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Dangerous Territory	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Attack on Titan /Shingeki No Kyojin Views: 4228 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own “Shingeki no Kyojin” and do not make money from this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 60
- 61
- 62
Chapter 61
A Desperate Plan

It had to be a dream.
Eren knew that, somewhere in his mind, but that didn't matter to him.
It was a New York apartment. He wasn't sure how he knew that, he had no clue what apartments in America looked like, and this one was suspiciously similar to his hotel room, only there were sounds of cars and American jazz music playing in another room, so his mind decided it must be New York.
He and Levi were in a bed together, naked, the sheets under them smooth as satin. It was hazy, late afternoon with sunlight slanting in through curtained windows, lighting up Levi's naked body in orange and pink hues. Eren could touch him freely. He could love him freely. His hands explored up and down those toned limbs while their mouths hungrily devoured one another.
Then Eren raised up and hovered over Levi. Automatically, like this was something they had done a hundred times and already knew the moves, Levi rolled over and raised his ass eagerly. Eren ran his hand up Levi's arched back and caressed his tiny butt cheeks. Slowly, he spread them.
It went a little hazy here, but he somehow knew that he was entering Levi.
And now they were making love.
Their bodies slipped together so naturally, and he sank into Levi's warmth with soft, low, guttural moans of pleasure.
"Eren," Levi whispered, pushing his ass up toward him.
If this was what making love was like, no wonder people thought it was so wonderful. He glided slowly into Levi and listened to his wanton moans and soft French curses of ecstasy. His hands clutched at the bony hips, pulling himself in again and again, deeper and deeper.
All Eren wanted was to love this man.
To pleasure him
To spoil him.
Suddenly, the door burst open with a wood-splitting eruption.
"FBI, freeze!"
Eren leaped off the bed, but now he wasn't naked. He was in his Wehrmacht uniform. He was stunned and terrified at the thought of being caught by Americans looking like this. Worse, the men who rushed into the room with guns drawn wore Gestapo uniforms, but with American flags on the armbands.
"It's a Nazi! Shoot him!"
Eren turned to Levi, about to ask him to tell these FBI agents that he wasn't a Nazi. He wasn't! However, as he looked at the bed, he saw Levi with his hands tied up to the bars of the headboard, exactly how Grützmacher had tied him up to the bars in the dungeon, and his back was slick with blood from dozens of whip slashes.
"No…" Eren whispered in horror.
He realized that in his hand was a cat-o-nine-tails dripping with blood. He threw the whip away and screamed in terror. Just then, the FBI opened fire, and he felt bullets riddling his body.
* * *
Eren bolted up in bed still screaming. He was drenched, his sheets had tangled around him, and someone had grabbed his hand. He looked over sharply and saw Levi by the side of his bed, kneeling and flinching in pain, but the fear on his face outweighed the pain of having crawled out from under the bed as he heard Eren having a nightmare.
"It's just a dream," Levi whispered. "You were dreaming. It's okay."
Eren tried to calm himself, but suddenly there was pounding on the door that made his heart jolt all over again.
"Oberleutnant Jäger?"
American Gestapo! It wasn't a dream! "Nein, geh weg von mir. Geh weg!" No, get away from me. Go away!
The handle rattled, and a voice shouted through the door. "Jäger, was geht da drin vor?" Jäger, what's going on in there?
"Nicht schießen!" Don't shoot!
Eren flinched as he vividly remembered the feel of those bullets. He feared for Levi, but when he looked over, the man had bolted back under the bed.
The door was kicked open with a crack of broken wood. It was just like in his dream, and Eren screamed.
"Nicht schießen! Nicht schießen!"
Jean stepped in, gun drawn, and he began to systematically search the room. He turned on a light and saw Eren in bed, looking pale and scared. Jean immediately figured it was a "war neurosis" nightmare, but he still searched around, just in case. Once he was certain the room was clear, he holstered his gun. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, he walked over to Eren's bed and sat beside him.
"It's okay," he said calmly. "Shit, why did you lock your door? You're sick! You should leave it unlocked in case a doctor wants to come check on you."
"I can't," Eren whispered, still shaking from the terror of the dream. He leaned into Jean's ear and whispered, "He's under the bed."
Jean jolted. For a moment, he feared that Eren meant the attacker. Then he realized it was far worse. "The Jew?" he hissed. He glanced to the door and saw others were gathering, having been woken up by the screams. Jean whispered into Eren's ear, "You are seriously a suicidal idiot. We're getting him out of here as soon as possible. I don't care if we dump him in an alley like a cat, he's gone! Understood?"
Eren nodded in solemn agreement. "We'll talk more later."
Jean grimaced and muttered again that Eren was an idiot, before swinging himself up and rushing over to the door. "Back away. He just had a bad dream. It's safe."
Holger also had a gun out, although he wore nothing but a long white nightshirt and boxers. "That really scared me," he exclaimed.
"We all have those sorts of dreams of the war. Now, back out!" He began to close the door but looked at the frame. "We'll need to repair that. You can't lock your door anymore," he told Eren.
Eren sighed. That was one more thing to worry about now.
Jean closed the door, and Eren heard that it did not really shut right. Sure enough, the broken door began to open on its own. Jean shut it again, but it slowly creaked open.
"Damn. Sorry, Jäger. Try putting a chair up against it or something. I'll call the hotel maintenance for you in the morning. My fault, after all."
Eren slowly stood up and was glad to find that the vertigo was gone. He took the chair he had been using to reach the attic and wedged it up against the door so it would stay closed. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to push away the adrenaline spike of that nightmare.
"Sorry," he whispered.
Levi asked softly from under the bed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I need more sleep."
"No more bad dreams," he muttered.
Eren lay down in bed again and yanked the covers around him. The rain outside had really picked up, pattering against the window with a gusty whistle of wind. He stared up at the shadows of the ceiling.
"I wish you could sing me to sleep again."
Levi laughed softly at the memory. "That would be a very bad idea."
