It was safe to say that by the beginning of that summer Levi had settled fully into the Jaeger household. He had carved out his own place there, becoming as much of a fixture of the home as Eren and Mikasa were. At first, some, especially Mr. Jaeger's friends and associates, thought it a bit odd that this seemingly random young man had taken up residence in the mansion. He explained to them though that he was a very good friend of his son's whose home was destroyed and had nowhere else to go. Besides, he paid his rent and earned his keep, so he saw nothing wrong with him staying there.

Despite the fact that he saw him as a bit of a bad influence on his son.

After all, Levi didn't seem to be encouraging Eren to obtain a stable career for himself. Instead, he kept telling him that they were going to make it big someday as a writing and artist duo, Levi writing his books while Eren illustrated them. He was also looking out for potential jobs for Eren and telling him about them. Grisha did like seeing the excited spark in Eren's eyes when he was told about these jobs, but he knew deep down he was wasting his time. The life of an artist and writer was a never-ending struggle, and though Levi at least had a stable career to fall back on, Eren did not. He was already far overdue for making a life of his own, and Grisha's patience was running out.

It didn't help that Mikasa seemed to like Levi, despite the fact that she rarely seemed to like anyone that Eren made friends with. Perhaps it was because their personalities were so similar, and she could see that Levi cared just as deeply for his son that Mikasa did.

In fact, Grisha didn't know of any two men that were as close and Eren and Levi were.

The whole situation was very queer, as far as he was concerned. But Eren had always been a very affectionate boy, loving easily and with his whole heart. However it was difficult for him to attach very deeply to anyone ever since his mother passed away, so he supposed it should be a good thing that he found someone he own age and gender that he could bond with.

So why did he find Levi and Eren's relationship so odd?

For now, he put his concerns aside. There was still time before December, and in that time, maybe Levi would be a good influence on his son in helping him find a woman to court.

Speaking of Eren and Levi's careers, Levi was proud of himself that he found the will to start writing again. It broke his heart that he had to start at the beginning, but Eren assured him that this just meant he had been given a chance to write his book even better than he could have before. This was the version of his story that was meant to see the light of day.

"The faster you get it written, the faster we can take it to Auruo and Gunter and see what they think of it," Eren reassured him.

That's right. Though Levi was beyond excited at the thought of an actual publisher seeing the beginning of his novel, he was also so nervous he felt that he was going to vomit. He was nervous enough showing his work to Eren, or Mikasa, who had oddly also liked his writings. But Eren kept telling him that it would be worth it, that he had nothing to fear. It was then that it came out that the boy had secretly brought his manuscript to the pub and asked some of their closest friends to read it. Armin had absolutely died over it, while Erwin had thought it was very refreshing. Hanji was also similarly enthusiastic, unaware that Levi had such a gift for writing, while Marco held the same sentiments, saying that if he got an editor to polish it up, it would be something very special.

"Eren!" Levi had exclaimed after he found out, his face turning bright red.

"What?" Eren held up his hands in surrender. "They loved it. I figured you just needed a bit of a push to get it to the publisher. The more people who gave you positive reviews, the more likely you were likely to go through with it. So…did it work?"

The older man had sighed in frustration, before growling, "Yes. I hate you."

He had then kissed him briefly and then immediately turned back to his typewriter, fingers practically burning up the keyboard. Eren snorted, saying to himself, "Anything for you, dear."

After that, Levi had written at the speed of light, already knowing what he wanted to write, and now having the will to write it. He barely took breaks, sometimes falling asleep by the light of a gas lamp at his desk in front of the typewriter, leaving Eren to either brave lifting him into bed, or draping a blanket over his shoulders.

However, Levi's determination was contagious, as now Eren found himself going out into town, looking for ads either in the paper or on shop walls looking for artists. And after just one afternoon, he found three opportunities, and quickly applied for all three. Two of them told him they believed he needed more experience, but one was willing to give him a shot in making posters to promote his shop, which sent Eren over the moon with excitement. It was his first job where he would get paid for his art! When he had found out, Levi had pulled him into his room and kissed him deeply.

"I'm so proud of you," he had breathed against his lips.

Eren laughed with elation, telling him, "I probably wouldn't have done it without you. Look at us, following our dreams. Maybe we can actually do this."

"What a pair we make, huh? The writer and the artist. We'll either succeed or die broke in a gutter somewhere under mysterious circumstances, like proper artists."

Eren had rolled his eyes. "So dramatic. No, failure is not an option. We'll be successful and move out of town. Maybe we can build a house by the ocean so that we wake up to the sound of the waves every morning?"

