Lack of sunlight is said to be a risk factor for depression, and so both Eren and Levi moved to California, where it was brutally warm and sunny almost all the time. His parents, having started a business and all, remained in Italy but would visit Eren and his new husband as much as he could. His parents had always been decently wealthy, so it wasn't a struggle at all.

Eren was twenty-five now while Levi had just turned thirty- two, and both had found careers are themselves. Eren was a published author while Levi was an ASL teacher at a local secondary school and a counselor on the side. Despite their marriage, the road towards it was not always happy; Eren still experienced panicked attacks from time to time while Levi had pangs of extreme guilt and anxiety. They would fight sometimes but would always fall into one another's arm by the end of the night. For a few weeks after Levi's suicide attempt, he stayed in the hospital with minimal visits from Eren because he required time to think and analyze the situations. It was during the third week when he realized he couldn't be away from him, he couldn't stand it. It was so natural and easy to forgive, for they did not want to lose each other a second time.

Levi did, eventually, meet Eren's parents after his release from the hospital after his suicide attempt. Carla did not cry because, like Eren, she felt like she didn't deserve to. She had purchased different assortments of bouquets for him and told him how sincerely sorry she was for being an awful mother and overall human being for those past new months. She had been ready to get on her knees for forgiveness, but Levi had already forgiven her a long, long time ago. He had reached out to plant a firm but shaking hand on her shoulder, looked her in the eye and told her she didn't need to be sorry for anything because it was because of her motherly instinct, and the motherly instinct to protect one's children was understandable. When Grisha flew over to their home country for a brief visit and to accompany Carla back to Italy, he spoke to Levi like they were old friends and greeted him enthusiastically. He too also apologized for not handing over his son so easily, but Levi also forgave him. Soon the two of them were parents Levi never had. They always made sure to invite him to annual family trips, sent him presents on his birthday and other various holidays and spoke to him over Skype if they had the time. For a few years Carla had kept her distance in fear that Levi would think she was trying to win him over so easily, but Levi picked this behavior up and told her she didn't need to be so formal and polite and that they should acknowledge what happened but not speak about it unless brought up in a serious conversation.

It was hard to tell who proposed to who first because when they both went on a romantic getaway to the Philippines, they both whipped out a small box at the same time. At first, they were quite surprised and startled that they had thought the same thing, but laughed it off and proceeded to place the rings on one another before dancing on a beach in Cebu. The wedding was crowded with Eren's family and relatives while Levi had no guests of his own because Kenny was still rotting away in prison and Levi's other relatives were either dead or he disliked them. Even so, Eren made sure Levi didn't feel terrible and sad about it and told everyone to make Levi feel welcomed, but they already did before he even opened his mouth. Everyone was accepting of him even when he had confessed what he did. No one saw him as criminal or a manipulator, they saw him as Eren's love.

Levi was never this happy in his life. His chest was constantly tight with the feeling of intense delight and euphoria, and he could never keep still. He felt as if someone had stuffed a cage of bees in his heart, but it felt nice. He would catch himself smiling at the most unexpected moments, and Eren noticed this as well. Eren would catch his face in one hand, plant a kiss on his mouth and tell him how good he looked whenever he simply smiled. What was there not to be happy about? They lived in a beautiful modern beach house where many of the walls were replaced by gigantic windows to allow the light to inhabit the floors and every bit of the rooms, they were successful in their careers and Eren's panic attacks were decreasing. Even so, Levi would sometimes be sitting on a stool in front of a window, letting the sunlight bathe him as he stared blankly ahead. His face didn't show it, but Eren knew this was Levi's own way of remembering what he wanted to forget, his own way of reliving his nightmares unintentionally. They attacked him from nowhere and whenever this happened, Levi always sat in front of the same window. It was like a routine. Now, it was Eren who also took care of Levi. He would leave him alone for a few seconds before approaching him and reassuring him that the past is dead and the future was luminous and great. Before moving to California, Eren did finish university and was fortunate enough to graduate with a few of his friends, along with Levi who had to be convinced to attend. Much to his surprise, they accepted Levi even though they were told about his criminal past. They didn't give much thought to it and claimed that a bad past shouldn't affect one's ability to learn. They had been well known on campus, but also experienced harassment, especially when word went around about what Levi used to be. Eren and Levi always ignored it because they had faced worse, much worse. Nothing besides the absence of one another could hurt them now.

