
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/1778950.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Choose_Not_To_Use_Archive_Warnings, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Shingeki_no_Kyojin_|_Attack_on_Titan
  Relationship:
      Armin_Arlert/Levi
  Character:
      Armin_Arlert, Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin)
  Additional Tags:
      rivarmin_-_Freeform, archou
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-06-13 Completed: 2014-06-15 Chapters: 3/3 Words: 7151
****** Slowly, Then All At Once ******
by irradiations
Summary
     After a mission to retake Shingashina ends in injury, Levi finds
     himself befriended and cared for by Armin Arlert. Their relationship
     develops into something much more, slowly, then all at once.
     [For the Rivarmin Fest on Tumblr]
***** #1 - Quiet *****
There was a silent, thick snow falling over the world. It muffled every sound,
until Levi wasn’t entirely convinced that he hadn’t gone completely deaf.
Heavy, wet flakes drifted down onto his cloak, which he tugged more tightly
around himself as he crossed the courtyard, glancing up at the window of the
room he was aiming to reach.
Erwin and the other squad leaders had spent a lot of time putting together the
plan they would be enacting that morning. With defenses at the walls now
reduced, public opinion was turning onto the military branches, and with Annie
Leonhardt still in her crystal tomb, the Survey Corps had to recover some
ground or they’d find themselves disbanded.
Levi didn’t want to guess what that would mean for his squad. Eren, Mikasa,
Armin, all the other brats, they’d be shared out between the branches and Eren
would be lucky to make his next birthday, if the Police had anything to do with
it.
They’d made the decision, given Eren’s basement key and the pressures being
placed on them, to retake Shingashina.
Levi sighed as he started up the stairs to Erwin’s office. Part of him felt
like it was suicide, but another part of him felt like they had no other
choice. He idly rubbed his eyes as he made the first landing, then he found
himself almost punching his own eye out as someone hurtled into him.
He reacted more quickly than the other and caught hold of their elbows,
blinking to clear his eyes and ascertain who it was. “Arlert?” he asked,
sounding a little sleepier than he usually liked to when dealing with the men.
“Why are you skulking around?”
Armin blinked owlishly, his whole body going stiff in Levi’s hands, and he
stuttered over a few syllables until Levi let him go. He didn’t know if Levi
had any idea how much he admired him - most people seemed to forget Armin over
Eren - nor how utterly distracting his closeness was. “I-I was… Sir.”
Levi tilted his head, then replied, “You were…?”
Armin swallowed and looked at Levi’s boots. Levi wasn’t used to looking down on
anyone, but given Armin’s slight frame, it wasn’t hard to, and he waited
patiently for the kid to find the words he was hunting for. “The Commander
asked me to come up when I woke up. He… He’s worried about Eren.”
Levi’s eyebrows raised at that, but he nodded in reply and stepped to one side
so Armin could move passed him. “Go and wake everyone. I want those horses
tacked up and all the supplies restocked. Understand?”
Armin looked down, and nodded fitfully before turning and almost scurrying
passed Levi down the set of stairs. Levi shrugged to himself, then finished
climbing the stairs and let himself into Erwin’s office.
Laid out on the table were the maps and plans they’d made when they’d been
establishing the current action they were about to undertake. Slowly, the other
Squad Leaders crept in, and altogether, they went over the plan once more,
rehearsing it time and time again to ensure they were all up to speed on every
detail, before they left the room in convoy to start preparing their horses as
well as themselves.
Armin hadn’t let Levi down. Every soldier was awake and either tacking up,
gearing up or mounting their horses, a dull silence amplified by the snow. He
found his horse, prepped and ready, checked her over, then made sure all his
gear was ready to go.
As he strapped on his scabbards, he mentally ran through the plan. It was
simple, but immensely risky. His squad, with Erwin and Mike providing back up,
was going to get Eren to the huge hole in Wall Maria—alive, hopefully. From
there, they protect Eren while he transformed into his Titan form, keeping him
safe while he blocked up the hole in the wall using a gate from a secondary
wall, while the Garrison brought down another gate to block up the newly
created hole.
That was the theory, anyway. However, between them and the hole were nearly 300
Titans. Even with the 250 strong force Erwin had brought together, Levi still
thought they were outnumbered. The death toll would be catastrophic, if the
plan even worked at all, but with the discontent stemming from the public, and
pressure from the other military branches, they had to try something, before
the Survey Corps was disbanded completely.
He swung carefully up into his saddle, checking his girth and stirrups out of
habit, and then settled himself in his seat before untying Lancet, picking up
his reins and steering her towards the five members of his squad.