At that, Levi eyes brightened right up. "Really?"

Eren shrugged. "If we save up, or if we make it big, I see no reason why not. A little house by the beach for just the two of us. We can be away from everyone, and when we're in that house, we can be ourselves. Yes, don't worry. I'll make sure to get it built for you."

Levi truly didn't deserve him. He was far too pure for his dirty self, he thought. But even so, it just spurned him to work even harder, until finally he finished what he felt was almost half of his story. He figured that would be enough to at least capture the interest of a publisher. He knew they usually preferred the whole or at least most of the manuscript, but he hoped because Gunter and Aururo had connections, they would make an exception. So, when he was ready, he gave them what he had.

"No matter if the house likes it or doesn't, they'll most likely call you in for a meeting," they told him. "We'll give you the news when we see you again."

Levi had thanked them profusely again for doing this favor for him, unable to believe that he was actually doing this. After all, he had wanted to publish stories since he was an adolescent. It was so surreal, and he honestly didn't feel like he was really submitting his work for professional eyes to see.

"Well, if they don't like it, I suppose I'll have to give up writing forever and stick to my day job," he told Eren on his walk home from the pub, but Eren had waved him off at once.

"Nonsense. You'll just take it to another publisher, and if they say no, you'll just keep going to publishers until you find one that says yes. I'm not going to let either of us give up."

The older man had no idea what he was going to do with this boy. He was going to give him a heart attack; how did he always know just what to say? He swore, he would have never been brave enough to publish anything without him, nor would he have the gumption to keep going. Half the reason, he discovered, that he wanted to get his work out there was because he wanted to please Eren, to see that proud smile on his face.

He supposed that that wasn't such a bad motivation, though.

It took weeks for the two of them to hear anything back from the publishing firm, weeks that Levi spent on the edge of his seat. Meanwhile, Eren busied himself with his new job, throwing himself completely into it. He only seemed to take breaks when Levi would bring him his meals, setting them down next to him, sometimes on the floor, where Prince would find it very quickly and try and steal whatever smelled good to him. Levi had to admit, the poster looked brilliant, bright and colorful and attractive to the eye. It was sure to capture the attention of anyone that passed by it, including lovely stylized text of the store's slogan.

"It isn't what I dream of doing, but it's a start," Eren had told him. "Someday I want to sell my paintings out of my studio at whatever price I name. You know, so we can save up to have that home built."

By the time he finished his posters and was ready to deliver them, Levi finally received news about his manuscript. True to Gunter and Auruo's prediction, he wasn't told whether or not it was good or bad. Rather, he was given a letter saying that the publishers wanted to meet with him early one morning before he started work.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Eren had asked with concern when he saw how pale Levi had gone when he read the letter.

Levi shook his head, and smiled at him tightly from his desk. "I'm a big boy. I can go by myself, and whatever they have to tell me, I can handle it by myself."

"Well, whatever happens, just know that I'm proud of you, and that you're very brave."

He repeated those words to him the morning he left to go to the publishing house, deciding to go in style by riding one of the Jaeger's Morgans into town. He had to admit, he felt rather fancy and important as the horse trotted smoothly over the paved road, his horseshoes ringing out in the still morning air. He did gain the looks of a few passersby, mostly women that tittered and giggled amongst themselves. Levi had to resist looking away in embarrassment. He didn't understand their reaction at all, though Eren often said that Levi looked very handsome on the back of their family's beautiful horses.

All too soon, he was arriving at the publishing house and tying his horse outside, relieved to see that there was someone outside to watch him as well as the other horses. He would hate to have Eren's horse stolen. Once he was taken care of, Levi timidly walked inside the building, which was intimidating only to him. In reality, it probably wouldn't stand out to anyone else; it blended in pretty well with the other businesses surrounding it. The glass doors were large and imposing and practically slammed behind him when they shut.

At hearing the doors shut, a woman behind a small wooden desk that he hadn't noticed before looked up from her papers, and when she saw him, she offered him a friendly smile.

"Well, it's two o' clock," she observed. "So I'm guessing you're Mr. Pixis' next appointment? You're right on time."

Levi found himself stumbling over his words and he hated himself for it. "Um, y-yes. He said he didn't like it when people were late."

"That he doesn't." She got up from behind her desk and led him down a hallway, prompting him to follow her. He found himself in a large room, passing several shiny oak desks where many men sat, glasses on and bent over their work. She only stopped when she was a couple of feet away from one of the bigger desks near the back of the room, saying, "He's sitting right there."

