The marks upon Eren's once clear skin were as plentiful as the stars in the sky.

Even when they were finished, it didn't stop Levi from keeping his wandering mouth from Eren's aching body. Eren didn't protest, and he very much enjoyed it. Levi had one splayed on Eren's hip while the other was around his shoulders. They both only had their boxers and pants on, but it was uncomfortably warm inside the vehicle. Levi could taste the saltiness of Eren's sweating skin as he licked over all of the markings he had created with his own mouth. Before, the idea of licking someone's sweat was sickening and nasty, but he believed nothing could ever be disgusting if it was Eren. Levi considered himself to be a very neat and hygienic person, but all of his clean habits when out the window when he had Eren's cock deep inside his mouth and swallowed the white, bitter substance just a few hours ago.

The sun was setting, and they both watched it bow down and disappear into the cerulean sky. It wasn't raining anymore, and there was a strange but pleasant atmosphere that wrapped around the two of them. The sounds of crickets replaced the soft pattering of the rain. They felt safe together, and for a while, they could not remember that they were broken.

"I'm going to get hard again if you keep doing that, and I don't know how you would handle that if that happens," Eren said and hid his flushed face behind his hands.

"You're already hard," Levi pointed out and with the most serious face, placed his hand on Eren's growing tent. He swatted his hand away with alarm.

"Whatever. Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"You know exactly what you're doing, Ackerman," Eren told him almost sternly.

"I'm doing this to make up for lost time, for the time we could have had together but unfortunately did not. If I could force one hundred kisses into one, I would," Levi explained as he dipped his finger into Eren's naval and rubbed it. "We could have done this sooner."

"Yeah, maybe if you didn't push me away," Eren pouted.

"Don't be like that," Levi murmured into his ear and nibbled tenderly at his lobe. Eren shuddered. "You know I had to do it to stay out of trouble with the police. Your parents most likely despise me, so I guess I'm not completely off the hook yet. I just gave up trying to put a good façade in some situations."

Levi paused, and so did his hands. He moved his mouth away from Eren's ear and went for his neck. His lips brushed softly against his skin when he spoke. "We lost so much time."

"Then we can make more time," Eren argued.

Levi moved away again and shook his head. "I don't know, Eren. I'm not sure-"

"Then what did we just do? Am I merely a quick fuck? Was that was it was? A quick, accessible fuck?" Eren cut him off, his voice rising with each word.

"That's not true, you know that's not true," Levi muttered. An uncontrollable urge to confess bubbled violently inside his chest and rumbled like captured bees. He had to let it out because he felt like he could die if he didn't say it. "I love you."

Eren exhaled a sharp, shaking breath as he made eye contact with the raven-haired man. A euphoric flower bloomed inside his heart. He probably had a garden at this point, and maybe it would kill him someday. "Be with me then." His voice was raw with a hurt that he knew he would feel if Levi gave him a negative response.

"I want to. God. I want to so badly," Levi exclaimed and threw his head back onto the headrest and stayed like that for a brief moment. "But I fear the world is against us."

When Levi went into court not too long after he had been captured, they didn't discuss anything about how Levi could never see or speak to Eren again. Maybe it was unspoken. Perhaps it was expected of him to cut all ties with Eren because of what he had done. Levi feared they would find out one day and then punish him real good. He would be hated even more.

"I'm afraid too, but I'm not allowing that to stop me from loving you. "

"It's not that, Eren. If anyone ever finds out, they're going to think I did something to your head. I robbed your innocence after all, and they're going to think I manipulated you into being with me," Levi told him with frustration.

"If that happens, if they do find out, I'll be with you by your side and we can face this together. This isn't Beauty and the Beast or Stockholm syndrome or the butterfly effect. I think if one were to be in those situations, they wouldn't really know why they're in love. For me, there are too many reasons as to why I had fallen for you in the first place. I fell for your hidden kindness first, which was hard to see because you were so tough." Eren laughed and smiled sweetly as he tangled his hands in Levi's. "Then your sarcasm, your smile, your empathy, et cetera. You're always so hard on yourself. One day I hope you can be more gentle and kind to yourself."

"How can you do that?" Levi was breathless even though he hadn't moved an inch.

"Do what?"

"You're so... bright. You're positive most of the time despite what has happened between us. You don't really point out the awful things I've done to you. You're very forgiving. Perhaps this is what I've needed all along. I needed you and I still do."

"Be with me then," Eren whispered again and closed the gap between them. His lips were on Levi's, but they weren't exactly kissing.

"We can try," Levi said finally.

"No try," Eren mumbled like a stubborn teenager. "Only do."

"Whatever you say, Jaeger. I'll do whatever you want at this point. Make me yours," Levi said and did the shaking breath exhale like Eren did a few minutes ago. His eyes were hooded and dark with a desire so intense it set Eren's heart (and crotch) aflame.

"You already are."

