This is my Eruri Secret Santa for @bluecravat ! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it for you!
When Levi first was called Humanity’s Strongest, it was by a fellow Survey Corps member whom he had saved by taking down a twenty meter abnormal. The nickname had soon spread throughout the Corps, and from there, it only made sense that the civilians were using it.
“Humanity’s Strongest,” they would whisper reverently, craning their necks to spot him in the long lines of Corps members marching out to their deaths. “I wonder how many he’ll take down this time?”
There had, of course, been mass confusion when the nickname was first becoming popular among the civilians. The people were looking for someone tall and dignified, someone who looked strong. They weren’t expecting Levi.
Levi knew that at first glance, he didn’t meet the criteria to be the strongest. He was foul-mouthed and short, not at all how most people would picture someone capable of taking down as many titans as he did. “That can’t be Humanity’s Strongest,” some had said. “He doesn’t look very strong.”
But Levi’s comrades had kept singing his praises, and soon enough, the citizens began to believe. After all, there was no way the entirety of the Survey Corps would be lying about the same thing, even if they were crazy enough to traverse outside the walls.
Levi, for his part, hated the nickname. He hadn’t wanted this life. Sure, he’d dreamed of living on the surface, but never in his wildest imagination had he dreamed that he would be considered a hero to mankind. Him - a thug and a murderer who joined the Survey Corps under false pretenses, to kill Erwin Smith and earn citizenships for Farlan, Isabel, and himself. Now, though, he was involved in the struggle for humanity and often had to go to Sina with Erwin to procure funding for expeditions.
Usually, Levi didn’t mind as long as he wasn’t left to suffer alone, and most times, he was able to follow Erwin around. There were the exceptions, however, when Erwin was called away from a party in order to reply to a letter from headquarters, and Levi had to then step up and take over. This was one of those rare times, and Levi was not happy. They had recently come back from an expedition that had resulted in more casualties than normal, and Levi was stuck answering questions about why the Corps was necessary.
It was another two hours before Levi had been able to sneak out and head back to the inn. By that time, he was in a foul mood, only made worse by the rain that was falling. He found his way to the inn, wandering down the hallway until he found the room that he and Erwin were sharing.
The door slammed shut with a bang, and Levi winced. He hadn’t meant to close it that hard, and he was sure that he would hear about it from the innkeeper in the morning. He was just so pissed that he could hardly think straight. Leaning against the door, he tilted his head back and let out a long sigh.
Paper rustling caught Levi’s attention, and he looked over to see Erwin sitting on a chair by the bed. Erwin set aside the letters he’d been reading, leaned his elbows on his knees, and focused on Levi.
Levi thought about not saying anything, just shoving all of this down as he tended to most of the time. But something about the way that Erwin was staring at him with those blue, blue eyes crumbled Levi’s defenses, and he found himself speaking before he could stop himself.
“I didn’t sign up for this shit,” Levi spat, grey eyes flashing.
“I know,” Erwin replied calmly.
Levi averted his gaze at that. Of course Erwin wasn’t going to apologize. There was no need for Erwin to apologize. Levi knew that. He knew that whatever Erwin did was for the good of humanity, even if it meant going to the Underground and dragging a criminal meant to kill him into the Survey Corps. That was who Erwin was. He spoke the truth - held certain things back at times - and never apologized.
“Levi, look at me.”
Reluctantly, Levi glanced up. Erwin had moved to stand directly before him, and Levi had to tilt his head way back in order to see him. Erwin, Levi mused, should be Humanity’s Strongest, should be the one who had his praises sung, instead of Levi.
Erwin’s brows were furrowed, and his blue eyes were tainted with something akin to regret, as much regret as Erwin could show, anyway. “Levi,” Erwin began, “I can’t say -”
Levi placed one hand flat on Erwin’s chest and pushed, hissing through gritted teeth, “Then shut up, you bastard.”
Before Levi could do anything else, Erwin grabbed his wrist with one hand and spun him around, trapping Levi’s arm behind his back and pulling him close to his chest. Quickly, Erwin took hold of Levi’s other arm, then transferred his grip so he was holding both of Levi’s wrists in one hand. Levi struggled against his grasp until Erwin covered Levi’s eyes with his free hand, whispering into his ear, “Hush now, Levi. Just relax.”
Immediately, all of the fight drained out of Levi, and he slumped forward, resting all of his weight against Erwin’s chest with a heavy sigh. His head didn’t even reach Erwin’s shoulders, and if he tilted his head to the left, he could hear the other man’s calm heartbeat, opposite of his own rapid one.
