When the wagon slowed to a stop at the end of a familiar pathway, I stretched my arms above my head and after a satisfying series of pops, I stood. I thought I'd worked rather fast, or at least that I hadn't wasted a whole lot of time, but apparently, that wasn't the case.

"Hurry up, brat," Levi said, having already hopped off the wagon.

He unlatched the back and began unloading the luggage. Despite the soreness in my protesting limbs from the long journey, I hopped off the wagon too, doing so carefully with Emi's basket – with her in it – held in my arms.

I set Emi's basket down in the yard, placing her so we could keep an eye on her as we unloaded the wagon. Along with our provisions for the trip home, there were the gifts given to us only a few nights ago at her party, our own cases of clothing and personal effects, and file after file of documentation that we were to read through, review, and report to the military heads and to the governing body.

Hange may have said she didn't want to give us as much paperwork as Erwin had, but I think after only the year and some-odd months she'd been in charge, she was well on her way to surpassing him. What people said and what really happened were two very different things - not that I minded, though. For something like that, Hange's hands were pretty tied, and besides, she was organized.

Still, work was work, and it'd have to get done eventually. When the last of our things was unloaded, all that was left was the leftover materials to be sent to HQ. And the wagon wasn't to be stored here at home, of course, so when the back was latched closed again, Levi hopped back up into the front seat, taking the reins into his hands.

"I'm going to drop the rest of the shit off," Levi told me, looking down at me. "Will you be alright on your own?"

"Of course," I answered, gesturing to the bags and boxes scattered around the yard. "I'll organize all of this." I turned and picked Emi up out of the basket, setting her on my hip. "But first, I'll get our little one settled in."

"Good," he said, shifting in the seat. "See if you can't get her down for a nap. Because when I get back, you're all mine. Got it?"

"You certainly work fast, Levi," I said, smirking now. "At any rate, I'll try my best. Be quick, love."

When he set off towards the base, I wondered briefly if perhaps we should've headed there together, because without having anyone occupy it in weeks, the Survey Corps base was bound to be terribly filthy. Without help, well...

"Uh oh," I said to Emi. "Papa might be gone for longer than expected."

"Uh oh," she repeated. I chuckled as she clutched my shirt and turned her head, looking towards the house. "Home?"

"Yes, dear," I cooed when she looked back up to me, her gorgeous, innocent blue eyes meeting mine. I brushed my nose against hers, making her smile. "Finally, we're home."

I brought Emiko inside, setting her in her nursery to play for now. Aside from some dust lining the crib and shelves, for the most part it was rather clean. I left the door open just a crack so I could hear her as she played with her stuffed animals in her crib. I headed back outside and started the tiring task of bringing everything inside.

I didn't bother closing the front door once everything was brought inside from the pathway. Instead, I opened all the doors and windows, airing the house out. It was mid-morning, so there was still plenty of day left, and what a day it was; it was one of those beautiful, perfect fall days where the sun was warm, but the air carried on the breeze was brisk and cool. The trees lining the yard and off in the distance were no longer green, but already tinted with red and gold.

Knowing it'd be a day of cleaning, I headed to the bedroom to grab the glorified handkerchief to keep my hair out of my face. I tied it back, then put the facemask on. I passed by our mirror on the way back out of the room. I slowed in my step, smiling and rolling my eyes at how I looked. I knew I played the part well, but now I really looked like Levi's wife.

I left the boxes and bags by the main entryway, deciding to clean the house before sorting everything away. Since the bulk of the supplies were leftover provisions, I cleaned the kitchen first. I swept, mopped the floors, then dusted and wiped the counters clean. The windows were washed, and the extra food put away in the pantry and cupboards. The small amount of meat was brought downstairs to the icebox to keep fresh.

While in the kitchen, I started a list for groceries. I went through our stocks, deciding I'd go to the market this afternoon. We'd had the wherewithal before we left to pack up what food we had, using them for provisions heading to the coast. It was a long journey, taking a couple of days, so we figured it was better than leaving it to rot.

But now, finally, we were home for good, it seemed. As I began to clean the rest of the house, working on the nursery next, I allowed my mind to drift as the birds sang outside and Emi talked to herself in that nonsensical little language of hers.

Before we left, we'd had the sense to take the sheets and bedding from the bed and crib, as well as her cradle in our bedroom, so they wouldn't get musty and dirty. Now that we were finally home, I opened the drawer with the sets of sheets, the scent of lavender wafting up to meet my nose. I smiled, because at least they were still clean. I was hoping to not have to do laundry today, and it looks like I got my wish.

Cleaning the nursery was quick work, as was our bedroom, considering there were few nooks and crannies for dust and dirt to build up in. Next was the living room. As I swept the floor, I noticed movement in my periphery; with a glance out the window, I caught sight of Levi finally returning home. He'd certainly taken his time.

I stepped outside the back door with the broom still in hand to greet him. He was on his dark mare, with Strider on a lead following obediently behind. I waited for him on the step as he untacked the horses and put them into the stable. He was quick to start up the pathway leading to the door, taking quick, brisk steps towards the house.

"Welcome home, my love," I called happily to him as he nearly jogged towards me.