When her job was done, she left them to it, leaving the room. Levi was there by himself now, trying to stop his knees from shaking. He had kept telling himself for weeks, ever since he had dropped off his manuscript, that it didn't matter what this man's opinion was of his work, he would keep writing. However, now that he was actually here, in front of this man, he felt that even the slightest criticism might send him falling to his knees in a fit of tears and prevent him from ever sitting in front of a typewriter ever again. He knew it was foolish to think that way, but he couldn't help it.

The couple of seconds it took for Mr. Pixis to notice him seem to last for an eternity, but eventually, he was looking over the top of his glasses at Levi, before his moustache turned upward in a smile. He stood up, and held out his hand.

"Mr Ackerman, wonderful to meet you," he said. Levi took his hand, feeling a bit better, and shook it.

"You too," he replied, a bit quietly.

"Oh now don't look so nervous, I don't bite. Come, sit, sit."

He pulled an empty chair from behind a desk near them and set it next to him. Levi did as he was told, sitting down, pressing his knees together and fiddling with one of his shiny buttons. Eren had insisted he wear this fancy suit jacket, saying that no matter what, he needed to make a good impression. Now that he was sitting in front of Dot Pixis, who was dressed extremely well, he was glad he had taken his advice. But now he was afraid he was going to pop the button off in his fit of anxiety.

"I've seen that expression many times," Pixis remarked. "You look like you're going to be sick, boy. I promise you there's nothing to fear."

"I'm sorry," Levi said in a small voice. "I just- not many people have looked at my work before. I haven't gotten too many opinions on it outside of my friend group."

"Many potential authors have been in your shoes, for sure," he replied sagely. "But I have good things to say about your manuscript."

At that, Levi perked up, looking more attentive, but not too much so. He didn't want to hope too much, after all. He could say he liked bits of it but overall didn't think it would do well. Pixis continued, "Now, as I'm sure Gunter and Auruo told you, normally I don't take half-finished manuscripts, but they told me I wouldn't regret this one. And I have to say you wrote enough that you definitely got me interested and a little disappointed that there wasn't more."

Levi paused, and then dared to ask, "So, you liked it?"

"Certainly. You have a unique plot and interesting characters that feel real and human despite the fact that it's a fiction story bordering on fantasy. That's rare, you know. I also like the way you write prose. It's detailed, but purposeful. I didn't feel that any word was really wasteful. That being said, there are some moments where you over-explain or ramble, but with some editing and polishing we can fix that. I also think there's some chapters you can get rid of, but when you write more we can decide what you can delete."

Levi couldn't comprehend what he was saying, so amazed by it was he. He sat there dumbly, all of his thoughts screeching to a halt. But he had to say something, otherwise Mr. Pixis would think there was something wrong with him. So he finally settled on, "Does this mean you want to put it through?"

And to his utter astonishment, the other man nodded. "I think it has some great potential. Obviously we're working with the raw material right now and this isn't the version I'd want published. But come back to me either when you're done or almost done with the manuscript and we'll save a slot for you. I'll get you in contact with one of my editors then."

"That's…"

"A lot to take in?" Pixis gave a hearty laugh. "I've seen that expression many times before too. Don't worry, I think Auruo and Gunter did a great service by bringing this work to my attention. We've been friends for several years, and they like to find undiscovered writers for me and recommending their books to our house. They haven't let me down yet and it looks like they haven't broken their streak."

It was only now beginning to sink in. Pixis really wanted his work. He wanted to edit it, promote it, and put it out there for people to read. He was going to get what he always wanted, what he'd been dreaming of doing for years and years. He was going to get his name out there, people were going to get the chance to read and enjoy his work. If he planned this right, he might be able to do what he really wanted and make a living completely by just writing. He sighed in relief, trying to keep himself from shaking.

"Thank you so much for this, sir," he said emphatically, "I won't let you down either. I'll work hard, and whatever you need from me, I'll give it to you."

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Pixis shook his hand once again with a kind smile. "I look forward to working with you then, Mr. Ackerman."

After that, Levi practically ran out of the building, barely touching the stairs, his manuscript back in his bag. He hopped onto his horse, very nearly pushing him into a gallop in his frenzy, but holding back so that he didn't knock anyone over on the street. The whole trip back he was almost vibrating in his seat, dying to tell Eren his news. Hell, not just him, but anyone who would listen. He wanted to tell everyone on the street he passed, he wanted stand on every chimney on every rooftop and scream the news at the top of his lungs: his book was going to get published. This was absolutely insane.

