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The table is inside and no one has entered the room, yet Erwin feels the hairs on his arms stand on end as though prickling at a cool breeze. He can watch the hairs, actually, see all the pinprick bumps along his arms and bared chest.
Levi spreads his winning hand on the table between them. Another royal flush stares back at Erwin as he rises from his chair yet again.
It had started innocently enough. A card game to pass the time, wagering articles of clothing to hold their interests. An element of competition colored the game almost at once, when Levi stripped his jacket before dealing the first hand, muttering settle down, I’m just hot. You’ll need all the help you can get in five minutes anyway.
Now, several rounds in, Levi still has everything but that jacket. Erwin is stripped to his waist, as well as down one boot.
“I haven’t removed my other boot yet,” Erwin mentions, hesitating with his hands on the clasp of his trousers.
“So?” Levi reaches for his drink, fingers gripping the rim around a lit cigarette. He doesn’t take his eyes off Erwin’s chest. “I don’t care about your boot. I want your pants.”
Erwin gestures to himself. “There is usually an order to this.”
At last Levi seems to understand. He nods. “Take your other boot and socks off,” he says, and before Erwin can call him on being over the number of items, Levi adds, “then take your pants off and put the rest back on.”
The amazing thing is he’s mostly sober when he says it. Erwin looks up at the ceiling and sighs. “We can find a better way than that.”
“I guess the socks don’t have to come off. You’re really dragging ass tonight.” Levi sets his drink down. “Fine. Sit down, we’ll play another hand. You can take off two things at once when you lose that one.”
“Assuming I lose,” Erwin says, and Levi almost puts out his cigarette from snorting. Erwin narrows his eyes. “I want to deal this time, Levi.”
“Yeah, fine. Here.”
He doesn’t dare tamper with the deck with Levi’s eyes inspecting his work. After dealing, Erwin glances at his cards. They don’t inspire hope. Outside that it's impossible to gauge Levi’s hand from looking at him. Erwin will probably begin the next round able to see the hairs stand on end across his thighs as well.
Levi quietly discards and reorders his hand. “Is that a tell?” he says after a glance around the table.
Surprised, Erwin blinks and looks up. Levi’s face is impassive as ever.
Well, as long as he knows anyway Erwin doesn’t mind adjusting himself. He shifts in his chair, aware he may have a much easier time of it in a few minutes.
“You think there’s a good chance you’ll lose and it’s getting you hard,” Levi adds mercilessly.
“You are good at this,” Erwin allows, focusing on his cards. “You have a solid background in winning tactic, an impassable table presence, and a mind for how to play the other players. Besides, I’m almost certain you’re cheating.”
“Prove it. Besides,” he says in Erwin’s tone, “it’s not like I need to cheat to win. Maybe on this hand because I want to see your cock. But don’t act like it’s beneath you.” He glances at Erwin through his lashes. “The only reason you’re not backstabbing every rule in the game to win is you don’t know how.”
They lay their cards down.
Levi has what could be a hastily sabotaged straight flush, reduced to two pairs. Erwin raises a pointed eyebrow at it and Levi shrugs. It still beats Erwin’s pair of sevens. There goes the boot and trousers, he thinks, though he wonders what pieces of clothing Levi wanted to shed in such a hurry for him to start trying to lose.
“I can't believe your hand was that bad.” Levi stubs out the cigarette and turns his full attention to Erwin. “Have it your way. Pants,” he says, “and underwear.”
The creeping red blush across Erwin’s chest and cheekbones is obvious as a stain. After a pause, he removes his boot and pushes back from the table to walk around and stand directly in front of Levi’s chair. He settles his weight on his heels, pressing his hips forward.
Slowly, he unfastens the top button.
Levi leans back to watch the performance. His legs fall open. “I think I might go all-in in the next hand.”
“Is that so?”
“Mm.” Levi’s eyes follow the trousers as they slide down Erwin’s hips, the fabric catching slightly on the muscles in his thighs. “I’m feeling lucky.”
Erwin toys with the idea of intentionally losing—he doesn’t care one way or the other if he keeps one foot covered, and making Levi sweat in his clothes for a few rounds has its own appeal. On the other hand, it might not be possible to lose if Levi is intent on joining him. That might not be such a bad way to end the game, either.
“I'm feeling lucky too,” Erwin says and lets his underwear drop.