Here's chapter twelve for you guys. Get ready to meet the extended family! and Thanksgiving pt 1 is in this chapter. Happy Reading! Don't forget to Review! ~HeartQueenVivaldi
Never Regret
Chapter 12
Monday morning Eren woke up next to Levi in his bed in the guest room. Levi had his arms around Eren from behind, and Eren could tell he was awake because he continued to change the strength of his grip around Eren's waist. Eren smiled, remembering the night before with a sort of fuzzy clarity.
They had gone to the most popular bar in town that bordered on being a club. There was a small dance floor, and played the most popular music. Levi and Eren had a couple drinks and soon Eren was dragging Levi out to dance. Surprisingly enough, Levi didn't protest, and thanks to his music background, was a really good dancer. They danced and had a few drinks. They made out in a corner, and eventually Levi decided it would be wise to get them back to Eren's parent's house before they did something really crazy.
When they returned, they were both tipsy enough that common sense was not much of a factor, especially for Eren. It was late, and the house was silent and dark. They stumbled upstairs to burst into Eren's room, both stripping as they went. Luckily none of their clothes were left outside, and all ended up in Eren's room. Levi came to his senses long enough to realize they were both drunk and should not be having sex in that state, and that they were both disgusting.
Levi had, instead of letting Eren have his way, pushed him into the bathroom connecting their rooms and into the tub. Eren, of course, pulled him in too, and they made out in the tub until Levi insisted they wash when the water started to get cold. He took really good care of Eren, and the brunet couldn't help but smile at the memory.
As Eren returned to the present he took stock of his situation. Levi was behind him with his arms around his waist, and Eren could feel his morning wood pressing into the back of his thighs. They were both still naked from the night before. Eren giggled, turning in Levi's arms to give him a peck on the lips.
"What are you laughing at, Brat?" Levi clearly had a pet peeve about morning breath because he wouldn't let Eren kiss him again. One was all he would get in the mornings apparently.
"You were just so sweet last night while I was drunk."
"You were pretty drunk. How are you feeling this morning?"
"My head hurts a little, but I'm okay." Eren smiled again, cuddling up closer to Levi, "I've had worse. I'm surprised you aren't hung over, too."
"I didn't have as much to drink as you did," Levi stroked Eren's hair.
"Yes you did. Don't even pretend you didn't."
"I'm not pretending. I had about half as much as you did. Had I drank as much as you, you would have woken up with a sore back and ass this morning. I would have let you have your way."
Eren blushed at the thought of them in the bath last night, and how wanton he had probably sounded as he begged Levi to just do it already. But, no. Levi had more self-control than any human should ever have.
Eren was about to protest when a solid knock sounded on the door. Grisha's voice came through, "Hey boys, Carla has breakfast ready. Get dressed and come eat."
Eren blushed a furious shade of red that his dad somehow knew that he was both in Levi's room, and that neither of them were dressed, "Okay dad!" Eren yelled back, and his dad's footsteps retreated down the stairs. "How the hell did he know that?" the brunet looked up at Levi, who was just as confused.
"I don't know, but we should make this quick so as not to arouse more suspicion."
"Agreed." Eren flew out of the bed, running his naked butt through the bathroom and into his own room to throw some sweatpants on.
When he emerged from his room, Levi was there waiting for him, and they went down to breakfast. Carla was just putting eggs on everyone's plates as they sat down. In both Levi and Eren's spots were glasses of water and two Advil each. Eren looked up to his mom in question, and she responded to his look, "I figured you two would be hung over pretty good after last night. I know for sure Eren was drunk because he had zero ability to whisper. You woke us all up."
Eren blushed, thanking his mom and taking the Advil. Levi gave her the pills back, "I didn't drink enough for that. I don't need them, but thank you for the thought."
Carla smiled, "at least one of you has some self-control around the alcohol."
Mikasa snickered into her hand, suppressing a laugh. Eren glared back at her. For the first time since getting there for the holiday, the meal went smoothly with no arguments. When everyone finished Carla spoke directly to Eren and Levi, "Boys, I have some information for you. Grandma and Grandpa Jaeger are going to be here for Thanksgiving this year. Eren, you know what that means, right?"
