A/N: I know this won't look it at first, but it's ereri, I swear.

"Hey, welcome back," Jeremy greeted his mother as she shut the front door behind herself, finally back from work. "Wow," he added of her tired state. "I'd ask how your day was, but I think I know already."

"It was a long one," Rukia managed to smile after taking off her shoes, seeing her son, as usual, multitasking with dinner while his homework sat half-finished on the counter. "I keep telling you that you don't have to do that."

"And I keep telling you that I don't mind," he shot right back, but let the woman take over while he sat back down at the counter. "So what happened?"

"A newcomer, poor thing. Been bounced around to different hospitals so much I could barely get a word out of him, even with my bag of tricks. Very vocal about how unsettling my eyes are," she added of their violet color. "But not much else. He did say he'd try to get used to them. I guess that means he likes me otherwise, even if he won't talk to me yet."

"Sounds like it to me." And the logic was very familiar. He liked it when his mother talked about the people she took care of, and as long as she didn't mention any names, she could. "What happened to him?"

"He's a couple years older than you now, but since he was about five, he's had these awful nightmares about giants attacking, giants that eat people, don't even need to eat, just do it anyway. Not something a child, especially one that young... He thinks he's warning us that they're coming, but doesn't believe us that these things don't exist."

Jason did all he could to keep his expression even. "Oh?"

"Another world, almost like, but insists it's real, but we're not confined to walls for fear of attack. Another thing he doesn't believe. Says the city's walled, has been for years. The poor thing just can't believe it. Or," she added thoughtfully, pausing a moment. "It's like, he wants to, just... needs someone whose opinion he trusts before he can."

The brunette took a slow, calming breath before suggesting, "You said he's my age, right? Maybe I could talk to him. He's only had adults telling him he's wrong his whole life." This whole thing was so his significant other it was bordering on disgusting, he had to try and find some way to see him.

"That's too dangerous, Jason."

"Why? Is he violent?"

"He doesn't have a history of it, no, but I'm not experimenting with my son's hide."

"Not even if it would make your son really, really happy?"

Rukia eyed him. "And why would that make you so very happy?"

He shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. Whether or not it was the person he wanted it to be, one of them was hurting. And it wouldn't be the first time he'd gone to the hospital with her. "I just want to help. And since I'm following in my smart and beautiful mother's footsteps, it'll be a good experience for me."

"Wow, you even brought out the flattery," she snickered. "I'll think about it; finish your homework."

He did, grinning. 'I'll think about it' was inevitably 'yes.'

This time was no different. It took a couple days and a little additional begging, but that Saturday, Jason was clipping on a visitor's badge and walking with his mother to her newest resident's room. Lee, as he now knew his name to be, was spiraling down quickly, and Rukia didn't want to watch the boy die, finally desperate enough to try her son's idea. Under observation.

She stayed by the door while Jason went in the small room, and instantly a wide smile broke out of his face, despite that the raven-haired male still sat curled up on his bed, not looking up.

"Still internalizing everything, huh?" the visitor spoke, eyeing the untouched plate of food. "You should know how unhealthy that is, Levi."

The other's head shot up, his own steel eyes wide. "Fuck, I finally started hallucinating."

"No," the brunette replied calmly, walking towards him. "I'm really here. My mom's your therapist. I asked her if I could come here. Repeatedly."

There wasn't a verbal reply, processing the words, but when the visitor was close enough, he looked down at the tanned arms hanging at his sides. So very cautiously, like he expected the other to disappear into smoke, he reached out- tapping the limb at first, but when he didn't vanish, felt the other male's warmth, reached out again, grabbing it, then looking up at him again in disbelief. "Eren."

"Hey."

He wrapped his arms tightly around the green-eyed male's middle, choking on air.

"It's okay, Levi," the visitor smiled, gently angling his head upward. "This world is reality now. No titans, no walls."

"A-All this time, I c-could have…?"

"Now you can. Don't worry about before."

Levi buried his face against Eren's stomach again, nodding.

Still holding onto him, the visitor looked back at his mother. "Um, it's kind of a long story," he said sheepishly. "I just hope you don't think I'm crazy."

"After seeing that," she replied. "I'm certainly willing to listen."

"Cool."

Levi was something more than reluctant to let Eren go, and the feeling was mutual, so Rukia entered the room as well, trying not to make too much of the fact that her son got into bed with the raven head, he curling against the brunette. She knew Jason was gay, he'd made that abundantly clear a few years prior, but this whole situation was very… Was there a words for this situation? "So," she asked, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. "What's going on here?"