Eren sighed in reluctant agreement. However, from under the bed, he heard humming. While Levi was not singing, he was still trying to comfort Eren. Just knowing that made Eren smile and close his eyes. To the sound of Levi humming a French lullaby, he drifted back into sleep.
* * *
When Eren woke up, it was just after sunrise. He stretched and yawned, feeling surprisingly well-rested, considering the horrific nightmare. He went to the bathroom to relieve nature and wash his face. Then he walked back over to the bed.
"Are you awake?"
"I couldn't fall back to sleep," Levi muttered.
He got down onto the ground and peeked under the bed. Their eyes met, one lit by early morning light, the other glinting in the darkness.
"Thank you for humming," he whispered. "It helped."
"Of course it did. You're a little boy who can't fall asleep unless someone sings you a lullaby."
Eren chuckled quietly at the typical teasing.
"What was that nightmare about? It sounded pretty bad."
He frowned at recalling it. "I thought I was making love to you, but then suddenly you were tied up, whipped and bleeding, and then the FBI showed up in Gestapo uniforms and shot me."
"You were dreaming about us making love?"
Eren choked up. He had admitted to that so easily, too preoccupied by the bad part of the dream. "I … y-yes…"
"Tell me about that part."
Eren gasped. It was far too intimate! Besides, in his dream, he had been the one on top. Levi would probably not like that, and he feared that telling Levi might trigger him.
"Tell me," Levi ordered. "Forget about the bad part. Tell me about the part that made you moan like that in your sleep."
Eren flushed as the thought of Levi listening to him having a wet dream (again) made him humiliated. He glanced at the door. He could not help but remember how good the dream had started, no matter how terrifyingly it ended.
"We were in America, I think," he whispered. "We had a place of our own, a large bed, satin sheets…"
"Fancy," Levi mumbled.
Eren reached under and took Levi's hand. "I was kissing you all over, and then you … you…"
"Made love to you?"
Eren jolted and looked up. He should be honest and tell Levi it was the other way around, but he did not want to upset him. He blushed as he nodded silently.
Levi caressed his thumb over Eren's hand and smirked knowingly. "You were the active one, weren't you?"
Eren gasped that he figured it out so quickly.
"You were humping into the bed," Levi told him. He gazed over Eren's humiliated face, loving that look he got when he was called out. "When you dream like that, are you always the one who … takes the active role?"
Eren's face turned red and he shook his head. "I've dreamed of you … doing … that."
"Fucking your arse?"
Eren looked ready to explode from embarrassment.
"Which do you prefer?"
Eren was now getting squeamish. "I guess, I don't really have a preference. I wouldn't know until … until I…"
"Lose your virginity."
"My what?" he asked in confusion.
"Have sex for the first time."
"Oh!" Eren bit his lip. "I know you're not ready for that."
"I'm not. We also definitely should not do that in a place like this."
Eren nodded in regretful agreement. For a while, he had thought that the night after their outing might end up like that.
"But," Levi added, and his fingers slipped between Eren's, giving his hand a squeeze. "We never know what the future will bring."
Eren raised his eyes in astonishment.
"Maybe later, in New York … I mean, who knows." Levi said that, but he also got a twist in his stomach at the idea of having a penis in his ass again after the brutality of the last time. "In a new land, a new start at life, time to sort out all the shit of this war … who knows."
"I would be happy either way."
Levi coughed out a soft laugh. "Of course you would. You've never had sex, so fucking anything sounds good."
Eren had a tiny, naughty smile as he said, "How about starting with your mouth?"
Sure enough, he got Levi to jolt out of being smug at humiliating him, and now he was the one who looked flustered.
"We've tried that a little," Eren reminded him, and he licked his lips to show how he had enjoyed it. "You seemed to like it. Maybe we can start there?"
Levi turned his head away, but his grip on Eren's hand stayed just as strong. "That … I … I didn't mind." Truth be told, he had dreams now of Eren on his knees, devouring him. Just thinking about it made him tingle down below. "Do you … want me to … to suck yours? Is that what you're saying?"
Eren's hand slipped out of Levi's fingers and slowly caressed up his arm. "Only if you…"
Just then, someone knocked on the door, and merely that much pushed the chair a little. Eren yanked away in horror, and Levi flattened himself under the bed, holding his breath to stay silent.
Holger called in from the other side of the door. "Entschuldigung, Jäger. Ich dachte, ich hätte Ihre Stimme gehört. Sind Sie wach? Du meine Güte, Kirschstein hat diese Tür wirklich aufgebrochen." Sorry, Jäger. I thought I heard your voice. Are you awake? My goodness, Kirschtein really did break this door.
Eren swiftly got up and rushed over to the phone. "Danke für ihre Zeit. Ich melde mich." Thank you for your time. I'll contact you. Then he walked loudly over to the door and shifted the chair away so he could open it. "Good morning, Holger. I was on the phone, calling around and asking if anyone has seen Louise."
Holger pouted. "Any luck?"
"Maybe. I'm going over to Madame Carly's later. Louise is probably really scared, and that was her home for a while."
"That poor woman," he sighed. "Let me know if you need any help."
Greiz was standing in the hallway. "Same here. If you need to borrow my motorcycle, just let me know."
"Are you crazy?" said Holger. "The rain is pouring today."
Eren politely said, "That's a kind offer, Greiz. I'll let you know."
Greiz added, "I can also ask around. I've lived in this city for two years. I have some contacts."
"All help is appreciated. I'm going to talk to Madame Carly right away."
Greiz frowned and grumbled, "I don't trust that Jewish whore."
Holger chuckled. "And yet you still hire her girls."
"They're Slavs, not Jews. Almost as bad, but the pussy is good."
Eren shook his head. "I'll talk to you two later. I have to get ready."
"Have you even eaten?" asked Holger. "The Gestapo said not to eat at restaurants for a while."
"I have some bread Nicolo gave me as an apology." Eren saw Holger start to open his mouth, so he added, "The Gestapo already tested it for poison."
"Okay, good," Holger sighed. "You really worried us, you know."
"I would be just as worried if it was any of you. The French Resistance cannot be trusted."
Greiz arch an eyebrow. "Did the Gestapo say they think this is the Resistance?"