"Yeah. They need Levi's guest room or my bedroom."
"Correct. But as usual, my mom will be here as well. Can you guess where I'm going with this?"
Eren nodded, understanding, "Yeah, she will need the other one. So where are you putting me and Levi?"
"I hope it's okay for me to assume this, and let me know if it's not, but I was wondering if you two would be willing to share the bed in the room downstairs until Friday? Now, they won't be here until tomorrow, so you can stay where you are for now, but tomorrow we need to have you two out of those rooms. I'm sorry to do that to you two, but you know your grandparents. I know that doesn't make me a very good host, Levi. I should have foreseen this. Can you forgive me for making you switch rooms?"
Levi nodded, "Of course. It's not a big deal. I am simply a guest. I'll do as you tell me to. And I'm okay sharing a bed with Eren, if he's okay with it that is."
Eren nodded, too, "yeah, that would be okay." Then Eren remembered something important, "Oh, yeah. Levi and I are leaving on Friday as well."
"Why is that?" Grisha asked.
Levi replied to the question, "there are a few things I left at my house that I need for a project for the end of term. The drive is quite long, so I can't really make it a day trip. We thought we would just make a weekend out of it."
"I supposed that makes sense," Grisha nodded in understanding, "What things do you need?"
"My guitar is the main thing, and I couldn't believe I forgot it back at the beginning of the semester. I've made due without it, but I have found in the last week that I'm actually going to need it. I could buy another, but mine is perfectly fine, so there's no point in that. A few other things that are much more trivial, that if I hadn't needed the guitar I would have just bought more or done without."
"Alright," Carla nodded, "we will be sad to see you go so early, but you do what you have to do."
"Thank you."
The rest of the day went smoothly. Levi played the piano for Eren and his family, and everyone enjoyed the time of quiet, watching Levi's hands dance across the keys. They made treats, watched a movie, helped Carla with meals, and spent the day doing whatever they wished.
Eren slept in Levi's bed again that night, and decided he quite liked the idea of sleeping with the raven-haired man. It was warm and comfortable, and he found himself never wanting to leave Levi's arms in the morning.
But alas, they had to arise and start the day. They started with breakfast again, and then moved to pack up again and move themselves down to the basement room. There was only one guest room in the basement, and it was rarely ever used, but Carla had said she cleaned it the day before, so it was ready for them. As they walked down the stairs, Eren came up with a question for Levi, "I meant to ask you what you and Mikasa talked about the other day when you were in the library?"
He made it a question at the end, and Levi sighed as Eren opened the door to the guest room, which was actually quite spacious for being in the basement, "She apologized for not giving me a chance, and told me she would try to understand me. She also told me that if I ever hurt you she would murder me, which I accept. I also decided to tell her about us being blood-related cousins. She was shocked to say the least. She almost immediately knew who I was at that point, calling my one of Kenny's boys. I was surprised she remembered that much, as she was so young at the time. She didn't know all the details but she knew that much. I gave her the information she needed to know, and that was it."
"That's it?" Eren asked.
"Pretty much." Levi put his bag on the chair in the corner, as both of them had decided not to completely unpack and more or less just live out of their duffle bags. They took out their toiletries, and left the rest.
"I expected to have to save one of you from being murdered."
"Whys that?"
"Because you are both Ackerman's and stubborn as hell," Eren stated as if he were telling Levi the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
For the first time ever, Eren heard Levi truly laugh. He had a genuine smile on his face, and Eren practically melted at the sight, "I guess that's true, isn't it," Levi said when he stopped laughing. The laugh hadn't lasted long, but it was enough to make him grin. Levi's smile was truly beautiful, and contagious. He knew he wouldn't see it often, and that he was probably the only person who would get to see this side of the raven.
"Hanji would be jealous if she knew I saw you laugh."
Levi nodded, "she probably would be, actually. I used to smile a lot more when Isabel and Farlan were alive. Still not all the time, but it was more common. When they died I just couldn't bring myself to be happy for a very long time," Levi sat in the chair after moving his bag to the floor beside it, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together, "I think that's the first time I've really laughed out loud like that in over three years. She's been trying to get me to smile for that long, and it's never happened. I never had a reason to until now. You make me happy again, Eren."
