Chapter 19.5: Sleepover
The incessant beeping of the alarm clock sounded throughout the room; its monotonous noise finally succeeded in rousing its owner. Eren groaned and popped her head out from under her messy excuse of a bed, she reached her arm out in search of the offending device, hoping in her half-asleep haze that she would manage to find it and silence its ringing.
After several failed attempts at hitting the snooze button, she finally succeeded and let her head fall back against her pillow, hoping to catch the last few minutes of sleep that she could before she got up and made her way to the shower.
At the sounding of the clock again, she forced herself up and out of bed, sleepily stumbling towards her bathroom, ready, though not thrilled about waking up in a too cool, stream of water.
While the tepid shower chased away any remnants of sleep that remained in her mind, Eren thought back to the past weekend and her previous night. The wonderful, romantic, and fun weekend she'd shared with Levi, filled with so many experiences she'd never thought she'd get to have. The cozy dinner, the incredible club, and not to mention the intimacy. She felt her face heating up at the thought, 'How am I going to face him today, I-I cannot even believe that I did that…but he enjoyed it right?' she shook her head to bury the image of a flushed and panting Levi being pleasured underneath her ministrations and turned the handle from warm to cold, hoping to fully shake the fantasies from her head. 'I have class; I can't keep fantasizing about him.' She mentally prepared herself and once her shivering body could no longer handle the cold abuse, she stopped the stream and prepared for the day ahead of her.
Levi sat in his usual spot outside Eren's complex, he was glad she didn't have work, otherwise last night might not have ended on such a high note. He closed his eyes after sending a quick, 'I'm here,' text and let his mind wander back to the incredibly inviting gutter it'd been in for past several days. Moments later, he heard the familiar text notification he'd set up just for Eren, and glanced at the bright screen to see her response. Not long after, she emerged from the building, and Levi couldn't help the small grin as she hurried to the passenger side. That seductive little deviant from the night before had all but vanished as his easily flustered and incredibly fun to tease girlfriend returned. Her hair was down; the front sections fashioned in a messy, but purposely so, braid that acted as a headband, while the fringe was left to freely flow in the brisk late morning breeze. Levi's small grin widened into an amused smirk when Eren finally got into the car, the breeze had mussed her hair just enough.
"Morning." Eren quickly said, settling in and resting her bag between her legs before she buckled herself in. She paused, a little shocked by the hand brushing through her hair, putting her unruly locks back into a more presentable position.
"Good morning." Levi retracted his hand and shifted the gear from park, to drive, "Sleep well?" he questioned, letting a soft chuckle out and glancing over at Eren to give a final once over before he started towards the campus.
"Y-yes, um, did you? Sleep well I mean." She mentally slapped herself, 'Damn it Eren, calm down. It's just Levi.' she sighed and hoped the anxious stutter wasn't as obvious as it sounded.
"I slept very well," he paused and turned to her at a stop sign, "thanks to you of course." He just couldn't help himself. She was obviously nervous about their previous actions, but all the sincerity in her responses were too genuine not to crave.
"Well that's good." Eren's nervous laughter filled the car, followed by silence, for the rest of the short ride to the university.
When they arrived on campus grounds, Levi took longer than usual searching for a spot in the faculty parking lot. He finally settled for a space, further back than he would normally choose, it was secluded, almost hidden by two large trees. They sat in a short silence, until Eren realized he'd parked and started shuffling around to get out the vehicle. Before she opened the door, Levi spoke, "I have a meeting this evening, and I'll be participating as guest in an extra lecture tonight, will you be okay getting home on your own?"
The question caught Eren off guard. "Huh? Oh, um yea, it's no problem. Thanks for letting me know." She opened the door and was halfway out of the car, "I promised Mikasa and Armin that I'd have lunch with them today too, since I didn't see them all weekend…so I guess, I'll see you tomorrow?"
Levi looked over and watched as she exited his coupe, "Mm. Tomorrow morning then."
Eren nodded and smiled before closing the door and heading towards the coffee lounge to meet up with Armin.