Armin Arlert, Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, Jean Kirschtein and Historia Reiss.
Levi hadn’t chosen them, Erwin had, but they functioned well as a team when
they were in training together, and Levi just guided them more than anything.
Even if he frequently wanted to punch himself in the face because of how dumb
they could be.
“Good morning, Heichou,” Historia said with a polite smile, pulling her thick
cloak around herself tighter to keep the cold out. She was so slight, it was a
marvel that she hadn’t frozen to her saddle, but he noticed she was wearing
gloves and a scarf he couldn’t recall her wearing previously.
He nodded to her reply in acknowledgement, checking the others over quickly and
looking at their horses to ensure all were well. From what he could see, they
were, and he had to remind himself to trust them and their decisions. He looked
at Eren, and said, “Is everything ready?”
Eren held Levi’s stare and nodded, “Everything.”
Mikasa opened her mouth to speak, but Erwin calling for the company to move
out, obliterating whatever she had to say. It was probably a grand sweeping
statement about protecting Eren; Mikasa liked reminding him that she would
protect Eren, and usually threw in a comment that Levi wasn’t capable of doing
the same.
He held his tongue, and fell in amongst the whole company with Armin on his
right and Eren to his left. They were all supposed to just appear as one large
group, anyway, and Levi was keen they stay close to the middle to ensure no one
got picked off early.
The streets beyond the yard were lined with people. Levi’s less charitable side
reminded him that most of the people out on the pavement, watching the horses
and their riders walk by, were more interested in guessing how many of the
hundreds wouldn’t come home, rather than seeing them off safely, but many of
the younger recruits still seemed buoyed up by the perceived support.
There was no great charge like there had been for the 57th Expedition. The
gates rolled open and they trotted forward as one, every eye fixed forward on
the snowy grass beyond the Wall and the heavy, grey, leaden sky above that.
Shinganshina was roughly east of them as the crow flew, and at full gallop, it
would take them about thirteen minutes to make it to the shattered gate they
would use as their ingress.
As the last of the soldiers came through the first gate, Erwin called for a
gallop, and every horse in the company threw itself forward. Usually, there’d
have been at least a few whoops of excitement, but this time there was not a
single sound, just every horse rising through its gaits with their rider steady
on their backs.
Levi’s eyes weren’t on their destination - his horse would carry him there with
the others - but instead were fixed on the empty space either side of the whole
group. For the next few minutes, they were completely out of luck if a Titan or
two turned up.
The next minutes passed agonisingly slowly. Levi felt like the world had been
steeped in sugar, a molasses-like texture to their action as the gate seemed to
loom further and further away. Was it shrinking? It looked like it was.
The first hoofbeats to ring out in the shattered gateway of Shinganshina were
sweeter than any other sound Levi could recall hearing. However, that feeling
of hope and elation was short-lived, and before he could even begin to enjoy
the sensation, there was screaming.
Eren had fallen a little behind, dropping back with Mikasa and Jean, leaving
Levi, Historia and Armin together near the front of the line. Levi leaned out
and caught the reins of Armin’s horse, pulling both their horses up in front of
Historia’s, which caused a pile up of horses and soldiers. “Stop!” Levi looked
around for the source of the voice, almost feeling surprised at it being Jean.
“Fall ba-”
Levi leaned across and punched Jean’s shoulder hard. “If we fall back now, all
this will have been for nothing,” he hissed, turning his horse back around and
looking out at everyone. “Follow me.” He wheeled his horse in a tight circle
and aimed her at the broken gate, pushing passed the others and leading the way
through the gate.
It was a bloodbath. Could Titans lay in wait for people? Because if they could,
that’s exactly what they’d been doing. There was more blood than Levi had seen
in a while, and there were so many dead. Forty, at least, he counted in the
short span of time between passing through the gate and firing his maneuver
gear. He yelled out an order for the others in his team to follow him.
Landing on the nearest roof, he turned around to look for his men - look for
anyone. His hurried search was foiled by a 14 metre class Aberrant that crashed
through the roof of the building he was standing on. He launched off, doing
what he did best.
Killing Titans.
Although he didn’t hear Eren transform, Levi put his trust in his squad. He
knew Eren would survive, no matter what, with Mikasa by his side. Historia and
Kirschtein would be okay, he hoped, which left Arlert, who was braver and
brighter than most anyone else Levi had met.
He aimed for the shattered gate the Colossal Titan and Armoured Titan destroyed
five years previously. If the plan had succeeded, then all the others would be
headed that way as well, and the best thing he could do to help them was to
kill as many Titans on his way over there.
