Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/1252378. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Choose_Not_To_Use_Archive_Warnings, Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/ Non-Con, Underage Category: M/M, Multi Fandom: Shingeki_no_Kyojin_|_Attack_on_Titan Relationship: jean_kirstein/armin_arlert/levi, Jean_Kirstein_&_Levi, Armin_Arlert_& Jean_Kirstein Character: Jean_Kirstein, Armin_Arlert, Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin) Additional Tags: Sadism, Humiliation, Angst, Blood, Bruising, Punishment, Crying, Oral Sex, Anal_Sex, Bondage, Torture, Emotional_Manipulation, Knife_Play, Choking, Power_Play, sadist!levi Stats: Published: 2014-03-01 Updated: 2014-07-04 Chapters: 5/? Words: 8991 ****** Angel ****** by xxwingsxx Summary When Armin shuts his eyes to avoid watching Jean being humiliatingly punished in front of the 104th, Levi decides to take both of them down to the dungeons and reveal the worst of everyone. EDIT: Decided to add a new chapter! (this work is explicit throughout, with emphasis on Levi/Jean in the first two chapters, shifting to Armin/Jean in 3 and 4, with a bit of both in 5.) ***** Chapter 1 ***** The few moments following the whinnying of Levi's horse, signalling his arrival to the castle, were chaotic. "Fuckfuckfuck, we were supposed to be done hours ago!" Reiner dumped an enormous bucket of soapy water out the window. "Even if we had woken up at four in the morning, how were we supposed to see anything?" Jean moaned, half-heartedly tossing his broom into a corner. "Any louder and Heichou will be answering your question personally," Mikasa said. She removed the cloth covering her mouth and glared in Jean’s direction. This was a positively sunny reaction compared to other instances where Morning Mikasa had been annoyed, but Jean flinched as if he'd been slapped. His face settled into a sour expression, lips pressed. I sighed, looking over my shoulder to confirm Eren was still looking out the window where he'd announced Levi's arrival, oblivious to Jean’s fuming. "It looks like he’s finished speaking with Hanji," he informed us. “He’ll be inside soon. Just hide all the supplies and line up along the wall!” Most had already complied by the end of his sentence. I pounded my curled fist onto my chest, making a point to stand—straight, rigid, stone-faced—between Jean and Mikasa. The door cracked open. “There’s at least two goddamn dust bunnies beside me,” Berholdt hissed, at the far end of the line. “Just stand on them!” Jean whispered back. “Just stand on what?” Levi inquired lazily, striding past Berholdt and the unholy dust bunnies, his eyes settling on Jean. Silence fell as Levi slowly walked past Eren, Mikasa and me, turning to face Jean. Just tell him about the dust bunnies, Jean, I telepathically screamed. You know he saw them, just— But Jean’s eyes had already flickered to Mikasa, a smirk settling on his lips. Fuck, no, I cursed, you will not try to impress her— “On your shoulders, Heichou,” Jean drawled, eyes shiny from sleep deprivation or maybe pride, his lopsided smirk making him appear almost drunk. “We couldn’t find the stepping-stool for the highest cupboards, but I’m sure you can provide us a small boost in its absence.” Sometimes silence settles. Sometimes it falls. Here it crashed like a meteorite, but none of us dared move. A small huff beside me informed me that Mikasa knew exactly what Jean had attempted and failed. I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing, my chest rising and falling under my fist. “Ow, oww, fuck!” I snapped my eyes open. Jean’s pained grunts echoed through the castle as Levi dragged him out of line by a fistful of hair, contorting Jean’s lanky body. “He’s taking Jean to the basement,” Mikasa whispered, curiosity dominating her tone. Discomfort rippled through the punctured line we’d formed. Jean’s attitude had been see-sawing unpredictably between obnoxiousness and misery since Trost. We’d all tolerated it, made space for his recklessness, his grieving lunacy. We never thought he'd pull something this outrageous. “Arlert; follow.” I startled, wrenched from my thoughts, fist still glued to my chest. I stared at Levi, unsure I’d heard right. “Heichou?” “Shutting your eyes while saluting your captain, what a fucking embarrassment,” said Levi. Jean was kneeling in front of Levi, expression pained as Levi’s nails dug into his scalp. “You are a member of the survey corps, Arlert. Survey, as in study, observe, investigate the worst the world has to offer... missions you cannot hope to represent, let alone fulfill, if you insist on looking away every time you sense a soldier will bleed for their own stupidity!” Levi then kicked Jean in the gut hard, forcing him to double over even as Levi’s hand did not slacken. I could hear Sasha’s stuttered breaths a few feet away from me as hairs became undone from Jean’s head. He wretched, gasped for air. “I’m sorry, Hei —” I tried. “Come. With. Me.” Levi ordered quietly. I could feel the blood drain from my face as I noticed the swelling bulge in Levi’s trousers, just inches from Jean’s tear-streaked face. “Survey how much stature matters when you are as fucking insolent, cowardly, pathetic,” he hissed the words in Jean’s ear, “as Kirstein. Come!” I marched robotically towards Levi, jerking my arm from my chest, until I was also standing right over Jean. He peered up at me between Levi’s knuckles, his whole body quivering. “Grab his hair,” Levi commanded. “Heichou !” Eren shouted. “Armin hasn’t eaten all day! He was probably almost fainting when—” “Quiet, Jaeger, I will deal with you later,” Levi whispered, never taking eyes off of me. I looked at Eren, Mikasa, Reiner, Berholdt and Sasha apologetically as I took hold of Jean’s hair, the pads of my fingers dampening with blood, but they were all staring straight past me at the wall behind us. Even Eren had taken to chewing the inside of his cheek, incensed but tamed by Levi’s hushed reprimand. “Arlert, take Kirstein to the dungeon cell next to Jaeger’s. By his hair,” he added, noticing my hand loosening as I’d hoped to simply escort him. “I can’t walk,” Jean wheezed, clutching his stomach. “Please try,” I pleaded softly. “Don’t take me down there, please,” Jean begged me. Little red streaks of salt water stained his cheekbones, his jaw, his neck. “Armin…” I swallowed, wanting desperately for there to be a way for Levi to humiliate me like this instead. I was used