Book of Love - Ereri/Riren One-Shots

Hunted

[Mid 19th Century Fae AU]

Summary:
      Levi is a renowned deer hunter, sent on his weekly mission to collect food for his scarce village as a grueling winter approaches. His sharpshooter skills often vanquish the chance of missing a shot, but when the pair of antlers he sees one day belong not to a deer, but something else entirely, his small and simple world becomes a lot bigger than once deemed.

Top Levi, Bottom Eren

Rating: NSFW
Title: Hunted
Words: 31,654
Mild Warning: Descriptions of a heat/mating cycle. Mentions of m-preg. Eren is not a faun or cervitaur; he just has key characteristic features and senses of a deer but is otherwise human.

      Another really long one. I fucking loved writing this. Took a while, but working two jobs cannot stop my love for these boys. Please enjoy.

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      The sound of an early autumn's leaves beneath Levi's boot-clad feet barely met the air. Despite the thickness of his shoes which spared him from the threatening damage of protruding trunks, poisonous insects, and miscellaneous foliage, his steps were sensitive and careful, blending in with the awakened life of his surroundings.

      He held his rifle at his hip, both hands clutching the weapon as his keen eyes searched the forest horizon with his head held low.
      Evening was nearing its fall over the sky, and he would soon have to head back before the airy chill overcame him and the rest of the wildlife. He would be no use in the dark where he struggled to see against animals with night-vision that had evolved to adapt.

      He hadn't had a successful hunt as of yet today, but he knew they were out here. They always were, he just had to find them. And find them he would. With winter approaching, he had to remain attentive. Missing an opportunity wasn't worth the risk. After all, he had a village to provide for.

      He'd traveled a bit farther than his usual prowl, slightly distancing from the outskirts of his home. However, he wasn't worried. He knew most of the forest like the back of his hand; he only ventured a bit past his territory with the hopes of discovering untouched ground. Ground where animals roamed freely, unafraid to expose themselves out of fear that he'd find them.
      "Come on, where are you," Levi whispered into the air. He stilled, deciding to halt and allow the wind to speak to him. It curled past his ears, whispering of nearby life. It paired with the rustling of leaves blanketing the forest, creating a duet of earthly sounds. He slowly moved his head across the stretch of land, beginning to hear the legs of distant crickets settling into the later hour.

      When he caught the faint rustling of something larger than a squirl, he jerked his head to the left. His feet remained planted where he stood—he wouldn't move until he knew for sure.
      But when the head of a large, fully-grown buck in the distance caught his focused sight, his eyes grew momentarily wide. "Fuck, no way," he whispered with anticipation that quickly simmered into a rolling boil of excitement.

      It was one of the largest deer he'd ever seen. He knew this trip would be worth it; his aching feet were nothing compared to the feast his village would have for weeks from the size of this beast.
      He quickly lowered to a crouch before inching his way closer, remaining in the buck's blind spot as he slowly reached an appropriate distance. The shot on this one would mean all-or-nothing. A stretch of overgrown bushes separated them, littered with scattered birch trees that did little to allow necessary cover. The foliage beneath his feet shifted but didn't give away his location as he carefully settled onto the earthy ground.