Levi had no idea when he fell asleep until he heard a voice groaning behind him. It felt like the middle of the night, and Eren had draped an arm around him, twitching restlessly. As his brain began to clear, Levi realized that Eren was rutting against his back in his sleep.
"We-vi," he mumbled. "More tea."
Levi lay still, trying to sort out what was happening, and curious. Oh so curious! He felt a stiff pole in his back, fabric scraping his skin in slow but rhythmic movements, stroking right up against his ass and lower back. He gulped, and he held still.
He knew what was going on, and he licked his lips. Just what did Eren do in his dreams? The thought added with the small thrusts made his own cock start to tingle. He reached down and rubbed softly, just to ease the need to touch.
Like a cat in heat, Eren mewled as his hips made thrusts. The arm around Levi twitched. Every tiny movement felt enhanced in the darkness. Every breath sounded louder. Levi stared ahead, overwhelmed by it all, and the hand down at his crotch rubbed a little harder.
"Ah!"
Eren's hips pressed harder. Levi felt shivering jolts all through Eren's body, from arms to hips and down to his legs. He knew what was happening.
He held still. Even as he felt wetness leaking up against him, he did not move.
Eren's body went heavy, like he was sinking all around Levi. Minutes ticked by as Levi still held perfectly motionless, wondering what he should do. He could wake up Eren and humiliate him. While that was a delicious idea, how could he explain the fact that he had not woken Eren up when he felt what was going on, or justify just how aroused he was right now?
Shaking his head, he pulled his hand away from his crotch. Playtime was over. Levi figured he would wait until his erection went away and then wake Eren to tease him, but instead he ended up drifting back to sleep.
* * *
Levi awoke hours later by a groan. The light in the room was still dark, but dawn was coming.
"Scheiße," came a whisper filled with humiliation.
Levi did not move, but he was smirking in his mind. Eren must have woken up and realized what sort of dream he had last night.
He felt slow and cautious movements, more soft groans of anguish as Eren realized the mess he made, and then he heard stumbling footsteps rushing to the bathroom.
Levi continued to rest on his side. The damp spot on his long johns had dried, making a stiff patch on the fabric. That annoyed him; how filthy! He figured he should punish Eren for making such a disgusting mess.
How could he humiliate Eren best?
From the bathroom, he heard a slightly louder, "Scheiße!"
It took a few minutes, but Levi heard Eren shuffle out, open the wardrobe, and pull out fresh clothes to wear. Levi kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep. He felt Eren slowly lift the blanket to expose the sheets, a whispered curse, and then Eren shifted the sheet ever so slightly to expose Levi's back side.
"Oh nein."
There was a sigh of defeat. Eren must have seen the stain on the clothes. Levi's heart was racing. He really wanted to wake up now just so he could see his pitifully humiliated face.
Instead, the sheets went back down. He heard footsteps.
Don't tell me he's going to leave things like this. How boring!
Just as Levi thought that maybe he should act like he was just waking up before Eren slipped away, he heard those footsteps come around the bed. Eren sighed in defeat as he dropped to his knees to be eye-level. The sound of breathing was right in front of him.
"Levi?"
The whisper was so soft, so sad, he wanted to hear it again.
A hand stroked his shoulder. "Levi?"
If he had truly been asleep, he would have broken that hand on pure instinct. Eren needed to learn not to touch him in his sleep. Instead, Levi opened his eyes and saw Eren knelt by his side of the bed.
"What is it?" he muttered.
"I..."
He finally got to see it. Eren's eyes lowered, so deeply mortified. Levi barely held back a smile at the adorable expression.
"I ... made a mess last night. In my dreams."
He really did lack the vocabulary to explain it, and that made this more amusing. "Is that why my back feels weird? I told you to wank off last night."
Eren let out a gritting, hissing noise of overwhelming shame as his whole face cringed up. "I am so sorry."
Okay, that was enough. Any more and he really would pity him. Levi slipped his hand forward and placed it on top of Eren's. "Was it a dream about me?"
Eren laughed awkwardly. "I don't remember it, but it had to be."
"Have you washed up yet?"
Eren frowned. "Just a little. I'll get you new pants..."
"Wash me."
Eren went from pale to flushed immediately.
"If what I'm feeling on my back is your come, I don't want to touch it. I want you to wash it off."
The truth was, Levi wanted Eren to cater to him now. He wanted to see how he made up for this. A strange part of his mind was tickled about it all.
And he had to admit, he wanted to feel Eren's hands all over him.
Eren bit his lip. "Do you want to go first, or ... or can we take a bath together?"
Levi casually shrugged. "You got all that out of your system now, so I guess I can trust you. Go start up the water."
Eren moved in a haze. This had to be a dream. He was going to bathe with Levi, and not just forcing himself into the bathtub to make a point. No, Levi wanted him in the bathtub with him.
He sat by the tub and twisted the knobs to turn on the water. After seeing what he had done that morning, he felt so weird. On one hand, he was beyond mortified, yet on the other, he really wished he could have been awake. The thought of rutting up against Levi until he burst ... he flinched, and he looked down, hoping he was not getting hard.
He kept testing the water until it was hot without scalding. He added in the lavender oil and smiled at the soothing scene. He heard Levi enter the room, but Eren kept his focus on the tub, wanting to set everything up perfectly.
"Aren't you going to undress?"
He finally turned around and saw that Levi had already removed his clothes. Despite being ruined, he had still folded them out of habit and set them aside.
"You're taller than I am. You should get in first. I can sit between your legs."
Eren gulped hard. Levi had said he trusted Eren because he was already worn out from the wet dream, but Eren was not so sure. He moved slowly, automatically, but realized Levi was watching as he undressed. His heart pounded as the clothes dropped, first his cotton shirt falling to the ground, then slowly sliding off the sleeping trousers and underwear.
"Don't be a messy child. Set them on the sink."
Eren moved to obey, but Levi was standing by the sink. That meant he had to walk right up to him. Levi did not move, either. Eren had to reach around him to place the garments onto the sink's ledge.
They were so close. Eren felt like he could not breathe fast enough, until he began to feel lightheaded. Meanwhile, Levi stood his ground, staring at Eren right in the face.
The awkwardness and bashfulness was adorable as always, but what Levi liked to see was that tense restraint. It was obvious that Eren wanted to touch him, but he kept his hands back. Levi even saw him tighten his fist, forcing himself not to disrespect Levi's space.
That was sweet, but it was also fun to torture him just a little. Levi wondered, if he were to merely poke Eren in the arm right now, would he leap to the ceiling? A smile flashed on his face as he imagined it, like some cartoon at the cinema.
Then he glanced down. Oh! It seemed Eren was imagining things as well, and they weren't about funny cartoons.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Eren's hands immediately went down to cover himself.