"The interview is in forty- five minutes," Eren announced one day as he straightened his tie while standing tall in front of a full- length mirror. "Why aren't you getting ready?"

"You're distracting me," Levi said from the bed, his eyes making contact with Eren's through the mirror.

"How so?" Eren asked, pretending to be unamused as he tilted his head.

"I don't know if I can keep myself from feeling jealous while knowing that thousands of people will see you look that good," Levi told him and licked his bottom lip. Eren's bottom looked very round but sculpted in his semi-formal type pants, his biceps were practically bulging from beneath his coal- coloured button up shirt and the shine in his eyes was enough to make Levi dizzy with desire. "You're so enticing."

"Levi, we can't." Eren knew that look in Levi's eyes far too well; the way his eyes appeared more hooded and dark whenever he wanted to make love, how profound his voice sounded and how he bit his lip.

"How about just a kiss then? Surely I'm allowed to have a taste, right?" Levi inquired.

"Fine," Eren sighed. Levi was spoiled rotten from all the attention Eren constantly gave him, and now Levi always expected attention no matter what. He walked over to the bed and leaned over to kiss Levi, who wrapped his arms around Eren's neck and tackled him down and forced his tongue in.

"Mph- hey!" Eren objected. Levi took this opportunity to roll them over so that he was on top of Eren, and grinned mischievously. "Stop that!"

"You can't expecting me not to do anything when you're wearing something so flattering," Levi told him and proceeded to bite Eren's lower lip. Levi looked up at Eren with pleading eyes and placed a knee between his legs and brought it up against his crotch. Eren opened his mouth to argue, but immediately melted in Levi's embrace when he began to move his knee.

"L-Levi, we can't," Eren repeated and pressed a hand flat against Levi's chest and pushed him away only slightly so that Levi's black locks were grazing Eren's forehead.

"Do you mean that, though?" Levi questioned him and rubbed his knee even faster against the building tent in Eren's crotch. "'We can't' isn't a synonym for 'I don't want to', isn't it? You're so hard already, just from a little friction."

Levi craned his neck to latch onto the skin behind Eren's ear and licked down to his lobe as his hand violently untucked Eren's shirt from his pants and slid upward to capture a hardened nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Eren released a shaky gasp as he tried to move away, but only intensified the friction in his pants when he accidentally rubbed even harder. His mouth parted and spilled a moan when Levi bit into the tender skin of Eren's neck. Levi was a big hickey enthusiast and Eren hated it when he was marked before some special event, but he was drowning so deeply into the pleasurable stimuli that he couldn't care less.

"Is that a yes? You want me to continue?" Levi asked and pulled away a tiny bit so he could look at Eren for an answer. He wouldn't overstep the boundaries if Eren didn't want it. Because if he loves Eren, he wanted to make sure they were always on the first page.

"Take a hint, you snake. You have t- ah! ten minutes," Eren warned.

"I'll make you finish in five," Levi promised with a cocky wink.

"Okay, okay," Eren said quickly and wrapped his fingers around Levi's wrist, stopping him from removing Eren's belt. "Levi, angel, I love you but are you sure you can do it?"

Levi paused at him and gave him a frown that made him look as if he were genuinely confused. He tipped his head to the side and pulled back. "What do you mean?"

"You had a really bad flashback last time and I don't want that to happen to you again," Eren whispered sadly as he took Levi's hand in his.

"They happen without warning, you know that. If you're only pointing this out now because you don't want me too, you're allowed to say no, you know-"

"It's not about that," Eren cut him off. "I just... I don't want to be the seed of your pain, even if it's just panic attacks because I know what it's like having one. That's the reason why I haven't been willing to... to allow you to make love to me lately. I know it's been years, but I can't help but feel so guilty."