"They don't know, but there was a suspicious person watching me before this happened who matches the description of a Resistance leader the Gestapo is trying to catch."
Greiz growled. "Damn antifascist terrorists, don't even care if they destroy their own country so long as they take out one or two of us Aryans."
Eren stepped back through his door. "I trust the Gestapo will do their best, and I will find my wife so she can tell them all she witnessed. I really am worried if she's okay."
"I just know she is," Holger said with an encouraging smile. "Greiz, let me help you with asking around."
Eren shut the broken door and wedged the chair back up against it. He had to be a lot more cautious. He walked through the room, knelt by the bedside, and peeked under at Levi.
"Use the bathroom while I guard the door."
"Is something the matter?"
"Yes. When Jean kicked the door open, he broke it. It won't stay shut. The hotel will replace the door, but this causes a problem."
"A big one," Levi grumbled. "At this point, I really would be better off in the attic."
"You could get stuck up there, and then I won't be able to get you down. Go to the bathroom now while the door is wedged shut. I'll guard the door to make sure no one enters. If I start to talk in German, it means someone is at the door and it's not safe to come out."
"Merde," Levi grumbled. "This just gets worse and worse."
Eren reached under the bed and held Levi's hand. "My mother used to say, 'Die dunkelste Stunde ist gerade vor der Dämmerung.' The darkest hour…"
"… is just before dawn," Levi whispered, and a tiny smile lifted his lips. "My mother said the same thing: 'L'heure la plus sombre est juste avant l'Aube.' But she always added a scripture, 'C'est à cette heure que Dieu nous voit le plus clairement. L'Éternel marchera lui-même devant toi, il sera lui-même avec toi, il ne te délaissera point, il ne t'abandonnera point; ne crains point, et ne t'effraie point.'" Levi took a moment, feeling a chill as he recalled his mother saying that with an uplifting, singsong voice, ever optimistic, even when their situation in life was the absolutely worst it could get. His hand squeezed Eren's. "It is in that hour that God sees us most clearly. And the Lord will go before you, and he will be with you, and will not forsake you."
Eren gripped him firmly. "Nor will I, not while I still breathe."
Levi nodded, trusting in Eren. "Guard the door. Make sure no one opens it."
Eren got up and stood by the door, leaning against it just in case someone came and tried to push on it again. Levi slowly dragged himself out from under the bed. Eren watched in anguish as Levi struggled, breathed in labor, and bit back screams of pain as he pulled his body forward. Finally, he flipped over and got onto his hands and knees. He crawled slowly, hurting even more today than yesterday as the swelling increased.
"You need to ice it," Eren whispered. He knew how to deal with breaks, or at least he had seen his father set many. He did not know how his father set a broken bone, though. He only knew the signs to look for and how to deal with the pain and swelling. He wished he had watched his father a little closer.
Levi managed to crawl to the bathroom but paused in front of the toilet. "How the hell am I supposed to aim into that? Putain!"
Eren glanced at the door, then at the bathroom. He frowned, but seeing Levi in frustration made him leap into action. He wedged the chair in a little tighter, walked into the bathroom, and shut the door. It did not lock, but at least it blocked the view.
He walked up to Levi by the toilet. "Do you trust me?"
Levi glanced up at him. "Yes. Why?"
Without any other warning, Eren grabbed Levi under the arms and hoisted him up. "Put no pressure on your ankle," he warned. "Stand on one leg. I'll hold all of your weight."
"Are you going to hold me as I pee?" Levi whispered in disgust.
"Yes," Eren said calmly. "Trust me. I have you." He turned his head aside. "I promise not to look."
Levi cursed, but he knew they needed to hurry before anyone arrived. He lowered his zipper and pulled his cock out. It was humiliating, relieving himself with Eren's arms around him and his back supported up against that firm chest. Still, he was able to stand on one foot and not have to worry about balancing.
Eren ignored the sound of urine hitting the toilet bowl as he plotted out his day.
Floch knew about Levi, and he had proved himself loyal even when questioned by the Gestapo. Eren also trusted Armin to plan a way out of this mess. Jean was less eager but still willing to help, so Eren decided to leave him out of the planning. Instead, he could stay in Eren's room on the pretense of guarding his valuables while the door was broken, and really he would be guarding Levi.
It would have been nice to have one or two more to help watch his back, but Eren wanted to protect his men. He did not want to drag too many people into this. It would be just him, Armin, Jean, and Floch.
Could they really pull this off?
He heard Levi finishing, his zipper went up, and he flushed the toilet. "I want to wash my hands," he mumbled.
Eren picked Levi up under the arms and carried him to the sink. Levi grumbled about that, but he still washed up and even took the time to brush his teeth.
He glanced in the mirror at Eren, who was watching him with a wistful, longing gaze.
"What?" Levi snapped in a whisper.
Eren shook his head. If he said how guilty he felt that Levi was this injured, he would just break down crying again.
Levi dried his hands. "Help me to the bed."
Rather than merely taking his weight, Eren swept Levi up into his arms and cradled him close, even nuzzling him as he walked back to the bed.
"Eren," Levi sighed, slightly frustrated, slightly embarrassed. Despite that, he leaned into him, liking the feel of warmth radiating from his body.
Eren carefully set Levi down by the side of the bed so he could crawl back under. He handed Levi a bread roll from Nicolo's basket and filled a cup of wine for him to drink.
Then Eren went to the bathroom to wash up for the day. He skipped the shower—he did not want to leave Levi alone for too long with the door not closing right—and instead washed with a wet cloth. Then he combed his hair and shaved the stubble that had darkened his cheeks from going a day without shaving. He returned to the main room, got dressed, and picked up the phone. He put in a call to the barracks for Floch and Armin to come to his room.
"I'll be right back."
"Eren…"
"Shh," he hissed. "I'll be down the hall. Don't worry."
"I always worry about you, brat," he grumbled.
Eren left through the broken door, trying to keep it closed, although it still creaked open a little on a hinge that had cracked apart. He walked over to Jean's room and knocked. A moment later, Jean answered with his hair still wet from bathing.