Levi stepped forward, and although Eren looked mildly terrified, he stood his ground. Levi took Eren's wrists, moved the hands away from their shielding position, and placed them on top of his shoulders. Then he shifted nearer, closing the gap between their bodies, until he felt Eren's entire torso pressed up against him.
His hands drifted around, wrapped around Eren's waist, and slid down. He caressed from his back, down to his hips, and softly stroked over the plumpness of his buttocks. Eren let out a soft, breathy moan as his eyes fluttered shut, yet his hands did not dare move off Levi's shoulders.
"Wash me," Levi quietly ordered.
Utterly enthralled, Eren nodded.
Levi let go and stepped back. So many wild thoughts were running through his head, crowding together, each wanting him to spring into action, yet Levi did not move. He watched as Eren collected his thoughts, turned back to the bathtub, and slid down until the water was up to his waist. Then Levi walked up and climbed in, being careful of where he placed his feet. Eren tried to spread his legs wider so Levi could fit.
After Levi was seated, Eren grabbed the washcloth and soap. He gently scrubbed Levi's back, making sure everything was cleaned off. Levi hummed in pleasure, and that convinced Eren to linger there, scrubbing circles around his scarred back. Then he set the washcloth aside, and his thumbs dug into Levi's shoulder muscles.
"Lord, that feels good!" Levi realized too late that he had moaned fairly loudly.
Eren smiled with warm pleasure at the noise. He worked out the muscles, and every soft groan, every hum, every hissed curse of euphoria, tingled him more and more. He leaned in and kissed the back of Levi's neck. Levi tilted his head to feel more. Eren's lips gently kissed both sides of the neck, until he hit a spot up near the hairline on the right side. Levi's whole body flinched, and he grabbed Eren's legs with trembling hands.
A sensitive spot! Eren made sure to remember that place.
His lips moved away for now and worked down, hoping to find more sensitive areas, but either Levi's shoulders were not as responsive, or he had better self-control.
Eren wrapped his arms around and pulled Levi back, shifting him to recline right on top of him, using Eren's entire torso as a rest. It was a little awkward at first until Levi managed to balance. Eren wrapped his arms around, happily holding Levi. The steam softened the air, and the smell of soap was gently pleasant.
"This is nice," Eren whispered.
Levi hummed in agreement. He could stay like this all day, feeling Eren under him and those protective arms shielding him. He closed his eyes and muttered, "I swear to God, if someone knocks on that door, I'm slitting their throat."
Eren chuckled and nuzzled into Levi's hair. "I just won't answer. This is my time with you."
Levi rested on top of Eren, soaking, sinking in relaxation, feeling warm with those arms wrapped around him. He knew he should not let his guard down like this, they were still in an extremely dangerous place, and if caught like this, there would be no easy way to explain themselves. Despite that looming shadow of dread, this room felt like a safe haven, a neutral country in the middle of a continent at war.
"You know," Levi whispered, "you talked in your sleep a little last night."
Eren's whole face jolted up in surprise. "Eh? What did I say?"
"I think you were dreaming about me serving you tea."
Eren blinked in confusion. "Tea?" His brow furrowed. "I don't remember any dream like that. Although there was that one..."
Back when Louise was in his bed, he had a dream about sitting in a café and someone, definitely Levi from the voice, serving him tea. That dream had led to erotic dreams, which had led to him humping up against Louise. Luckily, she had woken him up before he could do too much. Maybe last night was something like that.
"Did I say anything weird?"
"No, just something about tea."
That left Eren confused but relieved.
His fingers lazily caressed Levi's chest. He began to kiss the black hair, then nuzzled Levi's cheek, getting a soft hum of pleasure. His hands boldly slid down Levi's abdomen but remained above the waistline. He leaned forward and nibbled on Levi's earlobe. Then, seeing an opening, he aimed for that sensitive spot again.
That got the Jew to jolt and flip around in shock. Eren immediately wrapped his arms around Levi, holding him face to face, chest to chest, groin to groin. His eyes were playful with a chuckle hidden on his lips, while Levi glared with a deep scowl. Both expressions softened, their eyes lingered, and the heat made them both enervated. Levi leaned in to kiss Eren. Their tongues languidly drifted out, slowly searching.
It was so tempting to have a repeat of their last bath together, but Levi knew he still had to keep quiet.
At least, he did.
Levi's wet, wrinkled fingers stroked over Eren's face, down his throat, and to his chest. As his finger outlined Eren's nipple, he felt the hands holding him tighten, fingers digging into his skin, and Eren's body shivered in pleasure. He circled the nipple, teasing it, before giving it a tiny squeeze.
"Ah!"
The lusty cry echoed in the small room as Eren's hips made an instinctive thrust. Levi's hand went to the other side of his chest and repeated, deeply kissing Eren while his fingertip drew lazy circles around. Now anticipating it, he felt Eren's whole body coiled.
Oh, so he wanted it? That made Levi want to make him wait for it!
He began to kiss down to his Adam's apple, then dove to the side of his throat and sucked there. A moan quivered through the steamy air, and Eren's body shivered.
Levi felt something start to push against his hip, but he ignored it, merely kissing Eren's throat as his fingers toyed with his chest. He heard a keening whine. Eren wanted to know what Levi planned, but Levi wanted to keep him guessing.
He slid back up to attack Eren's mouth. Now, those huge hands grabbed him even more desperately, and he heard raspy breaths between their kisses. Eren was struggling not to do too much, but his entire body showed how much self-control he needed.
Levi leaned into Eren's ear and whispered, "Fais-moi entendre ta voix, mon petit ami." Let me hear your voice, my boyfriend.
Just as Eren began to melt at the sensual words, Levi pinched both of his nipples, and Eren's whole body leaped, splashing water out of the bathtub.
"Schätzchen, das fühlt sich gut an!" Darling, that feels so good!
Part of Eren knew, if he moaned these words loud enough, everyone would think he was simply enjoying a morning with his wife, a little marital bliss to start the day right. He also could tell that moaning loudly was affecting Levi. Peeking his eyes open, Eren saw his whole face was erotically flushed and tensed up, like Levi planned to attack him. Part of Eren desperately wanted him to.
Instead, Levi pulled back. "Later," he whispered.
Eren blinked in confusion. "Later?" Levi sat up on his heels. "Komm schon. Ernsthaft?" Come on. Seriously? Seeing Levi shake his head, Eren collapsed backward into the water and quietly whined, "Ich habe wieder einen Steifen!" I have another hard-on!
"Later," Levi promised again, putting a finger to Eren's lips. "Let's get breakfast. I'm hungry." He climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around himself.
Eren stayed where he was with his rejected erection left aching. He grumbled under his breath, "Ich hab Hunger für etwas anderes!"
"What was that?"
"Nothing," he muttered, not telling Levi that he had said I'm hungry for something else!
Eren waited until his body calmed back down, then he got out of the bathtub, let it drain, and dried himself with a towel. He supposed this was his punishment for making a mess last night.