As soon as he was close enough, he took me into his arms, startling me. He walked me back into the house, his hands gripping my hips to lift me up. Instinctually, and without other options besides just falling over, I hopped up, my legs wrapping around his waist.

"Levi?"

I nearly dropped the broom as I threw my free arm around his neck, holding on for dear life, Levi shifted his hands to my ass. Turning my head, I realized he was walking us right into the bedroom.

"Now, hold on," I protested, "I just swept and mopped these floors, you better not be tracking dirt in!"

"I haven't fucked you in weeks," he practically growled. "The sweeping can wait."

"Wait," I said, "wait, wait. Back up. Who are you? You're not my Levi. My Levi is a gentleman, sometimes - and anyway, he's usually a lot shier than this. What'd you do with my husband? Please give him back. I miss him."

"What, did you think I was never going to learn from you? ...Or do you not like it?"

"It's just unexpected," I reassured him. "But there are things to be done, chores to do and I don't know if this is the time to... to..."

All coherent thoughts left my brain and my words slowed to a halt when he craned his neck, his face nearing my own. When our lips met, my entire body nearly shuddered with anticipation because it seemed to recognize that we were home, that we could finally unite as one after so many months away. I melted into it, and I almost lost myself in the kiss if not the chores left undone.

With guilt heavy in my heart, I pulled away. Before I could speak, he clicked his tongue impatiently and he continued towards the bedroom. He didn't slow when we made it to the door, hoping that I'd do what I always did when he carried me to bed: reach back and open the door.

But I didn't, because there were other things we needed to do before we took care of each other. And because I didn't open the door, instead my back was slammed against it.

"Fuck, Amaya," Levi hissed, as though he'd just had his back slammed to the solid wood. "Open the damn door!"

"First off, ow," I muttered as he leaned himself into me. "That hurt."

With little more than a pointed look from me, his narrowed eyes softened and he uttered a small, "sorry." Immediately being gnawed at by his own guilt, he met my gaze more surely. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live," I said, decidedly ignoring the friction between us and the way it sent a shiver up my spine. "Secondly, no, I will not open the door. We have chores to do. I'm not quite done cleaning yet, and as far as food goes, we've only got the few provisions left, so if you want an actual meal later, then we need to head out for groceries-"

"You're the only meal I need," he purred, looking up at me.

Huh. Ok, well. Hm.

Wow.

Under different circumstances, I'd give in. Hell, I wouldn't have fought against him at all. Why would I? His words sent a shiver down my spine and sparked something deep in my belly but... these weren't normal circumstances.

So, I played his usual aloof role: "Shut up," I hissed, even as fervent blush rushed to my cheeks. "Emi's not even down for a nap right now. She's playing in the nursery. And we need to get fresh feed for the horses, and I'm not having dried rations for dinner again tonight. So even if you stay here, I'm going to the market after I finish sweeping, though you did track dirt in, so actually, it should be you doing it."

"Tch. Since when were you the responsible one?"

"Since you started using my tricks against me," I mumbled. "No, wait - I've always been responsible. You just don't ever listen to me."

"Are you really going to make me wait on your ass again?"

"Oh, ha, ha," I griped, knowing he was referring to how our relationship began all those years ago. "You're an impatient bastard, you know that? Listen, would you rather make love to me in a clean house, or a dirty one? And would you rather me be in a good mood, or ready to wring your neck?"

A strange look crossed his face, and my cheeks flared up once more.

"You kinky little... Levi. Let me put it simply: if I'd have waited to do the cleaning, you'd only make me do it after we finished. And since you're always so damn sleepy after we do anything, I still wouldn't get any help from you, and you know I'm right."

He was quiet for a moment, and only a moment.

"Fine," he finally decided to say, and at that, I smiled, because I got him to admit that I was right. I think maybe he always knew, but at least now he admitted it. There was no disputing what I'd said anyway, because if he hadn't admitted it, he'd have proved it with his actions later.

He was a sleepy guy, and always tired as hell. After something like several rounds of lovemaking, like he was so clearly alluding to? Oh, forget about doing anything afterwards, he'd always be fast asleep in minutes. Rather, it was keeping him asleep that was the problem.

He let me down but averted his eyes sheepishly away from me. I took his cheeks into my hands and pressed a quick, gentle kiss to his lips. He let out a low groan, and I was left to wonder why until I peeked downwards once I pulled away. A certain friend of his had come out for a visit, it seemed. I bit my cheek to hold back my laughter.

"Are you coming to the market with me?" He nodded. "Go take care of yourself, then. I'll finish sweeping, and I'll tack the horses for us. When you're done, grab Emi and meet me outside, okay?" Another nod, and he looked away again. I couldn't help but giggle. "So cute."

"I'm not cute," he pressed, stepping around me to slip into the bedroom.

He shut the door behind him, and I left him to it, shaking my head in disbelief as I grabbed the broom from where it'd fallen to the floor. I finished sweeping, picking up the little bit of dirt that he had indeed tracked from outside. Finishing that didn't take long, so I grabbed my set of the house keys and stepped outside.

