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Erwin lousily opened his eyes. Beams of glistening light quickly flooded his vision, while he lazily rolled over in his thick sheets and closed his drowsy eyes once again. Just as his breathing slowed and his vision was dark and peaceful, someone began hoarsely coughing right beside him.
"Levi? Are you sick?" Erwin asked his husband, propping the pillows up to be able to sit and examine Levi's sickly face. The poor man's nose was tainted a rosy tint, while his face was as ghastly pale as porcelain, which brought out the deep bruises that were sculpted underneath his red-rimmed eyes.
Levi continued coughing until he felt his throat become the texture of sandpaper, taking shallow and shaky breaths. His eyes were brimming with tears, which Erwin quickly wiped away with his sleeve and pressed a gentle kiss on the tip of his pink nose.
"No, I'm not sick, just... my throat really hurts."
Erwin chuckled lightheartedly.
"That means you're sick, dummy. Alright, I'll call into our work and say you're sick and I have to take care of you. Don't even think about leaving this bed today, unless you want me to chain you to it."
Levi opened his mouth to protest, but instead, a sneeze exploded from him.
Grinning, Erwin turned to leave their bedroom. "You sound cute when you sneeze, by the way."
"Shut up, Eyebrows!" Levi called out from the bed, his voice cracking and his face being painted with a bright scarlet blush.
Fifteen minutes later, Erwin wandered back into their comfortable bedroom with a mug of steaming hot chicken and vegetable soup, a cup filled with Levi's favourite lemon mint tea, and a box of tissues. Setting the items down on the bedside table, he snuggled back into bed with Levi.
"Tch. I don't need to be taken care of like a goddamn child, Erwin," Levi complained, while secretly eyeing up the food. His stomach betrayed him and howled with hunger, reminding him of just how hungry he actually was.
"I know. But I enjoy taking care of the man I love, if that's okay with your stubborn ass," Erwin said with a shit-eating grin, moving his hand to cup Levi's own hand.
Levi quickly averted his flustered gaze to the floor, dwindling his thumbs around nervously.
Erwin laid a kiss on his flushed forehead. "You're adorable when you're flustered."
"I hate you, you know that, right?" Levi groaned.
"I love you too, Levi. Now, how did you even manage to get sick? In all my many years of knowing you, not once have you ever gotten sick."
Levi shrugged, nuzzling his head into Erwin's lap and bringing his knees up to his rumbling stomach. "I don't know. People are filthy. Probably caught their *achoo* s-shitty germs. I bet I caught it from being around that *achoo* d-damn f-four eyes."
"Maybe, but for now, how about I feed you your soup? I can hear how hungry you are, love," Erwin suggested, combing his fingers through Levi's ebony locks.
Levi glared at the man above him with daggers shooting from his eyes. "Like a fucking child? Seriously, anyone would think that I'm your kid!"
With a smug expression, Erwin continued to tease his husband. "Maybe if you weren't so small, they'd think we were actually within 10 years of each other."
"Oh, shut your giant ass-"
Before Levi could finish his sentence, Erwin had cut him off with a sweet kiss to his lips. He cupped his cheek and pulled away, satisfaction swirling in his beaming eyes.
"Now, how about that soup offer?" he suggested, gazing into Levi's tired yet glowing eyes.
Levi sighed in defeat. "Fine," he muttered, a pout plastered onto his face.
"Great! Okay, you're going to have to sit up. Here, lean on me."
Levi did as he was told, nudging his head into the crook of Erwin's neck. Erwin began to spoon the delicious thick soup into his partner's mouth, wiping away the excess that got onto Levi's face with a tissue.
Of course, Levi actually did enjoy receiving Erwin's many affections and being at the center of his attention, even though he tried (and failed) to display how much he despised it. Being neglected as a child and now being in love with a man as charming and caring as Erwin Smith, was definitely something that Levi had always secretly craved. Their life together was solid and loving, while their marriage was thoughtful and passionate, and neither of them wished for it to be any other way.
Levi thoroughly enjoyed Erwin's goofy grin whenever he teased him, how velvety and tender his lips always felt against his own sensitive skin, how he always cradled him as they drifted off to sleep together. With Erwin, he could be vulnerable and soft, never having to present such a strong and brave facade- like how he had to most people.
With Erwin, he felt safe, he felt cared for, and best of all; he felt loved. And another redeeming factor about their pure marriage was that they had a mutual understanding of each other and the gears of their mind. Erwin knew that Levi secretly found pleasure and comfort in his sweet gestures, while Levi knew that Erwin would do anything to keep him happy, as Levi would for Erwin. A perfect balance of love and peace for the two men.
While those sweet thoughts were circulating within Levi's foggy mind, he found himself slowly fading away into a deep slumber. Erwin noticed this and set the lukewarm soup down, tilting his head sidewards to rest on Levi's. He cuddled Levi closer, lacing his fingers through his hands once again. Eventually, he also found himself also dozing off into an abyss of blissful darkness.
--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--
Levi awoke, finding himself alone in the cozy bed, wrapped inside of a fuzzy grey blanket, his head just poking out from the top. He could hear water running in the room next to him, and the delightful smell of vanilla wafting out from within the bathroom. He erupted into a sneezing frenzy once again, which seemed to summon Erwin back into the bedroom.
