Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Shingeki no Kyojin manga/anime. Hajime Isayama is the one who owns them. I do not own the fandom either. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. The story is still unbetaed.

Chapter 8: In the Cave – Misunderstandings

"Eren," Levi quietly called out to the teenager, whose back at the moment was turned towards him. Once the name was out of his mouth, the man held his breath hoping that the boy was already asleep and did not hear him.

"Hm?" Eren hummed sleepily and Levi mentally cursed himself.

He had no idea why he called out to the teenager. He just… wanted to talk, probably? Levi did not know himself. One moment he was fighting his consciousness, trying to fall asleep, the next he was calling Eren's name.

"You are not asleep," Levi frowned at the statement that tumbled from his lips. Well, obviously the boy was not asleep if he answered.

"Not yet," Eren shuffled in his makeshift bedding and turned to face his superior. The cave was dark already and since they had not bothered with the fire he could barely see the older man. "Was there something you wanted to say?"

Levi's brain short-circuited for a moment. "You did well today," he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh? You think so?" Eren mumbled somewhat embarrassed as Levi was not prone to praising him.

"Well, obviously, I do think so, otherwise I wouldn't have said it."

"R-right."

"You," the captain hesitated, "you fought well even though I was a liability to you. You saved our asses, out there."

Eren tugged his blanket closer and buried his nose into it. "I just did what I had to."

Not quite knowing what else to say they both remained silent. Eren's thoughts drifted to the corporal. Now that he thought about it, it was a good opportunity to get to know the man. He had always idolized him, but after the time spent in the Scouting Legion, Eren realized that the man was only that – a man. A soldier, who was exceptionally skilled and harsh with words… sometimes with fists too, but otherwise just a man – not a hero. He could get hurt just like any other soldier; he had feelings like any other normal person. Levi was simply hard to approach. He was also hard to get along with but if Eren was right, the man was slowly opening up to him.

"Corporal, may I ask you a question?"

"You just asked one," the corporal huffed then said, "but sure, go ahead."

"Um, how come you joined the Scouting Legion?"

Levi shifted to lie on his back tryig to find a more comfortable position for his abused ribs. "I was scouted by Irwin, you could say. He was the one to sign me up."

"Hmm… I also heard you were a thug before joining. Is that true?" Like a small kid, who was about to hear a long awaited story, Eren shifted a bit closer to the corporal.

Levi chuckled. "Who did you hear it from?"

"Just… well, some people were talking. I know it is just a rumour. I mean, you do not look like a thug or anything but… I am just curious."

"It depends on what you would call a thug. I had gathered some people around me, hung out with the wrong crowd from time to time, stole some supplies from the soldiers, had a few scuffles but mainly the group I rounded up fought with the titans–"

"What kind of supplies?" Eren interrupted the story.

"3D Maneuver Gear, for example, or some food rations. I was a rebel," Levi shrugged. "The gear helped a great deal in the long run. Besides, if someone picked a fight with me I did not hesitate to fight back. That is probably where I earned the thug title. In reality, I simply fought titans and led people I trusted outside the walls. Just like I do now, though back then I did not have the support of the government. Sometime later I met Irwin," the corporal trailed off.

"I see…" Eren's thoughts jumped from the image of a young corporal leading his team beyond the walls to the corporal, who was lying in a small cave, injured and his teammates dead. Eren's breath hitched and his throat tightened. "I am sorry…" he whispered.

"Hm? What are you sorry for, brat?" Levi frowned at the sudden change. He couldn't tell what the boy was thinking about. Just a few minutes ago he had eagerly listened to his story and now he was apologizing? It made no sense.

"It is my fault that your team is… that they are dead," Eren squeezed his eyes shut, when he heard Levi shuffling in his bedding. "If only I have shifted… I should have changed back then but I hesitated, I left them… I–"

"It is not your fault," Levi said in a whisper and sat up in the bedding.

