Archive of Our Own

A variety of scents was in the air, creating a suffocating concoction of hormones. Envy, joy, hope, but above all lust were floating around the house on a cloud that hovered over the people dancing and drinking. The odours were strong enough to give Levi a headache. It was like a punch to his lungs every time he breathed, so strong that he was contemplating going home despite having been at the party for barely an hour.

Drinking hadn’t helped, if anything it had made him grumpier, and Hange talking his ears out about their essay on alpha genes definitely didn’t do anything to lift his mood – even if the part involving alphas' knots was slightly intriguing him. But alcohol and his friend were a good enough way to ignore everything else happening around him, especially the way all the omegas in the house had found their way around a certain alpha.

“Have you ever seen Eren’s knot?” Hange casually asked. The two of them were sitting on the stairs going to the second floor, away from the crowd of people hanging out in the living room and kitchen.

Levi almost choked on his drink. “What?”

“You two are childhood friends, so I was wondering if you ever saw Eren’s knot,” Hange calmly repeated. “Like when he first presented as an alpha or during one of his ruts.”

“I haven’t,” Levi grumbled, totally not wishing he actually had.

“That’s a shame. I was wondering how a werewolf’s knot inflated. I’ve heard they can be pretty thick.”

“Why don’t you date one then?”

“Alphas are too troublesome and dumb. I’m much better off dating betas like me, but I wouldn’t be against dating a werewolf. I bet they’re as cuddly as dogs.”

“A wolf and a bunny, tell me something kinkier,” Levi teased them.

“Come on, I wasn’t thinking about that,” Hange replied with a giggle. “And I’m sure werecats are pretty cuddly too. You do tend to be more affectionate after a few drinks.” They bumped their shoulder into Levi’s.

“I do not.” Levi lowered the glass he was bringing up to his mouth.

“Yes, you do,” Hange grinned. “Remember last year’s Christmas party? You were quite tipsy and wouldn’t stop purring whenever you saw either me or Erwin. Your tail even showed at some point!”

Levi groaned, embarrassed to admit it was the truth. “Whatever. No point in bringing up the past or me when it comes to dating.”

“You’re right, we got side-tracked. We were talking about alphas’ knots.”

“Your obsession with knots is too intense to be purely academic.”

“It’s just that we’re studying it right now in my class and some aspects are really fascinating,” Hange said. “Did you know that some alphas can come over ten times during their ruts without popping a knot?”

“The fact that you’re so serious about this makes it even weirder to talk about it with you.”

“What would you rather talk about? Sports or how hot Eren is like everyone else at this party?”

Levi gulped down the last drops of his drink all in one go. From where he and Hange were sitting, he couldn’t see the living room, but it took very little for him to remember all the omegas fawning over his best friend, their scents as pungent as their cheap perfume and as obvious as the way they stood too close to the alpha. Even as a supposed beta, Eren’s scent often affected him, but there was a limit to decency and those omegas flocking to his best friend clearly didn’t know where that limit was.

“It’s his birthday. People are bound to talk about him.”

“And he’s objectively hot. And has a nice house.”

Levi hummed. Eren was hosting his birthday party in his home because his college dorm was too small to fit all the people he had invited. Eren’s house was like a second home for Levi. He had visited and slept over countless times growing up. He and Eren had been inseparable since kindergarten, and even now that their interests had changed and were taking different degrees, they hung out pretty often either at Levi’s dorm or at Eren’s.

The fact that Levi was in love with him had hardly affected their friendship.

“It’s a shame we can’t use the pool,” Levi said.

“There is a pool?” Hange exclaimed. “Lucky.”

“It’s pretty cool.”

“Think you can show it to me?”

“This isn’t my house.”

“It basically is,” Hange replied. “You two are very close. Maybe too much, if I can be honest.”

“No, you can’t,” Levi said as he stood up. “At least I won’t have to hear anyone giggle like a brainless idiot down there.”

“Eren must be telling some funny jokes.”

Hange burst out laughing while Levi rolled his eyes.

To reach the pool, they had to unfortunately cross the living room. Despite his best efforts, Levi’s eyes searched Eren and found him sitting on the sofa with a drink in his hands and a group of people staring at his lips as he talked. Be it his alpha status or his general charisma, Eren had always been popular anywhere he went. It had made Levi insecure at first – he was aware his personality was the complete opposite of Eren’s – but the alpha kept sticking around, so he had come to terms with the fact that Eren wasn’t going to replace him that easily.

Next to the entrance was a door that led to an underground area. Levi turned on the lights next to the stairs and climbed down with Hange following behind. The loud chattering and music faded into the distance, and the air smelled a lot cleaner too. Levi’s mood immediately lifted, also thanks to all the memories that flooded in his mind when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Water was still in the pool, and towels were spread on the chairs and wooden deckchairs around it, a memento of all the afternoons spent there to fend off the summer heat.

Growing up, Levi had often joined Eren in the pool where the two of them had played in the water for hours, sometimes with Eren’s brother as well. Those memories warmed Levi’s heart, a reminder of the good times spent with his best friend. In later years, seeing Eren half-naked had elicited different emotions in him, feelings that he had to be careful not to show, but that he carried in his heart as well and that had populated his nights every time he had gone home after a whole afternoon spent with the alpha.

“This looks so fancy,” Hange commented as they looked around.

Levi turned on all the lights in the room, fully illuminating their surroundings. The ventilation system started as well. “It is.”

“Is this what you and Eren did during summer?”

“Mostly, yeah. Eren always smelled like a wet dog afterwards.”

Hange laughed. “I bet he did with all those hormones raging too.”