"What is it, Jäger?"
"You broke my door."
"I already called maintenance. They can have another door after lunch."
"Good, but I need you to take responsibility for that and look after my valuables while I'm gone."
Jean looked around the hallway, but it was mostly empty. "Get in here," he whispered, and he yanked Eren inside.
His room looked very much like Eren's, even the same curtains. Eren realized he had not been inside anyone's room since arriving.
"What do you really need?" Jean asked, getting right to business.
"How busy are you this morning?"
"I have drills at 0900 and a staff meeting at 1400."
"How long are your drills?"
"Three hours. To be honest, I was considering canceling due to the storm."
"Can you?"
Jean nodded, not looking upset about getting out of standing around in the rain just to watch his men march and practice routines. "What do you need?"
"Floch is coming with the car. I'm going to talk to someone who might be able to help me. I want you to keep an eye on things in that room."
Jean shook his head. "I am not babysitting a Jew. He tried to kill me last time."
"He doesn't need a nanny."
"Just have him leave!"
"He broke his ankle rescuing me. He can't climb off the roof, and I can't dress him up as Louise with the Gestapo wanting to question her. I need to figure out a way to get him out, and a safe place where he can go. With any luck, just you being there will prevent anyone from going in and snooping around."
"And if the Gestapo returns?"
"You knew nothing about it. Like I said, you will be watching over my valuables until my door is fixed. Just sit in the room, play cards, and if anyone tries to enter, tell them to wait until I return."
"What are you going to be doing?"
"Talking to someone who knows her way around Metz and can recommend a good place where a Jew can hide."
"The brothel madam," Jean said in understanding. "I heard you telling Holger and Greiz. Let me guess, she's part of some underground network hiding Jews."
"Not quite like that," Eren muttered, "but I figured she might be able to help."
"All right. As far as I care, the sooner that man gets out of here, the safer I'll feel. Don't get all depressed on me again this time."
Eren scoffed, remembering how rough things got for him personally right after Levi ran off to the Resistance. "It's different now. This is for his own safety."
"You idiot," Jean sighed, shaking his head. His eyes narrowed at Eren as he whispered, "That's always been the case. No Jew is safe in Metz." He looked at Eren's uniform, then took a glance over at his own hanging up by the closet. "No Jew or Romani is safe anywhere in Europe." His head dropped as conflicts played over his face. "Once he's gone from here, promise you'll never see him again."
"No," Eren said right away. "We've already promised to meet after the war."
"Where?"
"In America."
Jean burst out a laugh. "In America? Are you mad? Do you really think they'd let you into the country? You, a Nazi officer?" He scoffed and shook his head. "You might as well promise you'll meet on the moon."
Eren's brow tensed, remembering the dream and how the FBI had shot him for wearing a Nazi uniform. "They might let me in. I mean, after the war…"
"After the war?" he shouted. "And how long will that be, huh? Another five years? Twenty? If we win, there is no way America will ever let a German set foot in their country, and if we lose … hell, we might end up their new slaves. Slice the German Empire up into little pieces and divvy it out to the conquerors, like what Europe did to Africa."
Eren kept quiet. He had not thought much on the fact that he might be barred from even visiting America. He had even playfully daydreamed about emigrating there (just a dream, a way to stay near Levi) but it made sense that America might not allow their former enemies to set foot on their land.
"I'll find him again, somehow," Eren whispered with stubborn determination. "If not in America, then in Canada, or Mexico, or I'll fly him on an airplane to Switzerland and we can meet in peace there."
"You're insane, you know that?" Jean mumbled. "Why would you go that far for a man?"
"Would you go that far for a woman?" Eren asked back.
"Probably not, unless she was really pretty and I wanted to marry her."
"Well, I think he's really handsome, and I want to…" Eren's throat clamped off.
Jean slammed his eyes shut. "Don't say it. Please don't say it."
However, Eren was trapped in a moment of epiphany. "I want to spend the rest of my life with him."
"No!" Jean insisted. "You haven't known him long enough to say that. Look, if you want to be with men, fine. I don't get it, but I don't really care. Still, whether it be a man or woman, you don't say something like that about someone you barely even know." He punched Eren in the shoulder to wake him up out of a hazy daydream. "Do you hear me, asshole?"
"I heard you. I don't agree. People can fall in love in an instant."
"And fall out of love just as quickly. I have an uncle who married the first girl he met when he came back home from the Great War. They had known each other for three days. He swore it was love at first sight and God kept him alive through the war purely to meet her and make her happy. Guess what happened?"
Eren pouted. "They divorced?"
"No, they're Catholic, so they refuse to divorce. They're still married, 26 years later, and they have five kids."
"Well, see…"
“Not a single one of them is his,” Jean added. “My uncle was rendered sterile during the war. When she got pregnant, he thought maybe it was a miracle. Until the girl was born with flaming red hair. The next child: no one in my family even talks about him. He’s half African. My uncle moved out of the house after that happened. Then she had twins. They look Jewish. As for the youngest…” He shook his head. “Looks just like the mirror image of their priest. So much for celibacy. It broke my uncle's spirit, knowing she was sleeping around with anyone and everyone. He was madly in love, but there was no fidelity on her side. He had no idea she was like that, because they barely knew one another when they married. And that is my point: it's easy to think you want someone forever when you don't know much about them. It's harder to make sure it's someone you won't get sick of in a year or two … or that this is someone who will actually be loyal to you."
Eren frowned as the romantic images in his head shattered. "You're right. Sorry."
Jean grumbled, "You seriously are stupidly in love with that man, aren't you?"
Eren blushed and looked aside bashfully. "He's perfect."
"He's a man."
"That's part of what makes him perfect for me."
Jean rolled his eyes. "Okay, gender aside, he's got to be a lot older than you. Do you know his age? His birthday? Anything personal?"
"He told me his age before. A little over thirty. Wait, he said he was born in 1910, so he's … 34? 33? I honestly don't know his birthday," Eren said in dismay. "I know he really likes tea, and he used to be a broom maker, and he served in the French army back in the 20s." Eren knew he should leave out Levi's job as a spy and assassin. Even though he trusted Jean, that might be too much.
