven Is a Place on Earth” by Belinda Carlisle begins to play through the overhead speaker, traveling through the entire record shop. It then dawns on Levi. Fucking Mike , Levi’s hands turn into tight fists. He is going to kill him for changing the music. And why that song? Why? He even swears the music grows just a little louder. 

Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth? Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth! 

Erwin feels the presence of someone and slowly looks up. His eyes are soft like blue oceans but once they take notice of Levi, the waves begin to crash upon shores.

They say in Heaven, love comes first. We’ll make Heaven a place on Earth…

Levi catches his breath. He feels like he’s in Sixteen Candles . This cannot be happening. 

“Levi?” A smile crosses Erwin’s lips; he looks very surprised but happy to see him. 

Levi freezes, standing there awkwardly after being manhandled and shoved in his direction. “Uhh, hey Eyebrows. What’s up?” 

“Funny seeing you here.” Erwin says earnestly. He never seems to mind any of the nicknames Levi gives him. He takes one look around the place and then back at Levi, “Do you work here?” 

“Uh no, some friends do.” Levi suddenly feels awkward but his heart is racing. It’s the first time he’s talked to Erwin outside of school. He looks over to Mike who gives him a wide, cheesy smile and a thumbs up. Levi’s going to pummel him. Even if it's the last thing he does. 

“Oh, well that’s pretty cool. It’s a rad place to hang out.” 

Who says “rad” anymore? Smith, you’re killing me. Levi feels himself soften again in Erwin’s presence and his innocent yet dorky choice of words. 

“What are you buying?” Levi asks instead, not bothering to wait for a response. He grabs Erwin’s chosen records and looks through them. “Mayhem, Bathory, Epica? You listen to this?” He looks at Erwin with a very surprised expression and a questioning raised brow. 

Erwin smiles sheepishly, “Yeah, amongst other things.” He shrugs, “Why?” 

Levi shakes his head, “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a black metal fan is all. You seem…innocent..Like you listen to ABBA.” He then realizes his choice of phrasing and feels his stomach whirl. 

Erwin laughs, “ABBA? I mean ABBA isn’t bad. What’s wrong with ABBA?” He teases Levi slightly. It’s no secret to Erwin that he’s a total nerd. People probably wouldn’t expect him to listen to metal when he doesn’t dress the part. This boy is full of surprises. “I like Indie Rock too and Folk Metal. What do you listen to?” 

“Just you know, mostly New Wave, Post Punk. Stuff like that.” 

“That’s cool. Do you recommend a band?“ 

Levi looks into his eyes, he’s surprised that Erwin is interested. No one’s ever asked him that. He feels himself soften even more, “Uh, yeah,” he answers and hands Erwin back his records, “Like what?”

“Well, which one’s your favorite?” Erwin turns to face him fully. 

As if on auto pilot, Levi looks in the direction of the album he’s thinking of. He gestures and Erwin follows him through the shop without question. Levi plucks the vinyl without issue and hands it to the other senior. 

“This one. It’s my favorite of all time.” Levi says a little embarrassed. A soft pink tinge dusts his otherwise pale cheeks. 

Erwin takes it and studies the cover. The Cure: Disintegration. 

His smile is soft but he looks excited, “Is there a song in particular that you like the most?” 

Levi averts his gaze as his stomach twirls. Dammit, Smith. “Lovesong. I like it a lot.” 

“Cool, I’ll listen closely to that one then. Thanks Levi.” 

Levi’s stomach always flutters when Erwin says his name in that soft, kind tone. No one’s ever spoken his name like that. Not even the boys that have crawled over him with desperate hands to kiss his lips and feel his skin. None of them have ever looked at him as gently or as fondly as Erwin Smith does. 

Levi nods, “Yeah, sure whatever. I don’t care.” But he does care. He cares a lot. He then points at Erwin’s shirt. “Cool shirt by the way.”

“Thanks,” Erwin brightens up again, “It's my favorite Sci-fi franchise.” 

Levi chuckles softly, “You’re a dork, you know that?”

Erwin laughs lightly at his reaction and looks back down to check out the back of the record. “So I’ve been told.” 

“Oh, hey, Blondie?” 

“Yeah?” Erwin looks up from the record. 

Levi leans against the table of records, shoving his hands in his pockets. He tries to seem as casual as possible, “I found that Puppet Master DVD, for whenever you’re free.”

Erwin looks taken back by surprise but then he smiles that goofy grin of his. “Are you free tomorrow? I know it's Sunday but Monday is Labor Day so we have the day off from school.” He talks so fast Levi thinks he might run out of air. 

A gentle smile brushes Levi’s lips, amused by Erwin’s eagerness, “My place or yours?” 

Chapter Text

Erwin bursts into his room in a hurry, flying past his door without bothering to close it. He drops his backpack on the floor and sets the bag with the records inside carefully upon his desk. He pulls out The Cure record and hurries over to his record player. 

He sets the record in the player and picks up the needle, gently placing it on the fourth track. He steps back and sits upon the bed, eyes on the record as it begins to spin and the music starts to play. He feels something almost immediately. 

Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again. Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again…

Erwin’s heart begins to thump wildly against his chest. He feels his stomach whirl and tries to bite back the biggest smile that has ever brushed his lips. As he listens to the lyrics, Levi comes to mind. His smile softens, so this is his favorite song. 

Erwin thinks of their shared moment in the record shop, snippets of Levi cross his mind like scenes in a movie. That small smile of his, the way he looks to the side to avoid eye contact, his perfect hair style, his light teasing, it all makes Erwin’s heart flutter. 

Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am young again. Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am fun again…

Erwin falls back onto his bed, arms up and over his head. He stares up at his ceiling, feeling as if he’s floating on air. He can’t believe how light he feels as the music carries him up to what must be heaven. The music makes him feel so warm and alive. The thought of Levi’s smile, the look in his eyes and the sound of his light laughter. How can someone so precious be real? How is he real? 

Erwin places his hands on his upper stomach, replaying his moment with Levi in the shop over and over in his head. He listens to the lyrics and the feeling is a surreal one. 

“Levi…” Erwin speaks his name, “Levi, Levi, Levi.” He can say it a million times and never grow tired of hearing it. 

"Lovesong". It’s perfect. Now whenever he hears it, he’ll think of Levi. 

-

Molchat Doma plays from inside the warehouse, seeping loudly out into the empty parking lot overrun with weeds and youth dressed in black and platform shoes. Multiple rings of cigarette smoke rise into the night sky as sticks are bummed back and forth amongst the many small crowds that gather outside. 

“I don’t know what your deal is but you need to cool it, little rebel.” Mike gruffs as he pushes Levi forward, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt and denim jacket like a misbehaved kitten. Levi’s feet are slightly dragging, only putting up half a fight. 

He’s looking over his shoulder, flipping someone off, “Shove it up your ass, man!”

“Oi! Knock it off!” Mike gives him another shove and keeps pushing him through the crowded parking lot. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Levi slurs, buzzed up on rum. His cheeks are stained red and his eyes are slightly glossed over. 

Oluo, Tomas and Abel are gathered around the back of Mike’s 1974 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon with beers in hand, hidden in brown paper bags. 

“Look who I found trying to pick a fight with some dude two times his size.” Mike says as he pushes Levi into the circle. 

“I could have taken ‘em.” Levi wipes his lip with the back of his hand. There’s sweat on his forehead and his hair is tussled. 

“Yeah, Levi could have taken ‘em!” Oluo agrees, “Did you see how he took out Rasmus after the Traitrs show? BAM! Right in his fat throat.” He mimics a couple of punches. 

“I wish I could have seen that.” Abel tilts his head back and whines, “That dude’s a fucking prick.” 

“He’s a racist piece of shit. They should have let Levi obliterate his ass.” Tomas comments, making a face like the dude’s name leaves a bad taste in his mouth. 

“Fuck him too!” Levi gets a little riled up. 

Mike pushes Levi back until his ass hits the bed of the station wagon, ignoring their friends. “I said cool it. ”

Levi remains seated. He then takes one look at the back of the wagon and scoffs in disgust, “What the fuck man? It’s disgusting back here.” He shoves away a couple of water bottles. The back of the wagon is filled with old cassette tapes, bags of fast food and old clothes. Levi reaches into the pile and with the tip of his fingers lifts a soft pink lace bra. “What the-- eugh! ” He flings the bra towards the front seats. 

“Hey don’t lose that. Vanessa will kill me.” Mike smacks Levi’s arm and sits next to him. “And it’s just a bra, man. Girls wear them.” 

“I know what a bra is.” Levi bites back, “I don’t mind a bra or girls for that matter. It’s the fact that it's in the back of your nasty hunk of junk.” He rolls his head, stretching out the kinks in his neck, “It probably has fleas by now.” 

Mike snorts a laugh. Levi’s buzzed and now he’s sulking, “You’re a mean drunk, my dude.” 

Oluo leans over, laughing his guts off while Tomas pats his back heavily, “You lightweight son of a bitch!”

“Fuck off!”

“Ey, easy there.” Mike warns them, “Don’t get too rowdy, you dickheads.” 

“Found one!” Furlan declares as he approaches with a cigarette between his two fingers.

“You bum. You have no shame.” Tomas elbows him playfully. It’s just the boys that night. It’s past eleven and they’re up to their ankles in alcohol. Oluo ran out of his last cigarette and Furlan went to bum one off whoever was willing. 

“You alright there, Dennis the Menace?” Mike leans in closer to Levi, checking in on him. 

Levi glares at the nickname but doesn’t say anything regarding it. His head is a little woozy but the anger is slowly leaving his body. He had been fine until that asshole mentioned his height in a group of other drunk assholes and Levi saw red. There are two things that never fail to set Levi off: the mention of his height by strangers and any kind of slander towards his biological mother. 

“Yeah.” Levi mutters, “I’m not that drunk.” 

Mike looks him over. Levi was flying on air earlier that day. Talking with that blond dork really set him in a good mood. It is disheartening to see his good mood turn foul over a nobody, “Nervous about your date tomorrow?” He asks in order to distract him from his foul mood. 

Levi scoffs, “It isn’t a date. Shut up.” he turns his head, defiantly. He’s not quite drunk just yet but he’s heading there. 

Mike leans in even closer and takes a big whiff out of Levi’s hair. 

“What the shit! Stop doing that!” Levi covers his head, “Why do you do that?”

Mike squints his eyes. “It’s a date. Face it, Casanova. Once those legs touch, there ain’t no going back.” 

Levi frowns at this, cocking his head slightly. “I don’t follow.”

“Well, you’re watching a movie right?” Mike asks as he watches the three stooges mess around before them. Tomas has taken the cigarette from Furlan and raises it up in the air while Furlan jumps for it like a little circus monkey. 

“Yeah. At my place.” Levi confirms. 

“Cool, cool. So you know about the leg thing then?”

Levi’s confused frown deepens and his plump bottom lip puckers a little, “I feel like you’re fucking with me.”

“Nah, dude, I’m not. Look, it's like this-” He repositions himself so he’s facing forward. “When you’re sitting down next to each other and your legs brush together, that’s your cue that he’s into you so you go in for a kiss.”

The rum in his system makes Levi tilt his head back and laugh. They were out of whiskey so he chose his next favorite. “That’s the stupid thing I’ve ever fucking heard.” 

“No, I’m totally serious.”

“This sounds like some shit Furlan would say.” 

“Hey, I’m just telling you what I learned in school is all.” Mike puts his hands up, followed by a little shrug. He then stands up to his feet, “I need to take a piss.” 

Oluo, Abel and Tomas follow him, leaving Furlan behind who goes and sits next to Levi. He attempts to light his cigarette, now a little twisted, but can’t get his lighter to work. “What were ya guys talking about?” he asks casually. 

Levi ponders his answer for a moment, he doesn’t want to keep secrets from his best friend and besides, Mike is bound to spill the beans any day now. He tries to straighten his mind from the liquor that has made him a little loose. 

“I saw Smith today.” Levi confesses. 

Furlan tilts his head, “Dork Smith?”

Levi rolls his eyes, “Don’t call him that.” He rubs both temples with one hand. 

Furlan laughs, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend your boy toy.” 

The rum makes Levi giddy and he laughs, “Fuck off.” 

Furlan laughs too and manages to light the cigarette. He hands it to Levi and lets him have the first drag since he’s such a germaphobe. Levi eyes it for a moment. Fuck it. Why not? Levi takes a long drag and exhales. Something about hard liquor and smoking just go together. 

They’re silent for a moment, listening to the music vibrate through the warehouse walls. “Well, would you like to tell me about it?” Furlan uses that tone that reminds Levi why he’s his best friend. Even though Furlan can be immature and constantly cracks jokes, he’s a good person and cares deeply for Levi. Levi can always trust him. 

“I saw him at Paradis today and we talked for a while.” Levi tells him, “I recommended a record and he bought it.” Levi says with an easy tone. He hands the cigarette back to Furlan.

“Oh, cool. What record?” 

Levi hesitates for a bit, “...Disintegration.” 

Furlan snorts, “Way to confess your love to him.” 

“ What? How?” Levi snaps. 

Furlan laughs, “Pictures of You? Last Dance— LOVESONG?” His voice grows an octave louder, “Might as well have written him a love letter!” He laughs and taps the cigarette. 

Shit. Fuck. Furlan’s right. Even though "Lovesong" is his favorite song, the lyrics might come off a little strong. Levi groans and falls back, landing on Mike’s dirty laundry, too buzzed to care. “What the fuck, man?! What the shit!” 

Erwin “know it all” Smith will definitely figure out that Levi likes him. 

Furlan bursts out in more laughter, “Hey, don’t freak out, Levi. Maybe he won’t notice? …Then again, the dudes a freakin’ genius so he probably will.” 

Levi just groans like the world is about to end, covering his eyes with his fists. Furlan’s right, Blondie is a freakin’ genius, won’t he notice? Levi might as well have sung “Just Like Heaven” and “Friday I’m in Love” in his face. But is that a lie? Every time he sees Erwin, talks with him, and is just around him, Levi feels like he’s living in an 80s love song. 

When Levi sees Erwin walking down the hallway at school, he can practically hear “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears playing in his head. Would it be so bad to tell Smith that? Would it be so wrong to confess his feelings to him? Surely Erwin is the type of boy that will show him kindness if he rejects him. 

“That isn’t even all of it.” Levi’s voice sounds strained. The realization of Furlan’s words are sobering him up. 

“What?” 

”I, uh, well, I’m seeing him again tomorrow.”

Furlan smiles genuinely, “Holy fuck, dude! See? I told you to seek him out.” He pats Levi’s leg, “You’re not entirely fucked. Unless he hears your confession of love through the lovely voice of Robert Smith and cancels on you for being a fucking simp.” 

“I ain’t no simp!” Levi snaps at him, arms now covering his eyes. His cheeks are blazing red. 

“That’s simp behavior right there.” Furlan blows out a puff of smoke, “You simp.” 

“Get bent.” 

“What are you two going to do anyway?” Furlan asks. 

“We’re watching Puppet Master at my place...” 

Furlan raises a brow and finishes off the cigarette. “That’s romantic.” 

“It’s not a date.”

“He’s going over to watch a horror movie? Dude, that’s basically the rule of getting your date to snuggle and kiss you and shit.”

Levi sits up, blinking, “What do you mean?”

Furlan drops the remainder of the cigarette and squishes it with his shoe, “It’s basics, dude. You invite your crush over, put on a horror movie and when they start to get scared, you lift your arm up,” He lifts his arm and smoothly slips it around Levi’s shoulders, “And wrap your arm around them to bring them close for a cuddle.” 

Levi lets Furlan hold him, “That’s even dumber than the leg thing.”

“Oh, that’s how you know when to kiss them.”

“What?” Levi frowns, “Not you too.”

“It’s true!” Furlan argues, still holding onto Levi. “It worked for me once!”

Levi snorts. “With who?” He questions him. 

“You don’t know her.” Furlan argues back, his tone is defensive and slightly sulky. 

“Let me guess. A different school?”

Mike returns back to the car with the other three in tow. “Furlan, you teaching Levi how to kiss or what?” He jokes but his voice is deadpan serious. “Let the blond dude be the one to do that.” 

Levi and Furlan look at one another, notice Furlan’s arm holding Levi close and both push each other away with a sound of disgust. 

-

It's past midnight and Erwin is tossing and turning in his sleep. He rolls onto his stomach and then onto his back, sticking a foot from underneath his comforter. No matter what position he tries, he cannot doze off to sleep. His mind is swirling with countless thoughts of Levi and even though he was just on cloud nine earlier in the night, he’s now absolutely nervous.

Erwin sits up and rolls out of bed. He lazily makes his way to his desk and plops down in his gaming chair. The light of his desktop is blinding and Erwin squints, slowly blinking until his eyes adjust to the light. He types in his password and starts clicking through his browsers. He skims through Reddit, looking through ‘r/skyrim’, lurking but never really commenting on anything. He checks a couple other subreddits to take his mind off of his movie night with Levi, if he begins to overthink things, he’s not going to catch a wink. 

After Erwin exits Reddit, his blue eyes glance over to his bedroom door. It’s closed and locked. He made sure to lock it earlier in the night when he was listening to Disintegration as a whole for the second time. He listens intently and can somewhat make out the sound of the television downstairs. There’s a documentary still playing and he can only guess that his father has dozed off while watching it. 

Feeling rather bold, Erwin turns back to his computer and opens a new browser. With nervous and hesitant fingers he types in the name of a porn site and clicks enter. His screen immediately turns black and countless videos are lined up before his very own eyes. Erwin feels a little bit guilty and his cheeks slowly begin to turn red as he studies the thumbnails of naked individuals. He’ll be in a lot of trouble if he’s caught on those websites but teenage hormones are wild and he can’t sleep. 

He skims through the pages, unsure of every single thumbnail, hesitant and disinterested. After another minute of scrolling through videos, Erwin sits back against his gaming chair and sighs. None of the videos even look remotely interesting and he knows why. 

Levi.

Erwin doesn’t want to see strangers fuck in a video. He wants to be with Levi. So he clicks out of the browser and deletes his cookies. Erwin rubs his eye, leaning an elbow on his desk. He thinks about Levi’s smile again and he smiles to himself. 

“Levi…” Erwin says his name in the darkness of his room. His walls have the name memorized by now. He thinks of Levi’s soft little laugh, he doesn’t think he’s heard Levi laugh very much or even at all for that matter, not that he can recollect at the moment. Perhaps it was a snort of sorts but not a laugh like the one he heard in Paradis. 

It seems almost comedic that ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ played in the exact moment he met Levi’s gaze. Erwin smiles at the memory of it and suddenly he feels himself twitch in his pants. Erwin stiffens immediately and looks down to his lap. With the light of his desktop screen he can make out the bulge growing in his light gray boxer shorts. 

“Shit…” Erwin mutters, pulling the fabric back a little. His boxer briefs feel stifling and a low groan escapes from his chest and out between his lips. 

Levi’s smile flashes across his mind, followed by the sound of his voice as he calls Erwin, “Blondie.” 

Erwin’s cock twitches and stiffens, fully erect. Erwin drops his head into his hands, “Holy hell.” He tries to suppress the urge but cannot help himself. His eyes shift to his computer, thinking back to all the videos he just rejected. He was completely soft while he looked through them all and now just one simple thought of Levi has brought him to a full, blown out, erection. 

Erwin bites his bottom lip and takes his dick out of his boxer briefs, feeling just a little bit of relief by releasing himself from the constricting fabric. He leans back in his gaming chair again, closing his eyes as his hand moves up and down his erection, massaging the soft skin of his shaft. He thinks of Levi and a soft moan escapes his lips. 

“Oh…Levi…” he whispers his name as he pleasures himself. His mind wanders to Levi again. His plush lips, his cute button nose, those firm biceps and that sexy scowl of his-- everything about him is so damn attractive and Erwin wants to be his. He wants to pick him up with his strength and push him up against a wall to do with him what he pleases. It’s insane the way he goes feral at the thought of the punk boy. Erwin’s never been possessive but Levi lights a fire inside of him that he can’t put out. 

He feels his cock pulse again with the delicious thought of dominating Levi, of holding him down and kissing his sweet little face until that pout of his disappears. How sweet will it be to make Levi melt? To make him soft and pliable beneath his grasp. Levi with his rough edges and snarky attitude, Erwin imagines him subdued beneath him, purring like a sweet little kitten. Would Levi smile for him so sweetly? Would his voice sound like honey in Erwin’s ear? Just for him? Erwin wants that. He wants it so bad. He wants to bring down Levi’s high walls and know him inside and out.

Erwin falls deeper into his imagination, imagining what Levi’s voice would sound moaning out his name in pure pleasure. 

“Yes…” Erwin whispers as his hand goes faster, from base to tip. All the videos he has ever seen in the past are forgotten, erased by the thought of Levi Ackerman alone. Erwin groans, unsatisfied by the dry feeling of his hand. At first the skin to skin contact released the tension but now the sensation is too dry, he’ll give himself rug burn at this point. 

Erwin leans over and opens a small cabinet where he keeps extra school supplies and random old toy collectibles. He rummages through all three drawers, only finding supplies and a couple of action figures. He grows impatient when he can’t seem to find the damn lotion bottle. In his desperation, Erwin spits on his hand and continues to rub himself like a touch starved man. 

Gross! Gross! Gross-- Shiiiiit…

His head sinks back against the chair and his fingertips almost tingle at the amazing feeling. His spit is cool at first but then warms up quickly with the friction and fast pace of his hand. His toes curl and he softly begins to pant. He thinks of Levi again, perched on top of him, lips grazing against his own. Erwin imagines Levi knelt before him, unbuckling his jeans, following orders like a good boy. He imagines his hand running through that beautiful jet black hair and firmly tugging it as Levi unzips his jeans and brings out his--

“Awh fuck!” Erwin twitches and he comes all over his lap. “Fuck! Fuck!” He covers his mouth with his spit covered hand to keep his father from hearing him. Upon realizing what hand he just used, Erwin gags, “ Eugh ! Shit! Dammit!” He wipes his lips on the shoulder of his shirt and gazes down at the gooey mess all over himself. He’s never spoken so many profanities all at once in his entire life. But now there he is, with spit in one hand and cum in the other, dick out of his boxer shorts, slowly going flacid. His freckled cheeks turn redder, embarrassed by how feral the mere thought of Levi made him. It was enough to make him spit in his own hand for pleasure. That’s never happened to him before. 

He’s breathing heavily but his body feels a sense of pleasurable relief. Now that Erwin has truly imagined it, he really wants to know what Levi would sound like moaning his name. 

— 

Erwin sits on his bed in the morning watching as Hange rummages through his movie collection. Their finger skims all the DVD’s and Blu Rays, unsure of which one to pick. Erwin’s eyes flicker from Hange to his desk where just hours ago he gave himself one of the best hand jobs of his life. He disinfected the whole area as soon as Hange announced they were heading over. 

He’s yet to tell Hange about Levi and figures it's the right moment to come clean. “Hange, can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me lots of things, big guy.” Hange says as they crouch down to see the movies on the bottom shelf. They’re wearing their favorite Aviator hat and a yellow short sleeved button-down shirt. Their eyes study the collection; Erwin has every single one of them alphabetized and categorized by genre. 

“I know, you’re my best friend.”

“You’re my best friend too!” Hange turns to look at him and smiles, “What’s up?” They stand and go to sit them next to him on the bed.  

“Um well, I was wondering if you could give me some advice?” Erwin looks a little sheepish, his eyes downcast on his lap. 

“Sure.”

“Well, um…” He grows nervous, unsure of where to even begin.  

Hange places their hand on his shoulder and gives him a reassuring look, “Erwin, you can tell me anything. I’ll never judge you; you know that.”

Erwin smiles and nods, feeling reassured. “I know it’s just kind of weird saying it out loud.” He lets out a nervous laugh. 

“Take all the time you need until it doesn’t feel weird.”

Erwin nods again and rephrases the words over and over in his head until they feel semi right. Frustrated with himself, he blurts it out, “I like guys.” 

Hange stares at him.

Erwin stares back. 

Hange blinks.

Erwin feels himself cringe inward, “Please say something.” 

Hange blinks again, snapping out of their serious stupor, “Oh Erwin, I knew that. I thought you were going to tell me that you have three months to live or something!”

Erwin is confused, “You knew?”

“I kind of guessed but still, I’m proud of you for coming out to me! That takes a lot, and it can be very scary!” Hange throws their arms around him in a big bear hug. 

Erwin is still reeling from their confession, wrapping his arms around them, “Thanks and yeah, it is…” he frowns, looking almost offended, “How long have you known?”

Hange pulls away from the hug and thinks for a moment, lips pressing together in a tight line, “Oh! Right. So, do you remember the summer before junior year when we went up to Lake Tahoe with Moblit’s parents? And there was that one lifeguard?”

Erwin thinks and then his expression perks up, “Oh, Jenny!”

Hange makes an ‘are you serious?’ face. “No, dummy. Tom.” 

Erwin’s face goes pale, and he gulps, remembering exactly who Tom is. Tall, tanned, handsome, with chiseled muscles. 

“I knew then. Buuuut the day you asked me about Levi Ackerman is when I kind of officially confirmed.” Hange recollects the moment, “Your face got all pink the way it used to for Marie. And that one girl, what was her name?”

“Aurora…” Erwin whispers, still knocked off his feet by the mention of the hot, older lifeguard at the lake that he spent a whole week fondly admiring from behind the safety of his sunglasses-- or so he thought. 

“That’s the one! But yeah, I noticed but I didn’t want to ask until you felt ready to tell me.” Hange eyes him tentatively. 

Erwin just laughs, “Geez, Hange. I was so nervous.”

Hange laughs too, “Do you still like girls or?”

Erwin nods, “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it a lot over the summer, and I came to terms with the fact that I’m bisexual. I mean not that people always need a label, but this is what feels right to me.” He gives a little shrug. 

Hange hugs him again, almost knocking him over, “I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, MY BI BABY!”

“Hange!” 

Hange pays him no mind and continues to smother him with a tight hug, “I’m so happy for you, Erwin! WAIT—” They pause, and they squint their eyes, “…you have something else to tell me, don’t you?”

“I’m crushing hard on Levi Ackerman, and I want to impress him.” Erwin’s muffled voice comes out from beneath Hange’s hug. 

Now this is a shock to Hange, “ACKERMAN! THE ACKERMAN!”

Erwin detangles himself from their embrace, “Yes! I’ve gotten to know him a little and he’s really neat.”

Hange steps back and stares at him, “Neat. You just called Levi Ackerman neat. Is he dandy and dapper too?”

Erwin groans and jumps up to his feet to pace around the room, “Ugh fine! He’s super freakin' cool and he’s hot as hell! Are you kidding me, Hange? Have you seen anyone else with that bone structure?” He flails his arms, “It’s like he was carved out of marble stone! And the way he dresses, it drives me crazy. He’s so freakin' cute and for what? For what, Hange?” Erwin’s hands make their way through his hair, messing up his pomade. 

Hange cracks a smile and bursts out laughing, “For you, of course!”

Erwin drops his hands at his sides, “No, not for me. Levi…” He shrugs, unsure of how to explain it, “Levi’s too cool for me. He’d never be interested in a loser like me...” Erwin’s precious blue eyes begin to shimmer with incoming tears he can’t control. 

Hange saddens at this and stands to their feet. They place a hand on Erwin’s shoulder, “Hey, don’t talk about yourself like that.” 

“But it’s true! I’m a total loser. The whole school knows it. And Levi is so cool. He could be very popular if he wanted to and he’s handsome and dresses super nice and hangs out at record shops and listens to amazing music. Besides, I don’t think he’d date a guy in the first place.” 

Hange tilts their head, “Wait, you know Levi’s gay right?”

Erwin stops the water works long enough to look at them, “Wait, what?”

“Levi’s gay.” Hange nods. 

“How do you know that?” Erwin questions. He can begin to feel some form of hope form inside of him.

Hange shrugs. “We used to be childhood friends and I know some of his friends now. We don’t talk much but he’s dated guys before. I’ve even seen him myself at the skatepark with his little boyfriends.”

Erwin raises a brow, “You skate?”

Hange shakes their head, “No but there’s a lot of bird watching in that area-- anyway, Levi is gay and he’s out. Moblit’s neighbor’s cousin got his ass beat by Levi not that long ago for calling him a fag at some gig.”

“So he’s out?” Erwin questions slowly, seriously. 

“Yep. Out and proud!”

“I didn’t know. I mean I couldn’t tell.”

“Not everyone looks it, Erwin.” Hange shrugs and plops back down on his bed. 

“Yeah, I know, I know. I don’t look bi myself.” He says ever so matter-of-factly. 

Hange snorts, poking his bubble, “Are you kidding me?”

Erwin frowns at this and a little scoff escapes him, “What? How?”

Hange points down towards his ankles, “You cuff your jeans, big boy. And your T-shirts. Plus, every time we take a picture you do a peace sign.” Hange mimics a peace sign. 

“What? How is that even a thing?” Erwin’s face is turning a soft shade of red. 

“I can’t believe you don’t know your own culture.” Hange rolls their eyes, “ And you make puns.”

“Ok, I get it.” Erwin tries to not sound too sulky but fails at it. 

“Have you ever sat properly in your life?” Hange squints their eyes at him behind their glasses. 

“Okay, okay!” 

Hange laughs, “I’m just messing with you! I’m very proud of you, best friend.” They beam at him. 

Erwin smiles too, “Thanks best friend.”

“So about Levi?” Hange winks, “I saw you two talking at the shop.”

“Okay but please keep it between us two. I don’t want Nile and Marie in my business. Moblit can know, of course. I trust him.” 

“Got it. Commander Cuffed Jeans.” Hange salutes him with a hand to their forehead. 

Erwin frowns at the nickname but chooses to ignore it. “Ok, well you know Levi’s my project partner for my history class, right? And well, at the shop he asked if I wanted to watch a movie with him and invited me to his place. I mean, I suggested we watch it today but he invited me over.”

“No way! What movie?”

“ Puppet Master .” Erwin answers, “I’ve never seen it, but I googled it and I don’t know how I feel about it.” He looks a little nervous as he fiddles with his fingers. 

“Oh, so you’re making out then?” A sly smirk crosses Hange’s face and they make a kissy face. 

“ What? Why would you assume that?” 

“It’s a horror movie!” Hange shrugs, “They’re made for making out.”

Erwin sits down in his gaming chair, “I didn’t know that? Moblit and I watch a ton of horror movies…you and I do too! And I never thought to kiss either of you.” 

“Well, it’s a date thing, not a friend thing.” Hange explains like it's common knowledge. 

“But it isn’t a date.” 

“Does Levi know that?” Hange asks, their eyes boring into Erwin for an answer. 

Erwin is stumped. Does Levi think it's a date? Did he invite him over with romantic intentions? Erwin is fooling himself, of course not. Levi isn’t into him or anything like that. “No, of course not. He doesn’t know I’m bi or anything.”

“It’s easy to assume.” Hange smirks playfully, looking down at Erwin’s cuffed jeans. 

Erwin groans, “Okay, alright already.” 

“I’m kidding!” Hange cackles. 

“Ok well, what do I do if-- I don’t know, let’s say that in some wildly impossible scenario-- that isn’t even possible in another dimension-- Levi does like me back?”

“I don’t see why he can’t like you in this dimension?” Hange questions. 

Erwin stares into the distance, thinking it over, “Okay, so if in another dimension, if Levi likes me back and his leg touches my leg, should I go for it? Like, try to kiss him?” Hange is about to answer but Erwin keeps going, “No, but I can't just kiss him. We barely know each other!”

Hange nods. “Well, I mean, you’ve got time to get to know one another, right? You don’t have to kiss him right away. You can just go and have fun as friends and then when the night is over you can suggest hanging out again? OUTSIDE of your group project--” Hange sits up and points at him, “And don’t you dare take any schoolwork over there tonight!”

Erwin scoffs, wildly offended, “But Hange, it's the perfect opportunity to start on the essay!”

Hange shakes their head, “Nope! Don’t want to hear it!” They make an “X” with their arms, “ No school work!” 

Erwin grumbles but says nothing else on the matter. 

-

Levi had spent the entire morning and afternoon cleaning the house top to bottom. His mother offered to help multiple times and even jumped in, but every time Levi ended up shooing her away. Everything was under control, according to him. By the time the clock struck six, Levi was pacing back and forth in his living room. His parents were delighted with the idea of Levi having a new friend over and opted to eat out as to not be in the way. 

He assured them it wasn’t anything they were thinking but they insisted. They’d be back early anyway so Levi didn’t press the matter. Instead, he continues to pace around the room, looking down at his outfit. He wore black jeans, a black belt with a metal bat buckle, a Bauhaus shirt and his all-black converse. Should he have added some color to his wardrobe? Perhaps some of his dad’s cologne? He’s overthinking things again. 

There is a knock at the door.

Nah, fuck that. Levi perks up and rushes to the door. He can feel his heart beating wildly against his chest and his fingers are trembling. Why is he so nervous? It’s just Erwin “Biggest Dork on the Planet” Smith. There’s no reason to be nervous. 

Levi opens the door and is greeted with sunshine itself. 

Erwin. 

He’s standing on his porch, eyes downcast on the plants on the porch. Those shining blues then flicker behind his glasses and land on him. Levi feels his breath hitch. 

Erwin’s lips spread into a shy smile and his eyes shine behind his Browline glasses, “Hey, Levi.” 

“Hey, Blondie.” Levi forces himself to speak, taking in Erwin in full. He’s wearing light denim jeans that are cuffed at the ankles, which make Levi ponder curiously. White socks, a pair of all off white classic vans, a forest green zip up hoodie and a cream-colored shirt with Robocop on it. What a nerd. It makes Levi want to smile but he bites his bottom lip to keep the smile from spreading. Erwin sure dresses a lot less formally outside of school. But instead of looking like an English teacher, he looks like he’s never stepped foot outside of a comic book shop. 

“How are you? I hope I didn’t come too early?” He sounds so formal too. 

“I’m great.” Levi answers, now that you’re here. “And you’re good. Perfect timing, actually.” 

“Oh, good.” Erwin sounds relieved, still standing there like an awkward loser, his hands are tucked in the pockets of his zip up. 

Levi snaps out of it, “Right. Come on in.” He steps aside and lets Erwin in. 

“Thanks.” Erwin says and steps inside. Levi gets a whiff of Erwin’s scent as he passes him by and he’s almost dizzy with lust. He smells like Suavecito pomade, citrus and…is that cedar? Pine? It makes Levi’s stomach flutter. 

Erwin looks around the house, taking it all in. There are paintings and family portraits all around the walls, bookcases filled with books and more portraits, there are children’s toys tucked into nooks and crannies and multiple house plants. It smells like chamomile tea and honeysuckle. It smells like home. “Wow, you have a really nice house.”

Levi closes the door, “Ah, thanks. I’ll let my parents know you said that.” 

Erwin just smiles. Levi stands there awkwardly, as if he’s never been in his own house before. Erwin then notices the portraits hanging at the bottom of the stairs and is drawn to them. “Is that you?” He asks, pointing at a portrait of five-year-old Levi wearing a shirt with ducks on it. He has almost the same haircut but it’s more of a bowl cut, the ones that were very popular in the 90s. He’s got such a serious face for such a little fella but he’s as cute as a button. 

Levi’s face goes red, and he stutters, “Uh, yeah. I was like five. I think.” 

Erwin laughs lightly but it isn’t in a mocking way. He sounds delighted and in awe, “Very cute.” 

Very cute.  

The words almost take Levi out, causing him to stumble backwards. “Aw, I wish I had been a cute kid. I just looked like I could already do my own taxes.” He turns around with a shrug and a sheepish look on his face. 

Levi chuckles at that, “I don’t doubt it.” He then studies Erwin and notices something is missing. His backpack. Levi almost scoffs, he was sure Erwin would have brought their project with him so they could work on it. He almost expected it. 

Erwin smiles at him and Levi feels so self-aware that he fidgets. “Thanks for having me over.”

And he’s polite too. Fuck the movie, Smith. I’ll show you where my bed is.

Levi just shrugs, “It’s cool. Anytime.” 

Erwin nods. 

Levi feels like he’ll explode. “Right. Puppet Master .” 

“Right.” Erwin agrees and follows Levi down the hall and into the garage. 

“Oh, wow!” Erwin says when he steps inside. The entire garage has been turned into a hangout spot with a television and a couple of bass guitars hanging on the wall or resting on stands. Some old, some very old . He steps towards a red one resting on a stand next to an amp. “Levi, you play bass?”

Levi nods heading towards the mini fridge by the shelves, “Yeah, since I was about eleven.” 

“Holy crap, that’s so cool. You should show me how you play sometime.” He suggests. 

Levi’s head whips so fast he almost breaks his neck. His eyes are set on the back of Erwin’s head as he inspects the bass but refrains from touching it. “Uh, yeah, I’d like that.” Levi says in a low tone. 

Holy fuck, I’ll play you the whole Disintegration album if you want. He shakes the thoughts from his head. He cannot let himself start simping now. He has to keep it together. So, he turns around and opens the fridge, “Would you like a drink?”

Erwin turns around, “Sure. What do you have?”

“Uh, Coke, water, Iced Tea, Dr. Pepper and Dos Equis.” 

“You drink beer?” Erwin asks, tilting his head as his thick brows come together in a light frown. 

Levi turns to look at him, “You don’t?”

Erwin blushes under Levi’s gaze, “Um, well, my dad let me try some of his fancy IPA’s once but that’s about it.” 

Levi smirks, “I’m fucking with you, Blondie. My dad would kill me if I offered you beer.” 

Erwin laughs but the relief is clear on his face. “I’ll take a Dr. Pepper.” He sits down on the sofa.

Levi walks over and offers him the can. “Here.” 

Erwin looks at the can and then at Levi, “Thanks.” He takes the can from Levi’s hand and their fingers brush slightly, casually. Nothing to overthink. 

Levi just nods, takes a bottle of Iced Tea for himself and sits next to Erwin. 

Erwin opens his soda and takes a drink. His eyes continue to scan the garage, “So, do you like have a band or something?” He pushes his glasses up. Levi thinks he looks very handsome in those browlines. They make him look vintage. 

Levi lets out a sound that’s almost a chuckle, “My friend Furlan will tell you yes, but no, I don’t have a band. We just play for fun.” 

“Damn, you’re really cool, Levi.” 

Levi feels himself go red in the face and waves his hand, “Eh, it ain’t that big a deal. Don’t cream your pants.” 

Erwin turns to look at him, “I think it is.” He looks amused, happy. 

Levi leans back against the sofa, bringing a leg over his knee. He swears if he gets an erection in that moment he’ll run away for good, “What about you? You play anything?” He tries to sound nonchalant but inside he’s hooting and hollering. Erwin just called him cool, and he feels like wiggling on the sofa, as giddy as a schoolgirl. 

Erwin shakes his head, “Aside from a Playstation? No, I don't play an instrument.” He rests his elbows on his thighs, the soda can still in his hand. 

Levi notes a freckle on Erwin’s neck. Right next to his adam’s apple and has the urge to press a kiss against it. He bets it’s so warm there, so soft. Levi wants to nuzzle him. He gulps, feeling thirsty all of a sudden, feeling hot. Those freckles of his are going to be the end of him. 

“Levi?” Erwin asks when Levi goes quiet. 

“What is it, Blondie?” Levi slowly tears his eyes from Erwin’s neck to meet his gaze. 

“You good?” He asks, genuinely concerned since Levi went quiet and zoned out. 

No, I’m not okay, you freakin' idiot. I want to suck you off so bad it’s making me dizzy. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” He lies and then changes the subject, “Uh, let’s start this damn movie.” He gets up from the sofa and heads over to the old early 2000’s Sony TV that sits on a small, wooden entertainment center from the 90s and sets everything up. 

“You aren’t scared of horror movies, are you?” Levi teases lightly. 

Erwin scoffs, “No way. Are you?” 

Levi pauses for a moment to think. The only thing that freaks him the fuck out is ALF. ALF and that freak from Mac and Me. But those aren’t meant to be scary, so he won’t admit to it. “Nah, not really.” 

“That’s good. They’re pretty fun to watch.” 

“Oh, before I forget.” Levi says as he maneuvers through the main screen, “My mom left us a lot of snacks if you’re hungry.” 

Erwin perks up at this, “Yeah, sure. I’d love that.” 

“Cool.” Levi clears his throat, “I’ll be back then.” 

-

By the time Levi returns, they’re ready to start the movie. Levi sets the snacks on the coffee table, turns the lights off and selects ‘play’. The garage is dark enough, but he can still see Levi perfectly with the light of the tv screen. Erwin grows a bit nervous when the movie starts but he isn’t too concerned about the creepy puppets on the cover of the movie. He’s more concerned about what the warmth of Levi’s leg is doing to him. They’re sitting so close on such a small sofa and he cannot pay attention to anything that’s going on. The movie has a slow beginning and all he can think of is Hange’s advice. 

What if Levi’s leg touches him? Should he go for it? No, no, surely not. He leans back on the sofa and cups his hands together. His eyes slowly look to the side to steal a glance at Levi. His attention is on the movie, blinking, expression unmoving. He almost looks bored. Erwin notices the length of his lashes and his heart skips a beat. He thinks back to his little hand session the night before and quickly turns away, blushing hard . 

What would Levi think if he knew Erwin jacked it to the thought of him? He’d be grossed out for sure. Right? Not only that, but he also made Levi out to be a total bottom in his fantasies. 

Erwin turns his attention back to the movie and watches as a creepy little female puppet with black hair and fair skin gags a leech onto the chest of a man tied down in a bed. 

“What the fuck ?” The curse word slips out of his mouth before he has a chance to stop it and process the messed-up scene before him. Alas, there is no better word for it.

Levi tilts his head back and without warning, a loud yet endearing laugh escapes him. Erwin turns to look at him, surprised. His eyes are closed, and his hand is over his stomach, the other is a fist covering his mouth. “Holy shit, Blondie. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you cuss!”

“Well, what the hell is that thing ?” He points at the tv screen as the creepy puppet continues to puke leeches and blood on the man’s chest as he trashes around the bed, flailing and screaming in sheer fear. Erwin feels his stomach go queasy. “Who decided that was okay?” 

“Leech Woman.” Levi laughs, still laughing due to Erwin’s reaction. “She’s creepy as fuck.” 

“I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing that.” Erwin grumbles. He’s seen a lot of messed up movies like The Thing and The Human Centipede,  but nothing has made him feel uncomfortable the way that puppet does. 

Levi leans forward, laughing his ass off. His eyes are getting watery with tears. “Oh, shit, Erwin. You’re funny, dude.” 

Erwin pauses and stares at Levi as he continues to laugh, unable to contain it. He looks so beautiful when he laughs. Erwin is completely starstruck. He then realizes that Levi called him by his name. Not Blondie. Not Smith. Not Eyebrows or Dork. Erwin. 

Erwin. 

Erwin’s heart picks up speed and he’s convinced Levi will hear it. 

“Aw, man.” Levi wipes a tear away.

Erwin laughs, feeling himself relax, “You think I’m funny?” There’s a teasing tone to his voice. 

“Kind of.” Levi admits, “In a dorky way. But in a good way.”

“I’ll take it.” Erwin is beaming. He looks down and sees that Levi’s leg is still touching him now. He freezes and his eyes widen. His body stiffens and forces his gaze to the television screen. 

Levi clears his throat and goes quiet, settling back down to watch the movie. Erwin is unsure if he notices that their legs are touching so Erwin casually steals another glance at him. He’s resting his chin on his fist, eyes back on the movie, the smile gone from his face. He’s so much smaller than himself. Erwin can easily pick him up and sit him on his lap. How he wishes he could skip the stupid leg thing and just take Levi whole. 

“So, what’s your favorite movie?” Levi asks, breaking the silence. 

Erwin turns a little awkward at the question. Truth be told, he’s caught off guard since Levi asks in the middle of the movie. Erwin searches his mind for a good answer, “Suspiria.” 

Levi scoffs and turns his head to look at him with a raised brow. “ Suspiria ? Liar. C’mon, what’s your real favorite movie?”

“Suspiria , I told you.” Erwin sounds a little flustered.

“I don’t believe you.” Levi retorts. 

Erwin sighs, “Fine.” He clears his throat and mutters, “It’s Nacho Libre .”

Levi laughs that gorgeous laugh of his again. “Did you say Nacho Libre ?”

“Yeah, it’s a good movie!” Erwin says, sounding a little too defensive. “Well, what’s yours then?”

Levi shrugs like it’s no big deal, “Easy. Donnie Darko .” 

“Your favorite one, Levi.” Erwin reminds him. 

“It is my favorite one.” Levi shoots him a look. 

Erwin shrugs nonchalantly, “I feel like you’re lying.” There it is again, that know-it-all tone of his. Erwin can’t help it. 

“I’m not.” Levi insists, firm. 

Erwin lifts a brow at him, staring right into Levi’s eyes. 

Levi squirms a little under his gaze. Those blue eyes are so piercing, so enticing, “…Napoleon Dynamite.” He finally answers in a voice so low, it’s almost a whisper. 

Erwin laughs next, “Really?”

Levi grows embarrassed, “Yeah, it’s been my favorite since I was young. I can pretty much quote it all.” He says as if it's no big deal. 

“Let’s see then.” 

Levi turns to him, “What?”

Erwin turns his entire body on the sofa to face him, “Quote me something.” 

Levi blushes and he looks away, finding himself unable to say no to Erwin. He clears his throat, “I see you’re drinking 1%. Is that ’cause you think you’re fat? ‘Cause you’re not. You could totally be drinking whole if you wanted to.”

Erwin laughs, “That’s a good pick-up line, actually.” 

“Did it work?” Levi deadpans. 

“What?” Erwin tilts his head innocently. 

“What?” Levi repeats as if he has no clue. 

When the movie finishes, Levi turns to Erwin as the credits run. “So, what’d ya think?”

“Uh…” Erwin slowly turns his head to look at Levi, “Well, it's safe to say I won’t sleep soundly tonight.” 

Levi scoffs but he’s sporting a smile, “You’ll be fine, you giant dork.” He’s about to stand when he catches Erwin’s gaze on him. Their legs are touching, they have been touching throughout the entire movie but Levi did his best to ignore it the whole time despite all the alarms that were going off in his head. 

“This was a lot of fun.” Erwin breaks the silence. 

“You’re a big fan of movies, aren’t you?” Levi responds. 

Erwin’s eyes begin to sparkle, “Yeah, I want to be a filmmaker when I’m older.” 

Levi’s stomach flips at Erwin’s ambition. He always sounds so passionate about the things he’s into, “That’s really cool. You’d be really good at it. I’m guessing you’re in that film club, then?” 

“Yeah! A friend and I, it’s really neat.”

Neat. You precious fucking dork. 

“Sounds cool, wish I could have joined…” Levi trails off, his cheeks feel warm. 

Erwin is silent for a moment and Levi can see him fidget slightly, “Well…” he pauses, looking down to his lap, “We can make our own? Watch a movie every once in a while?” He suggests, taking a small peek at Levi from underneath his lashes. 

Yes! Yes! I’d love that! I want that! Levi’s mind is screaming! His eyes widen a little and his lips part, he’s hesitant, unsure if it’s real, “Yeah? I mean if you’re down, I’m down.” 

Erwin’s joy radiates like the sun and almost as brightly as his hair, “Yeah! We can do Labyrinth next if you’re cool with that? We were discussing it in the club, and I realized it’s been a while since I’ve seen it.”

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Levi agrees, “I love David Bowie.” 

Erwin beams. “I know it's kind of early, but would you be down for next Friday? I’m sure you might have plans already but if you don’t it would be very cool--”

“No yeah,” Levi nods eagerly, “I’m free.” To be honest, Levi isn’t even sure if he’s free. He usually has plans on Friday nights with the crew, but the crew be damned. They can survive a night without him. 

“Awesome!” Erwin then turns nervous, “Uh, also, if you’d like, you should recommend some of Bowie’s music sometime. I really loved the Disintegration album you recommended.” Are his cheeks blushing or is Levi imagining it? “You have great taste in music.” 

Levi finds himself biting back a smile, “Yeah? You liked it?”

Erwin meets his gaze, “Lovesong is perfect.” 

Holy fuck, Smith. Just fucking kiss me already. Levi’s mind trails off, eyes landing on Erwin’s lips. “It’s a great song. My mom played it for me as a kid.” He refers to his biological mother, but Erwin doesn’t know that. Levi then stops as his mind begins to work out a mischievous plan. 

“I have a shit ton of Bowie records up in my room if you want to go listen to a few?”

Erwin checks his phone; it isn’t even nine o’clock yet. He then looks at Levi, “That would be--”

“Neat?” Levi offers with a raised brow.

Erwin bites back his smile next and nods, “Yeah. Neat.” 

Chapter Text

Levi’s room smells like heaven, like fresh air, like the smell before rain, like warmth all wrapped into one. It makes Erwin’s knees weak as he steps inside, shoes off at the door. He takes it all in, unable to believe that he’s really there. 

Levi’s room itself is clean from top to bottom. There isn’t a single thing out of place and if it is, Erwin can’t tell. The walls are painted gray and there are bookshelves filled with lined vinyl records, CDs and cassette tapes. Levi has a couple of band posters perfectly framed on the walls, next to his bed is another bass resting against a stand. On his dresser there is a record player placed right in the center. Next to it there is a framed picture of Levi and a little black haired girl that resembles him. His little sister. There are more pictures of her throughout the house. Next to that portrait is an old photograph of a beautiful young woman with lovely, long hair; she looks to be in her early twenties. She resembles Levi with the same colored hair and eyes. 

Levi’s bed is perfectly made like the beds pictured in Pottery Barn catalogs. Its pillows are propped neatly and tidy. His desk is free of any water bottles or cups, snack wrappers or old toy collectibles. Erwin almost feels ashamed at the thought of his desk back home. He should really clean. On Levi’s desk there is a computer, a cassette MP3 converter, a ceramic skull and a taxidermy bat in a round glass display case. It's then that Erwin notices the multiple taxidermy creatures scattered around the room and hanging from the walls. 

“Wow, your room is really cool.” Erwin says, studying a taxidermy canary in a bell jar. 

Levi awkwardly stands there, “Uh, thanks, Smith. My sister, uh, she likes that stuff so I keep it around.” 

“Isn’t she like really little?” Erwin laughs a little. She looks to be about preschool age from the pictures. 

“Yeah, she’s weird like that.” Levi clears his throat and goes over to his record collection, “I have more Cure records if you want to check those out.”

Erwin notices a collage of pictures hanging over Levi’s computer. There are multiple flyers to post punk shows, gigs, new wave events and polaroids of friends and scenery from the streets of Los Angeles. Erwin recognizes Levi’s little sister, his friends from school but the picture that catches his attention the most is a photograph taken with an old disposable Kodak camera that's taped to an old gig flyer. 

The picture is of Levi at the skatepark in Venice beach. He’s shirtless wearing only black jeans and a studded belt. He’s standing at the edge of a bowl, his checkered vans on his skateboard, eyes looking ahead, slightly squinting in the golden hour. His hair looks to be brushed back with his fingers to keep his bangs out of his face. He looks flushed and covered in sweat.