“It got pretty intense when we were in high school.”

“It’s a shame it’s not hot right now.” Hange walked closer to the edge of the pool. “I could go for a swim.”

“I’m pretty sure you can warm up the water too, but it’d take too long,” Levi replied.

“You can what?” Hange’s voice cracked as it reached a pitch too high for the safety of Levi’s ears.

“Impressive, right?” Levi grinned at their surprise. It still baffled him sometimes too.

“Damn.”

Levi walked near Hange and stared at the still water. “Want me to give you a little push?”

“No, no, no, no, don’t even try it,” Hange said, moving away from the edge. “You’re a bit tipsy, I don’t trust you when you’re like this.”

“I’m not,” Levi huffed. “I could go for a swim too. I’m feeling a bit warm.”

“It is hot here,” Hange replied. “All those scents and hormones up there were starting to affect me too.”

“Yeah,” Levi mumbled, even if he wasn’t sure he and Hange perceived scents and hormones in the same way.

Even if he was already nineteen, all the tests he had done to determine his second gender had turned out to be inconclusive. By now, everyone expected him to be a beta, it was rare for omegas to get their first heat so late, but every once in a while, alpha pheromones raised the temperature in his body and his skin heated up so much he felt feverish. It was rare and it usually happened after he had spent time with Eren, so even Levi couldn’t say for certain how things were going to turn out.

“Will you spend the weekend at home?” Hange disrupted Levi from his thoughts.

“Yeah.” Levi looked away from the water and started walking around the pool “I have no classes on Monday so I’m in no rush to go back. What about you?”

“I’ll be leaving tomorrow. I have a project to finish, but I didn’t want to miss Eren’s party since he was kind enough to invite me.”

“Seems he invited all his friends and acquaintances.”

“Do I sense a bit of jealousy in your tone?” Hange’s eyes were glimmering with a playful light.

Levi clicked his tongue. “You don’t. Eren’s always been the more popular between us two so I’m used to it.”

“Alphas, I’m telling you.” Hange hugged Levi tightly, rubbing a cheek on his hair. “You’re a cute little kitty, I don’t know how you’re not popular too.”

“I know why you’re not popular,” Levi protested, trying to free himself from Hange’s hold. “You’re annoying, that’s why.”

Hange maniacally laughed, squishing Levi even more tightly. “But I know you love me anyway.”

Levi grumbled a “fuck you”, starting to regret the day he had accepted to share a dorm with a stranger that had turned out to be a crazy werebunny obsessed with alphas’ genetics, but he didn’t have time to say anything out loud as steps resounded from the stairs.

“Am I interrupting something?”

The second that warm voice echoed in the air, Levi’s heart skipped a beat. He pushed Hange away for good and turned to look at his best friend. Eren was wearing a black shirt only partially buttoned up and had tied his hair in a neat bun that made his emerald eyes pop up all the more. He had a smile on his lips, a gesture mostly directed at Levi and that made Levi feel unstable on his legs.

“Levi was showing me your pool,” Hange said. “I want to go for a swim so bad.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it right now,” Eren said, walking up to them. “It’s really cold, but if you’re free this summer, you could come over, and the three of us can hang out together.”

“Can I?” Hange’s eyes lit up so brightly Levi worried they had finally lost all their marbles.

“Yeah.”

“Thanks, Eren.” Hange squeezed the alpha as well, but let him go pretty quickly. “I’ll leave you two alone for a bit, I’m starving.”

“There’s still a lot of food, so help yourself,” Eren replied.

“See you later!” Hange waved their hand as they headed for the stairs.

“Party getting too much for you?” Eren asked once he and Levi were alone.

“It smells like a brothel up there,” Levi replied. “No offense.”

Eren laughed. “None taken,” he said. “I saw you coming down here and I wanted to check if everything was okay.”

“It is.” Levi’s gut twisted as he thought back to all the omegas fawning over Eren. “What about you? Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I am. It’s a shame we can’t really hang out, though.”

“Mr. Popular is too busy with his harem of omegas,” Levi couldn’t stop himself from saying.

“You can come join us too if you want,” Eren grinned.

“As if,” Levi snorted. “I’m going to throw up if I have to smell sex for a second longer.”

“Some of them aren’t that subtle, are they?” Eren buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Do you want to hang out just you and me tomorrow? You’re staying at your mom’s house, right?”

“I am.” Levi side-eyed him, undeniably happy about the proposition. “You better keep all the windows open all morning tomorrow. I’m going straight home if I so much as smell omegas in here. Or worse, see residues of their activities.”

“You won’t even notice there was a party here,” Eren promised. “And no one is going to do anything on my watch.”

“I doubt it. I saw a couple of omegas go into heat just by looking at you.”

“You’re exaggerating now.” Eren laughed. “And I’m not interested in them anyway,” he added in a tone so honest, Levi glanced at him.

Eren’s eyes were on him, their emerald engulfing Levi’s reflection. They were Levi’s favourite mirror, his only way to feel intimately close to Eren, to have his shape be part of the alpha. It was a fleeting sensation, only a blink away from disappearing, but it was all Levi had, all he could be while the feelings in his heart twisted and knotted his stomach.

As if to prove the fragility of such contact, voices came from the staircase and Eren’s gaze moved away from his face.

“They seem to have a different opinion,” Levi muttered while two omegas, a girl and a boy, appeared in the pool.

“I didn’t know you had a pool,” the girl said in a falsely impressed voice. Her sickly sweet scent flooded the air along with her pungent perfume. “You must have the best pool parties here.”

When the newcomers approached them without sparing even a glance at Levi, the werecat took that as his cue to leave. He raised an eyebrow at Eren in a “I-told-you-so” expression and made his way out.

