Chapter Text
As per usual, Levi awoke at 6 am sharp. He had to meet up with his client in 30 minutes before the man's shift started, which was ideal for both of them. Then he had other errands to run. But, all he could really think about were the plans he had with Erwin today. The American has grown on him a little too quickly. It could be due to Levi constantly isolating himself from anyone and everyone. Or it could just be due to the fact that he hasn't gotten laid in forever, and now he has a kind and handsome man keeping him company. Probably both, if he had to be honest. Sure, he felt attraction towards other men, but he couldn't go past kissing if he felt nothing for them; which is something he hated about himself. It caused a lot of potential partners to walk out of his life. Levi couldn't blame them, because he-
Suddenly, the same annoying ringing he hears every morning shook him out of his thoughts. 06:15 already?!
"Shit, shit, shit, shit.." The man cursed all the way to his closet as he sprinted out of bed. A plain, short-sleeved dress shirt and loose shorts will have to do. It's gonna be hot as balls today. Levi ran into the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth and clean his face, his hair was actually fine for once. There was no time for a healthy breakfast today, guess he'll have to stop by the bakery later.
Why did time have to fly in the most inconvenient of moments?
After he freshened up, Levi jumped into his favorite pair of birkenstocks and set to prepare the portable cooler for transport. Today's morning was going to be a shitshow.
By the time the clock struck 07:30, Erwin was already up and making his way to the cramped bathroom his camper offered. Groggy, but awake.
He finished his morning routine then prepared some coffee, all while hunting and a certain someone occupied his mind. How does one even catch an octopus? Do they use a fishing rod? Or do they just dive in and catch it with their bare hands? Now that's a scary thought. Erwin was never afraid of the water nor what inhabits it, and he is a good swimmer. But, the thought of an eight-legged, slimy, beaked creature trying to attack him underwater sent chills down his spine.
No, he trusts Levi. Surely he wouldn't let that happen, right?
Once the coffee was done Erwin poured himself a mug, grabbed his camera and exited the camper. No greater pleasure than drinking fresh morning coffee outside, he thought to himself. It was a beautiful and warm start of the day, the trees around this small area provided wonderful shade until noon rolled in. Just this sight alone amazed the photographer, who couldn't resist snapping a few photos of his surroundings.
Before he was to move around for some shots of the ocean, Erwin rolled himself a cigarette with skilled fingers. A nasty habit, but one he had trouble letting go. It stemmed from spending most of his childhood around smoker parents, who made excuses he himself does now. It takes the edge off the man chuckled to himself as he took a drag.
8 o'clock rolled in quicker than expected, and Levi just finished gassing up his car. He couldn't help but blush a little as he remembered the statement he gave last night, when he was in fact the one who was late. Idiot, he thought. Nothing a little speed can fix.
And surely, it did.
The younger man was back at the cabin in less than 10 minutes, which was a new personal record for him. Hopefully his car wasn't too filthy from speeding on the dusty road that led here. Immediately upon entering the property he spotted Erwin sitting by the table he set up in front of his camper, Levi had no doubt about him getting up on time. Which didn't help him feel any less insecure and embarrassed. Nevertheless, they had an agreement.
"Hey! Sorry I'm late. The traffic in town was a nightmare." He claimed as he got out and made his way towards the latter. There was a visible army of sweat drops present on his forehead. His car, an old, silver Toyota 4Runner had no air conditioning, plus it had a lovely half an hour to bake in the sun while Levi waited in line for the bank. Which is why his shirt is completely unbuttoned and sticking to his back.
Erwin, amused with the sight, stood from his seat and offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. You're here now, aren't you?" He asked rhetorically, whilst one large hand gave the diver's shoulder a pat to further assure him. Levi had no idea how appealing he looked right now.
"Yeah, I guess..." Levi sighed and looked back at his car, then back at Erwin. "I just need to put some things away and then we can st-"
"Let me help." The older man interrupted. "It's the least I can do for everything you've offered me here."