"We'll need the maids to change the sheets," he realized. "Do you want to go out while they clean up?"
"Not particularly. I need to wash my clothes."
"I gave my men time off until Monday, and it's a sunny day. We could dress you up as a woman again..."
"Fuck that idea!"
Eren sighed, "I know it's humiliating..."
"It's more than humiliating!" he snapped, but Levi made sure to keep his voice down. "I'm already not fully comfortable with the idea of being with a man, and now it's like you're trying to strip away my masculinity."
"No! I would never do anything like that. I love you because you're a man, and because you're you! As much as I don't like the clothes, it's the only way."
Levi still scowled and refused to look at him. Eren sat beside him and held Levi's hand.
"Is this about last night?" He lowered his head. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I promise to slow down. More than anything, I want you to feel safe."
"Then find a way for me to escape."
Eren perked up. "Oh! Escaping! We could try that today."
Levi's eyes grew wide in shock. "Wait, today? We're escaping now?" He suddenly felt panicked.
"Well, not unless we see a good chance. I had something else in mind."
"What?" he grumbled reluctantly.
"Aufklärungsmission."
"A what mission?"
Eren struggled to find words to explain himself. "Klär- ... clear ... clarify?" His face winced up as he tried to remember old language lessons. "Searching, learning about your surroundings."
"Reconnaissance?"
"Is that French?"
"It's the same word in French and English. I did plenty of recon missions in the army."
"I figured, we can go to the city gates and search for a good place to sneak you out. That is, only if your ankle is healed enough to walk."
Levi looked down at his ankle. "It's better, but it's sore. I wouldn't be able to walk much in women's shoes."
"Then we can drive around. I'll make sure a car is waiting for us."
Levi hated the idea of putting the dress on again, but if it meant his survival, he would put up with it. "Fine! I guess I can wash my clothes and let them dry while we look around."
Eren beamed a huge smile, and Levi rolled his eyes.
* * *
A while later, Eren had stored all of Levi's personal items in the attic, hanging the wet clothes up near windows so they could dry in the sunlight and tucking his shoes, hat, coat, and satchel inside a crate. He went back down and called the barracks to give a few orders. In the middle of talking with Moblit, Levi walked out of the bathroom, blond wig on, wearing the blue flower-print dress and low heels, with makeup carefully contouring his face.
Eren paused in the middle of his conversation and stared in amazement at the transformation. Not that he thought it made Levi sexy—far from it—but if he had met such a woman on the street, he would never guess it was a 33-year-old male Jew. He quickly ended the call and stood up while Levi walked awkwardly in the shoes.
Levi grumbled, "Never in my life have I wished so hard that it was fashionable for women to wear trousers and boots."
"You look good," Eren complimented, only to get a scathing glare. "I mean, the disguise is really convincing. You don't quite look like Louise, but you definitely don't look male." Eren grumbled to the side, "Which is more than a little disturbing."
Levi tugged at the dress, trying to get it to form around a padded bra. "If only you had a picture of that girl, I could try to use the makeup to appear more like her."
"Someone took a photograph of the dinner after the wedding, but I don't recall who. I don't think it was someone from my platoon."
"Wait, your entire company went to your wedding? Shit! Any of them will know it's me! They know what she looks like, they know my face..."
"No offense, but I highly doubt they ever really looked at you, and they all think you're dead. Well, all but Armin and Jean."
"Armin once saw me dressed like this, and he recognized me within seconds."
"Armin is different. He's brilliant and sees things where others do not. The only person we would really have to watch out for is Floch. He got to speak with Louise for a couple of hours as we drove her home. Then again, his eyes were on the road most of the time, and he's not the most observant when it comes to people. That's why he'll drive us around today."
Levi stopped fussing with the dress and gawked. "Wait, you're going to have me meet the one man who could tell I'm not Louise?"
"Yes. If Floch can tell you aren't her, then using her as a cover won't work. I simply won't say your name when he shows up. If he calls you Louise, we'll know it works. If he asks who you are, I'll say you're a local girl."
"Eren, that is beyond reckless."
"It's best to figure out if this plan will work early on."
"It's best to avoid that man at all cost!"
"Well, too late for that. He should be downstairs waiting."
"Eren!"
"Please," he whispered, "trust me."
Levi scowled. "In that case, I need a knife."
Eren pulled out a purse he bought to go along with the outfit, but Levi's normal knife was too large. Eren instead gave him his own multi-purpose folding knife. Levi sighed in a sense of relief. Just knowing he was armed put his mind at ease. He also added the makeup and a handkerchief into the purse to make it appear more like it belonged to a normal woman.
Eren grabbed his cap, and Levi pulled on his coat. Eren was heading to the door when Levi cleared his throat.
"You're forgetting it again."
Eren patted his pockets. "What?"
Levi walked over to the nightstand, plucked the wedding ring off, and walked over to Eren. He lifted Eren's hand, kissed the knuckles, and slid the ring on.
"The final touch."
"You're not wearing a ring, though."
"We bought gloves. I'll wear them."
Eren gazed down at Levi's hand. "I wish..." He wished he could get Levi a ring to wear. The one he had given to Louise had belonged to Madame Carly and was elaborate.
Levi pulled on dainty gloves to hide the missing wedding ring. Eren held his hand out in a genteel bow, and his eyes gleamed in the morning light.
"May I have the honor of your company, mein Schätzchen?"
Levi scoffed as his cheeks warmed up. He felt like one of those nervous ladies at their first dance, and he hated how it made his heart flutter.
Slowly, his hand stretched out and took Eren's. "You may."
Levi slipped a hand through Eren's arm. He and Petra had walked like this before. Did she feel this same sensation of protection whenever he offered his arm?
Eren squeezed his hand, giddy and rather nervous. Yes, this was dangerous, they would be walking around in broad daylight, and he had to get Levi out of a hotel full of officers, many of whom had at least seen Louise briefly on her nightly visits to Eren's room. Still, the chance to take Levi out on the town was too exciting to ignore.
They stepped out of the hotel room. Far down near the other end, a lieutenant was just leaving for the morning. He tipped his hat to Eren and addressed Levi as merely Fraulein. Taking the stairs slowly for Levi's ankle, they went down to the main foyer where lieutenants, captains, and majors mingled around.
Levi's heart began to race. Every single one of these men would shoot a Jew like him and think he was doing the world a favor. He thought for sure, every soldier there would see through his disguise right away. No way could they be that oblivious! Yet no one paid any attention to a young officer with a blond woman on his arm. Others had ladies with them, chatting, laughing, flirting, and preparing for a day out.
Eren knew how to act. A lifetime of acting like an average heterosexual man came in handy as he kept his face calm and neutral, while by his side his pistol weighed heavy. If they were caught, he would rather shoot his way out of the hotel than let Levi be taken! Luckily, no one even bothered to look at them.
