A.N: Thank you for the all love and support! x

WARNING: Some naughty boy on boy hotness in this chapter.

A Helping Hand

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The silence may have only lasted a moment, but to Levi it felt like it stretched on forever.

Carla was the first to break the silence. "Hello Levi, it's good to finally meet you."

He smiled tightly, not quite meeting her gaze. "I ... er ... don't mean to intrude like this."

"It's the weekend tomorrow, so it won't be an issue," she offered a smile, firmly letting him know that it would not become a habit for him to pop over at a moments notice. At least, not until she got to know him better.

"I appreciate you letting me stay," he said.

"Trouble at home, is it?" Grisha asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Levi swallowed thickly and inclined his head. "Yes, sir. Argument with my parents. I ... er ... didn't appreciate what they were saying about Eren. So I left."

"It would be best to call them before Monday," he said. "However, for the time being I suggest you just let them know that you're somewhere safe. No point in causing needless worry."

Levi clenched his jaw, but nodded. He didn't particularly care if his parents worried about him or not, but he wasn't about to argue with Eren's parents. Especially not when they were being so kind to let him stay. It was a good thing he had 'dressed up for dinner', as it were, so that he didn't look completely like the rebel goth that would lead their son astray.

It was the vibe he got from most people these days.

"So, Eren, since it's getting a bit late, you'll need to decide where you're sleeping and then we can arrange some bedding," Carla said, her eyes focusing back on her son.

The warmth, solid pillar that was Eren was a comforting presence that Levi was very grateful for in that moment. He hadn't realised just how out of his depth he'd felt, until he'd come face-to-face with Eren's dad. The weight of what had just happened, him ambushing in on his boyfriend's family time, could potentially leave a bad taste in people's mouths if something went awry.

He needed to be on his best behaviour.

Shit!

"We can just stay down here," Eren said with a shrug. "My rooms not exactly blessed with space so ..."

Levi waited, holding his breath to see how his parents would react to that suggestion.

Carla and Grisha exchanged a glance before nodding. "Okay," Carla smiled. "I'll fetch you a duvet and some extra pillows."

"Thanks mum."

Levi felt so awkward as he stood there, in the clothes he'd walked out on with nothing else packed. Grisha excused himself, saying that he had some work to do for Monday. Mikasa must have been at home, but she was probably up in her own room. Turning to face Eren, Levi kept his eyes fixed on the younger teens chest and groused, "I don't have any clothes with me."

Eren's eyes went wide and then an adoring smile spread over his lips. "That's okay, I'm sure my stuff will fit you just fine. Might be a little baggy, is that okay?"

"As long as I'm not tribbing over myself it should be fine."

"Okay, let's go and find you some stuff." Eren took the lead heading up the stairs to the first floor landing.

Levi kept his eyes fixed firmly on the stairs and putting one foot in front of the other. He didn't look up properly until he'd followed Eren into a small bedroom and the light flicked on. He blinked, adjusting, and looked around the room. The walls were blue with neat white shelves holding an assortment of fictional books and textbooks. There was a desk with some notebooks strewn across one side, with a closed laptop on the other. The bed was a little rumpled but the floor was clear and any knick knacks were hiding away on the bookshelf next to the wardrobe, mostly out of sight.

There was two band posters on the wall, but Levi couldn't remember having heard of them.

"So this is your room, huh?" he said, for lack of anything else to say.

'Damn it, I really am shit at the small talk,' he scolded himself.

It was then that he noticed it; Eren looked as though he was hunched over, his hands were stuffed deep in his pockets, and he kept shifting his legs as though he'd lost feeling in them. He looked ... Was he nervous? Why would he be nervous about Levi being in his room? True, it was the first time that Levi had been in there but ... Oh. So that was it?

Eren was nervous that Levi might think he was a nerd or a dweeb?

"Are you nervous, kid?" Levi asked, turning to Eren with an incredulous expression.

"I guess."

Levi crossed his arms over his chest. "Why? It's just a bedroom. You've seen mine tons of times."