“I’ll text you,” Eren’s voice followed him up the stairs.

Levi glanced back at him in time to see the girl smirk at him while suggestively squeezing Eren’s bicep.

Levi’s skin boiled with anger, but a ravine of awareness opened in his chest; he could never realistically aim at what those omegas were trying to achieve.

Eren: see u at my place at 3. No excuses

The message had popped up on Levi’s screen mid-morning and had bounced around his head for the rest of the day. The previous night, he had gone home feeling way too sorry for himself, wishing he and Eren were two strangers so that he might have a chance with him, wishing he was an omega so that he could look more attractive to his eyes. He blamed the alcohol for the way his thoughts had run wild, but it wasn’t anything he hadn’t considered while being sober too.

Those desires made him feel ashamed – how could he call himself Eren’s friend when he was lying to him about his true feelings? When he thought of him in a way that would ruin their friendship if Eren ever found out about it? The guilt only grew as his mind wandered down more heated paths and his skin burnt at the touch. He had hoped that after a good night’s sleep, the warmth in his body would have calmed down, but he hadn’t slept much to begin with and he still felt feverish.

However, that wasn’t going to stop him from meeting Eren, so in the afternoon, he got ready to leave. Since he was only going to stay inside, he wore an old comfortable sweatsuit that he usually left at home. He then peeked into his mother’s room to say goodbye. That day, Kuchel had to work the night shift at the hospital and was about to leave as well.

“I’m going over to Eren’s house,” Levi told her.

“Okay.” Kuchel smiled at him while she gathered her bag. “Dinner’s in the fridge if you want.”

“Thanks.”

Kuchel swung her bag over her shoulder and walked to the door where she stopped to inspect Levi’s face. “Are you feeling sick? You don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine,” Levi replied, hiding his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “Just a bit tired.”

“You came home pretty early last night. I expected you to stay over for much longer.”

“Too many annoying people.”

“Eren still has a lot of friends, doesn’t he?”

“I guess.” Levi wasn’t sure Eren considered all those people actual friends.

“Well, enjoy your afternoon,” Kuchel said while she fixed a strand of Levi’s hair. “Make sure to call me if you end up feeling sick, okay, kitten?”

“Yes, mom.”

Kuchel gently squeezed his shoulder, her scent tickling Levi’s nostrils when she leaned down to kiss his cheek. Levi had often wondered if his smell was as strong as his mother’s – although he doubted it considering omegas’ scents were more pungent than betas -, but if he did, he hoped it was at least half as soothing as Kuchel’s. Whenever he was upset, a cup of chamomile with honey was enough to calm him down and remind him of home.

The two of them left the house at the same time, and Levi walked over to Eren’s place. The usual butterflies that tickled his stomach whenever he was about to see Eren came to disrupt his otherwise tranquil mood, and for a moment, he even felt his tail pressing on his lower back. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself down, the cool air filling his lungs of spring.

Unlike the previous night, no cars were parked in front of Eren’s house and when Levi rang the doorbell, he could only hear a dog barking in the distance instead of music vibrating through the walls. Eren came to open up soon after, and his sight was enough to mess with Levi’s feelings again. The alpha was wearing an outfit similar to his and shadows were under his eyes, residues of the little sleep he must have had, but he still looked as breath-taking as always.

Levi dumbly stared at him for a few seconds before a little voice at the back of his mind reprimanded him for it, and he looked away.

“Hey,” Eren greeted him. “Come in.”

“Hi,” Levi said as he stepped inside.

“Smell this.” Eren stopped in the entrance after closing the door. “No weird scents anymore.”

Levi grunted. “For now.”

“Mom wasn’t too pleased with that either, so she made sure I spent the whole morning cleaning things up.”

“As it should be.”

“You’re always on her side when it comes to making me work, aren’t you?” Eren said as he guided Levi towards the living room.

“You wanted to have a party? You clean up afterwards,” Levi replied. “Or are your alpha hands too superior for something like this?”

Eren scoffed. “You know I don’t care about that shit. I’m just lazy.”

“That you are.”

“You’ve been here for less than two minutes and you’ve already stomped on my feeble alpha pride,” Eren joked. “Did this little kitty not get enough sleep?” he cooed.

Levi elbowed his side. “I’m leaving if you don’t stop it,” he said as he tried to fight the warmth creeping up his cheeks. Eren calling him kitty had always been dangerous for his heart.

Eren laughed as they entered the living room. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” he said. “I thought we could play something today,” he added as he plopped down on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of it were two controllers and a variety of games, some old ones Levi had played for years and some new ones. “I took out some of the ones I know you like.”

Levi looked at the pile of games, some of which he and Eren had played dozens of times together. Levi couldn’t say he was a hardcore gamer, but he enjoyed playing every once in a while, even more so if it meant he got to spend some alone time with his best friend.

“It’s really funny how you keep taking out Stray,” he commented. “Just because I’m a werecat doesn’t mean I’m obsessed with everything involving cats.”

“I just know you’re going to love the vibes of the game,” Eren replied. “And I mean, you do like cats, don’t you? The little guy in this game is really cute.” As if to prove his point, Eren held the game with both hands.

Levi had to admit the ginger cat with a backpack indeed looked adorable. “Is it even multiplayer?”

“It’s okay, I can watch.” Eren’s eyes lit up and Levi didn’t doubt his tail would be wagging if he had been in his wolf form.

“Does something bad happen to the cat?”

“No, I promise nothing bad happens to the cat.”

Levi sighed. “Fine,” he caved in. “I don’t know how you always manage to convince me to do what you want.”