"Well, everything Levi was saying was true, just in the past. It was our past life," the brunette rambled quickly. If his mother thought he should be committed, he'd probably never get to see Levi or the outside again. "He was just having some trouble letting go. Like you said, he needed someone whose opinion he trusted."

"You."

"We were together for, like, ten years. I was 'Eren' then. He went by 'Levi.' My commanding officer, fifteen years my senior, and the center of my universe."

Rukia didn't know what to say. The two had just met, but said they'd known each other for years. And watching them, they really looked in love, snuggling together and wordlessly doting on one another. As said, the fact they were the same gender wasn't an issue- it was everything else. She would normally call this insanity, but there was no doubting how much the two cared for one another, an affection so deep it could never have been borne of a two-second meeting. She couldn't believe it, and at the same time, couldn't not believe it.

Lee looked so much healthier. Still almost unbearably pale and malnourished, but had an aura around him that was much more positive and promising.

And Jason. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her son so happy. "So," the brunette asked then. "What's the verdict?"

The woman sighed, her head leaning on her hand, elbow on the armrest. "I'm going to have a bitch of a time explaining this to my boss."

The other two snickered. "You don't have to mention the past life stuff; just that my idea worked and Lee's doing better," he replied, giving the other's forehead a kiss.

She rolled her dual-colored eyes. "If I leave you two alone to do that now, will I regret it when I come back?" she asked.

"If you're asking if we're gonna start banging like bunnies, I make no promises."

"Not what I meant. You are such your father's child," she replied, standing. "But at least wait until he doesn't look like you could break him," was the add, ruffling her son's hair before she left.

Levi kissed him the second the door closed behind her. Hard, with longing. "As-oo- as much as I hate to admit it, I think my mom-" He was cut off the same way, but this time the other climbing on top of him and laying on the brunette's form. It was one of his favorite ways to nap, the taller of them recalled, and he himself had never minded, running his fingers through the other's slightly-oily hair. Poor guy probably hadn't had a proper shower in… ever, actually.

"I just wanted to kiss you."

"I believe you now, but that's not what your kisses were saying."

Levi snorted. There was a long, quiet, comfortable pause before he asked, "How did you… not end up here?"

"I wasn't having vivid nightmares when I was five. Stuff started coming back to me… right around puberty, actually. Some nightmares, but nothing like what you got hit with. Plus my mom's a psychologist. Was able to get advice without actually asking for it, if that makes sense. But now you can keep getting better- I'm gonna need a traveling companion."

The other snorted again. "You try that soup. I dare you. The massive fucking depression isn't the only thing taking my appetite."

"I see your point, but you're practically a skeleton. We'll eat out all the time once you're out of here, I promise, and I'll cook for you too. I'm still pretty good at it."

"Suffer now for a reward later. Seems to be a running theme."

"I'll make it worth it," Eren muttered mischievously, nipping at the shorter male's earlobe.

"You make a convincing argument," was the sighed reply, sliding off the brunette's body.

The other smiled as he took a wary interest in the small meal. "Nothing but delicious food, awesome sex, and far-off places. Only the best."

"And how are we funding the best?" Levi asked, cringing after a sip of the now-cold soup. Gross.

"Maybe Mom'll let me bring you food. And I dunno yet."

"Too bad your boyfriend isn't filthy fucking rich."

"Yeah- wait. Was that sarcasm or are you serious?"

The raven-haired male made a show of licking his spoon, leading the other to further distrust his intentions. "Parents died when I was four. Been bumped from specialist to specialist since then, a rather substantial trust fund locked up until either I get stable or die. My coherence is really going to piss off my aunt and uncle."

The more he talked, the more the sarcastic and snide corporal was coming back, bringing confidence to the frightened child he'd stayed so long as. "Money-grubbers, huh?"

"They're just waiting for me to kill myself so they get it."

"Huh. Well, Mom only told me a few things about what was going on with you; I put together that it was probably someone I knew. I was just really hoping it was you."

"Wish granted, Brat."

"Finally!" Eren exclaimed at the endearment, abruptly wrapping his arms around the other's startled form. "You're back!"

"You're an idiot," Levi laughed.

"Yeah, but I think that's why you keep me around."

"You're pushing it."

The brunette kissed his cheek.