Levi heard the familiar sound of Eren’s Titan transformation, then he felt a
tug on his line. That momentary slip of concentration had been enough for a
passing Titan to catch his line, and before Levi could even react, he hit the
ground hard enough that the whole world went black.
                                     *~*~*
Levi’s eyes opened slowly. They stung, like there was something in both of
them, but he could only lift one hand to rub at his eyes. The other one, his
left… He could feel it, and wriggle both fingers, but lifting it was out of the
question. He looked down and found it neatly bandaged and in a sling that was
so perfectly creased he wondered if he’d done it in his sleep.
He glanced around and made to sit up properly, rather than leaning on an old
chair that smelled of dampness and death, but his left hip screamed at him,
forcing him to gasp. He shifted his left leg awkwardly, and found he had pretty
good movement and feeling, reassuring him that nothing was broken, but his left
arm hadn’t been so lucky. Broken. Bleeding, too, or it had been - it had
probably taken most of his weight.
“S-sir?”
Levi startled at the sound of the voice, soft and timid, but close enough to
surprise him.
“Sorry sir,” Armin said sheepishly, stepping out into the muted light and
rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Levi shook his head, then regretted it as his vision spun and made him feel
sick to his stomach. “I’ve had worse. Report.”
“You’ve broken your arm in a few places, and your hip was-”
“Not about me, Arlert. The mission. The others.” Levi didn’t like to sound so
dismissive, but he had too much pain in his body and too little energy to
pander to Armin’s insecurities.
Armin looked at his boots, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot as he thought
about the answer he was about to give. “I don’t know, sir. Eren and Mikasa… I
saw Eren’s Titan form, but I-I don’t know where they are now.” Armin swallowed,
feeling the fear and worry that had been brewing inside him start to spill over
in his voice. “Commander Erwin and Squad Leader Hanji Zoe called for a retreat,
but the Titans… Sir, there were Titans everywhere. They cut us off.”
Levi listened in silence, wishing Armin would get to the point. He was quite
low on every reserve he had, and honestly, he just wanted to know if anyone had
survived besides them.
“As I tried to find a horse, I found you, sir. I dragged you in here and tried
to treat your injuries, then I retrieved a couple of horses,” Armin said
softly, then added, “I don’t know if anyone else is alive.”
The tears wouldn’t stay in his eyes any longer, and Armin’s head dropped so he
could cry, his hands covering his face like he didn’t want Levi to see.
Levi moved forward, going as slowly as he could so he didn’t jar himself too
badly, standing up by using his right leg to take the most weight and leaning
on the wall so he could awkwardly limp over to the window. Armin didn’t need an
audience, and Levi had to find a way for them to get back to the city. He
stared out of the window at the falling snow and steely sky, wracking his brain
to formulate a plan.
He didn’t notice Armin crossing the room to stand beside him, so jumped a
little when he realised the kid was right there, less than an arms’ length
away. His face was red and blotchy, a few wet patches on his jacket, but he had
a determined look in his eyes and stance that Levi wasn’t about to argue with.
“If we can get on the horses after nightfall, we can use the cover of the wall
to skirt around to the main gate and get back to the city,” Levi said quietly,
glancing at Armin to check he was okay. Armin nodded mutely, looking at the
snow building on the windowsill outside. “If anyone survived this, it was
Ackerman and Jaeger,” he said sharply, a frown on his face. Levi was aiming for
supportive and reassuring, but missed by a long shot.
“I’m worried they’re gone without me,” Armin whispered, his voice hardly
audible. He turned to look at Levi, and added, “And I’m worried you won’t make
it back.”
Levi’s eyebrows shot up with genuine surprise, and though he wanted to look
away, he held Armin’s gaze. “I will. Nothing’s managed to kill me off yet,
although there’s always the chance.” He frowned quickly, “Why would you worry
about that?”
Armin blushed and looked away, shifting again from foot to foot. “I don’t want
you to die, either.”
Levi nodded as though Armin had merely stated that it was snowing. Did people
really worry about him? He couldn’t fathom why, honestly, but he wasn’t about
to stress Armin by querying. “I need to sit down again,” he said instead, “I
need to lean on you to get back over there.”
Armin said nothing, just turned around and gave Levi his shoulders to lean on,
supporting him over to the chair he’d been in before, still blushing from the
contact and the things he’d admitted to Levi.
                                     *~*~*
Getting on the horse Armin had found was the single most painful thing Levi had
experienced in his whole life.