I tacked the horses and readied them for riding. It wasn't too long after that that Levi stepped outside, Emiko with him. She walked on wobbly feet down the pathway towards me, happy as always to see the horses. I picked her up and let her greet them, noticing that Levi had put her in a nice, warm sweater over a dress.

"Well, now I feel underdressed," I joked as he approached, his hands lazily stuffed in his pockets.

He ignored my cheeky remark, instead helping me secure Emi to my back comfortably and securely for the ride via some repurposed gear straps and some cloth. Her little cheek plopped on my shoulder as I pulled myself up into the saddle.

I reached down to pat Strider's neck, cooing to him as I usually did. Levi mounted up and set the pace at a comfortable trot down the road. We rode side by side, though whenever someone else passed by I offered up some room by dropping back behind him. In this way it didn't take too long to reach Trost.

Just inside the gate, we led our horses to the communal hitching posts and left the horses there before setting off hand in hand towards the market. Levi had taken Emi from my back, holding her instead in the crook of his arm so she could set her hands on his shoulder and look around at the market as we neared it.

The stalls were as busy as ever, and since we'd become something like a regular family here, a few of the shop-keeps called out to us, asking where we'd been and how we were. We gave simple answers in return, oh, we'd been fine, just away on a trip was all, but we were back now. Well, I'd said it. Levi had only nodded to them, not always the most personable of men.

When we reached the food stalls, I reached into my back pocket and took out the list I'd written earlier. It was just at that moment that I realized we were both still in uniform. Well. So much for blending in a bit. Just a pair of soldiers and their baby, out shopping. Nothing strange about that.

We discussed a few ideas about dinner for the next few nights. We figured something easy would do for tonight, something quick and fresh. Anything was better than those damn dry rations. But we made sure to stock up on what we needed for Emiko, the horses, and ourselves. We were to be home for the winter, of course, and it was quickly approaching. This fall was quite stubborn to let go of its warm weather to make way for the first frost of the season, but we knew it was a farce.

It was better to start preparing now before it caught us off-guard. We still had some firewood prepared in our shed, but Levi said he'd start stocking up again and gathering dry tinder within the next few days. It was still perhaps a bit early to start thinking of stocking up for the big storms of winter, but we both would rather be safe than sorry.

Besides, it wasn't as if there were soldiers manning the castle right now, so we'd have a haven to escape to if we ourselves weren't properly stocked up and prepared for the snow. The next new batch of cadets weren't due to graduate until the spring like usual, and all the Scouts that were there were at the coast, so we'd oversee maintaining the base by ourselves.

I really wasn't looking forward to that, but it wasn't as though we had a choice. Still, that was a problem for tomorrow. Or next week, whenever Levi decided to kick our asses into gear about it.

While in the market, we bought some new things for Emi, including some toys, warm clothes, and blankets, to make up for not really having a proper gift for her on her birthday. It wasn't as though she'd know the difference, anyway.

By the time we returned to the horses, our arms were completely overloaded with bags and it was quite the task to secure them to the horses. But we did it, eventually tying everything down or to the saddlebags. It'd taken a bit of condensing, and a lot of maneuvering, but it got done, nonetheless.

When our home was in sight, I let out a content sigh, the familiar sight warming my heart. It'd been so long now that we'd even bought the house, but it was home, something that growing up I never really thought I'd say.

Once I'd had a home with El, once in a small place by myself, and once with Levi and Farlan and Isabel. But those were dirty, dark, and damp, and I'd never felt the same happiness upon seeing the house – modest though it was – when I returned to those homes in the Underground, and neither to the Corps base. It was still just so odd to say it, but the Ackerman family had a home.

What an odd concept.

The shoes were discarded at the door, the groceries unloaded and put away. Levi brought the horse feed outside to the barn as I washed the produce. While we did, Emi tried out one of her new toys. She slammed the head of the doll against the floor, giggling all the while. I glanced back at her with a smile as I dried my hands. Levi stepped back inside then, catching my eyes, but I gestured down to Emi with a jerk of my head.

"She's definitely your daughter," I said to him.

He looked down at her curiously, his feline eyes widening when he realized what she was doing - which was beating the ever-loving shit out of a toy.

"She didn't learn that from me," he said, scooping her up into his arms. She let out a delighted peal of laughter. "I haven't beaten anyone up in front of her. Must have been you."

I turned and set my hands on my hips with a smile. "I don't think so," I said. "You're the one who demonstrates what you'll do to any boy who dares to look at her wrong when you work out in the yard."

"Yes, but..." He trailed off, sparing a second to glare at me. "Shut up." Then, he added for good measure: "Idiot."

—

Dinner was simple, fresh, and thankfully was delicious. It was easy work to prepare, and easy conversation flowed between me and my husband – Emi piping up with a word every so often – and we took care of the after-meal chores together. I went to feed and make sure the horses were alright for the night as Levi bathed Emiko, gradually getting her ready for bed.

When I returned to the house, I popped into the bathroom to say hello to my two loves, cooing at the sight of Levi sitting in the bathtub in his boxers with Emi in his lap as he lathered her with soap. He'd not been the happiest to see that I'd seen him like that, but I found it just too damn adorable to look away. That was, until he threw a bar of soap at me.