He finally saw Floch by the entryway talking to Jean. Floch waved excitedly at him, and Jean turned around. He also thought little of it—he had heard from Holger that Louise was back—but as the two came closed, his eyes bored down on the blue-dressed blond.
"Floch, get the car cranked up," he growled.
"Oh! Right, of course. Come out when you're ready, sir." He scurried out of the hotel.
Jean stomped right up to Eren and lowered his voice to a hiss. "What the hell, Jäger?"
"Good morning to you too."
"The wig was a good idea, and I probably don't want to know how you managed to do his makeup like that, but I would recognize those eyes anywhere." His teeth ground together. "What is wrong with your head?"
Eren's voice dropped to a whisper. "He hasn't been able to escape. We're seeing if a disguise works."
"Then send him out there and hope for the best. Don't tell me you're going with him."
"Someone has to protect him."
"Not you!" shouted Jean.
Levi suddenly moved between Eren and Jean, shielding him from the rage. "Ne touche pas à mon mec." Don't touch my guy.
Jean stepped back at the warning in those dark, narrow eyes, remembering all too well the feel of Levi's knife at his throat the last time he screamed at Eren. "Fine, but if you get caught, I will not try to rescue either of you. For all I care, I hope you abandon him in an alley like a cat, so I never have to see him again." He stormed off, and Levi backed down.
Eren sighed. "Das hätte besser laufen können." That could have gone better.
"Is he going to be a problem?" Levi whispered, leaning into Eren so he could speak English as softly as possible.
"No, but I have a feeling he's right, and he really wouldn't help out if we're caught."
"I don't blame him. It'd be suicide, and this plan is far too dangerous to risk your life on. You're just too stupid to realize that."
"I know what I'm doing," Eren whispered, and he strode onward, not letting that little hiccup ruin their outing.
They went out, and Floch was ready with the same car he had taken Louise back home in.
"Good morning, sir. I tried to clean her up for you," he said, patting the fender of the car. "It's so good to see you again, Frau Jäger."
Eren sighed in relief. Floch thought this was Louise. So far, so good! Now for a reason why Levi would not be speaking all day.
"Pardon, she has a sore throat."
"Oh my! Wait." Floch dug deep into his pocket, searched around, and pulled out a hard candy wrapped in wax paper. "Cough drops. Nack is down with a cold, and Moblit passed these around for everyone. It has eucalyptus."
Eren nudged Levi. "Nimm es." Take it.
Levi tried to keep his eyes down, staring at the offered candy. He slowly reached his gloved hand out, and Floch delightfully dropped the candy into the palm of his hand.
"Danke," he whispered.
Floch pouted. "She does sound really hoarse. Are you sure this is good for her?"
"The sun is out, and she needs fresh air."
"Very well, sir." He opened the back passenger door for them. "I'm surprised to see you back so soon, Frau Jäger. I hope it's not fleeing from the Allies."
"No talking about bad things," Eren said as he followed Levi in and settled down into the backseat of the car. "It's a day to take her mind off the war and have some fun. We'll start with breakfast. I want a nice place, not hotel food again."
"Connie found a good little café not far from the barracks. He said it's a bit hidden, but they had really good coffee and pancakes."
"A bit hidden? All the better. I wouldn't want other soldiers to flirt with my cute little wife."
Floch chuckled at the adorableness, and he started up the car. He drove them through the streets of Metz, humming a marching song. In the backseat, Eren smiled as he held Levi's hand. Levi glanced over, still not looking comfortable with this, but there was a tiny tweak to his lips that showed he was actually enjoying himself.
They arrived at a tiny café that was tucked away in an alley too narrow for cars. Eren figured, that was all the better. They needed to ease themselves into this game of Make-Believe.
Eren took Levi through the alley and inside the café. It was shadowy inside, lit with a chandelier above and candles on eight tables with high-backed curved booths, like little pods that offered the diners privacy from other patrons. Only three other tables had customers, including a lone man in a flat cap hunched over his breakfast, so they sat far from any of the other diners. So long as they talked quietly, it was doubtful that anyone could hear them.
They were shown to one of these nearly enclosed booths where they could sit side by side. Eren grinned in excitement as his thigh rubbed up against Levi's, and he could sit close enough to wrap his arm around him. The waiter handed them menus, apologized that he was short on many food items, but let them know that he still had coffee. Eren immediately ordered that, and the waiter left to give them a moment to read over the menus.
"I ordered us coffee," he translated to Levi.
Levi raised his eyebrow at him. "Coffee?"
"I've still never tried real coffee before. Remember, you once said you would show me what real coffee tastes like?"
Levi hummed and thought back. "I did. I doubt they would have it here. It's probably that instant powder crap."
"Connie told Floch that this place has good coffee."
"I doubt your men have ever had good coffee in their lives." Levi looked at the menu and scowled. "What the hell? We're still in France. Why is this all in German?"
"Metz is historically a German town," Eren explained. "I'm sure this place used to have menus in both languages, but ... well, why give a French menu to a German soldier? Maybe I can help. The waiter warned that they're low on meat, but they have Wurst und Eier. Floch said this place has good—what's the word—Pfannkuchen ... you've told me this word before. Pan ... pan..."
"Pancake?"
"Yes! That's it."
"Sounds good."
"Würstchen?"
"That's the word for sausage, right? No. It likely has pork, and that's forbidden."
"Oh, right," Eren muttered, forgetting that Jews had dietary restrictions. Although Levi had ignored those rules to survive, this was a splurge, and so he wanted to follow a kosher diet, at least as well as he possibly could.
"Maybe some fruit."
"Äpfel und Birnen."
"Äpfel? That's apple, right?"
"Oh! They've got Hörnchen. Um, that's ... Thomas told me this one ... um, croissant?"
"Croissants? Where?"
Eren leaned over and pointed to the menu. Then, being so close, he leaned in and gave Levi a kiss on the cheek. Levi looked up in shock, only to blush and spin away.
Levi grumbled, "This is all crazy."
"I think it's nice," Eren said, beaming happily.
The waiter came back, and Eren straightened up. Two steaming mugs were brought out, and the roasted nuttiness of coffee wafted out. Levi gazed down in shock at the nearly black espresso. The waiter left some creamer and a tiny, precious jar of sugar on the table. Then he whipped out a pad and took their order. Eren gave him both his order and placed Levi's order. The man promised to get their meal done quickly and hurried off.
Levi picked the mug up and inhaled. "I'm shocked. Real espresso."
Eren frowned down at it. "There isn't much."
"This is concentrated, not that fake fuck you drink."
"Muckefuck is good."
Levi chuckled and picked up the container of cream. "Just wait until you try this."
He showed Eren how to add cream and sugar, stir it all in, and at the first sip, Eren's eyes lit up.
He would never be able to tolerate muckefuck again, not after experiencing the real thing.