When he finally made it home, he burst through the door, almost knocking over the butler that held it open for him and sliding across the freshly waxed floor, flew down the hallway, knowing that Eren would be in his room at this time. And thank heavens he was indeed there, laying on his bed, sketching his heart out. When he saw him, he didn't so much as offer him a hello before he was leaping onto the bed, landing on Eren. The boy "oof"-ed, all the air being squeezed out of his lungs in an instant. He could have sworn all of his ribs cracked as well, and since Levi landed partially in his lap, he wouldn't have been surprised if the older man took away his ability to have kids as well.

"Jesus Christ," Eren wheezed. "You madman, where's the fire?"

"In my manuscript," Levi replied eagerly, rolling over so that he was sitting in his lap, straddling his hips. "Pixis wants me to write more! He said he'd put it through the publishing house once I have more! I can't believe this Eren, I just want to die!"

"Well don't do that!" Eren exclaimed, sitting up further. He cupped Levi's face in his hands, a huge, open mouthed smile pushing up his cheeks. "This is amazing! Oh my God I'm so proud of you, Doll. Look at you! Look at the both of us, achieving our dreams. We must celebrate!"

Levi nodded excitedly. "Let's go to the Laughing Fox and get some drinks and food. Maybe some of our friends will be there."

"Absolutely. When it starts to get dark, we can get ready to go out."

So off they went that evening, hanging out in the pub for hours, laughing and drinking and making friends they most likely hadn't meant to. But when Eren was drunk, he was quite giggly and affectionate, and even more extraverted than usual. To him, everyone was wonderful and friendly, and Levi was even prettier than usual. Blushing, Levi kept having to push him off and telling him to lower his voice so that others wouldn't hear them. After all, they weren't in the back room where they met their friends, and they didn't know any of these people. Levi himself found that he also loosened up a bit when he had alcohol in him, remaining sweet to Eren but threatening to fight anyone that came near him.

"And you tell me to be subtle," Eren laughed, slapping Levi on the back.

They left just a bit before the bar was about to close, both of them having sobered up slightly, at least enough to walk home in a mostly straight line. Alright, they had to pull each back up next to each other because they were both quite wobbly, but for the most part they were doing alright.

Except Eren could not stop laughing because Levi pointed out all the bird shit covering a building they passed. Levi just rolled his eyes, dragging the boy along.

"I'm sorry, the way you said it was so fucking funny, I just…" Eren tried, and then started back up again, giggling himself silly, nearly bending in half.

"Idiot," Levi sighed. "Why do I love you again?"

Before the boy could answer that, however, after Eren stood up, still getting his giggles out, he suddenly went quiet and stopped walking. Levi tried to pull him along, but Eren refused to budge. Without looking to see why he was still, the older man said, "Come on you great lump. I'll carry you if I have to, but I can't guarantee I won't drop you a few times along"-

"Levi, hold on."

The tone of his voice made Levi halt in his tracks. It was so serious, such a stark contrast to how jovial he had been a minute ago. He looked at his partner, seeing that he was looking down a dark alleyway located between two buildings. But as he followed his gaze, he couldn't see exactly what it was he was seeing, as the blackness was so thick. He took a step towards the alley, but Levi held him back.

"Hold on, that doesn't look safe," he told him. "Do you want to get mugged?"

But Eren reassured him, "We won't, I just…I want to check something."

"Eren, it's so late that it's tomorrow. This is not the time to just be 'checking something,' especially not in a dark alley."

"Then wait here."

He walked away from Levi, leaving the older man to scramble towards him. There was no way he was going to be left out on here on these dark streets by himself. He stayed close to Eren, their bodies practically touching as they walked through the mouth of the alley. It took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the dark, as the light from the street lamps didn't reach here very well. But then, once he could see better, he realized that there were piles of trash littered all over the place. It looked like this alley hadn't been visited by any cleaners in quite some time. There was hardly any place for them to put their feet without stepping on some kind of slop or broken glass. It made Levi cringe hard. And beyond that, this looked like exactly the kind of place that a killer might be hiding out, waiting for a rich idiot to wander down so he could steal everything he had, slash his throat and then leave his body for the crows.

"Eren!" he hissed, and then let out a cry as a pile of rubbish moved. He nearly smacked into the opposite wall trying to get away. But like an idiot, instead of running away from it, Eren moved towards it, pulling away dirty blankets that covered the pile.

Except, it wasn't a pile of trash at all.

As Eren pulled back more cloth, Levi slowly realized that the pile was in fact a person lying on the ground. The person was as pale as the moon, almost glowing in the dark. And even from this distance, Levi could see that the person was a man, a very young man, their age perhaps. He was so thin that his face looked more like a skull, his eyes sunken into his skull and his cheeks gaunt. He was filthy as well, covered in several layers in dirt. To his surprise, Eren placed his hand against the man's neck, checking for a pulse.