"So, military training," Jean said thoughtfully. "That would explain things."
"What do you mean?"
Jean frowned, glanced at the door, and leaned in a little closer. "That fight up in the attic. I didn't say anything, but I heard them. They must have been right above my room. Look up at the ceiling."
Eren did, and he saw a cut in the plaster radiating out in cracks.
"There was blood. I tried to clean it up."
Eren muttered, "He mentioned that he pinned the attacker to the ground by stabbing him through the arm."
"I heard that Jew talking. I don't know much French, but I know he asked 'Who are you?' So definitely, he attacked whoever sneaked in, and it wasn't someone he knew."
Eren nodded solemnly. "He said the attacker was French, but his face was covered."
"French Resistance, obviously."
"No, he said they don't have anyone that skilled."
Jean's eyebrows shot up. "And how would he know that?"
Eren froze as he realized he had inadvertently confessed to something.
"Shit, if you're going to keep having run-ins with the Gestapo, you need to get better at not giving away clues." Jean sighed in disappointment and shook his head.
"Actually, I'm planning to send him to the French Resistance. He doesn't trust them…"
"Good!"
"…but they're the only ones who could get him to a refuge."
"I guess that's true," Jean grumbled. "So, Madame Carly is connected to them, huh?"
Eren cursed as he realized he had also exposed her connection. "You should've been an interrogator."
"No, you're just really bad at this."
"I don't think Madame Carly herself is in the Resistance. She just knows someone who is. I found out because I was trying to rescue Louise from that brothel. The Resistance tried but failed to help me."
Jean rubbed out his eyes in furious anguish. "You were working with the French Resistance? Shit."
"No! I wasn't…" He cut off before he said much more. "I did not work alongside them. Madame Carly wanted Louise to return to her family, since she was kidnapped from a local farm. I kept her with me while the Resistance tried to get her safe passage out of the city. When they couldn't get Louise out, that's when I decided to marry her."
"Is she in the Resistance too?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Why would you help?"
"She's an innocent girl. Why wouldn't I help?"
"Dammit, Jäger, no man is that chivalrous."
Eren saw nothing strange about it. She needed help, he had the means to help her.
Jean scoffed and grumbled, "Of course you're like that. Seriously, how did you get through officer training school?"
"Because I'm good at my job, and you know it."
Jean scoffed, but he had to admit, Eren made some good calls in Anzio. He got them out of there when it seemed like they would be utterly wiped out. "Get back to your room before someone wanders in there. I'll be along."
Eren was glad to return. He left while Jean finished dressing in uniform, then let him in and wedged the chair back up against the door.
Jean grumbled, "Sorry again about that."
"Sorry for frightening everyone."
Jean suddenly dropped and looked under the bed. He saw Levi with his knife raised. "Er sieht aus, als ob er mich erstechen will." He looks like he wants to stab me.
"Sie machen ihm Angst." You're scaring him. Then Eren knelt to look under the bed. "Jean will stay here with you."
Levi sneered. "Warn him, I have a gun, and I will aim for his testicles."
Eren burst into a soft laugh that he struggled to suppress. "I'm not telling him that." He stood back up and turned to Jean. "Er ist einfach vorsichtig." He's just being careful.
Jean took a seat at Eren's table. "If I'm going to babysit your boyfriend, at least get me some wine."
Luckily, Eren still had some bottles and handed one to Jean. "Help yourself. Don't get drunk."
Jean poured himself a glass. "So, what was that dream about? You were really screaming."
Eren hesitated and simply answered, "Getting shot by Americans."
Jean hummed and took a sip of the wine. "I guess I'm lucky. I've managed to never get shot. I remember, you had that shrapnel embedded in your back in Anzio. That was pretty bad. We all thought you were going to be sent home."
"I was too stubborn to leave."
"And too stubborn to rest when the Americans shot you in the leg."
"It wasn't too bad."
"Don't lie. You still limp. I don't have dreams of getting shot, but I do have dreams of the bombs."
Eren's eyes glassed over as he nodded solemnly. "The way they vibrate to the middle of your bones and shake your heart until you swear it will stop. I can still hear the sound of those howitzers." He rubbed his arms as a chill went over him.
Jean took another sip of wine to chase away those nightmares. "So, I'll stay in your room, pretend I'm keeping your stuff safe, you go to Madame Carly, she'll reach out to her contacts, and then … what? They magically vanish a Jew?"
"I need to figure that part out," Eren admitted. "I was hoping Armin would have some ideas."
"What if Floch gets suspicious?"
"Floch already knows."
"What? How?" Jean hissed, barely keeping his voice to a whisper.
"After I was drugged, Levi had to expose his identity to get Floch to help me."
Jean's brow furrowed. "He could have been shot on the spot. Why would he risk his life like that?"
A tiny smile flitted onto Eren's lips. "Isn't that part obvious?"
Jean stared at the lovestruck happiness on Eren's face. He had never known Eren to be bashful or enamored. He had always been serious, focused on duty and country, obsessed with emulating Hitler and saying Germany was his mother, wife, and lover, so he needed no other woman.
How much of that was over-compensating?
"Plus," Eren added with a sheepish laugh, "apparently while I was drugged, I told Floch that this was part of a top secret mission that not even the Gestapo knows about."
"He bought that?"
"He idolizes me even more because of it."
"I swear, that man!" Jean grumbled.
Eren chuckled. "You know, sometimes your attitude is a lot like Levi's."
"Spare me," he grumbled. "So, what am I guarding?"
Eren stared silently at him in confusion.
"I'm here to guard your valuables. If I know precisely what you don't want others to find, I can point it out and they won't search under the bed for it."
Eren saw some logic to that. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. I don't have anything worth a lot of money. Oh, wait!" He rushed to his wardrobe, threw open the doors, and yanked out his personal bag of belongings. He hefted it onto the bed, dug through, and pulled out a small, ornately carved rosewood box with a brass latch on it. "This. You can say you're guarding this." He set it on the nightstand tucked away behind the lamp.