to it; I had no face to lose. But Jean had left me no ambiguity in fault to work with. He had fucked up, and I knew any attempt to soften accountability would only make things worse. “Crawl if you can’t walk,” I told Jean. The numbness in my chest had turned my voice to ice, making Jean flinch. He whimpered, his shaking body complying all the way down the stone steps. Levi followed, already loosening his cravat, staring at the length of Jean’s contorted back, at the trousers drifting down Jean's buttocks with each motion downwards. I jerked my hand away from Jean's head as soon as we reached the cell, wiping my bloodied hand on my shirt. Jean was hyperventilating, a crippled mass of shivers on the cold, damp floor. "Please, Heichou," he pleaded, having apparently completely given up on me. "I'm sorry, just leave me down here alone! Give my rations to Sasha! I won't com--" "Save it, Kirstein," Levi interrupted, removing his cape. "Your curling on the floor like an infant really is a shit strategy in hiding how much you enjoyed that little show.” I looked at Jean—crying, beaten, bleeding, sweating Jean—wondering what the hell Levi meant by this. He flinched as soon as we made eye contact, curling his legs into his stomach, like he was hiding something in his lap— “Oh!” I exclaimed, blood rushing to my face. Jean looked away, his brow furrowing as he swore under his breath. Levi ignored all of this. “Arlert, remove his shirt and chain him to the wall, facing me.” “Armin, no! Do you know what he’ll do to me?” Jean was sounding panicked again. “You know what he’ll do!” A soft whisper of fabric and static behind me suggested Levi had taken off his shirt, and I couldn’t help but turn to see. I never quite realized how pale his skin was until so much of it was laid bare in front of me, each inch taut over muscles I’d never been able to build no matter how hard I trained. I gathered this in a few moments before my eyes became glued to the space between his narrow hips. “Yes, I think I know what he’s going to do, but if I don’t do this then someone else will.” I swear I meant it, I really did. I recognized this as a burden, as a necessary evil to spare Jean from extraneous pain and humiliation. I liked Jean. He was rash, arrogant and righteous like Eren; cowardly, regretful and grieving like me. It hurt to see violence inflicted upon him. So why was my mouth watering so much I could just barely articulate, “I’ll be as gentle as you let me”? Jean’s body slackened anyways, allowing me to pull off his shirt, still refusing to look at me. The tanned skin, not-quite-bulky build and inexplicably blonde trail descending from his navel demanded only slightly less of my attention than the blooming reddish bruise on his left side, the strain of the cloth between his legs. “What’s taking you so long?” Levi asked, stroking himself underneath his trousers. Beads of sweat shined in the center of his chest, dripping lower with every rattling breath he took. “Arlert, I have no issue rendering Kirstein unconscious if his resistance is too much. We’ll just have to wait here until he awakens. Or not,” he added, something like curiosity crossing his hungry expression. “No,” I said immediately, skin crawling at Levi's words. I grabbed Jean’s chin, forcing him to look at me as I spoke to Levi. “His resistance is not too much because he’s not resisting. I agree that he’s enjoying himself, despite the performance.” “Fuck you, Armin,” Jean spat through gritted teeth, eyes wide with rage. “You sick, perverted little sh—OW,” Jean yelped as the back of my hand made contact with his cheek. “You’re not letting me be gentle, you stubborn fuck,” I hissed, grabbing his right hand and slamming it against the stone wall before he could react. The impacts shocked him enough that I could clamp a manacle around his wrist and tighten the chain before he swung at me with his free, uninjured hand. I ducked, my back brushing against warm flesh behind me. When I looked up, Levi was holding Jean’s fist in his, looking down at me with quiet, callous superiority. “Seems like he's a little conflicted,” he said quietly, clamping a manacle around Jean’s left wrist. Jean’s eyes flickered from Levi to me, considering. His whole torso shined with fear and arousal, his hard swelling pulsing every few moments. “I wonder what Kirstein would need for what little brain he has to agree with his cock.” Levi grabbed him there, bringing his face inches from Jean, whose breath had become so ragged I could see it parting Levi's fringe. I backed away, assessing the situation, calculating. “Get Armin out,” Jean begged. "H-he's going to t-tell them and he c-can't tell them, so he c-can't see!" One rattled gasp and suddenly he was crying, head bowed, tears falling on Levi's bare back. Levi let the sound fill the cell for a few moments before speaking. "You're afraid Arlert will tell 104th about your arousal in these circumstances," Levi summed up, running his hands over Jean's throat and collarbone. "And there are probably two soldiers whom you're most concerned about," he added. "Jean," I started. I desperately wanted to tell him I wouldn't, couldn't even imagine giving away intimate knowledge I'd assisted in robbing him of, or shaming him for whatever demons Levi meant to exploit, nor could I envision Eren or Mikasa resenting him this black pearl of perversion even if by some awful chain of events they did find out. But Levi held up a hand, hushing me, still intently focused on Jean. He tilted his head sideways, the faintest of smiles on his lips. "Couldn't that fear be resolved if I chained and fucked Arlert as well?" ***** Chapter 2 ***** I gasped, my breath turning to ice, petrifying every inch of me, eyes wide in disbelief. "I could make him like it too," Levi murmured, his lips very nearly touching Jean's as he spoke. "I could make him know what it's like to enjoy being destroyed. I could make you another boy who struggles to shut out those fantasies in the middle of the night when it's hardest. I could make him come at the most depraved touches, leave him terrified of what you could tell your sweet Mikasa about him--" "Do him first then!" Jean shouted. "JEAN!" I yelled, falling to my knees, hands clamped over my ears. His voice echoed in my skull, do him first then, do Armin first, RAPE MY FRIEND FIRST. Levi moved aside, allowing me to see Jean's face. He looked startled, lost, confused... but something lingering in his eyes still