“It’s because you trust my judgement as your best friend.” Eren grinned as he got the game started.

“Sure,” Levi huffed.

He sat down on the sofa and grabbed one of the blankets folded in a corner. He wrapped it around himself more to feel cosier rather than because he was cold. His hands were slightly sweaty, but nothing could beat the cosiness of being bundled up in a soft blanket with Eren by his side. That was his ultimate definition of happiness – when the longing in his chest didn’t come knocking on the glass walls of that bliss anyway.

After getting the game ready, Eren plopped down next to Levi. “Comfortable enough?” he teased him.

“Just give me the damn controller,” Levi grumbled, snatching the item out of his hands.

Eren laughed and rested his back on the sofa. His arm stretched behind Levi and one of his knees bumped against Levi’s when he crossed his legs. Heat bloomed in Levi, stemming from the spot where he and Eren were touching and his palms uncomfortably stuck to the controller. He didn’t look at Eren, conscious of the redness on his face and tried to get absorbed into the game.

The task proved to be easier than he expected. His eyes were glued to the screen from the moment he saw all the cats waking up, but he turned to look at Eren when one of the kitties got separated from the others.

“You’re a dirty liar,” he said in an accusatory tone. “Do you enjoy making fun of me like this?”

Eren openly laughed, shameless. “Nothing too bad happened to the cat,” he replied. “It’s still alive and is about to go on a fun journey.”

“Don’t laugh, asshole.” Levi shoved the controller against Eren’s side. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how much you cried when we watched Balto as kids.”

“That wolf goes through hell and back. You cried too.”

“I didn’t, but I certainly didn’t laugh in your face like you’re doing now.”

Eren tried to pretend he wasn’t about to bust a lung for holding back his laughter. “The look on your face is priceless.”

Levi glared at him. “I’m leaving,” he dryly said.

“No, don’t.” Eren cleared his throat, a few chuckles still leaving him. “I’m done. You can continue.”

“So that you can keep making fun of me if something even worse happens to this cat?”

“It’s all subjective, you know? It makes a lot of friends too!”

“You’re not making me feel better.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Eren squeezed Levi’s shoulder. “Is this really upsetting you? Your scent is a bit off.”

Levi looked at the screen while his whole attention was on Eren’s touch on him. “It’s fine,” he said. “I doubt my scent is strong enough for you to even smell it.”

“I can,” Eren replied, leaning down to sniffle Levi’s neck. “Definitely stronger than usual,” he mumbled, pulling back with a sharp movement.

Levi glanced at him, confused. Eren’s own scent had become weirder, more pungent, more inebriating. It got to Levi’s heart before he could block it out, stirring unwanted feelings in his chest and causing heat to bloom in his gut. He rapidly looked away and willed his body to calm down. If Eren had been able to smell his distress for a simple game, the arousal he was feeling must have been even clearer, and Eren finding out he was having dirty thoughts about him was a sure way to destroy their friendship.

“I’m going home if this game gets even sadder,” he muttered, pressing continue on the menu.

“Okay,” Eren quietly replied, removing his hand from Levi’s shoulder.

Levi played the game for another hour before giving the controller to Eren in favour of a cup of tea. He had always preferred watching the alpha play anyway, so he didn’t mind taking the backseat for the time being, even more so when the game was playing serious tricks on his feelings. He couldn’t help but worry about the cat, not because he turned into one himself, but because that day, his emotions were all over the place.

Eren didn’t mention his scent changing again, but his shoulders tensed whenever Levi was particularly affected by the game or his mind was dwelling a bit too much on how he wished he could climb on Eren’s lap and nap there while he played. Levi tried to be more mindful of it, but he had never been in such a situation, his scent had never been an issue for him, so he didn’t know how to mask it or keep it in check. He could only hope that Eren attributed all the changes in it to the game.

After finishing his tea, Levi pulled his socked feet up on the sofa and rested his chin on his knees while he held both shins with his hands. The blanket dropped down one of his shoulders as he shifted to get comfortable, but before he could pick it up again, Eren beat him to it.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” Eren smiled. “Are you really that cold? Do you want me to turn on the heater?”

“No, it’s okay,” Levi replied. “It’s more comfortable like this.”

“I’m surprised you’re not purring right now. You indeed look very cosy.”

“Just because I’m comfortable doesn’t mean I’m going to purr like a brainless cat.”

“It’s cute when you do it, though,” Eren said, going back to the game. “Or at least, it was when you were a kid, I mean.”

A light shade of red covered Levi’s cheeks. “I mostly hissed at you for being annoying.”

“That you did.” Eren laughed. “Fuck,” he cursed as he had to restart from the last check point.

“Did you just kill the cat?” Levi accused him, worried about the orange stray in the game.

“I didn’t. The cat just…went the wrong way.”

“I can’t trust you with this cat, give me the controller back.” Levi’s hand appeared from under the blanket to snatch the item out of Eren’s hold.

Eren, however, lifted the controller in the air. “C’mon, this was an accident. I promise I’ll keep the little guy safe from now on.”

“No.”

Levi reached further up to get the controller, but the blanket got stuck under his feet, making him lose balance and he fell face first on Eren’s lap. Whether it was because he was near Eren’s crotch or because the alpha’s scent truly spiked, Eren’s woody smell hit Levi’s nose like a brick. Time seemed to freeze as breath after breath, Eren’s fragrance filled his lungs, turned his brain into goo, and shook his deepest desires. A whimper threatened to expose him, but at the last second, he managed to turn it into a grunt as he straightened his back.

“Thanks for the help.” He crossed his legs, refusing to look at Eren.