Erwin leans in closer as his lips part and his heart begins to beat wildly against his chest. Levi looks so beautiful, so natural…so free.

“Blondie, you good?”

Erwin startles and turns to Levi. He stutters for a moment, “Oh, uh, your friend that picture--” he lies, “I had him for a class once.”

“Oh,” Levi says casually, “Furlan? Yeah, I think he mentioned that.” He turns back to his records.

Furlan has mentioned him? Erwin wants to ask but he’s so tonguetied due to the picture that he can’t even form a coherent phrase. Instead, he joins Levi at his bookcase and the two look through the records together. 

Erwin notices the picture of the young woman that rests by the record player again and smiles, “Is this your mom?” He decides to finally ask. 

Levi does a double take, and his expression softens, “Yeah. That’s her when she was young. I wasn’t born yet.” 

“She’s very beautiful.” Erwin compliments her.

Levi seems to soften even more and his eyes turn a little glossy. “Th-thanks, Blondie.” His voice is low, close to cracking but Erwin doesn’t notice. 

“You look just like her.” Erwin leans down to take a closer look at the picture.

Levi chuckles, smiling proudly, “Yeah, I’ve been told. She actually gave me that jacket in the picture and the record player.”

“Really?” Erwin perks up, “Oh, that’s super cool.” 

Levi nods, “She was really into music. She was like the real Joan Jett type back in the day. My dad gave me all her old records. They’re part of my collection now.”

Erwin takes another look. Levi’s mom is wearing a black leather jacket covered in pins and buttons along the zipper, a Sex Pistols shirt and blue jeans. She has chain necklaces around her neck, her arm is resting upon something not pictured, her body slightly leaning against it. She’s the female version of Levi. “Wow, she’s a total badass.” 

Levi’s eyes sadden and he turns away, unsure if he should correct Erwin. Was. She was a total badass. 

-

It’s amazing to see the way Levi opens up. The more he shows his collection to Erwin, the more his eyes widen with wonder and the faster his speech picks up. Levi shows him his favorite records: The Cure, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Blondie, Echo & the Bunnymen, Bauhaus-- so many bands Erwin isn’t familiar with. 

Levi takes a record out of its sleeve and places it in the record player, shows Erwin a song he likes, talks about it and then changes it to the next. Erwin gives him his thoughts and asks questions about the band, if they’re still producing music or if Levi’s been able to see them live. He seems to be very big on 80’s bands. Erwin sits on Levi’s bed with his legs crossed while Levi sits on his dresser so he can change the music as he pleases and the two just talk. They talk about music, about movies and soundtracks, about their friends at school and current shows they’ve seen. 

Erwin has never seen Levi so chatty-- or at least as chatty as Levi can be. Levi tells Erwin all about Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. He tells him about Bowie’s diet of milk and peppers and about some museum of death out in Hollywood. Levi’s interests are very intriguing. He likes horror and old Hollywood, taxidermy and skateboarding. B Movies and old black and white cartoons. They discuss classic cult horror movies like The Creature from the Black Lagoon and a movie from the late 70s called Meateater . 

Erwin spills about his love for A24 films, Guillermo Del Toro and reading and writing screenplays. He teaches Levi that one page of a script equals to one minute of screen time and then talks about the format of a script including the differences between slug, action and paratheticy. Then he rambles on about inciting incidents, turning points and midpoints. And not once does Levi ever look at him like he’s weird or annoying. He asks Erwin questions and makes comments about how cool and interesting the structure of it all is. 

“That’s pretty fucking cool, Blondie. I never knew any of that.” Levi is now sitting on the bed with Erwin. “I don’t think most people even consider what goes on behind the scenes.” 

“The majority don’t.” Erwin shrugs, “But it's all really neat stuff.”

Levi smiles at him, Neat. You fucking nerd.

They’re on the bed, facing one another with their legs crossed. Levi left a record playing, Mazzy Star, the song “Fade Into You'' plays softly through the room. Erwin’s elbows are on his thighs, his eyes are downcast at his hands, his fingers pull at the cuff in his jeans. 

“I want to hold the hand inside you, I want to take the breath that’s true. I look to you and I see nothing, I look to you to see the truth…”

Levi can’t help but stare at him. Erwin’s cheeks have a red hue to them and his freckles are barely visible with the soft glow of Levi’s lamp that sits on his nightstand. The bulb in the ceiling went out and he’s yet to bring it up to his dad. Still, Erwin looks so gorgeous in the soft glow. His scent has spread through Levi’s room and soon his comforter will smell like him too. 

Jesus Christ, Smith. I want to kiss you so fucking bad right now. Levi’s lips part slightly. What if he leans in? Just a little? Would that hurt? Would it scare Erwin away? No, right? Not if he’s made himself at home upon Levi’s bed, running his palms against the comforter, placid, like he belongs there. And Levi wants him to. He wants Erwin in his bed, in his arms and in every inch of his life possible. 

“Levi?” Erwin breaks the silence. 

Levi stiffens, “Mm?”

Erwin looks up at him, “Can I ask you something?”

Levi nods slowly, “Yeah, you can ask me…ask me anything.” 

If you ask me to suck your dick, of course I fucking will. Levi shakes himself mentally. He needs to stop simping so damn bad. 

“I guess I was just curious as to why you were gone last year.” he looks up at Levi shyly, as if Levi will get mad. 

But Levi is stumped by his question. “Oh. Right.” He sits up a little, “The suspension, you mean?”

Erwin nods, “Yeah. The suspension.” 

Levi leans back on one hand, “Um, well, there wasn’t much to it to be honest. It was after the last class of the day and some kid pissed me off so I…” he hesitates for a moment, “Um, I like…I kind of broke his nose.” 

Erwin’s thick brows go up above the frames of his glasses, “Oh, crap. What did he do to you?”

Levi is a little surprised that Erwin doesn’t immediately ask ‘why would you do something like that? What’s wrong with you?’. Instead he asks what the other kid did wrong to warrant the interaction. It's a fresh breather for Levi.

This time, Levi leans forward slightly, resting his elbows on his thighs. He looks down and just shrugs again, “He called my mother a whore. It made me angry. Really angry.” 

Even now he can feel the rage building up inside of himself. His birth mother was raised in the foster system with her brother, she was in the punk scene and did as she pleased and chose to work the streets in East Los Angeles for extra cash. After Levi was born, she quit the streets and got a job at Sina’s Diner. She died some time after. Levi knows of her past, it isn’t a secret but she was a good person. She adored him and always tried her best to provide him with everything he needed. She never asked anyone for help. The Ackermans didn’t even know of their situation until it was too late. He’ll be damned if anyone trash talks her to his face. 

Erwin doesn’t interrupt. He lets Levi continue, “That kid, uh, his dad was college buddies with my dad and I don’t know what his dad told him about us but he knew too much for my comfort. Kid was an ass and tried to use it against me. When he said that about my mom I just…” He rubs the corner of his eye with his middle finger, “I saw red. I punched him, climbed on top of him and just kept hitting him until someone pulled me off. My parents had to persuade Principal Pixis not to expel me. Kid’s parents didn’t press charges because of our dads’ friendship and well, what the kid said. His parents knew they were in the wrong for telling him stuff about us.” 

Levi isn’t really clear on what was said, on what those people told their kid or which one of his moms he’s referring to and Erwin doesn’t pry. Of course Erwin doesn’t know he’s adopted. Not a lot of people know that. He’s not even sure if Hange knows. It isn’t obvious. He’s within his own family, they share blood and resemble one another to an extent, at least he and Mikasa do. 

“I’m really sorry that happened to you, Levi.” Erwin says gently, “My mom…she passed away when I was little but I love her a lot. I was a big mama’s boy.” He chuckles gently, maybe it’s forced, “So I don’t blame you. If someone said something bad about my mom I would have been enraged too.” 

Levi smiles, he can’t believe they’re bonding over their deceased mothers. But Erwin doesn’t know that. Erwin’s just being a good person. “I’m sorry too. About your mom.” Levi tells him. 

Erwin reaches over and places a hand over Levi’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Levi’s body is immediately on fire. His eyes widen a little as he meets Erwin’s gaze and he blushes. “Thanks…thanks, Blondie.” He gulps gently, feeling the need to lean in for a kiss. 

Do it! Do it! Lean in, you dumbass! Fucking kiss him! Why aren’t you moving? He’s looking right at you! Straight guys don’t touch their homies like this!

But Levi is frozen in place and Erwin’s hand is lingering a little too long. Levi just knew there was something up with those cuffed jeans. 

“Levi?” Erwin asks softly. His eyes are on their hands.

“Yeah?” Levi meets his gaze. 

“Can I--”

“Bubba!” The door bursts open and a little dark haired girl trots inside.

Erwin and Levi immediately jump away from one another. 

“Mika!” Levi scolds her, “It’s rude not to knock.” 

Mikasa notices Erwin sitting on her brother’s bed and comes to a quick halt. Her eyes look to him and then to Levi and she bites her bottom lip shyly. She wasn’t expecting someone in Levi’s room. 

“Bubba?” Erwin looks to Levi. A teasing smile is forming on his lips. 

Levi is blushing profusely. Dammit, Mika. Why can’t you just call me ‘Levi’?

“This is my sister, Mikasa.” he says and the little girl hurries to him, clutching onto his legs to pull herself up on the bed. “Mika, this is Erwin.”

“Hi, Mikasa, it’s nice to meet you.” Erwin says with a smile. 

Mikasa looks at him and smiles shyly, “Hi.”

“Levi, is your sister in--” 

Oh, great, more people. Levi and Erwin turn to the door to see Levi’s dad peek inside. “Oh!” he says, sounding surprised when he sees Erwin. “Hey, there!”

Erwin stands up immediately and his face turns serious, “Hello, Sir. I’m Erwin.” He steps forward.

Mr. Ackerman enters the room and shakes Erwin’s hand, “Well, hello, Erwin. You must be the friend Levi mentioned.” He pats Erwin’s arm with his free hand. 

“Sure am.” Erwin smiles like a goof. “Thanks for having me over, by the way. Sorry, it’s so late. I lost track of time, I hope I’m not overstaying my welcome.” 

Levi feels sick. Lovesick to be more exact. Fuck and he’s great with parents. Look at him, all polite and professional. Fucking hell, Smith. 

Mr. Ackerman places his hands on his hips the way dads often do. “Oh, don’t even worry about it, Erwin. Levi’s friends are always welcome. You’re welcome anytime.” He looks at Levi.

“Thank you, sir!” Erwin just smiles, happy to be there. 

“We weren’t doing anything.” Levi blurts like a nervous thirteen year old. His cheeks are blazing red. 

Both Erwin and Mr. Ackerman frown lightly, rather confused. He chuckles, “You guys are good, son. Your mother and I decided to make a pit stop by that new restaurant and well, they had margaritas half off so your mother went straight to bed.” he says with a shrug and a sheepish look. He then looks at Mikasa, “Come on, you. Time for bed.”

“I wanna stay with Bubba.” Mikasa leans back against Levi, secure in his arms. 

“Your brother has company. Maybe tomorrow you can play.” 

Mikasa doesn’t fight him and slides off the bed to join him. He takes Mikasa’s hand and looks to Erwin, “It was very nice meeting you, Erwin.”

“Likewise, Sir. Thanks for having me.” He shakes his hand again. 

“Well you boys have fun. Levi, stay out of the beer.” he jokes with a fatherly chuckle and exits the room with Mikasa in tow. 

Levi tilts his head back, wishing the earth would eat him whole. 

Erwin turns back to him with a light laugh, “Your dad’s really nice.” 

“My dad’s a dork.” Levi massages his temples. 

“My dad’s the same. I think all dads are like that.” Erwin shrugs and then checks his phone, “Oh, shoot. I didn’t realize how late it was. I should probably get going.”

Levi swears that he looks disappointed. A rock falls to the pit of his stomach and he instantly feels disappointed. He doesn’t want Erwin to leave. 

Levi frowns, he didn’t even think to consider how Erwin got to his place. “Do you need a ride or did you drive here?” 

Erwin smiles at him, it's a small gentle smile, “Thanks, Levi, but my dad can pick me up.” He sends a quick text and it isn’t long until he gets a response.

“Oh, okay. Cool.” Levi mumbles, wondering what would have happened if Mikasa hadn’t come barging in. 

They spend the next twenty minutes discussing their group project until Erwin’s dad shows up to pick him up. 

“See you at school.” Erwin waves as he steps down the porch of the house with a few records Levi loaned him, “Thanks for having me.” 

Levi leans against the door frame, “Sure, Blondie. Thanks for coming.” 

“Oh, and thank your mom for preparing those snacks for us.”

“I will.” Levi assures him, shaking his head sheepishly. . 

The two boys awkwardly smile at each other until Erwin almost trips on the walkway. “Okay, see ya!” He panics and hurries to his dad’s car, climbing in and closing the door behind him before Erwin’s dad has a chance to wave hello. 

When Erwin arrives home, he goes straight upstairs with the records. As soon as he closes the door behind him, his phone starts vibrating, the opening to one of his favorite anime plays. 

It’s Hange. Their name is displayed on Erwin’s lock screen: HANGE 🥼🥽🧪 

Followed by a picture on the screen of Hange in a cosplay from a convention they went to the year before. They were Doc Ock from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. 

“Hello?” Erwin answers on speaker. 

“ HOW DID IT GO?! ERWIN, TELL ME EVERYTHING!”

“Hange, I told you to leave him alone!” Moblit’s voice can be heard in the background. 

“ I NEED TO KNOW!” 

Erwin just laughs. 

—

It’s early the next morning when Mrs. Ackerman goes downstairs, rubbing her temples from a wicked hangover. Mikasa and Levi are already in the kitchen. Levi’s digging around in the fridge while Mikasa is munching on the toaster waffles he made her. 

“Morning, kids.” She greets them as she enters the kitchen. The coffee maker has never looked so beautiful. 

Levi pulls his head from inside the fridge and turns to his mother, “Mom, do we have any yogurt?” He’s still dressed in the old band shirt and basketball shorts he slept in. His dark hair is a little messy and he looks like he barely slept a wink. 

“Yogurt?” She asks, pulling a mug down from one of the cabinets. That's not typically a food Levi asks for. 

“Yeah.” he says, “Preferably…peach.” He looks away and turns his attention back to the inside of the fridge. “I thought we had some.” 

Mrs. Ackerman ponders for a moment, “Sorry sweetheart but I think we’re out.” 

“Damn.” Levi closes the fridge with a sigh. 

Mrs. Ackerman eyes him carefully. He’s been acting differently the last couple of weeks. He seems to be more motivated to go to school and hasn’t been as grumpy. Also, she’s noticed that the music he’s been listening to isn’t as melancholy as it usually is. Less The Smiths, more Blondie. Not to mention he’s had that song, Lovesong , on repeat for a few days now. 

She tilts her head slightly, “Is it important that we get yogurt?” She questions gently. 

Levi bites his bottom lip pensively and nods. 

She smiles at him, placing her hand on his shoulder and a kiss on his forehead, “Alright, let’s go to the store then.” 

Levi smiles softly, “Thanks.” 

-

It's Tuesday morning and Hange and Moblit are already bickering. Well, Moblit is lightly scolding Hange about the entire bag of gummy worms they inhaled on the way to school while Hange attempts to brush it off, lying that their stomach doesn’t hurt. 

They’re all huddled at Erwin’s locker while he organizes his schoolbooks in the order he will need them that week. “Moblit’s right, Hange.” Erwin interrupts them, “I don’t think it's healthy to eat so much candy first thing in the morning.”

“Ugh, thanks Commander Know-it-all.” Hange blows air through their lips, saluting him with a flaccid hand. 

“You’re welcome.” Erwin just smiles. 

“Blondie.” He hears that magical voice and Erwin’s head turns immediately. 

Levi’s standing there with that calm and cool expression of his. The one that almost seems bored. He’s wearing a denim jacket and his Dr. Marten boots. 

“Levi.” Erwin closes his locker, turning his back on his friends who continue to bicker. “Good morning.” 

Without a word, Levi sticks his hand out. 

“Hmm?” Confused, Erwin raises a brow and looks down at Levi’s outstretched hand. 

He turns his fist around and opens his hand, revealing a little white plastic cup that says “Siggis”. Both Erwin’s eyebrows go up in surprise, “Yogurt?” 

Levi keeps his hand out, looking away, “Peach.” He says as his cheeks blush a light pink, “For you.” 

A bright smile slowly spreads across Erwin’s lips as he takes the yogurt cup from Levi’s hand. “Really?” He looks at Levi.

Levi’s still refusing to look at him. He drops his hand and shoves them in the pockets of his black jeans, “You said you liked peach, right?” 

Erwin remembers their awkward conversation in the library. “I do.” Erwin tries his hardest to bite back a laugh. “Thanks, Levi.” 

Levi shrugs, relaxing a bit. The frown returns to his face, “Whatever, dude. Don’t cream your pants.” 

They spend the day texting in class about the records Levi let Erwin borrow: Bauhaus and Bowie. They also discuss what movies they should watch in their little ‘film club’ and a little regarding their project on Ancient Egypt. 

When they reunite in Mr. Artlert’s class later that day, Erwin is an unstoppable force of facts and knowledge. “Did you know that Osiris is also known as the god of fertility, agriculture and resurrection? Did you know that there is evidence of his worship dating all the way back to the 25th century BC? Did you know--”

“Blondie,” Levi laughs, resting his elbows on his desk, “Relax.”

“Sorry,” Erwin chuckles nervously, “I was just reading a lot yesterday and there was so much I didn’t know. Did you do any studying yesterday?” he asks innocently while he looks through his notes. 

“Studying?” Levi thinks back to the night before where he watched The Mummy with his dad and Mikasa. “Um. A little.” He shrinks a little. 

Erwin brings out his notebook and looks around for a pen but can’t find one. “Sorry, Levi but do you have a pen I can borrow?” 

Levi lends him his without a second thought, “Do you lose all your pens or what?”

Erwin smiles apologetically, “Sorry. Hange tends to borrow them during lunch to write strategies for our Overwatch sessions and I always forget to get them back.” 

Bunch of nerds. Levi shakes his head. “Stop loaning them your pens. Let Berner do that. They’re dating, aren’t they?” 

Erwin raises a brow, “Hange and Moblit?” He then laughs, “Moblit wishes.” he mutters with a smile. He then shifts in his chair, unable to get comfortable without having to sit weird, “So, I think we should start the introduction of our essay with a little bit of Osiris. Who he is, what he’s the god of and how he was depicted.” He rambles on, jotting down notes as he goes. “I’d also really like to touch base about the etymology of his name and his judgment in the underworld.”

Levi lets out a puff of air, “You really picked something metal as fuck, didn’t you?”

Erwin pushes his glasses up, “Hmm? Oh, well you know, he was just interesting is all.” He sets the pen down, “--And not to mention the fact that his appearance is also quite interesting. He’s depicted as having green skin. I read in one of my dad’s books that the coloration of his skin is supposed to represent body decomposition after death.” 

“Oof. Gnarly.” Levi scrunches his nose, slightly disgusted at the thought of rotting skin. 

Erwin laughs at his expression and looks back down to his note, “You’re cute, Levi.” The words slip out of his lips.

Levi barely catches it, “What?” 

“Hmm?” Erwin’s eyes fly to catch his gaze but he looks none the wiser. 

Levi slightly squints at him, “You said something.” He accuses. 

Erwin just picks the pen back up and continues to write with a gentle smile, “I don’t know what you mean, Levi.”

-

The days of the week go by quickly. Levi and Erwin continue to text during the day and late into the evenings, continuing their conversation about music. Erwin is really enjoying David Bowie but admits that he still listens to “Lovesong” on repeat. It makes Levi’s heart flutter. They meet up in the morning before first period and again in between classes. At the end of history, Mr. Arlert lets the class get into their groups; they even meet in the library after school to continue their work on their project when Erwin doesn’t have film club. Levi doesn’t complain. Erwin can be extremely thorough and somewhat demanding on the perfection of their paper and the order of the powerpoint slides but Levi could care less. He follows every instruction, every order Erwin gives him perfectly to a T. 

But Erwin isn’t bossy, his demands are fair and his requests are gently made with, “Is that okay with you, Levi?” “Do you mind, Levi?” “Can you help me with this, Levi?” “Please let me know if you need help with anything, Levi.” 

During lunch, Levi lingers near Erwin's table where he sits with his friends. Pretending to get up to buy an iced tea or to throw something away. He notices Zeke lurking around like a shark, just itching to start something with Erwin but whenever he sees Levi watching him, he turns on his heels and scurries away like the coward he is. 

Good riddance, Levi thinks. The less he sees of that monkey, the better. 

But Zeke isn’t the only one. Other students tend to pick on Erwin too. Gordon threw a pencil at Erwin in the hallway which earned him a shove against the wall from Levi. When Erwin turned around, suddenly aware of Levi’s disappearance from his side, he noticed Levi just standing there, looking innocent as if he just hadn’t shoved someone. Gordon was just scurrying away. 

“Ready?” Levi asks.

“Ready.” Erwin confirms. 

-

Zeke slams the door to the locker in the boy’s locker room after retrieving his gym bag. He’s annoyed and utterly pent up. Practice was shit and of course when it was over, he found multiple texts from his father, berating him for the recent D- on his calculus test. 

Zeke isn’t quite fond of math, of many of his classes to be quite honest but he likes being on the football team and his dad will pull him out if he doesn’t improve his grades. 

Ignoring the texts, Zeke shoves his phone in his pocket. He knows he’s going to get an earful when he gets home. Luckily, his stepmother will be there to even things out. She always tries to see Zeke’s point of view while his father will just not listen. 

He exits the locker rooms and heads down the hall towards the south exit of the school where his civic is parked. It’s then that he notices Smith outside of the class the film club gathers in. He’s talking to that short, pretty girl, Petra Rall. 

Erwin smiles when he talks and there’s a spark in those pretty blue eyes of his. Zeke feels himself freeze as his stomach flips and there’s a flutter in his chest when he sees Erwin. His face immediately flushes, and he feels the anger rise in his neck, all the way from his stomach where he first felt those confusing feelings for Smith. 

Zeke’s hands turn into tight fists, and he punches the wall next to him, not hard enough to do any damage to himself but hard enough to knock some sense into himself. 

Erwin Smith confuses him, and it fills Zeke with an anger so strong that he can’t begin to understand himself. And not to mention that Ackerman has been all over him, constantly hovering like some kind of guard dog. It irritates Zeke, he hasn’t been able to get even remotely close to Smith. They’re always together. Before school, in between class periods and even during lunch. Levi is always around. 

What’s Ackermans deal anyway? Why does he suddenly care so much about that loser? Zeke feels the jealous bubble in his stomach run up his throat like vile. 

Just looking at Erwin angers Zeke. Erwin with his handsome face and beautiful eyes. Erwin with his intelligent mind and amazing grades. Erwin with his loyal friends and proud father. All Zeke hears from his own father is how smart his colleague’s son is. How intelligent and bright that Smith boy is. That perhaps Zeke would do better in school if he befriended Erwin and asked for his help. 

Perfection. 

That’s what Dr. Jaeger wants from his eldest son. His youngest can do no wrong but Zeke, first born Zeke Jaeger must be perfect. Perfect like Grisha’s colleague’s son, Erwin Smith. 

“Fucking Smith…” he grumbles under his breath, “You fucking loser.” 

—

Thursday finally rolls around, and their project due date is drawing near. They only have about a week left to polish things up before presentations. Erwin is looking over a rough draft copy of their paper, scanning for any grammar errors he left behind. He and Levi had met up at the library the day before to work on the paper and complete the conclusion.

Lunch hour seems extremely rowdy that day; a couple of freshmen are scolded for running across the quad and someone throws a corn dog across a table, missing a couple of heads and landing in a bush. Erwin pauses and looks over his shoulder to Levi’s table, up the wide quad steps but the punk boy isn’t there. He’s in detention, missing his lunch period. Erwin feels the disappointment begin to eat him from inside out and blows a puff of air out through his lips. 

He’s not sure what Levi did to win himself detention during school hours but perhaps Erwin can advise him not to do it again. They could be in the library polishing up their paper. 

Erwin snorts internally. Who is he kidding? The paper is perfect, he has triple checked himself. He just wants to spend time with the moody teen. He’ll see Levi in class shortly, but still. 

“Are you in, Erwin?” Hange shakes Erwin out of his lovesick thoughts. 

“In? For what?” Erwin turns to look at Hange. 

“For the OC Fair! It’s the last weekend since Summer is officially ending and all.” 

Erwin perks up at this, “What about Levi? Can I invite him?”

The fair would be great! Food, rides, games-- does Levi play games? Does he like fried fair foods? He’s sure he does. Who doesn’t?

Hange smiles, “Sure!”

“Wait.” Nile interrupts him, “You’re hanging out with Ackerman now? Since when?”

That’s right. Only Hange and Moblit know about his crush on Levi. Nile and Marie tend to live in their own world. 

“For a couple weeks now.” Erwin explains, averting his gaze, “He’s my partner in history. He’s pretty cool.” 

Nile snorts and Marie lifts her brows, unsure of the new information. “He looks like the type that would bully you for your lunch money.” Nile sneers with a teasing snicker. 

Erwin frowns at him, his cheeks going warm, “Well, he’s not, alright?”

“Cool it, Nile. Levi’s cool. He’s my neighbor. Plus, if Erwin’s friends with him, what's the big deal?” Hange cuts in, “You two are going to ‘eff off anyways and ditch us, like you always do.” 

“What? That’s not true!” Marie huffs, crossing her arms. Her cheeks turn pink with embarassment. 

“It’s true.” Moblit comes to Hange’s defense. “But it’s cool. You guys are a couple.” He shrugs, “It’s normal.”

“Besides, while you guys are riding the Tunnel of Love over and over, Erwin will have a ride buddy and he won’t have to ride solo for the majority of the rides!” Hange perks up, liking the idea of Levi joining them. “It works out perfectly!” They turn to Erwin, “Invite Levi, he’ll be down for sure.”

Erwin can’t stop smiling, “Cool. I’ll tell him in class.” 

--

“The OC fair?” Levi raises a brow; he doesn’t sound too convinced. He leans back against his desk chair, looking at Erwin. “With you…and your friends?”

“Yeah.” Erwin answers with that brilliant smile of his. 

Levi’s eyes shift to look at Frieda. She’s stealing small glances at Erwin, lowering her chin while she scribbles in her notebook. It’s obvious she likes Erwin, Levi has gathered that much but the blond boy himself is oblivious and he’s supposed to be the smart one. Levi wonders if she wishes he would invite her instead. He doesn’t blame her. Frieda is a nice girl and Erwin is polite to her. 

“Nile and Marie are infamous for ditching us so it’ll just be Moblit, Hange and I.” Erwin says, reaching into his backpack to look for a pen. When he doesn’t find one, he checks his pockets.

“What time?” Levi asks, leaning forward to hand Erwin his pen. He knows Erwin’s always losing his. 

Erwin’s blues look up and he smiles, taking the pen. “Thanks. Um, I think we’re leaving around six? Maybe five? I’m not sure yet but Moblit’s picking us up at Hange’s. We’re all meeting there.” 

Levi reaches into his pocket and brings out a second pen, “And this is…tomorrow evening.” 

“Yup. Friday.” Erwin confirms, “So are you in?”

Levi watches as Erwin turns a little to write his name on his notes, he studies his side profile and that little cowlick of blond hair that has wiggled out of place. Maybe they’ll have a Tunnel of Love? His mind tries to persuade him. 

How could Levi ever say no to Erwin?

“Sure, Blondie. Count me in.” he says cooly with a shrug. 

Erwin looks up at him, “Awesome! I’ll text you more details later.” 

Levi’s heart skips a beat. “Okay. Sure.” 

After school, Levi meets up with Furlan and Isabel and he tells them about his invite to the fair with Erwin and his friends. Furlan high fives him and Isabel is giddy, she throws her arms around Levi, cheering excitedly.

“What are you going to wear? You have to win him a prize! Is there a Tunnel of Love? Are you going to kiss him? You should kiss at the top of the Ferris Wheel; it would be so romantic!”

Her questions are endless and Levi’s head spins.

The following morning, Levi gets to school long before Erwin does. He’s a bit skeptical of his absence since Erwin is very punctual. They had been texting the night before when Erwin mentioned that he received a new manga in the mail and was going to read it before bed. The nerd must have fallen asleep reading it. 

Levi lets his body lightly fall back against Erwin’s locker and crosses his arms, waiting. Come to think of it, he hasn’t seen how Erwin gets to and from school. Does he drive? He’s only ever seen him in Moblit’s mom’s car, like that night outside the diner. 

A bright little patch of gold catches Levi’s eye and he turns to look down the hall towards the front entrance. His body immediately freezes when he sees him. 

Levi swears “Heroes” by David Bowie plays in the background as he watches Erwin enter the school through the front doors. The outdoor light momentarily shines behind him, covering him in a bright glow of warm sunshine. He isn’t wearing his glasses and Levi can see his face clearly for the first time. Every single freckle is ever so present. 

“Fuck.” Levi’s breath hitches as Erwin approaches. 

His eyes gaze along the linoleum floor, timidly, unsure of himself. He blinks and his eyes are on Levi in an instant. Levi’s stomach flips and his heart accelerates. He feels the palms of his hands start to sweat. Yup. It’s clear as day. He’s fallen for Erwin Smith. He’s made that realization many times but every time he does, it’s more sobering than the last. 

Erwin smiles immediately when he sees Levi. His eyes fill with something that wasn’t there before. Hope? Excitement? Happiness? His hair isn’t in its usual pomade, instead, it's free like golden waves. He’s wearing a white baseball raglan with red sleeves and a pair of light blue jeans. He’s dressed too casually; Levi isn’t used to seeing him dressed without a button up or a vest of sorts. He walks up to Levi. “Hey, Levi.” His pink lips glisten as if he’s been licking them.

Levi’s lips part but he doesn’t remember the English language for a moment. Smith looks like an absolute teenage heartthrob. How fucking dare he? 

“Sorry, I overslept and didn’t even have time to get ready properly. Were you waiting for me?” Erwin fixes the backpack over his shoulder. 

Levi shuts his mouth and nods, suddenly feeling thirsty. He pulls another Siggis yogurt cup from his backpack and hands it to Erwin, “Your glasses.” 

Erwin takes it with a giddy smile; he looks forward to his occasional yogurt treat, “Thanks! Oh, you noticed huh?”

“No Blondie, I almost missed those dorky things that sit on your face every day.” Levi deadpans. 

Erwin rubs the back of his neck, “Sorry. Yeah, I dozed off while reading last night and accidentally broke them in my sleep. I have back up contacts though!” He gives Levi a thumbs up. 

Levi wants to roll his eyes because Smith, being the smartest person he knows, is somewhat still the dumbest. But Levi can’t lie to himself, Erwin is just as gorgeous without glasses as he is with them on. “You look great— ah I mean they look great. The contacts.” He grimaces. 

Erwin smiles softly at him, “Thanks, Levi. My glasses won’t be fixed until next week so this will have to do for now.” He gives a little nonchalant shrug. 

“You’re perfect.” Levi mutters, utterly starstruck.

Erwin checks his phone, “What?”

“That’s perfect.” Levi waves a hand, “C’mon, you dork. We’ll be late to class.” He turns and makes his way up the hall.

Erwin catches up to him (which doesn’t take much effort with his long legs versus Levi’s shorter ones), “Well, look at you, Cadet Ackerman. Excited to finally go to class?” They’ve spent so much time together working on that damn project that they have started to lightly tease one another and joke around at each other’s expense. 

They bring out something in each other that the other didn’t think possible. And yet, neither of them will admit it to the other. 

“Shut up.” Levi rolls his eyes, “If I ditch class again, I’ll get in trouble and then I won’t be able to join you and the dork brigade at the fair.” 

Erwin just smiles, looking down at the floor as he walks, “That’s true. We wouldn’t want that, now, would we?”

Levi looks up to study Erwin’s side profile. God how he wants to kiss those ruddy cheeks so bad. “You’re a dork.” Is all he tells him, looking away utterly frazzled. He’s not sure how he’s going to survive the rest of the school day, let alone the rest of the night with Smith looking like a Greek God. It's really unfair. If Levi could, he would shove Smith into the nearest restroom during class, push him against the wall and then drop to his knees. 

Alas, his desires remain hidden, and he spends the rest of the day writhing and pining away until it's time to meet up at Hange’s. 

They gather on their driveway around five o’clock. Levi wears a pair of all black slip-on Vans, black jeans and his favorite Bauhaus shirt with Bela Lugosi as Dracula on it. On top of his shirt, he wears his favorite all black flannel. It’s a bit warm and he doesn’t want to carry a jacket around. 

“Sup, Four-Eyes.” Levi says as he goes up Hange’s driveway. All he had to do was cross the street. 

“LE-VIIIII!” Hange attempts to throw their arms around him, but Levi puts a hand up, stopping them. 

Hange’s cheek crashes against his hand, “Just like old times, huh buddy?”

“Stop calling me that.” He raises an annoyed brow but then his expression softens, “It’s been a while.” He drops his hand. 

Hange smiles at him, “Glad you could make it. Moblit and Erwin should be here soon. Nile and Marie will meet us there.” 

Levi scoffs, “I’m surprised that Dok kid was able to score a girlfriend.”

Hange snorts, “Yeah, he’s kind of a dick but we love him.” 

Levi just nods. 

“So,” Hange begins, that playful smile curling their lips, “Erwin tells us you two are project partners.”

“Yeah.” He answers. 

“Is that the only kind of partners you are?” they raise a brow, puckering their lips a bit. 

Levi blinks, confused, “What?”

“Oh! They’re here!” Hange turns and waves. 

Levi steps back, shaking his head as if he just got whiplash. What the fuck, Hange? He turns too and sees the familiar gray CRV pull up to the house. 

Moblit rolls down his window, “Hey! Y’all ready?”

The passenger door opens and Erwin steps out. Levi stiffens when he sees him. He’s no longer wearing the baseball raglan but a white colored Neon Genesis Evangelion shirt with Evangelion Unit-01 on the front. He’s got on a pair of black jeans, a black belt and a pair of red Sk8 Hi Vans. His hair is only partially done with a little bit of pomade and those brilliant eyes shine even brighter without the glasses to obscure them. 

“Hey!” He greets Levi, looking a little shy. 

“Sup, ya big nerd.” Levi goes up to him and for some odd reason, Levi lifts his fist for a bump. How he wishes the earth would swallow him whole. 

Erwin just smiles and bumps his fist to Levi’s. “Are you ready for all the fair foods and rides?”

Levi shrugs as Hange calls shotgun. “I guess. Sup, Berner.” Levi lifts his chin slightly, acknowledging Moblit. 

Moblit waves from behind the wheel, “Hey, Levi.” 

Erwin opens the back door for Levi and steps aside to let him in, “After you.” 

Levi snorts softly, “What a gentleman.” 

Erwin climbs into the car after him, “Are you into that?”

“What?” 

“Oh, I said, do you like hats ?” Erwin closes the door after him and buckles in. 

“What the shit, Smith?” 

The car ride to the fairgrounds is chaotic to say the least. Hange is in charge of the music. They play Lady Gaga and Harry Styles and dances in their seat. Moblit laughs along with them and moves a little bit but keeps his hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. 

Erwin looks out the window, his hand next to him on the seat. Some song about sushi is playing, Levi’s never heard of it. “Green eyes, fried rice, I could cook an egg on you.”  

It’s not Levi’s usual taste in music but the guy has a nice voice. He notices Erwin’s hand on the seat and notes how big it is. He gulps. Fuck me, Smith. Please. Just once. I won’t ask for anything ever again. 

Levi leans his head back. He needs to stop being so fucking horny for the dorky blond. It’s insane. 

“It’s ‘cause I love you, babe! In every kind of way-- ba-ba-- just a little taste! You know I love you babe--”

“You good?” He hears Erwin and turns his head to meet that precious fucking face. God how he wants to ride that face. 

Erwin’s smiling, unaware of all of Levi’s dirty, unforgivable thoughts. 

Levi swallows, “Yeah, it’s just kind of hot in here…” 

“You should take your flannel off.” Erwin suggests. 

“Take it off then.” Levi says quickly. 

Erwin doesn’t hear him properly over the sound of the music, “Huh?”

“I said--”

“Levi! How are your parents?” Hange asks from the front seat, interrupting them in the process. 

“Oh, they’re good.” Levi answers casually, “Thanks for asking. They said “hi” by the way and want to know why you don’t come over anymore.”

Hange laughs, looking down at their phone to choose the next song, “Because their son hasn’t invited me over.”

Levi chuckles, “When have you ever needed an invitation, Four-Eyes?”

Hange cackles, “That’s true!” 

Levi smiles, shaking his head. He remembers the day he met Hange for the very first time. He had asked the other five-year-old, “Are you a boy or a girl?”

Hange answered, “I’m both. I’m neither. I’m Hange!” And flashed him that gapped toothed smile. He’s glad to see they haven’t changed. 

The OC Fair is big and loud and filled with countless people. They meet up with Nile and Marie by one of the entrances, just besides the first lemonade stand they see. The air smells like popcorn, churros, fried pickles and turkey legs. The sun is about an hour away from setting, so they have plenty of time to explore before they decide on any rides. 

Erwin introduces Levi to Marie and Nile officially. Levi gives them a soft wave and a gentle “Hey, how’s it going.” 

Nile is cordial, surprisingly and Marie looks genuinely happy to have him join them. Sometimes Erwin doesn’t know how she stands Nile sometimes, but he supposes that love is love. 

“Are we ready then?” Hange asks. 

“Sure!” Erwin takes his denim jacket and hangs it over his shoulder. He turns to Levi, unable to contain his excitement. He’s still in disbelief that the boy he’s crushing on is hanging out with him and his friends. They’re all very accepting of Levi and seem happy to have him there, joining them. “Ready?”

Levi shrugs nonchalantly, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

They walk around the large grounds, exploring the stands and buying tickets for rides and games. Erwin buys himself a pink lemonade and gets Levi an iced tea. He noticed that Levi likes tea. 

Levi thanks him and follows after him. After finishing their drinks, they go to a giant barn where there are multiple farm animals including sheep, goats, cows and giant pigs. They also have a couple of alpacas and Levi is absolutely over the moon. 

“Holy shit, Blondie! Look at that thing!” He points from behind the safety of a white picket fence. 

Erwin laughs, “That’s an Alpaca.” 

“They’re so fuzzy.” Levi steps closer, standing on his tiptoes to see over the top fence. 

Erwin watches him with adoration in his eyes. He wonders if Levi would mind if he picked him up so he could get a better look. He supposes Levi wouldn’t like that. Maybe he’d feel too much like a child.

The group buys little disposable cups of food and enters the petting zoo. 

“Fuck no.” Levi resists as Erwin pushes him inside the small gate where the goats and sheep are. There are a couple of piglets trotting around but Levi will not have any of it. 

“Come on!” Erwin grabs him by the wrist and tugs him, “They won’t hurt you!”

“They’re filthy!” Levi bites back.

Nile and Marie are already inside, feeding a baby goat. Hange and Moblit are petting a wooly sheep with a black face. Hange squeals when it takes food from their hand. Moblit laughs, placing a protective hand on Hange’s hip.

“They’re farm animals!” Erwin reasons and manages to pull Levi into the enclosure with him. “Here, feed them. It’s fun!” He gives Levi a cup of food and sure enough a group of little black goats circle around Levi. 

“Fuck.” levi steps back, rather nervous, “Smith, what the fuck are they doing?” 

Erwin brings out his phone and starts to record, “They want the food you have. Give them some!” he laughs. 

“Uh.” Levi looks at all the little black goats nervously. 

“Aw!” Erwin pouts his lips, “Levi, they match with you!” 

Levi notices his all-black outfit and then their black fur and he looks up at Erwin with a not so thrilled look. “Ha-ha. Very funny, Blondie. Now come get me.”

“What?”

“Get me!” The baby goats have him pinned against the fence. 

Erwin bursts out laughing, “They’re baby animals! Don’t tell me you’re scared of them?”

One little goat reaches closer and nips at Levi’s jeans. “Oi! You little shit! Stop that!”

Erwin laughs again and stops recording. “Here,” He walks over and drops a couple pellets on hay covered ground. 

The little goats bleat and huddle to eat. Erwin crouches down and pets one with floppy ears. Levi too crouches down next to him. He gently sticks out his hand with a couple of pellets in his palm and watches as one of the babies starts to nibble from his hand. 

Erwin stares at Levi as his eyes widen in amazement and awe. “Whoa, Smith. Look at these little demons. They look like little satanic acolytes.” 

Erwin laughs and takes a couple of pictures with his phone of Levi feeding the baby goats. “Black Phillip.” He jokes. 

Hange comes over with a Polaroid camera hanging from their neck. They just pulled it out of Moblit’s backpack. They snap a picture of Erwin and Levi with the baby acolytes and moves on to the next interesting thing. 

They leave the petting zoo after Nile gets headbutted by a bigger goat and head to wash their hands at a hand washing station. Even though Levi ended up enjoying himself, Erwin could tell he was relieved to clean himself up. 

As predicted, Nile and Marie go off on their own. Marie wants to see the baby bunnies they missed, and Hange wants to see the World’s Biggest Cow. So the team splits up. Erwin and Levi mostly stick with one another. Levi scoffs at the World’s Biggest Cow, just some giant bull that grew a little too big for its own good. Erwin is genuinely impressed. 

Hange runs from place to place, completely ecstatic with everything, taking a picture of everything they can, (Erwin and Levi included) while Moblit follows them around, a little nervous and frantic that Hange will wander off and get lost. They try a couple of games where they attempt to knock glass bottles down with a giant baseball but all of them fail to do so. Even Levi who throws the ball hard and angry like it called him a slur. 

They go into the funhouse where Erwin crashes against a mirror one too many times for his own liking. Levi bends over laughing, unable to contain himself.

“Levi!” Erwin grumbles, embarrassed and unable to make his way through the maze without crashing into yet again, another mirror. “Help!”

“You big lug.” Levi grabs his arm and leads him in the right direction. 

Erwin feels his stomach flip and his cheeks grow hot when Levi touches him. His skin feels so soft and Erwin wonders how Levi’s soft hand would feel wrapped around his--

“Blondie, look out!”

Erwin rams face first into another mirror, “Dammit!”

They finally get out of the maze and end up in a room with multiple mirrors of all shapes and sizes. They both stand in front of one where Levi stretches out and Erwin shrinks down. They laugh at one another and move on to the next. 

Levi looks round and Erwin is barely a stick. By the time they exit the room of mirrors, Levi and Erwin are laughing so hard that they’re tripping over one another. After the funhouse, Levi buys some fries and shares them with Erwin. 

When the sun starts to set, the four of them check out the market where Moblit buys Hange a little locket to hang around their neck. Levi buys a little Kuromi plush for Mikasa that Hange lets him put in their backpack for safe keeping. 

While Levi and Moblit are checking out a stand of taxidermy insects and other oddities, Erwin wanders back to the stand with the necklaces and stones. He buys a beautiful bracelet of round reddish orange carnelian beads and puts it around his wrist, happy with his purchase. 

When he reunites with the others, Levi notices the bracelet right away. “You just buy that?”

Erwin smiles gently, “Yeah, I’ve always wanted one.” He says with a shrug. 

Levi nods, “It looks good on you.” 

“Thanks.” Erwin says shyly.

“Hey, you two!” Hange calls from a few yards away, “Let’s go check out the rides!”

“There’s cotton candy!” Moblit points to a stand.

“Cotton candy?” Erwin perks up, “Come on, Levi.” 

-

Hange stops immediately, their eyes go wide, filling with shining stars. They point, “That’s the one.” 

Levi softly bumps into Erwin who doesn’t seem to mind. He looks at Hange’s hand and follows their pointed finger to the ride they have chosen. Levi stiffens and his eyes widen slightly. 

The ride is wide, covered in neon lights and light bulbs that change colors, loud music plays from surround sound speakers, loud and clear as two rider buggies spin in circles while the bottom floor spins and goes up and down like the waves in an unruly ocean. The buggies spin so fast they’re nothing but lines of color and light. They can all hear the people screaming as they spin inside an endless turnado of loud music and flashing colors. 

The ride itself: SUPREME WALTZER

Levi’s stomach feels sick just looking at it. He takes a step back. There ain’t no way in hell that he’s going to puke in front of Erwin “Please Be My Daddy” Smith. 

“I think I’m going to barf.” Moblit holds his stomach, his cheeks puffing slightly. He just had an entire cotton candy all to himself. Erwin too, he can’t be doing much better, Levi’s sure. 

However, Erwin’s eyes light up with excitement, “Let’s do it.” He turns to look at Levi, “You in, Levi?” 

Levi gulps internally. How he fucking hates being unable to say no to that crazy blond. He nods firmly. 

“Hell yeah!” Hange cheers and they dash towards the ride, cheering in pure delight. 

“Hange! Wait for me!” Moblit calls after them, hurrying to catch up. 

Oh, fuck. Erwin’s friends are going to be the death of Levi. 

-

“Smallest person on the left!” The ride conductor calls over and over as he checks to make sure that the bars are locked in place and that everyone's buckled in correctly. 

Erwin sits in the buggy first, on the right. Levi climbs in after him, sitting on the left like suggested. He knows what that means. The ride will spin so fast that gravity will do him the honors of being pressed up against Erwin’s entire body. Levi feels lightheaded, excited and anxious all at once. Still, it's too much to handle. What if he pukes on Erwin? What if he screams so high pitched, he sounds like a wuss? Maybe he can still get off the ride. 

Erwin laughs, “What’s wrong, Levi? Are you nervous?” He teases 

Levi frowns, “Pfft. As if, Blondie.” He tries his hardest to sound nonchalant, but his tone of voice gives him away. 

“You can hold onto me if you want.” Erwin teases again, trying to bite back a smile but fails. 

“Shut up.” Levi pouts, causing Erwin to laugh again but his teasing isn’t malicious. It’s endearing and Levi can’t help to blush ferociously. He hopes the colorful flood lights cover the tint of his blushing face. 

The music dies down and then picks up. A loud crack followed by a familiar laugh erupts from the speakers. 

Hehehehe wipe oouuut!!

The Waltzer slowly begins to spin, going up and down like a wave, picking up speed along with the drums and guitar of the music, The Surfaris, Wipe Out!

The neon lights and loud music make Levi stiff as he holds onto the bars for dear life. Their buggy begins to spin in the opposite direction of the metal floors themselves and Erwin laughs, lifting his arms in the air. 

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Levi cringes as his body slides down the buggy seat, crashing against Erwin’s frame. His entire body lights ablaze. 

The air whips his hair out of his face, and his stomach flutters the way it does when they fall down the dip of a rollercoaster. All he sees are flashes, all he hears is the fast paced music and the sound of countless screams, hollers and bouts of laughter surrounding him from every which way. He can hear Hange screaming in the distance, a delighted scream of pure maniacal joy while Moblit sounds like he’s fighting for his life.

Levi looks up to see Erwin completely overjoyed. The wind is flying through his face and hair and he’s laughing like a kid. “Levi! Put your hands up!”

“You’re insane!” Levi shouts, gripping the bar tight as the buggy dips up and then back down with the beat of the drums and riffs of the guitar. He tries to scoot to the middle of the buggy but the force of the spins send him crashing against Erwin again. “All of you!” 

Erwin laughs and lowers his arms, draping one over Levi’s shoulder, bringing him close. Levi’s heart stops for the fraction of a second, “You’re not going to throw up are you?” Erwin asks in his ear, semi shouting over the loud music. 

Levi looks at him, feeling the warmth of his voice. Erwin smells like cotton candy and Dr. Pepper. His beautiful freckled face is covered in red, blue and green lights. His hair is ruffled and he looks like a gorgeous, 50s surfer plastered on the front of a vintage postcard. Maybe it's the way his blond hair curls from the wind or the song playing, hell, Levi doesn’t know. All he knows is that his soul has lifted out of his body. 

“No, I’m not going to pu-- whoa!” The ground dips and the buggy spins faster, cutting Levi off. All he can see are a mess of spinning lights and all he can feel is the warmth of Erwin’s arm around him. Levi’s heart is beating out of his chest. 

He feels Erwin’s arm bring him closer against him, “I got you, Levi!” he laughs, having the time of his life. 

Levi can no longer think about the whips and dips of the ride. All he can focus on is the warmth of Erwin’s body. Holy fuck, I’m going to die.

--

When the ride stops spinning Hange is the first to appear at the red buggy where Levi and Erwin are still sitting, regaining their senses. The world is still spinning in their eyes. Erwin is gently letting Levi out of his embrace, lowering his arm from around his shoulders with a bright blush that Hange noticed right away but doesn’t point out. 

Hange laughs, “How are you feeling, Levi?”

Levi is sitting there with half lidded eyes, black hair a whirlwind mess, trying his hardest to bite back the nausea. He lifts his hand and does the “hang loose” gesture, “Fucking peachy.” He grumbles. 

Hange and Erwin laugh. 

When their feet hit solid ground, Moblit is the first to lean over a clown decorated trash can to puke out the entire cotton candy mess he consumed before the ride. Hange, Levi and Erwin catch up to him. 

“You okay?” Erwin turns to Levi while Hange checks on Moblit, gently patting his back and giving him words of reassurance. 

Levi closes his eyes, his head is still spinning a little, “Fine. Perfect. You?”

Erwin runs a hand through his hair, fixing it a bit. He isn’t wearing as much pomade as he does at school and his Neon Genesis Evangelion t-shirt is still neat and tidy. “I’m fine. That was a lot of fun!” 

Levi feels whole when he sees Erwin smile. He smiles too, “Yeah. That was fun.” 

After the Waltzer they go on a baby roller coaster where the carts are designed to be a dragon. Hange squeals in utter glee and Levi watches the way Moblit smiles at them and laughs at their excitement. Now that he thinks about it, Moblit is always following after Hange, keeping up with their shenanigans. 

Erwin playfully tugs on his shoulder, “C’mon, Levi! Put your hands up! It’s more fun that way!” He raises his arms just before the pitiful little drop. 

Levi is hesitant but raises his arms and notes the joy in Erwin’s shining eyes when he joins him. When they drop down a mere six feet, Levi’s stomach flutters and he laughs. 

“I told you!” Erwin nudges him. 

But Levi laughs, unable to ignore the sun that radiates from the beautiful blond boy, “This is fucking stupid!” 

Then they get off the rollercoaster, which lasts about two minutes, the chill of the late September night has settled and Levi shivers. He knows he should have brought more than a simple flannel since he gets cold so easily. When Erwin notices this, he takes off his light denim jacket with the pin that reads “Cryptozoology Tracking Society” and casually drapes it around Levi’s shoulders while they stand in line for the Scrambler. 

Levi turns to look at him with mid wide eyes and parted lips. Erwin looks away, pulls at his Evangelion t-shirt and says, “It’s kinda hot.” 

Levi bites back his smile and silently slips his arms into the sleeves of the denim jacket, engulfing himself in Erwin’s scent without a word of protest. The jacket itself is rather big on Levi and his fingers barely stick out of the sleeves but holy fucking hell, he is in absolute heaven. 