"Yeah and yours is all cool and rebellious and at the top of the house!" Eren shot back. "This," he swept his arm around the room, indicating the POP figures and ticket stubs from various comic book related movies on his noticeboard. "This is nerdy."

"I know," Levi said with a shrug. "I've known from day one that you were a bit of a nerd."

Eren frowned, worrying his bottom lip. "So ... none of this is a turn-off for you?"

"On the contrary," Levi purred, stepping closer to the tall teen so that he could hook his fingers into Eren's belt loops. "I think this room is turning me on a little too much."

He rocked his hips against Eren's and, even though neither of them were hard, he gasped and gripped Levi's shoulders to keep himself upright.

"You're a bastard," he grumbled into Levi's ear.

The goth merely chuckled, his voice low and gravelly and dear GOD why did that make Eren's insides flip about?

Levi smirked and ruffled Eren's hair, secretly delighting in the way the kid blushed and jostled his shoulder.

Eren crouched down and rummaged around in some drawers, pulling out long, comfy looking pyjama bottoms and a fleecey shirt for Levi to wear. "These should be okay for you," Eren said, "We can figure out other clothes tomorrow."

Levi took the clothes and was about to change into them when he paused, his hands on the hem of his shirt. "What about a toothbrush?" he questioned, more to himself than to Eren.

"Er ... I don't think we have any spares at the moment but ... um ... You could use mine?"

Levi let the words sink into his brain. How absurd was it that he found sex easy to do, almost effortless, yet sharing a toothbrush with his only-just-boyfriend was intimate?

"Uh ... sure, yeah. Thanks," he muttered stiffly, taking the offered clothes and stalking out towards the bathroom across the landing.

Once he'd locked himself in, he dumped the pile of clothes on the toilet seat and braced himself over the sink. He took deep breaths, grinding his teeth together. He was about to sleep over at Eren's house. With his PARENTS at home! He couldn't remember the last time he'd done something like this, except for when he was a kid and it was a group-birthday sleepover.

It wasn't even like he was anticipating sex, but this was foreign territory to him; he didn't know what land-mines lay in wait for him. He felt sure that he was going to do something to fuck everything up.

"Just change," he murmured to himself. "Worry about the sodding toothbrush later. Just change and calm down."

Focusing his attention on undoing his buttons, he willed his nerves to calm the fuck down. He folded everything neatly and slid into the clothes Eren had given him; they were soft and smelled fresh and clean. The trousers were a little too big, but he didn't care the the legs bunched up at his ankles, or that he had to tie the waist more than necessary. The baggy top wasn't so bad, the sleeves were only a little too long over his hands, but it wasn't as though anyone else was going to see him this way.

Gripping his clothes under one arm, he let himself out of the bathroom.

Eren was sat at his desk, already changed into his own sleep attire. On the bed there was a duvet folded up with two pillows stacked on top. Upon hearing the door close, Eren spun in his chair and grinned nervously up at Levi. "Mum brought this in while you were changing," he gestured to the pile on his bed. "Everyone else has gone to bed, so we're free to ... you know ... Go downstairs?"

It really shouldn't be endearing, how nervous the kid got around him.

"Why downstairs?"

"I just figured it'd be awkward," Eren rubbed the back of his neck. "We'd either have to share my single bed or, you know, you'd have to camp out on the floor ... So yeah. Are you okay with staying downstairs?"

"Sure, do you need me to grab anything?"

"As many pillows as possible!"

Levi rolled his eyes, but did as advised as Eren grabbed the heaving pile from his bed and shuffled blindly towards the door. Levi followed, watching in amusement as the tall teen navigated the stairs at an awkward, sideways angle.

Levi followed Eren into the main lounge; it was painted a cream colour with slate and blue accents and a plush, grey sofa that looked ever so inviting. Eren pushed the coffee table to one side and started building a nest with the duvets, blankets and pillows he'd acquired. Levi dumped the pillows he was holding at the furthest end from the TV before perching on the arm of the sofa, watching impassively as Eren fluttered around like an agitated bird.

"Do you want some drinks and snacks?"

Cocking an eyebrow he asked, "What for?"

