The sun filtering through the curtains was blinding, and despite Eren's attempts, he could not hide from it. No matter how hard he tried to pull the covers up, they seemed to be staying in place. Levi must have tucked in the bottom again. With his boyfriend in mind, he rolled over to search for him. In the process, he realized he was still wearing his clothes from last night. He attempted to rise and was smacked down to the bed by the pounding in his head.

"Ugh"

Although his groan was muffled by the pillow, he knew Levi would hear. Somehow, he always did. His senses were slowly fixing themselves, and the smell of bacon and eggs rushed into the room, followed by Levi himself.

"Oh good, you're awake. Get showered and get back into bed, I've got breakfast."

Eren barely saw his partner's smirk before he left. He smiled into the pillow before managing to pull himself out of bed and start stripping.

The shower was the most welcome feeling imaginable. He felt it wash away all the pain and filth. He flipped through memories of last night in his mind. Images he just about remembered and sensations that followed, until he remembered the men who had tried to kiss him. He shuddered at the thought of anyone other than Levi kissing him anywhere. A strange image flashed over his mind's eye; a tall man, rough stubble catching on soft skin, pounding bass. He shook his head, Levi would be up with breakfast soon. Eren dried quickly, ignoring the wet mess on his head. He threw the dirty laundry into the basket and tried to tidy the bed before crawling back between the plump bed sheets. While he scrolled through his phone, he could smell the breakfast moving close. He smiled; it had been forever since he and Levi had just relaxed together. At the sound of the door opening, Eren put his phone aside, and instead admired the love of his life walking through the door. Levi's bed head was one of the finer ones Eren had seen, sticking up at angles that were previously unknown to man. He could not help but allow his mind to fall back to how everything started and how they got here. It seemed so long ago, and Eren could honestly say he was surprised things were still going so well. It was a huge comfort for him knowing that he could rely on Levi for everything.

"Judging from the fact that you slept in your clothes, I'll assume you had a good night?"

Levi was next to him with their breakfast tray.

"Yeah, it was good! Would have been better with you though."

Eren smiled at the older man and was rewarded with a light peck on the cheek.

"You don't have to butter me up, I already made you breakfast"

The two ate as Eren retold the more dramatic events of the night, primarily Connie's drunken staggering towards some guy he thought was Jean for a brief comment on Armin's backside. Levi nodded along; he still found it strange that this is what his former students were doing. Then again, that's what he did at their age too. Reminders of their age gap hung over him again. Somehow, while lost in thought, Eren had moved the tray and plates and was pulling Levi to cuddle close to him. Levi, however, had different ideas. He swung his leg over Eren's and settled back on Eren's shins. The younger man smiled as hands trailed over his thighs.

"It's been a while, you know."

Eren smirked.

"Didn't think you'd wait this long, old man"

They acted together, as if knowing the others intentions. Their kiss was hungry, demanding, so close to begging. It had been so long for them, and Eren could feel the bulge in Levi's pyjamas grinding against his thigh. He felt the older man's gasps of pleasure in their kiss but needed him closer. He gripped Levi's hips and pulled him close, the friction causing Levi to gasp louder that before. Hands tangled in one another's hair, they twisted and moved, and without warning, Levi was pulling Eren's shoulders, and Eren was more than willing to oblige. He pushed the shorter man back onto the bed and immediately set to kissing lines over his throat. Everything was forgotten, last night, even breakfast. Levi's presence consumed him and his lust filled eyes were nothing short of begging Eren to fuck him. But Levi was never submissive, no matter how close Eren got to becoming the dominant one. In a swift motion, Levi turned them so Eren was on his back, and in another, Levi's kisses peppered over his chest and slowly moved towards his neck. Eren let out small moans and bucked his hips, craving friction. Levi stopped.

"Don't be a teeeeeease!"

Levi pushed back off of him, he even went as far as to get off the bed.

"That's so unfair! Why would yo-"

"Why do you have hickeys?"

Eren felt ice cold fear flood into his stomach.

"I-"

He tried desperately to remember. Why?

He gasped as he remembered the last guy he had danced with. One who had gotten closer than the others, had grinded his thigh between Eren's legs and left him craving. One who sucked on his neck while holding him firmly by the backside. One that kissed him only once.

"Levi, I'm so sorry, I forgot-"

"You forgot?! What did you forget exactly? That you cheated on me? Again?!"

"Levi, it's not like that!"

"Then what is it, Eren?! For months, every time you've come home, you've reeked of other men! You don't even talk to me! I've done everything I can, I don't know what more I can do when you don't even seem interested! And now you've come home with hickeys?! Actual love bites from another man! That's not normal, Eren! If you want to leave, just fucking do it and stop acting like I'm holding you back."

His voice broke on the last word and Levi left. Eren threw a bathrobe on and ran after him, He knew he'd be in the kitchen, making tea. And sure enough, when he got into the kitchen, Levi was just pouring the water.

"I don't want to speak with you right now, Eren."

"You have to let me explain."

"There is NO explanation for cheating."

"I didn't cheat!"

"Then what?! A magical man with a vacuum for a mouth tripped and latched onto your neck?"

Eren frowned.

"Can you just stop for one second?! I'm trying to explain! We were just dancing! I don't know how he left these stupid things and I don't know why! I remember him kissing me and me pushing him off and that's it!"

"How close do you dance with people, Eren? Really? Do you just grind on everything with a dick?"