On mornings like this, when he'd pick her up from her apartment, they'd decided to walk separately, so as not to draw too much attention to themselves while on campus grounds. Much to Levi's surprise, it was Eren who'd suggested it a few weeks ago. She really did try and keep their relationship as low-key as possible, especially while he was on the clock. Save for a few coffee breaks, office visits, or lunches, they hardly ever saw each other, and rarely ever broke out of their usual routines to seek the other out. Once he'd lost sight of her retreating form, Levi rolled his shoulders back and let out a sigh. He grabbed his briefcase and phone, and then headed towards his office.
By the time he was settled at his desk, the previous sense of peace he'd had when Eren was next to him had all but dissipated, replaced instead with unpleasant thoughts of having to return to his parent's home and how undoubtedly useless and annoying this afternoon's events would be.
He sighed and took out his phone, searched through his most recent contacts and quickly typed out, then sent a message.
[Sent 9:34 AM] : Text me when you're home. Have a good day.
It was strange to him, caring about someone after so many years of focusing solely on his own well being; he sincerely hoped he wasn't coming off as overbearing or controlling. He really wanted to make sure she was okay, and the thought of her using public transportation alone was enough to make him nervous, reports of assaults or disturbances weren't that frequent, but with Eren's luck, she'd be one of the few unfortunates to have a run-in with some idiotic or bored miscreant looking for a little thrill to pass the time. He dismissed any unpleasant thoughts from his head and slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket; it was time for work, and his personal affairs needed to be pushed aside while he was on duty. He popped open his briefcase and began searching through the meticulously organized files; he pulled out his graded papers for his first class then began to go over the notes for the day's lecture.
Eren sincerely hoped Armin's Monday routine hadn't changed while she walked towards the coffee lounge. She took a quick breath as she rounded the corner, eyes scanning the crowd for the familiar golden head of hair. She smiled when she spotted him; book in one hand with his coffee cup in the other.
"Good morning," Eren sat in the chair across from his oblivious form, no matter his age, this boy was always able to get lost in his reading. 'You haven't changed one bit,' she thought to herself, smiling while she rested her head on her hand.
"G-good morning Eren! Sorry, I didn't notice you coming over." He smiled brightly and lowered the book, marking his place and setting it down on the table. "How was your weekend?" Armin gave his full attention to her.
Eren chuckled and let her hands rest in her lap, "It was…well, eventful to say the least. Yours?" This was what she needed. Familiarity and comfort, not that she didn't feel comfortable around Levi, it's just, she didn't really know him all that well. But that's what a relationship is about right? Getting to know one another as individuals; learning about them up close and personal, it's like a really strong and special sort of friendship, one that evolved from feelings of romantic origins rather than mutual interests or desires for simple, platonic companionship.
Armin's bright blue eyes lit up, despite the bags under them, when he heard, 'eventful,' he leaned forward in his seat slightly, silently granting Eren the floor. "It was fun, nothing too out the ordinary. Spent time with everyone on campus for a while, then Jean, Marco, Mikasa and I left for dinner and a movie. Simple, innocent fun."
Eren flinched at the mention of 'innocent fun,' and mentally slapped herself when she saw the wide grin on Armin's face. "So…" he started again, "eventful you say? Care to share any details?" He winked and his grin grew wider.
If she could, she would have gladly reached over and smacked Armin in the head for his teasing. 'It's too early for this shit.' She sighed and settled for stealing his coffee and a giving him swift, but gentle, kick to the shin under the table.
He kept quiet about the kick and didn't protest his stolen caffeine, he'd have another one soon enough, but his smile did shrink a fraction. "Was is really that bad?" Armin's voice quickly morphed from playful to concerned.
Eren looked up and noticed the faint slant of his brows, shaking her head she answered, "No no, that's not, it at all. It was…amazing actually. Dare I even say perfect. He's perfect, almost too perfect, and it took me till this morning to figure that out…so now I don't know. When I see him, my heart flutters and I get nervous, but at the same time, I get really excited. I mean he's never been mean or rude to me, well not on purpose anyway, but I just can't help but feel intimidated around him for some reason. I'm sure it's all mental but I can't help it." She sighed and took a sip of the stolen coffee, "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore."