“You looked comfortable.”

Eren’s eyes were glinting with mischief when Levi looked at him, but discomfort was in them too. Levi averted his gaze at the speed of light, ashamed and guilty, scared of what Eren might have smelled in his scent. His cheeks flared up as fear opened a pit in his stomach. The darkness in it threatened to overwhelm him, the image of a life without Eren looking back at him, showing his future if Eren had deciphered the feelings permeating his scent.

He made himself as small as possible, clutching his hands together as a way to fight off the overthinking fear.

“Should I continue playing?” Eren asked.

“Okay.”

Levi’s eyes remained fixed on the screen as Eren pressed play.

Levi stayed at Eren’s house for another hour when Eren’s mother came back from her errands. Levi had been quietly watching Eren trying to keep the orange cat safe while struggling to forget about the discomfort in his chest. He was eager to go home, so when Carla asked him to stay over for dinner, he politely declined. Her cooking could compete with Kuchel’s, and under other circumstances, Levi wouldn’t have thought twice before accepting, but that day, staying next to Eren was proving to be harder than usual.

His palms sweated every time Eren leaned closer to him, and fire seemed to lap at his skin whenever his scent reached Levi’s nostrils. Levi was also getting more aroused than usual, thinking about Eren’s knot more than he should have, so he was looking forward to some alone time, regardless of how ashamed that made him feel.

Eren saw him to the door, but before opening it, he silently inspected Levi’s face.

“Are you sure you want to go home?” he asked. “You look a bit sick. Maybe you should stay in case you have a fever.”

“I’m not sick,” Levi brushed him off.

“Call me if you need anything, okay? Kuchel isn’t home, right?”

“I told you I’m fine. I’m going to be okay by myself.”

“I don’t want you to feel lonely,” Eren said, a teasing light in his eyes.

“I won’t.” Levi huffed. “Now let me leave or I’ll start wondering if you’re the one who’ll feel lonely without all those omegas flocking around you.”

Eren laughed. “As if.”

Levi hummed, too pleased with Eren’s words to think them a lie.

The first thing Levi did when he got home was having a shower. Despite the low temperature outside, he let the cold water wash over his feverish skin, hoping to keep at bay the flames in his gut. His cock, however, didn’t benefit from the icy shower, and Levi threw away the last strands of his integrity to jerk off while thinking about Eren. His fingers easily found their way to his entrance too, sliding inside so smoothly that it surprised him. Arousal was getting too strong for Levi to think much of it, and he did quick work of jerking off before his conscience could catch up with him.

His release undid some of the tension Levi was feeling, but not completely. It followed him even as he dried himself off and heated up his dinner, a constant presence at the back of his mind, a ghost haunting him that he didn’t know how to exorcise. He could only hope that a good night’s sleep would calm his feelings down and set them to their usual controlled restlessness, so he went to bed after watching a movie, eyelids heavy but emotions extremely on alert.

The night's sleep, however, turned into a short nap, and Levi woke up again after barely an hour. At first, he couldn’t understand what had stirred him from his rest, but then a burning fire in his groin claimed his attention with an intensity that made him whimper. Sweat was covering his skin, the T-shirt he was wearing was sticking to his chest, and his underwear was uncomfortably glued to his ass, wet as if he had just taken a shower and forgot to dry off before getting dressed.

But more than his body’s weird behaviour, it was the primordial need for Eren that threw him off. It wasn’t the usual longing, the yearning for his heart and touch, the dirty thoughts that crossed his mind on his weakest day. It was a feral need for his knot, for his scent on his skin, for his teeth on his neck. Heat melted his skin every time he thought about the alpha, but the alpha was all he could think about, the only image that made sense in the whirlwind of fire and unprecedented desires that was clogging his mind.

His hand acted on its own when he grabbed the phone on his nightstand. It was late, probably too late for Eren to still be awake, but those considerations went right over his head. He pressed call on Eren’s contact and impatiently waited for him to pick up. When he did, a whimper forced its way out of Levi at the sound of Eren’s voice.

“Lonely already?” Eren joked.

“Eren,” Levi whined, a cramp assaulting his stomach.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Eren’s voice turned serious. Worried.

“I don’t know.” Levi gritted his teeth as another pang of pain had him curled on his side. “I don’t know what’s happening, Eren. I’m…I’m scared.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Overwhelming joy lifted Levi’s chest. “Hurry.”

“I’m grabbing the extra key we have, so stay in bed. I’ll be right there.”

“Alpha,” was all Levi could mumble.

Eren stayed on the line for a moment longer, silent, and then ended the call.

Knowing that Eren was on his way to him, somehow made things worse. Levi couldn’t stop tossing and turning in bed, sheets tangling around his body while his clothes got increasingly wetter. His underwear was the worst of all, and a bump started to form on his lower back, where his tail was poking the skin.

Levi hadn’t accidentally shifted into his cat form since the day he had learnt how to control his werecat nature, but now he couldn’t stop the changes in his body.

His ears had begun to show as well by the time Eren arrived. So focused on surviving the cramps on his stomach, he didn’t hear the front door open, but the sound of rapid footsteps on the stairs was able to cut through his pain. He tilted his head towards the hallway, a whimper leaving his throat when he finally caught a glimpse of Eren.

“Levi,” the alpha said, concerned. His hair was tied in a messy bun and his cheeks were pink, as if he had run all the way from his house to Levi’s. He took in Levi’s state - the sweaty forehead, the exposed stomach, the sheets barely covering his legs – and his pupils dilated. “Levi,” he repeated with a growl.

“Alpha.” The word rolled out of Levi’s mouth like a plea, a prayer to the only person who could help him with his pain.