They’d found a wall he could just about scramble onto, and Armin held the bay
horse as still as he could, but there was still a moment as he mounted where
Levi’s weight shifted onto his injured hip, and he couldn’t help but cry out in
pain. He sat stock still for a few moments, letting his bruised body adjust to
his weight again, before he took up the reins.
“Follow me,” he called as Armin swung up onto his horse’s saddle, and wheeled
around to face the direction they were going to be heading in. Levi started his
horse at a walk, then a loping trot, and tried to sit through a canter but the
gait jarred him around too much. He pulled up and bent double, regaining
himself.
“Sir?” Armin pulled his horse up beside Levi, concern written all over his
face. Levi nodded, then glanced at Armin and tried not to look as broken as he
felt.
“I’m okay. Let’s go,” Levi replied, kicking his horse into a trot and leading
Armin towards the ruined gate.
They saw and heard nothing and no one. In a lot of ways, Levi was glad - other
forces meant distractions, and that was the last thing they needed - but he’d
also been hoping to see some other soldiers that could support them on their
way back to the city. Or his friends, or hell, anyone from his company.
They weren’t that lucky. Even as they approached the gate, Levi wondered what
the death toll would be, how many families would get letters from the Commander
explaining that their child, their brother, father or sister was gone.
***** Red *****
Chapter Summary
     Levi's healing, with a little help from Armin Arlert.
Levi woke up with a start. As his arm shot with pain and his hip ached, he
regretted it, but something had stirred him from a deep sleep. While he
couldn’t recall why he’d woken up, he realised quickly that his reflexes had
identified someone coming into the room.
The infirmary ward was quiet and dark, the only sounds coming from the other
patients as they slept or the occasional rattle of the windows in the strong,
wintery wind outside.
Levi pulled his blanket tighter around himself, having to maneuver around his
injured arm artfully, and found one corner wouldn’t move. He squinted a little
in the dim light at the end of his bed, then frowned as he found Armin asleep,
slumping out of a chair and onto the end of the bed. Levi stopped trying to
pull the blanket up and instead shuffled further down into the bed some with a
defeated sigh.
He was in too much pain to sleep now, so settled in, staring at the ceiling and
thinking carefully.
Both Armin and himself had safely made it back to the gate leading into the
city. When they returned, Levi discovered that far more soldiers had made it
back to the city they’d left that morning, although their casualty list was
extensive. There had been forty or so deaths, a hundred injuries of varying
degrees, and the rest had scraped by generally unharmed.
As Levi looked at the ceiling, squinting a little at it in the dim light, he
wondered if it was good or bad luck that he’d come off injured like he had.
Armin had stayed with him, right at his side, helped him off his horse and to
the medical tent, and only then after the nurses shooed him off had Armin left
him alone. Levi couldn’t quite decide if Armin was a nuisance or a decent
companion, though he knew he would have plenty of time to assess that further
during his recovery.
Much of the rest of the day Levi couldn’t remember. They’d given him
medication, then he’d rolled in and out of consciousness for most of the day,
waking up to find himself either surrounded by people or completely alone,
every time hazy and half-conscious, until he’d been startled out of sleep by
the boy draped across his bed.
He looked down the bed at Armin, and found himself frowning deeper. He expected
this level of devotion from Eren, who appeared to be and certainly acted like
Levi’s greatest fan, but Armin? That had completely thrown Levi off.
The kid was sweet, and smarter than almost anyone else Levi had ever met. If he
lived long enough, Levi knew Armin would succeed in the military or in some
academic pursuit later in life. In that moment, he hoped Armin would go on to
be more than just a soldier.
He leaned down and touched Armin’s shoulder gently, the frown not abating from
his face until the blond started to stir. Armin woke up a little, then settled
back down, so Levi took to squeezing his bicep until Armin woke up properly.
He seemed almost surprised to find Levi there, which amused Levi a little, then
Armin smiled so widely and honestly, it shocked Levi. “Captain?”
“You’ll hurt your back sleeping like that,” Levi replied quietly, drawing his
hand back, then rolling onto his right side so he could look at Armin without
craning his neck around.
Armin sat up and stretched, clearly a little bothered by an ache low in his
back, but he didn’t comment on it. “How… How are you feeling?” Armin asked
timidly, sitting straighter in his chair and flexing his back.
Levi blinked slowly and thought about that carefully before he answered. “I’ve
had better days. I’ll live,” he replied with a feeling of relief as Armin
smiled at him for his answer. “You should go to bed.”
