Work Text:
“For fuck’s sakes, Erwin. Will you just learn to put on a tie properly one of these days? Even an old geezer like you can probably manage – being an award-winning author and all that,” Levi grumbles, stalking over to the other man with irritation practically oozing out from his small frame.
Levi himself is already immaculately dressed for the occasion when he appeared at Erwin’s doorstep about an hour ago. Donned in a simple but elegantly-cut black buttoned vest paired up with a crisp charcoal grey shirt with the top two button undone and black pressed dress pants that accentuates his slim physique, a navy blue skinny tie that brings out the silvery grey of his irises, and a pair of polished leather dress shoes to complete his outfit, Levi Ackerman looks like he’s about ready to head off to a fancy wedding to get wasted or go undercover to commit a murder in the most graceful manner possible. Unfortunately, either option would have been more entertaining than the current one.
“But why?” The blond-haired man grins cheekily. He finds that, throughout the years of working with him side-by-side, this is the best way to get under Levi’s skin, especially when he’s under pressure. Right now, his anxiety centers on one Erwin Smith, who looks neither ready nor willing to go out of the front door to attend this very important work-related event. “I have you for that.”
He lowers his head, his chin barely touching Levi’s slicked up hair though a few stubborn strands still manage to fall into his eyes, just to see the shorter man’s deft fingers working efficiently to wind and fix the ivory white tie around Erwin’s collar. Erwin lifts a hand, his knuckle brushing lightly against Levi’s sharp cheekbone. Though Levi cannot see it, the warm affection reflected in Erwin’s azure eyes translates even to the smallest of his gestures.
“I’m your editor, not your personal butler,” Levi sweeps Erwin’s hand away, and as if to prove his point further, Levi tightens the knot just a degree tauter, causing Erwin’s breath to stutter just that little bit.
Levi merely spares him a smirk, patting the silk tie flat against Erwin’s chest one last time before taking a step back to give him a once over.
“Acceptable?” Compared to half an hour ago, to Levi’s absolute horror knowing that they only have an hour to get ready, when Erwin was still wearing those ugly grey sweatpants and his ancient-as-fuck Thor t-shirt that’s half a size too small, which only serves as a momentary distraction for Levi, Erwin at least now looks more suitable to go to the party that the publishing house is holding that evening to celebrate the success of Erwin’s newest novel.
“Barely adequate,” Levi allows the tiniest smile to pass through before it disappears again beneath his usual stoic features. He’s about to turn around when insistent fingers encircle his wrist, yanking him back. “What the hell?”
“You, on the other hand,” Erwin lowers the volume of his voice, but Levi has no problem detecting the words or Erwin’s intention from the way the blond leans in to press a small kiss against his slender neck, his pulse quickening just from that small contact, “are dressed to kill, aren’t you?” He drops a lingering kiss at the corner of Levi’s lips, half teasing, half pleading, his thumb tracing circles on the inside of his wrist. “Do we have to go?”
Despite the fluttering of his heart, Levi wretches his hand away, arms crossing protectively over his chest and an exasperated sigh escapes from his throat. “The party is organized for your sake, Mr. Pulitzer-prize-nominee. The least you can do is show up in pretty clothes and make small talks with important people.”
"If you insist," Erwin's smile is too innocent, blue eyes twinkling with something akin to amusement – as if he could read Levi's thoughts, which currently consist of tearing off Erwin's ridiculously attractive suit that Levi has spent the last thirty minutes convincing the blond to put on and winding the silk tie around the man's wrists above his head, hearing the breathy whine of Levi's name falling from his red, bitten lips as the black-haired man fucks him into the mattress – yes, somehow, Erwin can always tell.
"I insist you behave, Erwin," Levi gives him a warning glance as he throws the car keys in the blond's general direction without even looking in the hopes that they will end up landing on the writer's face painfully and thus wiping off his obnoxious, knowing grin.
Erwin catches them without missing a beat, however. "And if I don't?" He follows Levi's lead to the elevators after locking up his apartment.