"Eren, 'seed of your pain' sounds ridiculous and second, you're not and you won't ever be again. If we try to have sex and my attacks set off, so be it. It's not because of you, it's just my brain that associates a good thing with a bad thing," Levi explained as he took Eren's face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together so that his breath was tickling Eren's top lip. "We shouldn't dwell in the past, Eren."

"You're only reassuring me so you can go straight to doing something dirty," Eren said with the straightest face he could muster.

"That's only half true. I just don't want you worrying so much about it me, okay? I can do it," Levi told him as he pressed his mouth to his so that he could lick along the taller man's lip. "I just want to make you feel good, and I didn't plan on doing anything too vulgar. Just let me calm your nerves, alright?"

Heat spread through Eren's face as he looked away, flustered and embarrassed. Eren was still worried, and Levi could tell. To get things back into the right mood, Levi pushed Eren backward onto the bed and captured his bottom lip between his teeth as he rubbed his knee between his legs once again, startling but ultimately pleasuring Eren. Eren's body spasmed and shuddered under his fiery touches as moans and gaps were released from his tight lips. His body completely opened up and yielded to Levi's touch, something so desperately needed. Eren's shaking hands reached up to grab onto the collar of Levi's shirt and used it to tug the shorter man closer to him, where their lips finally melted and collided together. Eren's breath was short and ragged like he had been starving of Levi this entire time. He moaned into his mouth, which caused Levi to go even rougher than he already was. Something almost animalistic took control over Levi, and rationality went out the window. A heat so intense rumbled in his chest and his crotch. He couldn't believe he punished himself a few years back by not allowing himself to touch Eren at all. It was absolute torture, and now the man he loved so dearly was a panting, withering mess beneath him. Perhaps dreams do come true.

Finally just when Eren thought Levi couldn't go slower, his shirt was carefully unbuttoned and untucked (because he knew Eren would kick him straight in the face if he were to rip it) and set it to the side for later. He dipped his head down and kissed down Eren's chest as one hand struggled to remove Eren's belt and pants. Once the task was complete, his hands fondled the growing bulge teasingly. Eren parted from the kiss with a gasp and squirmed when Levi continued to palm and rub him through his boxers.

"Oh, Levi," Eren groaned with such sweet despair as if feeling so good was hurting him.

"Yes?" Levi answered and looked up innocently without stopping the movement from his hands.

"H-Hurry u- ah! up..." Eren murmured, already in a serene state.

"That's not how I taught you," Levi replied with a deep frown and tightened his grip on Eren, making him arch his back off the bed out of reflex. His thighs were already aching from stiffening up too much. "What do we say when we want something? Come on, baby, surely you know."

"Suck m-me," Eren murmured shyly.

"Suck me what?" Levi said and brought a hand up to his ear to make it look like he was listening for a distant, soft noise.

"S-Suck me please," Eren started, sort of confidently, "daddy." His voice went soft and almost inaudible at the last word, but Levi heard him loud and clear.

Levi grinned wickedly at this. A long time ago he asked Eren to call him such a name as a joke but before he could tell him he was kidding, he began using it and Levi didn't have the heart or self-control to tell him. With swift movements, he settled between Eren's legs so that he had his knees on the floor and Eren's top half sprawled on the bed and his thighs just next to Levi's head.

"Good boy," Levi praised as pressed his mouth onto Eren's skin just below where he needed him most. He parted his lips painfully slow and then proceeded to lick, suck and gnaw at the tender skin there. Eren shot up from the bed in surprise and grabbed a fistful of Levi's hair and let out shuddering, whiny breaths. Levi, without a single doubt, enjoyed this very much and would call himself a foreplay enthusiast. Just the sight of Eren withering and surrendering beneath him was enough to send him on visual sensory overload. Driven with passion, lust, and love, Levi inched his lips further up and began to kiss his higher inner thigh and created marks where he could. During the entirety of it all, Levi had his eyes focused on Eren's with a gaze so profound and sharp that it made Eren leak even more than he already was. Levi always noticed the finer details, and he noticed this too. He smirked from ear to ear before playfully tugging at Eren's briefs. Before Eren could complain again, Levi put his mouth against Eren's bulge and kissed it deeply, making Eren gasp out loud and tensing even harder.