Levi silently watched Eren savoring the drink. He felt a sense of smugness, pride ... chutzpah! He was the one who could give Eren such an experience. He could show this young man the joys of life, after a childhood filled with strict rules, force-fed hate, and the grief of loss.
He wanted Eren to experience the best of life, even if it was the simple joy of a cup of coffee.
Then their meals came. The pancakes were fluffy, a bit sweet, and the syrup that went with it was made from local berries, giving a bright, sweet, rich flavor. They were handed a bowl with sliced apples and pears, as well as a basket of fresh, warm croissants. Eren shared some of his omelet, and Levi cut off some of his pancake, so they could both taste what the other had.
"I take it back. You were right. This really is nice," Levi whispered. "After everything, it's nice to go out on the town with you. It feels more ... natural." He was unsure how to explain it. "We're together now, but we haven't really been courting, not in the traditional sense. I think that's part of my problem. Everything we've done, it doesn't feel right. Going that fast, doing that much, and I can't even court you properly."
"Do you mean last night?" Eren asked in worry.
"And this morning in the bathtub." Softly, Levi muttered, "I was very tempted..." His thoughts drifted off. There had been so many things he fantasized about, but in the end, he was the one who cut them off short.
Eren chuckled bashfully. "I've never been in a relationship, so I don't know how fast is too fast. If it were up to me ... well..." His hand slid over and, covertly under the table, caressed up Levi's thigh toward his crotch. "There's a lot I would like to do."
Levi slapped his hand away. The last thing he needed was to deal with an unwanted erection in the middle of a café. "Do you mean more than last night?"
Eren's eyes flicked up. "That was merely a taste." He stabbed a sausage on his plate, lifted it to his lips, and held it there. "Do you nibble the bratwurst at a feast and call it a night?" His lips kissed the tip of the sausage. "Or do you devour all that is laid out before you?" He slid the sausage slowly into his mouth before biting it off and chewing with a sly smirk.
Levi rolled his eyes, pretending like those words were not making his cheeks flushed. "You're the brat, and the worst," he grumbled.
"Oh! That makes a good English pun!" Eren cried out with his mouth full.
"You're a damned idiot. Make a pun out of that."
Eren chuckled and leaned over to kiss Levi on the cheek. "Sorry. I won't make jokes like that in public again."
"I somehow doubt that," Levi grumbled.
They ate and enjoyed their coffee. Eren's hand kept reaching over to rest on Levi's thigh, hardly able to believe that here they were, having breakfast in a café together.
After a while Levi kept glancing toward a door near the back of the restaurant. Eren grew worried and tried to see what he was looking at, if there was someone watching them.
"Is everything okay?"
Levi leaned up into Eren's ear and whispered, "The coffee hit me. I really need to take a shit."
"I'm sure the restaurant has a toilet."
"They do. That's what I'm looking at. I can't go in there if there's a woman inside. It's inappropriate. What if she's adjusting her clothes?"
"If you see anything, I'll forgive you."
"That's not the point. It's perverted for a man to walk in on a woman like that."
"If you were to walk down an alley, flip your skirt up, and shit in the street, wouldn't that be just as perverted?"
Levi scowled. Why was he suddenly so self-conscious? He had been living in a dungeon with men and women for months, relieving nature in mere buckets, although he had always made sure never to look at any of them as they were doing their business. Maybe because of that lack of privacy and knowing how humiliating it had been for the women during the first couple of weeks, he never wanted to invade a woman's privacy like that again.
"I'll keep an eye on the toilet. Once I'm certain no women are in there, I'll rush in and out."
He was glad there were hardly anyone around, but he would have preferred if there were no women at all in the restaurant. His eyes flicked around to any woman he could see. One had already gone in there and came back out. He waited, and soon the second woman went back.
"Okay, once she's out."
Eren nibbled an apple slice and watched. "I think you're overthinking again. Have another Hörnchen while you wait."
Levi mindlessly picked up the pastry and nibbled on it. As soon as the lady left the room, Levi set the food down and hurried over.
Eren shook his head. For how cranky he often acted, Levi was actually quite a gentleman. Eren waved to the waiter, who hurried over.
"We're ready to pay, but first, I want five more of those croissants in a bag for my chauffeur."
"Coming right up, Monsieur."
Eren smiled to himself. He figured they could share those pastries with Floch. The waiter came back soon with a paper bag stuffed full. Eren pulled out his wallet to pay.
"The coffee was good," he mentioned. "I want to bring my wife back here for breakfast another day."
"That's very kind of you, but actually, I'm closing up shop after this weekend."
Eren looked up in concern. "Closing up?"
"My cousin in Nancy wrote me a letter last week. He fled the city before the fighting started and put in a good word with a farmer, so I have a place to stay until the battle here is over. I stayed as long as I could, but I'll be closing up shop and praying the place doesn't get bombed." He glanced at the lavatories in the back. "You should get your girl out of the city."
Eren's face stiffened in determination. "I plan to."
"Good. A tiny thing like that is too fragile for battle."
Eren held back a laugh. That tiny thing could probably kill a platoon on his own.
Once Levi returned, Eren stood and held his hand, taking him out with the bag of pastries in tow. They left, walking arm in arm.
"That was good, ja?"
Levi said nothing, worried that his voice would give him away, but he squeezed Eren's arm in reply.
Floch was still in the car at the end of the alley, sitting in the driver's seat reading a book. He rushed out as Eren and Levi approached. Eren tossed him the bag.
"For you."
Floch caught it and peeked inside. "Sir, you shouldn't have!"
"I gave the platoon the day off, yet I'm making you work. It's the least I can do. Don't worry, I'll get the door for my wife." While Floch stowed away the croissants, Eren opened the door for Levi. "Darling, please have a seat."
Levi raised an eyebrow at him. Really, was Eren this chivalrous by nature, or was he acting it up? It was hard to tell. He held his skirt as he slipped into the backseat of the car.
Floch rushed to the other side to let Eren in, eager to do at least that. "Where to next, sir?"
"We decided to do a little sightseeing. She's from the countryside, and she never got a chance to see many of the good places in Metz. I figured, no better place to start than the German Gate."
"Oh, great idea, sir! I think you'll enjoy the history of it all, Frau Jäger. You can also show her the cathedral; that place is amazing. The Esplanade is popular with couples, and there's a nice museum Armin told me about, not that I have much of an interest in ancient history. Maybe the train station. I haven't been there yet, but Franz and Nack said it's massive and a prime example of German architecture."
Floch kept talking as he drove down the road. Levi was still skeptical. At least if it came to a fight, he was confident that he could take out this idolizing, talkative fool with ease.