"Well ... I thought we could watch a movie?"

"Which one?"

"I ... Was going to let you pick," Eren bit his lip sheepishly. "I'll grab us some stuff from the kitchen. DVD's are over there," he pointed at a large bookshelf with stacks of DVD's crammed into it, before hurrying towards the kitchen.

Levi watched him go, bemused, before sliding over to the bookcase and scanning the DVD's available. The stirring of nerves in his belly was becoming harder to ignore as he slowly picked a few movies. He swallowed upon hearing Eren's return.

"Found any you like?"

"A few. Narrowed it down to three. You can help me if you like."

They looked at each other for a moment. Eren suddenly burst out laughing, struggling to set the drinks and snacks onto the coffee table in time. "Fuck, I don't know why I'm so nervous!"

"Well I know why I am," Levi groused.

Eren's expression softened. He crossed over the nest of blankets and gently took Levi's hand in his own. "I know this is all new to you. We don't even have to cuddle of anything," he teased. "I'll even put a pillow between us if it makes you feel better."

Levi glared up at him. In truthfulness, he was tempted just to sleep on the sofa and let Eren have the floor, but that would be admitting defeat. "Nah I'm cool with sharing the floor with you," he shrugged dismissively. He tensed up when Eren stepped closer, the aroma flooding Levi's senses so that he took a deep breath of air. His throat ran dry. "So ... uh ... you gonna pick a movie or what?"

He took a step back from Eren, grabbed his drink and took a big gulp of it.

He could feel the weight of Eren's gaze but he ignored it.

Eventually, he heard the whirs of the DVD player accepting a disc and the TV flickered to life.

Settling back against the base of the sofa and pillows, Levi tugged open a few bags of chocolates and started eating them just to keep his hands occupied. Eren didn't try to say or do anything as the movie played. Occasionally their hands would brush when they reached into a bag of sweets at the same time, but other than that they kept to themselves. The awkwardness had slowly faded about halfway into the movie. Whenever either one of them shifted, they seemed to get even closer together among the pillows.

Feeling more in control of himself, Levi reached out a hand over the covers and slowly slid it over Eren's thigh, stroking the strong muscle he felt beneath those loose bottoms. Eren's breath hitched and his legs may have shifted a little wider, but otherwise he didn't react. He continued stroking along Eren's thigh, a little harder, and smirking when he felt something long twitch against his palm.

Eren tried to remain focused on the TV.

Levi, however, couldn't give a shit about it. He was too busy enjoying just how much he could make the younger teen squirm as he slid his hand below the waistband of the trousers and teased his fingertips along Eren's cock. It twitched over and over, the telltale sign of precum already slicking his hand as he slowly wrapped his fingers around Eren.

The teen gasped out, his body tensing.

Levi slowly starting to stroke, up and down, feeling the hot dick throb in his palm. Eren's breathing grew a little heavier, so Levi decided to up his game. He tugged Eren's bottoms down, slapped his hand over the teen's mouth and started to vigorously pump his dick whilst leaning over him. Eren's eyes were wide, his chest heaving as Levi smirked and bit a trail down his neck.

"You like that Eren?" he hissed in the teen's ear. Eren moaned against his hand. "Shh, shh, shh. You have to be quiet when you come for me," he purred. "Don't wanna wake your parents up, do you?"

Eren shook his head.

"There's a good boy."

Eren's eyes rolled back in his head, his muscles tense as he tried to remain as quiet as possible. Levi's own dick was hard and begging for attention, but there was no way he was letting go of Eren, not now, not when he looked so wrecked already. In a perfect world, he'd be sliding down onto Eren's dick and riding him whilst clutching onto the sofa.

"You want my mouth on your dick Eren?" he growled.

Eren nodded, a strangled moan muffled by Levi's hand.

Hand still firmly in place, Levi bent down so that he could take Eren's dick in his mouth. The sharp, heady tang mingled with salt on his tongue, but he took Eren down deep, making full use of his teasing tongue. The kid squirmed and splayed his thighs further apart, even thrusting into Levi's throat as he bobbed his head in Eren's lap. He sucked on Eren's head, teasing the slit with his tongue, before deep-throating him again. Over and over, he went, his own cock crying out for release.