Armin quickly surveyed the area and realized that it was getting a bit too crowded for such a sensitive conversation, he started to gather his things and stood, inviting Eren to go with him, but not before assuring that she got him another coffee to replace the stolen one.
They now sat in Armin's dorm room; his roommate had already left for class, so they had the space all to themselves.
"When we first met and even after this all began, there was a comfortable, almost unspoken distance. It was…safe. As we spent more time together, I couldn't help but want closer. But…"
"But?"
"But, now that I'm actually closer, I'm scared. I don't know what to do; I've never been in a serious relationship before. What if I do something wrong or I completely repulse him or embarrass myself or even him in front of his family…" Eren groaned and buried her face in her hands as she flopped down on Armin's bed.
Armin chuckled a little at her display while the information processed. "You're already meeting his parents? That's a little hasty don't you think." The way he said it wasn't meant to be a question.
Eren sighed into his pillow and nodded slowly, "He was even reluctant to tell me about it, apparently his mother thinks he's been single long enough and has taken it upon herself to find him a 'suitable mate.'"
"Oh, so he has that type of mom. Sounds rough. Though that explains why he's a little tough to talk to at times."
"Talk to? You've talked to him before?" Eren sounded surprised, though she'd momentarily forgotten the most obvious drawback to their relationship, his status as a professor and hers as a student.
Armin shook his head, "Yes princess, I have talked to Professor. Ackerman. You seem to be forgetting that before he was your boyfriend, he was, and still is an incredibly adept professor here. Don't worry about it too much though. If he's there, I'm sure he won't let anything too bad happen to you."
Eren simply stuck her tongue out and let a small laugh escape.
Armin continued, "He's been, well, different lately. More understanding and patient. It's nice, and I know it's all thanks to you Eren. Have more confidence in yourself, he likes you, for you, so don't think you have to act a certain way or portray yourself any differently in front of his parents. If they're even a little bit like him, I'm sure they'll fall in love with you too." He reached out a hand and ran it across the back of her head. "Now come on, we should grab some breakfast before class starts."
Eren pushed herself up and smiled, leaning forward for a hug, "Thanks Armin, I don't know what I would do without you."
He smiled and hugged her tightly before pulling back, "What are friends for, if not to encourage you…or tell you that your hair is wrecked." He laughed, running his hands back over the unruly locks.
"Damn it," Eren's hands shot up to try and fix the issues. "I ran out of conditioner so now I'm suffering for it."
Armin simply laughed as he moved across the room to find his own hairbrush, he threw it to Eren. She caught it and started towards the sink, hoping to tame her wild tresses.
Once she managed to fight the tangles and fly aways with minimal amounts of sink water and a little of Marco's leave-in-conditioner, the duo started towards the cafeteria, intent on filling their stomachs before classes began.
"So," Armin began, once they'd gotten settled at a table, "want to stay over tonight? Mikasa will be thrilled and I'm sure Krista won't mind. We can go for a supply run too if you want." He pointed to his hair and laughed at Eren's expression, reading it as a playful but no less threatening, 'I'm so done with your shit.'
"That actually sounds great. I've missed you guys." Eren grinned and started attacking her pancakes, followed not long after by Armin diving into his omelet.
"Why is he here?" Eren grumbled into Armin's shoulder, silently praying that Mikasa would return from the bathroom and reclaim the open spot next to her. They were sitting comfortably squished on one of two sofas in the commons area, Marco, Annie, Bert, and Reiner were sitting somewhat less clustered on the other, while Armin, Eren, Mikasa, Krista and Ymir were taking up the largest, centermost couch, and were enjoying a replay of The Avengers before Armin paused the movie when a few of the girls got up to take a bathroom break.
"Come on Eren, we couldn't exactly, un-invite him…he kind of lives in this dorm too." Armin spoke quietly, secretly hoping Jean would choose to sit on the other sofa with Marco and the trio, since they seemed to be getting along well lately.
He didn't of course.
He plopped himself in right in between Eren and Krista, putting his arm up behind Eren's head and smirking at her obvious displeasure with the new seating arrangement.
"It's been a while Yeager, what's new?"