Armin shook his head, “No, Sir. I wanted to stay here, to make sure you were
alright.” He blushed and looked at the knitted bed cover, picking at a loose
thread.
“I’m alright. Go to bed.” Levi had a feeling, even as he said that, that Armin
wouldn’t listen to him. He didn’t understand why, not at all.
Oh. Oh.
Realisation dawned, and Levi found himself feeling uncomfortable as he finally
figured it out. He blinked down at Armin, then said, “Do you want to stay
because it’s me, or out of some false sense of duty?”
Armin went a shade of scarlet that Levi didn’t realise was possible for a human
to go, and Levi looked away like he’d intruded on something private. “Because
it’s you, Sir. Eren… The others are all fine, and I don’t want to go to bed.”
Levi leaned behind him and picked up a spare pillow that had been against his
back, tossing it one-handedly down the bed to Armin. “Then at least look
comfortable. You’re making my back hurt just looking at you,” he replied, his
tone almost teasing rather than sharp.
Armin nodded and put the pillow on Levi’s bed, curling against it and drifting
off to sleep quickly. Levi was awake a little longer, then soon slipped back to
sleep again.
                                     *~*~*
Over the following two weeks, Levi learned more about Armin Arlert than he ever
thought possible. Eren and Mikasa had made it safely through the mission, which
had been a success despite the heavy losses, but Armin seemed to spend more of
his time with Levi than his friends.
Levi spent three further days in the infirmary before they would let him go
back to his own room. He was surprised to find it aired out and tidier than
when he left it, and as he started to write up his report from the mission,
Armin came in and kept him company.
It was, at first, purely work. They talked about the mission, Annie Leonhardt,
the Armoured and Colossal Titans, Eren and the walls. Slowly, their
conversations progressed to Eren and Mikasa, Levi listening as Armin animatedly
told him stories about their childhoods and how they met, noticing day by day
that Armin grew more relaxed and open around him. It was pleasant to see him
opening up and feeling less shy; his words were no longer stuttered or muddled,
and he looked Levi in the eye rather than at his boots.
Levi enjoyed having Armin around. He liked listening to his stories, sharing
some of his own and discussing and debating the current Titan situation and
Armin even helped him to move around and organise himself until he could manage
it on his own.
Levi quickly learned to cope with having a broken left arm and a badly bruised
and sprained left hip, and found himself resuming his more basic tasks in his
job, though he didn’t go to any meetings or discussions. Erwin had insisted on
it, and Levi didn’t argue - especially as it meant Armin was around him that
much more.
So it was that two weeks later they were tucked away in the small library-come-
quiet room at the barracks, Armin reading and Levi scribbling down notes from a
thick tome about military strategies. Really, they were both just filling time,
but it was a pleasant way to do it, and it kept them well out of the other’s
way while they carried out the tasks they were being paid to do.
“Sir? Have you seen this?” Armin stood up from the leather chair he’d been
reading in and crossed the room, putting his book down in front of Levi and
leaning over his shoulder.
Levi turned his attention to the book Armin had brought over, looking at the
contents of the page carefully. There were various diagrams of wall structure,
but the picture in the bottom right corner he knew was what had caught Armin's
eye. The picture was tiny, but it was definitely the ocean, and it made Levi
smile quickly up at Armin and nod. "One day. We'll all get to go and see the
ocean, one day."
Armin looked at Levi and smiled brightly, then realised just how close their
faces were. Levi wasn't moving away, either, still intently looking at Armin
with that peaceful half-almost-smile on his face. Armin closed the few inches
between their lips and timidly kissed Levi, then pulled away and blushed
scarlet. "I'm sorry sir I'll..."
He stepped back, then murmured that he was leaving and was gone before Levi
could even really process what had happened, or attempt to stop Armin from
hurrying off. Levi's fingertips brushed against his lips, frowning to himself
and flushing bright red as his mouth quirked up into a tiny smile.
                                     *~*~*
 Armin sat at the dinner table, staring into his tea long after everyone else
had left. He'd kissed Levi. That's how stupid and childish and idiotic he was.
  His hands gripped against the cup until his knuckles blanched, playing the
       moment over and over in his mind, shame mingling with excitement.
   An optimistic part of his mind reminded him that Levi hadn't pulled away
 either, but that was drowned out by the embarrassment that burned red in his
  mind. He shook his head, then lifted his hand and rubbed his eyes angrily.
                            "Stupid stupid stupid-"
   "Who?" The voice made Armin jump so violently he spilled his tea onto the
 tabletop. He anxiously turned around on his chair and looked for the source,
            reddening as he saw it was Levi who'd entered the room.