(Photochrom photograph of German Gate, c. 1890)
Their company had driven through the German Gate when they first entered Metz, but Levi hid during that part of the trip. Now, he got to see the castle gateway, with its towers and thick stone walls. The whole place was filled with soldiers, and he realized there were barracks just outside the wall. The narrow bridge crossing the Seille River made for an easy checkpoint, and standing back a bit, they both saw German soldiers checking the papers of people driving cars in and out, as well as stopping pedestrians. They both frowned, realizing that although busy and perhaps someone could slip by unnoticed, the traffic just meant there was even more security.
(Metz train station inauguration, 1908)
They spent the morning driving around to the main entrances around the city, slowly working their way south to the train station. Here, although Floch was eager to see the inside of the station, Levi lingered by the rail yard. He tried to count how many rails stripped the expansive yard, but after ten they began to blend together. Before the war, these led to every major city in Western Europe. Now, they were empty. The French Resistance had blown up the rail lines all around the country specifically so the Germans could not ship in supplies. He did see one train heading east, possibly to Berlin, but otherwise the rail yard was a barren land of metal tracks.
Dangerous, but also a possible escape route.
They stopped briefly for crepes for lunch, and then they continued onward. Eren knew they did not need to push themselves to see all the city gates in a single day, but the sun was out, the sky was clear, and they had Floch to drive them around. Eren really wanted to get as much as they could done while the day was so perfect.
Finally, Floch asked, "Sir, are you really going to loop the whole city? Surely Louise wants to see more than the perimeter."
Eren worried if it was becoming suspicious. If this was a real date, he would have picked some romantic places to stroll through, not what was obviously a perimeter search.
"I'm so sorry, darling. I guess I'm not very good at planning a romantic day. Tell you what. I'll spoil you. We'll go shopping, anything you want at all." He squeezed Levi's hand and smiled down at him. "That sounds like fun, ja?" He nodded and showed with his eyes that Levi needed to agree with him.
Hitching his voice higher, Levi replied with a simple, "Ja."
"Sounds romantic," Floch said eagerly.
"Anything for my darling. Floch, take us to a place with good shopping."
"I know just the area." He turned the car to head along another street.
Levi leaned up into Eren's ear and whispered in English, "What's happening now?"
Eren glanced briefly at Floch, who kept looking back at them through a rear view mirror. "Gefreiter, eyes forward."
"Sir?"
Eren wrapped around Levi, as if about to smother him in a passionate kiss. Floch chuckled and kept his eyes straight ahead out of courtesy.
"Oh mein Schätzchen," Eren moaned. Levi pulled back, looking at him like he was insane, but Eren learned in close to his ear. "I wanted to get to all the gates, but Floch said we should do something romantic, so we're going shopping."
"That sounds like the least romantic thing in the world!"
"You'll need more than one dress, and maybe we can find you better shoes."
He scowled, but he could not say too much. Besides, shoes with lower heels would be amazing. They had not even walked very far, and his ankle was throbbing.
Being so close to Levi, Eren could not help it. He kissed him for real, humming in pleasure. To kiss him openly, making out in the backseat like a normal couple: it was a dream come true! Levi struggled, but he knew he could not fight too much or it would look suspicious.
Oh, what the hell! Just let the brat do what he wanted! He parted his lips and slipped out his tongue. Eren let out a soft sound of surprise before indulging in the taste of Levi invading his mouth.
In the front seat, Floch blushed and kept his eyes ahead, carefully avoiding streetcar rails and holes in the road so his lieutenant could kiss in peace.
Finally, Floch pulled up to a trendy shopping district he had heard about and cleared his throat. "We're here, sir."
Eren pulled back, breathless and shocked that he had let himself forget his surroundings like that. Levi looked just as winded, but worse, he had to quickly yank his blue coat over his lap.
Oh! Oh, that would be a very bad problem.
Eren cleared his throat as he straightened up and adjusted his uniform. Floch eagerly opened the door for Eren, and he stepped out, trying to work out how to let Levi have a moment to calm himself.
"Um, sir," Floch whispered. He pointed to the corner of his own mouth. "You have some lipstick, right there."
Eren pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. Sure enough, the bright red lipstick had stuck to his lips.
"Ah, darling, take your time and fix your makeup. I want you to look good." He mimed to Levi to put more lipstick on. Then Eren tugged Floch to face outward. "It's rude to watch a woman put on her makeup."
"Sorry, sir." He bit his lip as they both faced outward. Floch leaned over and whispered, "If I may say, it really is nice to see you two back together. I was worried when we left her family's farm so suddenly. I was so mad at her grandfather for acting that way. Threatening you! How dare he!"
Eren continued to wipe his mouth. "Family is important, but love is strong. Her family will come around. In the meantime, I don't want to do anything to cause them more worries than they've already suffered."
Floch looked amazed. "That's more than I would do in your place. Opposing a German officer, threatening to shoot you ... they should probably be arrested, yet you're giving them the chance to see how noble Germans are. It's very magnanimous of you!"
"Well, I can't have her here with me forever. It's not safe." Eren sighed and muttered, "Although, I wish we could have a few more weeks together."
Floch pouted in sympathy and gave Eren a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He straightened up, not wanting to think about when he and Levi would have to part.
"Louise's family will protect her, of that I'm certain. At the moment, her safety is all that matters."
Floch reassured him, "After the war is over, you'll find her again, and you'll be able to live happily together forever."
He faced Floch with a bittersweet smile, knowing that the young soldier would not feel that supportive if he knew who Eren actually wanted to reunite with after the war. He folded up the handkerchief and straightened his cap. "Better?"
"Much better, sir." He chuckled and whispered, "She's quite the kisser for a little mouse."
Eren's cheeks warmed up. "Indeed!"
Finally, Levi stepped out of the backseat of the car. Eren held his arm out, and they walked side-by-side down the street, gazing into the windows of stylish shops. Eren stopped by one with some nice off the rack dresses and women's accessories, and he tugged Levi in. To his disappointment, the shopkeeper spoke only French. Just as Eren worried, Levi spoke up with a falsetto voice. Since the shopkeeper had no idea how the actual Louise sounded, she thought nothing at all about Levi's fake high voice.
After some searching of racks of pre-made clothes, Levi tried on a new dress and pair of shoes, while Eren glanced around. He wanted to get something for Levi, but what? He did not have pierced ears. He had to wear a light scarf to hide his Adam's apple, so a necklace would be pointless. He found a hat he thought looked nice, but there was not much else of interest. Eren waved the shopkeeper over, and with simple words and miming, he explained what he was looking for. The man pointed out a store across the road and a little down the street. Eren went to the changing room and rapped on the door.
"Schätzchen, darling, I'm going to look in a shop just across the way."
In falsetto, Levi replied in English, "I really wish you wouldn't leave me, darling." He said that with scathing irony.
"I won't be but a minute. Find at least two dresses that fit. I'll be back to pay for it."
Levi's voice lowered slightly. "Eren, seriously!"
"I'll be right back." He took off, not wanting to get into an argument and possibly blow Levi's cover.