The jacket smells like Erwin’s usual pomade and with a hint of cedar but most of all, it smells like Erwin . The real Erwin. The scent of his body, his skin and his hair. It’s a scent Levi can’t quite pinpoint but he already recognizes it from sitting so close to him all those times in school where they worked on their project or when Erwin leans over his shoulder to see the tracklist on the back of a record. He has smelled it all night, sitting next to him in the car or on every ride. 

Levi never wants to take that jacket off. 

When they get on the Scrambler, Levi is once again forced against Erwin’s body as the ride spins in endless, chaotic circles. That time both boys raise their arms and laugh, hurling stupid jokes at one another. They then grip the bars and hang their heads, laughing stupidly when Erwin says, “What do you call a burger traveling at the speed of light?” 

“What?” Levi calls out above the music and screams of joy. 

“Fast food!” 

“You’re the fucking worst, Smith!” Levi tilts his head back and laughs. He laughs until his stomach muscles clench and his cheeks hurt. 

They throw darts at balloons and Erwin wins a stuffed gray monkey wearing a visor. It has long limbs and Velcro at its hands and feet. He hangs it from Levi’s neck, sticking its hands together so it hugs him and hangs there. Levi blushes profusely, “What the hell?” 

“Hey, Levi,” Erwin tries to say casually, “You have a monkey on your back.” 

Moblit snorts some of his lemonade slushie and it comes out his nose. Hange wheezes and slaps his back, cackling until they’re out of breath. Erwin laughs along with them, the three giggling like crackheads. Levi watches them with a raised brow, in disbelief for a moment until he smiles and chuckles himself. 

“The three of you are idiots.” 

“But we’re youuuu’re idiots now, Levi!” Hange pounces at him, hugging him. 

Levi groans, “Oi! Settle down, Four-Eyes!” He fights against Hange’s weight, wishing it were Erwin hugging him, not his loud, childhood best friend. Because Levi has to admit, back then, Hange was his one and only friend. 

When he meets Erwin’s gaze, Levi notices a gentle look in them. Like he’s genuinely proud about something. Whatever. Levi looks away, defiant and bashful. 

Erwin lightly teases Levi about the monkey still hanging from his neck all the way to the Haunted Mansion ride where half assed Halloween store props pop out of hand made gravestones and college students leer from holes in the walls to startle and scare them. 

“You’re a dork, Smith.” Levi playfully gives his arm a push. 

Erwin just laughs, “Just admit you like it.” 

“Fuck no. I’m not some little kid.” Levi’s biting back his smile so hard it hurts. 

“Hurry up, lovebirds! You’re holding up the line!” Hange calls from up ahead. 

Erwin and Levi’s heads whip up to Hange and then look behind them to see that they have been holding up the line. They stutter over one another, and Erwin laughs and places a hand on Levi’s shoulder, guiding him forward so they could move up the line. Neither of them call out Hange or comment on their nickname for them. They settle back in line, cheeks flushed red and eyes looking everywhere but at each other. 

They sit side by side in the black buggy and by the time the ride starts, they’re back to their teasing and jokes with Hange and Moblit joining in. 

“That was the stupidest fucking ride I’ve ever been on.” Levi says as they hop off and head in the direction of the Ferris Wheel. 

“Yeah, it’s kinda cheesy but it’s fun.” Erwin shrugs. 

“It reminds me of the haunted house they put out on Lemon Street every year.” Moblit says. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Erwin points out. 

Hange is walking backwards, hands in their jacket pockets, “That reminds me! Levi, you’re doing Halloween Horror Nights this year with us, right?” 

Levi notes the way Erwin’s face goes red and his eyes slightly widen. 

“The what?” Levi asks. 

“We go to Horror Nights every year for Erwin’s birthday. It’s tradition.” Moblit says matter of fact. 

Levi looks to Erwin, “That true, Blondie?” 

“Uh,” Erwin chuckles nervously, “Yeah.” 

Levi raises a brow, “Your birthday is in October then.” It’s more of a statement than a question. 

Erwin shoves his hands in his pockets, “Yeah, the fourteenth.” 

“He’s a Libra.” Hange states. 

Levi raises a brow. Whatever that means. “You didn’t tell me.” Levi says a bit accusingly. That’s coming up in about three weeks or so. 

Erwin laughs again and shrugs, “I didn’t know if you would be interested.” He genuinely looks a little sad. 

Levi shrugs casually, turning to Hange. “I’ll go.” 

“You will?” Both Hange and Erwin ask in unison.

Levi shrugs again, “Of course, it’s your birthday, Blondie.” He clears his throat, “I wouldn’t miss it.” 

Erwin’s slips slowly burst into a wide smile, “Yeah? Okay, yeah! I’ll tell my dad. He gets some educator discount.” 

Hange throws their fist in the air, “Huzzah!” 

It isn’t long before they make it to the Ferris Wheel to get in line. The wheel itself is huge and both Erwin and Levi grow a little nervous at the height of the ride. But it looks like fun, nonetheless, covered in multiple colorful lights that spin and change color. When it's their turn, Hange and Moblit get in together in a blue tub. They wave at Erwin and Levi as the wheel moves and the tub goes up, “Hug each other if you get scared!” Hange shouts from feet up in the air.

“What?!” Both Levi and Erwin shout back, unable to hear them through the screams and laughter. 

When it's their turn, they climb into a red tub and buckle in. Music plays from speakers attached below the tubs, Niel Diamond, “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show”. The wheel spins, moving them up, stops and the tubs move back and forth. 

“Oh! Goodness.” Erwin grabs the bar, laughing nervously. 

Levi looks at him and laughs, “Aren’t scared, are ya, big guy?”

“No.” Erwin frowns, making a face, “Of course not.” 

“Good.” Levi says and they both look out onto the fairgrounds. The sun has fully set, and night has taken over. Countless lights scatter down below, and the people look like ants, going from place to place. The sounds, the smells, the lights, it's all so overwhelming. 

The wheel goes around once and when their tubs make it to the very top. All of a sudden, the ride comes to a screeching halt and the tub swings back and forth again, a little harder that time. 

“Whoa!” Erwin reaches over, grasping onto Levi’s thigh out of instinct to steady himself. Levi stiffens at the feeling of Erwin’s hand on his thigh, gripping it tightly. He squeezes the stuffed monkey for moral support. “What was that?”

Levi snaps himself out of it and looks down. He can make out some sort of commotion, “I don’t know. I think something happened.” 

It isn’t long before one of the ride conductors pulls out a megaphone and addresses the crowd that the ride is momentarily down but will be moving again shortly and to please keep their seatbelts on and stay put.

“Oh.” Erwin says and then laughs, “That would happen, huh?” He takes his hand off of Levi’s leg. 

“Sounds about right.” Levi agrees. 

“I wonder how Hange and Moblit are doing?” Erwin reaches into his pocket and brings out his phone to text Hange. 

However, there is already a text on his lock screen. 

HANGE 🥼🥽🧪: Kiss him, you fool! Now's your chance!

Erwin’s entire face turns red, and he quickly shoves his phone back into his pocket. 

“What they say?” Levi asks. 

“Nothing.” Erwin lies, “They’re fine.” 

Levi just nods and looks down again to check out the scene. It looks like a couple of the conductors have gathered followed by a man that appears to be a mechanic? Levi can’t tell. They’re too high up and everyone just looks like ants. 

“Guess we’ll be here a while.” Levi turns to Erwin and freezes, taking in the sight before him. Erwin gazes out into the night, brilliant blue eyes illuminated by the countless lights. They almost seem to sparkle with amazement and wonder as he takes it all in. The corner of his lips pull into a smile while he admires the beautiful sight before them. Levi swears he can see the twinkling of every light reflected in Erwin’s eyes. They look like Andromeda. 

Fuck.

Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.

Levi feels the pull in his stomach and the skip of his heart. His hands grip the bar tightly when he feels his stomach flip. How can someone be so damn attractive and not know it? Levi can’t lie to himself. Erwin’s side profile is beautiful, absolutely marvelous. He looks like a beautiful young boy in a mythology painting with that Roman nose of his and those high cheekbones. Everything about him looks like it’s painted with a brush held by delicate hands. 

Levi swallows. 

He’s almost an enigma. Levi hadn’t fully realized it before. Just how unbelievably handsome Erwin Smith is.  

But he knows he’s handsome. He knows he’s beautiful inside and out but in that moment, he notices the vulnerable look in Erwin’s eyes, a glance of what his soul must look like. It shakes and shatters something within Levi. Something that crashes over him like freezing water. It moves him through time and space and suddenly he feels like he’s hovering over his own body. 

“Levi?” 

Levi snaps out of it, his eyes flicker to Erwin who's now looking at him, the same gentle smile on his face. Nothing amiss. “You okay? You aren’t afraid of heights, are you?” he lightly teases, elbowing Levi playfully. 

Levi scoffs, “As if.” He looks away, feeling his cheeks grow hot despite the crisp night air but Levi barely feels it, safely tucked into Erwin’s jacket. 

“If you look closely, you can almost see the stars from here.” Erwin says. 

Levi peeks from under his hair to see Erwin leaning back, eyes up towards the sky. His neck exposed to the night air. Levi wonders what it would be like to plant a kiss on his adam's apple. To find that little freckle and taste his skin. He feels his limbs go numb at the thought and he bites his bottom lip to keep himself from craving the taste of Erwin’s skin. 

“Well, sort of.” He raises his hand and with his index finger points up, “You can almost make out the Big Dipper in Ursa Major.” 

“What?...No way…” Levi is so mesmerized by the idea of kissing him that he misses what Erwin says. His brain is slowly melting. Nothing is making sense. 

“I wish we could go somewhere where we could see the stars clearly.” His eyes look a little forlorn and he lets out a heavy sigh. “Levi? Have you ever heard of the Greek myth about the Pleiades?”

“No...” Levi’s voice is almost a whisper.

Erwin continues, his eyes still staring at the night sky, “In the constellation Taurus there is an asterism called the Pleiades. They’re also known as “The Seven Sisters”. You see, they’re named after the Pleiades from the myth. The Pleiades were seven sisters, all daughters of the Titan Atlas. It was said that Titan Atlas was punished with the burden of holding up the sky for eternity so when Orion, the hunter, discovered the sisters, Titan Atlas was unable to protect them. To keep Orion from being a total creep, Zeus turned the seven sisters into stars.” 

Erwin lowers his chin and turns to look at Levi, “Isn’t that interesting?” His question is genuine and even though Levi now understands why Erwin is so easily bullied by simply opening his mouth, he finds his love and knowledge of Mythology so endearing and admirable. 

His gleaming eyes and expression of wonder soften when he sees Levi’s face. 

“I have never heard that before. That’s actually very cool.” Levi straightens himself up, licking his bottom lip. “You know a lot of cool things.”

Erwin shrugs, “I just read a lot is all.” 

Levi clears his throat, hoping that Erwin hasn’t noticed the blush on his cheeks. “You should uh…ya know, teach me some time.”

“About Mythology?” Erwin’s expression perks up, “Sure! That would be cool.” 

Levi nods. Oh, what? You fucking simp. Levi scolds himself, What is wrong with you?

Both teens are startled by the sudden movement and loud screech of the Ferris Wheel as it begins to move again. “Looks like they fixed it!” Erwin looks down. Sure enough the wheel slowly begins to turn and after what feels like an eternity, they are back on solid ground.

Levi feels a sense of disappointment. He finds himself wishing he could have stayed up there with Erwin, looking at the stars until the earth died around them. 

“Woo! Wasn’t that awesome?!” Hange cheers as they and Moblit join Levi and Erwin. 

Levi scoffs, “If you call certain death awesome, sure.”

Erwin laughs, “Levi, you’re fine.” 

“Tsk. Says you.” 

“Oh, c’mon Levi!” Hange drapes their arm over his shoulder and leans their weight on him. Erwin watches with cautious eyes, wishing he could do the same as easily as they do it. “A touch with death only makes you stronger!”

Levi peels Hange off of him, “Where the hell did you even hear that? And why do you smell like fried twinkies?” 

Hange shrugs and walks back to Moblit, taking his hand in theirs. Moblit smiles and his cheeks blush pink. It looks like Levi isn’t the only one to have some sort of “Come to Jesus” moment while they were stuck up there. Erwin catches this too but just flashes a happy grin, not wanting to point out the obvious or make it weird. 

“You guys want some funnel cakes?” Moblit asks, “My treat?”

Erwin looks at Levi, “Levi?”

Levi doesn’t care much for fried food but he’s feeling pretty hungry. “Sure. Thanks, Moblit.”

Moblit just smiles and let's Hange lead them towards the fried food section of the fair. Levi and Erwin walk a couple of feet behind them, side by side. Erwin realizes that Levi is still wearing his jacket and he smiles to himself. Levi looks so small in the denim jacket that is two sizes too big for him but he gushes inside at how cute Levi looks. 

He feels his cheeks go warm at the thought of reaching his hand out and brushing Levi’s fingers, intertwining their hands together. 

“You’re staring.” Levi’s voice snaps Erwin out of his thoughts.

Erwin’s eyes flicker to meet his gaze, “Was I?” He steps a little closer.

Levi continues to hold his gaze, raising a brow, “Yeah…” 

Erwin can’t tell if he’s breathing, “Sorry.” But he doesn’t look away from those beautiful steel eyes that stare back at him with just as much intensity. 

Chapter Text

The OC fair left Levi in an absolute haze. When he walked anywhere it felt like “All I want is You” by Barry Louis Polisar played in the background. He felt so light; so heavenly, like he could conquer anything. He thought he must have looked stupid walking with a skip to his step, but he couldn’t help it. 

When Moblit stopped the SUV outside of Hange’s house, Erwin got out of the car to say goodnight to him. Levi tried to take the denim jacket off to return to him, but Erwin stopped him. “Keep it for now. It’s cold out here and you live far.” 

Levi had raised his brow and laughed, “Smith, I live across the street.” 

Erwin looked over his shoulder to see Levi’s house just yards away and just shrugged with a little smile, “Looks far to me.”

Levi smiled like a fool and nodded in the end, “You dummy.” The Velcro monkey hung from Levi’s hand. His new prized possession. 

Erwin just smiled back, “See you at school?” He asked while his eyes were downcast, and his shoe kicked over the pavement of Hange’s driveway over and over. 

“Yeah.” Levi confirmed, “It’s kind of hard to miss you, Stretch.” 

Erwin laughed, “I suppose so.” 

That goofy, boyish grin of his stayed with Levi the entire weekend and by Monday Levi swore his heart almost ripped free from his rib cage when he saw Erwin standing by his locker. He’s wearing the carnelian bracelet he purchased for himself at the fair. 

“Levi! You’re early today.” Erwin says as he struggles to get a bundle of library books into his locker. 

Levi steps closer to him, eyeing the inside of it. The inside of Erwin’s locker is covered with pictures of a cute little video game character with long brown hair and a blue, white and pink suit. Levi’s lips press together, and his eyebrows go up in amusement, “Gee, Smith. I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend.” 

“Hmm?” Erwin looks at him, confused. He then remembers the pictures of D.Va he has taped all over and quickly shuts his locker, leaning back against it, “Hah! Uh, that-- yeah-- no, it’s just--she-- you see…” he crosses his arms and frowns, “...Hmm.” He’s not sure what excuse to give Levi. “It’s not what it looks like.” 

Levi chuckles, “Relax, I’m just fucking with you.” 

Erwin stands up straight and opens his locker back up to continue to fix his things, “Ha-ha. Very funny, Ackerman.” 

Levi leans against the locker, so he’s facing the inside of it. He crosses his arms, “So, what brainy plan do you have for this presentation?” He eyes Dirk Miller as he walks by, biting back whatever mean thing he was going to say to Erwin before he saw Levi standing there. 

Levi’s eyes followed the kid until he fully passed, choosing to keep his mouth shut instead. People are starting to pick up that if they fuck with Erwin they will have to deal with Levi. 

Their project is due that Friday and they only have a couple of days to go over the PowerPoint. Erwin stacks his books accordingly, “I was thinking you can come over and we can practice the powerpoint slides, you know, take turns reading out the bullet points to see what works best.” 

Levi can see that fiery look in his eyes again, the one that comes alive when there’s learning involved. Dammit, why did he have to fall for a nerd of all people? 

It’s then that Levi processes Erwin’s words and his brain short circuits, “Y--your place?” He stands up straight. 

“Yep. We can use the computer in my room.” He closes his locker, “My dad’s home very late on weekdays, he teaches at Stohess University and his lectures run a little late.”

Levi is silent as his brain cells begin to malfunction. Home. Alone. With Smith. In his house. 

In his room. 

“That okay with you?” Erwin asks, that friendly expression on his dumb handsome face. God, how Levi wants to just kiss him then and there. 

Levi nods, “Yeah, I don’t mind.” He shrugs, feeling himself start to get sweaty. 

Erwin smiles, “Cool. I can skip my club today if you’re free after school?” Erwin stands facing Levi. His backpack hangs from one shoulder, and he grabs the strap. 

He’s wearing a dark navy vest with dark and light gray diamond shapes across the front and a white t-shirt underneath. He’s still wearing his contacts and he smells like cedar and citrus. 

Levi nods quickly, “Ye-yeah. That’s cool. I like that. I want--” he clears his throat, “Sure.” 

Erwin smiles just as the morning bell rings, “Cool. Walk you to class?”

Shit, that means Levi actually has to go to class. But he won’t deny help from Erwin, so he nods, “Yeah.” 

--

Levi is an absolute nervous wreck by the time they meet up after school. He’s been sweating bullets since fifth period and could barely pay attention in class. All he could do was stare at the side of Erwin’s head while Mr. Arlert went about his lecture. He bit his lip pensively, wondering what Erwin’s room is like. He probably has posters of math equations and Albert Einstein quotes.

Levi forced himself to look away when he noticed Frieda eyeing him slightly. Levi hopes his silent pining isn’t noticeable. Isabel would beg to differ but Levi’s sure that he’s being discreet. 

“Feel free to go home first if you need anything.” Erwin says as he puts his phone in his pocket. 

Levi nods, he can use a shower before heading to Smith’s. He’d be mortified if Erwin smelled his body odor hidden beneath his deodorant. He just doesn’t fully trust Old Spice. “Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.” Levi takes out the keys to his Jeep. “Where did you park?”

Erwin pauses and then forces a smile, “Oh, I didn’t drive here.” 

Levi looks a little surprised, many of the seniors drive to school but there are always exceptions. He could have sworn Erwin drove. “Are you getting a ride?”

“No, I just walk home.” 

“Every day?” Levi’s voice raises a little, cracking slightly. Walk home? Smith? The perfect target for school bullies? How dare he expose himself to dangers like that? 

“Yeah, why?” Erwin gives him a half smile, unsure of why it's so shocking to Levi. 

“It’s dangerous-- for you. ” Levi pokes his chest. 

Erwin laughs, “It’s not that big of a deal. I live kind of close.” 

“I’ll drive you home.” Levi states, turning to walk towards the students’ parking lot.

Erwin stays put, “W-what?”

Levi looks over his shoulder, “C’mon, you dork. We have a presentation to practice.” 

Erwin’s shoulders relax and he smiles softly, following after Levi. 

“Coming down” by Dum Dum Girls is playing in Levi’s car as he drives off school property. The Jeep is almost as clean as his room and Erwin’s convinced the teen is a clean freak. Still, he likes that about Levi. 

He settles in the passenger seat and almost cannot believe he’s in Levi Ackerman’s sick Jeep. Levi looks like such a badass walking up to it; Erwin can’t even explain it. He just does.  

“You don’t have your license or what?” Levi asks as he stops at a red light.

Erwin looks down to his lap where he’s placed his backpack and messes with the shark keychain. He wishes he had bought the one with Levi’s name on it but never in a million years would he have guessed that they would become such good friends. 

“No, not yet. My dad totally refuses to teach me how to drive.” 

Levi looks surprised, “Oh, so you can’t even drive, like at all?”

“Nope.” Erwin tries to smile but fails, feeling like such a kid, “I have my learner’s permit though.” 

Levi presses the gas when the light goes green. “Can I…uh, can I ask why he won’t teach you?”

Erwin is silent for a little while and when Levi eyes him from the corner of his eye, the blond boy is looking out the window. “I think he’s scared.” 

“Scared of what?”

“That I’ll get hurt.” Erwin says, “Make a left here.” 

Levi slows the Jeep and makes a left, “I mean, that’s understandable but you can’t go the rest of your life without learning how to drive. Especially not in LA. Transit is shit.” 

Erwin chuckles softly, “Yeah, you got that right.” 

“What? Does he think you’ll go Mad Max Fury Road or something?”

Erwin laughs softer that time, “Well, not exactly. It’s just…” Levi hears him shift in his seat, “Um, well, you know my mom. She died in a car accident.” 

Levi’s hands tense around the wheel and he turns his head to look at Erwin, “Shit. I’m sorry to hear that, Smith.” 

Erwin tries to smile but fails, “Thanks Levi but it’s alright. It was years ago. But uh, I was in the accident with her. I came out okay, just some scrapes and a concussion but ever since then he’s like terrified of me getting behind the wheel of a car. I try to understand but--” He shrugs to himself, “I don’t know, I just hate feeling like I can’t move on from that.” 

“Yeah, nah, fuck that.” Levi says, “If your old man won’t teach you, then I will.” 

Erwin’s head whips to him and his eyes widen a little, “Really? You will?”

Levi nods, “Fuck yeah, dude. I have my license and I’m a decent driver. I can totally teach you.” 

Erwin’s smile is hard to miss, “I’d love that, Levi. Thank you.” 

Levi feels himself blush. His eyes go from the road ahead to the rearview mirror, “Yeah, yeah, don’t get all sentimental on me.” 

Erwin laughs, “Okay, fine. Oh, turn right into this street and go all the way down. Fourth house to your left.”

Levi slows down his Jeep and pulls up to the two-story Spanish Villa style home. 

--

Erwin’s room smells like, well, like Erwin. Like citrus and cedar, like his skin, like his clothes at the end of a long school day. His room isn’t as neat and tidy as Levi’s, but it isn’t a total mess and Levi wonders if Erwin cleaned at his best discretion before Levi arrived. 

He’s got a queen-sized bed to accommodate his size, a nightstand and a dresser and a desk. He also has various bookshelves filled with rows of books, manga and collectibles. One shelf alone is dedicated to multiple Gundam figures, the one below has a row of records, but his collection isn’t as big as Levi’s, alas it’s pretty decent. He’s got a couple of Xenomorph toys just hanging out and a geographic world globe on the dresser, next to his record player where Disintegration sits along with the records Levi loaned him. The forest green aquarium sweater puddles on the floor, by his closet along with the pair of Reeboks he sometimes sees him wear. 

On the desk, on either side of his computer sit countless stacks of screenwriting and film books. Save the Cat! Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, The Anatomy of Story, The Screen Writer’s Bible, and the list goes on. Levi also notices multiple scripts on the desk, as well as on his nightstand. 

Levi picks one up: X-Files - Pilot Episode 1 

Beneath that sits the script for The Hateful Eight. “Read a lot?” Levi asks. 

Erwin shrugs sheepishly, “Kind of.” 

Levi then notices a little stuffed Hello Kitty plush on the floor, by the nightstand that Erwin must have missed. He picks it up, barely able to hold his smile, “A fan?” 

Erwin blushes and he snatches the plush from Levi, tossing it in his hamper. He chuckles nervously, “Just a childhood toy.” 

Levi laughs, “If you say so, Blondie.” 

Levi’s eyes then go to a lotion bottle on the nightstand and when Erwin notices, he goes beat red that time. Levi slowly looks up at him and he arches a brow. 

Erwin clears his throat, choosing to pretend like there’s no reason why the Jergens lotion bottle is there, “Are you thirsty or anything? Would you like some water or--I think we have some green tea?” 

Levi sets his backpack down by the foot of Erwin’s bed, trying not to smile at the lotion bottle. The idea of Erwin using it turns him on but he can’t admit that so he won’t acknowledge it either, “Yeah, sure. I’ll take some tea. Iced if that’s okay.”

“Sure, make yourself at home meanwhile.” Erwin looks a little awkward but exits the room and Levi can hear him practically run down the hall. 

He chuckles softly, “Nerd.”

Levi turns his attention to the rest of Erwin’s room. He has a little league trophy and a couple of academic medals hanging on a hook by the door. Right above the hook is a framed picture of a small group of children on a stage. Erwin is amongst them, tall, blond with those big ass eyebrows of his. He's hard to miss. And of course, he’s holding a certificate in his hands. It looks to be a Spelling Bee championship. Levi chuckles, taking a closer look. Erwin’s wrong, he was an absolutely precious child. Sure, he looked like he knew how to do taxes and already had a mortgage but he was very cute. 

Levi then notices Erwin’s closet. The door is half open and he can see the clothes that hang inside followed by a stack of board game boxes on the shelf above. Levi steps up to the closet and looks over his shoulder to insure himself that Erwin isn’t coming yet. Curiosity fills him and he wants to know exactly how many sweater vests the nerd owns. 

He thinks about Erwin’s denim jacket back in his room. Its sprawled on top of his bed. Levi had thought to bring it to school with him to return it but the little voice in his head persuaded him that he should keep it for a few more days. Surely Erwin wouldn’t mind if he “forgot” it. 

Erwin’s clothes are separated in sections: sweaters, dress shirts, vests, t-shirts and jackets. He reaches his hand out, imagining himself in Erwin’s clothes. They’d fit big on him but Levi would feel so comforted wrapped in his scent. 

You fucking simp. He thinks to himself. Ahh, whatever. It is what it is. 

Levi then frowns when he feels something rub up against him. He looks down and jumps, yelping, “Oh, fuck! ” He stumbles back, almost falling on Erwin’s bed. 

Erwin walks in with two glasses of iced tea and a box of cookies, “Levi? You okay?”

Levi looks from Erwin to the ground where a pudgy orange tabby cat is sitting. He almost lost his shit over a cat. “You have a cat?” 

Levi sets their drinks on his desk, “Yeah. That’s Peach.” 

Peach . Levi tries to bite back the smile that’s forming, God dammit Smith, you’re so fucking cute.

“Sorry, I should have asked if you’re okay with cats. You’re not allergic, I hope?”

Levi shakes his head, “Nah, it’s cool. I’m not. He just surprised me is all…it’s a boy?” 

“Yup.” Erwin hands him his tea and Levi sits down on his bed and takes a drink. 

Erwin goes to his computer and turns it on. “Okay, so the PowerPoint is pretty much perfect. I like how you arranged the slides.” He hands Levi the box of cookies. 

“Thanks.” Levi says and takes a couple. His cheeks are blushing from Erwin’s compliment. He finds that he likes it when Erwin praises him. He just hopes it doesn’t awaken something in him. 

Erwin sits at his desk but positions his chair so he’s not blocking Levi from the computer screen and is facing him halfway. “So, if you want to start off with the first slides, that’s totally fine by me. I think it would be alright if we each covered the topics we picked for the essay since we researched those kind of separately. Also—“ 

Levi tries his hardest to pay attention and focus but all he can focus on is Erwin’s side profile. It’s so nice to look at him without his glasses in the way. God how he loves his nose and the shape of his lips. Levi begins to zone out, imagining what Erwin does with that lotion bottle. A part of him feels guilty for thinking of Erwin like that when he’s right there. He probably doesn’t even use the lotion like that. Still, the sight of Erwin touching himself is something Levi would like to see. 

Levi bites his bottom lip, fingers twitching on his lap. He feels like he’s in some kind of love haze. Look at him, rambling on like that. I should shut him up with a kiss…ah, who am I kidding? I’m too chicken. 

Levi is practically drooling at the mouth when he feels something small yet heavy and semi painful on his thigh. He jumps back into his senses and looks down, freezing in place. 

“Each slide shouldn’t take more than two minutes but I’m not too worried about—“ 

“Uh, Smith?” Levi’s voice sounds strained. 

“Yeah?” Erwin turns around and sees Peach making his way onto Levi’s lap. 

Levi has his hands up, “What is this? What’s he doing?“ he practically demands. 

Erwin laughs, “Peach! Aw, do you like Levi?” 

Levi frowns, “He’s heavy— ow.” Peach digs his little paw into the meat of Levi's thigh. 

“Yeah,” Erwin agrees, “Peach is a chonker. Do you want me to get him off you?” 

Levi shakes his head, “No, it’s okay. He won’t bite me if I pet him, will he?” 

“No, Peach is pretty chill.” 

“Uh, okay. For sure.” 

Peach loafs himself on Levi’s lap and begins to purr like a motor. “Aw, he likes you.” Erwin gushes, “Don’t you, Peach?” 

Peach just purrs and so Levi remains still as to not bother the cat from his new comfy spot. The two teens continue to practice their PowerPoint presentation and midway through it, Levi is already over it. He’s recited his parts multiple times but Erwin keeps them going. It’s amazing to see the way his brain works, and Levi is in awe of how brilliant he is. Levi really admires him. 

On occasion he will pet Peach and wish it was his owner on his lap instead of the orange tabby. 

Erwin cannot stop rambling to save his life. Levi is in his room , sitting on his bed , with his cat on his lap . God, how Erwin wishes he were a cat. He can’t help but look over at Peach and think to himself, You lucky son of a gun, Peachy Boy, that should be me. 

Still, he tries to occupy his mind with their project at hand. He can smell Levi’s wonderful scent; it’s spreading all over his room. He smells like eucalyptus and the warmth of his body from his long day at school and is that— Old Spice? He can smell his body and his skin. It’s making Erwin’s hormones crazy. He just wants to sink his nose into Levi’s band shirt and take a long whiff. 

So to keep a raging hard on at bay, Erwin dives into their work. He doesn’t let himself ease up for a minute or he’ll end up tossing Peach out of the room and just ravaging Levi. Levi would probably shove him off and storm out of the house. Erwin feels himself sadden. Sure, Levi’s his friend and they’ve become very close but there’s no way a guy as cool as him would be into dorky dudes like Erwin. Especially not after he saw his beloved Hello Kitty plush. 

They finish reciting their presentation around six o’clock. Levi seems to linger, asking Erwin about his movie collection. Erwin has a vast adoration for A24 produced films and goes on about The Lighthouse and Levi just watches him. He watches the way his eyes shimmer and shine and the way he questions his own thoughts. There’s always more to discuss, there’s always more to question and to explore. 

“You’re a giant dork.” Levi tells him, leaning back on his bed. 

Erwin blushes with a shrug, “Yeah, I know.” 

“Nah, it’s a good thing. I like that about you.” Levi feels his face go hot, “You’re not afraid of what other people think about you. That’s pretty dope if you ask me…” 

“Thanks, Levi.” Erwin is smiling at him, but Levi is averting his gaze. 

Erwin notices the way Levi’s cheeks turn pink and the way he presses his lips together when he’s nervous. He’s got so many telltale signs of bashfulness and softness, but Erwin isn’t sure how to analyze them. Doesn’t know what to make of them. He second guesses himself quite often. 

“Oh, by the way,” Erwin breaks the mild silence, “I realized we missed our second movie night last week due to the fair. I was thinking that maybe we can make up for it tonight? I know it’s a school night and you probably have to go home—“ 

“Yeah.” Levi’s looking at him now, nodding. “I mean, yeah I want to stay and watch the movie with you.”

Erwin perks up, “You don’t mind?” 

Levi shakes his head slowly, “I don’t mind.” 

They stare at each other’s eyes for what feels like an eternity. Levi starts finding the bravery to compliment the color of his eyes when Erwin’s stomach growls loudly, breaking the silence. 

His cheeks go red and his face contorts, “Uh, are you hungry?” 

Levi laughs, “I could eat.” 

Erwin orders a pizza and pays with the money his dad left for him. Levi’s vegetarian so he orders just cheese, but he likes that anyway. They eat sitting at the kitchen island, laughing and joking with one another. 

“That girl Frieda likes you; you know.” Levi teases. They’ve somehow gotten into the topic of classmates. 

Erwin frowns, “What? No, she doesn’t. Frieda’s like really popular.” 

Levi arches a brow, “So?” He takes a bite out of his crust. 

Erwin’s shoulders slump and he looks down to his plate where his slice is half eaten, “So popular kids don’t go for nerds like me.” 

Levi frowns, “Who says?” 

Erwin shrugs, “Like everyone?” 

“I don’t say that.” 

“But you’re like one of the popular kids.”

Levi tilts his head back and laughs, loudly, “What? Smith, where did you hear that?” 

There’s no way that Levi sees himself as one of the cool kids. Him and his friends are just some teenagers that skate, listen to dark wave and wear black like they have something to prove. If anything, the school administration would say they’re troublemakers. Especially Levi. He’s in detention at least once a week and constantly skips his classes to tag the bathroom walls or go hang out at Paradis. 

Erwin shrugs, a little bashful now, “Nowhere, I see it.”

Levi shakes his head, the smile is still there, “Yeah, no. You’ve got some messed up beliefs in that blond head of yours.” 

“Just sayin’.” He’s biting back that sweet smile. 

“That still doesn’t change the fact that Frieda likes you. It’s obvious. She’s always staring at the back of your head.” Levi has noticed and it bothers him. 

“How do you know that?” 

“She sits like right next to me. I can tell.” 

Erwin looks a little frustrated, “Oh, goodness.” 

Levi laughs again, “She’s pretty, uh, hot. Ya know, if you’re into chicks, I guess.”

Erwin snorts, “You guess?”

Levi stares at him with a deadpan expression, “I’m gay, you know that right?” 

Erwin’s ears go bright red, and he chokes on his cheese pizza, “S-sorry. Yeah, I knew that.” 

Levi is a little surprised but very pleased that it's out on the table now. “Hange?”

Erwin confirms with a nod, “Hange. That okay with you?” 

Levi shrugs, “It’s not a secret. Plus, I’m not ashamed or anything. It’s whatever.” He pauses and then takes a peek at Erwin, “Does it bother you?” 

Erwin frowns immediately, “What? No! Of course not.” It’s so ridiculous he laughs a little, “Levi, why would that ever bother me?” 

Levi just shrugs, “Not everyone’s cool with it.” 

Erwin smiles at him, “Well, I am. I’m…” his brows furrow as he tries to find the right words, “I’m proud of you.” 

Now it’s Levi’s turn to snort, “You sound like my dad when I came out to him and my mom.” 

Erwin is smiling so wide his cheeks hurt, “They took it well by the sound of it?”

“Yeah, took it quite well. More than I did to be honest.” He nods to himself as he remembers blurting it out during family dinner when he was only fourteen. He doesn’t remember Mikasa being there. His mom was probably still pregnant with her. 

Erwin is a little quiet but he holds a soft expression on his freckled face, “I hope my dad takes it well...:”

Levi is about to take a drink from his second iced tea when he pauses, eyes widening just a little, “What?” 

Erwin jumps to his feet, “Bowie time?” 

Levi reaches out and grabs his shirt, stopping him from taking his plate to the sink, “What did you say?”

Erwin holds his gaze and smiles, “I said, I hope this food goes down well.” 

Levi frowns, “Bullshit.” He keeps holding that sky blue gaze, he feels his cheeks growing warm. 

Erwin looks down to Levi’s lips, “You’re cute when you blush. Has anyone ever told you that?”

Levi immediately let's go of Erwin’s shirt, too stunned to speak. 

Erwin’s smile widens and takes Levi’s plate, “Bowie time.” He confirms.  

And so the two huddle on the sofa in the living room to watch Labyrinth together . Erwin figures his dad won’t mind if they rent the movie from a streaming service since Erwin doesn’t have it in his personal collection. Yet. 

Erwin sits close to Levi, pushing his luck as much as he can. Levi let him wrap his arm around him and playfully touch him at the fair, so he hopes Levi doesn’t mind if their proximity is a little close. 

Sit on my lap, sit on my lap, sit on my lap! Levi’s brain is crying, and he almost implodes when Erwin’s leg touches his. He’s still hung up on whatever Erwin said towards the end of dinner but if Erwin isn’t ready to tell him, he won’t push it. He didn’t sound too enthused with the news of Frieda either, if Levi is being honest with himself. 

It makes him happy. 

They watch Labyrinth together, biting back smiles and small jabs at one another while Peach curls up in the recliner, slowly blinking at them. At one point Levi reaches over and pokes Erwin’s side after Erwin joked that he’d get stolen by the Goblin King for wandering the school halls instead of being in class like he’s supposed to. Erwin stiffens and a squeal escapes him. Levi’s brows raise and his mouth parts in amused surprise. 

“Are you ticklish, Blondie?” He looks like he just found gold. 

Erwin is holding his hands up as a barrier, trying to hold back his laugh, “N--No! I promise I’m not.”

Levi attempts to poke him again and Erwin bursts out in panicked laughter, “Please, don’t! Please, don’t! LEVI! ”

And Levi is just utterly delighted, laughing out loud, “You big boys really crumble easily, don’t you?” He jabs Erwin in his side.

Erwin is a mess of laughter and tears with ruddy cheeks and stuttered words. He really is a blazing sun. 

When the movie is over, the two boys continue to talk and tease one another. Levi calls Erwin “Ludo” and Erwin bites back with “Sir Didymus” and the two just laugh until their stomachs hurt and Levi has to go home. 

Levi stands on Erwin’s porch, the two facing one another while they soak up each other’s awkwardness. It’s almost ten o’clock and Erwin’s dad hasn’t returned from work. Levi is scratching his temple and Erwin is leaning against the doorframe, eyes only on Levi. 

“Thanks for coming.” Erwin is the first to speak. 

“Uh, yeah, thanks for uh…for having me.” Levi kicks his boot, “Another movie for the club on the books.” 

Erwin laughs a little, “Yeah. You should pick the next one.” 

Levi nods, “I should.” 

Levi looks up, the neighborhood is dark but the streetlights illuminate them enough. The inside of Erwin’s house is still dark from their movie screening, and he didn’t bother to turn on the porch lights. 

“I should walk you to your car.” Erwin steps out onto the porch as if he just remembered something urgent. 

“Dude, I’m parked right in your driveway.” Levi gestures to his Jeep with his thumb, “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

“Pfft. Levi,” Erwin begins, walking past him and down the two porch steps, “There could be bears out here. Don’t be reckless.” 

Levi snorts, “Bears? In Los Feliz?” 

“Yeah.” Erwin says matter of fact, “We’re like basically at the hills. I saw a coyote once on the way to the Observatory, you know.” 

Levi laughs again, “You’re like biggest dork I know.”

Erwin smiles at him, biting his lip in that playful way he does when he jokes around with Levi, “What do I win?”

Levi steps down the porch, walks up to Erwin and tilts his head back to look up at him. The late September night is warm, but a fresh breeze blows through the neighborhood trees. “You really want to know?”

Erwin looks down into those beautiful sterling eyes, “Yes.” But his answer comes out as a whisper. 

Levi steps closer, not taking his eyes off Erwin, he lifts his hand and digs his fingers into Erwin’s side, sending the tall blond crumbling like paper.

“Levi!” Erwin squeals again and Levi laughs. 

“You freakin dork. Walk me to my car then.” 

--

“Erwin, I think Levi likes you.” Hange states as they leave the cafeteria that morning. 

The cafeteria announced they would be serving French Toast sticks for breakfast and Hange absolutely had to get their hands on some. Erwin passed, a little nervous for their class presentation later that day. 

“What? Hange, not in a million years. He only sees me as a friend.” Erwin fixes his Browlines on his nose. His father had finally been able to pick them up after they got fixed. 

“Bullcrap and you know it.” Hange huffed, taking a bite out of their French Toast, “I know Levi, okay? Maybe not a lot now but since we were kids, and I can surely tell when Levi likes something.”

Erwin raises a brow, confused, “What do you mean?”

The two make a turn and head down the hall towards Erwin’s locker where he meets Levi every morning. The two have even started to hang out during lunch ever since they saw Labyrinth earlier that week. 

“Levi’s been the same as when we were kids.” They explain, “He doesn’t waste his time on things he doesn’t like. At the fair, I saw the way he looked at you and only you.”

Erwin makes a face, “And you’re barely telling me this now? ”

“Hey! It’s been very hard to rip you away from your boyfriend, you know!”

Erwin panics, “Levi’s not my boyfriend!”

Hange just shrugs, “Anyway, as I was saying, when you talk, you can be so annoying, but Levi just looks at you like you’re some kind of prophet spewing the word of the Lord.” They roll their eyes. 

Erwin pouts, “You think I'm annoying?”

Hange licks the syrup off their lips, “Sometimes-- but like in a sibling way because I love you so much .” They reach their hand out and pinch his cheek with a sticky hand. 

“Ugh.” Erwin groans and pushes Hange’s hand away, “Thanks, I guess but I love you too. I wouldn’t call you annoying though.” he tries to rub the syrup from his cheek. 

“Erwin focus!”

“Okay, okay, sorry! But he does? You saw that?” Erwin’s face tints pink and he grins. 

“Yep. Plus, he’s always hanging around you. People he doesn’t care for, he doesn’t even bother looking in their direction.” Hange sighs like it’s the end of the world, “I can’t even get him to wave at me in the halls. He’s a tough nut to crack.” 

Erwin looks down the hall to see that Levi is already waiting by his locker. His back is leaning against the cool metal door and his Dr. Marten boot is resting against it, knee bent and jutting out. His arms are crossed and he’s wearing a black denim jacket that’s a little smaller than all his other jackets. Erwin knows the one. It’s got a patch of three black cats circling around a witch’s cauldron in the back. Levi’s a big fan of Cat Coven. Beneath that he wears a black and white striped shirt and black jeans like always. 

He looks so cool leaning against his locker like that and Erwin’s heart skips a beat. Does Levi really look at him like Hange says he does? 

Hange stops and so does he. They pat his back, “Go get ‘im, big boy.” Hange then turns on their heels and leaves. 

Erwin frowns lightly, “Hang--” but Hange is long gone, disappearing in the sea of student bodies. Erwin looks back to Levi and his heart begins to pound loudly, so loudly he can hear it in his ears. He inhales a deep breath and walks up to him. 

“Hey, Levi.” 

Levi turns to him without standing straight, his shoulder against the locker now, “I’ve brought you a gift.” He says in an accent Erwin recognizes right away. 

Erwin decides to play along, loving how playful Levi is being first thing in the morning. All of his nerves are forgotten, “What is it?”

Levi lifts his hand, presenting a cup of Siggis yogurt to him, “It’s a crystal, nothing more.” 

Erwin bites back his laugh, unable to keep a smile from his face. Levi is so damn adorable. 

“But if you turn it this way,” Levi turns the cup to reveal the front where a peach sits. “You can see its peach.” He drops the Goblin King accent and tosses Erwin the cup, “Eat it. I don’t want you going hungry and losing focus. We have that damn presentation today.” he stands straight up. 

Erwin catches the cup. “Levi, our class is after lunch. I promise I won’t go hungry.” 

“Don’t care, eat up.”

Erwin just shakes his head with a smile, “Whatever you say, Captain.” 

Levi sniffs and raises a brow, “Why do you smell like syrup?” 

“What?” 

--

During lunch the two teens squirrel away in the library, hiding between the tall bookshelves, sitting on the carpeted floor like they did during their first project meeting. 

Notes are sprawled on the floor in front of them and Erwin has his dad’s old laptop on his lap, he’s giving the PowerPoint another obsessive look through. Levi rests his cheek on his fist, the fringe of his hair falling forward and over his eyes. He sighs and brushes the strands back and out of his face. “We could be having lunch right now.” He mutters. 

“I’ll buy you some French fries after school, how’s that sound?” Erwin asks, a soft smile sits upon his lips as he goes through the slides. 

Levi thinks about it, “At Sina’s Diner?” 

“Whatever you want, my Captain.” 

Levi snorts, he doesn’t know why Erwin started calling him that. “Alright, fine.” 

Levi notices the way Erwin’s smile grows just a little bit more. He can’t wait to get their presentation over. Levi knows so much about Osiris that he doesn’t know what to do with all the information. But still, it makes him nervous at the same time. Once their presentation is over, Levi won’t have an excuse to see Erwin as much. They have their little club but that’s proved to be only once a week and Levi wants to see him more than that--outside of school that is. 

Levi leans in slightly to take a closer look at Erwin’s laptop. There’s a part of the slide he doesn’t quite recall. At such close proximity he can smell Erwin and feel the heat that radiates off his body. He looks down to his hands. Long, sturdy fingers and clean clipped nails. That writer’s callus is ever so present. The way Erwin writes notes in class, it's like he’s jotting down winning lottery numbers. 

“Okay. I think we’re golden.” Erwin announces. “What do you think?” He turns his head to greet Levi's face just inches from his, “Oh…”

Levi freezes, alarmed but unable to move. He can see Erwin’s beautifully colored irises so clearly. If he leans in just an inch closer, just a single bit closer, he can feel Erwin’s lips with his own. Should he? Can he? He doesn’t see why. Erwin isn’t making an attempt to move. He just stares back at him and swallows, his adam’s apple bobs when he does. 

Levi doesn’t know why but “Kiss the Girl” starts playing in his head. How he wishes Mikasa would stop watching that damn movie. 

“Are you dudes gonna kiss or can I get by?” 

A voice rips them out of their stupor and Levi jumps ten feet in the air like a puffed-up cat. Erwin just shakes himself out of it and looks up to see a freshman boy standing in the aisle. He’s got red hair and glasses. “What?” Erwin asks, slightly confused. 

Levi is shrinking into himself, face as red as a parted watermelon. 

The freshman points past Erwin to one of the shelves where the gaming books are. “Oh.” Erwin says and stands, making room for the kid. 

He walks past them, giving them a slight glare before he kneels down and plucks a D&D Player’s Handbook off the shelf. After, he leaves while muttering under his breath, “Losers.” 

Levi jumps up to his feet, “Little shit. I’m gonna kick his ass.” He begins to make his way down the aisle when Erwin reaches for his shoulder and pulls him back. 

“Easy there, Ackerman. He’s just a freshman, ain’t worth it.” 

Levi looks at Erwin's hand on his shoulder and feels himself relax. He nods, “Okay…”

“You can’t just beat everyone up, you know.” 

“Who says?”

“I do.” Erwin shrugs, collecting their things off the floor. He hands Levi his jacket, “If you get expelled, who am I going to hang out with?” He smirks at Levi and walks past him.

Levi stands there, utterly starstruck with his jacket in hand. “Yeah. Right.” 

--

Fifth period ends and finally, finally, Levi is free from Osiris and his damn fertility! He steps out of Mr. Arlert’s class feeling like a new man. He tilts his head back and exhales. “I fucking hated every single moment of that.” 

Erwin comes up from behind him, putting his backpack on. He smiles, “Levi, you’re fine. It wasn’t that bad.” It really wasn’t, despite Levi threatening to break Daz’s teeth with his fist for making fun of Erwin’s glasses. Luckily, Mr. Arlert didn’t hear their small interaction for he was too busy fixing the projector after Eld had tripped over some of the wires. 

Erwin had pulled Levi back, but Daz stayed very quiet for the rest of the class. He didn’t even look up when Levi presented his part of the slides. It all went off without a hitch and Erwin is certain they’re going to get a passing grade. 

“Alright, Blondie.” Levi turns around to face him, by the look on his face, he means business, “Pay up.” 

“Hmm?” Erwin is a bit confused, “I beg your pardon?”

Levi sticks his hand out and closes and opens it, “Fries. Gimme. You promised.”

Erwin laughs, “Oh, right. I did, didn’t I? I suppose I can skip club again today and we can go after school.”

Levi tilts his head back slightly and glances down the hall where he spots Zeke hanging out with a small group of his sport buddies. Zeke slowly looks up in their direction and glares at them. Levi’s expression doesn’t waver, “Nah, fuck that. Let’s go right now.”

Erwin looks shocked, “R-right now?” he stutters and looks around to make sure there aren’t any teachers in proximity, “Levi,” he leans in closer, whispering, “But school’s not over yet.” 

Levi’s doesn’t even look fazed, “It is for us. C’mon.” He grabs Erwin by the hand and pulls him down the hall in the opposite direction of Zeke and his friends. 

Zeke watches them go. His eyes fall down to their hands intertwined and his jaw tightens. 

Levi leads Erwin through the back doors of the school, towards the back gate. They’ll have an easier time ditching campus if he leaves his Jeep behind in the lot. 

“Levi, we can get in trouble.” Erwin says when they reach the back gate to hop over it. 

“Calm down, Blondie. It’s not a big deal.” Levi hoists himself up, using the bars to lift himself. He makes it look like he’s done it multiple times before. 

Erwin steps back, looking utterly offended, “Levi, do you ditch like this often?”

Levi sits at the top of the gate and presses his lips together, thinking, “Yep. Sure do.” 

Erwin scoffs, “Levi! That’s insubordination!” He looks and sounds so aghast. 

“Tch. Okay, Commander, whatever you say.” He rolls his eyes and hops down onto the other side of the gate. “Are you coming or are you just going to stand there and look pretty?” 

Erwin sighs. He looks over his shoulder to look back at the school. He’s never ditched class before, let alone the entire campus, “Shoot. Okay, fine.” 

“Hurry up, Ludo. We ain’t got all day.” 

Erwin grabs the bars of the gate and hoists himself up, “You think I’m pretty?” 

Levi chuckles, “Shut up, dude and hurry up.” 

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.” 

--

Sina’s diner is a picture straight out of the 1950s with its black and white checkered floors and teal booth seats. The walls are painted a soft pink and covered with portraits of 50s decade actors and movies. Neon lights align the top of the walls, running all along the diner. The place is practically empty since school hasn’t let out, but it looks like a couple of other teens had the same idea of ditching. 

Levi and Erwin share a booth, they sit across from one another with a basket of fries each and milkshakes. Erwin orders a burger but Levi declines, only hankering for his fries. 

“I’ve never ditched before.” Erwin says as he takes a bite out of his burger.

“Really?” Levi says as he plucks a French fry from his red basket, “I would have never guessed.” His voice is laced with sarcasm and Erwin laughs. 

“Jerk.” 

“Pansy.” 

Erwin laughs again, “It was scary, okay.” 

“Dude, you’re like eighteen in a couple of weeks. You’re not going to get spanked and get put in time out. Relax.” 

“Okay, okay.” Erwin grabs his milkshake and drinks it through the red and white straw as he looks around the place. He hasn’t been to Sina’s since he went to the aquarium with his friends at the beginning of the school year. 

His eyes scan the diner until they land on the Jukebox towards the back. He sets his milkshake and looks over at Levi. He’s busy dipping a fry in a perfect puddle of ketchup on the side. Erwin bites his bottom lip and feels the impulse. “I’ll be back.” he says and stands. 

Levi is surprised, “What? You have to piss or something?”

“Not quite.” Erwin says from over his shoulder and Levi frowns, confused. 

It doesn’t click in his mind until Erwin has made it halfway to the back in the direction of the teal and red Jukebox. “Oh…fuck.” Levi mouths. 

He watches as Erwin stops in front of the machine and sticks some quarters from the pockets of his jeans through the slot. He then goes through the options and before Levi knows it, he’s listening to the very familiar melody that makes his heart skip a beat. The sound of the drums, the symbols and the guitar are so engraved in his heart he will never forget them. 

“Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again. Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again…”

His eyes flicker up to meet Erwin’s gaze. He’s standing there looking a little awkward, like he isn’t sure how to move. He just looks back at Levi with a small smile and a shrug. 

“However far away, I will always love you. However long I stay, I will always love. Whatever words I say, I will always love you…”

Levi tries to fight back the emotions that are pouring out of him, but he just can’t. His lips break out into a grin, and he laughs. Erwin finally moves and joins him back at the booth. 

“Really?” Levi asks, teasingly. 

Erwin shrugs, “Well, I was going to play Belinda Carlisle, but they had The Cure so…” 

Levi laughs, “Shut up.” he shakes his head and now there are too many butterflies in his stomach to make room for more fries. 

--

The days go by in the blink of an eye, bringing the end of September with them. The air begins to cool and people’s porches begin to fill with decorations of hay bales and round, orange pumpkins as October makes itself known and present. 

It’s Levi’s favorite time of the year, not only because he adores Halloween and horror movies, but because the season hosts the best gigs and he and his friends get to join the horror festivities. The first Halloween themed dark wave gig is coming up on Saturday and Levi cannot wait. Mike wants them all to dress up but he’s not so sure about that. 

He’s taking Mikasa trick or treating on Halloween night and she wants him to dress up as well. Something about being Peter Pan because she wants to be one of the Lost Boys. His parents tried persuading her to be Wendy or even Tinker Bell but she would not have it. She wants to be the little skunk boy. 

“I lost boy! Bubba’s Peter!” 

“Please don’t bring me into this.” Levi had muttered into his morning tea, but it was of no use. 

Mikasa was crazy because there was no way in hell, he was going to wear little green tights. He sighs to himself, hoping she’ll change her mind in the next few weeks. They have plenty of time before Halloween. 

Speaking of Halloween and all the events coming up, Levi really wants to invite Erwin to the dark wave gig. He wants him to meet the rest of his friends the way he’s met Erwin’s. Not to mention the fact that Isabel has been bouncing off the walls at every mention of Erwin. She’s dying to meet him but has respected Levi’s wishes that they keep it cool. Perhaps the gig would be the perfect event for them to all get to know one another. 

“You good, Levi?” Erwin asks as they make their way down the hall towards the front doors. He’s wearing his forest green aquarium hoodie again now that the weather is a little chilly. Not by much but at least it isn’t blazing hot anymore. School is out for the day and all they have to do is get through one more day and then it’s the weekend. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Levi lies just a little. 

Levi and Erwin file out of the school together. Furlan and Isabel are already waiting outside for him. He almost forgot that he promised to go with them to the skatepark. It’s been way too hot and humid but now that the weather is perfect, they’re itching to get on their wheels. 

“Smith?” They stop just below the school steps, under the flagpole. 

“Yeah?” Erwin turns to him; a hand grasps the strap of his backpack. They got an A+ on their Ancient Egypt presentation and Erwin is still glowing from it. 

Levi looks down to his all-black Vans, “Do you skate?”

Erwin’s lips press together in thought. He’s been roller skating to the roller rink with his friends and when he was a kid, he had a razor scooter that he’s pretty sure is still in the garage somewhere but that’s about it. “Um, I’ve skated before.” he says with a small shrug of his broad shoulders. 

Levi looks surprised but pleased no less, “Oh, on a board?” He’s not sure why he’s never asked him before. 

Erwin looks away, a little nervous, “Um, sort of? I guess it's kind of a board…”

“What kind?” Levi is genuinely curious. His eyes light up with excitement at the thought of having something more in common with Erwin. “A long board?”

“Not really.” Erwin looks down to his feet. 

Levi frowns lightly, “A penny board?” Erwin would be too big for one of those.

Erwin shrugs, “Just a board of sorts.” 

Levi blinks and shrugs, “Cool, well, listen…” He kicks at the asphalt with his foot, kicking a little pebble from the planters, “We’re going to be at the skatepark today if…I don’t know, if you want to join us or whatever.” His cheeks deepen in color.

Erwin’s eyes light up, “Yeah? I’d love to. If your friends don’t mind, that is.”

Levi looks up, “Really? I mean, whatever. Cool, do what you want. I don’t care.” he mumbles, averting his gaze defiantly. “And forget my friends-- I mean--” he stutters, “They don’t care. They’re fine. Don’t worry about them.”

Erwin bites back his smile, knowing Levi very much cares. He’s just shy about it. “What time should I meet you?”

“We’re headed there now but if you want to go home and get your board that’s fine.”

“Okay, sure. I’ll be there in about an hour. The park on Holt, right?”

Levi nods, “That’s the one.” 

Erwin almost can’t contain his excitement, “Okay, I should get going then. I’ll see you in a bit!” He sticks his fist out to bump Levi’s.

Levi groans internally, hating himself for accidentally starting the fist bump thing, wishing Erwin would pull him in for a kiss instead. Not a fucking fist bump. Alas, Levi obliges and bumps Erwin’s fist. “See ya there, ya nerd.” 

--

Levi, Isabel and Furlan have been at the skatepark for a little over an hour. The park is a bit empty and for that they’re all grateful. Levi’s sitting on a short concrete wall, his board beneath his feet. His backpack and jacket are on the floor next to him. He wipes the sweat off his brow and leans back, pulling at his shirt a little to cool himself down. He and Furlan had practiced a couple kickflips off the six-step staircase and he was ready for a break. 

Isabel is working on her crossovers, she passes by Levi again and again. “Levi, why do you look so sad? Is it because your boyfriend isn’t here?” She skates towards him and does a T-stop right before she reaches him. 

Levi rolls his eyes, “Isa, I already told you he’s not my boyfriend.” 

She sticks her index finger up, “Yet.” 

Furlan lands an ollie as he approaches them, growing tired of the kickflips. “You ship them way too hard, Isa. It’s starting to freak me out.”

Isabel waves a hand at Furlan, brushing him off. “Oh, relax. We promised that we’d make sure Levi gets with his one true love.”

Levi tilts his head back and wants nothing more than to disappear. “Smith’s not my one true love. Why do you keep saying that?” 

Isabel rolls back a little on her roller skates. “Because it's plain and obvious.” 

“Now you’re just making it weird. Go practice your carving or something.” 

“Do you want to date him or not?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean--”

Furlan steps one foot on his board, hands on his hips. His brows furrow slightly, and he points past Isabel and Levi, “Hey Levi, isn’t that your boy?”

Levi immediately turns his head to see Erwin approaching from across the skate park on a silver Razor Scooter with blue foam handles and a maroon helmet upon his head. Levi slowly stands to his feet, unable to believe his eyes, “Oh, what the fuck ?”

Erwin reaches them, “Hey, Levi!”

Levi approaches him, “Smith. What the shit are you doing on that thing?” He lowers his voice into a whisper, “Are you a scooter kid?” 

Erwin just smiles casually like nothing’s wrong. “Hmm, no, not really. I just happen to have my old scooter.” 

“Hey, Erwin.” Isabel waves at him with a friendly smile as she does a couple of watermelons to get closer, “I like your scooter.” She’s genuine about that. 

Erwin beams. “Hey, Isabel. Thanks! I got it for Christmas.” 

Levi scoffs. No crush of his is going to be caught dead riding a freaking razor scooter. Not if he can help it, “You won’t be riding that thing for long. Furlan, give me your board.” Levi sticks his hand out without bothering to look at Furlan. 

Furlan takes a step back and hugs his board to his chest, “What? No way, dude.” 

Levi closes his hand into a fist, “Goddam it, Smith. Get off of that thing, you look idiotic.” 

Isabel shrugs, “I think he looks cute.” She and Erwin share a smile. 

Furlan raises a brow, “How do you fit on that thing?” 

“Furlan, shut up. Don’t put him on blast like that.” Levi interjects, scolding Furlan. 

“My bad.” 

Levi sighs and his voice softens, “Is this the board you meant?” 

Erwin looks at him apologetically, “Are you mad?” 

Levi crosses his arms, “No, just disappointed.” 

Isabel laughs and slaps his back, “Bro, relax! Why don’t you go show him some cool tricks on your board. I’m sure he’d love to see you in action, right Erwin?” 

“Yeah, I’d love that.” Erwin says, “I’ve never seen Levi skate before.” 

Levi feels his cheeks grow hot. Dammit, Isa.

Furlan gets on his board, “Well, c’mon then. Bowls aren’t going to carve themselves.” 

Erwin takes off his helmet and leaves his things on the pile along with Levi and Isabel’s things. He joins them at a round, deep bowl. Erwin watches as Isabel goes first. She stands at the edge of the coping, gets on her toe stops, bends her knees and steps in, dropping down. 

“Whoa!” Erwin steps closer, watching as she rolls down the bowl and carves along the curves. She reaches the coping, pumping to dip back into the bowl. She makes it look so effortless. 

Furlan stands next to Erwin, his eyes carefully watching Isabel as she lands on her grind blocks along the coping. She then drops back down, skating backwards. “Holy crap. That’s so--”

“Neat?” Levi offers as he sets the tail of his board on the coping, all four wheels hang, suspended in the air. 

Erwin looks at him and they share a smile. Erwin then watches as Levi places his other foot on the front of the board and steps down, dropping into the bowl with ease as if it's the easiest thing to do. Erwin steps closer, his eyes never leaving Levi. He looks so natural on a skateboard. Almost like he’s flying, like he has wings. He can picture the Venice photograph in Levi’s room so perfectly in his mind. 

Furlan stands next to Erwin, eyes focused on Levi who has now built up a sweat. Someone on the other side of the park is playing “Pass the Dutchie” on their portable speakers; the lyrics of the music mixes with the sounds of rolling wheels and grinding boards. 

Erwin has never experienced anything like it. 

The sun begins to set on the seniors and the lights in the park illuminate above them. Levi finally exits out of the bowl and heads towards Erwin who has been watching with awe in his eyes. He stands to his feet and sticks his fist out again. “Holy crap, Levi. You’re amazing.”

Levi, now covered in sweat and red cheeks, smiles with a little laugh as he bumps Erwin’s fist, “Thanks, Blondie.” He then offers his board to Erwin, “You wanna try?”

Erwin’s eyes widen slightly. 

“Okay, steady.” Levi says as he holds his hands up. 

Erwin is standing on Levi’s board with shaky legs. He lets out a soft whine, “I don’t think I’m doing this right.” He has his hands up, close to Levi’s shoulders in case he needs to get a hold of them. “You make it look so easy.” 

Levi chuckles, “That’s because I’ve had years of practice. Now, bend your knees.” 

The skateboard moves a little and Erwin begins to panic. 

Levi steps closer, “It’s okay, I got you.” He looks down at Erwin’s feet, “Use your dominant foot in the front.” 

“My dominant is in the back.” Erwin gulps.

“Move it forward then.”

“Can I get off first?”

“No, just switch them.”

“I’ll fall.” 

“You won’t fall. I’ve got you.” 

“Levi, I’m like twice your weight.”

“Are you calling me weak?”

“No! Not at all!”

Isabel and Furlan sit on the short wall nearby, watching them with steady yet bored expressions. “God, they sound like a married couple.” Furlan stretches out his back.

Isabel snickers, “Five bucks that Levi’s the bottom.” 

Furlan tilts his head back and laughs. 

Levi hears them laughing and looks over his shoulder, glaring at them, “Oi! What’s so funny?”

Just as he takes his attention off of Erwin, the tall boy starts to lose his balance, “L-levi?”

“Nothing! Go back to your lessons.” Isabel tells him and then she and Furlan snicker. 

“Agh!” Erwin loses his footing, and the board goes flying from underneath him. Erwin reaches out to Levi in his desperation and sends the both of them tumbling down onto the paved ground. 

“I swear if you--” Levi is cut off mid-sentence as he feels Erwin’s weight tackle him down, “Erwin!” He yelps. 

“Shit!” Furlan and Isabel jump up to their feet and hurry over. 

“Holy fuck, Smith.” Levi’s eyes are closed as he rubs the back of his head. “What the shit happened?”

“Are you okay?”

When Levi opens his eyes all he sees is Erwin on top of him. His strong arms are on either side of his head, towering over him like thick pillars. Levi goes stiff and his lips part in surprise. Erwin’s thick brows are drawn together in concern and his forehead is moist with sweat. His plush lips are parted and he’s panting slightly, catching his breath. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Levi wants to speak out, but his voice is caught in his throat. God, Erwin looks so gorgeous. He arrived at the park wearing his contacts and his face is as clear as day. Levi wants to lift his head and bite that plush bottom lip of his. 

When Furlan and Isabel reach them, they take one look at Erwin perched on top of Levi with Levi utterly starstruck beneath him. Furlan rolls his eyes, turning away as he waves his hand at them. “He’ll live.” 

Isabel just smiles to herself, as giddy as can be, “So romantic.” 

Levi snaps back to his senses and panics, squirming out from beneath Erwin. Erwin sits back, losing his balance and landing back on his butt. Levi jumps to his feet, face completely red. He begins to stutter but can’t form a coherent sentence. 

Erwin just smiles at him and laughs, “You good?” 

Levi sniffles and gathers his senses, “Good.” he mutters and goes to fetch his board. “Never better.” He says but he’s close to fainting. 

--

When it starts to get too late, Levi drives everyone home. Furlan first. He jumps out of the Jeep and goes to the passenger door where the window is rolled down and Erwin is seated inside. 

“It was cool having you, dude. You should show up more often.” He lifts his hand and slides it against Erwin’s and ends it with a fist bump. 

“Thanks, Furlan.” Erwin says, “That’d be really cool.” 

Furlan nods and then tilts his head to look at Levi sitting behind the wheel, “Text me later.” 

Levi nods, “Will do.” 

“Later, Isa!” 

“Night, Furlan! See you tomorrow!” 

They say their goodbyes and drive off. Isabel scoots herself to the middle of the backseat and looks from Levi to Erwin and then back at Levi. She knows Levi wants to ask Erwin to join them at the dark wave gig but isn’t sure how to bring it up. He was telling them on the drive to the park. 

“So, Erwin…” She begins, leaning forward as much as the seatbelt will let her, “What are you wearing on Saturday?”

“Hmm?” Erwin turns his head slightly, “S-saturday?”

Isabel sees Levi tense from the corner of her eye. His face is hidden in the darkness of the night, only illuminating when they drive beneath a streetlight and rows of soft orange flash over him. 

“Yup. I’m sure you’re coming with, right?”

Erwin looks at Levi who remains silent. His side profile is unwavering. “Um, I’m not sure--”

“To WeHo. Villains is throwing their first Halloween themed gig and we’re all going. I’m sure Levi told you all about it.” She looks over at him. 

She sees him frown. “I was going to but looks like you jumped the gun.” he grits through his teeth. 

“A Halloween gig?” Erwin asks, “This Saturday?” 

“Yeah! So, you’re coming with us?” 

Erwin looks from her to Levi, “I’d love to. If Levi’s cool with it.” 

Levi opens his mouth to respond but Isabel beats him to it, “He would love it if you came, right Levi?”

Levi closes his mouth and opens it again to answer when she cuts him off for the second time, “See? He’s thrilled about it!” She turns her attention back to Erwin. “You two should wear matching costumes!” 

“Goddamit Isa…” Levi mutters. 

Erwin smiles, “Matching costumes? That would be pretty cool, actually. What do you say, Le-”

“Yes. Okay.” Levi quickly answers. 

“Perfect! I’m sure Levi will fill you in on the rest of the deets.” She looks out the window just as Levi pulls up to her house. 

Levi turns around to scold her but she’s already out the back door, “Bye Erwin! Bye Levi! Thanks for the ride!” 

Levi’s shoulders slump. “Well, shit.” 

They’re left alone. Ghost Twin is playing on low volume. 

“So…this gig?” Erwin asks. 

Levi sighs, “Sorry about that. I wanted to ask you, but Isa beat me to it.” 

Erwin shrugs, “It’s cool.” 

“But yeah, we’re all going to this gig in WeHo. It starts around nine but we’re meeting up at Mike’s beforehand. It’s like a costume thing if you want to dress up. You really don’t have to though.” 

Erwin is silent for a little and it makes Levi nervous. “Can we dress up together?” His tone sounds a little timid but hopeful. 

Levi is a bit surprised, “As like a couple? I mean, a pair?” 

Erwin nods, “Yeah, like matching costumes.” 

He smiles, seeing the excitement in Erwin’s eyes, “Sure, Blondie. Whatever you want.” And Levi means that with all his heart. 

--

“Fuck no. We’re not wearing these.” Levi practically growls as he lifts the white sheet in his hand. 

They’re all huddled in Mike’s apartment, getting ready to leave. St. James Infirmary is playing from Mike’s Spotify playlist. His apartment is already decked out in Halloween decorations. 

Erwin lifts his sheet before him, “I think these are pretty cool.” 

Isabel swore up and down all day Friday that she had the perfect costumes for them and to not worry about it. She would take them with her on Saturday so they could try them on at Mike’s. 

Mike is in the kitchen, pouring shots for everyone. He’s dressed as David Powers from The Lost Boys. “Easy there, little man.” He calls out to Levi, “Ghosts are super dope. What’s the problem?”

Furlan is relaxing on the sofa with a beer, he’s just wearing a skeleton onesie, “Put it on!” 

“Get bent.” Levi tells him. 

Isabel and Nanaba are Wednesday and Morticia Adams. Oluo is Captain America; Dieter is the guy from Top Gun and Tomas is Lt. Dangle from Reno 911. 

“Try it on?” Erwin asks, looking at Levi with those puppy dog eyes of his. 

“Okay.” Levi says right away and pulls the sheet over his head. He messes with the eye holes for a minute and then groans, “I can’t see shit out this thing.” 

Erwin laughs, silently gushing over how fucking cute Levi looks as a sheet ghost. 

“Well, you better wear them because I didn’t ruin my mom’s back up sheets for nothing.” Isabel warns him as Nanaba helps her fix her wig. 

“You guys look fucking cute.” Nanaba says, “I love it.” 

“We’ll wear ‘em. Thanks Isabel and thanks Nanaba.” Erwin says as he pulls his sheet over his head. Somehow his eye holes were cut with more care than Levi’s. However, he’s too tall for the twin sized sheet so his red Sk8 high vans stick out along with the cuffs of his blue jeans. 

Levi’s sheet goes past his ankles, brushing the top of his Dr. Martens. He turns with the sheet over his body, only two little holes visible to look at Erwin. “You look ridiculous. Giant ass ghost.” 

Erwin laughs, bending over slightly. They both look ridiculous and slightly ominous with the sheets on. 

“Hey, Levi.” Erwin begins.

Levi turns to him, “What?”

“What’s a ghost’s favorite fruit?”

Ghost Levi is still for a moment, just knowing what’s about to come. He sighs heavily, “...What?”

“A boo-nana.” Erwin snickers from beneath the sheet. 

“I’m going to hit you.” Levi steps forward but trips on Isabel’s bag, unable to see perfectly through the eye holes. Erwin manages to catch him before he falls. 

Mike walks into the living room with shots in hand, “Okay, relax love birds and bottoms up!”

--

Villains’ Halloween dark wave gig is held in the middle of West Hollywood. The venue is rather small with a wide patio with a small makeshift stage, the larger stage is inside. There are two different bars set up and lines have started to form. Lights are hung up and run along, above the patio in rows. The place is already lively with a healthy crowd dressed up in a variety of costumes. 

Mike hands Erwin a fake I.D. with a picture of some random blond kid he says is his cousin, but Erwin isn’t very sure how true that is. Whatever, he’s twenty-two for the night and he’s not even questioned about it. 

They get through security just fine and approach the outdoor stage area, leaning back against the wall just behind where the pit forms. There’s a band playing a cover of Bowie’s “Scary Monsters” and there are already people forming in front of the stage. Some sober, some not so sober. 

Erwin feels the whiskey shots alive inside of him. It was his first shot ever and he almost gagged when it went down his throat, burning its way down his esophagus. The second shot went down a lot easier but now Erwin’s feeling very fuzzy inside and all he wants to do is reach over to Levi and take a hold of his hand. 

Meanwhile, Levi is struggling with his damn eye holes, looking around him to make sure he’s not stepping on anything. He mutters a few curse words and bumps into Mike. 

“Shit.”

Mike digs into his jacket and pulls out his flask. “Hey, have some. You’re making me nervous.” 

Levi’s hand emerges from underneath the sheet and grabs the flask. It then disappears under the sheet. He leans his head back and takes a long drink. When Mike turns around again, the flask is floating in front of him. He takes it and hides it back in his jacket, making sure no one saw. 

Furlan appears from the crowd with two tall cans of beer. He shimmies his way through two girls dressed as Hogwarts students and hands one of the tall cans to Erwin, “Cheers, my dude! How’s it feel to have your gig cherry popped?”

Erwin peeks his head out from the sheet and takes the beer, “Thanks! It feels--” He looks around and smiles. “It feel fucking great!” 

Levi whips his whole body towards Erwin, keeping the sheet on. “Did you just curse?”

Erwin laughs and his cheeks are red. Those two shots must have kicked in pretty good. “Yeah, I think so.” He opens the beer and takes a drink. His face sours at the taste of it and he coughs a little, “Oh, wow.” 

Furlan laughs and pats his back, “Fuck yeah, Smith! One of us! One of us!” 

“Make him shotgun it!” Oluo calls out and Tomas and Dieter laugh. 

“One of us! One of us!” They chant over and over. 

Ghost Levi stays still, unable to believe his eyes. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears begins to play next as Levi’s eyes just shine at the sight of Erwin drinking a beer. The sheet has messed up his hair a little and he’s wearing that green windbreaker that looks like he stepped into the 80s to get. He’s wearing his contacts again and Levi is unsure if he prefers them at this point. Maybe he was afraid to break them again since he didn’t know what to expect from a gig.  Underneath his windbreaker, he wears a black Bathory band shirt. Levi still can’t believe the kid listens to black metal. He did notice his decently sized record collection in his room, but it still amazes him. 

“Alright, alright, relax.” Levi takes the sheet off and breaks up the chanting group, “It’s his first time, go easy on him.” he warns everyone and then turns to Erwin, “Don’t get ahead of yourself, alright? Go easy.” 

Isabel and Nanaba show up with more beers, grinning widely that their fake IDs worked so well. Levi tilts his head back and groans. It’s going to be a long night. 

The first outdoor cover band plays a couple of more songs. Joy Division, Modern English, and even a few Smiths songs. By the time the second band is halfway through their set, playing nothing but originals, the group has disbanded. Nanaba and Mike have gone to the back of the patio and look to be in a deep discussion. 

Dieter is somewhere inside with Oluo meanwhile the rest of the group move further back along the wall. Erwin is on his second beer; a smaller canned IPA and Levi is thankful for that. 

“Go easy on those, Blondie.” Levi reminds him. He’s already ditched the sheet. Its half balled up in his hand. He feels a lot better without it anyway. The night is brisk, but his leather jacket keeps him warm enough. Not to mention the big ol’ swig he took from Mike’s flask. 

Erwin and Furlan are sitting down along with Isabel on a wooden bench against the wall. Furlan has his arm over Erwin’s shoulders, the two buzzed blonds are discussing some Indie horror movie only they’ve heard of. The bands and music are forgotten for now. Isabel chimes in once and while, bouncing back from them to a conversation with Tomas. 

“Levi? Levi!” 

Levi frowns when he hears his name being called out from amongst the music. He turns around and his eyes widen. 

“Oh, fuck…”

Isabel notices Levi’s reaction and looks up. She, too, freezes when she sees him.

A slim, slightly tall guy with platinum blond hair cut short on the sides and long on top, dressed in black trousers, a black short-sleeved button up and black suspenders approaches Levi. “Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.” 

Levi looks over his shoulder to Erwin who is still chatting with Furlan and then looks back at his old flame. “Miles. Thought you moved to the O.C.?” he steps forward, hoping the rest of his group won’t catch wind. 

Miles Alba. They fooled around while Levi was being home schooled; meeting up often to make out and drink together but that was as far as it ever went. Levi always stopped him before his hands made their way into his jeans. Still, the two of them together weren’t quite the healthiest. Miles was prone to narcissism and Levi just didn’t like to deal with the hassle. 

He shrugged, “Came to visit some friends. It’s nice to see you.” 

Erwin is listening to Furlan’s words but does a double take when he realizes that Levi is no longer there with them. He scans the crowd nearby and spots him a few yards ahead, talking to some guy with platinum hair and nice black trousers. Erwin frowns, “Furlan, who is that?” He asks above the music. 

“What?” Furlan turns his head and notices Miles. His face contorts in a displeased expression, “Oh, fuck no.” 

Isabel butts in between them, “That’s Levi’s ex .” 

Levi would totally deny that they were boyfriends, they never labeled anything between them. As far as Levi knows, they were just messing around from time to time but everyone else claimed they were dating. 

As soon as Erwin hears the word “ex” he feels his blood freeze over and his heart falls to his stomach. His eyes fly back to the two punk boys. 

“His name is Miles and he’s total trash.” Furlan states, taking another drink from his beer. “Levi finally kicked him to the curb last year.” 

“I’ve never seen him at school…” Erwin’s words are faint and he’s not sure what he’s feeling. 

“He moved to the O.C.” Furlan makes a face, “Thinks he’s hot shit for it. Garden Grove? More like Garbage Grove.” He makes devil horns with his hand, “East L.A., baby!” 

Isabel rolls her eyes, “Furlan, that’s not any better.” 

“Shit.” Furlan mutters and goes back to his beer. 

“Great, that guy again?” Erwin hears Tomas mutter. He watches as he stands and makes his way to Mike and Nanaba. Tomas nudges Mike’s shoulder and then points across the patio. It takes Nanaba and Mike a minute to spot Levi and Miles and their faces look less than pleased. 

Levi is just standing there, unaware that all of his friends and Erwin are watching him. Miles is going on and on about the post punk scene in Garden Grove and how the dating pool is a lot better. Levi just nods, eyes zoning out, staring past him. 

Erwin sits there, staring at them. He feels his stomach turn sour and his jaw clenches. His hands clutch into tight fists; he’s just burning with white hot jealousy. Who the hell does that guy even think he is? Erwin looks at Levi. His shoulders look tense and his head is positioned slightly to the side as if he’s looking off in another direction. Does he need help? 

Erwin looks back to Mike, Nanaba and Tomas. It looks like Mike is about to head over but Nanaba is holding him back, pressing her hands on his upper stomach to stop him. Tomas is grabbing him by the arm. 

“So,” Miles says, “How’ve you been?” He arches a bleached blond brow. He tilts his chin up, looking down at Levi.

Levi opens his mouth to answer him with a snarky comment when he feels a heavy arm drape around his shoulders and the warmth of a familiar body pulls him in. “Hey, where’d you go?” 

Levi looks up, “Erwin…” 

Miles looks shocked to say the least. He was not expecting a tall, hot blond boy to appear by Levi’s side. Especially not one holding him so close. Hell, he even towers over Miles. 

Levi snaps back into place, trying to calm his beating heart but Erwin smells so damn good and his body warmth is driving him insane. “Uh, Miles. This is Erwin. Erwin, Miles.” 

“Oh, hello, nice to meet you.” He sticks his hand out. 

Erwin stares at Miles’ hand but doesn’t offer his own. “Hey, how’s it going?” He says instead. Levi is shocked, it’s so unlike Erwin. He barely recognizes his cold, distant tone. 

Miles clears his throat and lowers his hand, looking a bit annoyed. His eyes scan over the way Erwin pulls Levi even closer to him. 

Erwin then turns to Levi and lowers his head, speaking softly into his ear, “Ready to go?”

Levi nods, “Um, yeah. I am.” He looks to Miles, “I’ve gotta go but uh, yeah, enjoy the rest of your night.” 

Levi turns his body and Erwin follows, turning his head to eye Miles as they leave. He stands up straight, exposing his full height and his hand presses on Levi’s lower back, guiding him towards the back of the patio. All while he maintains eye contact with Miles. 

When Levi looks over to his friends, Isabel is wide eyed and gripping onto Furlan’s arm, fingers digging into his onesie. Furlan looks just as surprised. 

Erwin guides Levi all the way to the back wall where the music isn’t as loud. He gently pushes Levi against the wall and places a hand next to his head. Levi freezes in place. “Blondie?” His voice is a little strained. 

Erwin smells like beer. His eyes are on a pin upon Levi’s jacket. He licks his bottom lip, glistening it with spit. “Is…is he gone?”

“Hmm?” Levi looks past Erwin to see Miles still standing there, watching them with a sour expression. “No, he’s watching.” 

Erwin lowers his head, dropping his forehead on Levi’s shoulder. Levi bites back a desperate whine. “Holy crap, that was the scariest thing I’ve ever done.” The real Erwin is back. 

Levi moves his head slightly, “That was all an act? What the hell, you almost scared me.” 

“Sorry.” Erwin smiles lazily, “Isa and the guys told me about that guy, and I thought you might need some help.” 

Levi sighs but smiles, “You dummy.” He playfully and softly bumps Erwin’s chin with his fist. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

Erwin frowns, lifting his head, “But I did. You looked like you were having a bad time.” His eyes look a little sad. 

Levi looks past Erwin again to see Miles walk away and disappear into the crowd. He can only imagine how they look from his point of view. It must look like Erwin is sucking his neck and Levi sure fucking wishes he was. 

“I was. I hate that guy.” Levi explains, “He’s gone by the way.” 

Erwin smiles and stands straight, dropping his hand from the wall. “Good. I don’t think I make a good asshole.” 

Levi laughs, “Nah, your nerdy self suits you a lot better.” 

Their gazes meet and they smile. 

“Levi--” Levi groans when he hears Mike approach them. Will the Gods ever let him kiss Erwin? “Hey, you good?” 

The rest of the gang have gathered and are following suit. 

Erwin steps away from Levi and faces Isabel as she goes up to him and hands him his sheet. 

Levi nods, “I’m good.” 

Mike nods, he looks to Erwin and pats his shoulder, approvingly. “Alright, let’s blow this joint. I got a better idea.” He grins as he lifts a familiar keychain. The keys to Paradis. 

--

The group moves the party down to the record shop where Mike opens up the place. They settle down in the back room that doubles as a break room. There are two sofas, a foosball table, boxes of unopened records, a table against the wall with a couple of chairs and a small fridge. The walls are covered in band posters along with a weekly schedule. Mike turns on the lights of the entire shop and cranks up the surround sound speaker. “People are Strange” by The Doors plays through the record shop and through the back room. 

Tomas walks in from the back door with two cases of beers in his hands and one under his arm. He looks ridiculous dressed as a cop with short shorts, holding multiple cases of beers. His fake mustache is about to fall off, “Happy Halloween, bitches!”

Nanaba makes a face as she takes off the Morticia wig, “Tomas, it’s October third.” She reminds him. 

“Ah, shit. You’re right.” 

Mike walks up to him and takes two cases off his hands, “It’s never too early to celebrate, is it?” 

“Hell no!”

Erwin laughs and Levi rolls his eyes. 

And so, the night continues in Paradis. Erwin makes his rounds around the group, being pulled from one person to another. He plays foosball with Tomas and wins. He then discusses the Lost Boys film soundtrack with Mike and chats with the girls. At one point, Furlan hands him another beer and the two end up at the front of the shop, messing around behind the counter. 

 “Sweet Transvestite” being sung by Tim Curry is now playing through the shop. Levi is talking with Mike, filling him in on the incident with Miles and what Erwin did when they hear a loud crash. 

“What the shit?” Mike stands to his feet and Levi follows. 

Erwin is leaning against the counter, giggling into his arm while Furlan lays on the floor with the barstool dumped at his feet. “What the hell are you two doing?” Levi asks. 

Erwin points at Furlan just as Dieter pops up from the other side of the counter wearing Nanaba’s long Morticia wig, “Boo!”

“Shit!” Erwin is startled and fumbles backwards, laughing when he realizes it's Dieter. 

Furlan laughs from the floor, holding his stomach. “Fuck dude! You scared me.” 

Dieter comes around the counter and grabs Furlan from the ankle, dragging him across the ground, “Come on pretty boy, give me a smooch.” 

Furlan begins to freak out, laughing as he tries to kick away. They’re all a drunken mess and will definitely be spending the night crammed on those back sofas. 

“Alright, settle down.” Mike tries to real them in. 

Levi sighs and goes up to Erwin. “C’mon Smith, let’s get some fresh air.” He places his hand on Erwin’s back and leads him to the back door that leads out to the alley, ignoring the snickers and teasing from the buzzed group inside. 

“But I don’t need fresh air.” Erwin slurs slightly.

“Yes, you do.” Levi retorts.

Oluo has already passed out drunk and Furlan shouldn’t be long. Levi can tell by the way his words slow down and his eyes get hazy while he bats Dieter away. Mike is the least drunk, keeping an eye on Isabel and Nanaba so they don’t overdo it and end up like the other idiots.

“Oooo!” Furlan teases as Levi and Erwin walk towards the back, making kissy noises. “Y’all gonna go kiss?” 

Mike and the others burst out laughing. “One of us! One of us!”

Levi rolls his eyes, ignoring them. He opens the door and ushers Erwin out first. Erwin laughs, “What was that all about?” His voice is heavy, and it slurs lightly. He almost bumps against the doorframe on his way out. 

Levi blushes, “Nothing. Just Furlan being a dumbass. Nothing new.” He closes the door behind him. 

The crips night air hits Levi, biting his delicate skin. He slightly shivers at first, but the Irish whiskey is heavy in his stomach, and he feels the warmth begin to disperse throughout him. A single light above the door lights the alley way, covering the small area in a soft orange glow. Mike needs to change the bulb, get something brighter. Levi can still hear them inside the shop, laughing and joking about. Blondie’s Call Me is now playing from inside, vibrating through the walls. It's loud and clear out in the alley, the sound coming out from the small cracked window above the back door. 

Levi looks up at the Los Angeles sky, it's a waning moon and he finds himself wishing that they could see the stars. But the city is too bright, too foggy, too noisy. He suddenly feels too stiff in his leather jacket, stretching his neck. The whiskey has begun to cloud his mind, making him sentimental. Since when does he give a shit about the moon? About the stars? About anything outside of his little world for that matter?

Levi looks down to see Erwin sit down on Ol’ Reliable. That’s right. Ever since he met this giant dork Levi cares too much, feels too much and thinks too much. 

He sighs heavily when he realizes that Erwin has sat on that disgusting sofa. “Smith, don’t sit on that. It’s disgusting.” He slightly scolds him. 

Erwin leans back against the sofa, running his hand along the velvet cushions. “It's soft.” His eyes are slightly hooded. 

Levi groans and pushes himself off the door. He walks up to Erwin and picks up his hand, taking it in his, “Get up.” But Erwin is heavy and his hand is so warm. All that beer has gotten to him, making his cheeks ruddy and his lips in a permanent lazy smile. 

Levi’s gaze flickers to Erwin’s own. He’s looking up at him with that soft, almost playful expression. “Levi, you remind me of a song.” He says with a soft laugh.

Levi feels his heart skip a beat, but he’s convinced it's his fourth shot of whiskey. He decides to humor him, “Oh, yeah? What song is that?”

“Oh baby, do you know what that’s worth? Oo Heaven is a place on earth. Sound familiar?” Erwin teases him.

Levi feels his stomach twirl the way it does when on a roller coaster, he didn’t think Erwin had noticed “Heaven is a Place on Earth” playing in Paradis when they bumped into one another there. But he did mention Belinda at Sina so he must still be thinking about it. 

Levi tries to play it off, “Fuck off . Seriously.” A laugh escapes him. His stomach is in knots and his breath hitches slightly. 

Erwin’s smile softens, “You in January. That’s the actual song.” He tightens his hold on Levi’s hand just a little.

“And how’s that one go?” Levi hesitates to look at him but, in the end, he does. 

Erwin looks back up at him, his smile almost disappears. The soft orange light cascades over Levi like a halo; he looks like a painting of gold and burnt sienna, “Goddam you look holy, hit from behind with light…you’re a painting of a saint, and I’m nervous stumbling over my lines…” Erwin holds Levi’s gaze as he gently says the words, “When I tell you I love you, when we stare at Catalina, the city lost to the sea. Carried out by the tide…you were the one thing I got right.”

Levi’s eyes widen and he goes stiff. His lips part to speak but the lyrics have rendered him speechless. He drops his gaze and his bottom lip trembles, “You’re drunk, Smith.” He forces his expression to soften and relax, as if he isn’t affected by anything. 

Erwin just looks at him gently, “I’m not drunk.” His smile is a little childish and free, but he looks so present, “Why would you say that?” 

“Smith. You had two more beers inside. “Not to mention it's his first time drinking in general. 

Erwin groans like a little boy getting in trouble, “Furlan told you? He said he wouldn’t.” He frowns to himself, pouting as he gently plays with Levi’s hand. 

“You’re a dork, Erwin.” Levi says with a small laugh. He’s still holding onto his hand and their eyes are still locked on one another. 

“You’re beautiful, Levi.” Erwin smiles, his eyes soft on Levi’s own. “With or without the January light.” 

Levi’s lips part to say something, to say anything. But the whiskey isn’t letting him think straight, Erwin makes him bold, there is nothing that is stopping him. Not at that moment. He lets go of Erwin’s hand and reaches his fingers to brush a lock of golden hair out of Erwin’s forehead. His hair has become undone from its pommade and he looks perfectly imperfect. 

“You mean that?” Levi asks, his voice is soft and low as if he’s afraid to find out. 

“I mean that.” Erwin confirms.

Levi ignores the fact that Erwin is sitting on the cause for all diseases and gently places one knee on the sofa, next to Erwin’s thigh. He places his hand on the top of the sofa, using its sturdiness to lift his other knee until he’s fully straddling Erwin, each knee on either side of him. His hands are on the cushions behind his head, pinning him between his arms. Erwin looks up at him as his hands make their way up Levi’s hips, placing them underneath his leather jacket to touch the softness of his David Bowie shirt. 

“Is this okay?” Levi whispers, lowering his head slightly so Erwin can hear his voice. 

Erwin nods, “Yeah. More than okay…” he whispers back. His voice is warm against Levi’s lips. Levi can smell the alcohol on his lips and in his breath. It entices him and he feels his entire body go hot. If it were anyone else, he’d be grossed out. He wants nothing more than to tear off his leather jacket followed by Erwin’s windbreaker. 

He can see Erwin’s face so clearly. He looks like he’s been enjoying himself all night and it warms Levi’s heart to see Erwin get along so well with his friends. 

“Are you going to kiss me?” Erwin asks. His voice is low. 

“Do you want me to?” Levi asks back. 

Slowly but surely Erwin nods. “I think I’ll die if you don’t.” A small exasperated chuckle leaves his lips and he almost looks pained. 

“You won’t die, dummy.” Levi assures him, eyes filled with adoration. 

Levi places his hands on his cheeks, cupping them in a firm grasp and leans down, placing his lips on Erwin’s. Erwin’s hands go up his waist and his fingers tighten on Levi, gripping him firmly and in place above him. Their lips are dry yet soft, clumsy but filled with a desire so strong that it carries them through the rolling waves of hesitation and uncertainty for neither of them want to fail, to discourage the other. 

A moan escapes Levi’s lips, brushing against Erwin’s mouth, causing Erwin to roll his hips upwards, brushing between Levi’s legs. 

“Holy fuck, Erwin.” Levi breaks their kiss to whisper. He can feel his cock pulsing in his pants. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for so long…” 

“Then don’t stop.” Erwin sits up and closes the distance between them, locking their lips once more. He’s never kissed anyone before, Levi is his first so he tries his best to follow his lead. Levi’s brows go up in surprise but then settle, feeling himself melt into the kiss. He pushes his tongue forward, probing the entrance of Erwin’s mouth and Erwin welcomes him without any hesitation, meeting Levi’s tongue with his own. 

Levi feels Erwin’s fingers tangle themselves in his shirt, hungrily pulling him closer to him. 

When "Call Me" ends, "Tainted Love" begins to play, followed by the voices of the youth inside, singing at the top of their lungs. Levi pays them no mind and continues to lose himself in Erwin’s kiss. The boy is so desperate to taste every single inch of Levi, so willing to lose himself. Levi grinds against Erwin, causing him to moan again in response. 

“Levi.” He moans his name, his eyes are softly blinking, his cheeks are red. “Holy hell, you’re kissing me, Levi.” 

“I know.” Levi places tiny kisses on Erwin’s lips, one after the other like gentle raindrops, “I’m very much aware.” 

“I'm not dreaming, am I?” 

“Of course not, you dork.” 

“Good.” Erwin places a hand on Levi’s cheek, “I’d be real pissed if I was.” He closes the distance between them and kisses Levi again. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.” 

His words light a fire inside of Levi, “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” He asks in between kisses that have turned sloppy and desperate.

“I-- I don’t know. I’ve been wanting to kiss you all this time. Since we met. Since--.” He leans his head back to look at Levi, “Since we became partners.” 

Levi closes his eyes, “What the fuck took you so long then, Erwin?”

“I-- I don’t know. I’m a dumbass.” Erwin sits up to close the distance between them, kissing Levi again. 

“Yeah…you are…” Levi agrees in between kisses. “Don’t stop now though. Please.” 

They end up in the back of Levi’s Jeep, the ignition on, blasting "Ziggy Stardust" from the new mixed CD he made for that week. Their hands are clumsily fumbling all over one another. Erwin tries to tug Levi’s leather jacket off but it gets stuck over Levi’s head. 

“Fuck! Shit.” Levi winces when the leather pulls on his ear. 

“Sorry.” Erwin’s voice slurs a little. He has sobered up extensively since their make out session on Ol’ Reliable but he’s so distracted by Levi’s body perched on top of him that he can’t think straight. 

Levi helps him and tosses his jacket aside followed by Erwin’s windbreaker. The whiskey in his system is far stronger than the beers Erwin had but his tolerance for alcohol is stronger. 

Erwin leans against the back seats, looking up at Levi as he places his hand on his hips. He breathes heavy, slowly, his heart pounds strongly against his rib cage. 

“What?” Levi asks, staring back at him. 

“So…does this mean you like me?” Erwin asks. He sounds vulnerable, nervous and somewhat childish. 

Levi scoffs and grabs his chin between his thumb and his index finger, “I more than like you, Erwin…” his voice is low and husky. 

But oh how it’s true. Levi’s never felt this way for anyone before. Every time he looks at Erwin he feels like his heart is going to burst inside his chest. It’s such a strong feeling that it scares Levi. 

Erwin gulps, “I more than like you too.” And his eyes are honest. There’s no hesitation or uncertainty. 

Levi leans down to give him a chaste kiss. Erwin’s lips feel like home. “Good.” 

Levi’s hands move down Erwin’s sides to his belt buckle. Erwin can feel Levi’s hands begin to unbuckle him and his face goes red. “Um, Levi…” 

“What is it, Smith?” Levi sounds a little annoyed, impatient.

“I’ve never…” Erwin pauses, “I don’t know how—“ he frowns to himself, “Shit.” 

“You’re a virgin?” Levi doesn’t know why he even asked. He knows Erwin is a virgin. 

Erwin goes as red as a tomato and he nods. 

A puff of air escapes Levi’s lips. “Big deal. So am I.” 

Erwin’s lips part. “You are?” 

Levi laughs at this, he looks up at Erwin, “Are you calling me a slut?” 

Erwin begins to stutter. He sits up, “No! No! Not at all! Your body, your choice.”

“You big dummy, I don’t think you’re using that in the right context.” 

Erwin shakes his head, “I mean,” his eyes search for the right words as he urges the gears in his brain to work, “You go, boy. Slay.” He groans, exasperated. “Fuck, that’s not what I wanted to say. You still like me, right?” 

He wants to tell Levi that there’s no shame in doing what’s natural as long as he’s being safe but his mouth can’t form the right words. 

“Yes, I do. I like you so much that all I want to do right now is suck you off but I can’t if you don’t shut up.” 

Erwin blushes again. His eyes fly to meet Levi’s gaze. Ziggy Stardust finished moments ago. There’s a silence between them as a new song plays. 

“Then you say, "go slow" , I fall behind, the second hand unwinds— If you're lost you can look and you will find me, time after time!  If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time! If you're lost, you can look and you will find me—  time after time—“

He can’t believe he’s going to get his dick sucked for the first time in his life (by Levi Ackerman, no less)  while “Time After Time” plays. It’s a good song, he has to admit. 

God bless Cyndi Lauper. 

So he just nods, “Okay.” 

Levi eyes him for a second longer, “Is that okay? Can I?” His cheeks are blushing ferociously and he stutters a little bit. 

Erwin nods, kissing him, “Yes. Yes, please.” Maybe he sounds a little desperate but his eagerness makes Levi’s boxer shorts just grow a little bit tighter. 

Levi laughs, “Dork.” He continues to unbuckle Erwin's belt and pulls his jeans down. He then places his hand on Erwin’s chest and pushes him back, “Relax.”

He lowers his head slightly to pull Erwin’s dark gray boxer shorts down. His eyes focus in the semi darkness to see a small wet patch of precum wetting the fabric. Levi’s heart skips a beat and he licks his bottom lip, easing himself into a steady breath. Erwin is already rock hard underneath the fabric. His hands grab the waistband of his boxer shorts and he begins to pull them down. 

“Wait!” Erwin yelps and sits up, banging his forehead against Levi’s. Their heads bounce off one another with a loud thunk! 

“Ow!” Erwin holds his forehead. 

“Fuck!” Levi grimaces, “Jesus Christ, Blondie!” He massages the top of his forehead, “What is it now?” He’s impatient, his dick is about to implode. 

“Sorry. I just wanted to say that you don’t have to— if you don’t want to.” 

Levi stares at him, “Oh, I fucking want to.” 

“You do?” Erwin’s eyes shimmer but he looks bashful. 

“Yes, as long as you want to.” 

Erwin nods his head vigorously, “Yes, I want to.” 

“Okay, now please shut up and stay still.” Levi pushes him back so he’s leaning against the back seats. 

Levi is done waiting. 

Chapter Text

Levi feels like he’s found the holy grail. His eyes widen in amazement and his lips part slightly as he holds Erwin’s dick in his hand. He practically feels his mouth water and wants to scold himself for being so thirsty but he cannot help it. It’s so beautiful. Erwin is so beautiful. All of him. His eyes, his voice, his hands, his mind, his ideals and his mannerisms. How is he real? 

Erwin sits up on his elbows, cheeks completely flushed. He looks worried and a little self conscious, “Levi, what’s wrong?” 

Levi looks at him. What’s wrong? What’s wrong? How dare Erwin “I’ve got a huge dick” Smith ask that? There isn’t a chance he doesn’t know. 

He hates to think of his best friend at that moment, but Furlan was right. Smith is packing. 

Levi just stutters in awe at the size of him. “N—nothing.” He doesn’t want to make it weird and clears his throat, “Tell me if it feels good.” 

Erwin presses his lips together. Levi’s fingers wrapped around him already feel amazing. Erwin’s trying so hard to concentrate and not ejaculate all over Levi’s hand before he’s even had a chance to do anything. Erwin’s never been touched by someone else and his high attraction for Levi has him close to the edge. He can’t believe his first blow job is going to be from Levi Ackerman. What did he do to deserve such a gift from God? Is it his good grades? His good karma? Has he truly been a good boy? 

“Okay.” He nods. 

Levi looks down at Erwin’s cock and licks his lips. He’s never given anyone a blow job before and now the first person he’s going to give one to is Erwin Smith. He can’t believe it. Levi almost wants to cry with glee. Can he get any luckier? God does love him after all. 

When Levi lowers his head and his breath brushes against the head, Erwin whimpers. Levi’s eyes flash to him. 

Erwin looks embarrassed, “S-sorry. You just feel so good.” 

Levi smirks. Wow. Big boy Erwin Smith is putty in his hands and he loves it. He lowers his head again and takes Erwin in whole. 

“Oh, Levi!” Erwin squirms, his voice is high pitched and his hands clutch into tight fists, “Oh, wow, that’s-- that’s neat.” 

Levi’s heart flutters and his stomach flips like it did on the tiny roller coaster at the OC fair. He lets his tongue travel down the shaft to the base and back up. Erwin’s little moans begin to fill the Jeep. Levi can feel his hips thrust upward, greedy and eager. Levi wants to smile but keeps a straight face as he closes his mouth, tasting him whole. 

“Holy crap. Levi…” Erwin moans softly, his feet move around, toes curling in his shoes. 

“Show me how you like it.” Levi says when he pulls away for a moment; his voice is low and husky, “Guide me.” 

Erwin nods, “Okay.” 

Levi goes back down and after a few seconds, shaky hands make their way into his hair, tugging at the inky locks. Erwin holds on gently but firmly, guiding Levi’s head. Levi feels himself get clumsy and messy, covering Erwin’s dick in spit as he tries to figure out what makes his voice reach that high pitch when he calls his name. 

“Levi.”

“Levi.”

“ Levi .” 

Erwin says his name like a prayer. 

Levi follows the sounds Erwin makes, licking a certain spot if he reacts and repeats the same sucking motion when he moans at the feeling. His hands in Levi’s hair help him find what he’s looking for. Erwin tries his hardest not to pull on Levi’s hair or shove him down too hard but before Levi knows it, Erwin’s bucking in his mouth and with a final twitch, he comes in Levi’s mouth with a, “Oh, fuck!” 

Erwin’s load shoots into his mouth and down his throat, salty but good. It catches Levi off guard and he coughs a little bit but swallows it all. 

Levi notices that the song is barely finishing. Erwin barely lasted two minutes. Levi sits up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, pleased and quite amused with the fact that he made Erwin “I’m smarter than you” Smith jizz so fast. Of course it’s his first time and he’s going to be sensitive, but Levi’s going to take the credit anyway. 

Erwin looks utterly flushed and out of breath. His entire face is red and his brows contort in embarrassment. 

Levi raises a brow in curiosity. He chuckles, “You good, Blondie?” 

“I’m sorry.” Erwin blurts out. 

Levi chuckles again, “Sorry for what?” 

Erwin sits up, attempting to pull his boxer shorts up, “Um, I usually last longer.” 

This time Levi tries to stifle his laughter but can’t contain himself. He leans in and kisses Erwin’s lips, running his tongue along the inside of his mouth. Erwin is taken back but welcomes the kiss without hesitation. He can taste himself on Levi’s lips and on his tongue. It’s so damn attractive and Erwin’s stomach fills with excitement. Perhaps he should have warned him that he was coming but it all felt white hot and sudden. 

Levi pulls away, “Maybe I’m just that good.” His sounds a little cocky but Erwin let’s him have his moment. Levi was very good. 

Erwin meets his gaze and smiles, “Am I your first?” 

“Blow job?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Yeah, why?”

Erwin looks down, trying to hide his smirk, “No reason.” 

Levi rolls his eyes, “Ugh. Don’t get all macho and possessive on me now.” He jokes. 

Erwin shrugs, “No, it’s just hot is all, you were really good. Thank you.” Erwin cannot stop smiling. He feels like he’s at the top of the world. 

Levi snorts, “Dork, you don’t have any other experience to compare it to.” He tries to sound tough but he’s feeling all kinds of giddy inside at the fact that Erwin finds it hot. 

“I don’t need it.” Erwin states hotly. “I already know it.” 