"Just do it already," Eren mumbled grumpily with flushed cheeks. "You said five minutes."

"I did, but that doesn't mean I will," Levi whispered mischievously before reaching up with one hand to slide beneath Eren's shirt and finding the perky nubs he adored too much. "Going slow to prolong the pleasure never hurt anyone."

"Levi," Eren whined and gently thumped the coal-haired man's head. "You're being mean."

"Don't get grumpy yet. You already know I always stick to my promises." With that being said, Levi got up from his knees to press his body softly against his lover's to drown him in yet another burning kiss. This time, it was more aggressive and Levi did not try to hold back at all; he grasped Eren's silky hair in one hand as the other tugged his briefs off. Eren didn't notice because he was too focused on the enticing lips. Eren's hands were splayed across Levi's broad shoulders and tightened when he finally felt where Levi was moving his hands. He yelped into Levi's mouth, but it gave him the opportunity to further deepen the kiss and sneak his tongue in. Eren whimpered against his lips when Levi's began wrapped his fingers (the fingers whom Eren adored and cherished so much) around him and began to pump him slowly, painfully slowly. It was already too intense for Eren and just when he thought things couldn't feel even more pleasurable, Levi extracted himself from the kiss and began to drag his lips down Eren's chest. Before he could go any lower, he closed his lips around a very erect nipple and tweaked the other one. A sound between a sharp gasp and a choke left Eren's throat, music to Levi's ears. He bit down lightly and licked and sucked until he was sure it was going to leave a mark later.

Eren felt like he was suffocating in a humid atmosphere because of all the sensations he was getting. His body demanded to be touched, and it was getting exactly what it wanted. His stomach and thighs were beginning to feel very stiff and inside him, a flower of pleasure was unfurling its petals. His lips parted in ecstasy but found himself almost disappointed when he felt Levi's mouth leave his chest. With annoyance, he lifted his head to complain again but found himself unable to speak when Levi finally took Eren into his mouth after kissing it briefly.

"L-Levi," Eren moaned and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead.

Levi hummed in content as took Eren further down his mouth, making Eren tear up and break into a sob. It was too good, so good that he felt that he was about to pass out. Levi swirled his tongue around the tip before deep throating him, and that was when Eren was about to be sent over the edge, but he held it in. He didn't want to release yet, not when Levi wasn't getting anything in return. Levi removed Eren from his mouth and looked up at him with greedy eyes, gazing at him as if he were his next meal, and Eren would have drooled at the sight. He dragged his lips from the base to the tip and proceeded to place him in his mouth again.

"N-No," Eren stuttered when he already felt release arriving soon.

"No what? I thought you wanted to come," Levi murmured when he took him out of his mouth to reply to him.

"It's not that," Eren whispered. "You're not... putting it in?"

"Baby, I would. I really would, but you said we only have ten minutes," Levi said and then kissed Eren down there, making him flinch and groan.

"They can wait," Eren said quietly.

"What?"

"They can wait," Eren repeated more loudly for him to hear. "The interviewers, I mean. I'm the star of the show after all, and they won't be able to start it if I'm not present. There's no harm in making anyone wait."

Levi grinned at Eren's sudden change of heart and boldness. "You want me to?"

"I want you," he murmured, returning to being shy.

"At least call them before I lose control of myself," Levi said with mock exasperation.

"That's not the focus right now," Eren said. "Don't worry about the silly interview. Focus on what's in front of you. You can take care of me, right?"

"You're going to be the death of me, I swear."

---

After making him reach his climax once, Levi and Eren both agreed they would still try their best to show up at the interview at least as soon as possible because of their anxiety. Even so, they took their time in the art of lovemaking. Of course, their movements were anything but slow. After bickering about what position they should use, Levi's choice won. He argued that he wanted to look up at Eren, so it was decided that Eren was going to ride him. It was a position they didn't use too often, but Levi loved it whenever they did. The two lovers were dressed in full nude; there were no longer secrets between their skin. Eren was unknowingly gripping and scratching onto Levi's back so hard that he started to leave marks, but Levi didn't seem to notice at all. He was too busy trying to pleasure Eren after all.

