A/N: So before we continue, I'd like to thank Sour-Mouchi for giving me this prompt (The prompt comes after the first bracket). This was a genius idea and I loved it, though I did differ from it. Just a little though. ^^' I still loved it. ^_^ With that being said, if anyone has any ideas or prompts they'd like to see happen, you're more than welcome to throw them out there. If I feel like it's something that works into the story, I'd be more than happy to write it. :3 When I say fit in, I mean something happening to Levi and Eren, not so much Eren suddenly turning into a mermaid and living in the ocean. But hey! I'll make that one into a separate story! X'D But yeah, if you have any ideas you'd like to see in this story, please feel free to send me it. ^^ I'd love to get some ideas flowing out of these cold fingers of mine!

Another thank you to Sour-Mouchi! :D Big applause to Sour-Mouchi!

-Misty

The Change You Wish to See

(Original summary, but screw the stupid character limits) Levi's never put much care into things. He doesn't put much care into things at all. Nothing ever peaks his interest. Well, that's until he meets Eren Jaeger. Levi isn't sure what it is that's so interesting about him, and it irritates him to feel these feelings he's never felt before. Regardless, he goes to talk to the boy. When he doesn't receive an answer, he just thinks that the boy is rude; however, he understands why when Eren doesn't answer him. Eren is deaf.

Rated M for sexual content, adult language, some violence, mild character death
Main pairing: Riren with some side pairs
Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

Chapter Twenty Five: Locked Doors

"That's it then..."

Looking up the bricks of the building was a nostalgic feeling.

The cold air ached deep within their bones, but they couldn't be bothered to step into the comforts of Hanji's warm car for a moment. They were frozen where they now stood, eyeing the sign of the bookstore with sadness in their hearts. Sadness at the signs still in the window that said "Going out of Business." The sign on the door said closed, but there was no reason for it now.

It'd never open again.

The keys within Levi's hand jingled as he walked away and back to his boyfriend, trying to seem a little more hopeful than he felt. He didn't want Eren to be so upset, but it wasn't easy. Even after half a month, Levi still hadn't found a job, and Eren was at a loss for what to do. Hanji managed to get a job at a cafe, but they were left unemployed and hopeless.

"I'm still helping you guys." Hanji spoke up, her fingers signing for the brunette, though he didn't see it. "I'll still help you guys find jobs."

"Worry about yourself, Hanji. It's sweet, but we're adults. We can do it." Levi told her.

"You're my friends, and I always help my friends. You of all people should know that by now." Hanji said and lightly punched his arm. It wasn't anything painful, just more of a playful tap to show she was still there for them.

"You would think, right?" Levi questioned under his breath, more for himself than Hanji. Eren looked over to the two of them, watching their exchange with minimal interest.

He wanted to show a happy face like them, but he couldn't. Unlike them, he didn't have many chances for jobs. With this one gone, there would be nothing to occupy his time, nothing to use as an excuse for seeing Levi more often. Now that he didn't have this job, once he said goodbye, how long would it be before he could see him again?

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

"Hey brat," Levi said and touched his arm. Eren startled in surprise, not expecting to be addressed so soon. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay..." Eren mumbled. "At least I will be."

"It'll be okay, you guys!" Hanji signed and stepped in front of the two. She needed to make sure she had Eren's attention on her. "There are always jobs out there, and sure, it'll be a little difficult, but you'll find them! As they say, one door closes and another one opens!"

She was trying to stay positive. There was nothing wrong with that and it was greatly appreciated, but it was hard to reciprocate her feelings and actions when they didn't feel the same way. Right now it was doom and gloom, like it was the end of the world and there was no saving them. They knew jobs were out there and the possibilities were endless, but right now they couldn't be happy. They couldn't be positive like she was.

She was the one with a job after all.

"Hanji's right. We have to keep our heads up, Eren." Levi signed to his boyfriend. Eren sighed heavily, but otherwise nodded his head in agreement.