I'd dodged it, of course.

I'd bathed myself before starting on dinner, so I was already in pajamas. I was exhausted, after all the cleaning and sorting and cooking and whatnot, but at least the work for now was complete.

From here, I figured I had two options: drink the night away, to deal with the impending stress of preparing the base for the incoming waves of cadets, or, and this was the more responsible option, and that was to just relax in a less potentially destructive way.

As a responsible mother, I begrudgingly went with the latter. I grabbed a book from our office, some fictional tale that I didn't bother to read the details of and collapsed onto the couch. Despite not having originally being too excited to read, I very quickly got engrossed in the story.

I read chapter after chapter, wrapping myself up in two blankets to avoid having to light a fire in the fireplace when I got cold. Levi milled around the house doing something or other, dropping Emi off in the living room with me after her bath to play on the rug. He lit a fire, and Emi enjoyed playing with the new toys, and I continued to read.

Levi eventually settled down with a cup of tea on the other end of the couch, watching Emi play and trying to make light conversation with me. It all went in one ear and out the other, but that didn't keep him from trying. He grabbed a book for himself, but it didn't last long. Instead, he opted to literally drag me to lean against him as he finished his tea.

He had one elbow against the arm of the couch, and he set his other arm around me. Unfortunately, cuddled up against him as I was, the blanket wasn't as effective. His warmth and that from the fire was fine for a while, until it wasn't, and I laid back against the other arm of the couch to pull the blankets up around me again. I heard him click his tongue but to show him some attention – leaving most of it still on the book – I dropped my feet into his lap.

That seemed to be good enough for now.

When Emi began to cry, I put the book down to care for her, soothing her. She fell asleep in my arms, red-cheeked and sucking on a finger, and Levi took her from me to bring her to bed. He took her into the nursery, and by the time he returned, I was completely back into the story again. He went back to whatever he was doing around the house, probably cleaning, if I had to guess. More time passed, and I was another chapter in, when there was a tap on my shoulder. Laying on the couch as I was, I simply hummed in response.

Another tap.

I figured if it were Levi, he'd do a bit more than just tap my shoulder, leaving it to be a serial killer or Emiko. Then again, that'd mean she'd climbed out of her crib, and I really didn't think she'd be able to do that just yet. So.

"Emi," I said, "mommy is tired and busy. Go bother daddy, please."

"Emi is already in bed," I heard. "She may be our kid, but she can't tear through the bars quite yet."

"Mm-hm," I hummed noncommittally. The main character was about to do something stupid in the book, and god dammit, I was ready.

"And that's enough reading for one night, I think," Levi said, kneeling next to me. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, but I kept my focus on the book. He plucked the book from my hands, snapping it shut with a solid thud.

"No, no, no!" I whined, reaching up for it. He stood, and I sat up, pouting as I reached up towards the book. He placed the book on the table, well out of my reach. "Levi, please!"

"Mommy needs to come help daddy with something," he said, scooping me up into his arms.

Knowing immediately what he was referring to, I huffed exaggeratedly, giving into my fate. I crossed my arms stubbornly and plopped my cheek onto his shoulder as he walked us into the bedroom.

The door was already ajar, so he nudged it open further with one foot before making a beeline for the bed. He dropped me onto the bed, then headed for the other side of the room. There were several candles laid around, some on the floor, some lining the windowsills, others set on the nightstands on either side of the bed. He lit each one, bathing the room in golden, flickering light.

"Goodness," I said, sitting up in the middle of the bed as I watched him go around the room. There was already incense burning on the dresser and candles lit atop every surface it seemed he could find, and the scent of lavender was heavy in the air. "Pulling out all the stops, are we?"

"It's been months since we did anything," he explained. He slowed in his movements as he thought about his next sentence. "I just..." He trailed off and glanced down at the floor before lighting the next candle. His cheeks darkened. "I wanted it to be special."

"You really are going soft," I cooed. He sent a nasty glare my way as he put out the match he'd been using. "But it's working. I feel like the most special woman in the world."

"You'd better," he muttered. Levi approached the bed, sitting opposite me, cross-legged as well.

"But you know, I wasn't joking when I said that I was tired," I told him.

We'd only just returned from a day-long journey, and I'd cleaned the whole house, went shopping, made dinner, and... Well.

Levi rolled his eyes. "And I've got a way to wake you up. Or would you rather I fuck you while you're asleep?"

I snorted. "Some people are into that, you know."

Levi, completely oblivious to sexual habits that weren't our own, visibly showed his confusion. "What the hell? Really?"

"Yes," I said through a laugh. "I was only joking, love. I want you," I said, shifting to my knees, leaning forward towards him. I took his face into my hands, the way I always did. I kissed his forehead, his eyes closing briefly as I did. "And I need you."

I pressed my lips to his. He reciprocated immediately. The kiss started off simple and sweet, innocent even, but it quickly evolved into hungry, open-mouthed kisses when his hands found my waist. "It's been a while since we've done this," he said breathily when we broke apart for air, "so I hope you haven't forgotten what I like."