"But it is! I could have–"

"I could have, I would have, I should have… It is too late to change anything, Eren." Levi's tone wasn't harsh. It was quiet, sad but resolved at the same time. "It was their decision; they made a decision just like you did. They were soldiers, they knew the risks and they chose to follow their orders. What is important, however, is that you are alive and that their effort was not in vain," Levi let the words hang in the air and then remembered his earlier thought. "And not all of my team members are dead, Eren. You are alive and you are a part of my squad too. I still have you and you still have me."

Eren opened his mouth to say something but felt a cool finger press against his lips, effectively silencing him.

"Say no more," Levi whispered in the darkness. "Let it go. You are not at fault."

Once the finger retreated Eren licked his lips. "Neither are you, corporal."

Levi did not say anything in return. He lay back down and silence settled over them once again, both men deep in thought. A few minutes later Eren whispered a muffled 'thank you', to which Levi answered with a little hum and an involuntary shiver.

"Corporal, are you cold?"

Levi opened his mouth to snap at the boy with a witty comeback but then changed his mind and closed his mouth shut. He watched the teen, who in turn watched him. The brat was sharp. "A little," he whispered truthfully as he realized that it was indeed quite cold tonight. He noticed how Eren stilled, probably not expecting this kind of answer. Then the teenager rustled about in his bedding and shuffled closer to Levi, lifting his blanket up in a silent invitation to join.

Levi stared for a moment and considered to simply huff and turn down the boy's innocent gesture but did he really want to?

"Corporal?" Eren faltered, his cheeks gaining some red hue. He acted without much thought and now that he stopped to think, he realized that it was Levi, his corporal, whom he just invited to join under the same blanket. "Uh, never mind me, sir, I just–"

"Shut up," Levi untangled himself from the poor bedding and joined Eren under the blanket. He dragged his own blanket over and draped it on top of Eren's. He then slung his right arm over Eren's warm torso without any hesitation and snuggled closer.

Eren's throat went dry. His hand hovered above the corporal's now curled up form, pressed to his side, and hesitated. He did not know where to put his hand. Levi was warm and now his warm breath tickled his neck. They fit together nicely.

Eren's eyes widened at the last thought. His cheeks heated up a notch. What was he supposed to do now? He looked down at the corporal, who seemed quite comfortable in his current position.

Levi could feel how strung up Eren really was and the entire situation suddenly made him smirk. He felt how Eren's hand hesitantly descended on his lower back, still above the blanket, and twitched. Levi was suddenly tempted to snuggle up even closer to the warm body at his side. He resisted the urge but his hand moved on its own accord, tightening on the teenager's torso.

Eren's breath hitched. He could not believe that Corporal Levi was actually a cuddly type. This thought made him huff in a half laugh, which attracted Levis attention.

"What?" his question was muffled against Eren's neck.

"N-no, it is nothing."

"Eren?"

"Hm?"

Levi struggled with words. Once again he had opened his mouth and let Eren's name slip out. Was he really going to ask about it? No, it is none of his business. "Have you ever had sex?" Levi blurted out, eyes going wide but retaining his usual tone of voice. He tried to appear calm and not tense up, yet he held his breath waiting for an answer.

Eren felt like a bomb had just been dropped on his head and he only managed to squeak out a weak what?

"Did I stutter?" Levi droned.

"No, I just… Did you really just ask me that question?"

Levi huffed against his collarbone, warm breath tickling Eren's skin. "So have you?"

Eren's lips were dry. "No," he managed to whisper, "I have not." His mouth opened again, instinctively wanting to ask Levi have you? but stopped himself just in time. For crying out loud, the man was twice his age, of course he had been intimate.

"Why?" Levi seemed to be unable to stop himself.

"Wha–"

"Why haven't you?" The corporal interrupted. "I mean, aren't you curious?" Levi tilted his head a little and tried to glimpse Eren's bright eyes. "You can see teenagers making out almost on every corner of the street these days. Well, cannot blame them. Who wants to die a virgin? All these battles with shitty titans and what not… So, why haven't you? Do you want to die a virgin?"

Eren knew he was as red as a tomato by the time the questions rolled of off the corporal's tongue.

"No, I…" He licked his lips and tried to gain at least a little bit of composure to formulate the answer. "It's just that I did not really think about sex too much?" He formed it as a question as he really did not know himself. "I mean, I was more interested in getting stronger and be able to kill titans than… than having sex." The last part of the sentence was uttered in a whisper. "There was no time for these activities."

