Work Text:
The creaking wood door thumped shut behind Levi. He stepped into his workspace, the floor littered with dust, discarded bits of marble, and his tools left strewn about. This state of disorganization was unusual for Levi, a skilled sculptor who prided himself on perfection, but even he needed to step away in times of duress.
Levi approached the human-sized block of marble, his eyes roaming from the outline of its legs, up to the vague shape of its head. The statue was to be tall, much taller than himself. Levi could envision how the features would come to life, the very minute details that would breathe metaphorical life into his creation.
Levi adjusted the height of his stool before bending down to select a chisel and hammer. He stepped onto the stool, bringing him almost face-to-face with his creation. Levi lifted his pale fingers and brushed them over the expressionless, cool marble. His eyes darted up and down, envisioning the features coming to life before his very eyes.
With echoing clinks filling the nearly empty space, Levi lost himself in his craft. His art. Sculpting was Levi, down to his very core. He knew nothing else. Levi’s sole purpose in life was to create life-like sculptures, the kind that would leave mankind enamored and astonished. It was his one true talent, but even more so: his obsession.
Levi did not appreciate the world outside. Humans were flawed, so very flawed. Their expressions grew ugly with time, their bodies becoming scarred and mangled from experiencing the daily struggle it was to exist. Levi didn’t care for them, any of them. Not women, not men. Levi only cared for his perfect creations.
“Your face will be the most perfect of them all,” Levi whispered in adoration. Meticulously, he chiseled away at the marble, gifting shape to what was once a useless heap of rock. Levi breathed life into the stone, adding a defined shape, and granting expression.
It began with sculpting the head, ensuring the shape was just right. Levi chiseled away at the bits of marble, shaping the head into a diamond form with a sharp, pointed chin. The cheekbones were high and sharp, defined to give the creation a strong and confident look about him. Levi trailed his dusty fingers along the defined jawline, admiring the curve of the marble.
With the shape of the head perfected, Levi moved on to the rest of the man’s powerful body. Muscles decorated the pale marble from the sculpture’s toes, up to his strong neck. The defined lines of his calves seamlessly blended with his bent knees, up to the thick thighs. Power, confidence, and strength radiated from the marble’s every angle. No matter which way a person gazed upon the creation, they would be left in awe at its sheer magnificence.
Trailing up his strong thighs to his hips, line after defined line was chiseled to perfection, breathing life into every inch of the alabaster skin. Levi trailed his calloused fingertips up the sculpture’s legs, to the impressively sized girth he’d hand-carved the statue. A man of this stature, gifted with an impressive cock to boot, would be the very image of perfection.
Women would desire him; men would buckle to their knees at the mere sight. This man, this creation of marble and sweat, could bring the world to its knees. Levi’s fingers continued their upward caress, admiring the rippling muscles of the sculpture’s torso, the defined rigid lines adorning its skin. Upwards, Levi’s hands cupped the defined pectoral muscles, his fingers brushing over hardened nipples of marble.
Levi found himself imagining the reaction such touches would elicit from the statue. If his touch could draw from this man’s lips, a sigh of pleasure or desire. Higher, his touch slid, his fingers caressing the strong column of the sculpture’s throat. To his chiseled jawline; his perfect and symmetrical lips, with the dip atop the upper one; his defined cheekbones; his large and straight nose…
A shudder wracked Levi’s body as he gazed into the meticulously carved eyes that graced the sculpture’s face. It felt as if he could look right into them, read the expression hidden beneath. Those eyes, which Levi found himself lost in, seemed to be staring right back at him. Levi’s gaze flickered to the large eyebrows atop the eyes, the texture meticulously matching that of the man’s hair. He was, in every conceivable way, perfect.
“I’ve done it,” Levi whispered. From the top of the head to the toes of the feet, Levi’s creation was the embodiment of flawlessness. He couldn’t look away. After weeks of work, hours of back-breaking strain, and blisters atop his skin, Levi had completed the most impeccable sculpture in all the world.
After all the effort and strain, Levi expected to feel a flood of relief and satisfaction… But instead, Levi felt an immense flood of want flow through him, body and soul. It was an aching, unresolvable desire that threatened to consume his thoughts day in and day out. He had sculpted the perfect man, and now…he yearned for him. Levi wanted to possess this man, to shower him with love and affection from now, until the day he died.
“…Erwin,” he whispered in a moment of instant inspiration. “Erwin, your perfection is unrivaled by a single living soul,” Levi decreed. There was not a creature alive that could compete with the beauty of his beloved Erwin. From that day on, Levi was entirely consumed with the thoughts of his handcrafted soulmate.
“A man of your stature deserves only the nicest of silks,” Levi declared as he draped a blue silk tunic around the strong sculpture, clasping it shut with a golden ornament adorned with emeralds and sapphires. The stark contrast of the porcelain, white marble, and blue silks made Levi’s eyes glimmer with pure joy. His creation deserved to be gifted only the finest of luxuries.
After nearly a month of his endless longing, of showering the inanimate statue with fine silks and jewels, Levi felt a deepening sorrow filling his heart. Because Erwin, for all the perfections of his form, couldn’t embrace him back. Levi felt as if there was a hole in his chest, growing wider with every passing day. No matter how much love and affection he thrust upon his beloved Erwin, he couldn’t return the sentiment.
“If only the Gods would grant you life, I would live a thousand lifetimes by your side,” Levi whispered, his trembling fingers caressing the cool marble.