"Bold today, aren't you?" I said teasingly. He met my gaze with an equally playful, challenging one. "I suppose it's your lucky day, then, because I happen to be a good wife who tends to remember what her husband enjoys."

I pulled away from him, taking one of his wrists into mine. I guided him to the bed on his back. With a smirk I sat atop him, the way I did so often, but now, finally, something would come from it instead of simple teasing. "Do you, now?" He asked, his hands running up my thighs to sit on my hips.

"I do," I assured him. I rested my hands on his chest. "You enjoy sitting back, relaxing, and letting me do the hard work." The slight narrowing of his eyes let me know that while I was right, he didn't particularly enjoy being called out. "You like it when I take control," I purred, lowering myself to lay flush against him, "because for as much as you call everyone else a brat, and you enjoy your authority on others, you like being the one ordered around, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're-"

"Face it, love," I said. "The more you fight against it, the longer this will take. And something tells me that you're rather impatient tonight, right?"

I kissed his lips again, pulling away far too soon for his liking. Proving my point, an exasperated sigh escaped him. He wrapped his arms around me before I could go too far, which was fine by me, considering I wasn't planning on going far, anyway.

"Amaya, please," he said quietly. "I need you so fucking bad."

"I've got you," I said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Just stay there and relax, baby. I'll take care of you."

I left a trail of kisses down his neck to his collarbone, to his favorite spot. Levi groaned as I paid special attention to that spot, sucking and kissing and nibbling until there was a pretty little hickey left behind. I pulled back just enough to admire my work, enjoying the way that already, Levi was red-cheeked, heavily breathing and looking at me with those half-lidded eyes, the ones just asking for more.

Maybe it was anticipation because it'd been so long since we'd been able to do this. We weren't the biggest fans of doing things when Emiko was in the room, and since we'd practically moved into that tiny little room on the coast, there wasn't exactly somewhere else we could've brought her. And despite Levi having the idea to, I wasn't about to ask someone to watch her every night when she still needed us every few hours so we could have the chance to do what we wanted to.

But much to my surprise, before I could go further, Levi sat up. He flipped us so that I was on the bed, but he stayed kneeling as he took his shirt off over his head. He gave me no time to admire his sculpted body before he started repaying the favor.

...Except his kisses were planted over my face first, over each inch of skin he could reach. He didn't do so in a sensual way, no; rather, it was sweet, gentle, cherishing. I couldn't help but smile as his lips skated over my skin, his bangs trailing across my face.

"I love you so damn much," he whispered.

"Prove it," I challenged.

Something changed in his eyes when I said that; he blinked, clearly confused, and he sat back just a bit, before diving back in towards my neck. He wasted no time in kissing along my neck right to that sweet spot that had me immediately pulling him closer with a hand entangled in his hair. With a sigh I tilted my head, giving him clear access to the skin only he was allowed to touch.

"God, Levi," I moaned. He chuckled against me, the deep rumbles resonating from his chest against me. "Please."

"Please, what?"

"Don't be an ass," I muttered.

"I don't know," he said. "I'm starting to get the hang of this."

"Of what? Being an asshole?"

"Of these roles being reversed," he explained. "Of... being the one in charge."

"Don't be cocky," I muttered. "Come on, then. You know what I want. You want it, too."

"Do I? I wonder."

I pushed him off me and he fell back against the bed next to me on his back with another laugh. I rolled onto my side to face him and got propped up on my elbow, leveling an unamused look with him.

"You've been whining for weeks now that you were upset because we haven't had sex. And here we are, about to have sex, and you're being an asshole."

He turned his head to look at me, unabashedly snarky. "Am I not allowed to tease you?"

I pursed my lips, one eyebrow rising up. "Levi, please. There is a fine line between the appropriate level of teasing and what is considered cruel. When I'm in charge, even if I tease, don't I end up taking care of you?"

"..."

"Levi, answer."

"Yes."

"Right," I breathed out. "How one man could be so damn impatient to do this, yet so ready to take all the time in the world to actually get around to fucking me is beyond me."

When his eyes widened and he swallowed hard, I smirked, because it seemed I had my Levi back. The look in my eyes let him know I was ready to take the lead, and the look in his eyes told me he was more than willing to relinquish his control.

"I'll give it to you straight," I continued. "You took my book from me, so you'd better make this worth my time."

"And suddenly, a book is more important than your husband?"

Knowing he was teasing, I rolled my eyes. "Baby, you know damn well that I love you. But you're being a royal shithead."

"Such a brat," he muttered.

"Oh, I'm the brat, am I?"

"Yes," he answered easily.

"For fuck's sake," I sighed. I sat up, pulling my shirt off over my head. "Why are you even still fighting this?" I knew better than to wear a bra tonight after my shower, so Levi's eyes were greeted immediately by my breasts once my shirt was off. "I'll put it this way, hon. The odds of me getting on top and riding you are getting dangerously low." His eyes widened, obviously not happy about that. "So, what I recommend is that you give me a reason to want to use that much effort on you."