looked hungry for my violation. "Do you want that, Arlert?" Levi asked me softly, looking behind his shoulder at me. "No!" Did I? "You won't have to worry then," he told me. He turned back to Jean. "Seeing as unreserved, complete enjoyment of my discipline would defeat the whole fucking purpose of punishing him in the first place." Jean's breath caught, eyes widening. "What.." "You stupid, spineless traitor," Levi whispered in Jean's ear, though loud enough for me to hear. "You just forfeited your only ally in this room. I wonder what Ackerman and Jaeger will think of you by this afternoon. Arlert, strip him.” Jean looked at me, face blank, eyes blinking tears silently. I advanced him as slowly as I estimated I could get away with. This broken, bewildered Jean was probably the most harmless version of him I’d encountered in the last twenty minutes, but still I approached him like a feral animal. “Please, Armin,” Jean pleaded feebly, straightening his legs so I could more easily undress him. “Please don’t tell. No one knows. I hadn’t ever told anyone besides—” his breath caught, eyes watering again. “Only M-Marco knew about this…weakness…” “I’m sure he had a damn good idea about the depths of your perversion before you snuck into his bed that night,” Levi callously remarked. A spark reignited in Jean’s eyes as he stared at Levi with clear murderous intent, teeth gritted. “Surrender yourself to Levi Heichou,” I interrupted, crouching in front of Jean on the bed and trying to imitate Mikasa’s assured, commanding expression and not looking like I was wondering what Levi was referring to. “Or I will tell them everything.” God dammit… a few minutes ago, my decision to reassure Jean of his safe secrets seemed obvious, irrefutable. Now it was leverage at best, an accessory to torture at worst. I yanked the rest of Jean’s clothes off. His cock had softened in his despair. Mostly. I looked back up at his face. “I’m sorry, Armin, I’m so fucking sorry I said that,” he said. He sounded like he meant it. The knot in my stomach loosened. I forced myself to shrug. “Of course you are; Heichou Levi hates betrayal. You’ll be punished for that too.” I stood up, walking away from the straw bed, away from chained, broken Jean and away from the powerful, sadistic monster whose gaze I felt piercing the side of my face, just outside my peripheral. I knew better than to shut my eyes again, but I couldn't bring myself to look at either of them. "Back straight, Kirstein." "Yes.. Heichou.." The words hissed through Jean's teeth. "It hurts, doesn't it?" He could have been asking about the weather. "Yes." "I will make it hurt worse if you don't straighten your back, relax your fucking jaw, " Levi said softly, "and open your mouth." A moment of near silence, punctuated only by Jean's ragged breaths. "I can't," he whimpered. "Gomenasai, Heichou, I want to so badly, but it hurts too much.. I'll bite and I won't have even meant to.." I tore my eyes away from the crack in the floor I'd been staring at to see Jean crying, curled in on himself as much as he could in his chains, sweat running down his chest. His face was inches away from Levi's cock, which throbbed with every sob Jean struggled through. "Fucking brat," Levi hissed, kneeling. "Please, Heich--" Jean's pleading was cut by the echoing impact of Levi's backhand against his cheek. I flinched; the blow was far worse than what I'd dealt him. The captain looked over his shoulder at me. "Arlert." His eyes were merciless, freezing my blood in my veins. "Unchain Kirstein and lay him face down." I was agonizingly aware of Levi's eyes on me, roaming between my bare feet and bloodless face, but hovering mostly somewhere between. It was only when I leaned towards Jean, close enough to smell his blood and sweat, to see the bruise on his ribs swell, that I remembered. "Heichou.. I... uh.." My mind was collapsing around the singular fact that I'd probably doomed myself and Jean with my mindlessness. "I left the key on the table behind me." Levi raised his eyebrows, his gaze wandering to the table and settling on it for a few seconds. "That's fine," he said, stepping off the bed, expression unreadable. "I'll retrieve it." "Mmm," Jean's eyes were closed as he mumbled, head hung, tears meeting at the tip of his nose before dropping onto the straw. "Mmmarco.. F-forget it... I-I'm sorry.." "Shh," I hushed him, a lump in my throat swelling. "It will be awful, but it will be over soon." "Arlert." I looked up. Levi was standing on the straw, looking down at Jean and me as he held out the key in one hand. He held a gear blade in the other. “You have my permission to leave now.” "W-what--" I gasped, gawking at the metal, glinting deadly in the torchlight. "I went too far," Levi interrupted grimly. “I’m not sure whether it was with the wound in his torso or the things I’ve been telling him... but in any case, if he really can't straighten his back even under threat of more violence, it's really best that I end his misery here. You fucked up upstairs, but I’m not going to make you watch this." "Yes," Jean said numbly. He raised his head. His eyes were open now, reddened and glazed. He stared at the blade hungrily. "It will be awful, but it will be over soon." "JEAN, NO," I cried, guilt crashing into me, destroying any fear I had of Levi, of his deadly resignation, replacing it with a fierce desperation. I cupped Jean cheek in my hand, turning his face towards mine as I kissed him. His lips were cold and unmoving in mine, like he was numb to my mouth on his, tasting the salt and blood on his chin. Like Levi had already put him down. A small choking noise escaped me, my vision blurring. I turned to Levi, hand still holding Jean's face where the former had struck him. I wanted to scream. To beg. To hurt Levi for still being hard even as he held a knife meant for enemies, not insubordinate subjects. My body trembled with the urges held in such paralyzing tension, but I knew I had to be strategic. "Heichou, what are you going to tell the rest of the 104th squad?" I asked evenly, willing my tears to dry before they fell. "They're expecting Jean to be badly hurt for being an ass hole, and they're also expecting him to demonstrate the lesson he's learned. He can't do that if you.." I couldn't finish. “Well if you insist on staying, I can make you the example instead,” Levi pointed out, arching an eyebrow, “and have you consider it a favour every moment I don’t tell Jaeger