The Intern

Chapter 18

Levi's skin was hot against mine, and the white marble floor did little to provide a cool relief under the sweaty warmth of my own body. But despite what would have normally been an uncomfortable heat, I found myself far beyond any bliss I had ever known. After what had been some of the most reassuring words Levi had said to me in days, I had tried to pull him down against me and was shocked when he actually let me. He had been in my arms with his head resting on my chest for a good two minutes now and I was pretty damn sure that those hundred and twenty seconds were the best of my life up to this point. I couldn't even bring myself to be embarrassed that he could hear the way my heart was beating against my chest. And why should I be? It was racing because of him, after all.

How was it that he was able to affect me this way? He did it so easily that I wasn't even sure he was trying to do it anymore. My body reacted to him as if it had known him long before I did. I had known him for such a short time, and yet the hold he had on me was as inescapable as it was unavoidable. Everything came second nature, and in the moments that we weren't fighting I felt truly at peace. I was comfortable with him in a way I had never been with anyone else. It was more than the way I was with Armin and Mikasa. I was bare around Levi, stripped straight down to my core, and willing to let him see everything inside.

"It sounds like you have the fucking Macy's Day Parade in there," Levi muttered, his warm breath tickling my chest.

I had to stifle a laugh. I should have known he would say something like that sooner or later. "Way to ruin the moment."

"What moment?" Levi withdrew his head from my chest and sat up to stare at me. I would have protested the loss of contact if he weren't still lounging against my body with his arms folded on my chest. He cocked one eyebrow. "We were having a moment?"

"I'd say letting me hold you for longer than five seconds counts as a moment."

He rolled his eyes, but the mock annoyance on his features was betrayed by the small curve of his lips. "You really are a sentimental brat, you know that? This isn't me letting you do anything. This is me being unable to walk after you fucked me silly."

"I didn't know you had such little stamina," I teased. I probably wouldn't have attempted such a comment with him before, but now things were on a different level. Not that I had ever been good at holding my tongue, but there was no need to restrict myself now that I had his body bare against my own.

"Considering I had to take care of myself half way through I'd say that my lack of stamina is your fault, not mine."

"It was my first time!"

That came out more defensive than I intended it to, but I had been criticizing my own performance for the past few minutes. The fact that I had finished before him had come as no surprise, but I felt like I had failed him somehow nonetheless. Even though it was obvious that he didn't blame me for my lack of sexual prowess, I was still ashamed that I couldn't perform on his level. At least not yet, anyway.

"Calm down, brat," he smirked and moved his thumb slowly along my lower lip. The nickname I had hated so much in the beginning had become an affectionate pet name now. "You did fine for your first time. Fucking incredible, in fact."

Even if they were just meant as supportive words to lift my mood, they were enough to make my chest swell with pride. "Incredible?"

"Don't let it go to your head," he murmured, his gaze lingering on his own hand as his fingers trailed invisible patterns across my chest.

I took the small moment in which his eyes weren't on mine to drink in his features, feeling my heart pump a little faster. The sex had been amazing and there was no denying that, but these moments afterwards were what I had craved most. This level of comfort and familiarity made me realize exactly what I wanted to have with him. Not a fling or a relationship that would pass in time, but a life. I wanted him, day in and day out. I wanted to be his support and I wanted him to be mine. He was the life that I wanted, and the life I was determined to have.