Erwin poked his head around the corner with his curious arctic blue eyes. A wide smile tugged at the corners of his lips at the sight of Levi, especially seeing how perfectly small and pure he looked all wrapped up in that blanket.
"Ah, sleeping beauty is finally awake! Good afternoon, love. I've prepared a hot bath for you, as I know how 'filthy' you must be feeling, knowing you."
Levi felt his heart melt like warm butter. "Y-You did? Thanks... Eyebrows."
The sheer thought of a steaming hot bath with the man he loved was truly enticing, however, when Levi tried to rise from the comfort of the bed, he found himself simply too weak and frail to do it by himself. Erwin being as aware and caring as he was, quickly noticed this and rushed to pick Levi up. He draped his strong arms beneath Levi's nape and knees, lifting him up delicately and pecking a gentle kiss to his lips.
Instead of complaining about how 'humilating' it was, Levi found himself unable to protest against the mere comfort of his lover's arms and the hypnotizing feeling that was seeping from his lips.
"Nothing snarky to say, eh?" Erwin said as he pulled his lips off from the small male in his arms. He lowered Levi down to the bath and began to take off his pajamas.
Heat rose like steam to Levi's face. "Shut up before I shave those big ass eyebrows off your annoying yet.. beautiful face."
Erwin gasped jokingly, both because of how Levi had just complimented him, and at the 'shocking' remark he had just so boldly said out loud. "Was that a compliment from the oh so professional Levi Smith-Ackerman?
Smirking, Levi wobbly stood up to hop into the bubbling bath. "Don't get used to it, brat."
The tawny-haired male grinned and was also soon out of all of his restricting clothing, entering the hot water alongside Levi. The dazzling sensation of steamy water hitting his limbs was enough to make him groan in relief. He felt his muscles loosening from the relaxing contact with the liquid. He draped his arms groggily over Levi's bare chest. Levi was positioned between Erwin's legs, eyes shut with content.
Picking up the bottle of pearly coconut shampoo, Erwin swirled some of the foamy thickness into his palm and began to brush it through Levi's charcoal tresses. He gently massaged his scalp, being rewarded by the grunts of pleasure that were escaping from Levi's agape lips. Letting the cooling cream sit in Levi's hair for a few minutes, he began to gently yet steadily massage Levi's shoulders, feathering small kisses down his spine.
"Ahhh..." Levi gasped, enjoying the lulling actions from Erwin's pleasant hands. The way he kissed down his spine left him with sharp trails of tingles, made his pulse drum faintly yet consistently. His body caved behind into Erwin's wide torso, tenseness floating away from his aching muscles.
Smiling widely at how Levi was reacting so favourably to his touches, Erwin rinsed the shampoo from his cleansed hair and began combing smooth conditioner through his wettened locks. This entire time, his eyes were glued to Levi's handsome and striking features. Sick or in perfect health, Levi would always be the most beautiful man that Erwin had ever laid his eyes on.
"You're adorable, and I can't believe I have you all to myself, Levi."
Blushing once again, Levi cocked his head to meet Erwin's gaze, inching forward to suffocate Erwin's lips with his own. He turned around to straddle his hips, slowly running his hand through the other man's damp hair and gripping it tightly. There were painfully slow grinds from Levi's hips, furthering the quality of their lustful moment.
Erwin's hand moved to press the back of Levi's head further into the kiss, greedy to taste more of his partner's perfect lips. Warmth fluttered in both of the man's heaving chests, their desire and love for each other only growing with every second that ticked by. Their swollen lips separated, their breaths completely taken away and ragged.
With their foreheads pressed together, Erwin ran his thumb over Levi's tumid lips, wrapping his arms around his soaked back. There was silence between the two, but their earnest actions were a lot more deafening than any weak and feeble sentences.
After they had washed the grime and filth from each other's bodies, Erwin dressed Levi in his boxers and his own soft hoodie, which of course went down to Levi's mid-thighs, while the sleeves rode well across over his small hands. Bundling him up securely in his arms, he carried Levi back to their bedroom and delved him into the comfort of their shared bed. It was now dark outside, with beams of moonlight pouring in through the cracks of the drawn burgundy curtains.
Once more, the two lovers nestled into bed with one another, finding a sense of serenity and softness within each other's sweet embrace. Levi rested spread out on Erwin's chest, his legs entangled with the other man's. Erwin shifted his hand to rest on Levi's thigh, giving it a slight squeeze of comfort.
"I love you, and I really hope that you know that, darling."
"You're such a sappy bastard, Erwin," Levi mumbled into the man's rising and falling chest.
He chuckled softly. "Oh, yeah?"
Levi nodded, his heavy lids half-shut already.
"Is that why you allow me to cover you in kisses every day, and why we both wear matching golden rings that bide us together forever?"
"Mhm," answered Levi with sleepiness morphing into his voice.
"Well then," Erwin began. "I guess I don't mind being such a sappy bastard then."
Both men had grateful smiles gleaming on their sleepy faces, grateful for the other, grateful to grow old with someone who will cherish them forever, even long after they have perished into the unknown depths of the universe.