It was supposed to be a romantic evening. Levi had taken Eren out for dinner, and then they walked along together, hand in hand as the sun started to set. Eren had been all smiles, and talked to Levi about his day at work animatedly, until someone decided to make a comment in the street.

"Oi, is that you, Jaeger?" A voice slurred from the doorway of a nearby pub. They jammed a fat finger in Eren's direction. "You're a fuckin' fairy?" The man wiped his dribbling mouth on the back of his hairy arm.

"Eren?" Levi murmured quietly. He caught Eren's eyes before they flicked nervously back to the fat drunk in the doorway.

"Your ol' mum would be rollin' in 'er grave if she knew! A fuckin' dirty fag." The man put the pint of lager in his oversized fist on the ground and waddled his way towards Eren.

"Let's go." Levi gently tugged Eren's hand and grimaced at the sweating man making his way over.

"You're fuckin' disgustin' you lot are. Shit-eating pricks with a loud mouth!" The man stormed up to Eren and shoved his sausage finger in Eren's face.

"Fuck off, you fat twat." Eren growled.

Levi felt Eren's hand squeeze his tightly as he bristled. The other man splutter and spit flew from his mouth as he started to yell in Eren's face. He jabbed Eren's shoulder. His face got redder as he got more and more irritated with Eren's presence. Eren leaned his face away slightly to avoid the fountain of spit that was pouring from the other man's mouth like an impromptu shower. Levi grimaced and tried to tug Eren away, but he was having none of it.

"You made a choice to be disgustin'! You filthy idiots don't deserve to live, it's sickening. I'm glad your mum's dead," The man spat as Eren froze, "because at least she didn't see that her son turned into a dirty faggot!"

"You stop right now, you vile pig. You've talked enough shit, and I'm getting bored of your unoriginal attempts at insults. If you would care to go fuck yourself, and leave me and my boyfriend alone, it would be much appreciated." Levi replied calmly as he pulled Eren away from the drunk.

The man spluttered and tried to grab Eren, but Levi's hand shot out and twisted the man's wrist down and to the side. The drunkard groaned in pain and yelped to let him go, as he snarled and spat at them. Levi held a secure arm around Eren and steered him away and back towards home. Eren stayed silent. He felt sick, and…. Dirty. He felt a need to take a hot shower, and he needed to get clean. He shivered as he felt spit slide down his face. The sound of Levi's keys in the door brought Eren out of his thoughts.

"Eren." Levi said softly. "Are you okay?"

"No." Eren shook his head and walked inside their home.

"Let me help." Levi reached to help Eren out of his jacket, but Eren jerked away from him and shook his head violently.

"No!" Eren shouted and stared at the floor.

"What's wrong, Eren? Tell me, please?" Levi frowned and took a step closer to Eren.

"Just leave me alone!"

"Why are you shouting at me? I didn't do anything." Levi took off his coat and shoes.

"Exactly." Eren snapped and tore off his jacket.

"What?" Levi stared at Eren with wide eyes.

"You didn't really do anything, did you?" Eren gritted his teeth.

Levi frowned and looked off to the side. "What did you want me to do? Pick a fight with him?" Levi looked at Eren. "He was drunk, Eren."

"Doesn't mean you just stand to the side and let him spout that shit!" Eren clenched his fists.

"Look," Levi sighed and folded his arms, "let's just talk this out calmly."

"I don't want to talk it out!" Eren stamped his foot childishly.

"Fine, okay." Levi nodded and unfolded his arms. He shrugged and went into the living room and left Eren in the hallway.

Eren gritted his teeth and grunted in frustration. He hung his coat up and ripped his shoes off. Carelessly, his shoes were thrown against the wall, and Eren stomped off towards the bathroom and hurriedly set up the shower. When the water was warm enough, Eren jumped in and got to scrubbing himself as roughly as he could, and made his skin red. He gritted his teeth and stood under the hot spray and tried to forget what had happened after dinner. He knew that Levi didn't mean to upset him, but it pissed him off that Levi had pretty much just stood there as someone yelled verbal abuse at him. He thought that Levi should have jumped in, but maybe he should try to just forget it. Would Eren have jumped in if that had happened to Levi? Well, yeah, but maybe Levi didn't want to start a fight, like he'd suggested. Maybe Levi was just looking out for him, but not in the way that Eren had been wanting.