"Really now?" Levi's voice was soft. He couldn't help himself as he slid closer, pressing his whole body against Eren's, lips pressing against the tanned collarbone. "Have you not thought about it at all?"

"Of-of course I have," did Levi really just kiss his neck? "I have thought about it… but I never acted on it. Finding someone is also not easy, I mean, I couldn't just come up and say: 'hey I wanna fuck with you, let's go to my room'. Besides," he heard Levi chuckle against his neck, "the trainee girls were a bit stuck up and not interested in sex… Or maybe they just did not show any interest in me," Eren added as an afterthought and frowned. "I do have anger issues, and Mikasa always following me around did not help one bit. And… oh my god, am I really talking about my sexual life with my corporal?" Eren groaned in the silent room.

"Would you like to try it?" Levi's hot breath against Eren's skin was making him feel strange.

"What?" Eren asked not quite comprehending. "What do you mean?"

"Would you like to have sex now?"

"With you, sir?" Eren asked all flustered.

Levi chuckled humorlessly. "Would you rather with a titan?" He almost shuddered at the image that presented in his head.

Eren sputtered, "Of course not!" the teen fidgeted a little. "But– "

"Eren," Levi whispered, "look at me."

Eren lowered his eyes and met corporal's gray ones. His breath hitched and his throat went dry but he could not look away from the gaze that was directed at him.

The corporal leaned in and his lips touched Eren's. They were soft and the teen could not stop a soft sigh-moan that escaped his lips. The sound was eagerly swallowed by Levi's lips that now moved in a slow, sensual dance against Eren's. The boy felt the tip of Levi' tongue brush against his lips and wetly slide against them. It felt good. A moment later, with a soft last peck these warm lips retreated and Levi opened his eyes, gray pools locking with turquoise. Eren's heart was thudding in his chest. Their noses were almost touching. Eren felt how warm breath ghosted over his moist lips and his head reeled.

Levi's brows furrowed a little. The teen did not return the kiss.

"Eren, was this your first kiss?"

Eren's eyes widened. Yes, admittedly he was quite naïve and lacked experience in this kind of department, but he was not as inexperienced as to not have kissed before.

"Of course I have kissed before," he said in a huff against corporal's lips that were still hovering above his.

"Then why did you not respond?"

Eren blushed and broke the eye contact. The heat flooded his face. "That… um, I was surprised just now and I… uh…" he stammered, trying to come up with something to say. He was too shocked to do anything, and well, he was enjoying the feel of Levi's lips against his... Maybe if the kiss had lasted a second or two longer, he would have answered. He felt a moan of frustration bubble up in his throat but did not let it out.

Levi watched Eren struggle for an answer and decided to say something, when the realization hit him. Suddenly it was so painfully obvious that Eren was so young and inexperienced. He felt as if his breath was knocked out of him as he understood what he had just done. He tried to seduce the teenager and coax him into having sex with him. And for what reason? Just because he was caught up in the moment? Because he wanted to be comforted? Levi's blood ran cold. He almost forced himself on the boy.

Eren glanced at the corporal, expecting a comment about how he did not manage to put words into a proper sentence – or something along these lines – but there was only silence. The look of terror on Levi's face, however, made him worried. Eren's heart skipped a beat and he jumped to say something, anything at all to just get that emotion out of his face.

"Corporal Levi, I really li–"

Levi's eyes focused on Eren's frantic blue-green ones and he suddenly pulled away from his face as if burned. "Forget it."

"Eh?"

"Forget this ever happened between us," Levi turned away from Eren and settled in for sleep. He did not go back to sleep under his own blanket but he put as much space between himself and Eren as he could.

Eren's heart was beating wildly in his chest. What the hell did just happen? Why did Levi suddenly… His mouth opened to ask Levi what was wrong but then he noticed how tense corporal really was. He faltered. He knew the man did not want to talk about it and if he were to push it, he would just anger Levi. His heart squeezed. Why did I not reciprocate that kiss?

TBC