Eren rolled her eyes and moved in a bit closer to Armin, glad that the cover they shared was only big enough for two. When she didn't reply immediately, Armin nudged her in the side, forcing, rather, encouraging her active participation in socializing. She shot him a quick glower before turning her attention to Jean, "Not much. Just hanging. What about you Jean?"
"Well since you asked," Eren tried not to groan, "I was recently asked by the coach if I was interested in being co-captain next semester."
"Hmm, that's nice."
Jean's grin widened, "So I talked with the current captain and co-captain about it, and they've agreed that I would make a great team leader."
"Wow Jean, that's really great," Armin spoke up, trying to cover for Eren's obvious lack of interest. He offered a bright smile and laughed, lightly nudging Eren under their shared cover.
"Yea, I'm happy for you, congratulations…doesn't that mean you'll be busier though? Like too busy to hang out with us all the time?" Eren sounded a bit too hopeful and Armin wanted to smack his face at her obvious change in tone.
"Hmm, I guess. But don't worry too much; I'm sure I'll still find time for you if you really want." Jean winked and Eren snorted, choosing to bury her face further in Armin's shoulder. Mikasa and Ymir returned from the bathroom, Ymir's glare was all that was needed for Jean to scoot closer to Eren so she could take her place next to Krista. Instead of prying Jean away, Mikasa simply shot him a heated look, silently daring him to try anything and quietly squeezed in next to Annie.
Armin resumed the movie and they were all relatively comfortable until Jean leaned a bit closer to Eren to whisper in her ear. She stiffened when she felt his body pressing against hers and instinctively pulled closer to Armin. "So how're things between you and Professor Short Stack?"
If looks could kill, Jean's autopsy would have revealed multiple stab wounds and the cause of death would have been a swift blow to the head by a blunt object. But since she couldn't actually murder him with her eyes alone, Eren chose to give him quick side kick and push his arm away from her vicinity.
"Damn. Is he that bad?" The amusement in his voice was still too apparent, despite the groan of pain that was quickly shushed by the other occupants of the room.
Eren leaned over and whispered quickly, "Can you not bring this up right now? How do you even know…wait never mind, I don't care."
Another, "Shh," resounded through the room and Eren flinched when she saw Ymir's sharp eyes focusing on her. She stuck her tongue out and retreated back, hoping Ymir took that as playful and not a challenge. The last thing she needed was to be cornered in the girls' bathroom at midnight or when she woke up in the morning. 'Oh, shit, I forgot to tell Levi I wasn't going home tonight…'
Eren shuffled a bit and managed to pull herself out of the warm buddle of blankets and bodies; she offered Armin a silent apology and indicated that he could keep the movie playing while she walked out of the darkened room and out onto the patio of the boy's dorm. She cursed when she saw the time, 'Damn, please don't be asleep…and if you are, please don't wake up,' she typed out her message and sent it quickly, hoping that a professors sleeping habits were just as wrecked as a student's were. She was so focused on her phone that she didn't hear the slowly approaching form, until he was practically on top of her.
Eren took a step back when she saw him and swore, "Shit Jean, you scared the hell out of me."
He put up his hands defensively and took a step back, clearly apologetic; he hadn't intended to scare her. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you."
Eren shook her head dismissively, "It's alright. So, what's up."
"Huh?"
Eren deadpanned. "I mean what did you want? Surely you didn't follow me out here to ensure my safe return to the lounge." She actually smiled a little, but it quickly faded when the chilly nighttime breeze hit her thinly clothed form.
"I-" Jean started, walking a little closer, "I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I don't know why I said those things, I guess it's just me being a sore loser."
Eren's eyes widened at the unexpected apology, she stared at Jean as if he were offering to pay for her college tuition. "W-wait, what? You…you're apologizing…to me…for being an ass?"
"Well shit, if you're gonna be like that, then I'll just take it back." He nervously scratched the back of his head, the hurt masked, but still apparent in his voice.
"No, sorry, I just wasn't…well expecting an apology. From you…ever. Um, thanks I guess. Really." Eren tried her best to smile, hoping her sincerity behind accepting the apology overrode her disbelief in the situation. "So…was that all?" Everyone deserved a second chance right?