His words make Levi blush and he pushes Erwin’s arm playfully, “Whatever. I don’t—“ 

“Care?” Erwin challenges with a light teasing tone, “I know you care. You care very much.” 

Levi is stunned and his mouth drops open, unsure of how to come back from that. He stutters and Erwin laughs, kissing his stuttering lips. “Can I return the favor?” 

Levi’s entire body shudders with excitement and a thrill so strong it almost makes him blind. He nods quickly, stuttering again, “Uh, ye— yeah, like whatever. It’s cool. If you want, I don’t…” he clears his throat and looks Erwin in the eyes, “Yes, please.” 

Erwin smiles and switches places with Levi, unbuttoning his jeans next. Levi’s heart is pounding so fast he might die. 

“I’ve never done this before so tell me if I’m bad at it.” Erwin says, cheeks still red. 

Levi just nods. How can Erwin ever be bad at anything? Well, he is inexperienced and maybe doesn’t know— HOLY FUCK! 

Levi’s soul jumps out of his body and floats in the air. He looks down to see Erwin taking him in his entire mouth, the sight alone makes Levi moan in response. He’s not shy and runs his hand through those golden locks he adores so much. Erwin’s hair has become fully undone from his pomade; it’s soft despite the texture of the product but it isn’t much to begin with. 

Levi cannot believe his eyes. He watches as Erwin moves his head slightly, using his tongue and his lips. He looks so beautiful Levi wants to pull him off and just kiss him the entire night. He must be dreaming. The next thing he knows, Erwin has wrapped his fingers at the base of his shaft and gently strokes him twice. 

“You’re such a good boy, Levi.” Erwin says in a low, husky voice without any warning or context. 

“F-fuck, E-Erwin!” Levi squirms and comes without warning, moaning loudly as Erwin sucks him through his climax. Oh my fucking fuck! Levi’s mind screams. What was that?! 

There’s no way he just came faster than Erwin did. There’s no fucking way, and at such a simple phrase? Levi wants to disappear into the air. But he couldn’t help it. The way he feels for Erwin is unreal and having him do something so intimate to him, sends all his senses into overdrive. It feels like heaven. It is heaven. 

Still, Levi’s body drops on the back bed of the Jeep and he hides himself in embarrassment. His whole self feels like it’s in flames but he’s floating like a feather at the same time. It’s all he’s ever wanted and more. 

“You okay, Levi?” Erwin asks as he sits up, nervous that perhaps he did something wrong. 

Levi is covering his face, “Please let me die here.” 

Erwin laughs and lays next to him; he takes Levi’s hand off his face until his eyes are clear beneath the moon’s glow. Erwin can hear the sounds of Los Angeles just outside of their little safe haven. Sirens and cars honking, sounds of a city that never stops. Levi is the most beautiful person he has ever seen. For a long time Erwin wished he had left the world with his mother when the accident happened, but now, lying by Levi’s side, he’s glad he stayed. 

He smiles at him, “You’re perfect, Levi.” 

Erwin means it. The alcohol feels fuzzy in his stomach but his senses are alert. He feels the same way he felt when he first heard ‘Lovesong’ but even better, lighter and dreamier. He will remember this in the morning. 

Levi looks back into those precious sky colored eyes and feels himself smiling. It’s like a perfect dream he never wants to wake up from. Levi never thought he would ever find anything like this. Anyone like Erwin. Levi closes his eyes and leans in, kissing him again until Erwin’s perched on top of him. Erwin runs the palms of his hands along Levi’s until their fingers intwertwine and lock together. 

“I ain’t dreaming, am I Blondie?” Levi asks when their lips break apart.

Erwin shakes his head, “Nu-uh.” 

“Good.”

What a fucking perfect night. 

Levi’s face is deep in his phone, texting away with quick thumbs. There’s a wide grin plastered on his face that he tries to bite back but his family notices it during their shared breakfast. All they can hear is the tack, tack, tack of his phone’s keyboard. 

His mother looks at his father and raises a brow with a knowing look. She gestures her head at Levi and his father frowns, shaking his head back. She frowns, urging him with her expression. 

Mr. Ackerman sighs, “So, son, how was your night?” 

“Good.” Levi answers without looking up. 

His parents look at one another again and then back at him, “Did you have fun?” 

“Yeah.” 

Mikasa perks up at this, little face covered in hash brown. She looks at Levi and then at her parents and goes back to her breakfast, unbothered with whatever grown up things they’re talking about. 

Mrs. Ackerman clears her throat, “I noticed we’re almost out of yogurt.” 

Levi’s head whips up so fast to look at her. He sits up, “What? Already?” 

“Gotcha.” She says with a triumphant smile and Levi sighs, sitting back against his chair. 

“Levi,” his father continues, “We just want to know about your night. Anyone um, new, join you?” 

Levi’s face immediately flushes at the thought of Erwin and what they did the night before. He can still feel Erwin’s lips on his own and his hands all over his body. He was just texting him, nothing serious, just flirty little jabs and jokes about their night before the kiss and everything else that happened afterwards. Levi was too nervous to ask and see if Erwin remembered anything; they were drinking after all. 

“Um, yeah.” He sits up, “There’s this boy in my history class and…” he clears his throat again and gazes down to his breakfast. “He’s pretty cool.” 

His parents smile. “Pretty cool.” Mrs. Ackerman repeats with a nod, “We’re very happy to hear that, sweetheart. Why don’t you invite him for dinner sometime? We’d love to officially meet him.” 

Levi feels his entire face go hot. “Yeah. Maybe.” He can't imagine Erwin eating dinner with his parents, but then again it's bound to happen sooner or later. He’s already met his dad. 

“Invite him to go trick or treating. I’m sure your sister would love it.” 

Levi nods, feeling himself smile at the thought of Erwin joining them. It’ll give him some company other than his baby sister who will only be candy driven the whole night. “I think I would too.” 

As soon as Levi sees the tall, blond waiting by his locker the following Monday morning, his breath hitches and his heart skips a beat. Erwin is leaning against the locker, hands behind his back and eyes down on the ground. He looks rather pensive. Levi cannot get “Time After Time” out of his head and he begins to grow nervous. How can he be so bashful after everything they did? 

Well, it’s out in the open now, how can he not? Levi grows nervous. What if Erwin regrets it? What if he’s ashamed now that the alcohol has worn off? What if he doesn’t even remember? Levi gulps, too nervous to approach but he needs to. So with all the strength bestowed upon him by Belinda Carlisle and Cyndi Lauper, Levi steps forward and goes up to Erwin. 

Erwin’s deeply lost in his thoughts. His body is still in a euphoria from his night with Levi but his mind has begun to overthink. Levi didn’t bring up their kiss or anything else that happened through text the day after and Erwin started to get nervous. What if Levi doesn’t remember? What if he only did it because they had been drinking? A cool, insanely hot post punk kid like Levi would never in a million years be into a nerd like Erwin. 

Besides, Erwin saw that kid, Miles or whatever his name was. He was extremely good looking . He radiated charm— even though he was a total dick— he was more of the type that fit Levi. He was up to Levi’s level. Not a geek like Erwin. 

Maybe Erwin was just a drunken mistake. Maybe he was just a pastime. But Levi told him he liked him. Erwin knew he was probably overthinking but he couldn’t help to feel self conscious. 

“Sup, Blondie.” Levi lifts his chin, forcing himself to be brave. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do if Erwin doesn’t remember. 

Erwin snaps out of his stupor and looks up, catching Levi’s gaze. The next thing Levi knows, Erwin has tackled him in a tight hug. He stumbles backwards, one foot halfway in the air as his face presses into Erwin’s crewneck sweater. Erwin hugs him tightly, “Hi.” 

Levi’s senses overload and he swears smoke is shooting out from his ears. He chuckles, hugging Erwin back, “Who died?“ 

Erwin pulls back and pushes his glasses up, “Sorry.” 

Levi smiles gently at him, “You’re good. Feeling better?” 

Erwin relaxes, “Much better. I wish I had known how much hangovers suck.” He laughs nervously. 

“Yeah, they’re the worst. Worth it sometimes.” Levi shrugs meekly. 

Erwin holds that precious gaze that stares back at him, “Very worth it.” 

Levi becomes flustered and looks away, eyeing the other students in the hall. No one even bothered to notice their hug. “So, uh, I didn’t get to ask but did you have fun Saturday?” 

Erwin blushes, “Yeah, a lot of fun, actually.” 

“Cool.” Levi nods, feeling awkward. He looks at Erwin and then down to his feet. “What—what was your favorite part?” His eyes quickly look at Erwin to see his expression when he answers. 

Erwin looks cool, calm and collected but his cheeks are a little pink. He smiles and leans into Levi’s ear, “I really liked the back of your Jeep.” 

Levi’s breath hitches and his body stiffens. Erwin pulls away, standing up straight with that innocent boyish smile of his, “Walk you to class?” He begins to walk when Levi’s hand darts out and grips his wrist, holding him back. 

Oh, there’s no way in hell he’s letting Erwin off that easily. 

Erwin is a little surprised but Levi says nothing. Just then the bell rings and Levi begins to drag him away in the opposite direction of his first period, passing by all the students that begin to book it to their classes. 

“Levi?” 

Levi doesn’t respond. He leads Erwin down the south hall and makes a sharp left to the boys’ restroom at the very end. It’s the crappy one that no one barely uses. 

“Levi, I don’t think we’re allowed—“ Erwin says as Levi shoves him into the empty restroom. 

“Shut up.” Levi pushes Erwin against the wall, grabs him by his maroon crewneck and hungrily kisses him. 

Erwin’s eyes flutter open but then close as he loses himself in Levi’s kiss. Levi’s kiss is desperate, starved and filled with endless relief. Erwin didn’t forget what happened and the fact that he’s kissing Levi back means he didn’t regret it. 

“I’ve been thinking about you all weekend.” Erwin says when he breaks away. He is honest and relieved as well. 

Levi’s eyes are half lidded and glossy and he can feel the bulge growing behind Erwin’s jeans, “Have you?” 

Erwin nods. 

“I have too.” Levi kisses him back, bringing him closer. Their kisses are clumsy and hasty, filled with a sense of desperation that is only alive in innocent youth but with time they will learn. 

“I thought…” Levi tries to keep his voice from sounding too broken, “You didn’t remember.” 

Erwin frowns, “What?” He raises a brow, “No, I didn’t forget. I like you, Levi. Like a lot. I meant everything I said.” 

“Even the slut part?” Levi jokes. 

“The what?” 

“Slay?” 

Erwin frowns immediately, “Please forget I said that.” 

Levi laughs. “Dork.” 

“I thought that-- I don’t know-- that maybe you regretted what we did too…”

Levi frowns immediately at this, “Fuck no, I don’t regret a thing.”

Erwin smiles, “That’s a relief, honestly.” 

“Why? Were you going to cry?”

“No, well, not yet.”

“For fucks sake, Smith. Don’t cry.” 

Erwin takes Levi’s hand in his, “Hey, I wanted to ask…” 

“Ask me— ask me anything.” He has Levi’s full attention. 

“My birthday’s next Wednesday. I know you’re already coming with us to Horror Nights and I know it’s a school night but I wanted to know if you’d like to hang out with me that day?” He looks up at Levi with those gorgeous eyes that are unreal.

He looks like such a teenage heartthrob and Levi can’t stand it.

“Yes.” Levi doesn’t even hesitate. “I want to. I’d like that.” 

Erwin grins, “Cool. It’s like nothing big since my dad works late but if you wanted to come over—“ 

Levi nods and leans in to kiss him again, “Hell yeah, Blondie. I want to come over.” 

And come. 

Levi kicks himself mentally. 

Erwin kisses him gently, “Neat.” 

Levi loses it at the sight of that smile and grabs Erwin by his crewneck again, “Fuck, come here.” He drags Erwin into one of the stalls and locks the latch behind him. 

Erwin is utterly confused but when he sees Levi drop to his knees and begin to unbuckle his belt, Erwin squeals, “Levi! We’re on school property!” 

“You think I give a shit?” Levi works his zipper and pulls his jeans down. He then pauses and looks at Erwin, “Unless you don’t want to?” he raises a brow in question. 

Erwin licks his bottom lip, voice at the verge of breaking like he’s going through puberty. He nods firmly. “No, yeah. I want to.” 

“Good.” Levi confirms and pulls his jeans down even further, along with Erwin’s boxer shorts. He ignores the fact that they have little anchors on them. He also ignores the fact that his knees are touching the disgusting restroom floor. Thankfully, the floor is dry but it's still gross as hell. 

Levi then remembers Mike’s words outside of the alley, “You say that until you’re in the moment. Then you won’t care where you’re at, you just want to get into their pants.”

Shit, Levi thinks, Fucking Mike was right.

He was right about a lot of things. Including Old Reliable but Levi probably will never admit that. 

Erwin steps out of the boys’ restroom first, cheeks ruddy and hair messy. A lazy smile is plastered on his face and his eyes are sleepy. Levi pushes him out of the way as he steps out of the restroom, zipping his own zipper. His own hair is messy and his Joy Division shirt is messed up. Who knew making out amongst other things in a bathroom stall would be so hard and chaotic.

Levi clears his throat, still tasting Erwin on his tongue. “Go to class, you freaking nerd.” 

Erwin looks over at him, he bites his bottom lip, “You like being called a good boy, don’t you?”

Levi feels like he was just gut punched. His eyes immediately shoot daggers at Erwin, sponging up like a spooked kitten, “Get. To. Class. Smith.” he grits through his teeth, blushing profusely. 

Erwin only chuckles and kisses his lips again with that teasing smile of his that is so damn charming, “You should probably do the same.”

Levi grumbles, staring at Erwin’s lips as he pulls away, “Yeah. Maybe. I’ll see.” 

“Good boys go to class!” Erwin says in a semi sing-song voice as he walks down the hall, back facing Levi. 

Levi stands there watching him go with a furrowed brow. “Good boy my ass.” He mutters under his breath, suddenly feeling fussy. He huffs and turns in the direction of his class, “I’ll show you a damn good boy…” 

The days pass and the two lovesick puppies spend as much time together as they can outside of school. They decide to keep their little romance to themselves for now, wanting to enjoy the privacy and excitement of something so new before letting their friends in on it. Besides, Erwin hasn’t fully come out and Levi doesn’t want to push him to do anything he isn’t comfortable with. 

So they eat lunch separately, in their own friend groups while they text one another beneath the lunch tables. When they send a text off, they’ll discreetly look across the small patch of the quad that separates their groups to see the other’s reaction upon reading said text. 

Levi finds that Erwin is very bold through texts and in their history class, Levi fights the urge to drool over Erwin’s academic side. He’s astute and the big words that come out of his mouth are impressive. He’s at a college level and even Mr. Arlert is impressed by his thoughts, questions and work. He applies himself very well, meanwhile, all Levi can seem to do is stare at his side profile with his mouth wide open and drooling. 

And with each passing day, Levi begins to panic internally. Erwin’s birthday is approaching fast and he has no clue what to get him. He has some allowance but he isn’t very sure what Erwin would want. Levi considers taking him out somewhere but he also wants to give Erwin something he will be able to keep. 

So the week of Erwin’s birthday, Levi stands on his front porch and takes in a deep breath, mustering all the courage he can to make the trek across the street and to Hange’s place. 

“Coming!” Hange calls as they run to their front door where excessive knocking is coming from. “Hold your horses!” They pull the door open and Levi is standing there with his usually pouty face. 

Hange is absolutely surprised to see him standing on their porch, “Levi?” They look around, “Is this a dream? Is there an emergency?” They gasp, “Are your parents okay?!” 

“Took you long enough, four-eyes.” Levi steps in without an invitation. 

Hange is taken by surprise but shrugs and closes the door behind them. “Wassup, buddy! What brings you to Casa Zoe ?”

Levi frowns at them, “I hate to say this but…I need,” Levi sighs heavily and quickly mumbles the rest, “Ineedyourhelp.” 

Hange crosses their arms and leans back on one foot. They’re barefoot, dressed in a yellow tank top and gray track shorts, “I’m sorry, come again?” They place their hand behind their ear, faking that they didn’t hear him.

Levi glares and rolls his eyes. He tilts his head back, “I need your help.” 

Hange smiles, “Whatever for? Homework? A test? Babysitting?” 

Levi presses his lips together and his expression softens, “I don’t know what to get Erwin for his birthday. I wanted--”

“Leviiii!” Hange throws themselves at Levi and hugs him tight, “I knew it! You’re in love with Erwin!”

“What the shit?! Hange, get off me!”

Hange hugs him tighter, “I bet you let Erwin hug you like this, don’t you? Levi, you Tsundere.” They coo. 

Levi is aghast, “What did he tell you?” He wiggles out of Hange’s embrace.

Hange shrugs, “Nothing. Bastard is tight lipped but I see him getting giggly when he texts you. Not to mention the bedroom eyes he gets at lunch when he stares over at your table.” 

“He does?” Levi asks, dropping his guard. But only for a moment because he then shakes his head and straightens himself out. “Look, I really need your help. I want to give him something special but I don’t know a lot about all the dorky shit he likes.”

Hange nods, contemplating his words. “Okay. I’ll help you. Let’s talk. Step into my office.” They wave Levi over and head up the stairs. 

Levi frowns, “Office?"

Levi sighs heavily, “Hange. This is your room.” 

“Ah-ah!” They shake their finger at him, “My office!” 

Hange’s room is a whirlwind of science books, anatomy posters and chemistry sets. They have shelves of countless sci-fi and fantasy books and a gaming setup in the corner along with a couple of Overwatch mini posters above their desk. Levi walks over to one and points at the character he recognizes right away: D.Va. 

“This one.” He taps the poster, “This is the one Blondie likes. Where can I get her?” He’s so serious and determined. 

Hange laughs, “Well, the mall most likely or a game shop. But are you sure that’s what you want to get him?”

Levi bites his bottom lip, pensively. “I don’t know. I mean, I know he likes her.”

Hange nods, “Yeah, I’ve seen the inside of his locker.” 

Levi plunks down on Hange’s messy bed. How does one person own so many Squishmellows? 

Hange sits down on their desk chair and twirls around, “Do you have any ideas so far?”

Levi looks around the room, noticing things that Erwin likes as well. Like the board game, Betrayal at House On the Hill. Hange also has a few manga but not as many as Erwin. Levi stands from the bed and goes to Hange’s dresser where they have a collection of beacons and jars filled with various liquids and substances. 

He frowns, “Didn’t you used to have a hamster?” His brow is raised and his lips are somewhat pouted in thought.

“Yes.” Hange answers but says not much else, they just smile.

Levi’s frown deepens, “Anyway, I’m not sure. I mean, I thought of getting him like a book or something but that seems lame.”

Hange nods slowly, “He does like books. He likes BL?”

Levi raises a brow, “What the hell is BL ?”

Hange’s mouth hangs open, thinking that perhaps that should fall under Erwin’s jurisdiction to explain to Levi. They jump up to their feet, “Nevermind! Let’s stay focused!” 

Levi spends the majority of his evening in Hange’s room, mulling over ideas on what to get Erwin while they listen to music. In the meantime, Hange convinces him to paint his nails while they talk. Levi agrees but only if they paint them black. 

“Okay,” Hange recites, “So nothing lame like stuffed animals or any fluffy Valentines-like gifts. No fruit baskets, no edible arrangements and no socks.” 

Levi nods. 

Hange bites their bottom lip and squints one eye as they think. They’re halfway done with Levi’s nails. “Hmm, well, are you good at anything?”

“Good at anything?”

“Yeah. Like can you make him anything? You play bass right? Maybe you can write him a song. A looooove song.” They wiggle their body. 

Levi glares at them, “Shut up. And no, that’s…” he blushes, “That’s too embarrassing. Plus, he can’t keep a song. I want him to be able to keep it, remember?”

Hange nods, “Right, right. Hmmm. Well, what else do you do? Wait, are you still making all those mixes?” They ask as they finish painting the last pinky nail. 

Levi freezes and his eyes widen. A mixedtape.  

“Hange!” He gasps, “You fucking genius!” He jumps to his feet, ripping his hand out of Hange’s and runs out the bedroom door. Levi hurries down the stairs, loses his footing at the very last step and fumbles to the side. He catches himself just as Hange appears at the top of the stairs. 

“Levi! I wasn’t finished!” They call after him. 

“Thanks, Hange!” He bolts out the front door, slamming it shut as he runs off.

Hange stands at the top of the stairs, watching him go with a raised brow. Slowly, they smirk and nod. “Ah, you did it once again, Hange. You smart, beautiful, human being.” 

Levi hurries into his room, bolts up the stairs before his parents can call his name and runs into his room, closing the door shut behind him. He hurries to his dresser where he pulls out a blank cassette tape and a cassette deck. He places them on his desk and then collects a few cassettes from his collection, dumping those on the desk too. He then plops down at his desk and gets to work. 

He first makes a list of the songs he wants on the new mixtape. It takes him a moment to rearrange them the way he wants them. There are only so many songs he can fit in the tape but there are so many songs that remind him of Erwin and so many songs he wants the blond boy to experience for the first time. It’s a very hard choice but there will be time for everything, Levi hopes. 

Once the chosen songs are picked, Levi chooses the order he wants them in. He looks over the list and rewrites their order a second time and then a third until the list is finally perfect in his glimmering eyes. 

Levi picks the cassettes with the songs he wants and works them through the cassette deck, copying the songs onto the blank tape. After what feels like hours, Levi gets up and rummages through his closet until he finds his old portable Sony walkman. It is a pastel mint green color with white edges and black headphones. He sticks the mixtape inside and presses play.

Wake up you sleepyhead, put on some clothes, shake up your bed! Put another log on the fire for me, I've made some breakfast and coffee. I look out my window, what do I see? A crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me!

Levi smiles from ear to ear. It sounds perfect. 

He then sits down at his desk while he listens to the rest of the mixtape to make sure everything sounds alright. He rewrites the list of songs along with their artists on a smaller piece of paper to stick inside the cassette box for Erwin. 

The list reads: 

Oh! You Pretty Things - David Bowie
Lovesong - The Cure
Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Boys Don’t Cry- The Cure
Moonage Daydream - David Bowie
Friday I’m in Love- The Cure
Heroes - David Bowie
Just Can’t Get Enough - Depeche Mode
The Lovecats - The Cure
Come on Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
The Man Who Sold the World - David Bowie
Forever Young - Alphaville
Lips Like Sugar - Echo & the Bunnymen
How Soon is Now? - The Smiths
Starman - David Bowie
And lastly…
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

Some songs are inside jokes that he is sure Erwin will get, like “Heaven is a Place on Earth” but other songs like “Lovesong” represent how Levi feels for him. He knows Erwin has heard it before but he really wants to include it. 

Levi stands with the walkman and mixtape in hand. He looks at the portrait of his biological mother and his brows come together in concern, “He’s going to like it, right?” He asks the portrait as if Kuchel will answer. Levi smiles softly and looks down at his work. He’s going to love it. He just knows it. 

When Erwin opens his eyes on the morning of October 14th, he is eighteen years old. Alas, he doesn’t feel any different. Erwin stretches his worn out body, careful not to kick Peach who is curled up at his feet. He reaches his hand out to grab his phone. In his sleepy haze, he accidentally knocks over the Jergens bottle that sits on his night stand. Erwin scrunches his face. He knows he should put that away before Levi comes over and sees it again; the first time was mortifying enough.

They agreed they would head back to his place to watch a movie and he doesn’t want Levi to see it sitting there again. He then grabs his phone and checks for any messages. When the lock screen brightens, he smiles. There’s a text from Levi.

Levi: [12:00] Happy Birthday, you dork 🖤

Erwin chuckles softly. His voice is still groggy from sleep. Levi never uses emojis and now he sent him a heart. It’s a little black colored heart but it suits him just perfectly. He texts back. 

Erwin: [6:45] Thanks, Levi. Can’t wait to see you in a bit.

When Erwin goes downstairs, there’s a whole breakfast set up waiting for him, along with a couple of gifts that sit on the breakfast table. There is already fall decor around the house, including a few ceramic pumpkins and witches; ornaments his mother used to own for the holiday. His dad still likes to bring them out so she’s with them in spirit.

“Happy Birthday, son!” Mr. Smith boasts happily. He’s already dressed for his day at the university. 

Erwin hugs him, “Thanks, Dad.” He smiles. 

His dad ruffles his hair as if Erwin isn’t reaching six feet and still growing. He’s already as tall as he is. “How do you feel, Mr. Big Man?”

“Ugh, don’t call me that.” Erwin says with a smile and goes to his presents. “Good though, thanks.” 

His dad sighs, “Erwin, I am so so sorry I won’t be here for your special day but I promise we will have dinner Friday night.” 

Erwin smiles, “It’s okay, I’m not mad or anything. Work is important.”

His dad plants a kiss on his head, “But you matter most. Those damn midterms just had to-- agh-- you know how it is.” He sits at the table and the two open Erwin’s gifts and have breakfast before he has to go to school. 

Erwin receives money, new clothes and the tickets for him and his friends for Halloween Horror Nights that Saturday. Erwin is so excited since there’s a ticket for Levi too. He simply cannot wait. 

After his shower, he dresses into a clean pair of black jeans that he pairs with a white t-shirt. Over the shirt, he puts on the blue v-neck sweater vest that his dad gifted him all the way from Galway, Ireland. He remembers the way Levi complimented it after he stopped Zeke from harassing him. It’s a memory Erwin holds very dear. He finishes off his outfit with his favorite pair of Reeboks. 

Erwin does his hair in the mirror, combed over with his undercut perfectly trimmed. He sets the comb down and grimaces in the mirror. He takes his glasses off, maybe he’ll wear his contacts that day. Maybe Levi will find him just a little more attractive. Little does Erwin know, Levi adores all of him. Glasses and sweater vests included. 

Levi stands by Erwin’s locker, eyes anywhere but his. His heart is thumping wildly against his rib cage and his hands are sweaty. Erwin looks absolutely scrumptious in his chosen outfit for the day and he smells like cedar and McIntosh apple. It definitely isn’t that Jergens lotion he’s using to lather his skin. That much Levi knows. 

Levi squirms internally. Oh god, why is he so sweaty? 

C’mon, you can do this. Don’t be such a fucking simp and just do it. You’ve had the dudes dick in your mouth. What’s the problem now? 

“—and then I said, yeah, I think Zachary Quinto makes a marvelous Spock, but then Moblit said that he wasn’t sure about Chris Pine. Then Hange had us vote on who the best looking Chris is. I don’t know…I guess Evans? He’s fine, I suppose.” 

Levi’s gaze flickers up to Erwin. He’s finicking with his stack of books again. He does so every morning but he looks so handsome that morning. He’s wearing that gorgeous blue vest from Galway and his khaki pants are pressed and clean. He’s also wearing those Reebok high tops he’s so proud of. He said they were replica’s of Ellen Ripley’s shoes from Aliens. The franchise is next on their movie club list. 

Levi gulps, “Um, Erwin?” 

Erwin immediately responds to the sound of his name and stops fussing with his locker to look at Levi. His eyes are so brilliant and so blue. He looks fresh like a little daisy. An eighteen year old daisy. 

October 14th. What a lovely day, Levi thinks. 

“Yeah?” 

Levi shifts from one foot to another. He clears his throat and his eyes go to one of Erwin’s D.Va pictures in his locker, “Uh—I— I brought you something.” 

Erwin turns his whole body towards him, “Oh, yum.” 

Levi waves his hand, his nails are still black from when Hange painted them. “No, it’s not yogurt.” 

Erwin’s expression falls a little but then he smiles, “Oh, what is it then?” 

Do it! C’mon, you pansy! Do it! Levi sticks his hand out and Erwin looks down. It’s a square cassette case with what appears to be a mixtape inside. Erwin takes it and opens the case. 

“I didn’t wrap it, sorry.” Levi bites his bottom lip. He can feel the sweat gathering on his forehead. 

Erwin studies the mixtape. There’s a little message written on the front sticker in Levi’s precious handwriting: 

  Happy Birthday, Blondie. 

Love, Levi.

A wicked smile brushes Erwin’s lips, “You made this for me?” He looks up at Levi. 

Levi’s frowning now, brow furrowed and lips stuttering, “Yeah, it was like no big deal. Happy Birthday or whatever, you big dork.” He then hands Erwin the walkman, “This one’s mine but I want you to have it. If you don’t like it, that’s cool. I can get you a newer one. This one’s vintage so I thought--” Levi stops himself to notice Erwin. 

Erwin is looking at him like he just hung the sun and moon with his bare hands. His eyes glimmer and there is the gentlest smile on his handsome face. Levi stutters and feels himself lose his breath. “I-- I thought it would be cool if you had it.” He looks away, cheeks blushing furiously. 

Erwin bites his bottom lip, trying to hide his smile as he takes the walkman but it’s inevitable. He just chuckles lightly and leans in, kissing Levi’s lips, gently pressing Levi against the locker. Levi immediately freezes. There’s no way Blondie just kissed him in the middle of the school hallway! 

They share a deep yet gentle kiss and when Erwin pulls away, he’s still smiling, “Thank you, Levi. I love it.” 

Levi’s eyes are shot wide and his mouth hangs open, “Smith, what the shit? Aren’t you afraid someone will see?” His eyes look around to see if anyone noticed. 

A couple of students did. They look at them and then turn around, gossiping to themselves but for the most part no one really noticed or cares. 

Erwin shrugs, “Why would I be afraid of that?” He studies the walkman. 

Levi clears his throat, “Well, you haven’t…you know.” 

“Come out?” Erwin asks, “I guess not but it's not like I have to announce it to everyone, you know?”

He’s right. It isn’t anyone's business and Erwin doesn’t have to exactly scream it over the morning announcements. People get to choose how they come out, be it a post on social media or simply by walking down the school hallway holding their new lover’s hand. There is no right way and no perfect way. As long as Erwin chooses to do it and when to do it. It's his right and Levi will respect it. 

“Guess so.” Levi agrees, “Oh, yeah. This is from my sister.” He reaches into his back pocket and brings out an envelope. 

Erwin perks up, “Mikasa sent this for me?”

Levi nods, “Yup. Told her how you’re a big Sanrio fan too.” Levi bites back a smirk as he leans against the locker. 

Erwin raises a brow, “Wait--” he opens the envelope and pulls out a pastel pink and white colored card with Hello Kitty on the front sitting next to a cake with candles. BIRTHDAY GIRL! 

“Levi!” Erwin gasps and hides the card to his chest. 

Levi bursts out in laughter, “Oh, sure, that you’re embarrassed about but not kissing another guy in front of the entire school population.” 

Erwin turns the card away from the other students and opens it, “Yeah, well, that’s different.” He huffs. 

Inside is a gift card and a small little message that reads, “Happy Birthday, Erwin! All the best wishes on your special day! Love, Mikasa and her Bubba.” Erwin laughs lightly at the nickname “Bubba”. It’s so sweet. 

Levi’s face grows a little red, “My mom helped her write that but I picked out the card.” Levi remembers the way his mother asked him countless times if Erwin would be okay with a Hello Kitty card. 

There’s another message written on the bottom. In Levi’s hand writing that time, “Stop growing.” 

Erwin laughs. “Thank you, Levi. It means a lot. Please thank your family on my behalf.”

“Yeah, uh, I’ll let them know.” Levi clears his throat, not yet wanting to tell him that they want him over for dinner soon. 

The bell rings and Erwin packs away his gifts in his backpack. He’s extremely excited to listen to the songs in the mixtape Levi made for him. It’s the coolest gift he’s ever received. He hangs his backpack over his shoulder and begins to make his way in the direction of class. 

“So after school I was thinking we could--” He’s cut short when Levi grabs him by the wrist, his fingers brushing against his carnelian bracelet. 

“And where do you think you’re going?” Levi asks. 

Erwin’s eyes look from Levi to the crowd of students moving past them, “To your class?”

Levi shakes his head. His icy gaze is dead serious, “I’m not done giving you your gifts yet.” 

Erwin is confused, he then looks past Levi in the direction of the secluded boys’ restroom and he gulps, butterflies fill his stomach. “A- a gift? What kind of gift?” 

Levi tugs him down the hall in the direction of the restroom, “You’ll see.” 

Erwin’s birthday lands on a cloudy day in October. The leaves have begun to fall and a true autumn feeling flows in the air. It’s perfect. Erwin receives more gifts and well wishes from his friends throughout the day. They even buy him lunch. After the bell rings, Furlan and Isabel go up to him. Isabel gives him a hug and Furlan bumps his fist. They both wish him a happy birthday just as Levi shoos them off. Even Frieda wishes him a happy birthday, much to Levi’s dismay. She gives Erwin a hug which makes Levi scowl and sink into his desk. Erwin awkwardly receives the hug and is very nice and respectable about it. 

After school, they head off campus in Levi’s Jeep. Levi’s jealousy is dumped to the back of his mind. 

“Can we play my mixtape?” Erwin asks. 

“Not yet. I want you to listen to that in private.” Levi says. 

Erwin smirks, “Why? Did you record yourself singing in it?”

Levi scoffs, “As if. Dork.” But he can’t help not to laugh.

Instead, Levi plays some Joy Division and hops on the freeway. 

“Where are we going?” Erwin asks him. He thought they were heading straight to his house. 

“I, uh, I got a surprise for you.” Levi says. 

“Levi, you didn’t have to.” 

“I don’t have to but I want to. Now shut up and have fun.” He frowns and Erwin laughs.

“Okay, Bubba. Whatever you say.” 

Levi looks at him for a short moment before turning his attention back to the road, “Take it back.” 

“No way.” Erwin laughs. 

“Smith, take it back.” 

“Nope!” 

They end up in Little Tokyo where Levi parks the jeep in a building garage on 1st Street, right behind Little Tokyo mall. They have ramen at Levi's favorite Ramen spot, Daikokuya, his treat. He gets his vegetarian option but recommends something Erwin might like and the two just talk. They talk about everything just like they did that night in Levi’s room after they watched Puppet Master . 

Erwin tells Levi about Overwatch and Skyrim. He tells him about his favorite sci-fi movies including The Fifth Element and the Alien franchise. He also tells Levi about the Predator franchise and how it has had multiple movies and comic books with Alien. Erwin almost chokes on his broth when Levi asks him what BL is. In turn, Levi tells Erwin about his “band” with Furlan and Isabel and when he started playing bass. They laugh and crack jokes and when they’re finished eating, Levi pays and they make their way into the village. 

Inside one of the shops, Levi discreetly purchases Erwin a stuffed pink Axolotl keychain that he hands to him outside. Erwin is beyond excited and thanks him with a kiss that leaves Levi red and stuttering. Erwin had mentioned over text one night that he’s always wanted a pet Axolotl but they’re illegal in California. 

“This is even better.” Erwin says of the plush.

Levi cuts him off with another kiss. He doesn’t think kissing Erwin will ever get old. 

They have steam buns and then Levi drags Erwin to Honeymee where they have the best honey flavored ice cream and tea. Erwin gets a honey shake with a huge chunk of honeycomb while Levi has a honey flavored iced tea. Erwin insists on treating him so Levi lets him pay that time. 

Inside the market, Levi watches as Erwin marvels over the anime themed snacks and candy. He buys multiple little cookies with some sort of anime characters on the packaging that Levi isn’t very familiar with. However, one is wearing some kind of boar head mask and he finds that quite amusing. 

Erwin is so happy the entire time. He talks animatedly and constantly touches Levi; grabbing his hands, touching his arms and placing his hands on his shoulders. He does not shy away from physical contact and affection and Levi is just basking in it. 

They leave Little Tokyo some time later but when Levi reaches Los Feliz, he keeps driving up N Vermont Ave until they end up at the Griffith Observatory. He parks the Jeep and they make their way to the back of the observatory building where they can see the entire city skyline. As they make their walk there in silence, Erwin glances at Levi from the corner of his eyes and then glances down, noticing Levi’s hand dangling at his side. 

Erwin slowly reaches his fingers out, brushing Levi’s own. Levi looks at him and breaches the gap, letting Erwin intertwine their fingers. Erwin smiles and then looks ahead. 

Los Angeles looks so beautiful during sunset. The golden hour casts a beautiful light over the skyline and both boys watch in silence. Levi almost feels empty when their hands let go to grasp the top bar of the railing. He watches as Erwin leans against it, eyes ahead, gazing into the horizon. Levi does the same. 

“The city is so beautiful.” Erwin comments. 

Levi tsks, “Yeah, too bad it smells like piss and parking is shit.” 

Erwin laughs, “Yeah, that’s true.” 

Levi’s expression softens, “Are--are you having a good time?”

“Heck yeah.” Erwin grins, “This is the best birthday I’ve had in a long time.” 

Levi smiles and averts his gaze, “Good.” 

Erwin steps closer to Levi. He slouches, resting his head on his crossed arms that rest upon the bar. He looks at Levi, “Thank you for everything.” 

Levi looks at him. You are so fucking cute, Erwin, and you don’t even know it. He shrugs, “No biggie. I mean, you deserve it.” 

“Do I?”

Levi nods and leans against the railing, “I think so.” 

“Well, that’s good.” 

“I’m…I’m happy that you’re here with me.” When Levi looks back to Erwin, that precious blue gaze is back on the horizon. They can see the Hollywood sign from there. It looks so much smaller than they always expect it to. “I’m glad we were paired up as partners.”

Levi feels his stomach twirl and feels the lump in his throat. What the shit, Erwin? How dare he make him feel things. Levi scowls, “Don’t get mushy on me.”

Erwin just laughs, used to Levi’s brash manner and his trouble expressing his emotions. He stands up and leans in to kiss Levi again. “Aren’t you?” He hovers over his lips. 

Levi feels himself begin to melt, “Yes…”

The door to Erwin’s bedroom bursts open and both teens go fumbling in. Peach is curled up in Erwin’s bed, watching them with lazy eyes. 

“Peach Jonesy Smith, out.” Erwin orders. 

Alarmed by the noise of two fumbling teens, Peach jumps off the bed and runs out. Erwin manages to close the door behind him to keep him out of the room. 

“You gave your cat a middle name?” Levi asks, pulling away from their locked lips. 

“Yeah, I had to.” 

They trip over Erwin’s Hello Kitty plush and almost go tumbling down but Erwin catches himself before they fall. Their lips don’t even bother separating as they make their way onto Erwin’s bed. 

With clumsy, desperate hands, Erwin begins to take Levi’s leather jacket off. Levi helps him and drops it onto the floor. Erwin pulls his sweater vest off, dropping it on top of Levi’s jacket. He then pushes Levi onto his bed and perches on top of him. 

Something white catches the corner of Levi’s eye and he turns his head slightly, noticing the Jergens bottle that sits proudly on Erwin’s nightstand. Daily Moisture with vitamin C, E, and B5. 

Sus.

“You jack off with that, don’t you?” Levi finally asks as he rests his head on Erwin’s pillow. God, Erwin smells so damn good. 

Erwin looks at the bottle and curses himself for not throwing it out. His face goes beat red and he frowns, “No. I don’t.” 

“Yeah, you do.” Levi argues and sits up on his elbows, “Let me see.”

“What?!” Erwin is taken by utter surprise, he almost laughs. 

“Show me, Blondie. I want to see you put that lotion to use.” His voice is serious and filled with lust. 

“Surely you’re joking.” 

“I’m not.” Levi sits up and grabs Erwin’s face in his hands, kissing him passionately. Erwin is slowly picking up on Levi’s cues and the motion of his lips. The more they kiss, the more he eases into the rhythm and familiarizes himself with the things Levi likes. 

“C’mon, I want to see you touch yourself.” Levi is bold but his attraction to Erwin is like a train going off the rails at one hundred miles an hour. The punk boy just cannot contain himself. 

“Well actually, I don’t touch myself with Jergens.” He straight up lies, “That would be absolutely redundant when other forms of lube exist.” He says in the academic know-it-all tone of his that just turns Levi on for some damn reason that not even Levi can explain. 

“Oh, fuck, Blondie. I love when you get all brainy like that.” He kisses Erwin again and pulls on his bottom lip with his teeth, “Say redundant one more time…”

“What?” Erwin is becoming putty in Levi’s hands. 

“What’s the square root of whatever the fuck, c’mon.” 

Erwin just laughs against Levi’s lips and continues to kiss him, pushing him back onto the bed. He’s aware of their size differences and the way his body dominates Levi’s. Erwin loves it. He loves the way Levi feels in his arms and he loves the way Levi looks in his bed. 

“Wait.” He says and jumps off the bed. 

Levi sits up, “What?” He watches Erwin rummage through his backpack and bring out the mixtape. 

He holds it between two fingers, “Let’s hear it right now.” 

Levi relaxes and a gentle smile crosses his lips, “Whatever you want, Blondie.” 

Erwin grins like an excited little boy and hurries to his Vistrola 6-in-1 record player where he inserts the mixtape and presses play. David Bowie immediately fills the room and Erwin makes his way back to the edge of the bed. Levi reaches out and grabs his hand, gently pulling him back on top of him. 

Oh, you pretty things! Oh, you pretty things!  Don't you know you're driving your Mamas and Papas insane?

Levi lifts his head, gently brushing his lips against Erwin’s as their eyes close. The feeling in his heart is one he hopes never ends, “Happy Birthday, Blondie.” 

Chapter Text

“Wait, what?” Nile’s voice rings through Erwin’s headset. They’re playing a round of Overwatch and Erwin takes the opportunity to have the whole team together to let them know. 

“I’m bi.” He comes out. It just comes out like word-vomit, like a runaway train he can’t stop. 

It probably wasn’t the best moment or the best way to come out but it’s the only time Erwin’s been able to have all his friends in the same place— of sorts that is. Besides, he wants to be able to enjoy Horror Nights by Levi’s side without having to hide what’s growing between them. 

“Bi.” Nile repeats slowly, “Like bi- lingual ?” 

“Bi- sexual , you dumbass.” Hange chimes in and Marie bites back a snicker. 

Erwin lowers his control and buries his face in his free hand, exasperated. This can’t be happening but then again, he brought it upon himself for choosing now to come out to his friends. 

“Oh… OHH !” Nile realizes just as Erwin loses his mech, destroyed by a Widowmaker he didn’t see snipping him until it was too late. 

Erwin retreats slightly but keeps close to the payload so it keeps moving along as D.Va shoots from her little pistol. 

“Takes a lot of guts to come out.” Moblit says, “Thanks for confiding in us, Erwin.” There’s a tone of merriment in his tone, like he’s genuinely touched that Erwin included him in such a big thing about himself. 

Erwin smiles softly, “Aw, thanks Moblit. Wait, dude, are you crying?” 

Moblit stifles back a sniffle, clearly touched, “What? No.” 

Hange laughs lightly, “Mobey, it’s okay to cry.” 

“I’m not crying!” 

“Erwin!” Marie chimes in, “How long have you known? Or like, have you always known?” 

Erwin smiles, her tone is jovial and accepting and he’s glad for it. “I’m not sure to be honest? It’s always kind of been there but I never really put much thought to it or realized what I was feeling was not typical? I guess? For a straight guy, at least. I thought…” he thinks back to all the curious glances in the boys’ locker rooms and the intrusive thoughts of “ what would happen if I kiss him ?” He just mistook it for something else. “I thought it was normal for a straight person to have these thoughts. And then that summer we went to the lake? Yeah, that’s when I realized who I really am and I accepted it.” 

“I’m really happy for you, Erwin.” Marie says, “I’m really happy you’ve accepted that truth about yourself. We’re really happy and so proud, aren’t we?” 

“Yeah!”

“Yes!”

“Of course!” 

They all chime in, even Nile. 

“Yeah,” Nile agrees, “Sorry for sounding stupid dude.” 

“It’s okay,” Erwin smiles, shooting down another D.Va. There can only be one, “I understand it can be…iffy when a friend comes out. Like you don’t know exactly what the right thing to say is. I mean, I didn’t know what to say when you told me you liked feet.” 

“ WHAT?” Moblit and Hange all gasp at the same time as Marie bursts out in laughter. 

“ DUDE !” Nile’s Roadhog dies, “I told you that in confidence.” 

“It’s no secret, Tarantino.” Marie mumbles. 

“Babe. Not you too.” 

“It is what it is.” 

“Hange?” Nile changes the subject. 

“Yeah?” 

“You’re awfully quiet.” 

“Oh, I knew.” They say casually. 

Erwin grimaces as the party bursts into different high pitched voices and remarks. 

“What? I kinda guessed!” Hange defends themselves. 

“How?” Nile asks.

“The lifeguard, duh .” 

“Anyway,” Erwin interrupts them. “There’s something else.” 

Everyone grows quiet and Erwin suddenly becomes nervous so he takes in a deep breath and in a quick release blurts out, “And I like Levi and I’m sure he likes me because we kissed—amongst other things— and I want him to be my boyfriend, and Nile, no offense but you suck as a tank.” 

Nile can’t even get a word out, stuck between the news about Levi and his ability as a tank. 

“Yeah, baby!” Hange cheers at both that and their victory in the game. 

“You like Levi?” Moblit asks, he sounds giddy. 

“And you kissed ?“ Marie asks next, just as giddy.

“Amongst other things?” Nile inquires, not sounding as thrilled. 

“Besides the point.” Hange comes to Erwin’s rescue, “What matters is that Levi’s coming with to Horror Nights so everyone has to be on their best behavior and not make it weird.” 

“Yeah, Nile. Don’t ruin this for him.” Moblit jokes.

Nile sounds aghast. 

Erwin laughs, “Thanks, Hange. But yeah, I wanted to let you guys know so it isn’t…awkward or anything.” 

“It’s cool dude.” Nile says, “Just don’t make out in the lines or whatever.” 

“But you and Marie do that.” Erwin frowns slightly as he focuses on the next game and takes out a Bastion, “Is it because we’re two guys?” 

“What? No!” 

“Nile, you’re being homophobic right now.” Marie scolds him. “Let them kiss if they want.” 

“But Erwin is bi?”

“That’s still part of the LGBTQ.” Moblit informs him. 

“LGBTQ plus.” Hange chimes in again. 

Erwin laughs, “Okay, okay, relax.” He clears his throat, “So is everyone…okay with it?”

All their voices break out at once. 

“Yes!”

“Duh!”

“Of course, dude.” 

“We just want you to be happy, Erwin.” Hange says and Erwin can hear the smile in their voice. 

His heart feels full to the brim. He couldn’t have asked for better friends. “Thanks, everyone.”

They play a couple of more games while his friends ask for more details about Levi and how it all went down. Erwin tells them just the little bit they need to know and keeps the more private stuff to himself. They chat until Erwin decides to call it a night and logs off. Just as he does, he gets a text and smiles immediately upon seeing Levi’s name on the screen. He tells him that he came out to his friends and the next thing he knows, he’s ringing Levi instead to tell him how it went. Horror Nights is going to be one of the best nights of his life.

Halloween Horror Nights is complete delightful and manic chaos. Loud horror metal plays through certain areas of the park while others play the beginning theme of The Walking Dead over the loudspeakers perfectly placed above them. Levi feels himself step closer to Erwin as fire shoots out of canons held up by metal beams. There are people walking on stilts, dressed in black rags with masks of deer and horse skulls, covered in blood and dangling flesh. They reach out their clawed hands to spook the people around them. 

Countless scare actors are running around through the crowds, waving fake yet loud chainsaws and wearing masks of pigs, jesters, slashers and what Levi loathes and possibly fears the most: clowns. 

The sun has yet to set but it’s close to it, covering the Los Angeles sky in hues of soft pinks and orange. A clown with a chainsaw runs up to their group, pretending to slash Moblit’s head before it runs off to scare a group of teen girls that steam and laugh. Moblit flinches but laughs as Hange, Nile and Marie scream. Erwin laughs in delight, but Levi quickly clutches onto his wrist. He feels his heart jolt out of his chest and his skin crawl. 

Fucking clowns. 

Why did he ever agree to this? 

“You okay?” He hears Erwin shout through the screams of the countless park goers. Levi feels his fingers intertwine with his own as Erwin gives Levi a soft yet reassuring squeeze. 

Levi looks up to see that boyish yet charming smile of Erwin’s that he adores so much. Right. That’s why he came along. Because it made Erwin happy. The dork could barely sleep the night before. He sent Levi multiple texts and then called him sometime before eleven PM to chat about some show he was watching and wanted to know what Levi was up to. They stayed talking on the phone until sometime past two in the morning. The last thing Levi heard before he dozed off was Erwin’s sleepy voice trailing off about how he wanted to visit Boston one day. 

He nods, “Yeah.” 

“Cool, isn’t it?” He grins, his eyes light up and Levi feels his insides melt. 

“Metal.” Levi agrees, giving a little start when a short clown laughs as it runs by, killing the small yet romantic moment. “…just fucking metal.”

I’m going to shit myself. He grits his teeth, sharp jawline tense as hell.

“Where do you guys want to go first?” Hange asks as they turn around to face the group.

Moblit grows nervous, lifting his hands as if Hange will trip and fall. “Hange, be careful.” 

Nile hugs Marie from behind, she’s a little nervous and clings to his arms. “Well, there’s two mazes down this way.” 

“Which ones?” Erwin asks, letting go of Levi’s hand to protectively wrap his arm around him. He looks over his shoulder as if making sure no one will come up from behind Levi to scare him. He’s frowning lightly as those piercing eyes scan their surroundings with a protective gaze.  

Levi feels his ears grow hot as he notices that everyone has their eyes on Erwin’s arm around him. Marie’s eyes soften as if she’s witnessing the cutest thing on the planet meanwhile Nile glances away, still getting used to the news that Erwin is bisexual. 

“The Walking Dead and some Dracula maze with a mummy.” Nile answers, “The Terror Tram is down that way or we could do the Killer Klowns one?” 

Erwin feels Levi tense under his arm and brings him just a little bit closer, “What do you think, Levi?” His expression softens when he looks at the shorter teen. 

Levi clears his throat and shrugs, “Walking Dead?”

Erwin smiles at this, “You like zombies?” 

“Yeah, they’re pretty cool.” 

“To the zombies!” Hange sticks their index finger in the air, spins on their heels and stomps off in the direction of the maze. 

“Hange, wait!” Moblit follows after them, “Don’t get separated from the group!“

Hange gives out an evil cackle but doesn’t stop. 

“Okay, if you were stuck in a zombie apocalypse, what three things would you have with you at all times?” Erwin asks excitedly. 

“Ugh, Erwin not again.” Marie and Nile grumble while Hange makes a sour face. Levi guesses this is something Erwin brings up constantly. 

They’re now in the express line for the maze, Erwin’s dad got them the VIP passes so they won’t be waiting long and that’s a good thing because the lines are atrocious. 

“Oh! I love these.” Moblit says excitedly, quickly thinking to himself, “Iodine, a water purifier and a crossbow.” 

Erwin looks impressed, his arm is still around Levi. Levi’s come to notice that Erwin is very, very touchy and wonders if that’s his love language. Isabel once told him that his love language is “acts of service”. Whatever that means. “Smart choices.” 

“Boring, come on babe, it’s an apocalypse!” Hange exclaims, “Have some fun with it!” 

They move up the line a little bit but Erwin still doesn’t let go of Levi.

“Because getting an infection is fun.” Levi deadpans, basking in the weight of Erwin’s arm. 