"I know..." Levi truly felt bad. He hated to think the world would put him at such a disadvantage to everyone else, but it was true and there wasn't much they could do about it. They just had to keep looking.

"You guys, stop being so depressed. It's making me upset." Hanji whined, her lips pulling in a tight frown.

"Sorry Hanji..." Eren apologized and put on a fake smile. Levi pulled Eren close with an arm around his waist, smile ignored for just a more hopeful stare.

"Thanks Hanji. We really appreciate it." He told her as Eren huddled against him for warmth.

"Of course you do. At least you better. It wouldn't be fun for you if I had to drill that into your heads." She mused as she began walking forward. The two followed in the direction of her parked car, silence settling between the trio.

Hanji could feel the tension, but as much as she wanted to talk to them, she knew that it was best to keep quiet for now. They needed time and space, and there was nothing she could do for that.

"You guys want to grab lunch at least? It's still early." Hanji mentioned.

"Nah. Eren has homework, and now that I've got time, I can finally work on this commission for Erwin." Levi said.

"Wait, you're painting again?" The woman asked in astonishment.

"Only a painting for his wife. That's it." He reminded her.

"You're no fun, Levi!" She pouted as a car pulled up to them. Eren and Levi knew who it was soon enough, but the pouting brunette had to wait until they stepped out of the car to find out who it was.

"Hey guys," Eren mumbled towards his sister and friend.

"Hey there. Did we miss it?" Armin asked as he stepped out, careful not to slip on the ice right beneath his feet.

"Yeah, but there wasn't much to it. All I did was lock the doors." Levi told him. "Trust me. Nothing exciting happened."

"Sorry we couldn't make it at least." Mikasa apologized while walking over to them. "Couldn't get out of work fast enough."

"They're driving you into the ground, Mikasa. I applaud your work ethic, because I would have quit a shit job like that ages ago." The older man remarked carefully.

Despite the time that had passed since their treaty in December, the two of them still walked on ice as thin as what Armin was standing on. They spoke carefully around each other, and mentions of past arguments were an absolute no. They'd do anything to avoid confrontation, at least around Eren that is.

"It's nothing I can't handle." She said positively. "Anyway, do you guys need a ride?"

"No thanks, sweetie! My car is parked right there." Hanji said and motioned to her car parked not too far away.

"I was just going to walk." Levi said and shrugged his shoulders.

"When it's this cold?" Armin questioned skeptically.

"I don't live that far."

"No," Mikasa said and shook her head.

"What?"

"No, we'll drive you home." She told him. "It's too cold for you to be walking around with your leg like that."

"It's better this week, I promise."

"Levy..." Eren whined, his lips forming a frown. "Just go with her. Do it for me?"

Levi forgot when he signed things these days. He did it so often that it was becoming a habit to sign whenever he talked, and doing that meant that Eren knew everything he talked about. He didn't need to read his lips to know of the situation anymore.

"Alright..." Levi sighed, already feeling a sting in his leg. His body may have been healing well, but the ache from standing on it too long was still there.

"Thank you..." Eren whispered before pursing his lips into his forehead.

"You're lucky I love you..." Levi muttered under his breath. Eren wouldn't have noticed it with their positions.

His eyes drifted over to the two other teens, looking for any warning signs from them. Armin wouldn't have been mad, just warning him of the inevitable fate that was Eren's adoptive sister. Mikasa, however, didn't seem angry.

Annoyed? Yes. Angry? Not really.

She wasn't looking in their direction though. She looked away at anything but them, even at Hanji who was mindlessly fiddling with her keys.

That was improvement. At least for Mikasa that was.

"Levy..." Eren mumbled.

"Hm...?"

"Since we don't have anything to do, why don't you come home with us?" Eren suggested, his golden eyes never wavering from his. Levi could understand why. He didn't want to see the expression on Mikasa's face when he suggested it.