“I’ve got you,” Erwin whispered. He removed his hold on Levi’s wrists, allowing his arms to hang limply by his side, then trailed his hand down Levi’s spine. Even more tension dissipated from Levi’s body with an intense shiver. “There we go. Just relax.”
Levi loved these moments. He didn’t have to worry about anything because Erwin was there and knew what he needed. Erwin never let him down, even if things were going to hell around them.
Erwin turned Levi around to face him before pressing him against the door and shoving a thigh between his legs. He bent down slightly, intense gaze boring into Levi’s before traveling lower to his lips. Levi arched onto his tiptoes, but even that wasn’t enough to reach Erwin’s lips for a kiss. With a growl, Levi grabbed the bolo tie and yanked Erwin down, opening his mouth to allow access for a deeper kiss. It was at times like this that their height difference became very obvious, as well as uncomfortable, with Levi having to stretch up and Erwin having to bend down. Without missing a beat, Erwin slid his hands down Levi’s sides to hook under his thighs and lifted him up, Levi instinctively wrapping his legs around Erwin’s waist.
They stayed that way for a few minutes, Levi’s hands tugging at Erwin’s hair, until the other man set Levi down with one last kiss. “Undress and lay down,” Erwin commanded, then stepped away from Levi and sat on the chair, crossing one leg over the other.
Levi did as he was told, sensing Erwin’s gaze on him the entire time. Only when Levi was laying down did Erwin move, climbing onto the bed to lean over him. Over the next hour, Erwin took Levi apart with words breathed heavily into his ear and touches that were rough yet gentle, and then pieced him back together the same way. Levi clung to Erwin, nails scoring deep scratches down his back, as Erwin moved inside of him. Their breaths mingled when they panted heavily between biting kisses, and Levi arched his back, a low moan leaving his lips, when Erwin’s cock pressed against his prostate. It wasn’t long after that before Levi spilled between their bellies, clenching tightly around Erwin as the pleasure overwhelmed him. Erwin followed a moment later, his hips pressed flush against Levi’s, their tongues curling around each other.
Carefully, Erwin lowered himself on top of Levi, and the smaller man’s mouth quirked into a smirk. He could recall times when Erwin had hesitated to rest his full weight on Levi, a fact which Levi had been quick to correct. He could handle Erwin’s weight. He wasn’t some weakling. He was…
Humanity’s Strongest.
“Levi.”
Erwin’s harsh tone snapped Levi from his thoughts, and he realized that he’d inadvertently stiffened, jaw clenching. He forced himself to relax by focusing on one group of muscles at a time, and soon, he was once again boneless underneath Erwin.
Erwin propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at Levi with a barely perceptible frown on his face. “You should rest,” he said, and though it looked like he wanted to say more, he only pulled slowly from Levi, drawing a hiss from him, and padded naked to the bathroom.
Levi stayed on his back and stared at the ceiling, unmoving even as Erwin returned with a damp cloth and wiped their semen away, returning the cloth to the bathroom before blowing out the lamp on the bedside table. He then slid into bed and tugged up a light sheet around the both of them. Levi’s head lolled to the side, and he locked eyes with Erwin, neither of them looking away for a few heartbeats. It was Levi, in the end, who broke contact and rolled so that his back was towards Erwin. He couldn’t stand to see that almost pitying look in Erwin’s eyes. He closed his own eyes and evened out his breathing, but he didn’t resist when Erwin wrapped an arm around his waist and dragged him close, burying his face in Levi’s neck. Levi lifted his hand and touched Erwin’s, an acceptance to the silent apology Erwin gave.
“Levi,” Erwin breathed quietly, and in the way that Erwin whispered it, Levi knew that Erwin was saying much more than just his name.
“I know, Erwin,” Levi murmured back, his heart so fucking full of love for the other man that he thought he was going to burst. “Now go to sleep, old man.” He heard Erwin snort before tugging Levi even closer, and Levi hooked his ankle over Erwin’s calf in response.
It was only when he heard Erwin’s soft snores that Levi filled the quiet room with the words he truly wanted to say. “I’m a soldier, Erwin,” he whispered. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I know the risks. All I can do… All we can do is what we have been doing - fight, consequences be fucking damned.” Even if that meant that Levi would forever be hailed as a hero and have the hope of all mankind resting on his shoulders.
