[ Does he trust Eren with his life? Yes. Is he also now scrambling a bit, clinging to any part of him he can reach to try to make him see reason? Also yes. ]
[Eren laughs from his chest, and it's so impossibly light, overjoyed by Maruki's company alone. He swings Maruki around a couple of times, then lowers him (gently) back onto the makeshift bed.
[He flops down beside him, immediately tangling their legs again.]
[ By the time his back has a soft landing on their nest, he's laughing too, airy and musical, more from hearing Eren laugh than anything else. He rolls onto his side, cups his face to kiss him–
Then lets his hands drift down to tug at the hem of Eren's shirt. ]
It would be easier if you took this off...
[ His cheeks go pink, despite all that they've shared. ]
[Maruki pumps the brakes, as he always does, but Eren doesn't mind. He understands. What happened in their empty world was sacred, and he doesn't expect it to happen again - not...necessarily, anyway.
[Still, he likes to be bare in front of Maruki, even in the cold. He pulls his shirt off, and he's all twitching muscle, sneaking closer, burning warm in the chilly room.]
[ All the air in his lungs exhales softly as Eren bares himself, the candlelight making shadows flicker across the planes of his chest. He knows he isn't the only one to see him like this, and–
That's why he waits. That's why he'll be patient. In that empty world, he was the only one. If Eren truly does return to Tokyo with him, he will be the only one. Until then, as desperately as he wants to, as often as he thinks of it– he won't. Can't, or his heart will shatter in his chest, even more tender now that it's been changed.
This is enough. Curling close to Eren, absorbing his warmth, hooking an arm around him to scratch gentle fingers up and down his back is enough. Maruki nuzzles in close, smiling, whispering. ]
I love you. Keep asking for what you want, please...
[Eren inhales through his nose, slow and easy. He envelopes Maruki, every limb. He wants it all, one day, but Maruki already knows that. He sounds pleased when he finally does come up with something, voice sighed.]
I want to kiss you. Thanks for letting me kiss you.
[What beautiful words when spoken in that voice. It's true that others see Eren bare, and that they kiss him, but not the way Maruki sees him, not the way Maruki kisses him. He really is unique in all the world.
[Eren yearns for an eternity in that empty place.
[He kisses Maruki, slow and warm, wet, alive. His hands brush through his Other's hair, fingers tickling down his nape, a warm hand over his own. It's enough to make him shudder, that sensation, so he shudders right into another kiss, a small sound escaping his throat.]
[ Every soft movement of Eren's lips against his own, every noise he can't bite back, every shiver of his skin beneath Maruki's gentle hands– it all blankets his mind like thick snow, quiets all the parts that can get too loud. He melts against Eren, calm and easy, lips parting to let him lick into his mouth and fingers trailing lightly over the tense muscle of his shoulders.
He really could do this, nothing but this, for hours on end. ]
[Eren could too. As much as he may dream of that empty world, wake up aching and wanting for Maruki, throbbing to be inside of him, he really would be content if all they ever did was kiss, lick into each other's mouths, breathe in tandem.
[He really would. If that's what makes Maruki happy, then he really would.
[But it's difficult. It doesn't take much to make Eren hard - not when it comes to Maruki, anyway. He grunts into their kiss, tongue twisting over Maruki's, lips wrapping around the tip and sucking. He puts a hand on the man's hip, slips warm fingers just under the hem of his shirt.]
[ He's not blind to the ways in which this presents difficulties for Eren. He's not immune to it himself, either. Everything he felt in that empty world, all that arousal, that desire– it didn't only exist there. Some nights, it's all he can think about.
So he invites it in, desperate for it, even as his body jolts in surprise. A soft wanting noise whines out around Eren's lips and teeth and tongue at the feeling of warm fingers against bare skin.
Maruki nods, breath coming short, and arches up into that touch. He wants to feel it, too. ]
[ Just this. Eren won't push him any farther, and he asks for just this because he knows they both want it. Maruki's painfully grateful as he unwinds his arms from around him to grab at the hem of his sweater instead, pulling it up and over. It gets caught on his glasses, drags them off too, but that's fine...
His skin prickles at once and he presses up against Eren as fast as he can, flushed and laughing. ]
[Just like that, Maruki is Maruki in his entirety. Eren is fond enough of his glasses, but infinitely more so of his squinting face, the way Eren knows he can only see what's right in front of him - Eren.
[Two strong arms wrap securely around his Other, and Eren presses their chests up together, radiating heat.
[For a few long seconds, he just holds him there like that, fingers stroking his back, lips smiling.]
[ Not a single night has gone by since he returned that Eren hasn't held him until he's fallen asleep. He needs it – he's terrified of how badly he needs it – but still, it's never been quite like this. Skin to skin, he can feel every beat of Eren's heart and twitch of breath in his lungs as if it were his own.
Slowly, he tucks his face into the curve where Eren's shoulder meets his neck. Free from his glasses, he can press in there, hide away for a moment as he's held close. They'll get back to what they're doing, just...
For a minute, he needs this. He knows Eren will understand. ]
[Eren understands. He holds Maruki like a fragile bird, tucked there against his chest. Fingers soothe through the man's hair at his temples, tiny little kisses pecked to the top of his head. The windmill is silent, save for the dark wind outside. The candles flicker, making shadows dance on the walls, but they're safe. Maruki is safe.]