“Are you…are you in heat?” Eren stood by the doorframe, hands clenched into fists so tight they looked painful.

“I can’t,” Levi whined, but now that Eren had said it, it started to make sense. Was that why his underwear was drench? Was that why he couldn’t stop thinking about Eren’s knot, why not having it inside him made him feel empty and lonely?

“Should I…should I call your mom? Or my mom?” Eren said. His scent became more aroused with each passing second. “Hange maybe? Or another one of your friends? I…I can’t stay here.” He took a step back looking like a wild wolf who had met a stronger animal than himself.

“Don’t go,” Levi whimpered. “I need you, Eren, only you can help me.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying, you’re not thinking properly. I can’t be here.”

“Please.” Levi stood on an elbow, reaching out his hand to coax Eren towards him. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I just know that I need you.”

Eren groaned, pained. “This is not you talking, Levi, it’s your heat. I’m an alpha, it’s normal for you to need me.”

“No.” Levi almost choked on the word. “No, it’s not like that. You’re not just an alpha to me.” The pain in his groin rendered Levi’s tongue loose. “Please, stay.”

Eren’s shoulders tensed even more, eyes both tormented and full of wanton. “This will change our friendship.”

“It won’t,” Levi said, even if deep down, he knew Eren was right. He was luring Eren with his scent, tricking him into his bed, putting their friendship into danger.

But in that moment, he couldn’t care less. He just needed Eren with every fibre of his being.

Eren didn’t protest again and approached the bed, slowly, gaze never leaving Levi as if afraid the omega was going to pounce on him. Levi rolled on his back when Eren sat down on the edge of the bed.

“What if you end up regretting this?” Eren said. “What if we can’t go back to how things are now?”

“Why aren’t you leaving then?”

Eren’s emerald eyes shone with desire. “I don’t want to.”

“I don’t want you to go either.”

The last remnants of doubt vanished from Eren’s face and he climbed on the bed, settling between Levi’s spread legs.

“I want you to tell me if you feel uncomfortable or want me to stop, okay?” he said. “If you have second thoughts, I’ll just leave, and we can pretend this never happened.”

“Scent mark me,” was all Levi replied.

Eren leaned down without needing to be told twice. He nuzzled Levi’s gland, shuddering as Levi’s fragrance - a pungent mixture of chamomile flowers and maple syrup - augmented and then rubbed their necks together. Levi whimpered, clutching the back of Eren’s sweater and squirming on the bed as what he had now understood was slick dripped down his entrance.

His chest got lighter while his and Eren’s scents merged on his skin, but that was far from being enough. He ran his fingers through Eren’s hair, coaxing him to look at him. When Eren did, his eyes were dark with desire, a primordial instinct quickly rising to the surface. Levi’s cheeks reddened and his lips parted to let out a soft gasp. Eren ran his thumb over his bottom lip, watching Levi’s mouth as if it were a trap.

“So beautiful,” he mumbled.

Levi whimpered, heart racing in his chest. “Kiss me.”

Their eyes met, more honest with themselves and each other than they had ever been, and then Eren pressed his lips on Levi’s.

That chaste touch alone managed to break Levi apart. He closed his eyes shut as relief brought tears to the surface. He had spent years fantasising about this moment, wondering how Eren would taste or feel against his lips, how warm and soft they would be, and now he knew with a certainty that no dream came close to reality. Eren’s touch overpowered every other thought or sensation, every emotion warping his chest; everything fell silent while Eren took the centre stage in Levi’s heart.

When their mouths parted, after what felt like an eternity of bliss, both their cheeks were tinted pink and their lips longed for the other again, but a pang on Levi’s stomach made him wince in pain, breaking the rosy dream.

“Are you okay?” Eren asked, worried.

“It hurts.” Levi gritted his teeth while another cramp twisted his gut.

“I’m here now.” Eren stroked Levi’s cheek. “I’m going to take care of you.”

“Please,” Levi whimpered, body growing hotter.

Eren sat back between Levi’s legs and held the waistband of Levi’s trousers. He glanced up at Levi, a silent question in his eyes, and Levi could only nod as need took over him, as his heat demanded attention, demanded to be sated by the alpha with him. Eren then peeled away Levi’s trousers and underwear, discarding them on the floor as Levi lay naked in front of him.

Levi instinctively closed his legs, shy, acutely aware of who was looking at him. No one had seen him naked since he was a child, and especially not a lover. Levi couldn’t claim to have had many of those, in fact, he wouldn’t have called boyfriends the two people he had dated for a total of two weeks in the past. And even if he had, he doubted he would have felt as exposed, as vulnerable as now with Eren. His heart was racing at the realisation that every inch of his lower half was out in the open for the person he loved to see.

“Do you want to stop?” Eren asked, misunderstanding Levi’s gesture.

“No. I…” Even if his heat made Levi shameless, there was a limit to that as well.

Eren’s eyes lit up with understanding anyway, and he gently stroked Levi’s ankle. “You don’t have to hide from me,” he said. “I want to see all of you.”

His eyes were so clear with honesty that Levi’s feet slowly slid on the bed until every part of him was once more exposed. His hard cock, the slick pooling on the sheets, the black tail that had fully appeared. Eren took in all of it, hands gliding up Levi’s skin.

“So beautiful,” he mumbled, mindlessly.

Levi whimpered as more slick dripped down his entrance and deep red coloured his cheeks.

Eren’s thumbs ran over the inside of Levi’s thighs, close enough to his entrance to smear some of the wetness oozing from it. Levi’s hole expectantly twitched, a new rivulet of slick joining the mess on the bed. Eren gently pushed one of his knees back, exposing him all the more and then slid a finger inside.