By the time Levi had tried on a second dress that fit, Eren was back with a little shopping bag. He paid for the two dresses plus some black, low-heeled shoes that would work with either dress. Eren also purchased a cute hat so the wig would be protected in the rain, and an umbrella that he figured Levi could use after he left Metz.
"How about an early dinner?" Eren offered as they left the store. "I saw a café just down the street."
"I'd rather not," Levi mumbled. "I'm mad at you for leaving me like that. What if someone from your platoon had come in right then and saw me? What if the police randomly decided to check everyone's papers? If you're going to put me in such a risky situation, you damn well better stay with me."
Eren pouted. "It was just a few minutes."
"Petra once left the house where we were hiding to go shopping, and not even ten minutes after she walked out the door, the Gestapo raided the house and arrested us all. That's all it takes, a few minutes."
Although, on that occasion, Petra escaped being arrested and was therefore free to rescue him from a deportation train headed for a concentration camp. They had gotten lucky that time. Just like back then, Levi knew that if he was going to get arrested, he would rather Eren not be around, yet if he had to bluff his way to freedom, he needed someone who was good at acting. He glanced up at Eren. More and more, he realized there were similarities between him and Petra ... and that worried him.
Weakly, Levi whispered, "My ankle hurts. Can we just go home?"
Eren did not want to push Levi too hard, so he turned them back toward the car. Floch was reading again and straightened up as he saw them.
"Are we heading to a restaurant next?"
"Louise is tired. I don't want to wear her out too much."
"Oh, of course not! You need to take care of your health, especially if your throat is already a little hoarse. I see you got some shopping done."
Eren looked down at the large bags he held for Levi and the smaller bag he had purchased. He handed those off to Floch, who put them safely in the front seat, and then Eren helped Levi into the back of the car.
They drove back to the hotel, and Eren took Levi inside. They went up the stairs, resting halfway up for Levi's ankle, until finally reaching the fourth floor. Ian was just about to come down the stairs.
"Good evening, Jäger," the stone-faced blond greeted. Ian glanced over to the blue-coated person on his arm. He paused, and his eyes narrowed. "Is this Louise?"
Eren felt his throat tighten. "Of course it is. You met her, right?"
"Briefly at the wedding." Ian looked confused, but after a moment he shook his head. "Sorry. I'm normally good at faces. I thought she had hazel eyes, not blue, and her chin ... I must be thinking of another girl, or maybe it was the poor lighting in the church. Well, have a good evening." With that, he continued down the stairs.
Eren quickly pulled Levi into the hotel room before anyone else saw them, and he locked the door behind him.
"Scheiße!"
"That man, he was in your company. Did he recognize me?"
"No, but he realized you have different colored eyes. Luckily, he thinks he just remembered wrong."
Levi glared back at the door. "Do you think he's a threat?"
Eren pouted, but he could not say for sure not. Any other person on that floor, and the soldier would have shrugged it off. Ian was strict on rules.
Levi quickly confessed, "I wouldn't mind killing that man."
Eren's mouth dropped at the pure hatred in his words.
Levi caught the shock. "Don't think I'll ever forgive him for shooting so many of my companions. He shot a child right in the head. He shot Sasha over and over again in the back. He and that bastard captain of yours are monsters. As far as I'm concerned, slitting his throat would be too merciful." He bit back saying more and grumbled, "Get my clothes."
Eren went up into the attic. Levi's clothes were dry, and he gathered them up, along with the gear he hid earlier. Levi took them to the bathroom to change while Eren called for room service. He had hoped to have a fancy dinner with Levi and make this day perfect, but that was something they could hold off on for another day.
He pulled out the bag from the shop he had run into and smiled with a tiny blush. When he heard the toilet flush, Eren hurriedly threw the bag into a drawer by his bedside. Levi walked out with the wig and shoes in his hand and a scowl of annoyance on his face.
Eren changed out of his uniform. Then they both reclined on the bed and rested after a long, stressful day. Eren's head dropped over onto Levi's shoulder, and out of habit, Levi reached up to stroke his forehead.
This all felt so comfortable and normal now.
There was a knock, and again like a habit, Levi dropped to the floor and rolled under the bed. He did not come back out until he heard the front door lock again and Eren called out softly, "It's okay."
They sat down to eat, and Levi drank the wine. It was still inferior, but any French wine was always good.
"What did you think about the city gates?" asked Eren.
Levi chewed and swallowed. "South near the train station looks like an easy escape. If we can go ahead with Yelena's plan of using Louise's papers to get me out, that drastically diminishes the chance of getting caught and shot; however, if that plan fails ... a dark enough night, preferably bad weather, maybe a little distraction ... I may want to inspect it one more time to really get the lay of the land, but yeah, I could make it through the rail yard. After that, maybe a kilometer or two of dodging patrols and I'm free."
Eren hummed dourly. "Part of me wants you to get out of here right away, to hell with Yelena and her plan." He glanced up at Levi. "Part of me is glad it's a sunny day and you can't make it out tonight."
Levi knew the feeling, and it worried him. He knew it was dangerous that he no longer liked the idea of escaping. He had grown comfortable here. When the day came, could he focus enough to leave safely? Would he be distracted by grief? Would he even be able to rip himself away from Eren?
Eren stiffened up out of the moment of weakness. "We'll check the northern gates another day. For now, we wait. If Yelena pulls through for us, that's safer, but I won't assume she's capable of doing all she says."
Levi hummed in agreement and focused on the food. He really wanted to think Yelena was capable, but he had learned not to get his hopes up when it came to the French Resistance. They had heart, they had determination, but they lacked experience.
After dinner, Levi reclined on the bed, figuring he should read a little. It was now the Sabbath, so he asked Eren to fetch the Tanakh from the attic for him. Eren climbed up with a torch to look around in the dark for the crate where he had hidden Levi's stuff. He pulled out just the Jewish book and brought it with him. However, by the time he climbed back down into his room, Levi was out cold, his head collapsed to the side on the pillows.
Eren carefully hid the Jewish book and gazed down at Levi. He looked angelic when asleep. Eren sneaked around the room, quietly pushed the cart out into the hallway, locked the door, and turned off the lights. He slipped into bed, careful not to disturb Levi.
After silently saying his nightly prayers, he whispered, "Schlaf gut und träum süß." Sleep well and sweet dreams. Then Eren settled down into his pillow and drifted off.
# # #
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Fascist-wear Fashionwear – Hitler once proclaimed "Berlin women must become the best dressed in Europe." To achieve this, he created the German Fashion Institute, Deutsches Modeamt. Hitler wanted German women to look natural and 'healthy,' but, ever the dictator, that meant getting rid of anything Hitler personally did not like.