With that challenge in mind, he got back on top of me, reinvigorated – if not just with lust, then a drive to prove me wrong, to earn for himself what he wanted. I was happy to say that it worked in my favor, as he slowly, teasingly, painstakingly tended to my breasts, the valley between, and my stomach, with both his hands and his mouth. His tenderness made me lose my breath, his gentle sighs and pants against me grounded me, and the rising fire in my belly prepared me for him.

There came a point when I couldn't handle the teasing anymore, the way he kept dancing around paying attention to what was between my legs. But when I asked, breathless, he obliged, finally bringing his mouth to my heat after sliding my bottoms off. Levi slid his tongue between my folds, surprised but not disappointed by how wet I was already for him. Without warning he slid his fingers inside me, making me cry out his name; encouraged, his lips found my clit, tending to the spot gently, a complete contrast to the fast pace he set his fingers at.

There was little I could do to hide the moans that he was forcing out of me, especially not when he curled his fingers in just the right way. I was a squirming, panting mess, completely under his spell, so hyper-sensitive because of the sheer amount of time that had passed since last we made love. The incense was making my mind hazy, and I found it difficult to focus on anything other than him.

"Levi," I said to him, raking my fingers of one hand through his hair, the other clutching the pillow below my head, "I'm close. Ah, curl your... fuck!" He had to hold my trembling legs apart with one arm as he increased his pace. He went faster, faster, and faster still, until...

He stopped.

Levi pulled away completely, sitting back and licking his fingers clean of my slick. But he'd left me so damn close, I was right there, and I'd be damned if he'd leave me like that and expect to get anything in return. Knowing exactly what he was doing to me, he slid his body against mine, drawing himself further up my body until his face was only inches from mine. I sucked in a breath from the friction and the way his hips ground against my own.

"Levi," I whined, my hips bucking up slightly to meet his.

I gripped the lining of his pants, holding the fabric tight. My words were met with a deep chuckle, but I caught his lips with my own. On his lips I could taste his usual flavor, the usual black tea and hints of pine and lavender, but also the unique taste of my own arousal. I pulled away from him, lifting a hand to wipe the saliva from my lip.

"Who taught you to leave a job unfinished?"

"I'm not," he said, catching his breath. "Just putting it aside for now."

"That's not making a good case for yourself," I quipped, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him against me again. Taking him in another kiss, I flipped us over, allowing myself to smile as he moaned into my mouth at the change. "You're so close, yet so far."

Straddling him as I was now, I knew I had full control over him, if the low groan he let out was any indication. "Fuck," he hissed. "What do you want from me?"

"Finish what you started," I said simply. Simply sitting as I was, my bare sex pressed to his stomach, I knew he could feel the way I was still so wet, nearly dripping, the slick wetting his skin. I lifted myself up, maneuvering myself so I was hovering over his face. I leaned over to see his face, and his eyes were wide as he stared upwards. His eyes flickered to mine.

"Amaya," he said, his breath ghosting across me. He didn't say anything more but displayed oh so clearly in his eyes was his hesitance, little though there was.

"Earlier, you mentioned that I was the only meal you'd need," I reminded him. I gripped the headboard with one hand, the other running down into his hair. At the gentle feeling his eyes fluttered closed, but they snapped open again and he hissed when I gripped a handful of the hair tight. Sucking in a breath, he looked up at me with bared teeth. I smiled down at him. "So, finish your food. Eat me out like it's the last damn meal you'll ever get."

"Amaya," he protested again.

"I'll reward you if you do well," I promised. "Come on, love. Remind me what that mouth of yours can do."

And he did.

Through the pants and the few complaints he had as he pushed me up away from him that he couldn't breathe, he continued to suck and lick and nip, doubling down on his pace from earlier. My hips rocked with his movements, my own breath hitching at the sounds coming from below – the smacking of his lips, the quick intakes of breath, the grunts – and at the feeling of his tongue slipping inside me.

He had tight grips on my legs, sometimes shifting them to my ass, my hips, my waist. To his credit, he was working as if it really would be his last meal. And I came closer, and closer, and closer to release. The fire in my belly was roaring as my walls clenched around his tongue, his name escaping my lips with every breath.

And for the first time that night (though certainly not for the last) I released, and after so long, I was left completely breathless. My head was spinning, my entire body racked with the sweet pleasure and sudden weightlessness.

Levi took it all in, continuing his ministrations as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through my body. Only when my body had calmed did he stop, and I slid off him to the bed. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, gazing up at me with those enticing feline eyes of his. There was a silent question in his eyes.

When I caught my breath, I leaned down to press the gentles of kisses to his forehead. I slicked back his hair gingerly, letting the backs of my fingers trail down his face. "You've still got it," I said quietly. He set a hand on the back of my neck and pulled me back down to him. It was a simple kiss, sweet and gentle, but I took the time to gently set myself back on top of him.

"Please, baby," he said when I pulled away. "I need you."

"Don't worry, darling," I said with a smile. "I'm done being bratty... that is, if you continue to behave yourself."

When he nodded, I knew I had him where I wanted him, and it was right where he wanted to be. Levi was, at his core, a dominant, assertive man. He knew his role and his rank, and how best to use them. But in bed when it was just us... He was submissive, compliant, and downright obedient.