how many times I had you come.” I winced, suddenly feeling as naked as Jean. “And depend on Ar-armin to c-cover your murder indefi-finitely?” Jean stuttered. I began moving my hand to cover Jean’s mouth but stopped as he raised his head, meeting Levi’s gaze defiantly. “What… will you m-make him tell them? That you d-discharged me to Trost and needed Armin t-to help me pack?” Levi crouched so his face was inches away from Jean’s, resting the knife on his left shoulder. “It wouldn’t be far from the truth. I can make this quick, and I can lay your ashes with Bodt’s in Trost,” he whispered, moving Jean’s damp fringe aside with the key. “That’s more favour than I’ve granted most, brat.” He kissed Jean on the forehead, bringing the key to the manacle on his right hand. Jean shook his head. “You need me here to keep tabs on Armin,” he said firmly, gritting his teeth to quiet his stutter. “It doesn’t matter how badly you threaten him; he just can't lie convincingly enough to fool Ackerman, let alone Jaeger. He needs me, and you need me.” To my horror, Jean moved his face out of my hand to kiss Levi, lips trembling. “Heichou, p-please…keep me.” Levi looked down as Jean kissed him, considering for a few moments. Then, slowly, he slid the knife off Jean’s shoulder and brought it flat against his chest, pushing him back. “I might,” Levi said, eyes glittering. He stood, hard cock brushing Jean’s lips. “Beg me.” “Please, Levi Hei—” Jean groaned as Levi grabbed a fistful of his hair and wrenched his head back, holding the sharp edge of his knife against Jean’s windpipe. It’s over, I thought, a scream building in the back of my throat. I grabbed Jean’s hand and hurriedly thought of all the things I couldn’t say, as if in prayer. I’m sorry Jean I forgive you please don’t let it hurt I forgive you I don’t care just let it be quick please Jean I don’t want you hurting— “I’ve watched you plead better with Bodt for much, much less than your pathetic fucking life,” Levi hissed. “Now, beg me.” Realization dawned immediately on Jean’s pale face and he opened his mouth, taking in Levi’s cock. I watched him build something desperate, something barely resembling rhythm, while feeling his hand turn over in mine, grabbing my palm sideways and squeezing hard. Levi moaned softly as the first tears slid from Jean’s face onto my wrist. I couldn’t look away from where his mouth embraced Levi’s cock, eventually pulling away from Levi, only to kiss each inch generously. With every flick of his tongue and with every gasp and moan Levi breathed, Jean’s grip on my hand tightened and fresh waves of horror, disgust and guilt overtook me. I wished they drowned the desire. “Look at me,” Levi ordered in a whisper, tilting Jean’s head back almost gently, the torchlight revealing something thicker than spit shining on his lips. Jean obeyed, his glazed, reddened eyes never leaving Levi’s as the captain pulled him towards him slowly, forcing every inch of his cock into Jean’s mouth. “How long should I have him choke, Arlert?” Levi asked, still staring into Jean’s eyes as he nudged his head a crucial inch. Wet, distressed noises of suffocation echoed in the dungeon. “Just a little longer…” “Tell Kirstein you like it.” Jean’s choking grew faint… “I like it,” I deadpanned, feeling Jean’s grip on my hand loosen with every syllable. “You like what?” Levi licked his lips, his gaze upon Jean cruelly determined. “I like watching you choke on it.” I was not surprised when my hand was suddenly freed. I could have sworn Levi resisted extricating himself just a moment longer so there could be no mistaking why Jean didn’t want my touch any longer, gave no sign of acknowledging my existence as he coughed and gasped for air. My eyes began to sting again. “Couldn’t leave you believing that you were coming to the rescue of an angel,” Levi told Jean, voice curling around the faintest of smirks. He brought the key to each manacle, releasing his prisoner. Jean curled over himself, laughing weakly. “Imagine I could rescue angels…” “Jean…” I mumbled. I’d hoped the words would find their way out if I could just bring myself to address him, but all I could do was blink away memories of Marco’s smile, knowing every one of Jean’s perversions and still looking at him as if he were never broken… “Imagine an angel who could forgive you,” Levi whispered, raising Jean’s chin with two bloodstained fingers, “for resenting Arlert while you hide your throbbing cock?” Levi’s hand slid down Jean’s throat, enclosing around it, squeezing. Jean struggled in vain to escape as Levi continued, “I must admit, however… I enjoyed your sweet mouth more than I expected, so I’m feeling generous. Tell me then, who would you rather have take care of that, Arlert or me?” ***** Chapter 3 ***** By the time I truly processed what Levi was asking, by the time my heart pounded with all the speed of a galloping horse and my stomach turned to stone, my mind had already weighed Jean’s options against each other. “Armin shouldn’t even fucking be here,” Jean spat, glaring at Levi. If Jean picked Levi, the captain would doubtlessly exploit my position as a voyeur to break Jean down again. My blood ran cold as I considered how Marco’s memory could be wielded as a torture device, burning Jean with every pleasure he endured, my presence in his misery as invasive as any rape. “But I am,” I whispered, taking Jean’s hand, eyes downcast, away from his body. “He won’t forgive me if I offer to have you violated again,” Jean hissed, a sudden hollowness in his voice making it painfully clear he wasn’t referring to the man squeezing his windpipe. “It wouldn’t be exactly like that though,” I said softly, taking off my cape with one hand as I slipped the other into my trousers. I could see Levi in my peripheral, grinning at me predatorily, hand loosening on Jean's throat. Encouragement. “You don’t owe me anything, Jean, but if you could do me this one favour…” I wanted to plead harder with him, scream that I was fucking tired of standing aside and watching my friends shatter into blood and oblivion, reveal every scar where I’d considered joining them, the words “weak” and “coward” echoing in my ears, but I couldn’t risk Levi overruling Jean’s decision on account of my coercion. “Armin…” I looked up to see Jean’s eyes wide and staring at where my hand had disappeared into my trousers, stroking myself gently so I hardened at the thought of relieving at least a little of Jean’s pain, sparing