The Royal Decree (Erwin x Levi)

Chapter 23

A:n Another chapter for you, my lovelies, in honor of a long-awaited Eruri reunion in the new chapter :)

Levi was having a difficult time adjusting back to Underground life after seeing Erwin at that damned party. Though caution had been necessary at the time, he regretted his decision not to have exposed his identity to Erwin sooner. He was back in the recesses of the Underground city, plundering through each day of work as if he were stepping through a particularly cumbersome swamp. Before, when he had been a whore in his younger days, he had almost enjoyed having so much control over other men's pleasure. The richer ones would shower him with gifts, some of which he had been allowed to keep. The poorer people simply rewarded them with their lust-filled glances and labored breathing every time he did something that would make them reach the edge. Now, however, even though he still did his job to the best of his abilities, there was nothing in it for him. Not a single tingle of self-satisfaction; in fact, he felt dirty thinking about the things he was doing with faceless customers. He should have done those things with his husband when he'd had the chance, but he had been too frightened and too blinded by his own ego to see what was apparently obvious to everyone: he was in love with Erwin Smith.

It wasn't that he went to sleep and woke up with the thought of Erwin every day, though that was the partial cause for his frustration. It was the fact that he was talented. He was good in bed, as many of the customers had told him and continued to tell him every other hour or so. It was the fact that he had never shown Erwin the delicious, dirty things he was capable of, instead of opting to play the resolute, proud trophy wife. He wondered many times whether Erwin had ever considered just taking what he was entitled to, forcing him to do his marital duties; yet he couldn't imagine Erwin Smith as being that kind of person. The Commander of the Survey Corps was renowned for his noble beliefs, his gentle disposition – at least, when it didn't come down to politics. Levi questioned himself at night when everyone else had already gone to bed, whether he had simply been scared of committing so much to the only person in the world that made him feel like he was worth something.

A week after the party had taken place, as Levi washing off the residue his latest customer had left on him, Kenny walked into the bathing chamber unceremoniously and tossed a towel at the former Corporal's naked form.

"Get ready; we've got another rich bastard for you."

"Great," Levi whispered under his breath as he quickly finished scrubbing the evidence of sex from his skin. He took the towel and wiped himself dry. He reached for the bottle of perfume he kept to smell fresh. As he sprayed some of it onto the side of his neck, he glanced at his master expectantly. "So, who is it this time?"

"Don't know, don't care. Paid me enough to have you rest comfortably for a week," Kenny replied with a shrug. Upon seeing Levi's raised eyebrow, the man chuckled. "Not that it's going to happen. You're apparently quite the whore. Always knew I could rely on your taking it up the ass to get good money."

The man stepped forward and placed his fingers on Levi's bare hips. The former Corporal fought an urge to shrink away from the touch, wanting nothing more but to slit the throat of the man who had ensnared him in this world once more.

"Do you enjoy it?" Kenny breathed into his ear, the stench of his words making Levi turn his head away. "Do you like the way they worship your ass? The way they are willing to pay more than for any of the boys combined just to get an hour of your time? You have to admit it's flattering."

"I do what I have to do," Levi responded tonelessly. "A job is a job. You taught me that. The hard way."

"Don't tell me you don't feel proud of yourself? I remember how a younger Levi would strut the streets of the Underground in nothing but a fucking unbuttoned shirt and seduce men to leave their wives and come here."