There was a soft knock on the door. "Lieutenant Jäger, we're here. Armin is in the car."
Eren stood, pulled on his cap and long coat, and turned to Jean. "I'll be quick." Then he whispered in English, "Levi, I'm heading out. Try to behave." Then Eren marched out of the room, saluted Floch, and left to the stairway with him.
Jean put the chair back up against the creaky door and let out a sigh. He walked over to the nightstand and looked at the box. It was not locked or anything, and he was curious: what did his former commanding officer consider to be so precious, he would keep it in such an ornate box?
He lifted the latch and opened the box. It was full of random things: a silver pen, an antique pocket watch, a huge old key, and a collection of Hitler Youth badge pins.
"Proficiency badge," Jean mumbled, picking through a collection of the tiny metal pins. "Shooting badge. Golden Leader's Sports Badge. Just how many did he win?"
If anyone wanted proof that Eren Jäger really did have what it took to be an officer, this box full of his old awards was it.
Then Jean pulled out a photograph. It was faded and had been ripped in half, seemingly to remove someone from the picture. All that was left was a small child with Eren's huge, expressive eyes and a gentle-faced woman with her hair pulled over one shoulder. Jean had to admit she was very beautiful. Any man would be lucky to marry her.
Then he looked over at the hand that was on her shoulder, with a wrist leading off to the torn edge.
"He ripped out his father," Jean realized softly.
He knew Eren's parents were dead, and Eren had confessed to him once, when Jean asked why he had not joined the SS, that his mother was deemed Jewish under German law. Eren himself was not, being just enough generations removed, but it was still a mark against him that kept him out of the SS.
Jean did not have to ask what became of his mother. Knowing she was a Jew, the answer was pretty obvious.
But his father? All Jean knew was that he had been a doctor.
Why would Eren rip his father out of this otherwise happy family picture?
"Ne touche pas ce qui n'est pas à toi, connard." Don't touch what isn't yours, asshole.
Jean slammed the box lid down with a jolt of guilt. He glanced over at the bed, and through shadowy piles of military supplies strategically placed under the bed to block the view, he saw two narrow eyes glaring at him.
Jean scolded softly, "Sie sollten ruhig sein." You should be quiet.
He slid the latch back on the box and set it where Eren had placed it. Then he looked around for something to do. He found a deck of cards, sat at the desk, and began to deal out a solitaire game.
* * *
Eren and Armin walked together into the brothel. Armin saw the erotic art on the wall and women walking around in their underwear, and he quickly lowered his eyes with a scarlet blush. Eren ignored the female erotica and looked around for someone who looked to be in charge.
A blond woman with slanted blue eyes slipped up. "Privet, lieutenant," she greeted with a thick Russian accent.
"You're Oktyabrina, right?"
She hummed and nicked him under the chin playfully. "I am honored you remembered me. Are you here to see Madame Carly?"
His eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"
"It is the only reason you come here, to see Louise or to see Madame Carly. How is my malen'kaya devochka?"
"Your what?"
"My little girl, little Louise. I heard you married her." Oktyabrina chuckled slyly. "I hope you gave her a proper introduction to pleasure."
Eren frowned to hold back the revulsion at the idea. "I need to speak with Madame Carly."
"She's busy…"
"It's about Louise!" he said roughly.
Oktyabrina's flirty smiles fell instantly, and the sternness of a protective mother bear darkened her face. "What happened to her?"
"I need to speak to—"
Her hand shot down, and she grabbed Eren's crotch in a powerful hold. He squawked and began to double over in pain.
"What … happened to her?" she snarled.
He gasped raggedly, barely able to breathe, let alone speak. Still, he managed to insist, "Carly. Now."
Oktyabrina sneered, but she released him, and Eren fell to his knees. Armin knelt beside him as he struggled to recover.
"Oooh, I'm going to feel that for a few days," he moaned.
"Get on your feet. Follow me."
Armin helped Eren up, but he limped forward. "Can you make it?"
Eren felt half dead now. He mumbled, "Never cross a Russian woman."
Armin looked at the blond woman. "How do you know Louise so well?"
"I helped to protect her when she was here. She was a … what is the word … a virgin. I did not want her first time to be…" She waved around at the lush sensuality. "…this! I don't mind, I ran a brothel myself back in Ostrov—nothing this posh, only a few girls—but little Louise, she should not have been here."
"Well, I'm glad you helped to protect her."
Oktyabrina glanced back, eyed him up and down, and said, "You're a virgin too, aren't you?"
Armin's mouth dropped in shock.
"Don't bother him," Eren growled, still limping along in pain.
They went to a hallway, and Eren recognized it as the way to Carly's office. Oktyabrina held her hand up, making them stop before they were at the door. She went ahead alone. Eren could hear Carly speaking to someone else.
"Votre cousin va bien?"
"Il s'en remettra mais il a besoin de soins."
"C'était irréfléchi de sa part."
"Oui, je ne savais pas qu'il avait de telles commandes. Je lui aurais dit d'attendre que j'aie terminé ma mission."
"Wait," Eren sneered, and he rushed forward. Just as Oktyabrina was about to knock on the door, Eren shouldered past her and threw the door open. "You!"
He saw Yelena in her men's clothing and fake beard. She immediately drew a gun, and Carly also yanked a gun out of her desk and pointed it at Eren.
He ignored both weapons and glared at Yelena. "I need to talk to you."
"Why?" she said, keeping her gun pointed and her finger on the trigger.
"I need your help. We need to get Levi out, now!"
"So send him back. I'll happily take him."
"He broke his ankle, and now Louise is wanted by the Gestapo for questioning."
Oktyabrina stomped in. "Chto, chert poberi, proiskhodit?" What the hell is going on?
"Calm down, all of you," Carly shouted. She placed her gun back onto her desk. "Eren, explain."
"Armin, get in and shut the door." Eren waited until Armin secured the door. "Two nights ago, I was drugged. Levi was injured trying to get me help. Later that night, an intruder broke into the hotel and tried to attack me. Levi fought him, but he was already badly injured. Because I was supposed to be with Louise, and she seemingly vanished, the Gestapo suspects her."