"Actually, I'm still curious about you and Prof. Ackerman, if you're willing to share that is."
No. Definitely not. Some people just didn't change.
Eren sighed and looked up at him, sizing him up in the dim light emitted from the cheap patio lights. "I mean it's not like it's a secret or anything, I…no we, just don't want a lot of attention. So I'm warning you now, anything I say is strictly between me and you and if I find out you're spreading any shitty rumors I swear I'll wear my highest pair of heels and kick you so hard in the ass that you'll taste it. And once you're down I'll grind that heel so far into your hand you won't be able to write for a month." She'd backed him up into the door, her face just a few inches from his until she finished her threat and backed away to a more comfortable distance.
"Was that supposed to turn me on or…?" Jean raised a suggestive brow and smirked, either unaffected by Eren's threat or feigning smugness to hide the fact that he was about to shit himself, Eren sincerely hoped it was the latter and proceeded to file through the most innocent bits of information she could share to satisfy his obsession.
"Well, we're doing just fine. He's honestly perfect, I can't really think of anything to complain about." She looked to Jean, waiting for his response, 'That was vague enough right?'
"So you actually like him or are you more interested in the perks of having a sugar daddy?"
Eren had to stop herself from rolling her eyes and burying her face in her hands, 'Of course he would think that.' "He's not my 'sugar daddy,' it's nothing like that at all. We're just a normal couple, he just happens to be a bit older and at a more stable point in life than I am. There's nothing wrong with that is there? No, don't answer that." She held up her hand to silence him, "The point is, I like him, he seems to like me and we're content with our relationship. It honestly has nothing to do with you so I don't understand why you're so hung up on it." Her words came out a bit harsher than she intended, but it's not like they were untrue. This was between Levi and herself, not her and Jean, and certainly not Levi and Jean.
Jean sighed and leaned against the door, his eyes were averted from Eren's when he spoke, "I just…damn I don't know, I just wanted to make sure that he wasn't using you…like bribing you with grades or expensive shit or something like that."
'Wait…he's actually concerned. Jean. The same jackass who tried to feel me up the first time we met is genuinely...concerned for me…?' Eren couldn't help the small smile or laugh that escaped as she answered, "First off, he's not even my professor, so there's no way he could bribe me with grades; I just want to make that crystal clear. We hardly even talk about school when we're together. Second, why would you think he's using me? That doesn't make sense; wouldn't it be more logical for me to use him? He's the rich one. If you hadn't noticed already, I can't even afford my own car yet."
A look of relief quickly passed over Jean's features, and his shoulders, which were visibly tense before, slumped slightly, like he'd heard something reassuring or calming. Then that smug-ass look that Eren was growing used to, but still held a healthy distaste for, returned, "Why wouldn't he be using you? If you hadn't already noticed, to put it bluntly, you're a hot young piece of ass; he'd be…no anyone would be crazy not to want to be seen with you. I'm only going to say this once, for your own good, and I'm not trying to boost your ego or anything, but Eren, you're seriously one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen. And trust me, I see a lot of hot babes, but like I said, you're young, good looking…not sure if you're smart or not but a lot of men don't really care about that now-a-days."
Eren stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape at Jean. 'This is it. I'm dead. I must be in hell. And it's frozen over. That's the only logical explanation for how this prick could apologize and compliment me in less than a half hour.'
"Can you not stare at me like that, I said you were hot but your face right now is making me want to pull a psych joke and run away. It's really not attractive. I don't recommend you show that to anyone. Ever. Again."
Eren closed her gaping hole and felt her cheeks heat up a bit and the teasing. She punched him in the arm, not really intent on leaving it aching, but not really caring if he did have a dull pain for the next hour. "Fine. I accept your apology. And your compliments. Now, this never happened, and we don't speak of it again. You and I are on talking terms as friends and nothing more. Agreed?"
Jean smiled and stuck out his hand, "Agreed."
The duo shook hands and nodded before heading back in to join the others and finish whatever remained of the movie. Jean reached the door first and started to search through his pockets, his movements became more frantic and the horror was apparent on his face when he realized that he'd left his ID in his dorm room. Armin had been the one to let Eren in, so she couldn't swipe them in either.