Sure, he enjoyed teasing the hell out of me, but that only went so far. More often he got off on when I took control. He loved it when I commanded him, despite whatever protests he'd have in the moment. Part of this was because he absolutely loved being able to just enjoy the feeling of me on top of him. When he was able to lay back and relax, he could fully and completely lose himself in what was happening.

It meant more work for me, but he made sure to make it up to me.

This was why, when I lifted my hips and slowly lowered myself, impaling myself on him, he let out a shaky breath and my name came out like a prayer. "Oh, fuck me," he moaned, his head falling back against the pillow. My eyes closed as I threw my head back as he continued to fill me.

"Working on it," I breathed out, my head dropping forward as I fully sheathed myself. "God," I groaned. "You got bigger," I said, opening my eyes only to look down at him.

Despite his red cheeks and half-lidded eyes, he managed to smirk at me. He grabbed my hips, holding me in place. Not like I was planning on moving yet. It'd been so long; I was giving my body the time it needed to readjust and acclimate to his size again.

"Trying to flatter me now?" His words were strained, almost, as if it took all his effort to speak coherently. "That shit doesn't work on me, you know that."

"Yes, well," I huffed. "Whatever. Shut up."

"Let me know when you're going to move," he said. "You're so fucking tight."

When I finally was able to move, it wasn't long before he came from the fast pace that I'd set, releasing inside me with a guttural noise. "Shit," he mumbled when I stopped, surprised, only for a moment before continuing to allow him to ride out his high. "Ah... Sorry."

"A little warning next time, love," I requested, starting to pick up the pace again. "But I'm not... Ah, I'm not there yet." I started slowly again, taking time to reach the quicker pace I'd set.

"Give me your hands," he said. "Let's come together," he panted, "please."

With no more than a nod from me, he released my hips and I let him take my hands, linking our fingers. He lowered them to the bed on either side of his head. If the way his moans had turned almost into whines, with the lifted pitch and breathiness, as well as how very vocal he was, his sounds coming out with each pump meant anything, I could tell that already he was overly-stimulated, simply as a result of how long it'd been since we'd even done this.

Everything was working at double-time tonight, but I'd be damned if I was going to let this go to waste.

"Can you last that long?" I asked, briefly tightening my hold on his hands.

"I will," he said, his words confident even as his breath hitched. I slowed again, coming to a stop as I leaned down to press a kiss to his lips.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you, too," he said. I began to move again. "Ah... T-Together?"

"Together," I affirmed.

There were few things in this world better than that.

—

I awoke the next morning with my man in my arms. My bare chest was pressed to his back, one arm comfortably hooked over his hip. My eyelids were heavy, my muscles sore, but not unbearably so.

So why the hell did I wake up?

It wasn't Emi because all was quiet in the house. Levi had gotten up not too long ago to soothe her back to sleep. At that point we'd been the other way around, so I'd been roused from my slumber by his warmth suddenly leaving me. When he came back, I let him be the little spoon.

And then I realized why I'd woken up just now: I was cold. The blanket had been tugged downwards, probably by one of us kicking or shifting in our sleep, so the blanket was down by our hips. I pulled it up further, and with a content sigh, closed my eyes again.

Levi was deep in sleep, his breathing soothing to hear. Even though he was naked save for the blanket down by his hips and the thin boxers he'd tossed on after our final round of the night – only a few hours ago, now – he was warm.

I'd have rolled out of bed to start on the daily chores, but my limbs were aching, and I really wasn't enjoying the idea of getting out of bed. And besides, Levi wasn't getting up yet either, so I didn't feel too bad about letting myself drift back to sleep, lulled there by Levi's quiet noises and the familiar feel of his body in my arms.

When I woke up again, the sun was up, its golden light sneaking in between the curtains. And we'd moved again, apparently. Levi had rolled over and slid down, hugging around my hips loosely with his head against my chest. And I was on my back, my own arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. Well. That'd explain why one of my arms was numb, with the weight of his head resting on it.

I drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly through my mouth. I stretched my legs out, unable to hold back the groan as they protested the movements. I must've been a bit too loud because Levi began to stir. He sucked in air only to groan it out as he woke up. His eyelashes fluttered against my skin as he opened his eyes. He blinked once, then twice, before squeezing them tight to yawn. When finished he lifted his head, looking up at me groggily.

"Good morning," I said to him, my morning voice rough and scratchy. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah," he said. "It's alright." His pale blue eyes glanced over towards the nearest window, squinting at the light coming in. "It's about time we get up, anyway."

"And do what, exactly?" I asked, feigning innocence. His eyes met mine, the look in them asking me to elaborate. "I know what you want to do, and that's to clean the base, right? Prepare it for winter?"

He nodded. "It has to get done eventually."

"But does it have to happen today?" I asked.

"Amaya, the entire thing is absolutely filthy," he said, disappointment lacing his tone. "It's better to do it sooner rather than later so it doesn't get worse."

"Yes, but," I trailed off. I sighed. "Fine. Just... not yet, okay? Give me a few more minutes of this."

"Why?"