him a few moments of torture... I stopped just long enough to take my shirt off, revealing slick, pallid skin stretched over my slight build. I crossed my arms around my middle, self- conscious and cold, looking down again. “You can pretend I’m him,” I mumbled. “Pretend I’m your angel." My words hung in the air for a moment until I felt Jean crawling over to me, tentatively, licking his lips before brushing them against mine. I closed my eyes, kissing his trembling mouth tenderly and wrapping my arms around his waist, taking care to not put pressure on his bruise. His body was cold and twitching against mine. “Enjoy yourselves then, brats,” Levi taunted us, throwing Jean down by his throat in front of me. I heard the clink of chains against stone and knew the captain was sitting against the wall, watching us. My blood boiled and I pulled away to keep from biting Jean, kissing his face instead. “I’m so sorry,” I breathed into his ear, my lips burning from the tear streaks coating Jean’s face. I slipped my hand down his torso until I held his hardness in my palm, curling my fingers around it carefully. “D-don’t be,” Jean whispered back shakily. He rubbed the tip of his nose along my cheek, eyes shut, his hips rocking gently. “You kiss j- just like him,” he whimpered, finding my lips and taking them in his urgently. I can’t do this. “Lay down, Jean.” “On your back,” Levi added, smoothly slipping on his trousers. He left the laces loose, accommodating the bulge in the front. His chest shone in the flickering flames surrounding us. “And open your eyes. The last thing I need to deal with is the angst following Armin Arlert realizing that he’s been pity fucking your corpse.” Fuck you. I bit my lip to keep the thought from escaping. I swear I will crucify you onto this wall, watch the arrogance and power seep away as your lungs collapse and you will know that your final, resting title will be the indictment of RAPIST written in blood on this forsaken straw bed. Jean opened his eyes, staring at me with a patient sort of dread as he lay down beside me, neck outstretched, cock hard, palms facing skyward at his sides. I have to do this, I thought, crawling between Jean’s legs and sucking on my index and middle fingers. “It will be over soon,” I assured Jean, running my hand up the inside of his leg; a warning. He smiled weakly. “Yeah, either way…” “Stop talking,” I murmured, kissing his torso as I touched him, penetrated him, coaxed his body into surrender, made him moan as if I wasn’t really violating an already devastated body on the whim of the man to whom I owed my life many times over, as if all that mattered was the way Jean held my wrist in a shaky, beseeching grip between his legs. “As impressive as this might be,” Levi said, a small tremble in his voice spoiling the illusion of indifference, “I can tell it will take more than that to make him cum.” “Yes, heichou,” I heard myself agree, entranced by the warmth inside of Jean’s body even as his skin felt cold to the touch. I slowly withdrew my fingers and grabbed Jean’s hips, turning him over, my cock straining against my trousers and horrifyingly ready to fuck him facedown— Levi grabbed my arm, fingers crushing just above my elbow, infuriated expression inches from my face. I let go of Jean, startled and gasping in pain. “What in the name of fucking Christ are you doing?” His quiet demand made me flinch as if he’d yelled. “I thought you wanted me to—” He pushed me roughly to the other side of the bed. “Armin…” Jean groaned, clutching his torso. “First in his medical care class and he puts Jean in the one position where he’s most likely to die while being fucked,” Levi rolled his eyes, his nails digging crimson half moons into my upper arm. “I’m sorry,” I pleaded, “I’ve just… I’ve never—” “’Jean’?” a small, confused voice interrupted beneath me. Levi’s grip relinquished instantly, like my skin had burned him, and turned his face from both of us, expression stunned before settling into his usual indifference. “Raise your legs as much as you can, Kirstein,” Levi ordered, “and close your eyes. If you’re too heavy and useless for Arlert to handle I’ll fuck you both raw, him first.” Why were his eyes shining so brightly? Jean obeyed wordlessly, reaching under his thighs with trembling hands, eyelids flickering. Just as I was wondering why he’d withdrawn his order for Jean to keep his eyes open, I felt Levi’s wet hand slip down my side and into my trousers, his other covering my mouth. I tensed against him. "I promise Jean will never resent you any of this,” Levi whispered, stroking me gently. He kissed me on the cheek, pulling my trousers and underwear down, lifting each knee as he undressed me. “Do what you will accordingly.” ***** Chapter 4 ***** I nodded despite having barely registered what he’d said. I was too consumed with silently begging Jean to keep his eyes shut as Levi’s wonderfully warm and slippery hand stroked me, the hard muscles of his arms rigid against my torso. My eyes stung and blurred with every shaking breath I exhaled against his hand, my brain foggy but reverberating with the mortifying realization: he knew I liked it. This violation that I’d resented Jean for wishing upon me, this evil that Jean had taken upon himself in order to spare me afterwards… Levi knew I’d grovel at his feet for it. When I was finally completely naked against him, my trousers and underwear in a small pile beside us, Levi released me. I quickly crawled towards Jean, my whole body shaking with humiliation, craving an escape from Levi even as a part of me was already viscerally mourning the end of his sweet, sweet touch. I put my hands on Jean’s, sparing him the effort of keeping his legs raised on his own. “Armin?” Jean murmured tentatively, eyelids flickering. “Eyes shut, Kirstein,” Levi growled behind me. “And Arlert, do continue to stall, to waste my fucking time.” I gasped as Levi wrenched my head back by my hair, a blade suddenly at my throat. “Please, I dare you to stretch my tolerance for your virgin ineptitude.” He let go of my hair, withdrawing his blade. I dutifully climbed on top of Jean, firmly cupping one of his thighs as I guided my cock into his ass. Jean groaned, biting his lip and arching his back as I filled him. I let go of Jean’s leg, letting myself collapse on top of him, hips pumping feverishly as I fucked him. “I’m sorry,” I panted, ears echoing with the soft sound of Levi’s laughter. I buried my