He hated perfume, hair dye, makeup, and reminded everyone that lipstick was made of animal waste. He didn't approve of women wearing trousers because they were "too manly," discouraged the use of fur because it was cruel to animals, and believed the anorexic models in French fashion magazines were a Jewish ploy to weaken Aryan women by making them too thin and weak to bear children. Instead, German women were encouraged to be hearty, get regular exercise to prevent obesity, wear traditional dirndl dresses or bodices with long skirts, and rural women were encouraged to go around barefoot, as it was believed to make women stronger and thus better at child-birthing.
However, Levi and Eren are in France. I've seen photos of France during that time, and definitely no dirndls. Maybe the fashion secret police hadn't reached there yet.
https://www.historytoday.com/fashion-and-third-reichhttp://weheartvintage.co/2014/05/31/how-hitler-influenced-1940s-fashion
(Eren dreams of owning this )
Eren's City Car - I'm a bit of a classic car enthusiast. In fact, my first date with my husband was to a classic car show. As much as I would love for Eren to ride around in a 1938 Horch 853 Special Roadster (one of the most beautiful cars ever built) he's just a first lieutenant. In the real world, he would NOT have had a car this fancy.
Eren might get lucky enough to get a Kraftfahrzeug 15 (KFZ-15), which is based on the older Horch 830 design from the 1920s, fitted with rear wheel drive and rugged tires to improve cross-country capability.
It had a canvas top which could be put up in the rain or taken down in the summer, or when the officer in the back needed better visibility. In combat zones, some were mounted with assault guns. It's what I imagine him riding around in with Floch.
Slightly more realistically, he'd have to settle for a VW Kubelwagen, which were extremely common, with over 50,000 made during the war. Not as elegant, but it got the job done. Even the American Army concluded that it was a better design than the Jeep. (Although they retracted that opinion after the war. Because of course they did.)
.
Regarding VW, let's talk about Volkswagen and the Nazis. (The one sentence VW hates!)
(1938, Hitler inspecting the brand new Volkswagen with Ferdinand Porsche, "Life Magazine")
Before he was arrested and jailed, Adolf Hitler was too poor to buy a car, and afterward with the success of Mein Kampf, he was rich enough to always use a chauffeur. Despite never getting his driver's license, Hitler was fascinated by car designs. He wanted a car that reflected socialist ideals, a car even a poor person like he had been could afford, yet rugged enough for farmers and villagers: a "People's Car." In 1936, he sat down with Ferdinand Porsche and, using his training as an artist, Hitler drew out his idea of what the car should look like.
(Hitler's sketch of the Volkswagen is easily recognizable today)
The first Volkswagens rolled out of the factory in 1938. Ironically, the company that was meant to build cars for the common people spent their first few years mostly building vehicles for the military, using slave labor from concentration camps.
(Hitler sitting in the backseat of a VW)
Thankfully, the VW company learned from the atrocities of its founding and have sought to make reparations to the families of those they had enslaved, and to educate the next generation. The Volkswagen Group sends trainees to the Auschwitz death camp to help with the preservation of the Memorial Site and learn about its history. They joined with the Anti-Defamation League (created to combat antisemitism in America and now fights all forms of bigotry by defending civil rights around the world) to work on concepts of how to transfer the lessons learned from the past to entrepreneurial thinking and action in the present. This includes interviewing Holocaust survivors, Jewish activists, and historians.
They are a good example of a company that repented from their past mistakes and actively fights to make sure that it is never forgotten and never happens again.
https://world-war-2.wikia.org/wiki/Kraftfahrzeug_15
http://www.autogallery.org.ru/m/hh830r15.htm
https://world-war-2.wikia.org/wiki/Type_82_Kübelwagen
http://worldwartwo.filminspector.com/2014/02/vw-beetle.html
https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/volkswagen-remembers-the-victims-of-the-holocaust-6780
https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/group/intern/-weremember.html
(Kempka chauffeuring Hitler and Mussolini)
Hitler's Chauffeur
"I Was Hitler's Chauffeur" by Erich Kempka is a great memoir for people who are curious to read about the viewpoint of someone who worked every day with the Führer. Written in 1951 by a man who still saw Hitler as a hero, Kempka described Hitler as a kindhearted man who deeply loved his country, worked hard to help struggling common folk, but was "too trusting" and got used by power-hungry people around him.
The book can put readers out of their comfort zone by humanizing Hitler in a way we're not used to seeing. It paints the picture of a man who cared for the lowest workers around him, brought snacks to share around, loved animals, had a witty sense of humor, showed empathy with those who were grieving, and in general, was a caring boss who took a private interest in the well-being of his underlings.
(Hitler playing fetch with his dog Blondi)
While some feel that humanizing a man in charge of genocide is a disgrace to the victims, I think it's important to remember that Hitler was a mere human, with a good side and a bad side. As horrific as his crimes were—something Kempka never once mentioned in his book—he was not some supernatural monster of pure evil, and fictionalizing him as such gives him more power than he deserves.
In a sense, it turns him into the superhuman he desperately wanted to be.
But Hitler was not a superman. He was not all-powerful or even all-evil.
(Hitler banned this photo because it made him look average, not as an Übermensch)
He was a man who happened to experience a perfect storm of trauma and opportunity: a tragic childhood causing lifelong psychological trauma, a failed war and economic hardship making him and millions around him disgruntled, his country collapsing around him causing him to seek someone to blame, oratory skills to give himself a platform, and a dash of plain good luck that made his book popular, got him money, and put him in contact with the right circle of people, in order to reach and maintain the highest power in Germany.
A million tiny events could have happened to stop Hitler from becoming Führer, and a million tiny events are likely stopping other would-be "Hitlers" from rising to power every single day.
Any person who attacks innocent people—be it race, religion, gender, sexuality, or immigration status—all in the name of "national security," "preserving cultural heritage," or even "saving the economy," is slowly going down a similar path as Hitler. All it takes is the same bit of luck for that person to rise from obscurity to power, by simply being at the right place at the right time.
They could still be the nicest person to be around, so long as you aren't on their hate list.
(Hitler enjoying a spot of tea while cracking jokes)
The world is still full of national leaders who force minority groups into detention camps, refuse them basic human rights, force them to undergo sterilization, and turn them into slave labor. Like in Hitler's time, politicians and the media ignore what we ALL know is happening, because no one wants a war with a global superpower just to free people they know almost nothing about. (Ahem... China... Free the Uyghurs!)
The truth is, we humans haven't learned from history, and chances are high that you know at least one person who hates a group for their race, religion, ethnicity, immigration status, or sexual orientation. They merely need the sort of lucky break Hitler got to rise from obscurity and become just as tyrannical.
Kempka's memoir is a good example of the saying "even sinners are kind to their friends." It's an important reminder that monsters are sometimes the people with YOUR best interest at heart, so long as YOU are the type of person they would commit genocide to "protect."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25171427-i-was-hitler-s-chauffeur
(Sleepy dictator ... I love sharing these mocking photos of him since he was so obsessed with his public image.)