“Well, no,” Hange says and presses their lips together in thought, “I would have a sword, a portable lab and—“ 

“A portable lab?” Nile questions, “What the hell? Are we allowed to do that? In that case, can I have a mansion on wheels?” 

“Don’t get cheeky.” Marie scolds him, “Go on, Hange.” 

“Mmm…probably Moblit.” 

“Awww.” Moblit beams and Hange smiles at him. 

Levi rolls his eyes, unable to imagine himself being stuck in an apocalypse with Hange. 

“Marie?”

“I’d want to have a weapon, maybe a gun, a book on plants and…my dog?“

Erwin nods, “Great choices. The dog would be cool to have.” 

“Well,” Nile starts, “Since Marie is taking Ruffles instead of me—”

Marie rolls her eyes but smiles.

“I will take a gun, another gun and— sunflower seeds.”

“What is it with you and sunflower seeds?” Moblit asks.

“What? They’re good!” 

“That cannot be a healthy diet.” Hange chimes in.

Erwin looks to Levi, “What about you?” His voice sounds sweeter when he talks to Levi and his expression looks as if he’s just been hit with Cupid’s arrow. 

Levi is a little starstruck, noticing as everyone quiets down to hear his answer, “A Walkman, a gun and…” he frowns, deep in thought, “Oh. And my sister.” 

“Mikasa?” Erwin smiles, amused as he imagines Levi trotting through a zombie apocalypse with a small child, “Really?” 

Levi shrugs, “Yeah. My parents would kill me if I left her behind.” 

“That’s sweet.” Erwin says, forgetting that the rest of their friends are there. He starts leaning his head as if to kiss Levi when Hange’s voice drags him back to reality 

“What about you, Erwin?”

“Oh.” He snaps back up, “Probably a weapon—“

“What kind?” 

He shrugs, “I don’t know. Maybe like a cool baseball bat or something. A book to pass the time. Maybe The Hobbit or The World of Ice and Fire and…” thick brows frown in concentration, “Either a compass or some rubbing alcohol. NO!” His eyes widened, “Peach! I’d take Peach!” 

Levi chuckles at this, “Your fat cat?” He raises a brow. 

Erwin frowns, completely offended, “Peach isn’t fat. He’s just big boned.” 

“Sure, he is.”

“Levi.” 

“I’m just saying.”

The line moves along quickly after that and finally they enter the beginning of the maze. The show’s theme plays in the background followed by lines from the show. There are countless scenes from multiple seasons set up on either side of them followed by scare actors dressed as walkers. Other actors, the survivors, move about in choreographed action scenes, fighting off walkers or other survivors. 

Erwin places his hands on Levi’s shoulders and ushers behind him through the maze. They stop multiple times as Hange, Nile and Marie scream whenever a walker jump scares them. Moblit is too busy making sure Hange doesn’t touch anything but is otherwise enjoying himself. Levi remains impassive whenever something jumps out at him or when they see a gruesome walker scene, but he can hear Erwin laugh behind him. 

A walker jumps out from around a corner in a patch of scenery set up to be the woods outside of the Greene farm and Levi gives a small start, unexpecting it. Erwin, however, gives a small start too, but instead of screaming or yelping like the others do, he laughs . Surprised yet wholesome laughter fills Levi’s ear and he almost can’t believe it. Erwin sure wasn’t laughing during the Leech Woman scene in Puppet Master. It’s almost like laughing is his defense mechanism and Levi’s heart fills with adoration all the way to the brim. 

You precious ass dork. 

Levi feels Erwin’s strong grip on his shoulders as his fingers dig into his black denim jacket. At one point, a couple of walkers jump at them and Erwin pulls Levi against his chest. He wraps his arms around his shoulders and leans his head against Levi’s, “Having fun?” 

Levi lifts his head a little, placing his hands on Erwin’s arms, “Yeah,” he answers honestly, “Are you?” 

Erwin laughs, “Most definitely. This is super neat!” He kisses Levi’s temple and pulls away, releasing him and placing his hands back on his shoulders. 

Levi is almost amazed, “Dork.” He smiles and shakes his head. 

They exit the maze shortly after, laughing amongst themselves and teasing one another for the way they screamed or clutched onto each other. 

“I thought it was Marie screaming!” Hange laughs as they hug their stomach, “But it was Nile!” 

Nile huffs, “I didn’t scream.” But even Marie is laughing and so is Erwin and after a short moment, Levi cracks a smile. 

They head to the second maze on their list which isn’t as fun as The Walking Dead but Levi enjoys it just fine. Erwin is delighted and begins to ramble on about Bela Lugosi and his role as Dracula in the classic film. 

“Bauhaus has a song called Bela Lugosi is Dead.” Levi adds to the conversation and Erwin’s eyes light up with excitement. 

“Yeah, you’re right Levi.” 

Levi raises a brow, extremely amused and very pleased, “You listened to more of Bauhaus?” 

Erwin gives a little one shoulder shrug, “Yeah, of course. You recommended them.” He feels Erwin’s hand make its way into Levi’s pocket where he keeps it there for a moment. Possessive. 

Levi feels those bats flutter in his stomach, and he can’t bring himself to tear his gaze from Erwin’s. He could kiss that freckled face at that very moment. He surely does want to.

“ Ahem!” Hange interrupts them again and Levi rolls his eyes. “Where to next?” 

“Let’s do the Terror Tram?” Marie suggests and the group agrees. 

They make their way down to the lower levels where people are packing onto trams to take them further down. They don’t have to wait long due to their VIP passes so they get on the tram without waiting long but Erwin doesn’t mind waiting if they had to. Having conversations with his friends and Levi has been so much fun. They went from the apocalypse game to “would you rather” and the responses have been quite hilarious in his opinion. Besides, he’s quite fond of watching Levi interact with his friends. Him and Hange have some kind of peculiar and interesting connection that hails from their childhood friendship. It’s almost as if they’re cousins or perhaps even siblings where they bicker and banter but end up laughing. Levi is also quite drawn to Moblit, so far, they have agreed on many topics and both seem to get on Hange for whatever thing, despite Moblit being a lot sweeter about it. Even Marie has come to attempt a friendship with Levi. She shared her gum with him and asked him about a band her older sister listens to that Levi happens to know. Nile is the most reserved but they cross words a few times just fine. 

Aside from Levi getting along with his friends, Erwin loves every single moment he gets to spend with the punk boy. He cannot keep his hands to himself and is always either wrapping an arm around him or reaching his fingers out to brush Levi’s own. Once they touch, they tangle around each other until their palms meet. 

Erwin smiles every time without fail. 

They sit next to each other on the tram as it descends down to the park’s lower level where the backlot is located. Erwin’s rather giddy to see the multiple moviesets, including the Bates motel set from Psycho. They’ll get to walk the majority of the lot. 

“You scared yet?” He asks as he places his hand on Levi’s thigh and gives it a small squeeze. 

Levi bites his bottom lip and scoffs, “Yeah right, you wish.”

“Duh.” Erwin teases. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Erwin thinks back to all the times Levi has stood up for him when it comes to their peers teasing him. For once he wants to be the one to protect Levi. He shrugs, “So I can protect you.” 

Levi is a bit surprised, and the smirk is wiped clean from his face, but he clears his throat and tries to act nonchalant, “From what? All the Chuckies running around with fake chainsaws?” 

“Well, yeah.” Erwin frowns lightly, Hange and Moblit are goofing off next to him while Marie and Nile sit in the row behind them, completely ignoring them as they flirt with one another. 

“And what are you gonna do?” Levi challenges him. 

Just then a fake chainsaw comes up from Levi’s side and bangs against the door of the tram, causing Levi to give a start, “ Shit ! Fuck!”

Erwin bursts out laughing and when he gathers himself, he leans into Levi’s ear and says in a low tone, “Stay close to me, like a good boy.” 

Levi looks like he melts into his seat but he frowns at Erwin, his words mumble just a little until he manages out a very muffled, “Shut up.” 

The tram drops the large group off at the backlot. The group climbs down and almost immediately, Levi takes a hold of Erwin’s hand. “It isn’t because I’m scared or anything-- so don’t get your dumb blond head all swelled.” He gruffs. 

Erwin stifles a laugh, “I’ll try not to.” He squeezes Levi’s hand softly and they walk the backlot where there are multiple scare actors running about, doing their job and scaring the crowds. There are multiple “Tethered” people in bright red jumpsuits from the movie Us. They run around with fake prop scissors and knives, pretending to run up to people or jump out from hiding places. 

Hange is practically screaming with joy while Moblit hangs onto them, making sure they don’t get lost in the fog. Nile is screaming and constantly using Marie as a shield and Erwin, Erwin is just laughing, completely delighted by it all. Levi watches him and begins to laugh too. It's hard to be scared when the giant dork is enjoying himself that much. 

They get to a point where the lights around them turn dark and the music changes. It goes from the main US theme to something a little bit more… circus. Like a cat sensing danger, Levi stops in his tracks and his shoulders tense as if he’s arching his back and poofing his tail. 

Erwin stops, “Levi? What’s wrong?”

Levi remains stiff, “Uh…nah, nothin’...just…” 

He then hears it. The goofy laugh echoing through the red fog. All of a sudden, a group of deranged clowns appear from the fog and run in every direction. Their masks are hideous, painted mainly white with colors of green, red and blue. They have wide grins with sharp, yellow teeth and black evil eyes. A clown wearing a red suit jacket with red and green pinstripe pants, half balding and covered in blood runs by Levi, waving a fake but realistic, blood covered long hatchet in front of him. 

Erwin immediately wraps his arm around him and pulls him in, so he's hiding against his chest. Erwin isn’t dumb, he’s picked up rather quickly that Levi is terrified of clowns. He noticed the week before when they tried to watch IT to get in the Halloween mood. Levi turned a little pale and jittery and claimed the movie sucked even though both the classic and the remake are phenomenal movies. Still, Erwin respected that, and they watched Midsommar which Erwin was very giddy about. He practically watched Levi watch the movie the whole time, wanting to see his reaction during almost every scene’. Still, Erwin doesn’t want to call Levi out about the clowns if he’s not ready to admit it. 

“Geez,” Erwin says casually with a chuckle as the clown runs off, “These dudes are creepy as hell. He came out of nowhere, you okay?”

Levi pulls his face from Erwin’s chest and nods, still a bit shaken. Erwin gets it, irrational fears are just that: irrational but the mind will still go into fight or flight mode no matter how silly the cause of it all is. 

“Yeah. Good.” Levi answers. 

Erwin continues to hold him to his body, maneuvering around the crowd to keep himself between Levi and the clowns. Every time a clown runs by or tries to scare them, Erwin finds a way to casually block Levi from their view. It works and when they pass the clown area, Levi peers out of his arm like a tiny kitten coming out from under the bed.

After the Terror Tram, they head back up to the top level of the park where they buy a couple of Butter Beers to take a break with. “Augh!” Levi grunts in disgust after one sip, “This stuff is disgusting.” He makes a sour face, unconvinced by the pricey, themed drink.

Erwin tastes his and shrugs, “It’s alright. It tastes kind of like butterscotch.” He looks inside his cup with a light frown, shrugs again and takes another drink. 

“Fine, you can have mine.” Levi hands him his cup and Erwin takes it without question, “You sure?”

“Yeah, go crazy.” 

“Well, okay.” 

“I don’t like it either.” Marie says and gives hers to Erwin as well until he’s chugging down everyone’s Butter Beers, slightly feeling sick after the third cup. Nile chugs his down, muttering something about how he’s not going to waste eight dollars and Erwin is thankful, for he cannot handle drinking another sip.

After they buy some water to wash down the taste of Butter Beer, the teens head to the Halloween maze. Levi loves Halloween so he has a great time and even joins in Erwin’s laughter. He feels relaxed and lets himself enjoy himself without feeling embarrassed or on guard. He clings to Erwin and tries not to look too delighted when a man dressed as Michael Myers pops up to scare them from behind a door. Erwin hugs him around the shoulders as Levi’s back bumps against his chest and they laugh, happy and content until the next jump scare catches them off guard. 

After the Halloween maze they head to the Jurassic World ride. Levi and Marie are rather hesitant since they don’t want to get wet but Erwin comments that Jurassic Park is one of his favorite movies and so Levi is on board without a second thought. 

Erwin, Levi, Hange and Moblit are lucky enough to sit in the first row of their boat while Marie and Nile sit in the row behind them. The park workers make sure everyone has their seatbelts on and that every single passenger on board is nice and secure. 

“Hey, Levi.” Erwin says in that giddy tone as he turns slightly towards him. 

Levi raises a brow, knowing very well what that tone is about to lead to. “What, Blondie?”

Erwin grins that precious smile of his, “Hold onto your butts.” He repeats the line from the first movie, far too proud of himself and before Levi can scold him, the boat starts to move and they go forward. 

Luckily for Erwin, the joke lands with Moblit who goes, “Hah!” and laughs.

“Nerd.” Levi teases them. 

The ride starts off like a peaceful tour through the dinosaur park. Erwin is absolutely excited, claiming that he hasn’t been on the ride since he was about thirteen and that they remodeled the whole thing. Every time they come upon an animatronic dinosaur, Erwin leans into Levi’s ear and whispers a small fact about said species and what period they actually existed in. Even in a theme park, Erwin’s big brain cannot take a break, but Levi likes this, he likes seeing Erwin excited about something and besides, Erwin’s knowledge about the most random things is a turn on for Levi. 

Many of the animatronics spit out water and multiple people begin to get wet. Levi has the bad luck of lucking up when a long neck dino squirts water at them, spraying his face. “Aw, shit!” 

Erwin laughs, his blond hair is already wet and becoming undone from his pomade. 

The mood on the ride changes, from lighthearted and adventurous to thrilling and a tad bit terrifying when the recorded speaker announces that the Indominus Rex has escaped as long as multiple other dinosaurs. 

Finally, the boat emerges from the water latches onto a track that goes uphill, taking them to the eighty-five-foot drop. Levi’s stomach begins to grow nervous the way it does whenever they go up the track of a roller coaster. It’s the anticipation of the drop, that very short moment before they go plummeting down that fills him with both panic and thrill. When the boat reaches the top, it sinks back into the water, guiding them through a dark, office like room with breaking monitors, flashing “CONTAINMENT WARNING” signs. A vent falls open and an animatronic Raptor appears, roaring at the people in the boat. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” They can hear Nile in the back begin to panic while Marie encourages him to raise his arms. 

There’s a small drop and then the ride guides them through a dark jungle setting where there’s a Dilophosaurus hissing at them, its neck frills expanded. There’s a second Dilophosaurus to Levi’s right, spitting water at them. He raises his hand to block it but it still manages to squirt him. “Fuckin’ lizard.” He hisses.

“Oh, damn!” Moblit calls out as the large head of the Indominus peaks in through the ceiling. A Raptor is shouting booming calls while a large, full bodied Indominus appears on Levi’s right, just at the edge of the water. It roars and moves its head around. 

“Ready?” Erwin asks Levi, getting ready to raise his arms in the air for the incoming drop. 

Levi’s eyes widen as he sees the drop coming up ahead. His body begins to push back against the seat as his heart rate accelerates. He isn’t crazy about drops, “Not really--” 

“Here we go!” Hange cheers and raise their arms. 

Just as they reach the edge of the fall, a large T-Rex emerges from the shadows, just above the drop, roaring along with the Indominus and the next thing Levi knows, his body is lifting out of its seat and he’s clutching onto Erwin for dear life. 

“Let’s go!” Hange cheers along with Erwin while Levi barely manages to let out a shout, his nails digging into Erwin’s arm. 

“Whaaaat the fuuuuuck!” he shouts all the way down until they’re splashed with water. 

They exit the ride, half of them annoyed with their soggy jeans and the others laughing, utterly delighted. Erwin is the latter while Levi is the former. 

“C’mon grumpy gills, wasn’t that fun?” Erwin wraps an arm around him and gently shakes him to encourage him a little. 

Levi runs his fingers along his brow and flicks away droplets of water, “Because getting hypothermia is fun.” 

“I’ll keep you warm.” Erwin wraps a second arm around him as his lips gently kiss Levi’s damp cheek. His voice is low, flirty and husky. 

Levi feels his stomach flip and his heart begins to pick up the pace. He feels his dick twitch in his wet jeans, and he wants nothing more than to ditch the park and return to Moblit’s mom’s CRV to yank off their wet clothes. He turns his head slightly until his lips meet Erwin’s and they share a small kiss. 

“Mmm,” Levi savors the taste of him, “Yeah? How so?”

Erwin runs two fingers along his jaw, “Well, for one I can--”

“Hey!” Hange calls to them, “C’mon lover boys! We’re hitting the Killer Klowns!”

Erwin’s thick brows raise in surprise as Levi’s mouth drops, “W--what?”

“Levi, are you scared of clowns?” Erwin asks with genuine concern in his voice as they both wait near the entrance to the Killer Klowns from Outer Space maze. The others went to buy some energy drinks and a couple of snacks while Moblit searches for a restroom. 

Levi scoffs, “Me? Afraid of a fucking clown? Get real, Blondie. That stuffs for kids.” 

He puts on a brave act but then his eyes flicker over to the Killer Klowns from Outer Space maze and his palms feel sweaty. The fuckers at the Terror Tram weren’t as bad or as hideous as these assholes. Levi still remembers the night he watched that movie as a little kid. He snuck downstairs while his parents slept. He must have been about seven years old. It was the only channel that wasn’t playing “As Seen on TV” ads or promoting jewelry. He watched the entire movie from start to finish and by the end of it, he was running upstairs to his parents’ room where he slept for two weeks straight. 

Erwin doesn’t look too persuaded and places a hand on Levi’s shoulder, bringing him closer, “You can tell me, you know.” His voice is soft and understanding. 

“I already told you, I ain’t scared of clowns.” Levi quips and then gives a start when he hears people screaming from the maze.

Erwin pouts his bottom lip and hugs Levi, “Poor baby.” 

Levi blushes ferociously, slapping Erwin away, “Get bent, I’m not a baby.” 

But his heart is thumping even harder against his ribcage and his stomach flips and flops the way it does whenever Erwin does or says something sweet. Goddammit, why do I have to be such a fucking simp? He scolds himself knowing that he’s totally aroused by Erwin’s codling. 

Just then they once again hear the surprised shouts and terrified screams of the people already in the maze followed by crazed circus music and Levi jumps again like a nervous kitten. He wants to vomit.

 “It’s okay, I’ll take good care of you, remember?” Erwin says huskily in his ear as his hand gently drapes down his back and places itself on his hip, pulling him closer again. 

Levi lets himself be held, hoping that Hange and the others don’t hurry back. Levi faces Erwin and buries his face into his shirt, inhaling in his comforting scent. At least their clothes are beginning to dry. Erwin didn’t get as wet since he wasn’t sitting at the edge of the damn boat. Levi’s ass is still drenched. Erwin wraps his arms around his shoulders and brings him closer, hiding him in his embrace. 

He lowers his head, so his face is snuggled against Levi’s temple, kissing him softly. “I’ll make sure none of those clowns come near you.”

Smoke would be coming out of Levi’s ears if it was possible. His entire face is beat red, including the tips of his ears and he’s frowning but he’s thriving under the attention. Erwin makes him feel so safe and secure and his dominant personality is such a damn turn on. 

Levi grabs onto Erwin’s blue denim jacket, leaning further into him. “Promise?” He mutters, averting his gaze.

Erwin smiles from ear to ear, “Cross my heart.” He kisses Levi’s lips again and then frowns, “My tummy still hurts from all that Butter Beer.” 

Levi sighs, “Erwin, you’re grown as hell, don’t call it that.” 

“Tummy?”

“Stomach.”

“Well, can I get a kiss to make it better?”

“Are you for real?”

“Yes.”

“Alrighty,” Hange approaches them and they break away from one another just a little, “Who had the Monster?”

“Me.” Erwin says and Hange hands him the can. 

“And the water--” 

Levi raises his hand and takes the water bottle from Hange, “Thanks four-eyes.”

“You’re most welcome.” 

It isn’t long before the rest of the group joins them, and they continue to the maze. Erwin feels Levi’s hand make its way into his, intertwining their digits together. Erwin looks at him and smiles, “It’ll be okay.” He reassures him. 

Levi just nods and they enter the line.

The front of the maze is fenced off by a wooden picket fence, beyond that there is a red and yellow circus tent, small fake pine trees and round lights. Levi and Erwin are the last to step through. The inside of the tent is filled with multiple bright neon colors, stripes, triangles and circles. Red, green, bright pink, lime yellow and blue. It’s almost blinding. Levi had half expected it to be dark inside and downright sinister. Instead, circus rock music plays through the speakers and it doesn’t seem so bad when Jumbo the clown pops out of one of the walls, reaching a round, meaty gloved hand at them. 

“Fuck!” Levi jumps in surprise and closes his hand in a tight fist.

“Whoa!” Erwin wraps his arm around his waist and picks him up half a foot off the ground before he can swing at the clown that hides back, waving a taunting finger at Levi before he disappears, “Easy there, tiger.” Erwin chuckles, setting Levi down in front of him. 

Levi’s heart is pounding through the whole thing but with Erwin’s presence, he relaxes and fights the urge to throw himself at those fucking clowns and wipe their grins clean off with his fists. Erwin is protective and stands in front of him multiple times, leading the way through the strobe lights. Mostly to protect Levi from his phobia but mostly to keep him from punching one of the actors in costume. They seem to be everywhere, but Levi is handling himself quite well. 

They enter an area that’s the replica of the inside of the spaceship from the movie and Erwin feels Levi shudder. Erwin laughs and wraps his arm around Levi again, kissing the top of his head, “You good?”

Levi nods, “I’m good.”

“Good.” Erwin smiles reassuringly. 

After a few more jump scares they exit the maze. “You did it!” Erwin cheers like the nerd he is but Levi is soft from his embraces and his protective arms, so he doesn’t mind it much. 

“Looks like it.” He shrugs meekly but the adrenaline is still rushing through his body. He’s never fucking doing that again, that’s for sure. 

When they exit the area fully, Levi steps to the side and places his hands on his knees, “Holy fucking shit, I’m going to be sick.” 

Erwin rubs his back, “You want more water?” 

Levi shakes his head and stands up straight, grabbing Erwin’s shirt to pull him in, “Nah, I want something else.” He says before he kisses him, silently thanking him for protecting him.

They manage to go through every maze and get on every ride thanks to their passes. Levi and Erwin even ditch the group for a bit and go through their favorite mazes a second time, just the two of them. Erwin then buys them a giant pink frosted Donut from the Simpsons area of the park to share with everyone. He cuts a little piece and tries to feed it to Levi. 

“C’mon, open up.” 

Levi frowns, looking at the chunk of sugared donut on the fork, “You joking, right?” 

“Nope!” 

He frowns deeper but Erwin looks so content that he can’t say no. So, like a dummy, Levi tilts his head forward and bites down on the donut, letting Erwin feed it to him while his cheeks stain crimson. Just as he pulls away to chew, Hange gushes, “Aww! You guys!” 

“Oh, fuck this.” And stands, stomping off to the restroom, completely embarrassed. 

“Levi!” Erwin calls after him. He hands the donut to his friends and follows after him. 

They leave Universal around three in the morning when the cold gets too much, and their feet cannot take another step. On the drive home, Levi rests his head on Erwin’s shoulder and dozes off, exhausted from their night. Erwin smiles as he feels Levi cuddle up to him in the back of the SUV. The night was perfect. 

Levi makes his way down the school hallway the week after Horror Nights, still exhausted from the night. He had a couple of beautiful little dreams of the Killer Klowns trying to offer him a lollipop before they forced him into the back or a white van. Now it feels personal. Still, he had a great time, and it did help him begin to get over his stupid clown phobia. Erwin was really sweet and understanding and for that he’s thankful. 

Levi looks up and catches a glimpse of his sweet, tall, nerdy boy waiting for him by his locker like he does every morning. He’s wearing his contacts again and he’s dressed like he just stepped out of the eighties. Levi doesn’t know how he manages to dress so nice amongst all those sweater vests. Those light blue jeans and that forest green windbreaker with the ninety's mall colors will be the end of Levi. 

Erwin’s hair isn’t as strictly combed back like most days, and he has a sleepy look about him that makes him look extremely precious. He also didn’t use as much pomade in his hair and looks like the ultimate teenage dream with that Greek god nose and that strong jawline that could cut glass. Levi can’t really blame Frieda for crushing on him. Who wouldn’t? The boy is absolutely gorgeous. So what if he’s a little nerdy and awkward? Levi adores the way he pushes his glasses up with his finger and the way he frowns when someone says something inaccurate. His intelligence is such a turn on and Levi has begun to grow mild fantasies of Erwin dressed as a professor, scolding him for getting a math answer wrong. 

Slowly but surely, Levi hears it, the music is coming from inside his head as his eyes stare at Erwin. 

Tonight,  the music seems so loud, I wish that we could lose this crowd~ 

He tries to swallow but his mouth is dry. His eyes go to Erwin’s big hands, watching the way they grasp the straps of his backpack as he talks to four-eyes and remembers how they feel holding him against the wall of the bathroom stall. Or the way they held him back from swinging at the scare actors at Universal. Levi’s come to know Erwin’s protective side and he wonders if he has a jealous side. 

Maybe it's better this way. We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say. 

He won’t lie, seeing Erwin jealous would be interesting and rather hot. Levi knows that’s not something healthy to crave but he’s curious to see the otherwise shy and nerdy boy in such a state. 

“Yeah, fuck class. It can wait.” Levi mutters to himself and picks up the pace just a little bit. “Hey, dork. Sup, four-eyes.” He greets the nerdy duo. 

“Levi!” Hange smiles, “How are you feeling after our big weekend?” 

He shrugs casually, eyeing Erwin’s side profile. “Fine.” 

“That’s good, Erwin was really happy that you joined us.” 

“Hange.” Erwin blushes, laughing nervously, “I’m sure he knows that.” He closes his locker and turns to Levi, “Glad you had fun though. I know some of those mazes were a little crazy.”

“They were alright.” Levi half lies like he almost didn’t shit himself in the Killer Klowns maze. 

Hange checks their apple watch, and their eyes widen, “Oh, crap! I’d love to stay and watch you both simp over one another,” Their tone is laced with strong sarcasm, “But I have to rush to my chemistry class before first period.” They smile and wave before they go running down the hall, “Later!”

“Hange don’t run in the hall!” Erwin calls after them but Hange is cackling away. He frowns, “Shoot.” 

“Okay, Hall Monitor,” Levi teases as his fingers reach for Erwin’s hand. Erwin turns his body to face him, turning his back to the rest of the hallway. 

Every time those dazzling eyes fall upon Levi, he feels like he’s floating in a deep abyss, but he doesn’t need air to breathe. He’s fine. He’s perfect. Levi’s gaze flickers to his but before he can say anything, a heavy hand falls upon Erwin’s shoulder and shakes him roughly. 

“What’s up, fucking loser!” Zeke’s crude voice rings from behind Erwin as he yanks Erwin to face his direction, completely unaware that Levi is right there. “Where the fuck--” 

Neither Zeke nor Erwin have a moment to process because Levi is on Zeke’s throat in a matter of seconds. He grasps the collar of Zeke’s shirt in both his hands, grasping the fabric in tight fists and jams him against the locker, hard . So hard they shake and rattle, catching the attention of all the students in the area. Zeke’s air is knocked out and it takes him a moment to realize that Levi has him pinned against the locker. 

“What the fuck did I tell you about fucking with Smith, you rat piece of shit?” Levi grits angrily through his teeth, enraged.

Zeke immediately begins to stammer, unable to form words. He did not see Levi; he didn’t even think twice about him being around. 

“Levi!” Erwin gasps. 

“Fuck you, Ackerman!” Zeke snaps, grasping onto Levi’s wrists in an attempt to push him off but Levi’s grip is unyielding.

He pulls Zeke and then slams him against the locker again, “I told you to fucking stay away from him!” 

Zeke chuckles but his face is turning red, “What? He your boyfriend or something? You two fagging it up after class?”

“Fuck you!” Levi slams him again and is about to pull his fist back when Erwin wraps an arm around his waist and forces him off Zeke. It isn’t long before a crowd has gathered, shouting and hollering. Zeke’s buddies are making their way through the crowd to help him, but Erwin’s already taken multiple steps back with Levi in a tight hold. 

“Levi, stop!” Erwin attempts to calm him, “He’s not worth it.”

Zeke chuckles, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand but he looks a bit hurt by Erwin’s comment. His hair has become undone and his fringe falls over his forehead. “Listen to your little boyfriend there, Ackerman.” 

Levi grabs onto Erwin’s arms but doesn’t bother to pry them open, “What? You jealous or something?”

Zeke freezes immediately and his face turns pale for a quick moment before it turns red with anger. Levi smirks. He’s got him. “Fuck you! I ain’t queer.” Zeke sneers like a rabid dog. 

“Coulda fooled me, you closeted fuck!” Levi hits back. 

“Levi!” Erwin drags him away again before he can lunge himself towards Zeke. The crowd of students is still cheering for them to fight.  

“Alright! Alright! Break it up!” Comes Coach Leonhart’s voice through the hallway. Students immediately break apart and disperse, not wanting to get in trouble and the noise in the hall dies down dramatically. Zeke calms his friends down, signaling to back away from the situation. “What’s going on here?” Coach Leonhart looks to Zeke for an explanation. 

Zeke just shakes his head, “Nothing Coach. Just rough housing is all.” His eyes land on Erwin and Levi, expression serious, “Locker room stuff.”

Coach Leonhart turns to Erwin and Levi, “That true?” Levi just nods as Erwin releases him. He sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose and mutters something about not having his coffee yet, “Well this isn’t the locker room so get to class.” He lets them off with a warning, not in the mood to drag anyone to the principal’s office. “Go on, move it!” He gestures with his head. 

“Come on, Levi.” Erwin places his hand on Levi’s shoulder and guides him away. 

They end up outside, next to the school dumpsters on the side of the building where Erwin first saw Levi. He can still imagine him, leaning back with the cigarette between his fingers. He looked so cool, so mysterious. Erwin still feels that way about him. 

“Levi--” Erwin tries to calm the punk boy down as he paces back and forth. Levi is livid and the both of them have completely forgotten about the first period. 

Levi shakes his head, his entire body is trembling with anger, “Nah, Blondie, nah. That wasn’t fucking cool so don’t act like it is.” 

Erwin sighs, pushes off the wall and goes to Levi. He places his hands on his shoulders and stops him from pacing, “Look at me, Levi.” He orders. His voice is serious and a little stern but it still holds a gentleness that softens the other teen. He stops and looks at Erwin. His gunmetal gray eyes are a hurricane of emotions and Erwin’s heart begins to crack; he never wants to see them look so lost, so torn. 

Erwin pulls Levi in a hug and caresses the back of his hair, “It’s okay, it’s over now.” 

Slowly Levi’s arms wrap around Erwin and his fingers dig into his windbreaker, “I fucking hate it when that asshole fucks with you.” His voice is weak and it shakes just a little. “I just…I just don’t like it.” Levi doesn’t want to admit his hunch about Zeke and the way he’s caught him staring at Erwin. It fills him with a jealousy so strong that it almost blinds him. Levi knows he’s not a saint, he knows he’s not deserving of someone as kind as Erwin but he’s never treated him like shit the way Zeke does. He would never dream of it, would never find himself capable. 

Erwin continues to caress his hair, calming him down little by little, “I know, I do too but Levi--” Erwin pulls away, places his hands on either side of Levi’s jaw and gently lifts his head so he’ll meet his gaze, “You can’t go around fighting the whole world for any little thing.” 

Levi’s eyes search for Erwin's expression and his mouth opens slightly, “Erwin,” His voice croaks out, “You’re not just any little thing. Not to me.” 

Erwin’s eyes are teary, and he tries to bite back a smile but fails. A soft puff of air escapes him, “You’re not just any little thing to me either. I can assure you that.”

Levi blinks and a tear rolls down his cheek, freezing at the feel of its dampness upon his cheek. He wasn’t expecting it and wants to feel ashamed for letting Erwin see him so vulnerable. Erwin simply wipes it away with his thumb and kisses his lips, “But Jaeger isn’t worth it. He’s not worth your education and he sure isn’t worth your health and safety. Please don’t fight anymore.”

“Erwin--”

“Promise me.” Erwin cuts him off, his voice sounds strained, almost desperate, “Promise me that you won’t risk yourself just to fight Zeke for my sake.” 

Levi averts his gaze, but Erwin’s hands are still holding him firmly. 

“Levi .”

“Alright, fine.” Levi softly snaps, unable to ever deny him anything, “Okay.” 

“Say it.”

He sighs heavily, “Okay, I promise.”

“Promise what?”

He glowers and his bottom lip pouts in that adorable way it does against those chubby cheeks of his, “I promise I won’t fight Zeke.”

Erwin smiles and pecks his nose with a kiss, “That’s my good boy.” He immediately feels Levi melt against his hands and body. A soft little sound escapes him and Erwin bites back a laugh. Levi is so precious. “Hey, I have an idea.” Levi perks up at this, “Fuck class. Let’s go to Sina’s and eat pancakes.” 

Levi’s eyes widen, “Did you just curse and suggest to ditch class?” 

Erwin nods, “Yeah, forget this place. I’m eighteen now, I can do what I want.” 

Levi raises a brow, “Goodie.”

Erwin lets go of his face and collects their backpacks, “That’s okay. I’ll be your legal guardian for the day.” he hands Levi his backpack. 

Levi laughs, “Wow, really?”

“Yes, Sir.” He pauses and his expression turns pensive, “Actually, since I’m older, you call me Sir.” 

Levi tsks, “I’m not doing that.”

“Okay, what about daddy?” Levi’s jaw drops and his cosmic eyes widen. Erwin bursts out laughing and takes his hand, “Come on, I’ll even let you have French fries for breakfast.” 

The two end up at Erwin’s place after they leave Sina’s where Erwin and Levi pool their money to order a huge stack of pancakes covered in whipped cream and fresh strawberries that they share between the two, Zeke is completely forgotten. Erwin pays for a song on the Jukebox. ‘Rebel Rebel’ by David Bowie and they sit and enjoy themselves. 

“Wait,” Erwin says and reaches his hand across the table. Levi pauses and watches as Erwin wipes whipped cream off his bottom lip with his thumb. Erwin slightly bites his bottom lip in concentration as he does. Levi immediately feels a fire light inside of him and his gaze flies to Erwin’s just as Erwin smirks softly, “All better.” 

Levi sets his fork down. “Can we go back to your place?” 

Erwin’s dad is at work at the University so the two have the house to themselves. Well, the two of them and Peach that is. They find their way up to Erwin’s room where they kick Peach out into the hall to get some privacy after he won’t stop doing biscuits on Levi’s thighs. The two sit on Erwin’s bed, attention on his TV where his PlayStation is set up. Levi has the controller in his hand but he’s struggling. Erwin is showing him how to play Overwatch. He said he’d love it if Levi joins their games sometimes. 

“So these characters here…” Erwin pulls Levi onto his lap, wraps his arms around him and helps him maneuver the controller to select a character, “They are defense, these are offense and these here…are support and then you have your tanks.”

Levi studies the multiple characters on screen and turns to look at Erwin. He’s having the time of his life sitting on the blond’s lap and his handsome face is so close to his own. “And what’s that little brunette you like so much?”

Erwin’s eyes narrow and his cheeks turn a light pink, “D.Va,” He answers and selects her, “She’s a tank.” 

“How do tanks work?” Levi wraps an arm around Erwin’s neck, looking down at his face. Since he’s on his lap, he’s just a few inches taller. 

“Tanks are mainly on the frontlines. Their goal is to protect their teammates, distract the opposing teams and basically shield the objective.” He turns his head, eyes looking up slightly to meet Levi’s, “Would you like to play?” His voice is low just as their lips hover over one another. 

“Sure.” Levi answers softly before he pulls away without kissing him. 

Erwin is a little dumbfounded and shakes his senses, turning his attention back to the screen. “Right, here.”  

Levi studies Erwin’s rank and all the symbols around his little icon, “Play a lot, I wonder?”

He laughs nervously, “Only when I’m bored.” He averts his gaze and clears his throat, “Give it a go.” He reaches for his headset on the bed and places it on Levi’s head, secure and snug. He grins from ear to ear, extremely ecstatic to see his sweet Levi look like an adorable gamer boy. “You look freaking adorable.” 

Levi snorts and rolls his eyes, “I bet I look like a total dork.”

“An adorable dork.” Erwin comforts him and then he guides him through a couple of games. 

Levi’s a little hesitant at first and a little intimidated by the opposing players that all shoot at him at once but he finds the game enjoyable no doubt. A little confusing and a bit hard but with Erwin’s guidance and advice, he’s able to do just fine. He tries a couple other characters and likes some more than others, but Levi can admit why his blond boy likes the game so much. It’s satisfying to get a five player kill streak. 

When Levi grows tired of playing, he takes the headset off himself and places it on Erwin so he can play for a little while. “You sure? We can do something else.” 

“No, I want to see you in your element.” Levi assures him and Erwin nods.

What Levi doesn’t anticipate, is the raging hard on that he’s getting simply by watching Erwin play the game. He tugs at the crotch of his jeans, slightly eyeing Erwin to see if he notices, he doesn’t. His focus is on the game, his moving about the screen as he shoots down one enemy player after another until he has accumulated a seven player kill streak. He works that little black cat mech like an absolute God of destruction. It’s quite impressive if Levi is being honest. 

At one point, Levi can’t stand the feeling of his erection rubbing against his jeans and squirms on Erwin’s lap. Erwin is so into the match that he doesn’t notice and mutters soft “c’mons” and “oh goodness” followed by, “yes” and, “forget you and your iris” which goes over Levi’s head.

Levi gently turns on Erwin’s lap, straddling him just like he did on Old Reliable. Erwin’s so into his game that he doesn’t even notice at first but then he feels Levi’s lips dance their way up his neck. His eyes close and he tilts his head to the side. Levi hears a soft hum coming from his neck, feeling the vibration against his lips. “Go on, finish your game.” Levi whispers and continues to kiss him, nibbling at the spot where his jaw curves. 

Erwin’s eyes slowly blink, losing his focus but continues to play, unsure if he should really follow instructions or if Levi’s being sarcastic but his tone is honest and he seems to be enjoying himself as he helps himself to Erwin. Levi runs a hand up the back of Erwin’s head, feeling the softness of his cropped undercut until his fingers run through the longer locks of his soft hair. He makes a trail of tiny kisses back down his neck down to the curve of his shoulder. He tugs his shirt to the side, allowing himself more access to freckled skin. Levi wishes he could kiss every single little freckle on Erwin’s body, to savor every little inch of lightly tanned skin. He inhales the scent of his body, smelling cedar, sweat and a tiny hint of strawberries and whipped cream. Levi gently bites at his clavicle eliciting a small groan from Erwin. 

“Levi…” He whispers.

“No, no, keep playing. Win for me.” Levi says, wanting more time to kiss and enjoy him. 

“Okay.” Erwin breathes and Levi can hear the sound of his mech shooting through his headset. 

Levi continues to kiss him as he gently moves his hips against him, relishing in the soft sounds Erwin makes. Soon he feels the twitch in Erwin’s pants and cannot wait to dig in but keeps himself calm and steady, continuing to drink him in. It isn’t long before Erwin lowers his hands and Levi turns to the TV screen to see D.Va and her mech on screen followed by his gamer tag:

PLAY OF THE GAME

COMMANDERSMITHIE AS D.VA

Levi cannot believe it, but it makes him go feral. He carefully climbs off Erwin’s lap and stands before him. “Come here.” He orders and Erwin is surprised by the authoritative tone of his voice. For a moment, Erwin feels like he’s being scolded for playing video games for too long even though he was ordered to win the game, which his team did. He slowly looks up, watching as Levi stands between his legs. 

“Lee— Levi?” 

Levi doesn’t respond and carefully takes the headset off Erwin’s head. He sets it on the bed and then, without a single word, takes the controller out of his hands and gently tosses it on the bed. 

Erwin is kicked off the game for inactivity, but he is far too mesmerized by Levi’s actions and the closeness of his body that he doesn’t even bother to worry about the game anymore. It seems useless now, unimportant and small. 

“Levi, are you okay?” Erwin tries again, eyes looking around his own room. He remembers that they’re alone and his father isn’t due home until late that night. He has late classes that day and then he might catch a drink with that colleague of his, the one that brought back the vest from Galway. Erwin has noticed that he’s been coming home later and later. 

“I want to see something.” Levi breaks his silence. His voice is deep and mellow, almost too grown for his age but Erwin melts at the sound of it. Levi walks over to Erwin’s Victrola and turns on the Bluetooth, connecting his phone. “Sweet” by Cigarettes After Sex is the first song to come on. 

“See what?” Erwin’s voice cracks a little and he clears his throat immediately, deepening his voice as he repeats his question, “See what?” 

Levi returns and places his hand on Erwin’s chest as he lets his eyes cascade over him. “Stand up.” 

Erwin doesn’t hesitate and stands. Levi’s eyes never leave Erwin’s own as he now towers over him. It’s such a stark difference that makes Levi’s heart skip a beat. He only breaks eye contact when he places his attention on Erwin’s belt. “Can I?” 

“Please.” Erwin responds, he tries not to sound too eager but fails miserably. 

With silent hands he unbuckles the belt, undoes the button of Erwin’s jeans and zips him down. Once Erwin is fully out of his jeans, he pushes him onto the bed until they’re both on it. Erwin’s back hits the pillows resting against his headboard. He’s down to his boxer briefs and Levi can make out little cats on them but he’s going to ignore that for now. Erwin’s cheeks blush and Levi can hear him breathe low and a little heavy. His lips part and he lets a breath escape his pink lips. Levi perches himself on top of Erwin’s lap like he did a little while ago, one leg on each side. His fingers tug at the bottom of his shirt and without an order, Erwin sits up and lets Levi pull his shirt off and toss it aside. He watches as Levi leans over and opens the top drawer of his nightstand, finding exactly what he’s looking for. Levi almost wants to smirk, smug because he knows Erwin won’t part with it. He thinks he’s slick but Levi knows the truth. 

He takes the Jergens bottle in his hand and firmly places it against Erwin’s bare chest. Erwin gives a little start as his warm skin reacts to the cold plastic of the bottle and his hands immediately go to grab the lotion bottle, eyes wide with shock. They flicker to Levi. He looks too stunned to speak at first as Levi holds the bottle to his chest. 

“Show me.” He orders again, his voice draws out that twang of his, “I want to see you.” 

“Really?” Erwin’s cheeks redden even more. 

“If that’s okay with you.” Levi’s expression remains impassive but he’s screaming inside. Fuck, fuck, fuck, please for the love of God, Blondie. I will never ask for anything else in my life again. 

“Will you watch me?” Erwin asks attentively, just a tad bit shyly. 

Levi nods. Eyes still locked on his own. 

“Okay.” 

Levi takes his hand off the bottle and sits back, watching as Erwin sets the bottle at his side for a moment before pulling his erection out of his boxer briefs. Levi holds Erwin’s gaze just for a moment before he lets his eyes fall upon his dick in his hand. Levi’s breath hitches at the sight of it and his mouth waters. Of course, it isn’t the first time he’s seen it, but it's the first time he’s seen it in such soft and bright lighting. So clear and so bright and pink at the tip. His gaze follows the movement of Erwin’s hands as they grab the Jergens bottle and press down on the pump a couple of times, letting the off white, creamy substance squirt onto the tips of his fingers. 

Erwin grabs his dick in one hand, attention on Levi as he stares at him with those numinous eyes. It’s hard to see past their barriers and Erwin wishes he knew what Levi is thinking at that moment. He keeps his attention on Levi as he lathers his cock with the Jergens lotion the same way he does when he’s in the privacy of his room, ready to settle for the night. He instantly feels the pleasure of the cool sensation that slowly turns warm as his fingers wrap around his girth and delicately moves his hand up and down just the way he likes it. Erwin leans further back on the pillows, languid and relaxed, almost confident in the way he spreads his legs and lets Levi take all of him in. Erwin’s shoulders fall at ease at his sides, licking his lips before his bottom lip softens and his mouth slightly opens. A crimson hue covers his cheeks, and a lock of golden hair falls over his forehead, right above those luscious eyebrows of his that now pull together as his face reflects his pleasure. What a sweet sight for sore eyes. 

He continues to move his hand up and down his erection, letting soft moans escape him. He bites his bottom lip and releases it, getting off on the fact that Levi is watching his every move. His gaze wanders from his face down to his body and finally down between his legs. Erwin sees the way Levi’s mouth opens and he slowly takes a deep breath in. His hand clutches onto Erwin’s thigh and gently squeezes it. He feels the firmness of Erwin’s thigh muscles and feels the coarse light blond hairs of his leg that travel up to the sweet spot between his legs. The motion of his hand, the way he takes care of himself, picking up the pace and then slowing it back down before he gets ahead of himself. He's savoring the moment, basking underneath Levi's hungry stare. The soft little moans that escape him and the way his eyes close halfway as he chases that pleasure. Levi drinks him whole, he takes in every single inch of him. The firmness of his chest, the soft, smooth curves of his abdominal muscles and the strength of his biceps. Levi wants to sink his teeth into him, he wants to take his cock between his hands and pleasure him, but he keeps himself still, letting Erwin do that himself. 

“Levi…” Erwin moans softly as his hand quickens the pace. Levi licks his bottom lip as he reaches out a hand and brushes the bottom of Erwin’s balls, causing Erwin to groan in pleasure, “Oh, Levi…” He breathes. 

Levi runs his hand up Erwin’s free arm, starting with his balled-up fist, “You like it when I watch you?”

Erwin whimpers softly and nods, “Nghh…yeah…yeah…”

“Keep going.” Levi orders in that authoritative and almost cold tone, “Finish for me, Blondie. I want to see you.” 

Erwin smiles languidly, keeping the pace of his hand. The entire room smells like Jergens lotion and by the time he’s done, his dick will look five years younger than the rest of him. “More…” Erwin whispers and Levi grabs the bottle, pressing the pump over Erwin as more cool lotion lands on him. The cool lotion causes Erwin to moan loudly, “Oh, damn…”

“Look at me.” Levi murmurs, “Only at me.”

Their eyes lock and Erwin lets out a desperate whine, “Fuck!” he curses again and begins to buck into his hand.

“Eyes up here.” Levi reminds him and those blues are on him again. 

Erwin feels Levi’s hands grip his thighs, but he keeps his attention on him. The warmth of his hands is driving him insane and before he knows it, his hips are starting to jerk and lose momentum and he closes his eyes, tilting his head back as he comes with great pleasure. Loads of white cum squirt out, landing on his stomach. 

“Oh, goodness.” Erwin exhales when he looks down at the mess he made of himself. Covered in cum and Jergens, his cheeks begin to blush and he presses his lips together, “Quite the pickle, isn’t it?” 

“Fuck…” Levi whispers, “Goddamnit, Smith, you’re so fucking hot.” Levi lunges himself at Erwin, unable to contain himself any longer. 

By the time they manage to clean Erwin off with a towel, they’re back on his bed making out. Levi is perched on top of him, down to his boxer shorts and his band tee. Erwin’s right hand is noticeably softer than his left as they both run up Levi’s sides, shyly asking if he can take his shirt off. Levi doesn’t give him a verbal answer and instead, pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it to the floor where it lands above the towel they used to clean Erwin off. 

Erwin marvels over Levi’s toned frame, noticing a small, white scar just above his pec. He runs his thumb across it as he sits up to kiss it gently, “Mmm, looks like you’ve been a bad boy, yeah?” He kisses Levi's neck. 

Levi moans, tilting his head slightly to accommodate Erwin. “Yeah, and what of it?” He feels Erwin’s hand on the small of his back and the next thing he knows his back is on the bed and Erwin is on top of him. “You gonna punish me for it, Blondie?” A surge of excitement fills Levi and the small little groan coming from Erwin’s chest excites him. 

“I should.” Erwin mutters, “Would you like that?” Their lips kiss one another as Erwin’s hand makes its way into Levi’s boxer shorts, his fingers finding their way around Levi’s dick, already wet with precum at the tip. 

“Yeah…” Levi breathes, gently motioning his hips, eager to feel Erwin’s hand around him. Being in an actual bed with him, almost down to their bare bodies is so thrilling, so nerve wracking and new. “Talk dirty to me, make me your good boy.” 

Erwin begins to jerk him off as he sucks on his neck, feeling his own growing erection at Levi’s haughty words, “Fuck Levi, you’re so…so moist .” 

Levi stops immediately, feeling as if the carpet was swept from underneath him, “Oh, what the fuck?” He closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, “ Erwin.” 

Erwin sits up on his elbow, confused, “What?” 

“Don’t fucking say that.” 

“Say what?” 

“That word.”

“Moist?” 

“Christ, Smith. Stop.”

“What’s wrong with moist?” 

“Please don’t refer to my dick as moist.”

Erwin nods, making himself focus again with new determination, “Okay, okay. Not moist…what about dewy?” 

Levi covers his face, “What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing, I don’t think?” Erwin cringes, “I’m sorry, I’m nervous.” They haven’t gone all the way yet and Erwin doesn’t think they will that day.No, he wants it to be special but still, Levi is so hot it makes him overthink. 

Levi bursts out laughing and wraps his arms around Erwin’s neck, bringing him back down to kiss him. "Relax, don't overthink it. It's just me."

Erwin searches his eyes, "That's exactly why. Because its you." Levi softens at this, becoming putty in his hands. They kiss again, using their tongues to excite one another and when Erwin pulls away slightly to let his hand travel back into Levi’s boxer briefs, Levi suddenly remembers something Hange mentioned. 

“Blondie?” He closes his eyes and bites his bottom lip as Erwin begins to work him again. 

“Yeah?” Erwin asks, focusing on pulling Levi’s boxer briefs down to his ankles so he can kiss under his belly button. 

Levi bites back a moan, “What’s BL?” 

Erwin shoots up, “Excuse me?!” 

The school halls were decorated by the student council to their best abilities, but someone had already drawn multiple genitalia doodles on construction paper pumpkins and skeletons. Others were barely hanging onto the walls by weakening strips of tape. 

October 31st has finally arrived, and Levi can tell that Erwin is absolutely giddy with the holiday. He wished Levi a Happy Halloween when they reunited in the morning by Erwin’s locker like they do every morning. He was wearing a small witch's hat that got snatched by Hange around lunch time. 

Now the final bell of the day had rung, and Levi found himself walking Erwin to his club. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in? I’m sure no one will mind.” Erwin tries to persuade Levi as he walks him to his club meeting. 

“No, I’m sure.” Levi says with a casual smile. He doesn’t mind waiting for Erwin while he goes to his club. Zeke has been an even bigger asshole and Levi doesn’t want to risk Erwin bumping into him again. Not after what happened in the hall. 

It makes Levi’s blood boil just by thinking of the look in Erwin’s eyes when he realized it was Zeke who had grabbed at him. Levi knows what it's like to be bullied but Levi knows he can be an asshole and might have deserved some of it. Not Erwin though, he doesn’t deserve such treatment. The next time Levi catches Zeke giving his Blondie a hard time, he’s going to wipe the floor with his face.