The shower was turned off and Eren climbed out. He dried himself off and shuffled into his bedroom to throw on some jogging bottoms and a loose shirt. He sighed and frowned at himself. He'd snapped at Levi and it wasn't even called for. He thumped down onto the bed and rested his head in his hand. Eren was probably a bit out of line. Now he felt really bad. His stomach was flipping from what had spilled from the drunk man's mouth, and now also the guilt that was settling in as he realised what a dick he'd been to Levi. His tanned hands twisted in the freshly changed sheets, and Eren bit his lip. He chewed his lip and ended up pulling skin off of his lip, causing a small trickle of blood to drip onto his tongue. He winced and put his finger to his lip. He saw the tell-tale smear of red and sucked on his lip.

One pair of washed hands later, and Eren was inching into the living room. Levi sat on the settee with his head leaned back and his eyes closed. His eyebrows were furrowed into a small frown, and his hands were laced together on his stomach. Eren slouched over behind the settee, and stood near Levi. One steely eye cracked open and looked at Eren. A tanned hand reached out and brushed Levi's pale cheek as Eren's green eyes grazed over Levi slowly. He stepped forward, and noticed that Levi had opened both of his eyes. Levi turned in his seat and gently reached up to entwine his fingers with Eren's. He raised Eren's tanned hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. Grey eyes darted up to check with Eren that it was okay, and was met by a gentle smile. Levi used Eren's hand to hide the smile on his lips, and he heard Eren chuckle above him.

"Hey." Eren mumbled and cupped Levi's cheek. He tilted Levi's head up to face him.

"Hey." Levi murmured.

Eren stroked Levi's cheek with his thumb. He walked around the settee and sat on Levi's laps, legs both sides of Levi's hips, and looped his arms around Levi's neck. Levi lifted their joined hand up and rested his cheek against them. Eren smiled as he was filled with a surge of love for the person in front of him. The way that Levi tried to be patient with Eren, even if he was being a little shit, amazed Eren. It baffled him how Levi hadn't left him for someone easier to deal with. He loved how even if Levi was clumsy and awkward with words, he found a way to express what he meant, be it making Eren some breakfast while he sleeps in, or giving Eren a fluffy blanket after an all-nighter. Sometimes Eren woke up to find that he'd been tucked into bed, or a little note had been left for him to tell him where Levi had gone. Eren couldn't help but fall in love with someone so fantastic. He struggled to truly describe his feelings for Levi, other than just undeniably, and hopelessly smitten with Levi.

He remembered one morning when he'd woken up to find Levi sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, and his fingers gripping his hair tightly. He'd asked what was wrong, and found, after a short interrogation, that Levi was worried that Eren would think he was old. Eren, naturally, became confused and asked why, again. Eren turned Levi to face him and found what Levi was stressing about; a single grey hair. Levi had found a grey hair, and it had worried him to the point that he thought Eren would leave him. Like the perfect boyfriend Eren tried to be, he shook his head, telling Levi he was being stupid, and then he held Levi's face gently between his hands as he told Levi that he wouldn't leave him, ever. A simple grey hair would not scare Eren away, Eren had no doubt about that. Eren even murmured into Levi's ear, 'You'd be a silver fox' and laid kisses down Levi's neck. Levi had chuckled and tried to brush Eren off, but his kisses were relentless. He didn't stop until he was sure that Levi knew he had nothing to worry about.

Levi's warm hands under his shirt brought Eren back to the current time. Eren shivered and his eyes focused on the questioning eyes that were staring him down. He tilted his head, and Levi followed suit. Levi's lip quirked up into a smile and he rubbed soothing patterns into Eren's back as he just looked at Eren, and admired the soft skin under his fingertips. Eren leaned forwards and buried his face in Levi's neck.

"Sorry." Eren whispered.

"I am too." Levi played with the hair at the bottom of Eren's neck.