“Eren,” Levi cried out as a pleasure he had never felt before made him quiver. His lips trembled and his eyes opened wide in both shock and ecstasy, a sensation he had never thought possible overtaking him.

“You’re so wet already,” Eren said, nuzzling Levi’s neck. “You smell so fucking good too.”

Levi clung onto his shoulders, nails leaving holes in the sweater. He struggled hard to clear the fog in his brain, to be able to think clearly and understand what was happening, but his heat was telling him to just shut up and enjoy the moment, to stop wondering about Eren’s feelings, about how their friendship was going to change, if it was going to change in the right way, if Eren was going to be disappointed after his time with him and decided to break things off with him, disgusted he had ever even thought about having Levi the way he was having him now.

Eren’s teeth on his jugular brought him out of his haze of doubts.

So close to his scent gland, Levi wished Eren had actually marked him. It was an irrational desire, a reckless one even, but now that the possibility of being bonded with Eren had arisen, he wished for nothing more. Still, Eren only lapped the protruding bud while his finger reached deeper inside Levi. “Eren,” he sobbed, clenching around him.

“I’m here,” Eren assured him with a kiss on his cheek.

Levi turned to look at him, and the caring gaze in Eren’s eyes quieted down the doubts in his mind. He held Eren’s face with both hands and brought their lips together, savouring the kiss like a starved man eating again. Eren’s scent exuded in the air between their bodies, intoxicating with how good it smelled, a fragrance Levi had only dared sniff from afar or during brief hugs but that now he indulged in, pressing his nose against Eren’s neck when their lips parted.

As Eren added another finger inside, Levi knew that he wasn’t going to last much longer. Heat was setting his skin ablaze, burning his rationality bit by bit until all that was left was the aching need in his chest, in the way his hole clenched around Eren and his cock wetted as beads of precome formed on the tip.

“I’m close,” he whimpered, tail furiously swinging on the bed.

Eren thrust his fingers deeper inside, massaging his walls, and wrapped his other hand around Levi’s cock. Levi gasped, face scrunched up, but it took only a few skilled movements of Eren’s wrist for him to come on his own T-shirt. Eren stroked him until he was spent, but his cock was far from softening, and slick kept gushing out of him. His release had left him emptier than before, hole waiting for a knot to fill him up to the brim.

He curled his fingers around Eren’s shoulders. “More,” he whimpered.

Eren let go of him and nuzzled his hair, right between his cat ears. “Let’s take this off too,” he said, tugging at Levi’s T-shirt and taking it off when Levi raised his arms. “You’re so pretty,” he mumbled, taking in every inch of Levi’s naked body. “Such a cute kitten.”

Levi shivered at that, a shaky breath leaving his lips. “Alpha.”

Eren’s eyes darkened, the emerald turning to yellow while his pupils dilated. His shoulders fit in his sweater more tightly too and his canines elongated, showing behind his lips as he curled them, a growl echoing in the room.

"Omega."

Something primal unlocked in Levi and before he knew it, he was exposing his neck in a silent invitation. Eren looked at his gland, teeth showing even more, scent overpowering Levi, but his gaze shifted to the side before he could act on whatever desire was tearing him apart.

“Do you have anything?” he asked in a deeper voice.

“No.”

“Fuck,” he growled. “I could knock you up.”

Levi’s eyes lit up as the idea of having Eren’s pups melted his heart. “Yes.”

Surprisingly, Eren chuckled and hid his face against Levi’s chest. “Don’t look so happy.”

Levi wrapped his arms around Eren’s back. “It’s going to be fine,” he whispered. “Knot me.”

Eren lifted his head to look at him. The feral gaze from before had left its place to a caring warmth, a flame that engulfed Levi in its comforting heat. Their lips met again in a long kiss, a touch that took Levi’s breath away.

Eren then undressed as well, muscles flexing as he removed his clothes. His shoulders were definitely broader, stronger, more animalistic than human. Their sight turned Levi on even more. Simply admiring Eren’s strength made slick gush out of him and heat rise to his cheeks. But it was nothing compared to the fire that scorched him when Eren’s cock bounced free of its constraints. Levi choked on a whimper, eyes glued to that thick length, hard and red, ready to knot him.

“Alpha,” Levi gasped, reaching out to hold Eren’s toned forearms.

“I’m going to fuck you so good,” Eren said, grinding his cock on Levi’s.

Levi whimpered, tail snaking around Eren’s calves.

Eren used some of Levi’s slick to lube himself up and then pressed his tip against Levi’s hole. Levi’s breath hitched in his throat, heart pounding while anticipation and nervousness mingled in it. His nails dug into Eren’s flesh, but the pain only urged Eren on, and he soon pushed inside, stretching Levi impossibly wider, so much that Levi was afraid he was going to break into two. The burn was nothing compared to the pleasure, however, to the absolute bliss that shook his core like thunder.

His mind was blank as Eren began thrusting into him. He felt more animal than human as his heat overtook him, closer to his cat nature, to his primal instinct that urged him to seek out the alpha. He clenched around Eren’s cock and held him as close as he could, scratching Eren’s arms or shoulders whenever the werewolf didn’t lean down. Their kisses were messy and sloppy, both so lost in Levi’s melting heat to properly do anything more than greedily meet each other halfway.

Eren’s lips often closed around his chest, Levi’s nipples turning red and wet with saliva, but it was when the alpha lapped at his scent gland that Levi’s mind clouded the most. He needed Eren to bite him as if his life depended on it. It felt like he was going to die if he didn’t bear Eren’s mark on his neck, chest constricting so hard while the right air refused to fill it.