Eren knelt down in front of Levi and took his hands in his own, "I'm glad I got to see it. You have a beautiful smile," he leaned forward and gave Levi a sweet, innocent kiss. He smiled at Levi when he pulled back, and the corners of Levi's mouth were upturned just a little.
They heard the front door open and footsteps upstairs above them, "My grandparents are probably here. Would you like to meet them?"
"I'll have to eventually, won't I?" Eren nodded, "Then let's get it over with now."
The two stood and made their way back upstairs. Before they turned the corner into the front entry, Eren turned back to Levi, "My grandma and grandpa Jaeger are completely crazy. You'll see what I mean when you meet them. They are very old. My grandma Schmidt is the coolest grandma you'll ever meet. But just go with it, whatever happens. There's a reason my mom is the way she is."
Levi just nodded, looking a little nervous. They stepped around the corner, and Eren was mauled by a brown fuzz ball. Levi watched him get tackled, and Eren laughed as the giant poodle-looking dog licked his face. "Bear, come here." The dog removed himself from Eren and the brunet sat up. Levi took his hand and helped him to his feet.
"Are you alright?" Levi asked, concerned.
"Yeah. It's just Bear. Sweetest fluff ball on the planet," Eren explained as he dusted himself off, "He's a goldendoodle, and I love that dog to death."
Levi nodded, staying quiet, his face blank. "Eren!" they heard a voice near the front door, and both boys turned to look. There was a lady with brownish red hair that was obviously dyed that color, as it was starting to grow out a little and the gray was showing, rather plump, but not overly so, and was smiling a blinding smile that matched Carla's. Levi thought this must be Grandma Schmidt, as she gave Eren a crushing hug, and handed him her over-size purse that probably weighed fifty pounds. "And who is that good looking young man?" She looked over at Levi.
Eren answered, carrying her purse over to the base of the stairs to put it down, "That's Levi. He's my roommate at college, and also now my boyfriend."
She went over to him, "well, it's nice to meet you. You got a good one, Eren."
"It's nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Schmidt." Levi responded politely.
"My name is Ella, but you can just call me Grandma, okay?" Levi nodded, and the older woman moved on as Carla came in with a small duffle bag. "Now where's my granddaughter?"
Mikasa came down the stairs in just that moment, "Hi Grandma." She gave the woman a hug, and they all moved on to the living room while Eren carried the bags up to the guest room that was formerly Levi's.
They settled down to talk in the living room with the dog laying in the middle of the floor when the doorbell rang again not five minutes later, and Grisha, who had the day off from work, went to get the door. Eren took Levi with him to meet the crazies, as he called them.
The lady, Grandma Jaeger, had a thick German accent and looked to be very harsh. She didn't smile a lot like the other Grandma. She was skinny with gray hair pulled back into a tight, harsh bun. The man was a little kinder looking, and also had a thick accent. He had a major beer belly going on, and his hair was combed over. The two were speaking mostly German, and Levi couldn't understand them. After all, he only spoke French, and even that was a little rusty. Eren, though, seemed to understand every word, and even answered them in fluent German.
These two were, in fact, crazy. They seemed to be arguing over the smallest of things, and the lady scolded Eren who looked like a kicked puppy. He heard his name when Eren pointed to him, and he assumed he had just been introduced. The woman only seemed to be more put-off at the information, and Levi looked totally lost to everything that was going on.
Grisha stepped in to calm his mother down, and showed them up the stairs and to Eren's room that would now be theirs. Eren came over to Levi shaking his head. Levi cocked an eyebrow, "What the hell was that all about?"
"They are very traditional, and they aren't very happy I'm gay. They never really have been. They are super strict, and said they didn't want to see any kind of affection between us while they were here. Just wait until they find out we are sleeping in the same bed for the next three nights." Eren scratched the back of his head, and the two boys made their way back to the living room with the cool grandma, "I told you they were crazy."
"Do they speak English?"
"A little, but not well enough to have any kind of conversation, so you at least won't have to worry about that."