"Those damn eyes of your have captivated me from the start. I had always been a doomed man," Levi told him and kissed him gently. "But we can't let anyone know. Before you say anything, I am no ashamed of our love. I just don't think it would be safe to put ourselves out there right now. Do you understand?"

"Of course. I don't care as long as I'm with you." Eren''s lips were straining to be near Levi's as he pulled away. When Levi mockingly inched his lips away when Eren want to kiss him, he decided to climb on top and straddle him. Levi flinched as Eren pressed their crotches against one another. He let out a low hiss. "Levi, I'm happy."

"You're just horny."

Eren shot him a protesting look. "No, happy."

"Can you really be happy with me, though?"

"I am now, aren't I?"

Levi felt that what he was doing now was way worse than what he had done before. He was once stone cold and unfeeling whenever he robbed stores or pickpocketed unknowing people on the street. He was being extremely careful with Eren, but there was something inside him that made him feel a little uneasy. Fortunately, that feeling would go away whenever he was with Eren.

Eren was in Levi's home, one hand around the handle of a mug filled to the brim with black coffee while the other one rested in Levi's hand as he read a poetry book. It was morning, and it had been days since they had made love for the first time but Eren could already pinpoint the areas of his house where Levi would show no mercy to him. The couch, the kitchen island, the third step of the staircase- they his house a museum of their love. Eren was always at Levi' home with the exception of going to his place to make sure Bean was okay or to let his parents know he was fine. They weren't very worried, they were pleased that Eren was finally getting out of the house and appeared to be slightly happier.

"I wish you could live with me," Levi blurted out. He didn't look away from his literature.

"I could."

"But you can't," Levi continued. "Your parents would know."

"I want to introduce you to them eventually," Eren admitted.

This was when Levi looked up from his book and set it down on the table. "Are you out of your mind? They hate me, Eren."

"They know your name and they know you have a bad history, but they've never told me they hate you. They know that you're responsible for bringing me home, and they're grateful for that. How can you assume something about someone if you haven't met them yet?"

"I'm afraid, Eren," Levi told him quietly.

"I'll explain everything to them, okay? My parents are very understanding and supportive, they're never hateful at all. You need to trust me on this and take a leap of faith," Eren said as he began rubbing circles on Levi's thumb using his.

"Do I have to meet them?" Levi whined. He was just so afraid of being hated by even more people.

"Levi, listen. Do you love me?"

"With every ounce of love within me, yes."

"If that's so, I want to spend my life with you, but for that to happen you would need to meet them. We don't need to do it now, but the sooner the better," Eren explained. He gave him a little grin and cupped Levi's hand with both of his. "We don't need to love in silence."

Levi smiled but shook his head. "Don't you have a sister around your age? Younger people... they can be angry quite easily. I'm certain she won't be thrilled."

Now that Eren thought about it, Mikasa did have quite a temper whenever she lost her cool but like their parents, she didn't have a habit of hating people. She was always so calm and collected, but she would hold grudges from time to time.

"She'll come around," Eren reassured him,

"Are you sure?"

"When she comes around, I can tell she'll like you. When she heard how you saved me, she wanted to meet you and thank you. Like my parents, she is also aware you haven't done great things in the past and that you were initially working with Kenny. She seemed a little bothered by it, but she has more gratitude than anger for you. Not everyone on this planet is against you, Levi," Eren went on and raised Levi's hand to his mouth, where he planted a kiss on each finger. "I'll make sure they love you too because you deserve all the love in this world."

"You're so cheesy," Levi said with embarrassment. He wasn't used to being adored and given so much attention and love.

"Because I'm in love. It does things to people."

"You know what?"

"What?" Eren questioned.

"I am so glad I decided to have sex with you, or else I wouldn't be experiencing this," Levi replied.

"Define 'this,'" Eren ordered.

"Happiness, an emotion my heart could not grasp for years. It's like it's summertime every day when I'm with you, almost like you're the sun itself. The little things matter; I can just look at you and it will immediately brighten up my day. When you kiss me it's like your breathing life inside me, like all this time I had been in the most profound level of unconsciousness and you've snapped me out of it, and that your smile has some kind of gravitational force that pulls me to you and my hands still shake when I touch you because I'm so afraid that there will a day when I won't be able to do that. It hasn't even been a week since I gave on trying to distance myself, but I am completely overwhelmed by you. I don't know how I had survived all this time without being with you, without telling you any of this." Levi looked down at their jumble of hands and released a breathy sigh. "I love you, and I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner."

Eren stared at him with wonder, his mouth left agape. Levi could feel his hand trembling in his as Eren parted his quivering lips to speak. His whole face turned into a bright red colour, which Levi found very cute.

"I think I justfell in love with you again."

lol not to be that person but I HATE WRITING HAPPY scenes because I genuinely feel like my writing can't reach its full potential when I write anything that isn't angst??? 

sorry this sucked so much ass but I hope all the unnecessary corniness made up for it.

also I hope there's at least one person who will find my 'call me by your name' references I put here and there. I love that book sm. 

-t