"No, Eren." He shut the idea down quickly.

"Why not...? You can paint while you're with us."

"Eren..." Armin sighed. Not with the same annoyance as Mikasa, but he knew his friend was pushing it.

"If they honestly don't mind me staying for a while, then sure." Levi said, once again looking over to the two teens standing by. "I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"I don't mind, but uh..." Armin trailed off, glancing to his friend with worry present in his expression.

"That's not fair..." Mikasa uttered, looking away from Eren's pout. "It seems I'm outnumbered, per the usual."

"Thanks, Mikasa." Eren thanked her while wrapping his arms around Levi.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hanji, would you like to join us?" Armin asked the woman, who had been uncharacteristically silent until now.

"Nah, but thank you. I've got some things I need to take care of. Papers and boring stuff to fill out before I start working." Hanji didn't want to mention much about her new job. She'd give them an answer, but not one filled with details. She didn't want to upset Eren after all.

"Alright then..." Mikasa mumbled.

"Might as well get to it then! See you all later!" Hanji cheered for them as she walked backwards, away from them and a hand waving in their direction.

No one would admit it, but this was upsetting to say the least. This wouldn't be the last time they saw her, but it would be for a while. There was no more seeing each other on an almost daily basis. No more getting to talk to one another whenever they felt it. Who knew when they'd be able to sit and have lunch at work, chat, and laugh with mouths full?

Eren wanted to know when it'd happen again, but he already knew the answer.

Never. This was a onetime deal for him, so he knew it'd never happen again.

"Hey..." The brunette felt the vibrations of Levi's voice as he spoke up. He looked down at him, but he saw that Levi's eyes were directed towards his adopted sibling and friend. Mikasa had been nudging Armin's side, a small and rare smile playing in her lips until Levi spoke up. "Something you wanted to tell us?"

"Go on, Armin. Tell them," Mikasa proposed.

"No, not now at least. Now isn't a good time..."

"What is it?" Eren asked him with furrowed brows. Armin sighed, eyes looking down at the ground for a moment, deep in thought.

"... I-I got the job with Erwin." He admitted weakly, his lips spreading into the previous smile that had been there. Now Levi knew why.

"Armin, that's great!" Eren cheered for him, only now leaving the older man's side to hug his friend. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I didn't want to make this seem like it was about me. Besides, I didn't want you thinking I was rubbing this in your face."

"Of course not, Armin!" Eren reprimanded him. "God, if anything I needed this news. I'm so happy for you."

"Really...?"

"Really..." The brunette assured him with a playful pat on top of his head. Levi smiled at the gesture, fingers digging into his deep pockets in search of his phone. He pulled it out quickly, but before he could start sending out a message, one had already appeared on his screen.

Sender: Erwin

Received at: 6:40 p.m.

"Levi! Thanks for sending Armin over to me! He's perfect and I don't know where he's been all my life!"

Draft

Written at 6:43 p.m.

"Careful, Erwin. You're a happily married man remember."

-Sent

Levi snickered to himself as he pushed his phone back into his pocket. The sound of Eren uttering unintelligible words caught his attention, feeling a sweetness filling him up as he looked upon his boyfriend.

He wouldn't admit it out loud, but they were at that point in their relationship where everything they did made him feel warm and fuzzy. Almost every other thought was about Eren, and anytime he thought of him, he knew his cheeks were flushed a light shade of red. He was glad they were outside so he could blame the cold, but that wasn't always the case.

"We have to celebrate!" Eren commented with heavy joy.

"Should we eat out?" Armin asked.

"I think Mikasa should cook her famous monster mash. I haven't had that in forever."

"I'll need to stop by the store for noodles then. No one minds, right?" Mikasa asked, her eyes looking to the man. Of course she knew her family wouldn't have a problem with it. It was their special dinner after all. It was Levi she was asking the question to mainly.

"No, not at all." He answered carefully.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Eren asked him. "She makes killer monster mash."