"I didn't know you spoke German."
"Yeah, I grew up speaking both languages. My dad speaks both languages fluently because he grew up in Germany, but my mom only speaks a little German. Grandma does, though. She was born in Germany."
"Then I guess your last name makes sense."
Eren laughed, "For sure."
They had a rather busy evening. They had to lengthen the table to fit everyone, and a lot of German was spoken. Mikasa and Carla seemed a little lost at times, right along side Levi, who didn't understand much at all. He caught a few words that matched the English word, but even then he still couldn't grasp much of what they said. The Jaegers scolded Eren once for wiping Levi's cheek with a napkin when one of them flung sauce across the table. Grandma Schmidt stepped in at that point, defending Eren, or that's what Levi gathered anyways. They drank beer for the dinner, and a lot of it. They were rather messy eaters, too. Eren was right, they are completely crazy.
At the end of the meal, Carla excused Levi and Eren from the table and from doing dishes so that they could get away from the senior Jaegers who just couldn't let up on them for being in a relationship. Eren looked like he was ready to explode, so Levi decided this was probably for the best. They retreated to the basement to play a game of pool, and Eren looked grateful for the opportunity. Mikasa joined them only fifteen minutes later.
"Can I join you?" she asked politely.
"Trying to get away from the crazies?" Eren responded.
"Definitely." Mikasa nodded.
"Then by all means, grab a cue. Let's play." The three got along famously now, as Eren found out. Levi and Mikasa were both highly competitive, just like him, and it made for a fun few rounds of pool. Grandma Schmidt came down to join them eventually, also trying to escape the Jaegers, laughing at their antics and competitiveness, but not having any desire to join in the game.
They played until Carla called down the stairs for dessert, and the four of them made their way back up to the kitchen, Levi and Eren avoiding being in range of the senior Jaegers. Grisha sent them an apologetic look, and Eren just shrugged.
Bedtime was an even bigger affair than dinner, as Grandma Jaeger insisted on knowing where Levi and Eren would be sleeping. When Grisha told them, the truth of course, they wouldn't go to bed until they knew that the two would be separated for the night.
Finally, Eren gave in and told them he would sleep on the couch in the living room. They seemed satisfied with that, and went upstairs to Eren's room. Carla turned to them at that point and told them they didn't have to do it. Eren looked relieved at the newfound permission to sleep next to Levi.
Grandma Schmidt just shook her head in the corner with every new drama the Jaegers came up with, and sent the boys looks behind their backs. She seemed just as annoyed as they were.
Eren couldn't have been more happy to get downstairs and into the spare bedroom with the door locked. He kicked his shoes off and collapsed on the bed face down with a groan.
Levi chuckled, and crawled onto the bed beside him, "You weren't kidding when you said they were crazy."
"Right?" Eren sighed into the pillow, "they drive me nuts. It's a good thing they live in Germany, and I don't have to see them more than once or twice a year or I would totally lose my shit. And why did they have to come during Thanksgiving? They don't even celebrate it. They don't understand it either. When we try to explain Thanksgiving to them, they just get more confused."
"They are nuts for sure. We should change and get some rest. I have a feeling these next two days are going to be insane."
Levi was right about that, more so than even he realized. Grandma Schmidt was totally the coolest grandma to ever walk the earth. Eren was right about that, too. She spoiled them rotten, going out to buy them things they didn't ask for, but she somehow knew they wanted it, and doting on them enough for three normal grandparents. It was okay, though, because she balanced out the weirdness of the Jaeger grandparents.
Ilse, as Levi found out she wanted to be called instead of 'Grandma', even by her own grandkids, slapped Eren on the wrist for taking seconds without permission, even though it wasn't required. She made Mikasa pull her hair back into no less than a ponytail. Carla's ponytail was now up at the base of her skull, meaning she couldn't wear it loose anymore with Ilse around. She hovered over the kitchen when Carla was cooking, not helping, and giving advice that Carla obviously didn't need, as she was a great cook.
Hans Jaeger, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of his wife, yet exactly the same. He would sit in a chair at the table in the middle of everything and silently watch everyone move about the house. He wouldn't say anything until someone did something wrong in his eyes, then he would rise quickly from his chair, approach that person, say something very calmly in German, and walk away, leaving that person very pale.