  Levi limped across the room to sit beside Armin, awkwardly settling himself
down, then turning to look at Armin. "Why did you run away earlier?" he asked,
                   his tone more curious than anything else.
Armin looked at Levi then, surprised. "I thought you... I thought you would be
                                angry with me."
Levi huffed a quiet laugh and shook his head, looking down at the tabletop and
mopping up the tea with a scrap of cloth nearby. "I'm not. I was surprised, but
 I'm not angry." He sighed quietly then straightened up the cloth neatly. "How
                       long have you wanted to kiss me?"
  Armin screwed his face up anxiously, "A while..." He looked at his lap, "I
              just... Did it. I should've thought, I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologise. I... want to do it again." Levi liked the look of surprise on
        Armin's face at that statement. "If you wanted to, of course."
Armin glanced fully at Levi then and nodded shyly, a little smile on his face.
   He started to say something, but was cut off when Levi caught his jaw and
 kissed him again, properly. Armin's hands curled around Levi's wrist, leaning
 into him so much he almost fell off of his chair, only saved by Levi catching
                           him carefully by the arm.
   It was wrong. Levi could feel that niggle of doubt in his head, not just
because he was Armin's superior, but because he couldn't help but think he was
more than fond of him. As they pulled apart, he smiled slightly at Armin. "This
                             is... I shouldn't..."
Armin's face utterly crumpled, his blonde head dropping to his chest. "I said I
shouldn't. Not that I wouldn't. Stop frowning," Levi said, nudging him with his
            knuckles, "Now kiss me again before someone comes in."
***** Heat *****
Chapter Summary
     6 months later, Levi's healed, and Armin asks for only one thing.
     [NSFW]
It was early summer, when long evenings stretched into warm nights and it
seemed like it would never grow dark again. Levi healed well as he always did,
and was back to full duties within a month after the mission to regain control
over Shingashina. The mission itself had been a complete success, which had
secured the Survey Corps' funding for another few months to a year, and already
plans were underway for a second mission into Shingashina to try and retrieve
whatever was in Eren's basement.
Levi was sitting at his desk, late in the evening and far beyond his normal
bedtime, his pen scrawling words into the paper reporting back on the plans to
take Eren and find out what was being kept in his basement. He rubbed his cheek
with his knuckle, feeling the hairs prickling up on the back of his neck as a
floorboard behind him creaked.
He stiffened then relaxed, and called, "You're going to have to try a little
harder than that, Armin."
The blond tutted defeatedly, walking into the room fully and over to Levi,
leaning against him and nuzzling into his neck. "Am I ever going to be able to
sneak up on you?"
Levi leaned back and rested his head against Armin’s shoulder. “No time soon. I
don’t think Erwin would be impressed if I started being easy to sneak around.”
Armin sighed and kissed Levi’s neck, straightening then looking at what Levi
was writing. Levi finished the sentence he was writing, then sealed his
fountain pen and pushed his chair back. Armin took the opportunity and space to
slip into Levi’s lap, his back against the desk and hands flat on Levi’s chest.
“He was overseeing Hanji’s training with Eren today, now you mention him.
Sitting on that big horse and just kind of staring, then talking to Hanji
before-”
Levi did love listening to Armin talk, but they’d been apart all day and he
wanted to kiss him more than listen to him speak about Eren, Hanji or anyone
else. So he did just that, stilling Armin’s lips and putting them to better
use, leaning up to kiss him gently, then he rested back into his chair and
patiently said, “You can carry on, now.”
Armin was a little pink and opened his mouth to speak and continue his story,
but instead laughed and shook his head. “I forgot where I go to,” he admitted
shyly, “But I’m not complaining. You distract me all the time, so I should be
used to it.”
Levi smiled a little at that. Armin had much the same effect on him, too,
particularly when he was sat in his lap like this, and Levi knew the blond knew
it. Especially considering that Armin would take any opportunity to sit in his
lap. “I don’t have to try too hard though, do I?”
Armin reddened further and shook his head, his fingertips touching over the
harness across Levi’s chest, then crept along to the buckle, pulling it a
fraction tighter then releasing it so it hung loose. Levi looked down at
Armin’s fingers, watching them work, then he looked back up at Armin’s face and
the wry smile stuck there.
Levi relaxed against the chair, letting Armin do what he wanted to do. Whenever
they were intimate, he very much let Armin learn and take the lead on how far
they went and how. Levi didn’t need to top everyone, and he was well seasoned
in being dominant when someone else was driving anyway.
