After the Fall

Levi woke to the familiar and very pleasant warmth that he'd grown used to. As woke further he realized that he was holding someone . . . someone who was currently drooling on his chest. Disgusting. Disgust faded like morning dew when he opened his eyes to see a mop of untamed brown hair under his chin. He lifted his right arm to stroke the messy, but soft mop, but winced in pain as the movement pulled at an injury on his lower right side. What the fuck?

The mop that was Eren Jaeger inhaled sharply through his nose as he awoke. He lifted his head to regard Levi with concern in his jade eyes. "Are you okay?"

The memories of the previous day (At least I hope I've only been out a day) came rushing back to him. He rubbed Eren's arm with the left hand he had wrapped around the younger's shoulder. "My side feels like it was run over by an eighteen-wheeler, but other than that, I'm okay."

Eren sighed with relief before laying his head back on Levi's chest. Levi finally took stock of his surroundings. "We're in Tinninvale."

"Yeah. Everyone else is here too. Erwin says that once you're recovered, we can portal to his father's estate until we can get a new headquarters set up," Eren explained.

Levi's eyes widened. "That's right. I forgot about Erwin's father. Erwin changed his last name when he became a hero. I think Hange and I are the only ones that know . . . wait . . . has he told Armin yet?"

Eren lifted his head to look at his lover in confusion. "Armin? Of course, Armin knows our plans!"

"That's not what I meant! I mean, has Erwin told everyone his real last name?"

"You mean Smith?"

"Ugh! You can be so dense sometimes!" Levi groused, though his tone held no real bite. "Smith is an alias. His real last name is Arlert."

Eren's eyes grew wider than Levi'd ever seen them. "A-arlert?!"

"Yeah. Armin's his cousin."

"So, Grandpa Arlert was Erwin's father's father? Small world!"

"No shit."

"And I don't think he's told Armin yet."

"Well he better do it soon. I'll be leaving here in two days time."

"So soon? We just got here yesterday!"

Levi smiled up at his younger lover. "Maybe you and I can spend a week or two up here. I think we've both earned it."

Eren nodded in agreement then placed his head back on Levi's chest. "Once we're sure Titan really did go down yesterday, I'm gonna have Hange give me the serum to make me mortal again."

"I don't blame you," Levi said. "I'd do the same. But if I'm honest, after watching that fucker stab you in the heart yesterday, I'm beyond glad that your father made you immortal."

"Not surprised. Honestly, I'm kinda glad too. At least since it can be reversed anyway."

Soon both men succumbed to the sweet seduction of blissful sleep.

One Year Later . . . . . .

Levi stood atop his favorite spire at the peak of Mitras Towers. The sun would not rise for another three hours. It had been a long night spent taking down a massive drug and human trafficking ring. Most of the Scouts had returned to headquarters, which was in a warehouse by the river near the heart of the city. Thanks to Erwin's father and Erwin's own habit of squirreling money away and some very fortuitous investing as well as a considerable amount of financial help from Kenny, they had been able to set up their new headquarters in record time. The layout was similar to the original headquarters, but the upstairs apartment where Levi now resided was much nicer. Especially since Eren lived with him.

The fall of Titan and deaths of so many of the corporate world's top executives in what officials called a freak collapse of Utopia's Mt. Astore while they were "touring the old silver mines to be used as a record retention center during an annual conference." Well, at least according to the new reports. The economy went into a recession as corporations were restructured and governments scrutinized them for misuse of funds and tax evasion. But with new leadership, such as Keith Shadis, the corporations were recovering, as was the economy and Titan was all but forgotten by society.

Armin had been shocked to learn he had living relatives; more so that Erwin was his cousin. No wonder those to blonds think so much alike. Coconut should be grateful that he didn't inherit the same eyebrows as Erwin did. He, along with Eren, had finished their thesis and were now working towards their PHDs. Both young men taught at the university . . . during the day. By night, they were still fully-fledged members of the Scouting Regiment. Eren still went by the moniker Rogue, while Armin changed to the rather impish sounding but highly fitting Devious.

In the last year, Mikasa had improved drastically as the Super hero, She-Wolf. She had learned to balance having Eren's back but also trusting him to stand on his own. She had even started dating. Eren and Armin both had nearly fainted when they found out she was going on a date with Jean Kirstein. They now fought crime as a team.

The reunion between Jean and his mother had been nothing less than cliché, as Levi had put it. Tears, joy, relief, and shock that her son was a Super. She immediately supported his decision to be a hero, however. "As long as it doesn't interfere with your studies, of course," she'd told him.

Sasha, the official Scouting Regiment chef, was now teamed up with a new member that had joined the Scouts just two months after the fall of Titan. His real name was Connie Springer, but his moniker was Gumball. His power was, much like Stretch's had been, stretching. He could stretch any part of himself like taffy. He'd mastered his power to the level that even a bullet was unable to truly penetrate him, since the impact area would just stretch until the bullet ran out of energy, to which he would then use the rubber-like quality of his body to fling the bullet back at his attacker. With his bald head, Gumball fit him to a T. Together, Levi started calling the them Team Springles.

Reiner, at first lost without his deceased teammates, stayed with the Scouts and teamed up with another newcomer, Falco Grice, who went by the moniker Jaws. His entire body could turn to steel and his head was like a steel-jaw trap. Like Aegis, he was immune to bullets, but he was faster and more flexible. Falco and Reiner had known each other for three years, both working at the same car repair center, but didn't discover each other's Super identities until Aegis and the Commander helped Jaws out of a bad situation involving a seriously pissed off racoon defending her young. Falco didn't want to hurt the poor animal, after all, but he didn't want to get bitten either, so Reiner and Erwin had found a metal man huddled in a corner being attacked by a screaming racoon.

Marco was also a permanent member of the Scouts. He stayed at headquarters on the computers, inventing new technology and providing technical support, guidance and research for those in the field. By day, he followed in his father's footsteps and provided technical support for Brigade. By night, he went by the simple moniker of Hack n' Sack, or Hack for short.

Hange and Erwin usually worked together in the field. They also worked well together in the bedroom, since neither one had Levi to entertain them anymore. After all, Levi was now with his soul mate and street partner, Eren Jaeger, aka Rogue. Though not a Super, with the aid of a new set of Hange's 3DM gear, he could fly with the best of them. He had taken to the gear like a duck to water. He was now even better than Hange was.

Levi looked down at his partner and lover, who was on the edge of the roof below the spire and smiled. He did that a lot these days, and it was all because of Eren. Levi had forgotten how to love and be loved. He'd forgotten how it felt to be truly happy and to just want to protect people. His father and Harbinger had stolen that from him, but Eren gave it all back.

He had spoken to Eren and his mother about Titan's fall not being the end shortly after he'd woken up in Tinninvale after defeating Titan. He'd told them of what the Fates had told him about the true creator of Titan rising again in 2,000 years to try again. "This is nothing but a stay of execution," he'd said.

Eren had just grinned at him and replied, "Then we'll just have to come back and finish the job in 2,000 years. Let's just enjoy the stay of execution while it lasts."

Levi's smile broadened as he thought back. Light was just beginning to show in the east. Luckily, Eren didn't have any classes to teach on Saturdays. "Hey Rogue. Let's head back and clean up. Then we can go get some waffles at our favorite pancake joint."

Eren looked up at him with his famous, blinding grin. "You bet!" he replied, before immediately deploying his gear and heading back to headquarters.

Levi watched Eren move through the city like he was born to fly. God, I love that brat. He spread his jet-black wings and followed his lover into the dawn.