Author Note: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin nor its characters.

YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING. HOLY CRAP. All these reviews and all of your nice words is just wow. I can't believe it. It's surreal that I've written 12 chapters now and that people actually like it. Every time I see an e-mail saying I have a new review I squeal and smile so big, I swear my face will break in two. I wish I could hug all of you, because you're all so wonderful.

Okay, so here's some more development. I hope I'm not going too fast with it? Maybe I'm just super eager to get to the fluff and whatnot.

I hope it's okay. ^^;


Mikasa almost became annoying with her incessant worrying as two days passed by without Eren going to school. He had gotten away with the first day, because he really was sick. The second day was a whole different story, though. She figured out that Eren was skipping and she kept asking him what was wrong, but he wouldn't budge. He wasn't about to tell her that he got rejected while he was half delirious with fever and he sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that it was by the school nurse.

The third day rolled around and Eren realized that he needed to go back to school. He was already a little behind in his Chemistry class, because he kept skipping it in order to watch a certain older male clean. That being said, he needed to confront Levi. After two days of thinking back on Levi's words, Eren knew that Levi was right. Eren was under the age of consent and he was also a student in Levi's place of work. That's two things going against them and when Eren calmed down enough to think rationally, he knew that Levi was being perfectly reasonable.

Though, he should've been a bit nicer about it.

Despite knowing that Levi made the rational decision, Eren couldn't settle for it. So Eren decided to get up extra early in order to get to school in plenty of time before first period started. Eren was hoping that, with Levi's meticulous nature, the nurse would be there early to make sure everything was as he had left it. If Eren could have just ten minutes of the man's time then maybe he could clear some things up and maybe even change his mind.

Shouldering his backpack, he grabbed an apple before heading out the door. Mikasa called out to him, but he ignored her question and jogged out to the street before she could catch up. The sky was still a little dark despite the time and Eren almost wished he could enjoy this darkness all the time. It wasn't so dark that he couldn't see, but it wasn't so bright that it blinded him. It was a muted light that was one of the aspects that made Eren love winter so much. The crisp air made Eren snuggle into his jacket instinctually, but it was another reason why Eren loved this season so he straightened up to enjoy the temperature.

When he made it to the school, he detoured to look into the employee's parking lot. The shiny Nissan Altima was sitting plain as day in the same spot it's always parked in. The assurance that Levi was indeed at the school already made Eren quicken his pace. The sooner he got to the nurse's office, the longer he had to talk to Levi.

As he was nearing the wooden door, his pace slowed down considerably. He didn't know how Levi would react and he was scared that Levi wouldn't hear him out. Eren's heart was pounding in his chest and his stomach was twisting into knots from the anxiety to the point that he was worried he would be sick right in the middle of the hallway. Thankfully there was no one around to see his mini panic attack.

Eren stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes in order to get his thoughts under control.

Okay, I acknowledge my anxiety and my self-doubt. They are very real, valid emotions.

He inhales deeply through his nose before exhaling slowly through his mouth. He used to have panic attacks daily after his mother passed away and had to go to a therapist once a week to work through the grief. One technique that has stuck with him throughout the years was acknowledging his thoughts and then letting them pass. This technique was hard for him to utilize at first, because once a panic attack began it was hard to stop his thoughts from spiraling down into a large hole of negativity. Eventually he got the hang of it and the panic attacks began to come less frequently since then. If only he could have utilized the techniques for controlling his anger more easily.

Eren takes in another deep breath before knocking on the door to the nurse's office. A muffled "come in" reaches his ears and he takes one last calming breath before opening the door tentatively. He sees Levi as soon as he opens the door and he silently sends thanks to whatever higher power that is out there that Levi is sitting at his desk with his back to the door. Eren closes the door as quietly and quickly as he can and locks the door. At the sound of the lock sliding into place, Levi flinches and turns around to see Eren with his back to the door.

"What the fuck are you doing, Jaeger?"

Eren notes the hint of anger in Levi's voice, but chooses to ignore it, "I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Levi's response is cold and calculated. Eren knew that Levi knew exactly what he wanted to talk about.

"The other day."

"What about the other day, Jaeger?" Eren watched as the muscle in Levi's jaw jump as he spoke.

"You know what I'm talking about, Levi." Levi's eyebrow twitched at Eren's use of his first name.

"I believe I already said what I needed to."

Eren nodded his head and folded his arms across his chest before responding, "Yeah, but I didn't get a chance to say what I needed to and I've been avoiding school because of it."

Eren watched as Levi slouched into his office chair and folded his hands over his stomach. "I don't see why that's my problem."

Eren could feel his impatience begin to grow as Levi brushed him off. This man couldn't begin to understand how much he affects Eren in the least. Here he was looking like he could give a shit less that Eren had confessed to him just a couple of days ago. Or that he made Eren cry his eyes out with his harsh rejection. Eren almost decided that it wasn't even worth getting his heart broken a second time.

Almost.

That wasn't like Eren at all, though. He wasn't the type to just give up because the road got a little bumpy. No, he was one of those maniacs that dive right into something over and over until he got the results he wanted.