"Mhmhmmm!"

The muffled warning came too late as a thick jet of salty cum rushed down his throat. He tried not to gag too much, clenching his eyes shut at the sensation. That was the one thing he hated about blowjobs; the ending. Whilst Eren flopped back, limbless, against the sofa, Levi grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and spat into it. Eren was too spent to pay him any attention.

"Holy shit ..." Eren gasped, running a hand down over his mouth, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. "Just when I think it couldn't get any better ..."

"You wait till we actually have sex, kid," Levi smirked, crawling back over the duvet to where Eren was slumped.

"I'd love to say 'I can't wait' but ... I'm not um ..."

"Relax," Levi shushed him. "I know you're not ready. A great blowjob isn't about to change your mind on that."

Eren have him a sheepish look, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Levi tried to offer what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He'd never been good at those.

Eren bit his lip awkwardly. "I ... think I'm gonna go and freshen up a little."

Levi didn't miss the way he swiped the scrunched up tissue from the coffee table. He watched the tall teen drag himself up the stairs, all the feeling seemingly gone from his legs. As the credits of the movie rolled up, Levi gingerly touched his own, softening dick and contemplated just how much had happened in the last few weeks. Damnit, if he wasn't going and getting feelings for that damned brat!

Running his hands down his face he let out a small moan. He was doomed, he just knew it!

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Flushing the toilet, Eren quickly washed his hands and glanced at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were no longer red and his hair was messy but that wasn't a huge issue. There was a faint nail mark on his cheek where Levi had clamped his mouth shut.

He really hoped no one else had heard his muffled moans as he came.

He'd never be able to live that down.

As he crossed the landing to head back downstairs, his dad called him in from the master bedroom. He cracked the door open a little and saw that his dad was still awake, reading with the bedside lamp on. His mum was asleep beside him.

"Yes, dad?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"Are you boys comfortable downstairs?"

Eren tried to detect an accusation in his dad's tone but wasn't able to find any. "Er ... yeah we're fine. Just finished watching a movie."

"Good." He adjusted his glasses that had slid a little down his nose. "I just wanted to let you know that your mum and I had a talk. We decided that Levi is welcome here whenever he needs it."

Eren felt his heart twist in his chest. "R-really? But you barely know anything about him."

"We'll interrogate him another time," Grisha smiled, indicating that he was, at least, partially joking. "For now, though, Levi is welcome to stay here over the weekend. As long as his being here doesn't get in the way of your studies, and your grades don't slip, he's welcome."

He really didn't know what to say to that. "Th-thank you, Dad. That means a lot to me."

"Try not to make a big deal of it," Grisha said. "Levi seems like he might take it the wrong way."

Eren snorted, "Trust me, I don't doubt that. Either way, I'm sure he does appreciate you letting him stay."

"Well, I won't keep you. Go and get some rest, Eren."

"Okay. Goodnight dad."

"Sleep tight."

Eren traipsed back downstairs, his dads words ringing in his ears. He found Levi lounging back against the sofa, idly flicking through the late night TV shows. The volume was so low it might as well have been muted. "Hey," he murmured, keeping his voice low.

"Hmmm," Levi grumbled.

"You tired?"

"Not sure."

"You found anything to watch?"

Levi shook his head and handed the remote to Eren, rubbing his eyes and hunching forward over his knees. He clawed a hand through his hair and let out a soft sigh. Eren watched, but made no move to say anything or offer comfort. He was too busy tracing the lines of Levi's tattoo's through the gloom. Reaching out a hand he tentatively touched the sharp, black lines that curved over Levi's shoulder. The older boy flinched, looking back at Eren through his black hair.

"You ever gonna show me these?" Eren asked gently.

"Maybe," Levi murmured. "Best left for another day, though. They need a touch-up."

"Okay." He wasn't about to push things, not now. "You look tired. Come here."