"Where is Louise?" Oktyabrina demanded.
"She's still on the farm with her family," said Eren.
Oktyabrina sighed in relief. "She's home with her mat' i otets. Good." Then she angrily slapped Eren on the arm. "Why did you make me think she was in danger?"
"I had to say this was about her because we were in public, and the last time I was in here, Carly mentioned that the main room was bugged by the Gestapo."
"That's true," said Carly. "You were wise not to mention your little Jewish boyfriend." Carly then explained something to Oktyabrina in Russian.
The stiffness of her posture relaxed. "Ya ponimayu." I understand. She turned her eyes to Eren. "Sorry about nearly crushing your penis." She turned to go, but stopped at the door. "You are very well-endowed, by the way. Louise is a lucky woman." Then she left the office and shut the door.
Yelena burst out in a laugh. "I missed seeing something good. Maybe I can pay that Russian she-bear to give me an encore."
Eren sneered at her.
Yelena put her gun away and asked in a more serious tone, "How bad off is Levi?"
"He can't walk. We can't leave him in the attic anymore; the Gestapo have ordered that it be boarded up. I can't bring him down as Louise or it will be expected that I take her to the Gestapo."
"What does the Gestapo think about her right now?" asked Carly.
"Only that she vanished after I arrived in my room. The head detective said he didn't suspect her, but he still has to question her. I said I didn't know where she was, and all the other officers think I came here to ask if she ran back to the brothel."
Yelena whistled in amazement. "You met up with Theo Magath and lied to his face? I should ask Oktyabrina just how big those balls of yours are!"
"So," Carly summarized, "you can't get Levi out of your room with the Gestapo sniffing around the hotel. One cute Gestapo boy was here as well yesterday, asking where Louise went. I said you married her and I haven't seen her since."
Yelena asked, "Where is Levi now?"
"Under my bed. It's the only place I could put him. I have a trusted man guarding him."
Carly glanced at Armin. "And the little blond boy? What is his role in this?"
"In our last post, Armin worked with the French Resistance to create a plan to get the Jews out. It would have worked, if our company had not left so suddenly. I figured, if anyone could come up with a plan, it's him."
"Actually," Armin timidly offered, "looking around at this place, I have an idea."
Carly pulled out her cigarettes and lit up one. "I like a man who's smart. Tell us your plan, cutey."
He blushed at the flirty looks she gave him. "Well, with his broken foot, Levi can't climb down off the roof, and we obviously can't have him leave the hotel dressed as himself, because there are officers in that building who would recognize him, and the Gestapo might stop him and ask for his papers. We can't bring him down the stairs dressed up as Louise, because if anyone thinks it's her, then Eren could get into trouble for not bringing her to the Gestapo immediately for questioning."
"All reasonable complications," Carly said, nodding along as she smoked.
"But, we can get Levi from one room to another through the attic, at least until it's boarded up."
"To which room?" asked Eren.
"Jean's. He is on your floor, he knows about Levi, and he said he will help us."
"Maybe," Eren muttered. "What good does that do, though?"
"We'll have Jean get a prostitute from here, one about the same height at Levi. We'll get a wig, and she will wear it when she arrives. Then, before morning, we move Levi from your room to Jean's room through the attic. He'll dress in the lady's clothes and wear the wig. You and Jean can escort him out, and I can be there as well to help keep a lookout. If he is between you two, he can put all of his weight on you so he can get down those stairs without hurting his foot. It will simply look like a prostitute is holding both of your arms, but in reality, you are Levi's crutches. Once you're out of the hotel, Floch will be waiting with the car. He can drive Levi to shelter."
"No offense," said Yelena, "but I don't feel comfortable telling a bunch of Nazis where our hideout is."
Eren said, "Levi will tell us where to go. He knows better than to drive right up to your hideout."
Carly pouted. "That sounds great and all, but how do I get my girl back?"
Armin continued, "Jean just has to go back to his room with the women's clothes and wig in a bag. She'll get dressed, and he can leave later that day with her. Since no one is watching that corridor from dawn 'til dusk, people will assume she returned at some point later."
"Or he can keep her another night," Carly said with a wink. "A nice payment for his troubles, and it puts that much more time for him to have acquired her services again."
Eren looked over to Yelena. "Will you take Levi?"
"Happily so. He never should have left, but he really missed you."
"Aww!" Carly sighed. "You two boys are adorable."
Eren rolled his eyes at her. "Still, all of this is reliant on the attic not being boarded up today."
"With the storm out there?" asked Armin. "I would be surprised if any carpenter agreed, plus the hotel has to get anything important out of there first. They'll probably empty the attic today and bring in maintenance tomorrow, assuming the rain lets up. If Levi gets into Jean's room before dawn, it'll be fine."
Carly puffed on her cigarette and blew out a stream of smoke. "Sounds like a solid plan. You're definitely a smart one, aren't you?" she said, eyeing Armin up and down.
He blushed at the compliment.
"Allons-y! Let's find your friend a lady for the night. Eren, you can pick which one you think matches your boyfriend the best."
Eren groaned, not wanting to look at a bunch of scantily clad women.
Armin told him, "After we're done, we'll get a wig. Then we'll head back and explain it all to Jean."
"He'll definitely like to know he gets a lady for two nights for his troubles," Eren admitted.
It also meant he and Levi would have one last night together.
Maybe this time…
Carly smirked. "You're thinking about goodbye sex."
He choked up at her sharp observation.
Yelena laughed and pulled her hat on. "I'll leave the rest to you guys. I look forward to seeing miner klai Frend. Tell him 'Bùschùr' for me, yes? Now, I have to check on my sick cousin."
Eren asked, "Is this the same cousin who checks the brothel for Gestapo tampering?"
Yelena hesitated but admitted, "Yes, it's the same cousin. He knows a bit about radios and wiring, but he got injured at his job. He'll be leaving the city next week." She looked back at Carly. "That's the main reason I came to see you. He won't be able to check your building anymore. No more clandestine meetings like this."