“I can just skip it, if you want.” Erwin says once they stop in front of the classroom where the film club is held. He looks over Levi’s chubby cheeks and can’t contain a smile. 

“Nah, don’t.” Levi answers, turning to face him, “You’ve been looking forward to your show and tell.” He smirks playfully. 

Erwin grows a little flustered, “It’s not a show and tell.” 

Levi chuckles. In honor of Halloween, each club member is giving a small representation of their favorite horror film and then showing a small clip to the rest of the club. Erwin chose his favorite sci-fi horror, the 1986 classic: Aliens. Levi knows how excited he is and doesn’t want to take that from him. After all, the teen is even wearing his Reeboks which are modeled after Ripley’s shoes from the same movie. He’s very proud of them and wears them often. 

“Don’t worry about it, Blondie. I’ll be here when you get out.” 

Erwin sweetly smiles at him and sticks his fist out for a fist bump, “Okay, deal.”

Levi eyes Erwin’s fist for a moment and sighs heavily. There just isn’t any way he’s doing those anymore. He grabs Erwin by the shirt and pulls him down, kissing him deeply until their tongues meet. 

“You sure you don’t want to come with?” Furlan asks as he skates around, careful that he isn’t caught by a teacher walking by. 

They three best friends find themselves out in the quad while Levi waits for Erwin’s club to end. He wants to drive him home and then they both need to get ready for the night. 

“I’m sure.” Levi says, sitting on top of one of the tables, “I promised my parents I’d take Mika out trick or treating. She’s really excited.” 

“Is Erwin going with you?” Isabel asks, eager to know any details. Levi has been very tight lipped. 

Levi just nods, checking his phone and finding himself disappointed when he doesn’t see a text from Erwin yet. “Yup. Mika wants him to go so I invited him.” 

Isabel sits on the table with him, “And how’s it going with him? Are you boyfriends yet?” 

Levi frowns at this and scoffs, “I hardly think that’s any of your business, Isa.” But then his expression softens, and he feels slightly insecure, “Not yet…” he mutters under his breath. He hadn’t even thought about that. He’s been so wrapped up in just knowing that Erwin likes him, that he didn’t stop to think about everything else. 

“That’s okay,” Isabel reassures him, “It doesn’t always happen all at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know.” 

Levi scoffs again and crosses his arms, “Like I care about shit like that.” He sounds too sulky for his own good. 

Isabel and Furlan look at one another and say at the same time, “He cares.” 

Erwin stands in front of his body length mirror by his closet, looking at himself. Levi dropped him off at home after his club meeting and now he’s getting ready to head out for the night. He’s dressed in a new pair of black jeans and a black Bathory band shirt. He thought about wearing one of his sweater vests but it’s Halloween night and he’ll be stuck under that bear onesie for half the night. He’s excited to see Levi, no less. They’ll be with his sister for part of the night but after that they'll be heading to Levi’s garage to watch another horror movie and Erwin has big plans for when they do. 

He’s finally going to ask him. 

‘I Was Made for Lovin’ You’ by KISS plays throughout his room on high volume. Slowly but surely, the lyrics of the song begin to hype him up and get him pumped for a very important question.  

Tonight, I want to give it all to you-- in the darkness, there’s so much I want to do

There’s so much I want to do and tonight I want to lay it at your feet

He lets his eyes fall over himself from top to bottom, lips pressed together, and thick brows furrowed in deep thought. He doesn’t wear all black often but tonight is a special night and he wants to impress Levi. Perhaps he will find his new look attractive? He hopes that’s the case. 

Erwin fixes his hair with his comb and that determined look on his face. He has his contacts in, so his brilliant blues are free from frames and his boyish face looks extremely charming. Still, Erwin is blind to his own looks, having been bullied half his life for his dorky and know-it-all tendencies. His looks don’t always go overlooked but girls don’t always go for nerdy boys. Levi is different, however. He doesn’t give a shit about school status. High school won’t matter in a few years and all those fellow students will go forgotten. 

I was made for lovin' you, baby! You were made for lovin' me!

He clears his throat with a self righteous expression on his face, “That's right, I was made for lovin’ you, Levi.” He points at the mirror, “And you were made for lovin’ me — I hope.” His cheeks blush but he continues to hype himself up regardless. He’s in the privacy of his room and the possibilities are endless. 

And I can't get enough of you, baby! Can you get enough of me?

“Tonight is the night.” He does little jumps to keep the momentum going, “ You be my boyfriend.” He stumbles on his words and points his comb at the mirror, “That you’ll be my boyfriend.” He nods his head to the beat of the music, “Cause boy, you were made for me and boy, I was made for you.” 

He stops jumping and turns his upper body to the side to make sure his shirt isn’t crinkled. He then raises his arm and flexes his bicep but frowns, unsure if it’s impressive enough so he raises his other arm and flexes it as well. “Yeah? You like strong men, Levi? I bet you do.” He lowers his arms and flexes them again, “I’m strong. Very strong.”

Erwin, in fact, is pretty strong as it is but perhaps, he can take up weightlifting. He mainly jogs a lot and was in track at some point, but weightlifting would not be a bad idea. He relaxes his arms and blows air into his hand, checking his breath. Minty fresh. 

He nods to himself, snaps his fingers and finger guns his reflection, “‘Cause I'm also smart, Levi. I’m gonna graduate high school and go to college and get a great career and I can take care of you and marry you and buy you a house in the hills or outside of California, if that’s what you want. We can go wherever. Maybe Boston. Who knows but can Miles do that?” He raises a brow, annoyed at the thought of Levi’s ex, “Nah, he can’t cause he sucks, and Orange County isn’t that great either.” He punches the air, “It’s expensive for no damn reason and the property tax is through the roof.” 

And I can give it all to you, baby! Can you give it all to me?

He looks at his outfit once more and nods again to himself, quite pleased with himself, “You can do this, Erwin. You got this. I play to win !” Erwin points at himself, “Cause you look good, Erwin James Smith. You look great! You got this. You—“

“Hey, dude—“ 

“Oh, crap!” Erwin jumps a foot in the air when his door opens and Moblit appears in the entryway. He puts a hand to his chest and his face is flushed a beat red. “For the love of H.R. Giger, Moblit, you scared the hell out of me.” 

Moblit steps into the room and closes the door behind him, “Sorry dude, your dad let me in.” 

Erwin lowers the volume of the music, “It’s cool, I wasn’t…” he looks away and clears his throat, “Expecting you so soon.” 

“My bad, I was bored at home and just drove over. Hope that’s okay?” 

“Of course, dude.” Erwin smiles and then he turns nervous. “Hey Moblit, can I ask you something?”

Moblit goes over to Erwin’s bed and sits down, “Shoot.” 

He looks nervous and paces a little to gather his thoughts, “So, when you asked Hange out, like, how did you do it?”

Moblit smiles like it's a simple question and he has a simple answer, “Easy, I was just myself.” 

“Ugh, myself is the worst.” 

Moblit snorts, “If you were the worst, Levi wouldn’t like you. You’re a good person, dude. Stop selling yourself so short.” 

Erwin plunks down on his gaming chair, “Yeah, I know…it’s just that.” he shrugs, “I don’t know what it is.”

“What are you afraid of? We all saw how much he’s into you.”

Erwin perks up, “Did you?”

Moblit nods, “Look, don’t tell Hange but I simp for them big time and I know a simp when I see a simp.”

Erwin cringes, “We need to stop calling ourselves that.”

Moblit stands to his feet and places his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Just be yourself. That’s what I did. I asked them plain and simple if they wanted to be with me and they said yes. I’m sure Levi will say yes.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Erwin is genuinely worried.

Moblit smiles softly at his friend, “Then we’ll go to Frank and Sons and spend a shit ton of money we don’t have and then treat ourselves to a nice buffet meal.”

Erwin laughs lightly, feeling better, “Thanks, Mobey. You’re the best.” 

He sighs, “I wish Hange had never started calling me that.” 

Moblit is spending Halloween night at Hange’s while they watch horror movies and eat candy so he gives Erwin a lift to Levi’s. Erwin thanks him for the ride, says a quick hello to Hange and then crosses the street in his costume. Once he’s on Levi’s pumpkin covered porch, he knocks three times and steps back to wait it out.

It doesn’t take long for someone to answer and to Erwin’s pleasure, it’s Levi. “Erwin. What the hell are you wearing?” Levi asks when he steps outside and onto the porch of his house. 

The sun is close to setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. There are already small groups of children dressed up in a mixture of costumes as they hurry up and down the street with bags and pumpkin pails. Erwin looks down at himself. He’s wearing the bear onesie. “You said The Lost Boys, right?” 

Levi stands there, his jaw drops a few inches while his green Peter Pan hat sits on his head. “You’re a bear.” He states almost in disbelief. 

“Cubby. Yeah.” Erwin then smiles with a shrug, “But technically I’m also the boyfriend from Midsommar.” He shoots Levi some finger guns, clicking his tongue and winking. He’s so damn pleased with himself it's insane, Levi thinks.

Levi shakes his head in utter disbelief, “You and that fucking movie, I swear.” He wants to be annoyed but Erwin looks too adorable for his own good. Not to mention that he only dressed up because Levi’s baby sister asked him to. 

“Wait, where’s your costume?” Erwin asks, looking down at Levi. He’s wearing his usual black jeans with his black denim jacket and a lime green shirt. The Peter Pan hat sits askew on his head. 

“This is it.” Levi says plainly, “Where did you even get a onesie your size?”

Erwin disregards the question and steps closer, “You look adorable as Peter Pan.” He leans in and whispers, “I wish I could have seen you in some tights though.” His hands grab at his behind and squeeze it. 

Levi almost faints as his senses overload and he lets out a puff of air, “Fucking hell, Erwin .” He looks over his shoulder, “Fuck trick or treating, let’s go before my sister sees you.” 

Erwin chuckles, “No, come on, we promised.” 

Levi eyes him accusingly, “You’re looking forward to this, aren’t you?”

Erwin shrugs, “It’s free candy.”

“Do you even have a tote or something?”

“Yeah, in my pocket.”  

“And how are you getting that out?”

“Oh--well--”

“Levi?” 

Levi becomes rigid when he hears his mother’s voice coming from inside the house. Mrs. Ackerman appears with Mikasa in her arms. Little Mika is dressed in a skunk onesie with the hood over her head. When she sees Erwin dressed as the bear boy, she smiles instantly but shyly leans against her mother.

“Hey, Mom.” Levi says, taking a step back from Erwin and clears his throat, “This is, um, this is my friend Erwin.” 

Erwin looks at the woman who Levi calls mom. Erwin is a little surprised that she doesn’t look much like the young teenage girl in Levi’s room. Come to think of it, Erwin doesn’t think they’re the same person. Mrs. Ackerman steps out onto the porch and sticks her hand out, delighted to finally meet the boy all the peach yogurt has been going to. “Erwin! Hello, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Goodness, look at your costume! Aren’t you precious, right Levi?”

Levi almost has a heart attack. 

Erwin takes her hands, “Thank you, Mrs. Ackerman, it’s very nice to meet you as well.” He flashes her that handsome boyish smile of his and Mrs. Ackerman looks at Levi for a quick moment, biting back a smile as Levi averts his gaze, ears beat red. “Thank you for letting me join Levi and Mika tonight.” 

“Oh, that’s all Mika has been rattling on about. Her Lost Boys going trick or treating with you. I hope you don’t mind it much, I know you boys are a little too old to be interested in getting candy.” She says with a casual wave of her hand. 

Levi raises a brow at Erwin again who had just been talking about free candy, “Oh, yeah. We’re definitely too grown for it.” He deadpans but his sarcasm goes over his mother’s head. 

Erwin clears his throat, “I wouldn’t mind some free Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to be quite honest with you.”

“Well, we have plenty of those. I’ll set some aside for you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Ackerman. I would love that.” 

Mrs. Ackerman looks at Levi again and Levi squirms under her gaze. He extends his arms out, palms open, “Alright, we’ll get going now.” 

Mikasa practically throws herself at Levi, letting him sit her on his hip. “Wait, your father wants to see you guys off--at least let me take a picture--” She touches her pockets, looking for her phone. 

“Bye mom!” Levi waves as he walks down the walkway with Mika in arms who turns around and waves her mother. 

“Excuse us,” Erwin smiles sheepishly before following after Levi, running a little just to catch up.

The Los Feliz neighborhoods are littered with multiple people of all ages: parents, young children and even teens with masks over their heads and pillow cases filled with candy. Multiple homes are decorated with Jack O’ Lanterns, laughing witches, purple and orange lights and tiny sheet ghosts hanging from trees. Erwin smiles when he sees the small ghosts blowing in the light breeze and remembers the night he and Levi kissed. It was such a perfect night and he would do it all over again. 

Levi carries Mikasa’s little pumpkin pail in one hand and holds the girl’s hand with the other, holding her back from time to time when she tries to get ahead of herself and run off in the direction of a house with multiple kids already shouting “trick or treat!” at the door. 

“Relax, Mika. The candy isn’t going to run out.” 

Erwin walks with ease at his side, taking leisurely strides with those long legs of his. He has a little canvas tote hanging over his shoulder, itching to get some candy in it. He watches the way Levi interacts with his little sister and he melts at the sight of it. Levi can be so rough around the edges and very withholding but with his little sister, he’s sweet. 

“Stop monkeying around.” He lightly scolds her, “Or a man in a mask is gonna come and take you away.” 

“No!” Mikasa pouts.

“Yes, so don’t sass your brother.” Levi argues back as a group of middle schoolers run by them, laughing and screaming. Mikasa is a little spooked and clutches onto Levi’s jeans. 

Erwin’ shakes his head, maybe not the sweetest but sweet enough. He chuckles, “Levi, don’t tell her that. You’ll scare her.” 

“Cubby!” Mikasa points at him and Erwin laughs. “Yeah, Cubby the bear.” 

Mikasa giggles and sticks her other hand up to Erwin for him to hold. Erwin is the type of person that when a baby hands him a toy phone, he will answer it. So he smiles warmly and takes Mikasa’s tiny hand in his. 

“Huh,” Levi muses.

“What?” Erwin asks, raising both brows.

“She’s usually really shy.” He smiles softly, “She likes you.”

Erwin is delighted, “Well, I sure hope that’s the case.”

“It is.”

Mikasa walks in the middle of her Cubby bear and her Peter Pan, completely delighted, having the time of her life even though they haven’t started. Levi finally spots a house he deems good enough to start their night with and accompanies Mikasa to the front door, but she stops, fighting back just a little and turns around, “C’mon!” She waves at Erwin, “Trick or treat!” 

Levi smiles lazily, “C’mon, you dork. The skunk has spoken.”

Erwin laughs and joins him. They walk Mikasa up to the front porch and wait for her to get her candy. She raises her little pail, calls out, “trick or treat!”, says her thank yous and then comes back down the porch to hand her pail to Levi and take a hold of both their hands again. And that’s how it goes for the majority of the night. They hit up every single house on their street, including Hange’s where they talk with them and Moblit for a little while. Hange drops a couple of Capri Suns in Mikasa’s pail and then shoos Erwin and Levi away so they can get back to their alone time with Moblit. Erwin suckers them into letting them borrow their Polaroid camera. Hange only agrees if it’ll get them to leave, which they do with the Polaroid camera in their grubby little hands.

“Freakin’ four-eyes.” Levi shakes his head, chuckling to himself. He points the camera at Erwin and snaps a picture of him in that bear onesie. When the polaroid prints out, he takes it and jams it in the pocket of his jeans. 

“You look cute as Peter Pan, you know that?” Erwin leans in close, stealing a kiss from Levi before Mikasa sees them. 

“Shut up, dork.” Levi tries to act annoyed but fails. 

As the night progresses, Mikasa begins to grow tired. Erwin remedies that by sitting her up on his shoulders. Her little face lights up, raising her arms at her sides while Erwin grabs onto her ankles, “Hold on tight!”

“Wow! Spaceship!” She giggles, flapping her arms while Erwin makes spaceship sounds as he pretends to fly around. 

Levi lags behind, watching the two of them enjoy themselves amongst the purple and orange lights. The sun has set and the Jack O’ Lanterns shine bright in the dark of night. Children are laughing and yelling in the streets and Levi swears it's some kind of perfect dream. He raises the camera and snaps another polaroid of the bear and the skunk, walking on the edge of the sidewalk, pretending it's the fallen log of a tree. 

Mikasa grabs onto the hood of Erwin’s bear costume and points forward, “Netherland!” 

Levi chuckles, catching up to them. “It’s Neverland, Mika.”

“Over there!” She shouts instead and the two boys just laugh. 

By the time they return to the Ackerman residence, both Mikasa’s pumpkin pail and Erwin’s tote bag are full. At one point Erwin began walking right up to the door with her to collect his own candy. The two looked quite the pair when it came to height difference, but it made Levi smile. 

“Is it okay if I take this off?” Erwin refers to his bear onesie, “It’s getting a little hot.” He makes a face. 

Levi chuckles at the irony, “Isn’t that the point?”

Erwin catches the Midsommar reference and laughs, “Good one.” He zips down his onesie and struggles to get out of it just a little but when he does, Levi’s eyes widen with wonder. Erwin is dressed in all black from head to toe with black jeans and a black shirt of one of his favorite metal bands. He gulps, wishing that they were alone. 

“You look nice.” Levi mutters, ears burning.

“Hmm?” Erwin sits down next to him, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” But he’s smirking in that mischievous way he does when he teases Levi. He totally heard him, “Levi?”

“I’m going to punt you.”

"I'm kidding. Thank you." 

They watch Hocus Pocus with Mikasa while they look through their candy, winding down from their night out. Levi plucks all the Reese's from Mikasa’s stash and gives them to Erwin. She doesn’t seem to mind, far more interested in the movie than in her candy. Mrs. Ackerman provides them with some snacks and when Mikasa is starting to doze off, she raises her arms and lets her father take her to bed but not before she bids Erwin and Levi goodnight.

Hocus Pocus end credits are rolling and there are multiple candy wrappers on the coffee table, sprawled amongst multiple developed polaroids of the three Lost Boys. Levi checks the time, it’s barely nine on a Friday night and they still have the rest of the night ahead of them. Levi picks up a Tootsie Roll and throws it at Erwin; it bonks off his head and bounces on the floor. 

Erwin frowns lightly but laughs, “What?”

“You have to go home soon?”

“No, why?”

Levi smiles, “Wanna have some fun?”

Erwin eyes him warily. Levi has a mischievous look about him, “What kind of fun?”

The two white sheet ghosts make their way through the night, rolling beneath the orange glow of the streetlights. Levi is on his skateboard while Erwin is on Mikasa’s razor scooter with the pink handles. They’re dressed in their ghost costumes; Levi never bothered to return the sheets to Isabel and now he’s thankful that he didn’t. They ride down the streets just like they did the evening before Erwin’s birthday where they discovered a newfound freedom amongst the palm trees and shrunken Hollywood sign. It's barely past ten o’clock but people’s Halloween decorations are still lit up and there are more people in the streets, exiting house parties on their way to the next stop. 

Erwin and Levi end up in the parking lot of a closed grocery store and a McDonalds where they find an abandoned grocery cart. They take turns pushing each other in it, racing up and down the empty parking lot with their sheets still on, looking like complete idiots. Erwin finds himself in the cart as Levi pushes him down the lot with all his strength. Erwin is pointing forward, shouting, “Push forward, Levi! Rage!”

They’re going at full speed until a small rock wedges beneath one of the wheels and it tips over, sending both idiots flying. Erwin is ejected from inside the cart while Levi lands on top of it with an “oof!” as the air is almost knocked out of him. “Erwin!” Levi croaks out, lifting himself off the cart. 

Erwin is sprawled on the ground. He raises a thumbs up, “I’m okay!”

Levi looks him over with a deeply concerned expression, but when he sees his body laid out like a ragdoll and notes his thumb in the air, he bursts out laughing. Erwin does the same, rolling to his side as he holds his stomach, “Holy crap, that hurt.” He groans from inside the sheet but neither of them can stop laughing. 

When their laughter settles down and they're able to get off the ground, they head to the McDonald’s where they buy soda, tea and some fries and go back to hang out in the parking lot. They joke with one another, elbowing each other amongst sweet laughter. They keep the sheets over their heads, which only adds to their giggles. Erwin doubles over with laughter when Levi tosses a fry in the air, hoping to catch it through his messed-up eye hole but misses. The fry bounces off his face and lands on the ground. 

“Bet you can’t do an ollie with that thing on.” Erwin dares him and Levi immediately jumps to his feet.

“Watch me, Blondie.” He takes his board and sets up a couple yards away as if they didn't just eat shit on the grocery cart. 

Erwin brings out the camera, “Okay, I’m watching.” 

Levi pushes off on the skateboard, rides a couple feet before he lifts the board off the air and accomplishes a perfect ollie. Erwin manages to snap a polaroid, hoping it looks good. He watches Levi skate around for a little and then Erwin stands, “Alright, alright, I got tricks too.” 

“On what? That child’s toy?” Levi teases, walking up to him. They still have their sheets on, so they look like two ghosts bickering in the night. 

“Yeah, this bad girl right here can do just about anything.” Erwin says matter of fact and attempts to do a trick on Mikasa’s scooter but loses his balance and falls backwards, eating shit once again. 

“Erwin!” Levi takes off his sheet and hurries to Erwin’s side and helps him sit up, “You dummy. You’re going to hurt yourself...again.” He kneels down at his side. 

Erwin turns towards him; his blue eyes are barely visible behind the makeshift holes. He’s silent for a moment, “Levi?” 

“Yeah?” 

Erwin’s head moves beneath the sheet, and he stalls, sounding a bit hesitant. Levi watches as Ghostwin looks at him again. He can hear sirens in the distance followed by a group of teens exiting the restaurant, unaware of the two on the other end of the lot, "You want to go somewhere else?"

Levi nods, "Sure."

They gather their things and leave the parking lot and make their way to a secluded park near Levi's house. All the children have gone home and now the streets are completely empty. They set the board and the scooter next to the swing set and each take a swing, swinging as high as they can. After Levi beats Erwin in their silly game, the two teens settle down and gently swing next to one another. The park is only illumintaed by the streetlights that hover over the basketball courts. Levi yanks the sheet off, adjusting his vision. He can make out Erwin with the help of the moon's glow that cascades through the city fog.

"Levi?" Erwin breaks the silence. He has that same tone in his voice that he had in the parking lot.

"What's up, Smithie boy?"

“Um, can you…well, will you…”

Levi uses his feet to push himself closer on the swing, he gently grabs Erwin's sheet and pulls it off him until those clear blues are looking back at him, blond hair a mess, but face as sweet as ever, “You okay?”

Erwin takes in a small breath, gathering all of his bravery, “Levi, will you be my boyfriend?” 

Levi sits back on his swing a bit, surprised by Erwin’s question. He wasn’t expecting it and surely not in an empty public park on Halloween night. His lips part as his gaze interlocks with Erwin’s. He can see the blond boy begin to grow nervous as the seconds go by in silence. A small smile crosses Levi’s lips and he grabs Erwin’s Bathory shirt, pulling their swings close, “I didn’t think you’d ask.” He closes the distance between them and kisses him. It's such a sweet, tender kiss. Chaste and intimate.

“Is that a yes?” Erwin asks when Levi pulls away, the chains of the swings creak. He just wants to make sure. 

“What do you think, genius?”

“Yes?” His eyes light up. 

Levi nods, “Yes.” 

Chapter Text

‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ by The Bangles plays through Paradis records. It's the weekend and the shop has had a busy and steady stream throughout the day. Levi sits behind the counter with his cheek on his fist, looking through an old Spider-Man comic he found in the back room. Occasionally, those sterling eyes of his scan the shop to make sure everything is under control, and no one is wandering around like a dickhead looking for help. 

Mike is rummaging through a new shipment just behind Levi. He’s muttering to himself as he works, something about how they need to send them more rock records and less indie pop. 

“Yo, Mike.” Levi calls to him without looking up from the comic.

“What is it, Shortstack?” 

“What the fuck is BL?” The thought randomly comes to his mind; he forgot to ask Erwin about it again. He’s evading the question. 

Mike frowns, “What?” He pulls out a stack of Blackstar CDs and sets them on the counter. 

“BL.” Levi states, “What is it?”

Mike shrugs, “Hell if I know. Where did you hear that?” 

“A friend reads it.” Is all he says, not wanting to tell Mike that it's actually Erwin who reads whatever the hell BL is. 

“Fuck if I know.” Mike brings out his clipboard and makes notes of all the CDs accounted for. 

“Mm. Figures.” Levi yawns and goes back to his comic book. 

He keeps eyeing the clock on the wall as well as the time on his phone. He has plans with Erwin and is itching to leave Paradis for the day. 

Just then he hears the jingle of the front door and perks up. It's not hard to miss that blond hair and those gorgeous eyes gleaming behind thick rimmed glasses. He looks up and spots Levi from across the shop. As soon as Erwin sees him, he flashes Levi that brilliant and oh so sweet smile of his. 

Levi feels like his feet are lifting off from the floor. “Mike…”

“What?” Mike does a double take as he looks up from his clipboard. 

Levi hops off the barstool, “I’m taking my break.” 

Mike looks up to see Erwin coming towards them and sighs heavily, “Make it quick.” He shakes his head and gets back to counting. 

Erwin falls back onto Old Reliable as Levi straddles his lap. Their lips clash together hungrily, clumsily, with too much tongue and not enough patience. Every hour apart feels like an eternity and every minute together feels like fleeting seconds. Such is the life of teenagers in the honeymoon stage of a budding relationship. 

Erwin’s glasses almost come off his face during the sheer force of their make out session. Levi is running his hands down to his shoulders where his fingers grip onto his sweater vest that’s hiding beneath his windbreaker, tugging on the wool. Erwin’s hands make their way onto Levi’s hips, holding him in place. It’s been roughly three weeks since they made their relationship official, and every day has been just like heaven. 

“Levi--“ Erwin breathes out in between hungry kisses. 

Levi, too impatient to hear another fact about The Elder Scrolls from his boyfriend, frowns lightly, “What?” 

Erwin frowns himself, squirming a little, “The sofa feels wet.” 

“Wet? Not moist, huh?” Levi’s voice rings of sarcasm. 

Erwin cringes, “You said you wouldn’t bring that up again.” 

Levi smirks, “I’m fucking with you, Blondie.” 

“Can we switch?”

“What do you mean?” 

“Can I get on top?” 

“I’m not sitting on that fucking filthy thing.” 

Erwin pauses and then slowly, a mischievous grin crosses his face. He places his hand on the small of Levi’s back and the next thing Levi knows, he’s lying on the velvet cushions of Old Reliable with Erwin on top of him, pinning him down. Levi is flabbergasted for half a second, unsure of what happened but Erwin’s dominance turns him on, and he can care less that the fucking sofa does feel a little wet. 

He tries to ignore it as Erwin’s tongue caresses the inside of his mouth. They had watched The Breakfast Club the night before, so they hadn’t been without one another for long, but Levi missed him. He always missed the tall dork when they were apart. It almost seemed cruel the way life and responsibilities kept them apart. Levi mentally scoffed at the thought of Romeo and Juliette, but it is the romance of teenagers that feel so strongly and so damn dramatically. He knows this, in the back of his mind but at the same time, life is unfair. Life is keeping him from his blond boy. If only they could run away together and leave the city behind. Leave everything behind and hit the road like a pair of star-crossed lovers. 

The weight of Erwin’s body is just enough to light Levi ablaze. He’s holding more than half his weight up so as to not crush him and Levi aches for more. He rolls his hips against Erwin and lavishes in the way he moans and breaks apart for a second. 

“What’s wrong?” Levi asks, trying to ignore the fact that his head is laying on top of a pool of germs. 

Erwin looks conflicted; those thick brows of him are knit into a frown and his lips jerk downward, “I’m straining against my jeans.” 

Levi bites back his smirk, trying not to make Erwin self-conscious about his boner even though he has one too. “Unzip your pants.” 

Erwin turns beet red, “Out here?” He lifts his head to look around, “What if someone sees?” 

“And who will see?” Levi tries to reach for Erwin’s belt. 

“Uhh, Mike?” Erwin answers, “The alley rats?” 

“There aren’t any rats.” 

“I don’t think you truly believe that.” 

“Erwin— Oh , don’t look at me like that, I’m sorry! “ 

“It’s okay, it just hurts.” 

“It’s your name. You’re fine.” Levi taps Erwin’s cheek, “Eugh, what the shit.” He mumbles, uncomfortable with the wetness coming through his denim jacket.

“Looks like this sofa isn’t the only thing wet.” Erwin says slyly and then rethinks his words and doubles back, “Wait-- that wasn’t--”

Levi snorts, “Get off.” he places his hand on Erwin’s chest and pushes him off.

“Aw, did I kill the mood?” Erwin pouts, looking extremely embarrassed. 

“Nah,” Levi chuckles, dinking Erwin’s forehead as he stands from the sofa. “It smells like piss out here.” 

“It’s LA, it smells like piss everywhere.” Erwin stands from the sofa, wiping the back of his jeans with his hands. 

Levi walks over to the building and leans against the wall. He crosses his arms in order to protect himself from the cold. The ground of the alley looks wet and there are a few small puddles; it must have sprinkled during the early hours of the morning. The days are just getting colder, and it’ll be Thanksgiving before they know it. 

Erwin follows after Levi and stands in front of him with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. 

“Aren’t you cold?”

Erwin presses his lips together and shrugs, “Not really. I run kind of hot.”

“I noticed.” Levi deadpans. 

Erwin steps closer, “Thanksgiving is next week. Are you and your family doing anything?” 

Levi exhales, “I fucking hate that holiday but yeah, unfortunately.” 

Erwin nods in agreement, “Me too.” Erwin kicks his foot back and forth in attempts to kick at a small pebble. “My Dad always drags me to the Dean’s house for dinner every year. He knows it's bull and the night is always super boring.” 

“So, it’s you, your old man and a bunch of know-it-all scholars?” 

Erwin sighs, “Yeah and their family members.” 

“Sorry, Blondie. That sounds like it’ll suck ass.” 

“What about you?” Erwin reaches out and grabs Levi’s hand. He likes to play with his fingers and kiss them one by one. 

“My parents’ college friends invite us over every year. They live out in Pismo Beach so my parents spend the night since they like to indulge.” 

“Do you stay too?” 

“Nah, not since I started driving. I come back home to watch the house.” 

Erwin perks up at this, “So you’ll be home alone?” 

Levi notes the mischievous ideas forming in Erwin’s eyes. “Why?” He asks slowly, watching the way the blond’s expression changes as he tries to remain aloof. 

Erwin lets go of his hand and leans his shoulder against the wall, trying to look casual. The November cold turns his ears and cheeks red but Levi can still manage to make out the soft freckles dusted over the bridge of his nose. His hair is messy from their quick make out session on Old Reliable 

“Oh, nothing.” Erwin just shrugs, brushing it off, “Are we still on for today?” 

Levi smiles softly at this and Erwin almost dies at the look at that precious smile. Levi’s always so stoic and his face is always so serious and without perky emotion. His expression is deadpan at best around others but when he’s with Erwin or even with his friends, that stone hard expression wavers and he has the softest, most angelic smile. It’s like he saves it just for Erwin. 

“Yeah, you’re still down, right?” Levi pushes off the wall to face him. 

“Of course!” Erwin pushes up his glasses, “I’m really excited to see you guys jam.” 

Levi tries not to look too excited. “We don’t really j-- did you just say jam ?” 

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

Levi sighs, “Nothing. Well, I hope you’re ready. It’s a shit show for the most part.”

“How bad can it be?” Erwin asks as he leans in and kisses Levi’s lips.

The Ackerman’s garage is loud with the mixture of multiple instruments; they go well together at times, playing in good harmony for the fraction of a second until they split in pure chaos-- especially when Furlan goes off on his own solos and Levi has to shout his name until he stops. 

The way Levi plays the bass has Erwin absolutely starstruck. He watches intently from his spot on the sofa as Levi’s lean fingers work their magic over the fretboard, reaching every string he needs to right when he needs to. He’s perfect at it and Erwin cannot look away. He’s like some kind of rockstar god. Erwin wishes they were alone. 

When the song finishes, Furlan crosses the room and picks up his water bottle, “We need a drummer.” 

“Do you know any drummers?” Levi questions as he tunes his bass a little. 

Erwin’s eyes are focused on the muscles of Levi’s biceps. The garage is a bit chilly, but Levi felt hot in his flannel. 

“You don’t happen to be a skilled drummer, do you, Erwin?” Isabel asks from her spot behind her synthesizer. She’s mostly joking but has hope in her eyes. 

Erwin perks up, yanking his thoughts from Levi’s body, “Uh, no, sorry.” He smiles sheepishly, wishing he could be of any help to them. 

“Erwin doesn’t play drums, but he rocks a mean ass razor scooter.” Furlan high fives Erwin. 

Erwin just laughs in agreement and high fives him back. Levi rolls his eyes, “Furlan, stop being an ass.” 

“Cool your jets, Levi.” 

“How come you guys don’t become an official band?” Erwin asks innocently. He’s leaning forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. For some reason he looks like he grew an inch and makes the garage sofa look even smaller. 

Both Isabel and Furlan look at Levi and Levi rolls his eyes, turning away from them.  

“Well, we would be if someone would suck it up and be the singer.” She eyes Levi. 

“Levi, you don’t want to?” Erwin asks. 

Levi shrugs nonchalantly, “It's not really my cup of tea.”

“You have a nice voice dude and you’re wasting it.” Furlan shakes his head, “Robert Smith would be so fucking disappointed in you.” 

Levi makes a face at this, like he’s been profoundly offended, “Don’t fucking bring Robert Smith into this.” 

“You know it's true.” 

“Get bent.” Levi takes a drink from his bottled iced tea, “You should sing then since you’re the front man and all.” 

Erwin looks from Furlan to Levi and back to Furlan as Isabel just ignores them both. 

“Since when am I the front man?”

“Furlan and the Crotch Rockets?” Levi reminds him. 

Furlan laughs, “Oh, yeah. But nah, my voice is kind of shit.” 

Levi just chuckles, “Kind of?” 

The two stare at one another until Furlan bursts out in laughter and playfully pushes Levi. Erwin’s heart skips a beat when he sees Levi with that precious easy-going smile of his. Levi deserves the world; Erwin truly believes it. 

They play a couple of covers without any lyrics and once the clock strikes 7:30, Isabel gets a text from her mom and she’s off. Furlan hangs out for a little bit longer until he too heads out and it's just the two idiot love birds. 

Levi is sitting on the sofa, tuning an old guitar of his. Erwin sits down next to him, admiring him silently.

“Told ya it would be a shit show.” Levi breaks the silence. 

Erwin just smiles softly at him, “It was fun. You three are very talented. Especially you, Levi.” 

Levi freezes for a moment and Erwin notes the way his ears turn red, “Yeah right.”

“I’m being honest.” Erwin tilts his head forward just a bit so he can catch Levi’s attention, “And I’m sure you can sing.” 

Levi lifts his head, “You’ll change your mind if you heard.” 

Erwin holds his gaze, “I don’t think I will.” 

They’re just inches from one another. Erwin leans in closer, closing the gap until he can feel the warmth radiating off Levi’s body. “Show me.” He says softly, his voice just at the brink of a whisper. He gently brushes Levi’s lips with his own, “Please?”

When he pulls away, Levi’s eyes are slightly wide, and his lips are parted. The crimson blush has traveled from his ears down to his cheeks. “You won’t laugh?”

“Of course not. I promise.” 

Levi holds his gaze for a moment longer as if he’s looking for a crack in Erwin’s expression, one that would give him any indication that he’s lying but he finds none. So he nods, “Okay.” 

He gets up and puts his electric guitar away to grab an old acoustic that leans against the wall without a stand. He returns to the sofa and sits back down next to Erwin. Erwin watches as he tunes the acoustic and then settles into it, adjusting the body just right on his lap. He hovers one hand over the strings stretched across the soundhole and the other over the neck. 

“If you laugh, Blondie, I swear I’ll kick your ass.” Levi warns him. 

Erwin just chuckles, “Alright, fair enough.”

Levi looks very nervous; the most nervous Erwin has ever seen him. He clears his throat and begins to play the guitar; his fingers are like magic and after a moment, he begins to sing, “I think it’s ‘bout time That I warned you I might cry in front of you…”

Erwin is still. 

Levi sings so beautifully. His voice is shy, low and hesitant but to Erwin, it's the loveliest voice there is. 

“And I don’t want you to feel like it was all of your fault but that doesn’t mean that I wanted you to feel nothing at all.” 

His tone is soft, like he’s afraid to show his true potential but it suits him so well. 

“What do you want me to say, when I can’t tell you the truth? Please, tell me how the fuck I’m supposed to deal with losing you?” He suddenly stops and his cheeks flush, “That’s all I remember.” He lies. 

The next thing Levi knows, Erwin is pulling him into a kiss. He cups Levi’s cheeks in his hands to hold him still while he kisses him with every single feeling that's burning inside of him, “Perfect. You’re perfect.” 

That’s all Levi needed to hear. 

The halls of the school are filled with the sound of slamming lockers and jumbled conversations. Erwin is at his locker, swapping his Lit. Book for World History; he’s tense. His classmate, Carson is at his side, leaning a hand on the locker next to Erwin’s.

“Come on, Erwin! Let me see them really quick! I promise I’ll give them back.” Carson urges with a mischievous, shit eating grin on his face. 

Erwin doesn’t look convinced, “I don’t know. My dad just got them fixed. I don’t want to risk breaking them again.” He tries to avoid eye contact with the other teen.

“Dude, c’mon! I’ll be super careful. Just let me see how blind you are.” Carson insists, tugging on Erwin’s arm so he’ll surrender his glasses

“I’m not blind--“ 

“Don’t be lame then! Let me see--“ 

Levi walks up to Erwin’s locker just in time to hear the conversation going on between the two. Swiftly and without hesitation, Levi goes up to Carson from behind, grabs him by the jacket and shoves him away with effortless force, “Fuck out of here, Carson or I’ll kick your ass.” 

Erwin is a little startled for he hadn’t seen Levi creep up from behind their classmate. “Levi? Hey--”

Carson almost trips but catches himself before he hits the floor face first, “Shit! Fuck, Levi! Damn, don’t be so rough.” He fixes his jacket and flips Levi the bird. 

Levi takes one step forward and Carson runs off before Levi can pop him one. 

“Fucking animal.” Levi watches Carson go with a furrowed brow, completely unfazed by getting flipped off. 

Erwin closes his locker with the World History textbook under his arm. He sighs heavily, “Levi, what did I say?” 

Levi turns to look at him with an innocence about him, he cranes his neck to look up at Erwin, “You said not to fight Zeke. Everyone else is fair game.” 

Lei’s sick and tired of seeing people bully Erwin with no consequences. If no one else is going to do anything about it, including Erwin himself, Levi will make damn sure no one dares fuck with him. 

Erwin looks a little perplexed by Levi’s loophole and opens his mouth to respond but can’t think of a quick comeback so he closes his mouth and hums in response. Levi only eyes him expectantly, waiting for him to open up that pretty mouth of his and give him some smartass retort.

Erwin shakes his head, “You shouldn’t be fighting anyone. You can get in trouble again.” 

“And by who?” Levi challenges, crossing his arms, “Are you going to punish me?” His tone is a little cocky; the same way it gets after he lands a trick on his board on the first try. 

Erwin pauses surprised and when Levi notes his tickled pink expression, he blushes instantly and stutters. Erwin steps forward and places his hand on Levi’s lower back, gently lowering his head to whisper in his ear, “Why? Would you like that?” 

Levi stiffens as wild images of himself thrown over Erwin’s knee begin to cloud his mind. It's so crazy to him how quickly Erwin’s demeanor changes in the blink of any eye. One moment he’s sounding like the biggest nerd on the planet and the next, he’s dominant and a little rough. It drives Levi absolutely insane, and he cannot wait for the moment where they can truly explore those things. 

Great. Now he’s horny. Levi takes in a slow breath, turning his head slightly so Erwin’s lips are close to his own, “Yeah? And what if I said I would?” His tone is serious, yet Erwin can note the playful undertones in it. 

He lowers his hand down to Levi’s behind, giving it a soft squeeze, “Well, then we would have to correct that behavior, now won’t we?” He pats Levi’s ass after the squeeze and Levi’s soul leaves his body. 

Erwin pulls away quickly as if he’s suddenly remembered something, “Oh, we better go or we’ll be late to class.” His expression is back to its cheery self. 

Levi takes a step back, lightheaded and greatly aroused. Erwin’s authoritative and threatening tone have unleashed something dark and demanding from deep inside of him. He quickly grabs Erwin’s wrist, stopping him, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there, Flash. What’s the rush?” 

Erwin frowns as if he hadn’t just been flirting, “Class is about to start.” 

“Fuck class.” 

“Levi.” Erwin says sternly. He’s not sure why it’s so hard to get the punk boy to his classes. He’s going to flunk senior year at the rate he ditches. Well, over Erwin’s dead body. He thinks and he thinks quickly, knowing what does it for his boyfriend. He places his hands on Levi’s shoulders, grips him firmly and lowers his head to look him straight in the eyes, “Class, Levi. Now. ” 

Levi’s eyes widened and his lips part, completely surprised by Erwin’s demand and the sternness in his voice. He nods quickly, “Yeah, okay.”

Erwin grins happily, “Good boy.” 

Levi tilts his head back and groans, “You’re killing me, Blondie.” 

As soon as Mr. Arlert lets the class have their free study, Erwin turns around in his chair, “This is all so fascinating.” He says to Levi regarding their lecture on the Tudor period, “Levi.” He says Levi’s name and for some reason, Levi’s reminded of the little witch from those Potter movies. The little know-it-all one, “Did you know that people in Tudor times rarely drank water?” 

Levi looks at Erwin’s lips, focusing his attention there, “Oh yeah?” 

“Yes. As a matter of fact--“

Levi groans internally. Fuck why does it turn him on so much when Erwin speaks like this? His useless rambles on historical facts make Levi want to drop to his knees and undo Erwin’s belt. They haven’t gone all the way, but Levi knows that if Erwin recites the entire periodic table, Levi will in fact, give up his virginity to him later that day. Fuck waiting for the right moment, he’s at Erwin’s mercy. Besides, it’s not like he doesn’t already want to. 

He’s just getting blue balls at this point. 

Levi has never really cared to rush into those kinds of things before even though there have been guys that have tried to make him give in but he’s declined all their advances. Even when Miles wanted to have sex, Levi wasn’t all that interested. A majority of those guys just wanted a lay. Levi isn’t interested in the concept of virginity either; it’s not like he’s waiting for Prince Charming and it’s sure as hell not a religious thing of maintaining chastity and purity. He simply hasn’t found the right person where he feels comfortable enough to be so intimate with. 

But it’s different with Erwin. Erwin is sweet and kind, he makes Levi feel safe and makes him feel things he’s never felt before. Levi feels a kind of connection that he’s been unable to obtain with anyone else in his past. The thought makes him feel warm and he feels a softness in his heart when he looks at Erwin ramble on about Tudor water. 

“Water was often contaminated so they drank beer instead.” Erwin continues to ramble on. 

“Oh, word?” Levi snaps out of his thoughts to give Erwin his full attention. 

Levi knows how much it means to Erwin when he’s allowed to be himself and talk about his interests without any judgment or backhanded remarks. Alas, Levi lets him. 

There were different barrels of beer with different alcohol percentages so they wouldn’t get drunk if they didn’t want to. Can you imagine what it's like being drunk twenty-four-seven? Even the children drank beer!”

“Why the hell would they do that?” Levi raises a brow. He notices that Frieda has caught on to their conversation and is waiting for the chance to jump in. Levi would otherwise be jealous, but Erwin barely recognizes that the poor girl is there; his attention is either on Mr. Arlert or Levi. 

“Well,” He continues, “The water back in the day was filthy with bacteria and the alcohol in the beer would kill said bacteria. Isn’t that fascinating?” Erwin flips through the pages of his textbook, “I wonder how they figured that out…” 

“Why is this turning me on?” Levi mutters under his breath. 

“Can you imagine living in Tudor times, Levi?” 

Levi slinks into his desk, “Sure. You’d be drunk and dead by the age of sixteen.” 

“Life expectancy in those times was thirty-five.” Erwin corrects him. 

Levi only watches him with narrowed eyes, wanting nothing more than to straddle him. Instead, he quietly simmers and turns his head slightly to catch Frieda watching him. When she realizes he’s looking back at her, she quickly looks away and pretends to write notes in her notebook. 

He wonders if she knows he and Erwin are dating; she must know. Erwin waltzes around the school hall holding his hand with a giant grin on his face, acting like he just won the lottery. Levi’s sure she knows by now. She just hasn’t said anything about it. 

“It’s all just so fascinating.” Erwin says as his eyes continue to scan their textbook. “You and I would be considered middle aged!” 

Levi snorts, “I’d rather set myself on fire than be a little peasant in Tudor times getting drunk off beer water and dying at thirty-five.” 

“I don’t think they bathed much either.” Erwin scrunches his face and pushes up his glasses. 

Levi smiles at him, “Dork.” 

Erwin gazes up from his book and returns the smile; it’s so bright like the sun and Levi’s chest aches even more. How is it possible to like someone so much that it makes his heart hurt? Erwin is just too good. 

“So,” Levi leans back on his chair, “Are you ready for our lesson?”

Erwin peeks at him nervously, all excited has vanished in a flash, “Kind of.” 

“I don’t know about this, Levi. I’m nervous.” Erwin admits.

Levi looks at him with a raised brow from the passenger’s seat of his Jeep, “Do you want to be a virgin who can’t drive for the rest of your life?” He threatens mildly.

Erwin frowns at this, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white, “No, I don’t but it's not like either of those things is a bad thing.”

“Not for everyone else.” Levi shrugs.

Erwin looks at him, a little offended, “Why just me?”

The two teens find themselves in the parking lot of an abandoned K-Mart. Erwin is at the wheel of Levi’s jeep; his first driving lesson has finally arrived and he’s less than thrilled about it. He doesn’t remember much of the car accident he was in where his mother tragically passed but just being behind the wheel makes him nervous. 

“Because I said so.”

“That doesn’t make any--”

“Do you want me to teach you or not?”

“Yes! Levi, please.” Erwin practically begs, expression alarmed as if Levi will go back on his word in any second. 

“Alright then. It's easy.” Levi says with a shrug, “All you have to do is turn the car on.” He points to the keys in the ignition. 

“I’d rather turn you on…” Erwin mutters.

“What?” Levi doesn’t catch his words. 

Erwin pauses and chuckles nervously, “Can-- can you count to three?” 

“Are you serious? Blondie, you got this. Just turn the fucking car on.” 

“Okay, okay.” Erwin grasps the keys and turns them forward. 

Levi’s Jeep immediately springs to life and the motor purrs beautifully. ‘Come on, Eileen’ by Dexys Midnight Runners immediately begins to play from Erwin’s birthday cassette. Erwin places his hand back on the steering wheel and exhales. “Okay.”

“Alright.” Levi sits up and puts his seatbelt on, “What you’re gonna do--”

“Why are you putting your seatbelt on?” Erwin asks nervously, like he’s self-conscious that Levi is afraid of him being behind the wheel. 

Levi frowns, “It’s the law?”

“I thought you were a contrarian?” 

“Erwin, focus .” 

Erwin turns back to the wheel and pouts, “I don’t like it when you call me that.”

“Call you what? Your name?” 

Erwin shrugs, “Yeah.” 

Levi squints his eyes at him, the thoughts processing slowly in his mind. He then tilts his head back and laughs, “For fuck’s sake. Ok. Blondie boy, focus.” 

Erwin smiles, liking when Levi calls him by his nickname. “Okay, what next?”

“You’re going to put your foot on the brake and release the handbrake.” Erwin does as he says, “Good. Now, grab the prindle and put it in gear.” 

“The what now?” Erwin frowns and looks at Levi. 

“The prindle.” Levi repeats himself. 

Erwin looks around the car and bites his bottom lip, his eyes squinting in thought next, “You mean…the gear shift?” 

Levi frowns next and the Jeep is flooded with a thick, awkward silence. Levi closes his eyes and exhales, “Fucking hell.”  Erwin does his best to bite back a laugh but he’s failing miserably, “Y--you call it…you call it the pr--prindle?” 

Levi shoots him a glare, “That a problem?”

Erwin wipes his smirk off right away and shakes his head, “No! Not at all! I just didn’t know you were a fan of the Disney channel is all…” 

“Erwin.” Levi says sternly.

“Levi!” Erwin complains.

Levi just laughs, “Alright, stop fucking around and pay attention.”

“Take it back.”

“You’re joking.” 

“I’m not.” 

Levi tries to maintain his glare on Erwin but cracks a smile, “Alright, baby girl, put it in gear.” 

Erwin doesn’t do too bad for his first driving lesson; he’s nervous at first and that’s to be expected. Levi finally manages to coax him to lift his foot off the break and the Jeep springs into a slow roll forward. 

“Levi! Levi! Levi!”

“Blondie, relax! It’s like five miles an hour!” 

The entire lesson consists of Erwin freaking out and second guessing himself while Levi is stuck in fits of both laughter and annoyance. He tries to keep a leveled head but loses his cool when Erwin has the Jeep screeching to a halt every few yards. Stop and go. Stop and go. Erwin follows direction well but his nerves and hesitancy have him stepping on the breaks constantly. 

Levi pinches the bridge of his nose and reminds Erwin to check all his mirrors and his blind spots. Before he knows it, Erwin has settled into a slow but steady pace as he drives the Jeep around the lot in a wide circle, over and over again until Levi begins to get motion sickness. Erwin’s grinning that bright, sunshine smile of his, “Look, Levi! I’m driving!”

Levi snorts, “Like a fucking senior citizen but yeah, you’re driving alright.” 

Erwin is far too proud of himself, “I think I’m ready for the highway!”

Levi chuckles, “Relax there, Spongebob. You’ll get there soon enough.” 

By the time the sun sits low in the sky, Erwin parks the Jeep in one of the many open spots while he and Levi jam themselves in the back seat. Levi is straddling Erwin as the two commence to stick their tongues down each other's throats. Erwin’s hands go up Levi’s sides, making their way up his black crewneck. Novembers in California are rigidly cold, and the sun sets well before 5pm but the inside of the Jeep is warm, almost stuffy with the heat of their bodies. 

Levi doesn’t understand how Erwin’s hands are so damn warm. He’s like a personal twenty-four-hour heater but Levi doesn’t mind it one bit. He runs extremely cold. So cold that the tips of his fingertips are like little icicles, prickling Erwin’s cheeks. Erwin doesn’t seem to mind; Levi’s cool skin feels so good against his heated cheeks. 

Erwin moans softly against Levi’s mouth, “What time do you have to be home?”

Levi doesn’t stop kissing him, and instead, answers him in between kisses, “What--do--you--mean?”

“Will you get in trouble if you get home late?” 

Levi scoffs softly, “Why would I?”

“It’s a school night.” Erwin pulls his head back, resting it against the headrest of the backseat. His brows narrow, “Won’t your parents be mad at you?” 