Levi hesitated, watching as Eren reclined back against the bottom of the sofa, his hair still messy and the blankets thrown over his long legs. He cocked an arm on top of the pillows and motioned for Levi to come closer. Like a stray dog meeting a new human for the first time, Levi edged across the blankets, slipped underneath them, and allowed Eren to guide him back so that he was lying against his chest.

He felt rigid, sitting there against Eren's chest whilst his brain had a meltdown.

What did he do with his hands?

Did he hold Erens, or just leave them in his lap?

Did he put his head on Eren's shoulder or leave it upright despite how AWKWARD and uncomfortable that was?

Fingers threaded through his hair, making him jerk sideways. Eren chuckled softly before curling his arm around Levi's shoulders and pulling him closer. "You're allowed to enjoy this, you know," he said.

Levi huffed.

"You can relax, I'm not going anywhere. Just gonna sit here and watch some reruns."

Levi felt so small and insignificant in that moment. He still couldn't see what Eren saw in him, but all of a sudden he was allowing himself to be vulnerable with this brat he'd barely known for five months! So why did being so close to Eren make him feel like he could finally relax? As though he'd been vibrating through college on caffeine and nicotine and only now was able to remain calm and still?

He didn't deserve this.

What was worse, Eren thought that he did deserve this.

The thought was terrifying.

Grabbing a fistful of Eren's shirt, Levi let himself sink into the pillows and the younger teens embrace, forcing himself to stay awake as long as possible just so he could soak up all the comfort he could before finally falling asleep.

.

Despite the weekend getting off to a rocky start, having Levi in his house seemed so easy. Almost like they'd been doing it for years already without even realising. Eren was even surprised at how polite the goth was to his parents; whether it was asking for a drink or if he could help set the table for dinner, to offering to do some of the washing. When he asked Levi about it, the older teen simply said not only did he need to make a good impression, for Eren's sake, but also that he didn't like feeling as though he were sponging off of Eren's family.

That had earned himself a rather aggressive snogging session with Eren, rutting around on the single bed until Carla had poked her head in and calmly reminded Eren that he needed to keep the door open during the day, her cheeks flaming red at having caught them red-handed.

As soon as she'd disappeared, they'd both burst out laughing.

Saturday afternoon they went out to the shopping center to meet up with some friends to wonder around. It amused Eren that some of his friends were still wary of Levi. It was during this little excursion that Eren realised Levi preferred to keep his hands in his pockets and his head bowed to the floor. It hadn't bothered him until that moment to realise that PDA didn't seem like a priority in the goth's mind.

Was this another hang-up from only having flings?

For some reason, this really niggled at Eren's mind until later the evening, when they were holed up in Eren's room doing homework that he decided he needed to say something.

"Why don't you like holding my hand?" he blurted out when the silence became stifling.

Levi looked up from where he'd been lounging in the bed, a book held up over his face. He frowned and set the book on his stomach. "Sorry?"

Eren tapped the textbook he had splayed on his desk, feeling foolish for even opening his mouth. "Um ... just earlier I noticed ... you don't really do that sort of thing."

"I see," Levi said slowly. "And this is an issue for you ...?"

"No! I mean ... I don't really know. It never crossed my mind until today."

Levi rolled onto his side, discarding his chemistry homework and propped his head up on his elbow. "So it does bother you."

Eren frowned at the book before him. He raked a hand through his hair before tossing his pen down and hunching his shoulders. "I guess, on some level, yeah. I guess I just saw a bunch of couples walking around, holding hands and kissing and stuff and realised that we don't do any of it."

"We've not really explored being out in public together," Levi countered. "We've only officially been boyfriends for about ... three and a half weeks now."

Eren looked up at him. "So, you're saying that we might get to that point? Holding hands and such?"

Levi shrugged a shoulder, "Probably."

He really didn't know if Levi's nonchalance was encouraging or not.

"Sorry," he sighed. "I don't mean to drag this shit up. It just popped into my head and wouldn't go away."

"Hey, I'm not saying it's not possible!" Levi stated, his black eyebrows furrowing. "I just haven't been in the position where it mattered."

"I get that."