Of all the tourists he's come across, very few of them ever showed this kind of gratitude that Erwin does. It was both refreshing and concerning, because... If Levi had any doubts about his feelings before, he sure as hell doesn't now. He was crushing on Erwin. Big time. So, with a lump in his throat, he nodded. "S-Sure -uh... Thanks, Erwin." There was still some adrenaline flowing through his veins from rushing here, which further explained his awkward behavior. "Come." He beckoned.
Levi's home was far from luxury, but, truly a slice of Mediterranean heaven. It was a one-story, stone-built cabin with it's own floor terrace, which housed a hammock and an outdoor dining table. There was a large agave plant by the entrance to his vegetable garden and a handful of other succulents that decorated his wooden windows. Inside, the native led Erwin to his kitchen, giving him an opportunity to gawk at the rest of Levi's lovely home. From just one glance, the photographer noticed an unusually large pink shell above the fireplace, along with multiple pictures hung all over the wall. There were some plants inside as well. The sea-themed decor reminded him of similar homes he saw while visiting Hawaii.
Truly a whole new experience.
-
Despite Levi's agetated state, the two of them proved to be the perfect duo. While his cabin wasn't the size of a full-blown house, it still had high ceilings, which meant high shelves. That's where Erwin comes in perfectly. The tall American was in charge of placing items Levi handed him, and in return got a chance to practice his Croatian. At first it was easy.
kečap
majoneza
paprika
čokolada
banane
But then it got significantly harder.
naranče
grožđe
mlijeko
kruh
maslinovo ulje
sir
Each time Erwin translated an item correctly he would get a very pleased bravo from Levi, one that gave him goosebumps all over. It was obvious that the diver was enjoying himself, something Erwin was very happy to see. But, he wasn't happy about the lack of knowledge he possessed.
"What on Earth does that mean?" He asked, frustrated and defeated.
"What, žitarice? Its cereal." The raven answered calmly as he handed the bag of generic healthy cereal to Erwin, who formed the most priceless grimace.
"How can you eat this?" He analyzed the bag for English.
Levi first had to laugh before any answer could be formed. He couldn't explain why, but seeing Erwin frustrated like this woke up a well-hidden playfulness in him. One that could easily turn into something messier. "Because that cupboard on your right exists." He answered with a grin. The mentioned compartment was where Levi stored all kinds of sweets and junk food. He had an enormous sweet tooth.
"I gotta eat shit like that to keep my figure. Can't dive with extra 20 kilos weighing me down." The native added as he put away the rest of his shopping bags.
Erwin, eager to comment, turned to face Levi with a familiar smirk on his lips. "There is nothing more to improve about your figure, Levi. Trust me." He allowed his eyes to wander the latter's body without an ounce of shame.
Fuck, this man... Levi screamed internally.
By the time they were ready to dive it was already 9 o'clock, and the ideal time for hunting octopy is 6 am, when they feed. Good thing Levi always had an ace up his sleeve. He made sure to equipt Erwin with the necessities. They weren't going deeper than 5-6 meters, but might take their time down there. The sea was a wonderful 18°C, so Levi decided to ditch his drysuit and wore a pair of swimming trunks instead. It does get colder after a few meters but he was already so used to it, plus cooling off in the water sounded amazing by now.
But, he did lend his guest a larger-sized one he had laying around. As well as gloves, a scuba tank with regulators, buoyancy compensator, weights, fins and of course a mask. Levi also had fun helping Erwin assemble certain gear onto himself. The feel of his firm chest and shoulders made the raven feel butterflies in his stomach.
"Alright, I think we're set now." Levi nodded his head in approval.
"I think so, too." Erwin added as he took a final look at himself. Then, an idea popped in his head. "Oh! Would it be fine if I took my camera? I don't remember the last time I had a chance to photograph underwater."
"Sure, I don't see why not. Just don't-" Before he was able to finish Erwin had already waddled off to his camper with a childish glee to him, and the fins still on his feet. "-lose it..." Levi chuckled to himself. Guess he was pretty passionate about this.
"Got it!" He heard the latter yell from a distance. His camera was... Just a camera? "You have no idea how grateful I am for this, Levi." Erwin claimed once he was beside his host.
"Doesn't it need some kind of protection or something?" Levi asked, puzzled.