"I figured as soon as you told me. That poor cutie. If he wants to stop by here for a romp before his trip, I'll personally help him take his mind off the pain."
"He's got a girlfriend in England."
"Why in England?"
"She's Jewish."
"Ah, that explains it. Oh well. I hope he gets better."
"Yeah, me too," she muttered. "He's the only family who still talks to me." She looked at Eren and said, "Take good care of that boyfriend of yours."
"I plan to," he said stiffly. "He better be safe under your care."
"He will be." As she left out the door, she added in a scoffing mumble, "Safer than under yours, apparently."
Eren's eyes narrowed at her, and a growl rumbled deep in his throat.
Carly stepped up between Eren and Armin and wrapped her arms around them both. "Let's go find a Levi lookalike, shall we?" She paused as she saw the fluster in Armin's face. "Ooh, I know the look of a virgin! What is with your platoon, lieutenant? First your driver asked for a girl to break him in but chickened out at the last moment, and now you bring me this little mouse who has never seen a pussy cat. Or are you like him?" she asked, nodding over to Eren.
"Huh?" Armin asked, then he realized what she meant. "Oh! N-No! I'm not … no! Uh, not that there's anything wrong with that," he added quickly with a worried glance at Eren, who shrugged it off. "I like girls. Really. I just … I'm … I want to wait until I find the right one, a lady to marry and start a family together."
Carly squealed and pinched his cheek. "You're far too cute! If you ever change your mind, you come right to me. Don't settle for those street corner ladies. I'll set you up with my most gentle girl."
"That's … kind of you … I guess," he mumbled.
"As for you," she said to Eren, "you look like the sort who finally got a little taste but wasn't fully satisfied. It's a little harder for two men. I used to know a homosexual man, before the Nazis took him. I'll tell you what he once told me." She leaned into his ear and whispered, "Petroleum jelly."
Eren furrowed his brow. "What does that even mean?"
"A little on the ass helps the penis to get in."
Eren's face turned solid red as he turned away in humiliation.
"Or olive oil. Oh, but you can't use those with a condom. The oil breaks it down. Not that two men have to worry about pregnancy, and I doubt a virgin like you has any diseases…"
Eren gruffly replied, "Thank you for that information, now let's go. I don't want to keep Levi hiding under my bed all day."
She chuckled—seriously, these two were adorable—and replied, "Jawohl, Herr Oberleutnant."
# # #
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“They’re Slavs, not Jews. Almost as bad” – Despite many having blond hair and blue eyes, the Nazis deemed Slavic people to be Untermenschen (sub-human). Hitler called them “a mass of born slaves who feel the need of a master.” He prepared Generalplan Ost, an ethnic cleansing plan inspired by America’s policy of forced deportations of indigenous people onto reservations, with a hefty dash of streamlined genocide they were perfecting on Jews.
Their plan went thusly: 1) remove Slavs from their lands and place them in concentration camps, 2) once gathered, find any Slavs who seem Germanic and are willing to be cultured in German ways, 3) any who were too Asiatic or refuse to accept Nazi re-education were to be enslaved or exterminated. The plan was supposed to be implement as soon as the war was over, and would have made the Holocaust look like a mere warmup.
Such Slavophobia was not unique to Nazi Germany. During World War I, many Canadians of Slav heritage were placed into concentration camps as enemy aliens. To this day, the Pacific Northwest (where I live) has some potent Slavophobic bigotry. One coworker of mine rants against Russian immigrants; when I reminded her that my husband is Russian, she replied, "Oh, but he's Jewish, not Slavic, so it's fine." It's truly shocking how in America, no one wants to be accused of being anti-Semitic, but bigotry against literally any other ethnic group is grossly common. Humanity should not require a fucking HOLOCAUST just to get people to stop being xenophobic and racist. Sheesh!
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_policy_of_Nazi_Germany#Policies_regarding_Poles,_Russians_and_other_Slavs
- http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/GPO/Generalplanostnew.htm
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ukrainian-internment-in-canada
"He will not forsake you" – Levi's mother was quoting Deuteronomy 31:8.
"slice the German Empire up into little pieces and divvy it out to the conquerors" – Ahem … East and West Germany … AHEM!
Hitler Youth Badges – Awarding a person is the best way to secure their loyalty. This is true in school, work, and extracurricular activities. The Nazis knew this and loved to hand out medals, badges, and pins, not just for soldiers, but even for the children of Hitler Youth. They would get the pin, a cloth patch, and a letter to commemorate the honor. Children would proudly display the bronze and enamel pins on their uniforms. Such pins now can be found for sale on the internet, sometimes with the letter included, although in researching them, I realized they can be very expensive.
Oktyabrina – This is a rare case where I have a named character who is NOT from the anime nor based on a real person. She is named after the word "October," a popular girl's name in the Soviet Union after the October Revolution of 1917, which puts her somewhere under 27 years of age. Oktyabrina ran a brothel in the western Russian city of Ostrov. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union, she was captured and sent with a group of Russian women to Metz to replace the Jewish prostitutes after it became illegal for an Aryan to have sex with a Jew. Oktyabrina personally protected Louise, and since Louise loved to talk about Eren after she came back from his hotel room, Oktyabrina knew him by name and watched him whenever he came to get Louise. While Carly is the businesswoman of the establishment, Oktyabrina is the "mother" who makes sure the girls are doing okay. That's why she's so protective over Louise.
Oil-based lubricants and condoms – Carly dropping good sex advice! For those who didn't get a thorough Sex Education: never use oil-based lube with latex condoms. This includes Vaseline, baby oil, olive oil, coconut oil, lotion, or any product with oil in it. The oil breaks down latex, which can cause holes or even full breakage. In modern times, there are lots of water-based lubes, although these aren't the best for anal sex (and they're basically useless for water-sex). If you need to use oil-based lube due to allergies, make sure you buy non-latex condoms, like polyurethane and lambskin. The drawback of lambskin is they are not 100% at preventing STDs and STIs (and obviously not vegan).

Ironically, I broke my foot earlier this week. So now I really do feel Levi’s pain.
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