Eren’s eyes were portraying the same desire, dark and feral, swallowing Levi whole like a wolf looking at its prey before eating it all. Fear, however, never took hold of Levi’s heart, only the need for a deeper connection, the wish to be Eren’s forever, to be bonded to him for the rest of his life. He exposed his neck for him and whimpered in a silent plea, but Eren’s hunger only showed in his eyes, and in the way his hips sharply thrust into Levi.

“Alpha,” Levi whined, back arching in pleasure.

Eren growled, a deep and feral sound that vibrated through Levi. He pushed Levi’s thighs back and rammed into him harder, a ferocity in his movements that tore Levi apart. His tail flailed in the air and his nails dug into Eren’s shoulders. Blood followed his touch, scratches breaking Eren’s tanned skin. The alpha growled, his cock getting bigger as parts of his wolf form appeared. Ears, tail, muscles, and teeth so sharp that were like a wet dream for Levi.

“Bite me,” the omega begged. “I’m so close, please, alpha, please.”

Eren’s growl echoed loudly in the room, pained and tormented. His hips moved faster and his cock swelled again. He hit Levi’s prostate in his haste, pleasure shooting through Levi like lightning bolt. He came before he realised it, crying out Eren’s name, tears rolling down his cheeks while a bliss so mind-blowing made him quiver and shudder, voice pitching so high it broke.

Eren fucked him through him, and right as Levi’s orgasm was fading, his cock swelled and swelled, stretching Levi’s hole further. His eyes were those of a wolf now, set on Levi’s scent gland. With his remaining strength, Levi whimpered and tilted his neck, an offering to the alpha. Eren groaned both in pain and desire, and leaned down. Levi gasped, anticipation and euphoria washing through him, but Eren’s teeth never closed around his neck.

The alpha’s knot popped, filling him so much he could hardly breathe, but once the foreign sensation vanished, only satiation remained in his chest. Eren’s body shook as he came inside Levi, his groans muffled next to Levi’s ears. His figure was caging Levi between his arms, so the omega couldn’t see much more than a slice of the ceiling, but when Eren eventually lifted his head again, something white and fluffy came into view as well. He turned his head to see the stuffing of his pillow poking out of the pillow case.

“What…?” he wondered, mind still too hazy to fully comprehend what had happened.

Instead of replying, Eren rolled them on their side. His knot sunk deeper inside Levi as the omega hooked his leg around Eren’s waist. Levi whimpered, overstimulated but gladly fell into Eren’s embrace.

“Sorry about the pillow,” Eren mumbled in his hair, nose tickling Levi’s ears. His heart was beating fast under Levi’s ear, breath coming out ragged.

“Why did you do that?”

“It didn’t feel right to bite you before…talking.”

“Oh.” Levi’s pulse sped up.

“Yeah.” Eren stroked Levi’s back. “Are you okay now, though? Do you hurt somewhere?”

“Not really,” Levi replied, even though he didn’t doubt he’d be feeling every instant of their encounter once his heat was over.

“How are you feeling about the whole omega thing?”

Levi's mind had been too foggy for him to wonder about it until now, but he couldn't say he was opposed to it. Not when it meant he could bond with Eren.

“Inconvenient but… not too bad so far.”

“Not bad at all.”

Levi looked up at him, unsure what he was going to find. Was Eren going to reject him now that his heat was over and he wasn’t responding to him like an alpha did to an omega? Was he going to tell him he had ruined their friendship when he insisted Eren stayed with him?

None of that was in Eren’s eyes when he looked down at Levi, when he ran his fingertips along Levi’s spine, when he tucked Levi closer to himself.

“I guess this is a good time as any to tell you that I’m in love with you,” he said. “In case you hadn’t figured it out already with my knot inside you and all.”

“You don’t think this was a mistake?” Levi asked, hope daring to enter his heart.

“A mistake? No. Do you?”

“Not at all.”

Eren cupped Levi’s cheek, gently stroking it. “I’m glad,” he whispered. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I was so afraid of losing you that I was okay with just being friends with you.”

“You wouldn’t have ruined anything. I’ve been in love with you for as far as I can remember.”

Eren smiled and softly kissed Levi’s lips. “I’m glad you called me tonight.”

Levi hummed, wrapping his arm around Eren’s middle. Low purrs came from his throat and his chest constricted as affection filled it more than he could contain. His tail snaked around Eren’s thighs while he leaned into the alpha’s touch.

“Do you want to sleep?” Eren whispered.

“No.”

“Okay.”

Eren stroked Levi’s cheek again and carefully rolled him on his back again. He brought their lips together in a slow kiss that tasted like a dream come true. Levi wound his arms around Eren’s shoulders, sighing when Eren’s knot tugged on his walls. He clenched around it to keep it from leaving him, still greedy for him, but Eren wouldn’t have moved even if he could have.

He was too occupied with leaving as many kisses as possible on Levi’s lips and cheeks, on his chin and neck, on the scent gland that was still waiting for him. He didn’t close his lips around it, though, he only brought his own gland to it and rubbed the two protruding buds together, their scents merging on each other’s skin and exuding in the air, a clear sign of their union.

Levi let out a shaky breath as the fragrance reached his nostrils, as the realisation that Eren was his and that he was Eren’s finally embraced him like the rays of the sun on a spring day, warm and inviting, chasing away the coldness that had lived in his heart until then. He threaded his fingers in Eren’s hair, nuzzling into his neck while softly purring. Eren stroked his side, lips on Levi’s temple in a touch as devoted as Levi’s heart.