"T-There!" Eren exclaimed shortly after Levi was invited in. His toes curled and his head was tilted back. "L-Levi, please. H-Harder."

"I just put it in. Patience, my love," Levi murmured with a chuckle as he pressed his forehead against Eren's chest. "You feel so damn good. Did you stretch yourself for me?"

"Maybe," Eren admitted and panted.

"I'm so flattered," Levi whispered and gnawed lightly at Eren's collarbone. He slid his hands down to Eren's bare ass and squeezed affectionately.

"But only because we haven't done it in a while and I got lonely," Eren pouted as he ground his hips. Levi groaned internally at this comment. He knew that Eren was already a pretty confident and bold person in any occasion, but it was sex that Eren was at the peak of his confidence; he almost never hesitated to speak his mind or do what would make the two of them feel good, and Levi admired him for that.

Their sex life was perfectly healthy and they always discussed matters whenever something bothered one of them and didn't do anything that would make them uncomfortable, and perhaps that is why the sex never felt boring or repeated despite all the years they've been together. But it did feel different from when they first had done it together, which was the day Eren snapped and Levi didn't have a sense of responsibility or consequence. Back then it felt right but as if what they had done was supposed to be kept secret, and that there some a negative shift in correctness. Now, everything was at peace. Levi didn't need to worry about the police as much anymore and Eren didn't feel bad for being with a man his parents disapproved of. When they had sex, it was completely natural, as natural as clouds on rainy days. It didn't need to be questioned any further.

At this point, Levi was ramming himself fiercely into Eren. The pleasure licked and attacked both of them like starved wolves as they both relished in the addicting sensation. Eren was a stuttering mess and Levi had total control over him. There were too many places he was being touched and he didn't know where to put his focus on his chest, his bottom or his lips, which were being devoured and sucked. Eren's nails dug crescent moons into Levi's skin with his nails as he bounced up and down in his lap, getting lost and drunk on the feeling of being loved.

"L-Levi! Oh god, L-Levi," he panted into his ears.

"You like it there? You like it when I fuck you this way, hmm?" Levi teased before capturing Eren's bottom lip between his teeth once more as Eren released a loud moan.

"I l-love it," Eren replied. "I'm go-"

They both froze when Eren's cell phone on the bedside table started to screech its default ringtone, and the two of them were yanked out of their dream-like states of intimacy. Levi started up at Eren and raised an eyebrow. Eren, with hesitation, reached over without removing himself from Levi's lap and peered down at the screen, which read the company that was going to interview him. In a panic, he clicked the answer button and brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hello, Eren Ackerman speaking," he greeted professionally and politely as if he didn't have Levi inside of him.

A voice whom he didn't recognize answered back. "Good day, it's MCS news. We were just wondering about the time of your arrival because the interview is planned in about five minutes by now."

"I apologize sincerely," Eren said with an awkward cough and glared down at Levi who was idly rubbing his hands against Eren's waist in order to get his attention. "I'm caught in very horrible traffic as we speak. It's absolutely horrendous."

Levi bothered that Eren's attention was captured by somebody else, took matters into his own hands and began to slowly thrust up into Eren again. In response, he unintentionally let out a groan but quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Sorry, Mr. Ackerman, but are you alright on your end?"

"Y-Yeah, I just had quite the fright. Someone bumped me from behind." Annoyed at Levi, Eren tried to pull out and was almost successful, but Levi grabbed Eren's hips and pushed himself back in with a powerful thrust. Eren had to clamp down on his lips to keep his moans at bay, but a faint whimper managed to escape. Luckily, the caller on the other end did not hear anything. "I'll try t-to get there as soon as I can, though I am not certain how long it will be."

"That's great. We'll see you in a bit then." The caller hung up.