face in Jean’s chest. “You feel so…so—” “Shut up,” Jean begged, tears somehow escaping his closed eyes. “Please…” This is so wrong, I thought, my hands moving higher on Jean’s thighs, feeling the solid curves of his narrow hips, gripping the firm flesh of his perfect ass, pulling him towards me with every thrust. I had so much more to be sorry for… betraying Jean like this in front of the man who seemed to enjoy it most… being so recklessly rough with his broken body… every whimpering moan revealing how much I enjoyed fucking Jean against his will, unable to keep that disgraceful reality to myself even as I tried to apologize for hurting him… “It's only painful because you’re resisting, Kirstein,” Levi said into Jean’s ear, crouched down on the floor beside the bed, leaning over Jean’s face. His tone was inflected with a detached sort of patience that ran a chill up my spine even before he laid his blade on the bed just inches from my friend’s face. I grabbed Jean’s hand reflexively, squeezing, silently begging Levi not to hurt him. The captain returned my pleading gaze, running his thumb over the flat side of the blade, eyebrows raised. “Did I tell you to stop, brat?” I shook my head at Levi, breaking eye contact, just as Jean gripped my hand back. Guilt and relief threatened to drown me. There was so, so much to apologize for, but I shut the fuck up and continued destroying Jean instead, praying this cautiously violent performance could please Levi without killing my friend. “I’m trying, Heichou,” Jean cried, cheeks flushed, eyes shut tight, shaky little breaths escaping his open mouth. One hand trembled in mine, tensing with every thrust, the other gripping the paper-thin, tattered sheets, anchoring himself for me. The effort stretched the muscles of hi s arms and torso taut against his tanned, gleaming skin. He was exquisite and I hated myself for knowing it. Levi smirked down at Jean’s hard, throbbing cock, entangling his hand in Jean’s blood-drenched hair. “You’re so close… Is your pride really so important that you’ll make a rapist out of this sweet little soldier as long as you possibly can?” Rage. White hot rage, spreading from the center of my face outwards, nearly blinding me as Levi continued speaking softly in Jean’s ear, even as my hips pumped back and forth… “Or maybe you just don’t want him to stop, you depraved, selfish fuck…” Jean whimpered, twisting his head in a desperate attempt to escape Levi’s whispered torture and only aggravating the wounds on his scalp, oblivious to the captain’s other hand trailing down his torso ... No. No, no, no, he can’t do that! the words were like fire inside my head. He can’t make me hurt him if he’s going to hurt him too. Suddenly Jean’s eyes flew open, dilated pupils staring into mine with a need so raw it hurt to witness. “Help me, Marco,” he cried faintly. Levi and I were both stunned at this plea but I recovered quicker in my fury, extricating myself from Jean’s body, grabbing the knife beside his head, and slashing it blindly at Levi as he jumped back. I’d only narrowly missed his throat before I let go of the hilt, flinging it through the cell bars. Jean hadn’t quite seen what had happened behind him, couldn’t see Levi’s deadly stare burning into me like cold fire, a thin line of crimson blooming across his pale, glorious chest. The delirious soldier only had eyes for me as he hugged me around my middle, nearly crushing me, sobbing, “Help me, help me,” like a frantic prayer. I gently cupped my hands over Jean’s ears, knowing from enough experience that the sounds of Jean’s crying would echo loudly in his own head, deafening him. I never broke eye contact with Levi, though he’d long crumbled my wrath with his gaze, leaving me terrified of what I’d done. “If I finish punishing Jean as you ordered, will you spare him seeing me disciplined or having him involved in any way?” I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks onto Jean’s head. Levi’s eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to bargain with me, you insolent little shit?” "No, Heichou.” My voice quaked. “I’m begging you.” “Beg later.” He strode to the bars of the cell, reaching through them to grab the blade I’d chucked through them. A drop of blood trickled down the edge when Levi added, “I’ll grant you plenty of time, I promise.” My heart sunk. “Yes, Heichou.” I turned my attention to Jean, tilting his head back. Though I was on my knees, the height discrepancy put his face just below mine as he sat on the bed, legs resting on either side of me. Jean smiled gently up at me. The expression was distant, unhinged, but so full of relieved bliss that I didn’t care he wasn’t seeing me when I kissed him, felt no guilt as I touched him everywhere between his legs. He moaned softly into my mouth as my fingers penetrated him again, his cock pulsing in my other hand. A few drops of clear, thick liquid trickled from the tip and suddenly I needed to know if it would taste as honey-sweet as his swollen lips, if my kisses were as good as his angel’s regardless of where I lay them. “Hold still,” I murmured. I continued rhythmically fingering him, resting my other hand just below his navel as I lowered my watering mouth onto him, “Oh, fuck,” Jean gasped, back arching against the pressure I put on his abdomen. I sucked generously, reveling in the small cries he emitted as I held him down, denying him the pleasure of fucking my throat so I could taste every drop of him when he finally came. I closed my eyes, turning away from Levi so he couldn't see me smile at Jean's exquisitely soft cries. “I’m going to miss you,” Jean murmured when he was done, eyes closed. “Me too,” I replied, pushing myself off him. I wondered numbly if I’d ever see him again, my face burning where my tears had dried. I looked up at Levi as he stood, cringing internally when I noticed the stripes of blood running from where I cut him. “Wrap a cape around Kirstein,” Levi ordered, cleaning his wounds with my shirt. He looked up at me, brow furrowing in irritation. “And wipe your mouth.” “Yes, Heichou,” I mumbled, retrieving Jean’s cape from where I’d left it on the bed and enveloping him in it. He was limp and my heart gave a small start until I put two fingers on his throat, feeling a pulse faint but steady enough to know he was going to be okay if he received medical care soon, if nobody else hurt him. Levi raised my chin with the knuckles of his index, staring down at me