"I shouldn't have snapped." Eren squeezed his arms behind Levi and wrapped them around Levi's waist tightly.

"I should have stepped in." Levi ran one hand up and down Eren's back.

"Yeah, but what I did was uncalled for." Eren lifted his head and frowned at Levi.

"It was still wrong to just let that shit say that about…"

"Shhh." Eren shook his head and put his finger over Levi's lips. He swallowed thickly and sniffed. "No."

Levi's eyes widened as Eren's eyes welled up with shining tears, and he took in stuttered breaths. Eren tried to swallow the sobs that rose in his throat like vomit, but when Levi pulled him close and murmured sweet things in his ear, he couldn't help but let the dam loose, and to spill hot tears on Levi's shoulder. Levi's shoulder was quickly soaked, but he ignored it in favour of trying to soothe Eren. He pressed a kiss against Eren's temple and held him tight.

"It's okay, Eren. He's wrong. He's just some fat-ass without a brain, he doesn't matter." Levi spoke softly in Eren's ear as he gently rubbed Eren's back.

"I-I'm sorry, L-Levi." Eren's lip trembled as he pulled back to look at Levi.

Levi simply shook his head and wiped Eren's tears away with his thumbs. A tender kiss was placed on Eren's nose, and Levi's hands held Eren's face delicately, like he was a new born child, or a precious diamond, and it made Eren hiccup as his heart swelled and he smiled. Eren covered one of Levi's hands with his own and leaned his cheek into Levi's hand as he closed his eyes. He kissed Levi's thumb and just took a moment to appreciate Levi. Every part of Levi was warm, and he treated Eren so sweetly that it gave Eren toothache. Levi's hand was a little rough from wrestling criminals while he was out on patrol, and there were small scars littered on his hands like stars, from some times when a knife had been whipped out. To think that those hands had stopped deaths, and helped children find their parents made something warm in Eren's chest. Eren opened his eyes, and saw the way that Levi's eyes turned to liquid steel as he looked at Eren with a tenderness that Eren craved.

"You okay?" Levi's eyes searched Eren's.

Eren shrugged and stroked the back of Levi's hand that was still against his cheek.

"Do you want to talk?"

"Not about that." Eren murmured.

"What would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know." Eren shook his head.

Eren sat back on Levi's lap, as Levi brought his hands down to Eren's sides and then slipped one hand into Eren's hair and pulled him down for a kiss. A hum slipped through Eren's lips which made Levi chuckle and trail kisses from Eren's lips to his jaw. Eren smiled and twitched as the ghostlike touches tickled, and he chorded his fingers through Levi's hair, gently massaging his head. Levi hummed and gave Eren a quick kiss to get Eren's full attention. Eren nibbled Levi gently and met Levi hungrily. He shifted in Levi's lap to get more comfortable, and heard Levi let out a grunt. Eren snickered and pulled back to look at Levi as he bit the tip of his tongue and teasingly smirked at him. Thin eyebrows rose as a smirk twitched onto Levi's lips, Eren was being a sneaky little shit, and Levi wanted to repay him. Levi grabbed Eren and pulled him down by his hips, and leaned forward to nip Eren's ear, and Eren let out a squeak.

"Levi!" Eren let out a laugh and tensed his shoulder as he brought his shoulder up to his ear.

"What?" Levi acted nonchalant.

"That tickled." Eren smiled and thumped Levi's chest hard enough for him to feel it, but not to actually hurt him.

"Oh? Did it? I didn't know it would." Levi deadpanned and rose his eyebrows slightly in fake surprise.

"Don't bullshit me, Levi." Eren laughed.

Levi nodded and kissed Eren's forehead. Eren curled up in Levi's arms and latched his hand onto Levi's tightly, as his eyes drifted closed. His breathing evened out and Levi brushed his fingers over Eren's face in admiration. He brushed the hair from Eren's face and earned himself a sleepy smile as he gave Eren one last kiss, before he settled onto the settee and closed his own eyes. If he could be squashed between Eren and the settee for eternity, it would be heaven, to just stay in this comfortable moment, where he knew he was loved. He felt lucky to have someone that he was afraid to lose.