“Not really.” Levi answers, “Why? Does your old man give you a bedtime?”

Erwin snorts, “No.” He avoids Levi’s gaze, and his hands continue to grip onto his hips, “As long as I get home before ten. I don’t think my dad would even notice honestly.” 

Levi cocks his head a little and sits back on Erwin’s lap. “Something botherin’ you, Blondie?” 

Erwin’s eyes study something outside the window and after a short moment, he answers, “I think my dad’s seeing someone…”

Levi’s lips part, “Oh. Shit.” 

Levi doesn’t know much about Erwin’s Dad, he has yet to meet the man but knows that he’s a widower and a bit protective over Erwin due to the trauma of the accident that took his wife’s life. Alas, by the tone of Erwin’s voice, it sounds like this is the first time his father has tried dating since the death of his mother. 

“Does that bother you?” 

Erwin shrugs, “I don’t know…I mean, I don’t think it should, you know?” He turns his head to meet Levi’s gaze. “It’s just that…” He scrunches his face a little, “It's just weird. I didn’t think he’d ever move on from my mom, but I’ve noticed that he’s been getting pretty chummy with one of his colleagues. She’s nice and all but like I said, it’s just different…” 

Levi nods, “I’m sure it is.” 

“I don’t think I can ever replace my mom.” 

Levi notices the tears growing in Erwin’s precious blues and he feels his stomach twist. He gently cups his face in his hands and turns his head so he’s looking right at him, “Hey, no one is ever going to replace your mom. You got that?” 

“But--”

Levi shakes his head, “No buts, I mean that.” Levi’s expression softens, “Trust me…I know how you feel.” 

Erwin sits up so he’s just at Levi’s eye level, “You do?” 

Levi nods. He clears his throat, “Um, well, you do know I’m adopted, right?” He peeks nervously at Erwin. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Levi knows that. He supposes its childhood trauma from his classmates picking fun at him for having a mom in heaven. Young children can be so cruel. 

But not Erwin. He’s looking at Levi with the softest gaze, “I was wondering why your mom looked a lot different in person than she did in the picture in your room.” He bites back his sweet smile and Levi laughs lightly.

“Yeah, sorry I didn’t clear that up sooner.” 

Erwin shakes his head, “That’s alright. You don’t owe me anything, Levi. You’re allowed to keep things to yourself until you’re ready to trust me with them.”

Levi feels his entire body go warm as his stomach flips at the same time his heart skips a beat. How can anyone be so perfect and kind and understanding? It's unreal. Sometimes Levi is convinced that Erwin isn’t real. That there’s a sick part in his twisted mind that made him up, that made everything up and that he’s currently sitting by himself in an empty car, talking to thin air. But that can’t be because Erwin is very much real . Levi feels the heat radiating from his body and can feel the steady rhythm of his beating heart beneath the palm of his hand. Erwin Smith is very much real. Just like Levi’s feelings for him. 

Levi looks down to Erwin’s chest where his hand rests, “Thanks, Blondie. I appreciate that.” 

“Would you like to talk about it?” 

Levi hums and then he nods, “My biological mother died when I was very little. She was sick. Cancer. I don’t remember much of it, just the hospital stays.” Levi takes a deep breath. Erwin could tell it was hard for him to talk about it, “It was just the two of us. After she died…her brother took me for a while.” 

Erwin can hear his voice wavering as if he’s trying to reel in his emotions. He grabs Levi’s hand and kisses his sweet fingers, “It’s okay.” He reassures him, “Take your time.” 

Levi smiles softly and nods. He takes a quick moment to recollect his thoughts. He looks down at his palm where he has the burn mark from the car lighter in Kenny’s car, “I feel like my mind blocked a lot of it out. I don’t think it was the best situation and then my parents came and took me. My dad, he’s my mama’s cousin. I guess he and my mom had been trying to get custody of me.”

“I’m glad they did.” Erwin speaks up as he plays with Levi’s fingers and kisses them again, “I’m glad family took you into a better place and gave you a good life. You deserve it, Levi.” 

“You think so? I haven’t been the best fuckin’ kid.” 

Levi knows that’s true. He spent a great time of his teenage years getting drunk and into fights. He’s caused his parents great worry and multiple sleepless nights. The look on their faces when they were told Levi would get expelled for fighting in school still haunts him. Even though he still drinks and has no issues bashing in the face of homophobic assholes, Levi knows he’s not as bad as he used to be before he was homeschooled for Junior year. He’s just grateful his parents didn’t disown him. He’s not even biologically their kid but they treat him as if he were. 

“Your parents love you regardless. I can tell.” Erwin remembers Halloween and how warm and welcoming the Ackermans were. They don’t treat Levi any differently than they treat Mikasa. They love them both the same. 

Levi’s smiling. He leans in and softly kisses Erwin’s lips. When he pulls away, he looks a little calmer, “So, yeah. I know how you feel. I never wanted to replace my Mama. I still don’t but my mom is also the best fuckin’ Mom in the world. The night they brought me home, I was filthy and covered in lice. She gave me a warm bath and stayed up with me all night. She wasn’t afraid of catching my lice or showing me affection. Sounds sappy--” He shrugs meekly, “But she holds her own place in my heart or whatever.” He blushes deeply with that pouty little frown of his.

Erwin bites back his smile, “Aw, Wevi .” 

“Don’t call me that.” Levi laughs. 

“Sorry.” Erwin chuckles.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that no one can take your mom’s place, you giant fuckin’ nerd. But it's okay to make room for someone new. I’m not saying precisely this new woman but maybe one day, if it ever comes to it. You’re allowed to.” 

Erwin looks into Levi’s eyes, feeling that fuzzy warmth overtake his chest. He wants to tell Levi so bad. Tell Levi how he really feels about him. How he’s the only person he thinks about 24/7. How every time they’re together, his heart feels like it’ll burst to pieces. How when they’re apart, it's even worse. Erwin opens his mouth to speak but the fear overtakes him and he second guesses himself. 

He clears his throat, “Thanks, I needed to hear that.” 

Levi scoffs, “Yeah, whatever.” 

Erwin sits up again and kisses Levi’s plump cheek, “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that.” 

Levi frowns, “Don’t get all sappy on me…” He huffs and then adds, “You nerd.” But Erwin just laughs and wraps his arms around him, holding him close and never wanting to let him go. 

“You like nerds.” He teases, looking to meet Levi’s gaze underneath those silky strands.

Levi huffs, blushing profusely. “And? What are you gonna do about it?”

Erwin bites his bottom lip and leans in closer, “I can show you...” 

Levi turns to look at him with those shining silver eyes and those blushing cheeks. “Explain quantum physics to me.” He blurts out. 

Erwin is taken completely by surprise, “W-what?” He pauses and blinks, deeply confused. 

Levi grabs him by the cheeks and kisses him deeply, “Hurry, tell me.” 

Erwin’s voice is muffled beneath Levi’s hungry kisses as he falls back against the seat. His hands go up Levi’s crewneck once more, losing himself in Levi’s warmth and taste as Levi unbuckles his belt. “Levi…” he whispers.

“It better be physics.” Levi pulls away, his hands leave Erwin’s jeans unbuckled and unbuttoned. .

“I can do you one better.” Erwin says, a little out of breath.

“What is it?” 

“Have you ever played Skyrim?” 

Levi pushes back, looking at Erwin skeptically. All the windows of the Jeep are fogged up and it feels stuffy inside despite the crisp night cold creeping in. “Well, shit.” 

The last days of the week dragged on for Erwin, but it is finally Friday night and the start of their mini break. Even though Erwin is constantly floating in a love haze of pure teenage love, being apart from Levi sets his feet back upon reality and time goes by so slowly. They each had plans with their friend groups that evening; Erwin’s plans were simple. Just a board game night at Moblit’s. Levi mentioned hanging out at Mike’s place for a while and then heading home. 

Erwin snuggles under the covers with his manga, cozy and ready to relax for the night; he misses Levi but knows some time apart won’t kill them. They have the following week off for the upcoming holiday and they have planned to spend almost every single day together. Erwin cannot wait to sleep in and see his boyfriend as much as he wants to without school in the way. He uses his Hello Kitty plush to prop his head up a bit and cracks his manga open. He’s been meaning to catch up on this one in particular but had not gotten around to do so. 

Erwin gets more than halfway through his manga and by the time it reaches a little past midnight, he’s almost completely dozed off. A knock on his window rouses him awake. Erwin’s eyes slowly open and blink, trying to process where the sound is coming from. 

Knock! Knock!

At first, he thinks it's coming from his door, but it isn’t. It’s coming from the window.

Erwin sits straight up and listens intently. 

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Erwin’s heart jumps out of his chest, and he panics, kicking the blankets off himself. He loses his footing and falls off the bed, landing on the floor with a heavy thud! “Crap!” He groans in pain and hurries to his closet where he pulls out a katana replica, unsheathing it to use as a weapon for self-defense. Erwin is determined not to die in his underwear. 

The knocking continues followed by a low voice hissing his name.

“Psst! Erwin!” 

Erwin pauses, recognizing the voice, “Levi?” He hurries to the window and pulls back his drapes to see Levi behind the glass window. He’s crouched on the roof of his house like the perfect night visitor. “Levi!” 

“Open up, Blondie. C’mon, it's cold as shit out here.” 

Erwin drops the Katana and quickly opens the latch to the window and pushes it upward. Levi drops into the room like a stealthy black cat and shivers when his body meets the delicious warmth of Erwin’s room. The heater is definitely on and it feels amazing. “Fuckin’ hell, dude. Were you asleep?” 

“Levi, what are you doing here?” Erwin counters, shutting the window again. He listens for just a moment to make sure that his dad didn’t hear anything, but his voice never comes. He must have fallen asleep watching his documentaries with Peach downstairs. 

“I missed--” Levi pauses and notices the Katana on the carpet, “Is that a fucking sword?” 

“You scared me. I thought you were the Nightstalker.” Erwin leans down to pick up the Katana, places it in its sheath and sets it aside. 

“Isn’t that guy dead?” 

Erwin grabs Levi’s wrist and pulls him into a hug, kissing the top of his head, “Why didn’t you text me? I would have opened the front door for you.” He feels Levi’s arms slowly wrap themselves around him and he takes a deep breath. 

Erwin smells perfect. Like home. 

“Mmm.” Levi hums, burying his face in Erwin’s sturdy chest. He’s always been curious as to how much more Erwin will fill out as he grows older. He can already imagine the hunk of a tall man he will be one day, “I thought this was better.” 

Erwin chuckles and kisses his temple that time, “You’re going to fall and break an arm if you’re not careful.” 

Levi steps out of his arms, “Yeah, yeah.” 

His eyes fall down to Erwin’s shirt. The shirt itself looks a little small, like Erwin is quickly growing out of it. It has multiple gaming console controllers on it and reads “choose your weapon”. Aside from the shirt, Erwin is only wearing a pair of olive-green boxer shorts that hug his junk and his thick thighs perfectly. Levi looks like he froze and is in the process of loading. 

Erwin tilts his head, his blond hair is washed, dried and fluffy, “You okay?” He looks so fucking scrumptious.

Levi snaps out of it and stutters, “Nice shirt.” He teases him. 

Erwin looks down at his shirt and blushes deeply, “I wasn’t expecting any company to be quite honest.” He crosses his arms, “Besides, I’m not the one that just fell through a window.” 

Levi scoffs, “I didn’t fall.” He notices the manga on the bed and picks it up, “Is this one of your BLs?” He questions Erwin. 

Erwin quickly snatches the manga from Levi, “No!” He lowers his voice down from a whisper, “Where did you learn what that is?” 

Erwin is absolutely panicked, and Levi can’t help but to tease him, “I think you forget that Google is free, Genius.” 

Erwin’s shoulders slump and his cheeks turn a little red, “Oh, right.” 

“It’s fine, Blondie.” Levi plunks down on Erwin’s bed, picking up the Hello Kitty plush in his hands, “I don’t care if you read porn or smut or whatever you call it.” 

Erwin frowns, a little offended but very frazzled, “It’s not porn…” He averts his gaze as his face turns even redder, “Not always anyhow.” 

Levi leans back on the bed, resting his elbows on the comforter. He looks Erwin right in the eyes, “That’s a shame.” 

The manga slips from Erwin’s hand and drops onto the floor. Levi’s eyes follow it and then make their way up Erwin’s strong legs, noticing the tiny tent that’s being pitched in his boxer briefs. Levi chews the inside of his cheek. If Erwin wanted, he would let him fuck him then and there. No hesitation. 

“You look really nice in my bed.” Erwin says, the shyness leaving his voice. 

“That right?” 

Erwin nods and gulps. Levi looks like a dream come true dressed in black from head to toe. He’s wearing the vintage leather jacket his biological mother passed down to him and an all-black pair of suede lace up Creepers. Even his socks and his freshly painted nail polish are black. He looks so damn hot, and Erwin can barely function. 

Levi tosses the Hello Kitty plush aside and cocks his head, “Then why are you just standing there?”

Erwin is on him in a millisecond, lips crashing together for the hundredth time that week alone. He perches himself on top of Levi, overpowering him with his large size. Levi is practically buried beneath him and lets out a moan when he feels Erwin’s semi hard cock brush against his lower belly. 

“Eager?” Levi asks in between kisses. 

“It's been forever since I last saw you.” Erwin says as if he’s a man that hasn’t taken a breath. Desperate. Eager. Ready to please. 

His lips make their way down Levi’s neck and to the crook in between his neck and shoulder. Levi tilts his head slightly, biting his lip at the heavenly feel of Erwin’s touch. The guy is an absolute nerd, but he learns quickly, and Levi is already unraveling in his hands. 

“Lee?”” Erwin pauses for a moment, the expression on his face looks conflicted and he says Levi’s name ever so softly. Almost like he’s second guessing himself. 

“Yeah?”

Erwin beats around the bush, “You’ve never-- uh, well, um--”

“Out with it, Blondie.” Levi isn’t patient. He’s rock hard and wants Erwin to keep touching him. 

Erwin almost stutters on his words, “You said you’ve never-- never gone all the way. I’m sorry if that’s too personal of a question. Actually, I don’t even think that counts as a question--” Erwin rambles on, unable to stop himself, “What I mean is--”

Levi laughs that precious laugh of his that only Erwin himself can bring out. “Easy there, dork. You’ll blow that big brain of yours.” 

“Sorry.” Erwin looks at him sheepishly, “I guess it's something kind of intimate and I don’t…I don’t want to offend you.” 

Levi sits up a little as Erwin sits back on the bed. By his expression and tone, this is serious, “ You won’t offend me, you big dork. Now, spill.” 

“I remember you said that you’ve never really gone all the way before.” Erwin steals small glances at him. Even his ears are turning red and Levi can’t help but to smile softly at him with a look of pure adoration. Can Erwin “polite as fuck” Smith possibly get any sweeter? 

“Yeah and what of it?” 

Erwin looks away, turning even redder. “Well, I thought…I guess I wanted to know what kind of stuff you’re comfortable with doing. I don’t want to do anything that might offend you or you might not be okay with.” 

Levi raises his brow at him, a teasing smirk brushes his lips, “Are you trying to pop my cherry, big guy?” 

Erwin turns to him immediately, “What? Levi? I-- no ! I mean, Yes ! I want to, I would love to--no, what I’m trying to say is that--” 

“Breathe.” Levi reminds him. 

Erwin takes a deep breath and exhales. “I just want to know what I can do to make you happy.” 

Levi places his hand on Erwin’s, “You dummy. You already make me happy.” Now Levi’s the one blushing. 

Erwin smiles, “Really?”

Levi rolls his eyes, “Yes, you giant sap. You do.” 

“Well,” Erwin bites his bottom lip, “I also want to know what I can do to make you feel good.” He flashes those baby blues at Levi. 

Levi is frozen still, holding on to that lovely gaze he adores so much. There are dozens of tiny versions of himself running havoc in his brain, bumping into one another and setting fires, panic and chaos. All he can do is blink and all he can hear is the loud thumping of his heart in his ears. What did Levi ever do in his life to deserve Erwin “I want to treat you good” Smith?

“Levi?” Erwin waves his hand in front of him and laughs lightly, “You good?”

Levi snaps out of it and clears his throat, “Y-yeah, I’m good. What…what do you want to know?” Adam's apple bounces as he gulps. 

Erwin sits down on the bed and crosses his long legs. “Like…” 

Levi chuckles, “Blondie, we’ve sucked each other off before, stop being so damn shy.” 

Erwin is stumped by Levi’s sudden boldness. Talk of sex doesn’t tend to make him blush. It’s tenderness and honesty that renders Levi as red as a beet. 

“I’m a grown man. I can do this.” Erwin hypes himself up and Levi rolls his eyes. 

“Oh yeah, grown man for sure.” Levi deadpans. Erwin says it as if he’s forty years old with a mortgage and two kids. 

The joke flies over Erwin’s head and he nods, “Thanks, Levi.”

Levi massages his temple, reminding himself to be patient. It’s like Erwin’s brain is filled with so much knowledge that it threw out his common sense to make room. 

Levi just picks up his head and smiles, “Sure thing, ya dork.” 

“What I’m trying to say is that I want to learn about you in an intimate sense.”

“So you want to know what turns me on?” 

Erwin blushes and clears his throat. He nods. 

Levi stares at him. Doesn’t Erwin realize that he is what turns him on? Everytime he rants about Tudor times or how the Vikings discovered America long before Columbus did, Levi pops a boner. He loves Erwin’s intelligence and his dorky way of talking. His know-it-all tone makes Levi want to bite his lip and shut him up with a kiss. It’s all so endearing. How he’s so intelligent yet so dumb at the same time. And he’s kind. He’s so sweet and kind and thoughtful that it genuinely pains Levi to see others mock him the way they do. Erwin doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment. He deserves the world. He deserves every good thing the universe has to offer. He deserves it more than anyone else. 

“I want to know what things you like so I can do them for you…” He massages his chin pensively, “If you’re not ready to um, you know, go all the way and stuff. I don’t want to pressure you or anything.”

Levi smiles tenderly at him, “Thanks, I appreciate that, Blondie.” 

Erwin returns the smile, “Of course!” He shrugs, “I just want you to be happy.”

Levi leans in, smiling softly as his lips hover over Erwin’s, “I am happy. You make me happy.” 

“I do?” Erwin whispers, distracted by Levi’s closeness.

“For a smart guy, you’re an idiot.” Levi grabs him by the dress shirt and pulls him in for a kiss. 

Their kiss is soft and gentle at first as they savor one another for what must be the hundredth time but it always feels like the first. Levi’s grip on Erwin’s dorky shirt tightens as he pulls Erwin onto him, the both of them moving onto the middle of the bed, right on Erwin’s pillows. 

“You make me so fucking happy, you fucking dingus.” Levi breathes in between kisses. Just as he says those words, Erwin rolls his hips against him and Levi moans. 

Erwin pulls away just a little to look Levi in the eyes, “You make me happy too.” 

Levi’s lips part and his eyes widen in pure wonder. “You mean that?”

“Was Julius Caesar stabbed twenty-three times?” 

Levi frowns, confused, “What?”

“Yes, Levi, he was.” Erwin nods gravely. 

Levi realizes what he means and grabs his face in his hands, “You ass, just say yes .” He kisses Erwin again, deeper, desperate to feel him and to taste him. 

“Okay, yes . I mean that.” 

Levi can’t help but to smile, “I like when you talk smart.” 

“Oh, yeah?” Erwin’s hands go up Levi’s sides, “What else do you like?”

“I like when you say ‘well, actually’ in that infuriating-know-it-all tone of yours.”

“I do that?” Erwin pauses but Levi is too far gone now. 

He kisses Erwin’s neck, leaving small dainty kisses all the way up to his jaw. “I like when you order me around, I like it when you call me a good boy--” He kisses Erwin’s lips again, “And I like it when you say my name right before you ramble on about some random ass historical fact.” 

Erwin laughs, “I knew you liked being called a good boy.” 

Levi pulls away to catch his gaze again, “Only when you say it.” 

Erwin looks surprised but then his eyes soften and he grabs Levi’s chin, lifting his face just a little. His other hand is placed upon the bed, holding himself up so he doesn’t crush him. “Is that right?” 

Levi notes the change in his tone and his stomach flips. “Yeah.” Levi says and it almost sounds like a challenge. 

“Can you be a good boy for me right now?” 

Levi feels himself melt against the pillows. Holy fuck, Smith, you’re going to be the end of me . “Y-yeah. I can be good for you.” 

Chapter Text

Levi feels like he’s walking in a dream. He must be dreaming; he has to be. This cannot be real; his teenage mind has him half convinced. If it wasn’t for the warmth of Erwin’s body radiating like the rays of the sun, burning against him, Levi would swear that it's all a dream. 

His cheeks blush so sweetly and his lips part, a word hangs mid-tongue but not quite strong enough to be vocal. He watches the way Erwin smiles at him. It’s mischievous and new and it makes Levi ache from the inside out. His toes stretch and clench and a thrill shoots through his entire body; it's exhilarating the way Erwin makes him feel. He’s never had any other boy make him feel the way this one does. 

Perhaps that’s why Levi’s mind has him half convinced that this is all a dream. Intimacy with another person has never interested him. Sure, he’s kissed boys before but that was it. There was never a desire to go any further than that. But Erwin is different. Erwin makes him feel things he never thought himself capable, things he never desired until now.

Levi cannot explain it, but he feels it so strongly in his chest. He wants to speak words he can’t even make sense of, he wants to tell Erwin things that he isn’t even sure how to communicate in the first place. It’s like he’s trying to speak a language unknown to him. His mind is screaming but his tongue can’t make sense of anything. 

Levi feels his body melt against the pillows, burying himself in Erwin’s scent. From behind Erwin, he can make out his bookcases filled with manga and multiple robot-like collectibles Erwin calls “mecha” or “Gundams” or something along those lines. Levi recalls hearing him rant on about some anime called “Evangelion” or something of the sort. Levi can’t quite recall but his room has many of these mecha, including that pink one from the Overwatch game. They stand proudly on his desk and then on his nightstand. 

Erwin is such a fucking nerd with his mecha toys and his gaming shirt that is already too small for him. Levi wonders when Erwin exactly hit that growth spurt of his that made him shoot out like a weed, or has he always been a tall kid? Blond head bobbing above the rest. Levi has so many questions and he’s unsure of why the curiosity hits him now. Perhaps because it's just the two of them caught in a quiet, intimate moment. Perhaps because the look in Erwin’s eyes is so vulnerable that he will spill any truths Levi asks of him. 

Alas, Levi feels it in his gut that they have time. That the summers of their young lives are just beginning, and they have all the time in the world to figure each other out. Little by little, like the growth of a sprout. 

Levi feels himself being consumed by that sweet, blue gaze that watches him so lovingly. Levi touches Erwin’s cheek, Holy fuck, Smith, you’re going to be the end of me. Truer words have never been spoken. Levi can’t deny himself that fact. 

But despite Erwin’s nerdy room and that silly shirt he’s wearing, his tone of voice is husky, deep and somewhat demanding. Levi feels overpowered by him and he loves it. He’ll do anything Erwin wants. Anything, anything. 

“Can you be a good boy for me now?” 

“Y-yeah. I can be good for you.” Levi nods slowly, transfixed by Erwin’s entire presence. 

“Good.” Erwin smirks a little. He takes Levi’s hand and places it on his crotch, “I want you to show me what makes you feel good.” 

Levi feels the size of the tent he’s pitching, and his jeans do absolutely nothing to hide it. He feels embarrassed suddenly, as if he’s never boldly dropped to his knees to whip Erwin’s dick out in the privacy of a restroom stall at school. Even then, Levi’s never been so bold and brash before. Erwin has been his first for everything but a first kiss. He just nods and follows directions, using both hands to pull down his pants while he does his best to hide his blushing cheeks.

Levi’s not sure why he’s so shy all of a sudden. Just moments ago, he was feeling dominant and sly as he flirted with Erwin while he laid back on that messy bed of his. Now he feels clumsy and bashful. 

Meanwhile, Erwin looks down, patiently waiting for Levi to pull down his boxer briefs next. Levi mentally thanks himself for wearing a nice, black pair instead of the ones with the rubber ducks that his mom bought because she thought they were cute. He pulls them down and then kicks them off the best he can while Erwin slightly hovers over him, watching his every move. Levi’s dick springs up, twitching with anticipation and the look on Erwin’s face is to die for. Erwin’s cheeks brush with a light crimson and suddenly he looks like a kid in a candy store, starstruck and unsure of where to even begin. 

Levi feels a little self-conscious. He knows he’s a lot smaller than Erwin in both weight and size and Erwin’s dick is a lot bigger than his. His size is fine, it’s Erwin that is above average and Levi’s never cared about that until this moment. The light of the room feels blinding and he feels like a stack of ribs, served on a silver platter. 

However, all his doubts and second guesses are blown out the window when Erwin speaks in awe, “Wow, Levi. You’re perfect.” His blue gaze cascades down Levi’s naked frame, eating him whole with his eyes alone. Levi notices the way Erwin’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows nervously. 

Levi chuckles nervously but he tries to hide it, trying to play it off as cool, “Yeah? What do you think, big guy?” His silver eyes flicker down to Erwin’s massive erection. 

Erwin does a double take at his own boxer briefs and bites his bottom lip, looking so precious with that freckled face of his, “Yeah, it’s what I think.” he leans closer, “Now tell me, what do you like? I want to know.”

Levi gently clears his throat, catching Erwin’s attention, “I like…fingers.” He averts his eyes, too embarrassed all of a sudden, “Inside.” 

The tips of Erwin’s fingers brush against the soft puckered skin between Levi’s peachy cheeks. It's such an intimate part of him and Erwin can see it written on Levi’s face in brilliant crimson. 

“Guide me.” Erwin tells him gently, “I want to do it right.” 

Levi nods and leans over to the floor where he picks up his jacket and reaches into the interior pocket. “I brought you something.” 

Erwin smiles excitedly, “Really?” 

Levi pulls out a tiny bottle of lube and tosses it to Erwin. Erwin catches it, “What is this?” He looks over the label. Confusion clouds his expression for only a short moment. 

“Not fucking Jergens.” Levi chuckles teasingly. 

Erwin sits back, frowning at the tiny bottle. He’s seen lube before and owned it but the mention of Jergens offends him but a tiny bit, “What’s wrong with Jergens?” He looks up at Levi with a raised brow. 

“I don’t think it was intended to moisturize the inside of your ass.” Levi laughs lightly. 

Erwin’s frown deepens just a bit but only in slight embarrassment. Sometimes one just works with what they have and Jergens has never done him wrong, “I suppose not.”

Levi helps him open the bottle and applies a bit of lube to Erwin’s fingers, “One at a time.” He instructs, “Have you ever…done this?” 

Erwin looks at him, “To myself or to someone else?” 

Levi frowns next. Just the thought of Erwin doing something so intimate with someone else makes his stomach boil and churn with jealousy. He knows he shouldn’t feel this way, but he can’t help it. The thought alone makes him rather angry. 

He shouldn't even ask but the words are out of his mouth before he can stop himself, “Both.” 

Erwin chuckles, “I think you forgot who I am and what I look like.” 

Levi keeps his frown, the lube is dripping from Erwin’s fingers, but it's forgotten for now, “What do you mean?” 

“Levi, if you haven’t already noticed, I’m the school’s laughingstock. Everyone thinks I’m a loser nerd. Before you, I’ve never--”

Levi places his finger on Erwin’s lips, “Stop. Don’t fucking talk about yourself like that.” 

Erwin’s expression saddens. He grabs Levi’s hand with his own lube-free one and kisses it, “Only you think that but be honest. The rest of the school--”

“The rest of the school can go fuck themselves.” Levi sits up; he’s fuming already, “They’re fucking idiot assholes who don’t know the difference between their head and their ass.”

“Levi--”

“No, fuck that. You’re intelligent as hell and you’re the most handso--” He stops himself when he realizes what he’s ranting about; his face turns completely red.

Erwin perks up at this and smiles teasingly at him, “Were you going to say handsome?”

God, Erwin’s shit eating grin is so unbearable yet adorable and Levi wants to squish it with his hand. “No, shut up.” 

“Yeah, you were.” 

“Get bent.” Levi rolls his eyes. 

Erwin laughs delighted with Levi’s precious, flushed expression and kisses him, “Thank you.” 

“Yeah, you’re not welcome or whatever.” Levi huffs and puffs but his cheeks are still aflame with a crimson blush that goes all the way down to his chest. 

“Anyway, to answer your question, I haven’t done this at all. Not even with myself if I’m being honest.” 

“Really?” Levi is genuinely surprised. “But you read those BLs?”

Erwin frowns immediately as if Levi just insulted his mother, “What? What’s that have to do with-- I already told you it isn’t smut--” Erwin stutters over his words.

“Dude, I already told you I don’t care if you read that stuff.” 

“But I don’t--” Erwin stops himself, knowing that Levi is just fucking with him. He sighs softly, “Anyway, I’m new to this.” 

“You haven’t explored with yourself? Like in the shower or anything?” 

Erwin thinks about it, “I mean in the past I’ve tried but I always get nervous to put something…” he clears his throat. 

“Up your ass?” Levi says it so easily. Erwin stutters and Levi laughs, “Sorry. I’m just teasing you.” 

“Ha-ha,” Erwin tries not to smile but fails. 

“But seriously though.”

Erwin shrugs a little, “I mean I’ve thought about it, but I never really took the initiative to do anything like that. I guess I just focused on other things that make me feel good.” 

Levi feels his stomach twirl at that, “What makes you feel good?” He asks shyly but forces his voice to sound bold. 

Erwin thinks it over, but it doesn’t take him long, “Um, well, role play is kind of hot?” 

Levi tilts his head, thinking of all the wild possibilities that come with role play. Not to mention the type of role play his nerdy boyfriend might be into, “So you’d like to see me dressed as your little mecha girl?” 

Levi lifts his hand and runs his thumb along the bottom of Erwin’s lip. Erwin’s mouth hangs wide open, and his eyes widen. Levi can see the gears turning in his head as he imagines Levi dressed like his beloved video game character. He opens his mouth to respond but no real words come out, just mumbled nonsense. 

Levi bites his bottom lip, greatly amused. You adorable fucking nerd. 

Erwin quickly gathers himself and his voice cracks. He clears his throat again and deepens his voice, “Yeah, no, I mean whatever that’s cool, whatever you want.” He tries to sound like he doesn’t care but he’s failing greatly. 

“We can role play if you think you’d like that.” Levi’s tone sounds more seductive than he meant it to, but the way Erwin’s expression changes is so worth it. 

He nods quickly, “I’d like that…sometime.” Levi is convinced his face will stay permanently red like that. “But I want to focus on you first.” 

Levi just smiles at him, “Alright Blondie, I’ll walk you through it.” He leans back down against the propped-up pillows, “Just go slow. It hurts a little at first.” 

Erwin’s eyebrows furrow, pulling his lube covered hand back, “It hurts? I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“It only hurts for a moment but then it feels good.” Levi reassures him. 

“Does it?” He’s skeptical. 

Levi nods, “Oh fuck yes, trust me.” He tilts his head slightly, looking right at those cobalt blues, “Do you? Trust me that is.” 

Erwin perks up and he answers without hesitation, “Of course I do. Do you?”

“With my life.” Levi answers and he knows it's the truth.

Erwin bites back a smile but then turns his attention back to their task at hand, not wanting to gloat at the fact that he has Levi’s trust, “Okay. Which one should I stick in first?”

Levi fights back a snort at Erwin’s choice of words and clears his throat, “Your index finger is fine.” 

Erwin nods and runs his fingers along Levi’s sensitive entrance; he’s so soft and his mere touch alone sends Levi back deeper into the pillows. A soft moan escapes him and Erwin’s dick twitches immediately. 

“Wow, Levi…” Erwin says, hovering over him, unsure of what part of him to kiss first. Those soft lips? Those precious cheeks? That cute as fuck button nose? It’s so hard to decide, “You’re so fucking cute.” 

“Look at you cursing.” Levi smirks playfully at him as he feels Erwin’s finger tease his entrance. It’s a good thing he cleaned himself extensively before he made his way over, “You’ve been practicing your dirty talk, haven’t you?” 

“Maybe just a little.” Erwin leans in and kisses Levi deeply just as his finger begins to enter him.

Levi moans into the kiss, closing his eyes and rendering himself useless and at Erwin’s mercy. “Not in the mirror, I hope.” He says when they pull apart from their kiss. 

Levi’s cheeks have turned rosy red, and his eyes are glossing over in hazy pleasure. He can already feel the sting and stretch of Erwin’s not-so-small finger and tries to imagine what the rest of him will feel like. He can feel Erwin’s huge dick slowly split him open inch by inch and by God, Levi just knows it’s going to feel so fucking good. Erwin will surely ruin him for other boys but. Levi is no longer interested in caring about other boys. Here is where he wants to be for the rest of his life. 

“Why? You wouldn’t be into that?” Erwin smiles against Levi’s lips before he kisses him again; it’s a quick wet kiss this time around but it leaves Levi’s head spinning, no less. 

Levi bites back another moan as Erwin feels him with his finger, stretching him little by little. He’s focused and determined to figure out for himself what makes Levi tick. 

 “Maybe.” 

“Oh, cool beans!” Erwin grins, excited to hear it. 

Levi shuts his eyes, trying his hardest not to lose his shit, “Fucking Christ , Erwin.” 

“What?” Erwin is genuinely confused, “Did I hurt you?” 

Levi shakes his head, “No, no, keep going.” He doesn’t want to distract Erwin now that they’re starting. The head of his cock feels heavy, like it’ll burst at any moment. He’s dripping with precum and aching to let Erwin bring him to climax. 

Before Levi knows it, Erwin is sliding the rest of his finger deep into him. It feels so good that Levi lets out a small grunt. It hurts just a bit but it's a welcoming kind of pain that sends a thrill inside of him, “Okay, that’s good.” Levi grasps Erwin’s firm shoulder, holding onto him to ground himself, “Now, slowly and gently stretch me out.” 

He says it as if Erwin hasn’t already been wiggling his finger inside of him, too excited to wait for further instructions. Alas, Erwin looks very nervous, but his throbbing boner is already threatening to pop out of their clothed prison. 

“Okay, tell me if it hurts too much.” 

Erwin pulls his finger halfway out and then pushes it back in deeper than the first time. He moves the tip of his finger, curling it forward. The tip of his finger brushes just against that sensitive spot.  Erwin’s taken back by the sultry little moan that escapes Levi’s lips. It’s loud and bounces off the walls of Erwin’s room. Both of their cheeks stain red, Erwin’s from pure excitement and Levi, from utter embarrassment. It's a first for the both of them; it's something so intimate and neither of them are sure if they’re doing it right but when Levi feels Erwin plant a kiss on his forehead, followed by sweet words of reassurance in his ear, he relaxes. 

Erwin’s breath is warm against his ear and the heat coming off his body is familiar. “You’re okay.” Erwin reassured him, “I bet that felt very good.” There’s a touch of playfulness in his voice that makes Levi’s stomach drop like the sudden fall of a rollercoaster. 

When Levi doesn’t respond right away, Erwin’s finger slows down. “You are okay, right?” Erwin is so gentle about the whole thing and Levi’s heart skips a beat. 

He nods, “Y-yeah. Don’t stop.” 

Erwin smiles gently and wiggles his finger as if he’s searching for that same spot again and sure enough, he finds it. Levi’s right, those BLs did teach him a little something even if Erwin won’t admit to it. 

He continues to please Levi, feeling the way his muscles constrict around his finger as he studies the look of pure bliss on Levi’s face. At that moment, Erwin is convinced that he’s never seen anyone or anything as beautiful as Levi. The Mona Lisa and his waifus be damned, Levi is the definition of beauty and perfection. And the best part is that he is Erwin’s . Erwin has never felt so lucky in his life. 

Well, perhaps he has. He felt lucky the day Levi defended him from Zeke after school and then asked him his name. He felt lucky the day they got partnered together in world history and he felt lucky the first time they kissed on top of Ol’ Reliable. Every moment with Levi feels like seeing a shooting star for the first time. It is its own kind of little blessing, like finding a lucky penny or calling shotgun. Erwin feels like a winner. Like the universe is finally favoring him with such a sweet blessing. 

Erwin has always wondered how falling in love for the first time would feel like and now he knows it. He has known about it for some time. He’s been figuring it out little by little along the way. In Paradis record shop, in the school's hallways, in the parking lot of an abandoned K-Mart and in empty playgrounds overshadowed by the moon’s glow. He’s got to be the luckiest boy in the world, Erwin just knows he is. He’s never been so sure about anything else in his life.  

“ Shit , Blondie.” Levi’s legs quiver when Erwin hits that specific spot again and again. 

“Am I doing a good job?” Erwin asks, hopeful and a little bit insecure. He wants to make sure he’s not letting Levi down. He would hate to be a disappointment in such a special moment between the both of them. 

Levi nods, desperate as his hips move to follow the motion of Erwin’s finger, “A plus, you nerd.” The corner of his lips tugs upward in a tiny smirk. 

Erwin grins from ear to ear. His smile is so damn blinding that Levi feels slightly overwhelmed by the grip inside his chest. That feeling is going to knock him on his ass one day, he’s sure of it. 

“Another one--” Levi breathes, “Please…” his voice is shaky, and Erwin hints a touch of desperation. 

He does as he’s told and adds a second finger. His eyes light up when he witnesses Levi’s reaction. He’s completely putty in Erwin’s hands. Those parted lips, contorted eyebrows and rosy cheeks are too much for Erwin to handle. Those desperate little moans are everything at that moment. Erwin kisses him, overpowering Levi as he continues to move his fingers inside of him. He catches the next moan in his mouth, the small vibration feeds the crazed hunger inside of him, but it isn’t enough to keep him complacent. 

Erwin tries to act cool, like the desperate sounds of his boyfriend don’t turn him on. He’s aching at this point; he can feel his dick throbbing, wanting nothing more than to pull his fingers out and replace them with his own cock. Fuck , that would feel so fucking good. Levi’s hole takes in his fingers so well, squeezing them and sucking them in. Erwin practically drools at the thought of what Levi’s ass would do with his dick. 

Erwin lets his mind wander just a little bit as he imagines pumping into Levi from the back and eliciting more of those sweet moans from him. He wants Levi to scream his name as he begs him for more. Erwin wants to grab him by that pretty little waist of his and dominate him completely. He wants to own Levi and that thought alone scares him a little. 

Erwin swallows, silent as Levi continues to writhe under his hold. Erwin doesn’t realize that the thoughts racing in his head are his kinks growing and expanding. He feels that same thrill and notion of excitement mixed with curiosity that he felt the first time he saw two men kiss. His brain assures him that this is normal, that this is the two of them finding out what they like together. Erwin isn’t blind and he sure as hell isn’t stupid. He knows Levi likes to be dominated. He knows the power he holds on to Levi when he uses a stern voice on him. He sees the way Levi’s almost permanent scowl disappears and how his furrowed brows soften. His whole expression changes and Erwin swears he can see those dark pupils dilate as if he’s under some kind of spell. 

But Levi isn’t the only one. Erwin feels it too, that fire that burns in his stomach when Levi follows his orders, when he feels him submit to him. It’s the hottest fucking thing Erwin has ever seen in his life, and he wants to see what else Levi is capable of doing under his instruction. Of course, Erwin knows there is a line and a limit. Levi’s safety and comfort come first but damn, if it isn’t exciting. He cannot wait to explore it all with Levi. 

“Oh, fuck…” The words slip out of Erwin’s lips before he knows it. 

“Erwin…” Levi whispers when he pulls away, dazed from the magic of Erwin's clumsy fingers and the hungry look in those blue eyes that Levi has become privy to. He’s not sure what’s going on inside that giant blond head but it must be a good thing. 

Erwin’s slightly pouting now; he gets a little huffy when Levi calls him by his first name but he doesn’t fuss about it at that moment, chalking it up to the severity of their actions. “Let me make you feel good.” Erwin kisses his cheek and then lowers his head, “Can I?”

Levi nods, unsure of what he means but trusting him wholeheartedly. 

Levi’s eyes then widen as he feels Erwin’s tongue travel from the base of his dick up to the slit of his head where he laps the bead of precum that has spilled over. Levi immediately digs his fingers into all that blond hair, tugging on the locks firmly but not hard enough to hurt him. 

“Oh, shit .” His head lays back on the pillow and he reminds himself to keep his voice down. 

“You’ve been such a good boy, haven’t you?” Erwin takes Levi’s shaft in his hand and gently strokes him. That fiery blue gaze flickers to study the beautiful look on Levi’s face. 

Levi moans and gives little whines as his feet slip on the bed. He tries to ground himself yet again but his efforts are useless. 

“Answer me.” Erwin urges gently as he thrusts his fingers into Levi over and over, picking up the pace and the hardness of his motions. 

“Y-yeah.” Levi bites back another loud moan, “I’ve been good.” 

“For who?” It sounds like a demand. Levi almost doesn’t recognize the tone of Erwin’s voice now. “Tell me. Who's good boy have you been, Levi?”

Levi closes his eyes and parts his lips to answer but only one single “ fuck ” of pure pleasure escapes him. But Erwin is patient, continuing to stroke Levi as he works his fingers inside of him. Levi almost sees white at the boiling hot pleasure that wracks his body.

“Y- yours .” He finally manages. 

Erwin’s eyebrows go up in surprise and he blinks, mouth slightly open. It worked, it actually worked. He’s talking dirty! (Well, what Erwin thinks is dirty talk) He beams, far too proud of himself, “Oh, neat-o!”

Levi groans, “Fucking hell.” 

He’s brought back to reality by Erwin’s inability to not say something stupid but he doesn’t want to kill the mood. His stomach is burning and he’s so damn close to the edge, he can feel it rising in his stomach. 

“Levi,” Erwin continues to please him as his mouth makes its way to Levi’s neck, suckling his skin in between kisses, “Did you know that sound travels four times faster in water than it does in air?”

Erwin recalls that Levi likes it when he talks smart. And he’s right about that. 

Levi is very confused by his choice of words but keeps himself in the moment and goes along with it, “ Nghh shit, no. I— I didn’t know that.”

“Well, it does, believe it or not.” 

“I’m gonna come.” Levi whispers and his fingers dig into Erwin’s shoulder as he bucks his hips to chase the gentle-paced movement of Erwin’s hand still stroking him. He’s desperate, so damn desperate. 

“Don’t come yet.” Erwin orders softly as he takes his both hands away. 

Levi bites back an exasperated groan and clenches his teeth in great discomfort. “Shit…” He hisses in a whisper as to not wake Erwin’s dad. The last thing he needs is the poor man to walk in on his son fingering another guy in the ass. 

“I want to try something.” Erwin, bless his heart, doesn’t realize that he practically edged Levi when he was right at the precipice. 

Annoyed, Levi bites back a few choice words, “ Please warn me next time you’re about to leave me hanging.”

“Sorry.” Erwin apologizes, looking a little sheepish, “But I can make it better.” 

Levi raises a brow, distrusting. His dick is pulsing and precum is dripping from his tip. He’s about to bust. “Oh, yeah? How?”

Erwin grabs the bottom of his shirt and pulls it over his head, tossing it to the floor. Levi’s jaw hangs midair as he gets a good look at Erwin without his shirt. His broad shoulders, his toned biceps, that wide chest…Levi gulps, biting back the urge to come at the mere sight of his shirtless boyfriend. 

“Erwin…I…” His eyes go down to Erwin’s raging tent; he’s curious as to what Erwin is implying but nervous for he has a huge hunch of what it might be. Levi will admit that he’s nervous and he might not be ready. 

Erwin kneels back a bit, averting his gaze, “Can you lay down for me?”

Levi pauses and his heart almost jumps out of his chest. “Lay down?” His voice cracks the same way it did when he was thirteen. 

“Yeah,” He nods, “On your stomach.” His gaze flickers to meet Levi’s and Levi is suddenly reminded of the mutual trust between the both of them. How could he not trust Erwin? Erwin would never cross a line Levi is not ready to cross. 

So, Levi nods and does as he’s told. He rolls onto his stomach with his legs stretched out, ass up. He hugs one of Erwin’s pillows, burying the bottom of his face into it, ready for whatever may come from behind. He can feel Erwin move about the bed as it dips to the side, following his weight. Levi peers from the corner of his eye to see Erwin’s boxer briefs fall to the floor. Levi immediately tenses and his heart bursts through his chest when he feels Erwin’s large hands grab onto his waist. 

“You’re so beautiful, Levi.” Erwin whispers into his ear before he kisses his hair, “I mean it.”

Levi blushes so hard his entire face, neck and chest turns red. Erwin must notice for he chuckles in that low, husky tone. 

“Yeah, yeah…” Levi pretends not to care but his stomach is fluttering and he wants to giddily kick his feet like an excited school boy, “Whatever. Just show me how you can make it better.”

“Can I touch you?”

“Aren’t you already?” Levi sits up on his elbows to turn around but when he does, he freezes. 

Erwin is completely naked and his erection is glistening with dripping precum. It's not the first time he’s seen Erwin’s dick and certainly not the last but he feels his mouth water and his toes curl with excitement. Fuck it, he doesn’t care about anything anymore. He doesn’t care if he wasn’t ready a minute ago, he’s ready now. Besides, losing his virginity isn’t a big deal, it shouldn’t define him and it doesn’t. Even after, he will continue to be who he is. It is with Erwin, after all. 

Levi knows how he feels about Erwin. He wouldn’t want it to be with anyone else. He notices the slight hesitation in Erwin’s eyes and nods, “Yeah, you can touch me.” 

Erwin smiles immediately, “Okay.” 

Levi lays back down and almost immediately feels Erwin’s hands grab his ass cheeks and spread them apart. Levi takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes; even though he wants Erwin’s dick so far up his ass, he’s afraid it’ll hurt as bad as people say it does. Needless to say, Levi braces himself for the impact of Erwin’s large head but it doesn’t come.

Instead, he feels Erwin’s warm breath brush the puckered skin of his asshole followed by a wet, cold sensation. 

“ Dude!” Levi squeals, digging his fingers into the pillow as he clenches his butt cheeks right in Erwin’s face. 

Erwin resurfaces, “Whoa! Hey, hey it’s okay.” 

Levi turns half-way around, “Did you just lick my ass?” 

Erwin frowns in confusion, “Yes? Is that wrong?” 

Levi’s stomach flutters again and his cheeks are permanently crimson. “No, just I didn’t know you were into that is all…I could have like—“ he shrugs, “Prepared.” 

Erwin smiles at him, biting back a little laugh, “You’re not a glazed ham, Lee. You don’t have to prepare yourself for me.” 

Levi sighs, “Sometimes the things you say just—“ 

Erwin chuckles, “Can I finish my meal or?”

Steam practically comes out of Levi’s ears, “ Dude --”

But his words are cut short when Erwin dives back down and runs his tongue from his balls all the way to the middle of his ass. Levi lets out another uncontrolled whimper, burying his face back into Erwin’s pillow where his scent is mouthwatering and overwhelming. 

The feeling of Erwin’s cold tongue slowly turns warm as he continues to work away, digging his thick fingers into Levi’s cheeks to spread him wide open. Levi has no clue where the hell Erwin picked this up. 

He went from “guide me” to “I own you” and Levi fucking loves it. He feels Erwin’s tongue tease the furl of his entrance and slowly dips inside to have a taste. Levi is embarrassed but Erwin says nothing, just continues to eat away like a starved man. 

“Shit, fuck--” Levi moans soft and pliant into the pillow, grasping the sheets in his tight grasp. He squirms onto his knees and Erwin follows him, sucking away at the inside of his ass so hard the Levi sees stars. 

His hands massage and squeeze his cheeks, holding him steady as he kisses and bites his sensitive skin. Levi loses all shame and pushes his ass further into Erwin’s face, losing himself in the feeling. His own hand makes its way to his cock, grasping his shaft and pumping himself. 

“Mmm, “ Erwin moans, his voice muffled when--

           KNOCK! KNOCK! 

“Son! You awake?”

Levi and Erwin immediately freeze. Levi cringes in pure pain as he’s once again blue balled. Erwin pulls his face out of Levi’s ass; his cheeks are ruddy, his hair is a mess and his lips and chin are covered in spit and left over lube, “Uh-- yes!” 

“You okay in there?” 

He looks around his room, thinking of an excuse to give his father but all he sees is Levi with his rosy butt cheeks and alarmed expression. Thankfully Erwin remembered to lock the door or Levi would be scrambling out through the window like a cat getting a bath. 

Erwin stares at Levi’s ass and blurts out, “I’m eating a snack!” 

Levi glares at him, mouth wide open. He quietly smacks Erwin in the arm, cursing at him from under his breath. 

“Ow!” Erwin mouths silently, grimacing at the sting of Levi’s unwarranted hit. 

His father is quiet, “Oh, alright well, just don’t leave any crumbs in your bed. That’s how you get ants.” 

Erwin clears his throat, “Ok, I won’t.” 

“Goodnight, son. Sweet um…dreams.” 

Erwin hears his father sigh, knowing more than well that his son is up to no good in his room. Alas, his father probably just thinks that he’s watching porn on his computer again. He is a teenage boy after all, but since he’s eighteen, there isn’t much he can do about it. And Erwin would rather have his father believe that he’s watching porn than eating his boyfriend’s ass in his bed. The both of them are butt-ass naked, dicks once erect but now dying from the shock they just received. 

Erwin stands from the bed and tiptoes to the door, gently placing his ear against it. He waits for a moment and then sighs when he hears the door to his father’s bedroom down the hall close. Erwin slumps his shoulders, relieved, “He’s gone.”

“Won’t he hear us?”

“Right.” Erwin goes to his computer and turns on the screen. He double clicks on a little black and green icon and his playlist pops out. Levi watches as he scrolls through a list of songs and the next thing he knows, Sonne by Rammstein is playing on low volume through the room. It isn’t loud enough to wake his father but loud enough to cover the sounds coming from his room.

“There.” Erwin announces proudly, happy with his choice. When he turns around, Levi is hiding beneath his comforter. Angry sterling eyes popping out, pout hidden. Those perfectly shaped brows of his form an adorable little glare. 

“Romantic.” Levi teases. 

Erwin shrugs and goes to the bed; his dick only half erect now. He crawls on the bed and brings the comforter down from Levi’s face, “You okay?”

Levi studies Erwin’s expression. His eyes are genuine and filled with concern. Levi is okay if he’s being honest. Only his pride is hurt and the inside of his ass cheeks are covered in drool but he’s fine. He bites back a smile, “It's never a dull moment with you, is it?”

Erwin laughs lightly, keeping his voice down, “That was scarier than any of the mazes at Horror Nights.”

“ Tch . You’re telling me.” 

Erwin raises his hand and places his palm on Levi’s cheek, brushing a tiny feather from his pillow away with his thumb. He smiles so lovingly at Levi that Levi feels his heart accelerate in his chest and his stomach twirls. He cannot believe Erwin’s dorky ass has him so sprung. It's truly amazing but Levi’s happy about it. He moves his head towards Erwin’s hand and kisses it. 

“You don’t have to leave, do you?” Erwin asks, saddening at the thought. 

He swears that every moment he has to live without Levi is so excruciatingly painful.