"It would help if I knew what that was." Levi retorted as they began piling into the car. Mikasa drove, Armin sat beside her, and the two lovebirds took the back. His sister watched them like a hawk though. She didn't want any unnecessary groping or gross talking going on while she was occupied with driving.

"Focus on driving..." Armin mumbled as he played around with the radio, trying to distract her. She needed her eyes on the road after all.

"I'm driving..." She uttered with a sigh. Armin acted like he didn't see her knuckles turning white with her vice like grip.

Eren and Levi looked out the window beside them, eyes looking over the emptied bookstore one last time. With heavy hearts, they looked upon it somberly, eyes staying on it until Mikasa drove far away enough to where they couldn't see it anymore.

It was gone. The building would always be there, but the meaning of it no longer counted. Their manager had said something about the building being turned into a small outlet for clothes relatively soon, which meant they wouldn't have the chance to go back and see it as it once was.

The memories of where it all started last year felt distant. It wasn't too long ago, and yet it felt like it had been forever since the two met. It felt like forever since Levi had knocked the brunette out of his chair and cussed him out for ignoring them, and it felt like forever since Levi began learning sign language.

A small smile played on both of their lips as they looked to one another, worry obvious, but they were still together. That was all that mattered right now. They'd figure out what to do later, but for now, they had to focus on what was happening at this moment, and what was happening right now?

Eren was curling into the older man's shoulder, his hand finding his and holding it tight. He was closing his eyes and looking oh so peaceful, and Levi wanted to curse his luck when his phone began vibrating in his pocket.

Sender: Erwin

Received at: 6:45 p.m.

"And an older one at that. Yes, I am aware."

Draft

Written at 6:45 p.m.

"That's not what I meant, but sure. Let's use that too."

-Sent

Levi thought about it for a moment longer.

"Wait, was that a crack about Eren and I?"

"I'm going to kick your ass, Erwin."

"I'm stuffed..." Eren groaned as he rolled over onto his back, eyes looking up into dark eyes staring down at him contently.

"She's trying to turn you into a turkey." Levi commented and poked at his stomach.

"I wouldn't doubt it. Aren't you full?"

"Of course. Your sister overfed me in hopes I'd pop." Levi replied, head leaning back into the couch. Eren sighed as he rocked his head back and forth, scratching his head into Levi's jeans.

He felt so comfortable right now, but he was waiting for something to ruin this moment. Whether it was Mikasa starting something or Levi needing to leave, it didn't matter. Something was going to ruin this. There just had to be something.

"You're a very good cook, Mikasa." Levi commented quietly, eyes looking up to the girl cleaning off the table. She looked back at him, as if confused by his remark before looking away. That wasn't the faintest of blushes on her cheeks, was it?

"Thanks..." She uttered, as if in defeat.

"She really means it." Armin told the older man, making sure he understood her deep intentions behind her words.

"I'll be right back." She practically growled before leaving the room.

"Trust me...?" Armin mumbled questionably. Levi rolled his eyes before looking down at his boyfriend, questioning the brunette's big, golden eyes.

"Are you comfortable?"

"Very, yes..." Eren closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of his head securely tucked away in his boyfriend's lap.

This was nice. It wasn't often they had time to themselves like this. Hanji was more than often with them, and Eren always had to be home by a certain time. Even with Armin sitting there, this peace was nice.

For all of about two minutes.

After Armin had switched the TV on and Levi had opened up his sketchbook to begin the first rough drafts of his painting, Mikasa stormed in. At first it was ignored, thinking this her usual attitude when annoyed.

However, it wasn't so easy to ignore the sharp smack to the back of his head as a notebook hit him. It had him all but jump, barely managing to stay in his seat had it not been for Eren's head. The brunette promptly sat up when he felt Levi jump, only moments later seeing the notebook and piecing together what had happened.

Suffice it to say, he wasn't pleased.