"Is he….dead?" Levi found himself asking. He didn't know why he did. It was so obvious that he was. There was no one that could be that thin and still be alive.

"No," Eren answered, clearly in disbelief. "He's…Levi, I know him. His name is Thomas. We used to be casual lovers at the Laughing Fox for years. And then he- Thomas?"

He paused, and Levi heard a hoarse, wheezing breath come from the pile of blankets. The older man peeled himself away from the wall and came over to stand next to him. He knelt down, and just as he did, he could see the glitter of the thin man's eyes as they opened.

"Thomas, can you hear me?" Eren asked, somewhat desperately. "It's me."

There was silence for several moments, to the point that Levi thought that he had passed away right there, but after a minute, Thomas finally said hoarsely, "Jaeger…hey it's- you're going towards the light too?"

Eren shook his head in disbelief. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Going towards the light," he repeated faintly. "Climbing towards- do you have water? Or, no…no…"

"I don't, but I"- Eren looked up at Levi helplessly. "You do not look good at all. Here just, are you hurt anywhere? We can get you to my father, he can help."

The older man sighed. "Eren, I don't think he'll make the trip."

Eren fixed him with a wide-eyed, pleading stare. "We could still"-

Just then, Thomas made a tight, gasping sound that made Levi feel sick to hear. Thomas sounded ill, like his lungs were full of something, perhaps water, or worse. His body gave a weak shudder, and Eren found himself pulling the blankets back up to his shoulders and placing his warm hand against his cheek in a vain attempt to bring him some heat. But this young man was clearly beyond anything anyone could do.

"Thomas, hold on," Eren still tried. "Just hold on, we'll get you some help."

But Thomas didn't appear to hear him anymore. His eyes flickered weakly over to meet Eren's, cracked lips parted, but he didn't utter another word. He spent a minute fighting for breath, choking on whatever was filling his lungs, before he lost the battle. He gave one final wheeze before he was still and eerily silent. Eren shook him, trying to rouse him, before he placed a couple of fingers against his neck. Then, he sighed heavily, shoulders drooping and head lowering.

"He's gone," he announced, but Levi already figured that. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," the older man said gently. "Perhaps we can find an undertaker in the morning, or get in touch with the police"-

"No." Eren cut him off quickly, almost coldly. "No, letting anyone know that we were in contact with Thomas is about the worst thing we could do. Even if we did tell someone he was here, his family wouldn't want to claim his body."

He pulled the dirty blankets up over Thomas' head, figuring it was one of the few things he could do for him to respect him. He then stood up and dusted off his pants, Levi staring at him in disbelief.

"What on Earth do you mean?" he asked. He was shocked to hear such things from his compassionate boy, and a bit frightened. How could he say something so cold?

Eren just pulled him out of the alley, sparing one last look at the still bundle, before making his way out, saying, "Quick, before someone sees us."

They skittered out of the alley, looking left and right to make sure they were alone. The streets were of course deserted at this time of night, which meant they were safe. Nonetheless, Eren still held his arm and made sure he kept moving down the street, away from the alley.

He then explained solemnly. "Thomas was found out about being an invert by his family and taken to court about it. A few men came forward saying that he sodomized them, not people in our pub, of course. And I know he didn't do it against their will, so they betrayed him. He went to jail for a couple years, but after that he was never the same. Society ostracized him. No one would hire him for work, his family wanted nothing to do with him anymore, and if we tried to help him, we risked being found out as well. Basically, anyone that wanted to help him would be seen as a mollie, even if they weren't."

Eren shook his head sadly. "That's what happens to people in our world, and that's why we have to be so careful. I know I don't act as careful as I should, and I scare myself sometimes honestly. So that's part of why I'm glad I have you. You curb my behavior so we're less likely to be found out. In truth, I know jail for a couple years isn't bad. It could be worse. They used to hang inverts for their crimes. But the jail here…going there might as well be a death sentence."

He didn't say anything after that, continuing on in silence, leaving Levi with a cold chill up his spine that not even the warmth of the late spring night could cure. He had always known that what they were doing was a big risk, but seeing it in front of him was horrifying in ways that he didn't want dwell on. He knew Eren was worth all the pain, but still. He had been so caught up in their own little dream that sometimes he forgot how cruel reality was.

Levi didn't feel warm again for the rest of the night, his frightened chills spreading down to his bones.