"Oh, this? No, no... Its an underwater camera. Shock and water proof. I knew it would come in handy, so I brought it with." The photographer chimed with a smile, serotonin overflowing his system. Something Levi had a hard time watching without feeling his face heat up.
"Ok, first thing's first.. I catch my octopus using two methods. The first one is the reason why we're geared up. Yesterday I set up a trap not far from here, we'll have to dive down, locate it and then I'll pull it back to shore. It's less than 50 meters from here. The second method will be more interesting, because I'm gonna teach you how to catch one by hand. You said you dove before, so you know how to use the tank, right?" Levi was pleased to see Erwin nod his head immediately. "Beautiful. Any questions, big guy?" The raven was just as full of enthusiasm as Erwin was. He was pretty happy to be spending time with a fellow outdoorsman, especially one he didn't have to babysit through this process.
Amused by the nickname, Erwin smiled as he worked on fixing the mask he just put around his head. "Nope. I'm ready if you're ready."
"Awesome. Now, take off your mask and spit in it." Levi said nonchalantly, smirking as he saw the blond still his action.
"Spit in it?"
"Yeah."
"...why?"
"So it doesn't fog up so you can see better."
Erwin paused for a second, embarrassment washing over him. "I thought people did that because of some unspoken tradition amongst divers..." He almost murmured.
Levi tried his best to conceal his laughter, only because Erwin looked genuinely embarrassed. Adorable, he thought.
"You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Erwin? And for God's sake take the fins off for now."
Once the duo finished their final preporations Levi led them to a short, nearby ledge where he jumped and submerged himself first, with an order for Erwin to follow him. The water underneath was just deep enough for them to start from. Erwin soon followed.
Right off the bat, it looked like they've entered a new world. There were fish surrounding them wherever he turned, and that's just three meters in. Levi established a good tempo while he stuck closer to the reef that was decorated with sea urchins, mussels and small, colorful coral. He kept looking back to check if Erwin was still with him, to which he got a friendly wave from the blond. But, as they got further and deeper, instead of just rocks and sand the seabed was full of life now. There were much larger rocks clustered together, covered in green moss, multicolored coral and what Erwin could only describe as "sea flowers", which were probably some kind of animal in disguise.
It looked like an open underwater meadow. He immediately reached for his camera to take a few quick shots; as quick as he could to make them look good, without losing sight of Levi. Once he was satisfied, the photographer quickly caught up to his host. Something that wasn't that hard to do with fins and legs as strong as his.
This certainly beat the imposing summer heat, he thought. Though, Erwin couldn't help but wonder how Levi could withstand this cool depth without a drysuit.
Just 10 minutes later Erwin saw the native signal him as he dove to the bottom of the reef, towards what seemed to be a small cave opening. He was following a rope that had a bright yellow fishing buoy tied to the very end, that was just a meter shy from reaching the surface. Erwin eagerly followed the hunter until they were both hovering above the sandy bottom.
The trap looked like a medium-sized cylinder cut in half, it seemed to be made out of some sort of clay and had a curcular rubber door which was closed shut. Something that was always good news for hunters like Levi, who soon lifted the handmade trap from it's comfortable seabed and was ready to go back. But the blond had other plans.
They weren't going anywhere until Erwin snapped the perfect shot of Levi holding his catch. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, he wasn't leaving proof. Plus, he was sure Levi will love the photo once he gets a chance to look at it. Erwin could notice the raven silently glaring at him through his mask. The truth was, Levi has never experienced being photographed underwater, let alone while he was doing the one thing he loved the most. It awoke strange emotions inside him.
That is, until Erwin swam closer and grabbed onto the robe he was holding. The look in his eyes told the younger man everything he needed to know. He wanted to help drag this thing to shore.
-
"That... Was phenomenal, Levi." The blond exaled with nothing but fulfillment exuding his presence, just as he laid down in the shallow water to finally rest his muscles. The trap was safely tucked to his side while Levi got a chance to kick his fins off and exit the sea. In the meantime, he smiled down at Erwin who looked absolutely gorgeous stranded on the beach.