"Mikasa!" He yelled out.

"What was that for?" The blonde asked her as he stood up.

"What the hell did I do this time?" Levi asked as he rubbed at the back of his head, the sting still present and accounted for.

"Listen, I get it. You and Eren are dating. I understand that, and believe me when I say I'm trying very hard to come to the terms that you two are doing things couples would do. However, I don't need to know the details, nor fucking read about it!" She barked and picked up the notebook, only to shove it into the man's chest.

"Mikasa! Stop it!" Eren yelled at her.

"What are you talking about?" Levi asked as he picked up the book. It was one of Eren's usual notebooks. The blue ones he used to talk to people with, but the pink or purple ones he wrote his stories in (For whatever reasons he picked those colors, Levi wasn't sure). This was a purple one, and each page was filled to the brim with writing. Nothing had been left blank, even the backs of the pages were filled in.

The purple notebook was already open and marked by a bent corner. Levi, he assumed, was supposed to read what was written here, as if Mikasa wanted that.

"... Pulling at the bindings of my hands above my head. I was trapped, nowhere to go and nothing to do but sit there and allow my body to be ravaged by the older man who stared at me with his glassy, grey eyes. I felt a shiver travel up and down my spine as his eyes looked upon me as if I were the human (not the monster) and he was the Titan, ready to devour me.

Maybe he was.

As his hands roamed down my body, another shiver fluttered across my flushed skin. I felt goose bumps crawling down my flesh as he left delicate kisses over the bruises on my thighs, skin long since marred by the belts we used on a day to day basis. From there, Levi's lips, warm and damp, traveled over my-"

"No!"

Eren's hands suddenly snatched the notebook from the man and closed it before he could continue reading any further. Levi all but jumped in surprise, eyes staring up at the brunette with question and curiosity.

The words written down in the notebooks, the ones he was able to see briefly and catch before Eren torn the book away, were about them. What it was about he wasn't entirely sure. Something about his arms being tied above his head, and then Levi doing something to him that Eren didn't want him seeing.

They hadn't done those things yet. Levi had never tied up Eren's hands, and what was this talk of belts around his thighs? They'd never done stuff like that either. What was a titan? Was that some new sexual jargon to refer to an older man, like an older woman is a cougar, or was it something else?

The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to form, but until then, the teen felt it best to take it out on his sibling.

"Mikasa! What are you doing looking through my stuff? I told you never to do that!" Despite the deep flush in his cheeks, Eren was positively livid. He looked ready to throw the notebook right back at her for ever embarrassing him like that, but his nails dug into the binding until the nail beds turned white. He wasn't letting anyone else get their hands on it.

"It's very hard not to when you leave it wide open on your bed!" Mikasa yelled in exasperation. She had a blush on her cheeks to meet the brunette's.

"So? What were you doing in my room anyway? Who said you could go in there?"

"You leave dirty dishes in your room!"

"Oh lord..." Armin mumbled from his chair, head dropping and fingers rubbing at his temples. He was not in the mood for this, for them or their arguing.

"Stay out of my room and stop looking through my stuff! Especially my writing!"

"Then stop leaving it out in the open! I swear, it's like you were hoping someone would read it!" Mikasa barked, but just as the words left her lips, her eyes fell to the older man. She visibly cringed, lips forming a very thin line of a frown in disgust at the idea that Eren would want him seeing it. "I don't need to know about your sex lives."

"Hate to break it to you, but I never tied Eren up when we did it. He's writing based solely off imagination." Levi told her, noticing that he was having a hard time fighting off the grin on his lips. He was enjoying her reactions too much, but also the idea that Eren was writing about them in an explicit way.

"I don't need to know that!"

"Alright, just stop!" Armin yelled over them. The room fell silent, eyes darting to the blonde who had gotten out of his chair in annoyance. Even Eren felt the rumble of his voice through the floor, surprise evident on his face as he tried to figure out what was going on. They had stopped signing, which made it extremely difficult for him to follow along with their argument. "Mikasa, go do the dishes or something! Just ignore it, okay?"