predatorily. “Kirstein underestimated you when he said you couldn’t lie convincingly, didn’t he?” He ran his thumb over my lips, still wet with Jean’s cum. “I think he did,” I replied, too bewildered by the question to think of any tactical answer. “Given that,” he muttered, bringing my face to his so his lips brushed mine as he spoke, “do you think you could look Kirstein, Ackerman and Jaeger in the eyes and convince them you are coming to my office every night to discuss expedition tactics?” “Yes, Heichou.” He mentioned Jean! Did that mean— “Will you be able to justify bruises on your knees, your throat? Swollen lips? Other suspicious injuries?” “Yes, Heichou.” I deserve this anyways. “Then you will do so until this little fuck-up of yours is healed, beginning tonight,” Levi ordered, pointing to his chest. “Which means you are forbidden from getting off until then, Arlert.” I nodded. “Yes, Heichou.” Levi shook his head, looking almost disbelieving. “God knows how you were even able to last so long your first time. If I didn’t know any better I’d suppose Jaeger was sucking you off on a daily basis.” I blushed, trying hard not to recall too vividly how I’d had to hide my sheets from Eren and Mikasa this morning after— “I’m going to get Erwin now,” Levi said, “to care for Kirstein. I'm done punishing him. Do you have anything to say?” I tilted my head up, lips parted, “Thank you, Levi Heichou. I am grateful for everything.” Levi kissed me, his lips curling into a faint smirk when he retreated. “Lie that beautifully and you might even fool yourself, Arlert.” He stood. “Be gone before I am back and I will see you in front of my office at ten o’clock tonight.” And with that, Levi left. ***** Chapter 5 ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes I should really eat something, I kept telling myself, the inner voice faint as I stared at the plate in front of me. The colours of the carefully portioned beans, bread loaf and vegetables phased in and out of focus, the voices of a few dozen fellow soldiers buzzing in my ears like imperfect white noise. I reached for my fork with my left hand, doing my best to appear natural while I hid my rope-burnt right wrist under the table. *** He’d begun the evening by making me strip naked before he tied my wrists, dangling me from the ceiling for several agonizing minutes. A ghost of a smile rested on his lips as he stood a few feet away, arms crossed loosely over his bare chest, watching my hands turn numb and blue in the coarse, tightly knotted twine. My arms and shoulders were on fire. “Please, heichou...” My voice quivered. Something was going to break soon. “Those knots aren’t invincible, Armin.” Levi looked up at me, at my fingers brushing cold metal above me. “For fuck’s sake, all you have to do is grab the pulley and hoist yourself up so the rope would loosen on your other hand.” “No, I can’t.” Even in agony, I was well-aware of the faults Levi had built into my entrapments. It didn’t matter. Levi stepped towards me, tracing his fingers down my torso where tears had burnt my skin red until he took my cock in his hands. Warm waves rippled inside as he touched me in all the ways he’d discovered to work best even on those days when I yearned for a cold blade at my throat instead. “Even if I told you I’d never hurt you again if you could get yourself out of there?” Levi murmured, his other hand resting on the curve of my buttocks. I breathed in sharply, the air hissing through my teeth. He’d said that. He had offered. I immediately tensed, a pain like knives rippling through my right arm as I attempted to pull myself up. I didn’t care. The words “never hurt you again” echoed in my ears, pumping violent, euphoric hope through me. But moments later I cried out, the sound embarrassingly raw and visceral as my arm stopped working like a puppet whose strings had been cut. I’d probably pulled muscles in my arm, and I hadn’t even lifted myself an inch higher. The pain was almost as unbearable as Levi’s exquisite touch between my legs, hardening me despite everything. He laughed, the soft sound like crushed glass. “My apologies, it must be difficult to find motivation to escape something you know you deserve, brat.” Levi dug his nails into the flesh of my ass and I sobbed, knowing this would make it worse, knowing Levi would be intoxicated by the noise and not want to part with it until he fucked me raw. I couldn’t stop; only dread the possibility of Levi making me watch him look around his office again, finding things to push inside me until I came or bled. But Levi didn’t do that. Instead, he kissed the side of my ribcage, still massaging my hard cock with one hand while reaching for my numb hands with the other as he said, “But what if Jean Kirschstein could be told he didn’t deserve what I did to him?” I stopped sobbing, my breath caught somewhere between my lungs and my throat. What? Levi licked a long line along my chest, his tongue flicking a fresh tear before he continued. “If you can figure a way out of these ropes, I will apologize to Jean in writing for ah… excessive punishment, and for forbidding you to visit him while he recovers. Jean will be compensated, and Erwin will be duty-bound to keep an eye on his well-being and safety whenever I’m nearby.” Some part of me knew it was hopeless. My attempt to reach the pulley would have my arms and shoulders coaxed out of the numbness my body afforded them for the last few minutes into excruciating pain if I tried playing this game. I did it anyways, my vision flooded with black spots as I screamed, begging the universe to shatter my heart and make me disappear. Levi waited until I ran out of breath and went limp before asking, “Why can’t you escape?” “I’m sorry, Hei—” I whimpered as Levi struck me across the face. A well of blood began to fill in my mouth. “Why can’t you escape?” Levi gripped my thighs, wrapping them around his torso. Just as I couldn’t stop my body from reacting to Levi’s sweet touches, I couldn’t help the preservation instinct which finally kicked in so my legs gripped Levi’s body, alleviating the torturous pull of twine on the skin of my wrists, of overextended limbs. Jean’s voice echoed in my ears, chanting “Help me, Marco,” when I mumbled, “Because I’m weak.” The word clung to my tongue like acid and I knew I was worse than weak; I was worthless, perfectly capable of fucking a near-mortally wounded friend but powerless to pass a simple test to earn back