I love you...
did i spend half an hour rereading their labyrinth first time. yes i did
[ No one would ever understand this, would they? Even the people who love Eren most, who are lucky enough to be loved by him in return, wouldn't understand this. Even Maruki himself can't fathom the full extent of how deeply, profoundly lucky he is to be cared in totality by Eren Jaeger.
He breathes this safety in, holds it in his lungs until his head begins to swim. ]
I love you. [ It's sighed out, and then Maruki's lips begin to move along the line of muscle from Eren's shoulder to his neck, down to his collar bone, soft kisses planted everywhere he can reach without pulling away too far. ] I wish I could show you just how much I love you..
[A deep inhale; Eren breathes. His skin must be burning Maruki's lips, the air so cold, and Eren, blazing. He closes his eyes and makes a soft sound, something from the back of his throat that barely ghosts past parted lips.]
[ He takes his time kissing back up the column of Eren's throat, up and over the curve of his chin, until he reaches his lips again. Chest pressed to chest, he resumes his gentle scratching up and down Eren's back, words murmuring warm and close. ]
[ At least some, Maruki can likely guess. He's sure they're similar to thoughts he has. He wishes he could, in this world. He wishes his heart wasn't such a selfish, fearful, fragile thing.
The truth is, though... ]
I feel like... anything I could do would still be inadequate for how much I love you.
[ They were one, weren't they? Even if they didn't go all the way, Maruki still feels as if they were joined together in that empty world, the two headed beast they were always meant to be.
He shifts around on their nest until he's face to face with Eren again, fingertips trailing over his ribs, eyes warm and curious. ]
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[He's bluffing, but he does start to go for it.]
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[ Does he trust Eren with his life? Yes. Is he also now scrambling a bit, clinging to any part of him he can reach to try to make him see reason? Also yes. ]
Let's stay up here...
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[He flops down beside him, immediately tangling their legs again.]
Keep scratching my back...
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Then lets his hands drift down to tug at the hem of Eren's shirt. ]
It would be easier if you took this off...
[ His cheeks go pink, despite all that they've shared. ]
Just this.
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[Still, he likes to be bare in front of Maruki, even in the cold. He pulls his shirt off, and he's all twitching muscle, sneaking closer, burning warm in the chilly room.]
There.
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That's why he waits. That's why he'll be patient. In that empty world, he was the only one. If Eren truly does return to Tokyo with him, he will be the only one. Until then, as desperately as he wants to, as often as he thinks of it– he won't. Can't, or his heart will shatter in his chest, even more tender now that it's been changed.
This is enough. Curling close to Eren, absorbing his warmth, hooking an arm around him to scratch gentle fingers up and down his back is enough. Maruki nuzzles in close, smiling, whispering. ]
I love you. Keep asking for what you want, please...
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I want to kiss you. Thanks for letting me kiss you.
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They're so close, his lips brush Eren's when he speaks, hand coming to rest up over his nape for the moment. ]
Then kiss me.
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[Eren yearns for an eternity in that empty place.
[He kisses Maruki, slow and warm, wet, alive. His hands brush through his Other's hair, fingers tickling down his nape, a warm hand over his own. It's enough to make him shudder, that sensation, so he shudders right into another kiss, a small sound escaping his throat.]
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He really could do this, nothing but this, for hours on end. ]
NSFW-ish here down
[He really would. If that's what makes Maruki happy, then he really would.
[But it's difficult. It doesn't take much to make Eren hard - not when it comes to Maruki, anyway. He grunts into their kiss, tongue twisting over Maruki's, lips wrapping around the tip and sucking. He puts a hand on the man's hip, slips warm fingers just under the hem of his shirt.]
lord...................
So he invites it in, desperate for it, even as his body jolts in surprise. A soft wanting noise whines out around Eren's lips and teeth and tongue at the feeling of warm fingers against bare skin.
Maruki nods, breath coming short, and arches up into that touch. He wants to feel it, too. ]
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[It's awfully cold out, but...]
Take this off...
[He tugs on Maruki's shirt, half-breathless.]
Just this... Promise...
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His skin prickles at once and he presses up against Eren as fast as he can, flushed and laughing. ]
You have to keep me warm.
BUT THAT'S FINE...[why]
[Two strong arms wrap securely around his Other, and Eren presses their chests up together, radiating heat.
[For a few long seconds, he just holds him there like that, fingers stroking his back, lips smiling.]
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Slowly, he tucks his face into the curve where Eren's shoulder meets his neck. Free from his glasses, he can press in there, hide away for a moment as he's held close. They'll get back to what they're doing, just...
For a minute, he needs this. He knows Eren will understand. ]
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I love you...
did i spend half an hour rereading their labyrinth first time. yes i did
He breathes this safety in, holds it in his lungs until his head begins to swim. ]
I love you. [ It's sighed out, and then Maruki's lips begin to move along the line of muscle from Eren's shoulder to his neck, down to his collar bone, soft kisses planted everywhere he can reach without pulling away too far. ] I wish I could show you just how much I love you..
ohhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHH
I think about it all the time...
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What do you think about?
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A lot of things...
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The truth is, though... ]
I feel like... anything I could do would still be inadequate for how much I love you.
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It'll still be...
[He doesn't even know how to describe it...]
I don't know. We'll be one...
It almost feels like I should say "again".
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He shifts around on their nest until he's face to face with Eren again, fingertips trailing over his ribs, eyes warm and curious. ]
You think about that night a lot too, don't you?
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Of course I do. I dream about it.
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cries ohhhh do we wanna wrap