Before Eren could toss his phone away and scold Levi for being disruptive during his phone call, Levi pushed Eren onto the bed and began to move at violent speed. Eren's grip on his cell phone gave away and fell onto the floor forgotten and his arms flew around Levi's neck as if holding onto dear life.

"L-Levi, please, t-too fast," Eren said. "Slow down."

"You know I can't do that at this point. How can I? You're intensely ravishing and you think I'm going to slow down when your whining and moaning right into my ear? I don't think so," Levi said as he propped one of Eren's legs on his shoulder for better access. This seemed to do the trick because a certain bundle of nerves was hit straight on and made Eren go crazy; his head dug into the pillow and more precum was released from his aching length.

Eren was appalled but pleased with how Levi reacted; he had never seen him so turned on and aggressive before. Levi was what Eren liked to describe as a gentle lover, but today he was someone completely different. Levi pressed his head briefly against Eren's as he continued to move brutally within him, leaving Eren breathless and desiring more. He couldn't think properly. He couldn't think about the important interview or how he was supposed to freshen up again. All he could think was how he wanted more of Levi. He tightened around Levi and twisted around as if the pleasure was too much for him to handle. His eyes watered up and his mouth was wet with drool. The moment was too delicious to pass up.

"Levi, I'm gonna c-cum," Eren whimpered against Levi's lips. "C-Can I?"

"Beg," was Levi's simple command.

Eren immediately began to cry. He just wanted release so badly but he knew that if he did before Levi allowed him to, it would upset him. Even so, there was a thrill to obeying Levi, and sometimes even disobeying him. It was excitement and adrenaline that made him almost want to bend some rules.

"No please," Eren cried out, almost in agony. The trembling of his entire body and the pressure he felt down below was overwhelming. He was a writhing rose to Levi's hooded eyes.

"Beg," Levi repeated but more sternly. His eyes burned straight into his like a young fire.

"Please let me cum," Eren pleaded. "Please, Levi? I've been good for you, h-haven't I?" With that, Eren clenched around Levi once more, making him wince with a shiver before glaring at him coldly.

"You can do better than that. I know you can," Levi told him and narrowed his eyes sharply.

Eren, like Levi, was too turned on. Partially, obviously, because of the sensations Levi was feeing him and because of how genuinely angered Levi looked at Eren's weak attempt at begging. Eren pressed his chest against Levi's and ground his hips as he placed his mouth next to his ear and whispered shakily, "p-please drive me wild and wreck me from t-the inside so that I can cum. Won't you let me? I n-need it."

"See, I told you. Good boy," Levi praised with a groan before he dived into him violently. Eren bit on his lower lip and held on to Levi as he rammed into him with all his might, making the bed rattle and the frame clang against the wall. Eren's back arched off the comforter and all he wanted was to be closer to Levi, despite the fact that he was inside him. His thinking was odd in the heat of the moment, but if he would he would swallow him whole if it meant he would always be with him, and in him. He wished to melt seamlessly into Levi, to be under his skin and share the same heartbeat because it was that moment where he was tired being himself and only loved the image of himself when he was with Levi.

With a cry Eren released. His vision went bright and pearly, like watching thunder strike a tree, and his hips jutted further up. He shut his eyes in embarrassment and turned his head to bite at a pillow as he rode out his orgasm. Levi followed shortly after and spilled inside him, the warm stickiness oozing out of Eren like a milky disaster as he let out a low groan. He collapsed on Eren and quickly captures his lips in a sloppy kiss. Eren was more than eager and kissed him back in a lazy manner.

For a moment they shared silence, as if the world around them stilled, like an audience after an orchestra performance waiting for the conductor to lower his baton. Eren presses a hand to Levi's hair and made a small "ugh" sound before whacking Levi gently on the shoulder with his other hand.

"I'm never trusting your word again. 'Just a kiss' my ass."

wow, my first published smut scene ever! I never imagined I would, but I figured since this might be my last fic ever I might as well. consider this like a Christmas present lol.

before anyone freaks out about this being my last fic, to make it brief I need to move on and focus on personal projects.

dw, this isn't the epilogue just yet. though, I intended this to be the epilogue but it ended up being too long.

-t