"You did great. I'm surprised how good of a diver you are, considering you have very little experience." The raven had to admit, Erwin was a natural. "Alright, stay here while I get the bucket."
"No problem." Erwin hummed, dazed by the late-morning sun and a familiar tingling in his legs. One he usually got from hiking or mountain climbing. He couldn't wait to see what they caught.
It didn't take Levi long to return with a large enough bucket, that was then filled with seawater and placed snug into the half rubble half sandy beach floor. His guest took the hint and finally got up from his unusual resting spot. "Bring the trap over here. Let's see what we've caught." The younger crouched as his hands held the bucket firmly in place. "Unhinge the spring from the back and hold tight." He ordered.
Erwin did as he was told and held the trap by it's rope with one strong hand while the other unhinged the mentioned spring that was connected to the rubber door. Gravity did it's part and what came out was a medium-larger octopus that plopped right into the bucket, splashing both of them in the process. Erwin immediately crouched down to take a better look at the animal, which turned bright red from the sudden shock of being released. His facial expression was priceless. Like a kid in a candy shop.
"Now that's a beautiful kilo and a half." Levi mused. He then reached into the bucket and pulled their specimen out by it's two arms, other ones already grabbing at his wrists. "What do you say I prepare this guy for cooking and then I can show you how to catch one by hand?" The native asked as he peeled the octopus off his hands.
"I think I'd much rather help you prepare." He fired without blinking. Until he realized how imposing he was being. "I -um... The sun's getting to my head a little... I think it's a good idea to stay out of it for a while. Plus, I'd like to see how you will prepare the octopus." Nice save.
"Oh?" Levi cocked an amused brow. Erwin was very hard to read for the most part but, thankfully there were moments like these where the young diver was able to dicipher what his true feelings were. He didn't need any more convincing on how good of an idea this was.
"I guess you're right... It is getting pretty unbearable outside. Though, I do have a rule against letting guests help out with lunch..." The shorter man pondered whilst his legs led him closer to Erwin, until there was no more space between them. He could hear the beat of his own heart thumping in his ears as he placed a hand on the blond's waist, their eyes locking in place. There was no need to be this dramatic, but Levi wanted to test the waters.
"Would you like to join me for lunch, Erwin?"
This wasn't a hard question to answer, yes or no. So why did it take Erwin so long to make up his mind? Why did it feel like time suddenly stopped between them? And why, for God's sake was he sweating so much? Well, he did know the answer. In fact, he's known it for a while now. Still... He hasn't felt this way in some time now, hopefully he wasn't too rusty.
Just as Levi started having doubts and opened his mouth to speak, Erwin reached for the hand that was placed on his waist and brought it up to his lips for a chaste kiss. Both their minds were racing.
"I'd love to, Levi."
Lunch was amazing. Levi made baked octopus with potatoes, carrots and onions. A dish traditionally known as a Peka, Erwin learned. He used only half of the octopus while the other half was made into a refreshing octopus salad, which was their appetizer. Erwin had the pleasure of watching Levi skin and clean the poor thing while it was still alive. This is the freshest octopus you'll ever eat he quoted the Croat, who truly was a master of his craft. The meat was some of the most tender he ever tasted, not to mention how well seasoned and delicious it was.
The photographer also learned about Levi's dietery restrictions. He is a pescatarian, which meant that the only meat he consumed was that of fish. Something Erwin made sure to remember for later.
The diver also forbade him from helping in the kitchen. It might've worked, but it didn't stop him from setting the table and preparing some homemade ice tea for the pair. After all, cooking octopus took time, which gave him prefect opportunity.
Now, Erwin could be found sitting in the before-mentioned hammock on Levi's terrace, patiently awaiting his arrival. Of course he offered to wash the dishes, but was firmly denied and sent outside to relax. Usually, Erwin wouldn't back down so easily, but he realized that the sooner he leaves him be; the sooner he'll finish and come back outside. So, the blond rolled himself an after-lunch cigarette and relaxed back into the cozy hammock. The shade the terrace roof offered was more than welcomed on such a hot, summer afternoon.
Not too long after, the sound of footsteps could be hear.