Armin pushed Levi’s jacket off of his shoulders, and Levi shifted forward to
give Armin space to pull the jacket all the way off, then his harness followed,
dropping until it fell against the chair and hung down. “So, Arlert, now what?”
Armin smiled, leaning in to kiss Levi, then shrugged bashfully. “I hadn’t
planned too far ahead, honestly,” he said, kissing Levi’s cheek, “Just wanted
to get your jacket off.”
Levi cracked another smile at that. “Seduced by Armin Arlert. Seems like a nice
way to spend an evening,” he replied, pushing Armin’s jacket off of his
shoulders and draping it over his work like he was covering it up so it didn’t
bother him for the rest of the night.
Armin laughed softly, shirking out of his harness then undoing Levi’s cravat,
folding it up neatly and putting it behind him on top of his own jacket. “Don’t
you get hot wearing that all summer?”
Levi shook his head, “I suppose I’m adjusted to it.” Armin took that as an
acceptable answer, his fingers going back to work at undoing Levi’s shirt this
time.
In response, Levi started doing likewise to Armin from his waistband up,
pausing when he couldn’t reach around Armin’s hands anymore and instead relaxed
back and watched Armin carefully.
He shivered as Armin’s fingertips ran across his abdomen, lingering over the
bottom of Levi’s ribs. Armin listed forward, slipping down a little so he could
rest his cheek against the centre of Levi’s chest with his eyes sliding closed
contentedly.
Levi carded his fingers through Armin’s hair, brushing it off his face.
Sometimes, especially after missions, Armin would lay awake for hours like this
just listening to Levi’s heartbeat, regular and repetitive. Part of it was just
knowing there was someone else alive, that he was safe, and part of it was that
Levi was safe. The older found it relentlessly endearing, and had no issue with
Armin doing this whenever he wanted to.
“I’m still here,” he said quietly after a few minutes sitting still, just
letting Armin soak up every beat of his heart.
“I’m making sure,” Armin replied, then he sat up and cupped Levi’s cheeks and
kissed him hotly. “M-make… Make love to me?”
Levi paused, looking up at Armin in surprise. They’d done practically
everything intimate but sex, and Levi had been more than happy to go at Armin’s
pace, so the question surprised him. There weren’t a huge number of people with
the power to surprise Levi, but Armin was the top of that list, as he was
sitting atop so many for Levi.
He nodded, of course. The answer would always be yes, as with almost any
question Armin asked him, especially with how shyly the question had been
asked.
Levi pushed the chair back a little, then caught Armin’s hips and took his
weight before he stood up. Armin naturally leaned a little to Levi’s right to
compensate for his weakened right side from his fall a few months before and
curled his arms around Levi’s neck. His thumbs tickled up through the shorter
hairs of Levi’s undercut, a smile on his face and the blush on his cheeks
stretching down to his chest.
Levi took Armin to his bed, with its perfectly straight linen and pillows, and
laid Armin on his back with Levi leaning over him. Levi pulled his shirt off
all the way then toed out of his boots, loosening then peeling off his harness
and leaving it in a neat pile at the end of the bed on the floor. Old habits
died hard, after all.
He made a show of tugging Armin’s boots off, his fingers stroking Armin’s
calves through his uniform trousers as the boots came off, then he added
Armin’s harness to the collection off the side of his bed. Then Armin’s shirt
was unbuttoned properly, folded and put on the floor, before Levi leaned back
over Armin to kiss him again.
Armin gasped into the kiss, his arms coming up and encircling Levi’s neck as
his legs curled around Levi’s hips, pulling him close as he could and arching
against him. Armin had this passion and heat to him Levi lived for now, and it
showed so much when they were like this.
Levi kissed down Armin’s chin, then along his jawline right to the edge below
his ear, where he kissed repeatedly. That had Armin gasping and moaning, his
hips rocking up against Levi’s, fingertips tight against Levi’s shoulder
blades.
Levi had a good memory anyway, but he had an exceptional one for the erogenous
zones of one Armin Arlert. The inch of neck below his ears were particularly
sensitive, along with the back of his neck and his hip bones, all of which Levi
adored assailing until Armin was writhing for him.
That day, though, he was more fixed on relaxing Armin than turning him on too
much too soon. It was always fun edging his lover, but Levi had a plan in mind
that wasn’t about riling Armin up; it was about making him feel amazing and
enjoy himself.
Levi kissed lower on Armin’s neck and undid the buttons on his trousers, one-
handedly tugging them down Armin’s narrow hips, then doing likewise with his
own. He’d have to move and get rid of them, as well as fetch lubricant, but he
had time. Lots of it.