When Eren saw Jean's expression, she knew they were screwed until the movie was over, or someone answered their phone. She shook her head and rolled her eyes while dialing Armin's number, praying that he still had his phone on him and that it wasn't plugged up next to his dresser like usual. Of course it was. Why would her luck suddenly change for the better after all this time. A violent shiver overtook her body while she searched through her contacts and before she could protest, Jean had draped his letterman over her shoulders. It was warm and though she wanted to state the clear overstepping of boundaries, she didn't, choosing instead to offer a silent nod of thanks and continuing to call different numbers.
After a chilly five minute wait, the door was opened and Armin's confused and concerned form was waiting on the other side. The duo quickly shuffled in and before Armin could verbally ask, Eren quickly answered, "We just had a short chat."
Armin raised a brow as she started back towards the lounge, 'Kirstein?' he noticed Jean's letterman draped on her shoulders and looked to Jean for more lengthy explanation.
"Don't worry man, we just got to know each other a bit better," he winked and felt a chill run down his spine from the cold glare Eren shot him.
'I heard that you asshole.' She slowed her pace and allowed the guys to catch up to her, she shook off Jean's jacket and handed it back to him, "I take back what I said earlier. We aren't friends, just acquaintances." She quickly looped her arm with Armin's and hurried back towards their place on the sofa, grinning widely when she saw Mikasa had retaken her place.
Jean was left with a stupefied expression and a less warm jacket. But at least he'd gotten the answers to his questions. She did seem happy, but something about that short shit of man having her just didn't sit right with him. 'Whatever, she's yours for now little man, but I swear, as soon as you let her go, I'm swooping in. Warning or not, I'm not going down without a fight.'
He tried to get Mikasa to scoot over and was blatantly shushed away, though he didn't want to admit it, he really didn't dislike the lack of distance between himself and Marco. He'd been a part of their small group for a little over a year now, and he seemed like an honest and dependable guy; they weren't the closest of friends, but he wouldn't mind getting to know him better.
Levi had just finished answering his last round of questions when he felt the phone vibrate against his chest, he thanked the attendees and took his leave, heading down the narrow walkway and outside the lecture hall to check his message.
[Received 10:13 PM] Eren: Thanks. I hope your day was good too, don't stress too much. I'm staying over at the dorms tonight, so don't worry about picking me up tomorrow morning. See you later.
Levi shook his head, but smiled anyway. He headed towards his car; he'd moved it from the faculty lot to the student's lot. It was closer to the lecture hall and just easier to get to overall.
The most annoying parts of parking in the student lots were the possibility of his pristinely kept coupe being dinged by a younger, inexperienced twit, though the worst was that they were all located close to the dorms; which meant he could almost always hear booming music coming from opened or cracked windows, the sounds of idiots fucking around after hours, or the few brave souls who would go and get fucked up out in the outdoor spaces. He'd learned to avoid any and all confrontations, especially with the jocks and assholes in this particular boys dorm, save for a few of Eren's friends, most of the guys were completely useless wastes of space and he enjoyed each and every one that he failed. Not out of spite mind you, simply due to their own lack of performance in his class. He was a fair grader and despite their occasional threats and bribes, he would continue to stay that way.
As he made his way down the steps and towards his parked car, he looked up when he heard a familiar voice hit his ears. It was undoubtedly coming from the boy's dorm, however this voice which held a higher pitch, and softer, soothing tones accompanied with it, had him jerking his head up and staring at the balcony.
"Eren?" He scrunched his brows and spoke aloud, though no one was around to hear the confused statement. She was out on the balcony and seemed to arguing… or talking to some guy. He couldn't quite make out his features, since they were a little too far away, but he could definitely tell that one of the two figures was definitely her. He shook his head and slid into his car, waiting for the seats to warm him up before shifting to drive and heading off towards his home in hopes of a hot shower and a long, restful sleep. The last thing he saw was the man slipping his jacket over her shoulders. He absentmindedly gripped the wheel tighter and his jaw tightened.
'It's her business. I have no right to pry.' But that thought didn't stop him from sending her a usual 'sleep well' text right before he lay down to sleep.