Suffice it to say, the two of them were surprised. It was rare for Armin to have an outburst like that, give or take the last one Levi had ever seen. However, when he saw the dark tint of red on his cheeks, he quickly realized what it was that was causing this. Not out of anger or jealousy. No, not even close.

The conversation was just as embarrassing to him as it was to the rest of them.

"Fine..." Eren's sister growled before moving back to finish working on the dishes. Armin sighed in relief, head dropping to relieve some of the tension on his shoulders.

"Thanks Armin..." Levi thanked him, his hands finally moving to sign again.

"Don't thank me. I just don't want to hear about your sex life with my best friend." Armin uttered, but just before leaving, added something more. "I didn't know you guys were doing it to begin with..."

Levi felt bad. He really did. Armin probably didn't need to know that he and Eren had sex (Only once. It was beginning to sound like they went at it like rabbits), but he definitely didn't need to figure it out by means of an argument.

"Levy..." Eren mumbled and sat down beside the man. "What's going on? Why were Mikasa and Armin arguing?"

"They weren't. Mikasa and I were, but Armin jumped in and stopped it." Levi explained to him.

"About...?" Eren's hands tightened around his notebook, cheeks a dark shade of red as he looked at it carefully.

"Mikasa doesn't like hearing the details of our sex life, but..." The man's fingers, quick and nimble, pulled at the notebook. It was of no surprise that it didn't come out of his hands; Eren had such a strong grip on it that it would take a F6 tornado to rip it from them, but he managed a peek at the writing inside. It did well to make Eren blush. "If I remember correctly, I never tied you up."

"I-It's not like that..." Eren stuttered, body sitting back to avoid Levi's peeping eyes.

"Are you writing down fantasies or something like that?" Levi asked with a smirk.

"No! They aren't fantasies..."

"You aren't very convincing..."

"Originally... Originally I was writing this story. I'm not good at naming characters though, so I just used our names." Eren looked up past his bangs, finding a very pleased man sitting before him. "Don't be so smug. Mikasa and Armin's names are here as well."

"So the two guys having sex in there has nothing to do with us...?"

"Well... I didn't say that." The brunette admitted weakly. "At first this story had nothing to do about romance... But then I met you... And I guess my emotions kind of led the relationship and actions between the two main characters."

"Who just happened to be named after us?"

To that, Eren playfully shoved at his shoulders.

"Stop it..."

"So then you do want to be tied up?"

"Please stop..." Eren whined and dropped his head onto his boyfriends shoulder. He didn't want this odd conversation to continue on any longer. He had never meant for the older man to see it after all.

"So can I read it?" Levi asked.

"What? N-No!"

"No, not that." Levi pulled at the notebook with Eren's arms again, this time getting a more relaxed response. "Can I read the story?"

"Oh..." Eren uttered, golden eyes widening in surprise. He looked down for a moment at the purple covering, multiple scribbles written all over it in a means to cover up the failed attempts of names. He never had picked out a name, had he? "Uhm... It's not that good, but if you want to..."

Reluctantly, Eren released his grip on the book, allowing it to slip into Levi's hands with ease.

"I've read some of your writings before, Eren. You're really good writer, so I don't know why you would think otherwise." Levi told him.

"We are our own worst critique." Eren replied sheepishly. Levi rolled his eyes, a huff of something similar to a laugh lacing his tone. He sat back, no longer fearing another smack to the back of his head now that he knew Mikasa's hands were busy with soapy water and dishes. He got himself comfortable, opened it up to the first page, and glanced at the poorly written words of some of Eren's older writing.

"On that day, mankind received a grim reminder that we were in fear of the titans, and were disgraced to live in these cages we called walls..."

A/N: I feel like writing some sexy time for the next chapter...