Levi gently marked Armin’s collarbone, leaving a small hickey behind which had
Armin moaning louder, his nails biting into Levi’s shoulders. “L-Levi…”
Levi looked up at Armin, who was flushed pink and panting already. Levi tipped
his head to one side, as though he had no possible idea what he was doing which
could have garnered such a reaction. “Yes?” he said with a quick smile. He sat
up and peeled off first Armin’s, then his own trousers, his hand snaking into
the nearest chest of drawers and retrieving the little pot of lubricant from
inside and dropping it on the bed.
He went back to laying between Armin’s legs, making sure he pinned Armin’s
length against his hip enough to apply pressure without being painful. Armin
yelped, his back arching up and head rolling back into the pillows, which gave
Levi time to pick up the lube, open it and slick up his right hand.
“It’s going to be pretty cold, and it’ll sting a little. Tell me if I hurt
you,” Levi whispered in Armin’s ear. Armin nodded, turning his face around to
Levi’s and kissed him, his hands returning to around Levi’s neck.
Levi leaned into the kiss enthusiastically, putting his hand between them and
slowly sliding a finger inside Armin. The feeling had Armin breaking the kiss
to gasp and keen, rocking his hips against Levi’s hand already - it was just so
good and felt like he’d been missing it, though he’d never felt it before.
Levi rocked his hand to give Armin plenty of time to adjust to that, then added
his next finger, and the next, each time patiently rocking his wrist to stretch
Armin out and prep him up good and proper.
Armin was in seventh heaven. He felt like his whole nervous system was alive
and tingling, making his breathing ragged and his heart race. He rolled his
hips, cried out, begged, kissed Levi’s neck, feeling desperate for something he
couldn’t quite explain.
When Levi drew his hand away, Armin protested loudly. He’d been slowly building
up to coming, but then Levi was mean and took his hand away, so Armin shared
his displeasure. “You’re killing me.”
Levi smirked wickedly and shook his head, “Not yet. You don’t get to come yet.”
Armin almost growled low in his throat, his hands going to Levi’s shaft as if
to remind him of what he should be doing, which had Levi forget himself for a
moment and gasp loudly.
He looked up at Armin and caught his wrists, transferring both into one hand
and using his free one to grab a pillow and put under Armin’s hips. Levi
slicked himself up, then slowly - what would’ve been teasing to some, but was
considerate in that moment - pushed into Armin, only then releasing his lover’s
wrists.
Levi stilled, then curled over to kiss Armin, pushing their chests together and
leaning against him. “Levi… Levi please,” Armin begged between kisses, rocking
his hips a fraction to try and urge Levi to move.
“You’re so impatient.”
“Only… Only when you’re going too slow,” Armin shot back, looking up at Levi
and smiling at him. “Please?”
Levi stayed stock still for a moment, then caved and slowly rolled his hips,
thrusting up into Armin then pulling out, setting a slow and gentle rhythm so
he didn’t hurt Armin too much. Given how broken Armin’s breathing sounded, Levi
guessed he wasn’t hurting him very much at all, but he still wanted to take it
slowly and make it good.
Good didn’t necessarily mean long. Armin was young, and Levi got that, so when
he felt Armin go tight around his cock, his breathing speeding up and growing
shallow, he dipped his head to whisper in his ear, “Come, it’s okay, it’s
alright.”
Armin practically sobbed in reply, his come coating both their abdomens between
them, hot and sticky, and Levi rocked to a stop. Armin came down off his orgasm
high, then looked up at Levi and said, “Keep going, keep… Want to feel you come
too…”
Levi didn’t need telling twice. He started up his rhythm again and soon came
inside Armin, his head dropping to Armin’s shoulder as he gasped and moaned
through his orgasm and trembled all over.
                                     *~*~*
“Levi? Are you awake?”
Levi was awake, laid out on his bed on his back with Armin curled up against
him, his head again over Levi’s heart to listen to it beat. “Yeah, I’m awake.
Why?”
Armin turned his head to look up at Levi and smile at him. “I love you.”
Again, the little blond had successfully surprised a man years older than him,
and left the normally sharp-witted Levi almost speechless. Armin looked away
nervously, then found Levi’s hand against his cheek, pulling his head up to
look at him again. “I know. I think I love you, too.” Armin’s expression
changed to one of complete contentment and happiness, as he rested back against
Levi’s chest with a sigh, feeling safe and comforted just knowing someone cared
about him like that.
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