Once they've entered the lift, Levi backs them up against the mirrored wall and pulls at Erwin's tie emphatically so that their faces are merely centimetres apart. His eyes narrow just the slightest, the grey of his irises dangerous and calescent, to show that he's being very serious.
His tone descends into a hoarse whisper that sends shudders wrecking through Erwin's body, "Why don't you try it and find out for yourself?"
"You'll ruin your perfect handiwork," Erwin touches the fingers that still have a tight grasp of his tie.
Levi releases the cloth, his tone clearly unimpressed. "Tch. I'd rather use the tie for some other purposes."
"I couldn't agree more."
-
The evening stretches on, as Erwin dutifully makes a speech in thanking everyone who’s helped him; it’s a formal, collective matter, and though he has written his own speech, the words still feel forced and unnatural. It’s not that he isn’t grateful for the group of people who have supported him right from the start, but there are things he’d rather say to his friends and colleagues personally instead of in front of an – mostly uncaring and indifferent – audience.
Once he steps off the stage after the polite applauses have died off into friendly chatters as the audience members split off into smaller groups, he finds his way back to Levi’s side.
“Nicely done,” Levi simply said, his expression unchanging.
“I’ve been thinking,” Erwin begins, taking two flutes of champagne from a nearby table and handing one to the other man.
Levi accepts it, adding after downing all the pale gold contents, “Is there anything that you couldn’t do?”
Erwin ignores his jabbing comment, as per usual. “I would like to give you a special thank you gift tonight, after all this party nonsense is done.” His deep baritone voice betrays nothing unusual but knowing the man for so long, Levi has learned to read between the lines at times like this.
“Yeah? What sort of a special gift are we talking about here? I hope it’s not anything lame like giving me a home-made cake.”
“You know I can’t cook to save my life,” Erwin laughs, taking a sip of the bubbly sweet liquid from his glass. “So no, nothing like that.”
“Oh, good. No risk of food poisoning for me like last time then,” Levi replies.
“I think you’d rather enjoy this gift.” The fizzy alcohol is a pleasant sensation on his tongue, but right now, he’d rather have something else occupying his mouth.
“Tell me more.” Levi returns a silent greeting from an acquaintance who is sitting on the other side of the room, but he makes no movements to go towards her. He’d rather stick around to listen to what Erwin has to offer.
“You said you wanted to do something else with my tie, right?”
“You mean other than wanting to choke you to death with that thing sometimes when you won’t shut up about the stupidest shit?”
Erwin chooses to ignore that as well. “You can tie me up and have your wicked ways with me, if you like.”
“Thank god you’re not writing erotic fiction, because that was terrible,” Levi’s expression is still bland, but his grey eyes flash with silent mirth.
A couple begins to approach them and they have to pause their private conversation and put on a gracious smile. Well, gracious on Erwin’s part anyway; Levi can only manage a grimace as he turns slightly away to shift the attention to the star of the party. After a few congratulatory words and a few long minutes of small talk later, the writer and his editor are once again left alone.
“Was that an invitation then?” They continue as if nothing has interrupted the flow in the first place.
“It’s my gift for you, to show how much I appreciate you and everything you bring into my life,” Erwin replies, and glancing around furtively to make sure no one is paying them any heed, he intertwines his fingers with Levi’s and gives him a slight squeeze, the warmth of his skin seeping into the other man’s, and Levi can’t help but let a small smile lifts a corner of his mouth. “But in all honesty, Levi, I really am thankful for everything you’ve done – professionally and as my partner.”
“Don’t you fucking dare get all touchy-feely on me,” Levi warns him, pulling his hand away discreetly but not before caressing the spot on the inside of his wrist – an answering gesture to Erwin’s earlier one.
“I thought you’re a fan of touching,” the blond-haired man hides his grin behind the flute of his drink.
“You’re not wrong,” Levi shrugs, and spotting the chief editor of the company, Dot Pixis, coming their way through the crowd of extravagantly dressed individuals, he quickly says in a lower voice, “But just to ensure that your gratitude is sincere, I’ll make sure to make you beg for it tonight. How does that sound?”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”