"I would've made some fresh tea, but seeing you lay like this only made me want to do the same." The raven chuckled as he approached and sat right beside Erwin, this time not shying away from their thighs touching. "Can I roll myself one?" He pointed to the bag of tobacco lying freely on the small coffee table to his left.
"Understandable." Erwin chuckled. "Help yourself."
Satisfied, Levi leaned against the latter and snatched his bag of tobacco, which was then safely nestled on his lap. Golden Virginia Classic. Not his top favorite, but it was better than the other crap they sold.
"Thank you, Levi, for everything... You're truly an amazing host." Erwin stated with gratitude while shifting to sit up, his eyes scanning the way Levi rolled his cigarette. Pretty excellent for someone who claimed they weren't a smoker.
Levi scoffed. "I already told you to knock it off with thank yous." He could once again feel heat flooding his cheeks. Why was receiving compliments such a hard task? The younger man thought as he finally lit his cigarette and exhaled the smoke in pleasure. "You're not as annoying as other tourists, that's why I tolerate you."
Erwin huffed. "I'm sorry, not as annoying? What is that supposed to mean?" He dramatically pretended to take offence until both of them shared a good laugh about it.
"You know... For someone who just left their 20s, you seem to have a pretty good grip on your life." The blond commented almost absent-mindedly as he put his own cigarette out in the ashtray, his more observant side coming to light.
It was Levi's turn to huff now. "Is that what you Americans call a backhanded compliment?"
"Nothing gets by you, does it?" Erwin chuckled, impressed by the native's knowledge. "No, I'm being honest here. What I'm trying to say is... You're quite an impressive person, Levi. You've shown me that a hundred times by now, and you haven't even begun telling me about yourself." He finished with a kind smile directed Levi's way. The one thing he wasn't good at was dancing around things that needed to be said, especially ones that involved his feelings. He was a straightforward kinda guy.
Something Levi was known to struggle with, which was the centre of attention right now.
The heat he previously felt in his cheeks now spread to both his ears and neck, displaying itself in the form of a deep blush. One he couldn't control. Those silver orbs of his finally mustered the courage to look up into Erwin's blue ones. Levi felt like he could drown in them and be completely fine about it. With a heavy sight, he straightened his back and leaned a little closer. There's no reason to be afraid.
"And why should I be telling strangers about myself?" He managed. The response only deepened Erwin's smile, which made the diver's heart want to sing.
"Because, Levi..." The man trailed off as he leaned into the raven, until their sides were pressed together and he could feel just how much Levi was burning up. Erwin could tell that he was shy, but there was something deeper that he wasn't telling him. Knowing this, the blond proceeded with caution as he raised a gentle hand to cup Levi's rosy cheek, giving it a tender swipe with his thumb. He was also nervous. "I don't... I don't think we're strangers anymore..." He almost whispered.
Levi couldn't stop his heart from pounding. It's been long since he had someone this close to him, and even longer since he had such strong feelings for someone as he does for Erwin. He wasn't backing down, nor did he not want this. He wanted Erwin more than he ever wanted any other man, and now he had proof their feelings were mutual. He couldn't let his mind talk him out of this. Suddenly, Levi dropped the cigarette he was holding and grabbed Erwin by the back of his neck with both hands, only to ram their lips together into a deep kiss. He could feel himself shaking as the man returned his gesture, exploring both his upper and lower lip before his tongue begged for entrance. The hand on his cheek moved to his waist all to quickly, which caused Levi to shudder in excitement. Unbothered by the taste of tobacco, the diver obliged and licked his own way into Erwin's mouth, who let out a satisfied hum.
They stayed like that for what seemed to be eternity, slowly kissing each other wherever they could. Until Erwin started mouthing the side of his neck, causing Levi to moan. His breath hitched as he felt the man's hand tighten on his waist, they couldn't do it out here. Not here, not now.
"Erwin..." He called weakly, guiding one hand underneath the blond's chin to gently hoist it up and get his attention. All while the other still held onto Erwin's strong shoulder for dear life, seemingly stuck in that tense position.
Panting, Levi spoke. "I like the sound of that..."