the smallest of comforts. Levi nodded, a faint shimmer in his dark eyes as he looked up at me, running his hand up and down my thigh rhythmically. “And you will fucking remember that the next time you want to challenge me when I’m dealing with you or any of you defiant brats.” He brought his index and forefinger to my face, brushing them against my lips and opening my mouth. “Suck,” he ordered. *** “Wow, does he ever look fucked up.” I jerked out of my compulsive recollections, excuses for my dazedness about to tumble from my lips when I realized Eren and Mikasa’s gazes weren’t on me. Instead, they were fixed on an awkward, bandaged figure entering the dining hall. My stomach dropped. Jean had to have been just released from medical care and I had no doubt as to who he was looking for in this room. I craned my neck, quickly looking around the room for any sign of Levi. He wasn’t here, but that made me panic even worse. He had to have known last night that Jean was about to be released, that he would try and find me. Eren’s brow furrowed. “Whatever Levi did to him, it was too much. I’m not even sure he beat me that badly. I wish someone could’ve stop—” “Eren,” Mikasa warned him. I was vaguely aware of them awkwardly watching me now. I could tell they were both trying not to stare while checking for any reaction, any chance that I might break my silence about what had happened in the dungeon, but their voices faded in my ears, replaced with the hitched sound of my breath and voices shouting “hide, run, to him, away from him, hide, run, HIDE”. The buzzing flooded my brain until Jean met my eyes and everything went quiet for the first time since before anything had happened. It might have been pleasant if Jean hadn’t made an immediate beeline for me, a raw desperation in his expression finally convincing me to swing my legs around the bench and run. I felt Mikasa’s soft hand brush my arm across the table, no attempt to grab, just touch. “Armin, where—” “Armin, wait!” Jean pleaded, his voice too ragged to mount to a scream. I swung open the door nearest me, slamming it behind me before sprinting into the clear night. No, no, NO, my head was screaming again, a dull ache already spreading through my legs as I ran towards headquarters. It was awful enough that I had to lie to Eren and Mikasa, painful enough to dredge up some believable performance so they wouldn’t scrutinize the state I’m in leading up to and immediately following my “strategy meetings” with Levi. My eyes blurred and I shut them tight. The last thing I needed at Levi's door was a tearstained face. I’d made it maybe halfway between the meal tent and headquarters before Jean caught up to me, grabbing my shoulders and tackling me roughly to the soft ground. His hand covered my mouth just before I shrieked into it, all fear and rage and the pain in my arms and shoulders as they hit the dirt. “Where the fuck have you been, and why were you going there?” Jean demanded, using his weight and an arm wrapped around my chest to keep me from escaping. I could feel his panicked breath against my ear, see his confused gaze in my peripheral, but I knew it wasn’t a real question; his hand was still covering my mouth. I struggled weakly. I had to get out, needed Jean to leave me alone, but I couldn’t risk him hurting me. “You’d run away from me to him?” Jean’s tone seemed to see-saw from disgust to pain and back again. “What the fuck .” Any injury would be tantamount to vandalism. I stopped struggling and put every ounce of energy into not crying when I said, “I don’t have any choice, Jean. I’m required to go to his office every night and I can’t have you obstructing me.” “Like hell you can’t,” said Jean, rolling me over and holding me down by my chest. It was the first time I’d seen him properly since then. A pea-sized, greenish bruise under his eye led me to guess that Levi had chipped his cheekbone and looking too closely at the wounds on his scalp underneath his uneven hair made me queasy. A quick look down confirmed that his middle was still bandaged up. But he was here, alive, healed, smelling of sweat with something sweeter. And so angry he was shaking. “How are you… Armin, I’m so fucked up I can barely remember anything but I know the last thing either of us should do is be with… I’m going to kill him, I swear, I’m going to…” He balled the front of my shirt into his fist, teeth bared, eyes watering, and I realized any distant hopes of divulgence and sideline support—left to grow like weeds too pretty to waste—were toxic threats to both of us. I enclosed my hands around Jean’s arm, widening my eyes and forcing myself to imagine Levi’s blade against Jean’s throat above me. “Are you going to hurt me again, Jean?” I asked softly. Ripped. Ground shaking, even as Jean went still. “What?” It was more breath than voice, and I knew I must look as scared as I felt. I shifted so Jean’s weight crushed softer flesh. It would bruise, but hopefully not before tomorrow. “You really don’t remember what you did, do you, while you thought I was Marco?” I focused on how much it hurt, letting it overwhelm me, bring tears to my eyes, blurring Jean’s face as he put the pieces of this lie together. Uprooted. Dangling. Suffocating. Jean scrambled to get off me like he'd been burned. He clutched his face with his hand, nails digging into his skin, looking at me between his fingers. “Oh, fuck no,” he moaned. “Armin, what did I do to you? Tell me I didn't--” “Don’t be too hard on yourself.” I got up, my legs shaking, shaking off the dirt from my sleeves. It frightened me how easy it was to lie to him like this, but I couldn't stand to hear the word from his mouth. “It was my mistake.” “What?” Jean’s brow furrowed in confusion and he moved to get up. “Look, we need to tell—” “I thought you would be softer with me than Levi,” I interrupted, my voice clear and even. Jean made a noise that ripped through his throat like a sob but ended in a quiet scream, his eyes shut tight. Dessicated. Burned. I turned away, something vital crumbling into nothing while I pretended to not recognize that sound from when he had his arms wrapped around my torso, begging for angelic protection. “Don’t follow me unless you want to come with me into his office.” “No, Armin, please don't…” I knew he wouldn’t. Chapter End Notes Review mine and I'll be sure to review one of yours! Requests are super welcome too :). 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