"Look, I'm going to say what I need to say and then I'll leave you alone for good."

Levi's eyebrows rose and a hint of a slight curve to his lips appeared for a brief second before he nodded his head and waved his arm out in front of him as if to say that Eren had the floor.

"The other day I told you something while I was out of it. I only remember bits and pieces before getting to the apartment, but that conversation we had is clear as day. I want to clear something up."

Levi nods his head again, indicating that Eren should continue. Eren takes in a huge breath and lets it out slowly before continuing.

"I don't love you. No, wait, let me finish," Eren raises his hand motioning for Levi to stop before any sound could come out of the older male's mouth, "I don't love you, but I do like you. I've never loved someone and I honestly don't know what love is, but I know for sure that I like you. I understand why you rejected me the other day. I understand why you're probably going to reject me today, but I just wanted to clear things up while I'm healthy so that you can't chalk it up to me being sick. And for god's sake, I'm not 5 years old. I'm 17, going on 18 in a few months and I know the difference between admiration and infatuation."

Eren watches Levi's mouth close with a click and Eren prays that this next part will go just as smoothly.

"Levi, I like you a lot. I understand age of consent and I understand how unprofessional it'd be to date a student while you worked here. That being said, I want to know that if those factors weren't into play, would you even consider giving me a shot?"

Eren continues to silently pray as he watches Levi's lips press into a thin line. Neither of them says a word for a few minutes and Eren begins to panic because he's running out of time.

"The fact is that those factors are into play, Jaeger. If they weren't, then maybe I would give you a shot. But this is the real world and laws are laws for a reason, no matter how much you don't like it."

This was the answer Eren expected and he pushed himself off the door to walk and stand in front of Levi. Levi looked up at him and instead of continuing to tower over the older male, Eren squatted down to look up at him. Eren was going to be bold and he was going to be forward, because he had nothing left to lose.

"What if I said that I know a way to work around those things? Would you be willing to work with me?"


Levi peered down at the teen and watched the resolve and hope shine through those captivating eyes. Eren had shown him a surprising amount of maturity in the past few minutes and Levi couldn't handle it. How dare this teen get the best of him? How dare he stand there so confident and so understanding and so fucking irresistible while Levi's been fending off his inner demons, who have been trying to eat away at him for the past few weeks. It wasn't fucking fair.

"How would we work around the law?" Levi gave the boy an incredulous stare, but it didn't seem to damper Eren's spirit.

"Age of consent is solely about having sexual interactions, right?" Levi watched Eren blush and look away for a brief second before facing him again with that intense stare. "Who's to say that we're even going to be doing anything like that before I turn 18? And I graduate in a little over a year, and then you wouldn't have to worry about your job. I mean, we could keep it on the down low and no one will ever know?"

This brat.

"So let me get this straight. You want me to be in a relationship with you, forgo sex until you're 18, and hide the fact that I have a relationship with a student for a year and a half? What makes you think that I want a relationship with you in the first place?"

The teen became flustered and looked away once again, "I thought you said you would give me a shot. Doesn't that mean you like me too? Then there's the kiss and the way you act around me, I just assumed…"

Levi swore as he remembered that he had indeed kissed the teen and Eren was obviously not going to chalk it up to Levi being tired or some stupid excuse like that. Levi leaned forward and grasped Eren's jaw making Eren turn to look at him with huge, sea-green eyes. "You know what they say about assuming, right? I might like you, kid, but you're still a kid. I don't know why you would like an old geezer like me and I don't know if you honestly know the difference between admiration and infatuation. Do you really know what you're asking of me?"

Levi observed Eren as he processed everything that Levi had just said. The boy took a few minutes before responding and Levi was glad that he wasn't taking all day because the bell for first period was going to ring shortly. Levi did not want to wait all day to get an answer and all the sudden he felt like he was the one who just confessed and was waiting to see if he would be rejected. How did things turn out like this? Why is that every time he interacted with Eren things always got all confused and backwards?

"I completely understand what I'm asking of you. I've had a couple of days to think about it and I know that I truly want what I'm asking. I've actually never wanted something this badly in a long time."

Levi searches Eren eyes to see if there is even a hint of a lie, but all he sees is determination and honesty.

I thought I escaped temptation. I thought that I had put an end to this the other day and that there was no way he would even come near me again. Now here he is, being all mature and shit. How do I ignore this when what I want is being handed to me on a silver platter?

Levi shuts off his internal dialogue without a second thought and leans forward in his chair. Eren looks at him with a bewildered expression, but Levi keeps a firm grasp on his jaw. Levi's lips were hovering over Eren's and before he closed the distance between them, Levi let out a low chuckle and took note of the shiver that passed through Eren's body as Levi's breath caressed the boy's lips.

"Yeah, me too."


End Note:

Yeah, so it's almost 4am here and I keep dozing off. Later today I'll come back and edit if I need to. Sorry if there's any obvious typos or errors. I just wanted to get this chapter out before it got busy with Christmas stuff with my family.

Thank you for reading! Until next chapter~