"I like holding you like this," I said, closing my eyes and pressing a kiss to his forehead. My eyes slowly opened just to find him already looking at me, those pretty eyes of his looking intently into my own. Despite our years of being together, it was this look of his – so unabashedly, confidently loving, and so earnest, that made me blush. "What?"

"Nothing, brat," he said. He allowed me this time though, relaxing back into my embrace. I allowed my eyes to close as I focused on the quiet sounds of his breathing. "Don't fall back asleep," he said.

I only hummed in response, tugging the blanket up further over us. "I know we have to get up eventually," I finally decided to say, "but I'm just too comfortable."

"The sooner we get up and start the day, the sooner we can come back and go to bed," he reasoned.

"No," I whined. "What if this is the last time that I'll ever be comfortable, ever again?"

Levi stayed quiet for a moment. "You're stupid."

"I know," I said, trying to hold back a laugh. "But you still love me, right?"

"Unfortunately," he mumbled. I lifted one hand to lightly whack the back of his head. "Ow. Stop." Cheekily, I whacked him again. It was light, not at all enough to hurt, he was just being a brat. "Knock it off." I tugged on a piece of his hair. "Fuck off."

Before I could do anything else, he quickly popped to his knees only to get on top of me. Quicker than a flash, he had both my wrists in one hand, but it wasn't as though I was fighting back. Instead, I let my eyes trail upwards slowly towards my now trapped wrists, before lowering back down to meet his.

"Is this how we're starting our morning, baby?"

"Wasn't planning on it," he said. "I figured you might be a bit too sore, no?"

"Maybe," I said. "But don't worry, I'll be perfectly fine for tonight."

"To... Tonight?" Remembering where he was, he cleared his throat. "Right. I'm sure you will," he said. "Now then."

With that said he released me, getting off and yanking the blanket off me. I gasped with the sudden cold. Where Levi had, earlier, put boxers on, I chose not to. After our final round in the shower, I'd made sure I was clean. So we'd changed the sheets and fell into bed, sore yet content.

"Levi?"

"Just checking the damage, sweetheart," he said, eyes scanning my body.

"Oh," I said, "I get it. Here, let me up."

As I requested, he sat back and I got out of bed. I took a few steps away, standing before him in all my nude glory, my limbs protesting. I held my arms out and spun in a slow circle, letting him take a good look.

As I did, I glanced at myself in the mirror, biting my lip to hold back my laughter at just how much he'd done to me. There were deep purple bruises lining my neck and collarbones, others dotted on my torso. There were several on my breasts and in the valley between. Lifting one leg, I could see large purple patches in his favorite spots on my inner-thighs. Peeking over my shoulder at my back in the mirror, there were more love bites on the back of my neck and dark bruises on my hips. I met his eyes in the reflection of the mirror and giggled at his flustered expression.

"I think you might've had a bit too much fun last night, my love," I said. "Now come on, let's see you."

Levi joined me in front of the mirror, and I stepped back so he could present himself to me. I'd been more systematic in my marking, leaving hickeys in suggestive trails around his body. When he'd let me take control, I'd taken my time, worshiping his body in the way I knew he loved me to.

There were a few marks by his neck, his chest, his abs, trailing towards his manhood where I'd used my mouth in other ways. But there were also angry red scratches up and down the length of his back. Despite how much we explored ourselves and the room last night, we'd between rounds returned to the bed, and I'd ridden him for what felt like hours.

"Ooh, wait," I said. I crouched down behind him, tugging down his boxers to reveal his bare ass where, on his left cheek, I'd left a cute little bite. "That's my favorite one."

"I'm sure it is," he chuckled. I stood and he took my wrist into his. I hadn't noticed it, but the skin of my wrists were raw and red too, the aftermath of when he'd tied them together. He smirked. "I like these ones."

"You didn't give me those," I said. "It was the rope."

"Yes, but I'm the one who tied you up, brat," he said.

"Only because I wanted you to."

"Right, but..."

With a huff, he trailed off and looked away rather embarrassedly. Standing in front of the mirror as we were, I was reminded of that one interesting round where he'd moved it to the foot of the bed and had bent me over on my knees and made me watch him take me from behind. Not that I didn't enjoy it or anything, but it was the first time we'd done anything like that.

But the real kicker of that round had been when he'd guided me to sit up with a firm hand on my neck so I could see just how far he reached inside me, at the slight protrusion in my belly, before reaching around me to apply pressure there with his free hand. I watched in the mirror as Levi suddenly leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek, finally having sobered up from his embarrassment from a moment ago.

"Go take a warm bath," he instructed. "Soothe your muscles before we start working."

"Aww," I cooed, pinching his cheek, turning my head to face him directly. "You do care! A softie, that's what you are!"

"I'm not," he protested, jerking his head out of my reach, making me release my grip on his cheek. "Asshole. I just don't want to hear your ass complain about being sore all damn day."

I pretended to grow sad, pouting as I headed over to our dresser to pick out a uniform. "Mean," I muttered under my breath and a pout on my lips.

"Whatever," he said with a click of his tongue. "Make it quick. I'll get Emi ready and bring some tea in." With that he left the room, and I chuckled to myself as I finally fished out a clean set.

Yep, I thought with a smile, he's definitely gone soft.