The candle flickered on Erwin's desk, casting long shadows across maps stained with old blood and new plans. Outside the Survey Corps headquarters, the night was quiet for once - no titan roars in the distance, no urgent bells calling for assembly. Levi stood by the window, arms crossed over his chest, watching the moonlight stretch across the training grounds where so many recruits had fallen short. Both men were well into their thirties, battle-hardened veterans who had buried too many comrades and carried the scars to prove it. Erwin's left arm was a reminder of past failures; Levi's smaller frame hid the strength of someone who had cleaned up more blood than most soldiers would ever see. They had shared command through countless expeditions, shared silences that stretched for hours, shared the crushing weight of leadership. Yet something unspoken had always lingered between them, a tension that grew thicker with each passing year and each lost soldier.
Erwin looked up from his paperwork, blue eyes steady and commanding even in the low light. "Levi, the reports from the last run. Your input matters more than the others." His voice was calm, the same tone he used when addressing the entire corps, but Levi caught the slight hitch at the end, the way Erwin's gaze lingered a moment too long on the way Levi's jacket clung to his frame. Levi approached without a word, boots quiet on the wooden floor, and took the paper from the desk. Their fingers brushed - just once, but the contact sent an unwelcome heat through Levi's veins that he immediately tried to suppress. He had spent too many nights in his own quarters wondering if Erwin felt the same pull, if the Commander ever thought of him beyond battlefield orders and shared meals with Hange.
They talked strategy for the better part of an hour, voices kept low to avoid waking anyone else in the building. The forbidden nature of any deeper connection weighed on them both: two high-ranking officers in a military force where personal entanglements could fracture discipline and trust. Age and experience had taught them caution above all else. Levi's sharp tongue stayed sheathed for once; Erwin's usual composure held firm even as the air in the small office thickened. Levi noticed how Erwin's broad shoulders strained against his shirt with every breath, how the veteran's large hands moved with quiet strength over the maps. Erwin watched Levi's precise movements, the way the shorter man carried the burdens of countless deaths without breaking, his gray eyes sharp and unyielding.
The conversation drifted naturally into darker territory. They spoke of fallen comrades, of the endless cost of survival against an enemy that never tired. "We keep going because we must," Erwin said, leaning back in his chair, the candlelight catching the lines of fatigue around his eyes. Levi nodded once, sharp and precise. "Tch. Someone has to clean up the mess the rest leave behind." The words were familiar, spoken a hundred times before, but the space between them had shrunk without either acknowledging it. Erwin stood slowly, stepping closer under the pretense of adjusting the lantern on the wall. Their eyes met across the short distance, and the slow burn that had simmered through years of shared glances, near-misses in the field, and quiet moments after brutal expeditions finally ignited.
Levi's hand rose first, gripping the front of Erwin's collar with surprising force. "This is a bad idea, Erwin. Ranks, the corps, everything we've built - it could all crack." But there was no real retreat in his voice, only the rough edge of long-suppressed want. Erwin's larger frame pressed forward, one broad hand settling at the small of Levi's back, pulling him in. "We've waited long enough. After everything we've lost, we deserve this one thing." The kiss that followed was fierce and unyielding, years of restraint cracking open in a single moment. Lips parted almost immediately, tongues meeting with the urgency of men who knew any night could be their last. Hands moved with purpose - Erwin's fingers working open Levi's jacket, Levi tugging at Erwin's shirt buttons until skin met skin. Scars brushed against scars, the raised lines from titan encounters and training accidents alike.
They moved together to the worn couch in the corner of the office, the same one where they had planned too many doomed missions. Erwin lowered Levi onto it with careful strength, his mouth trailing hot kisses down Levi's neck, teeth grazing the pulse point just hard enough to draw a sharp breath. Levi's fingers tangled in golden hair, pulling Erwin closer with a muttered curse. "Don't hold back now. We've come this far." Hands explored further - calloused palms mapping every ridge of muscle, every old wound. Erwin's mouth found Levi's cock, taking him deep with deliberate focus, tongue working in slow, wet strokes that had Levi's hips bucking upward. The sensation built steadily, heat coiling low in Levi's gut as Erwin hummed around him, the vibration sending sparks through his nerves. Levi groaned low, one hand gripping the arm of the couch. "Erwin - fuck - just like that."
He returned the favor soon after, shifting positions so he could kneel between Erwin's spread legs. Levi's mouth was precise and relentless, sucking with the same intensity he brought to every fight, tongue pressing along the underside while his hand worked the base. Erwin's deep voice broke on Levi's name, fingers threading through dark hair without forcing, letting Levi set the pace. "Levi... your mouth feels incredible. Don't stop." They moved again after that, Erwin pulling Levi up for another searing kiss before turning him to face the back of the couch. Preparation was thorough, Erwin's fingers slick and patient, stretching Levi open while murmuring words of encouragement against his ear. "Tell me if it's too much. We have all night."
When Erwin finally entered him, it was with a slow, steady push that drew a hiss from Levi's lips. The stretch burned in the best way, filling him completely as they adjusted to the new rhythm. They moved together in the dim light, bodies slick with sweat, the pace building from careful thrusts to something more desperate and needy. Levi's legs wrapped around Erwin's waist, urging him harder, deeper with every roll of his hips. Every thrust chased away the ghosts of the dead, the endless weight of command, the fear of what tomorrow's expedition might bring. Erwin's hand reached around to stroke Levi in time with his movements, thumb swiping over the sensitive head. Dialogue spilled between them in broken pieces - Levi's short, rough commands mixed with Erwin's steadier praise. "Harder, Erwin. Don't treat me like glass." "You're so tight around me, Levi. Just like that - yes."
The climax hit them nearly together, Levi first with a choked sound muffled against Erwin's shoulder, Erwin following moments later with a deep groan as he buried himself to the hilt. They stayed locked together afterward, breathing heavy in the cooling air, skin damp and hearts still racing. The afterglow stretched out as they rearranged on the couch, Erwin's larger body curled protectively around Levi's smaller one. Levi traced a familiar scar on Erwin's chest with one finger, the touch almost gentle now. "Don't think this changes anything tomorrow. We still have duties." Erwin smiled faintly against Levi's temple, pulling him closer with the arm that had once been lost and regained. "It changes everything, Levi. But we'll face it as we always have - together."
The candle sputtered low, threatening to go out entirely. Outside, the first hints of dawn began to creep across the horizon, promising another day of war and leadership. What happens next when they face the dawn?