Levi had yet to have one of those encounters, and didn't want one, so he stayed away from the main area, except to go up or down the stairs leading to the basement, and wouldn't linger for long. He spent a lot of time in the sitting room in the front of the house playing the piano while Eren sat on one of the couches drawing or doing homework. This gave Levi a good chance to work on his arrangement while staying away from the crazies, and still spend time with Eren.
Grandma Schmidt sat in the room for quite a while, listening to Levi play, and watching Eren draw until Carla came to ask her for help making lunch, then dinner later that night. They also started cooking for tomorrow night's feast. From what Levi could gather, it was going to be spectacular.
That night, before bed, Eren was going to just sneak down the stairs before Ilse could say anything and hope she didn't notice. He snuck away about five minutes before the end of their movie to do so, giving Levi a signal so that he would know what he was doing. Levi nodded, and Eren padded away silently. Just as he stepped down to the first step, Ilse called out to him, telling him he better not be planning to sleep down on the bed with Levi.
Eren groaned, coming back to sit in his spot again to finish the movie. Grandma Schmidt patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, and Eren sort of felt like crying. He wouldn't let them get to him though, so he shook it off.
Once again, Ilse and Hans wouldn't go to bed until Carla and Grisha assured them that Levi and Eren were to be separated, and this time, they weren't satisfied until Eren had made his bed on the couch, and was laying in it, and Levi was downstairs. Then they made everyone separate before they followed Carla, Grisha, and Mikasa up the stairs. Carla texted Eren a few minutes later to let him know that the Jaegers were settled down and he could join Levi in the basement if he wanted to.
Eren didn't hesitate to take the offer, leaving his make-shift bed where it was, hoping that seeing it in the morning would convince them he had stayed there all night. When he got to the guest room he found Levi sitting on the bed scrolling through his phone. Eren plugged his into the wall silently and crawled to lay his head on Levi's lap. Levi didn't say anything and simply ran his fingers through Eren's hair until the brunet fell asleep.
When he woke up, Eren was under the covers, and was in Levi's arms again. He had no motivation to get up this time, so he turned in Levi's arms and buried his face in the older man's chest. Levi was already awake, and Eren knew it, so he mumbled into Levi's chest, "I'm so sick of them. Can we leave early?"
Levi started running his fingers through Eren's hair again, "If you want to leave tonight after dinner we can. I'm sure your parents will understand."
Eren groaned, "I don't know. I want to spend time with my family, just not them, you know?"
"I know," Levi knew exactly what Eren was feeling. He was becoming fond of the Jaeger family minus the two harsh grandparents. Grandma Schmidt was amazing, Mikasa felt like real family now since clearing up their misunderstanding, Carla and Grisha treated him like their own son, which he appreciated immensely, "whatever you decide, I'll go along with."
"Let me think about it for a few hours, and I'll let you know," Eren tilted his head up to kiss his boyfriend, who had been nothing but supportive and kind, completely the opposite of what he thought he knew Levi was. There really was a whole other side to this man, depending who he was around, and how he felt about that person. He noticed the raven acted towards the Jaegers how he used to act toward Eren; he was rude, short tempered, and snappy, even if they didn't understand English. But at the same time, when Grandma, Mikasa, or Eren's parents were around he was kind, polite, and even let himself smile just a little. It was plainly obvious there were two sides to this man, and Eren was just glad he was now on his good side, remembering what it was like to be on the other end.
After laying around for a few more minutes, Eren decided it would be best for them to head upstairs and see if Carla needed any help. She was bound to be busy preparing a feast for 8 people that night, and probably making breakfast, too.
The two dressed and made their way up the stairs. When they got there, Ilse was sitting at the dining table with a harsh glare focused on the two college students. Eren's immediate though was, 'She knows'. He paled considerably.