"Jesus, no! It was just dancing, just fun!"

"And that's every night you go out? You dance and have fun and come home stinking of cheap bodyspray. Do you want them?"

Levi's anger disappeared but desperation crossed his face.

"What, no, I love you!"

"But you're bored, right? They're your age, having fun, dancing, and you're practically settled with an old man."

Levi's defences dropped completely, instead he took to sipping tea between responses. His heart was pounding while he waited, and he felt close to heaving.

"Levi, no. I'm not…bored. I just…we have different interests. You don't like going out."

"But, you're saying these guys do. Does that mean they're more suitable?

"No, of course not, I love you, Levi. Not anyone else. I love you for you."

"But why do you love me, Eren?"

The question left Eren gaping. It felt like a bullet had just rushed through his chest.

"Well… I don't know, a lot of reasons.

"Tell me them."

Eren grasped in his brain desperately to explain.

"I think that you're too young for this, Eren."

Eren tried to protest but Levi raised a hand.

"You don't love me." He smiled sadly "You tried to. And I was there when you needed me to be and that helped. I was what you needed; support, protection, a lover, but now I'm not. I don't think you love me anymore."

"Levi, Levi, no, please don't say that, it's nothing like that, please."

"Then tell me why. I can tell you straight away why I love you. Because you're kind, sweet, intelligent. You try your hardest for everyone and put your heart into everything you do. You're a fighter, a rebel, you never give up, no matter what the consequences. You're beautiful, in every light, with and without clothing. You put so much of yourself into your kisses and touches, and even more of yourself into the moments after. I love your little snores, your loud ones, how indiscreet your morning touches are. You're kind, and interested, you listen, and you voice your opinion so well. You're perfect…" Levi looked away with tear filled eyes "…but not for me."

"Let me change, I'll stop going out, I'll go back to before!"

Eren's begging was loud, but still didn't convince Levi to look at him.

"Levi, please, I don't want this to end, let's try at least."

Now he was crying too.

"You're doing this for familiarity, not love."

"Levi, I love you! I really do, why can't you accept that?!"

"If you love someone, you don't go out accepting kisses and hickeys, I don't think you should even be as close as you clearly were."

"I didn't accept them!"

"Eren…I don't want to fight about this. I hate fighting, but I also don't want you to feel forced with me. I understand that relationships relax after a while. They turn into something almost routine and that's not bad. It's not bad to feel the need for stability, but you don't have that. I do. I want to settle down, get married, I still want to travel, but I want all these things with you. Just you. For me, there is no "what if I meet someone else?" or "what if we break up?" or anything like that. I just want to be settled with you. But I feel like you don't want that. Or at least, are not ready for it." He let out a sigh. "I don't want you to be with me for familiarity's sake. I want you to be with me because you want those things too. I don't know if we can work through this age difference without acknowledging what we both want, and if we want very different things, then I see little point in continuing. I'm not saying I want us to break up. But I'm saying we might need to."

Levi took another sip of his tea. He hated saying everything he had to, but he knew otherwise, they would be going in circles. Eren's face said he knew Levi was right, and the tears that were streaming down his face said he didn't like it. The sight had Levi's heart breaking and at any other time, he would have wrapped his arms around the younger man and stayed there until it was okay. But they had to be grown-ups now.

"I don't want us to break up."

Eren's words were filled with sadness.

"I want to stay with you, Levi, I want to settle with you, can we please try? Can we try? I won't dance with other guys, or let them near me, I want you, I just want you." His tears made it difficult to hear, but Levi understood. He liked to think that was a sign of their connection.

"I want to try too."

Eren crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Levi, pulling him close as if he was going to disappear at any moment. Even though he was glad they were trying, as he wrapped his arms around Eren, he couldn't help but think this wouldn't be enough to save them. He wished he could forget the words as Eren sought kisses, and he hoped that the Gods would smile on them and help them get through.

The day progressed awkwardly. Eren's sniffling had not really stopped and Levi drank cup after cup of tea. By the evening, Levi was beginning to wonder if he should leave Eren alone for a while. That is, until the younger man marched into the living room in his pyjamas with a blanket.

"Are you cold? We can turn on the heating."

"No, I think we should put our phones away and cuddle."

It was a strange demand, given how long it had been since they had cuddled, but Levi decided to humour him.

"Should I change too?"

"Yup! While you're gone, I'll set everything up."

Levi changed quickly, unsure what to expect from Eren at this point. He certainly seemed happier than he had all day, and Levi couldn't help but hope that this would be a good first step to improvement.

By the time he returned, Eren had turned the couch into a cosy nest for them, and had loaded up "Friends" on Netflix. Episode one, season one. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Eren looked excited to see him. The two cuddled close as the all too familiar song played, and everything felt so normal. Well almost. Every so often, the marks left by the other man peeped over Eren's t-shirt, and Levi would feel his stomach drop again. After a few episodes, Levi felt himself wanting Eren a little closer. Even though they were already a spool of tangled limbs, Levi twisted a little, landing chin to head with Eren.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Cuddle you, brat."

Eren smiled and looked down.

"This is nice."

Levi's face softened.

"Yeah, it is."

Eren planted little kisses on Levi's cheeks before pressing their foreheads together,

"I really like this."

Levi nodded and stretched up to close the gap between them.

The kiss was an innocent one, pure love and adoration.

Certainly a fine first step.