It was then, that Levi decided to call upon the only ones who could help: the Gods themselves. As Erwin was beautiful and perfect, Levi knew he needed to seek out the temple of Aphrodite, the Goddess of beauty herself. If he prayed to her and worshipped her, perhaps she would grant Erwin the gift of life. If she could only see him and admire his beauty, then surely, she would see fit to grant him life!
Levi felt a spark of determination. He packed a sack of food and water and tossed it over his shoulder. Through the hillsides he hiked, faring through the chilly night air to reach his destination. He climbed to the top of the hill to reach the Temple of Aphrodite at Acrocorinth, a vast rocky hill where the sanctuary lay. Once there, Levi spent three full days and nights praying to the Goddess Aphrodite. He pleaded with her to bring his creation to life, to breathe air into his lungs, and to bring warmth to his skin. Levi begged the beautiful Goddess with every ounce of sincerity inside of him. He could only hope that his unyielding declarations would speak to the Goddess and grant him his desires.
After his long and exhausting journey home, Levi felt both fatigued and nervous. Had his prayers been heard by the Goddess Aphrodite? Levi could only hope that his sincere pleas spoke to the almighty Goddess and that she saw fit to grant him this wish.
Shutting the creaking wooden door behind him, Levi rushed into his workshop, his blood thrumming with excitement. At first glance, nothing had changed. Erwin stood tall and proud, his marble skin creamy and smooth; there were no signs of life.
Levi’s chest tightened with disappointment. He approached Erwin, stepping onto his stool to come face-to-face with his marvelous statue. Lifting his calloused fingers, Levi ran his fingertips along Erwin’s cheekbones, defined and handsome as ever. A disappointed sigh threatened to escape his lips, but then… Something changed.
Upon Erwin’s cheeks, where the marble should have been pale as snow, a hue of pink blossomed across his skin. Levi startled; his silver eyes widened as he watched the color spread across Erwin’s handsome features. His skin blossomed with color, a tan that enticed Levi’s eyes to search for more. He was enthralled as the color spread to Erwin’s lips, turning them pink. Then, to his amazement, the color spread to Erwin’s eyes, and they shined a brilliant hue of blue that rivaled the ocean itself.
Levi felt mesmerized as he watched his beloved Erwin come to life in real time. He became even more stunning as he bloomed with life. His hair, delicately sculpted, was no longer held in place, instead, it fluttered about with the faintest of wind gusts. The golden blond strands settled onto Erwin’s forehead, and Levi watched in awe as long, thick fingers brushed the strands back.
Erwin was alive.
His work of art breathed, his strong chest heaved with the movement. When Levi lifted his gaze again, he found that those blue eyes were locked onto his own, pale face, as if they were exploring his features.
“Erwin,” Levi breathlessly whispered, gazing upon his creation. Once, he was made of nothing but stone, and now…he was a living, breathing human.
“I’m…alive?” The words, spoken in a deep, baritone voice, sent butterflies flitting through Levi’s chest and stomach. Erwin lifted his hands, his eyes locked onto his long fingers as he flexed them, forming fists, and opening them flat again. “I was kissed by the most beautiful woman…and now, I’m alive?” He whispered in bewilderment.
“Aphrodite answered my prayers,” Levi gasped. It worked; the benevolent Goddess had gifted him that which he desired most.
“You’ve given me life,” Erwin whispered, his blue eyes glimmering with joy and astonishment. He leaned down, his large hands cupping Levi’s flushed cheeks. It was as if Erwin was marveling at the feeling of touching another human, of having that close connection with another living being. “Your skin… It’s so soft,” Erwin hummed, those beautiful pink lips curling into a soft smile. Levi had never seen anything so mesmerizing in all his life. “I can feel you, Levi.”
The words, spoken so delicately, stoked a fire in Levi’s heart. Not only had Erwin come to life, but he knew him, knew his name and who he was. It was a feeling unrivaled by any other in his life. His own hands rose, settling first on Erwin’s strong chest. His fingers basked in the warmth of Erwin’s skin, and his touch slid up to his neck. He could feel his throat bob as he swallowed, feel him breathe. Sliding his hands up, Levi’s fingers tangled in Erwin’s soft, blond locks, mussing his hair and reveling in the delicate texture.
While admiring Erwin with an intimate fondness that had been nourished over months of hard work, Levi felt such a strong longing for his perfect creation. His desire to covet what was his was fueled by the memory of crafting every delicate feature adorning that handsome face. How many times had he pressed kiss after kiss to the cold, hard marble? How many times had he longed for Erwin to kiss him back, to touch him and feel his warmth? Levi’s love and admiration for Erwin had steadily increased with each passing day, growing into an overwhelming desire to touch, to kiss. He was unable to resist it any longer. Levi pulled Erwin down to press their lips together in their first kiss, and he aimed to pour every ounce of love and longing into it.
Levi’s heart thumped wildly in his chest, and he reveled in the softness of Erwin’s lips. How could a creation of marble become so soft and warm? With their lips pressed together, Levi felt a level of intimacy that he had never discovered with any other human. His creation, his Erwin, was perfect in every way.
“Finally, I can kiss you back,” Erwin hummed, his deep voice containing a teasing lilt.
“Then be quiet, and kiss me some more,” Levi replied, his lips curled into a smile of genuine joy. After a lifetime of sculpting perfection, and longing for someone he could care for with his whole heart, Levi had obtained the one thing he’d always wished for: true love.
Held tightly in each other’s embrace, Erwin and Levi embarked on a journey of love that would last a thousand lifetimes over. They would spend eternity locked in one another’s arms, basking in their intimacy, and worshiping the Goddess Aphrodite. Levi would never be lonely again.