She stood from her chair and approached Eren. When she got there, she slapped him across the cheek. Hard. Levi gaped at it, seeing tears well up in the brunet's beautiful teal eyes. The raven's face contorted in anger. The woman raised her hand again, and Levi reacted. He grasped the old woman's wrist before she could do it again, hard enough to get his point across, but not hard enough for it to hurt. She said something to him in German, but he didn't care what it was, it was probably derogatory anyways. In as simple language as he could, he responded, "Do not touch him again."
She understood apparently, because she replied in broken English, "why you care?"
"Because I care about him." Levi let go of her wrist, and she took a step back.
"Gays don't care, only want sex."
"That's not true," Levi was fuming. How could she possibly think that was true? "We feel love, the same as you."
"You love Eren?" She glared heatedly at the raven, and he returned it just as heated.
He looked back at Eren, who had tears streaming down his face and was looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. Levi's face softened at the realization, "Yes. I do. I have loved him for a long time. I was just too stubborn to accept it until now."
The German woman spoke quickly to Eren, and Eren replied quietly as if translating. The woman touched Levi on the shoulder, and he turned back to face her. In very broken English, she spoke directly to him, still glaring, but this time for a different reason. "You lie, I kill you. Eren is my enkel. I love him, too. You hurt him, I hurt you."
Levi got the point, and the woman walked away. She turned back to speak quickly in German to Eren. Eren wiped his eyes as she turned the corner and he pulled Levi into an embrace. "I love you, too."
Levi pulled Eren down for a quick kiss, "What did she say just now?"
"She said she would leave us alone, she just doesn't want to see our affection directly. She told me to keep it to ourselves and she would ignore it," Eren kissed Levi again, then pulled away as Carla came into the kitchen, "I guess she isn't so bad. Sort of. We can stay until tomorrow."
Levi nodded, then turned to Carla, who was pulling out things to start cooking. They could see the turkey on the counter, and Levi decided to help, "Carla, what can we do to help you prepare?"
"Oh, Levi. Do you know how to make stuffing for the turkey?" she asked, pointing to bags of dried bread cubes on the counter.
"I do. I'm assuming you want me to do that?"
She nodded, "And Eren, why don't you start on the yams I taught you how to make a few years ago."
Eren nodded, walking toward the kitchen behind Levi, "okay."
The three of them moved through the kitchen at a good pace, and Levi made everyone a quick breakfast of eggs and bacon. They skipped lunch in favor of an early dinner. With Levi and Eren's help, they were going to have everything ready by 3 or 4 that afternoon. Mikasa and Grisha were in charge of setting and decorating the table, and they would be on clean up duty afterward.
Eventually, Grandma Schmidt joined the other three in the kitchen to start on pies. She made apple, pumpkin, banana crème, Lemon merengue, and cherry. They smelled delicious as they were put into one of three ovens one by one, and made everyone's mouths water. One of the ovens was taken by the turkey the whole day, so they rotated the other two. They spent the whole day cooking, picking at the food, chatting, and laughing. All of the cooks loved to cook, so enjoyed every minute of it.
They made the pies, turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, Jell-O, and rolls. They prepared vegetables, and cranberries. By the time they were done, there was enough food to feed an army. They would most definitely have leftovers.
The cooks left the food for a few minutes to go change, and tell everyone they were ready to eat. Eren ran down the stairs a few minutes after Levi, and walked into the spare room to see Levi look up at him in question, "What?"
"What am I supposed to wear?"
Eren laughed, "You know my family, whatever you wear is fine as long as it isn't covered in flour, like that is," the brunet pointed at Levi's current shirt and jeans.
Levi rolled his eyes, "Do I have time to shower?"
"Yes, but make it quick. Everyone's hungry and won't wait forever."
Ten minutes later they were back upstairs and seated around the table. Grisha and Mikasa had moved all of the food from the kitchen to the table, and everything looked amazing. Grisha sat in his place at the head of the table, and Carla sat to his right. Eren was to his left with Levi next to him, and Grandma Schmidt next to him. Mikasa was next to Carla, Ilse next to her, and Hans at the other end across from Grisha. Once everyone was seated they started eating. They ate until they could barely move they were so full.
It was a peaceful dinner with light conversation and laughter. Everyone seemed content, and none of them could have asked for anything better than that on Thanksgiving.