Levi hated seeing the crushed look on Eren's face. He don't know when he started giving a shit what mood the younger teen was in, but it bothered him greatly when the little shit wasn't goading him or rambling or grinning like a maniac. This sullen, hunched over Eren was the worst mood Levi had experienced from his boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

It still felt weird to him.

Standing up, Levi crossed over and sat up on Eren's desk, kicking the swivel chair so that the brat was facing him. Eren stared up at him, the surprised in his eyes the only flicker of life in him. Taking one of the soft hands in his own, Levi threaded their fingers together. It felt a little awkward but not entirely uncomfortable. He stared at their entwined hands, fascinated with how his black nails contrasted with his and Eren's skin, and how Eren's larger palms could easily encompass his own.

A thrill shot through his chest and it made him squirm.

"There," he smiled, trying to ignore the butterflies he felt. "Not all our firsts are gonna be about sex, kid. All this intimacy stuff -it's all brand new to me too."

"Is it bad that I'm relieved about that?"

Levi chuckled, "No, I'd probably feel the same."

Eren leaned up in his chair and stole a chaste kiss, grinning at Levi's dumbstruck expression.

"You sneaky shit!"

"Hey, I learned from the best."

Levi smirked. "Shut it, you," he kicked the chair again, sending Eren spinning in a slow circle. "Otherwise no fun and games tonight when the lights go out."

Eren's jaw dropped before he spluttered, "You're an evil git!"

"You love it!" Levi smirked, flopping down back onto the bed and resuming his chemistry assignment from where he'd left off.

Eren just stared at the goth for a moment longer; Levi, all in black and grey, sprawled out on his childhood bed with his Captain America bedsheets reading a chemistry textbook and fiddling with his tongue piercing. A quiver ran through, settling warm and fuzzy in the pit of his stomach. With a dazed smile, he turned back to his desk to finish off his homework.

.

Sunday bloomed with the feeling of a lazy day.

Eren woke up with Levi tucked into his side, an arm and leg curled around Eren and his head tucked up against Eren's shoulder. It was the most relaxed and uninhibited he'd ever seen the older teen. There was no kohl eyeliner and his black hair was messy and sticking up in all directions. He looked as peaceful as Eren had ever seen him, and it made his heart skip a beat.

He'd gently nudged Levi awake and, after a while of enjoying one another's soft touches, they heard movement from upstairs and decided to pack the duvets and pillows up and get ready for the day.

In another set of Eren's borrowed clothes, Levi went to his karate club and was gone for about two hours.

In that time, Eren and Mikasa played some video games in her room. She'd kept her distance for the most part whilst Levi was around but she had been civil when they'd spoken to one another. Eren had only managed to tell her why Levi was kicked out as they'd mounted the stairs to play games. Initially, she'd given the impression that someone of Levi's caliber was bound to get that sort of treatment, however when Eren told her of the argument he'd endured at Levi's 'family dinner', she'd frowned heavily in disgust.

"Don't get me wrong, he's a moody bastard a lot of the time," she shrugged. "But for his parents to think that sort of shit after the last few years? That's a pretty messed up home-life he has to go back to every day."

"I don't even blame him for not having serious relationships till now," Eren bit his lip. "Not when that's the bullshit they'd have to deal with."

"Let's be glad mum and dad seems to like him. So far," Mikasa added.

"It wasn't exactly how I wanted them to meet."

"Yeah well, for better or for worse, it's taken some of the pressure off."

"I still want them to actually like him, Mika."

"These things take time Eren," she shrugged. "What can you do? Just have to take it a day at a time."

"That's it! I give up!" Eren growled ten minutes later after having just lost another round to his sister. "I'm convinced you're cheating at this game. Always have."

"Just because your hand-eye-coordination is crap, doesn't mean mine is!"

Eren grinned and rolled his eyes. Downstairs there was a knock at the door. "That must be Levi," Eren said, setting his controller down and bounding out the door. He took the stairs two at a time and grinned as he opened the door to Levi. The goth had no make-up on and his piercings had been taken out for training. He looked a little flushed but otherwise unbothered.

"Hey," Eren grinned, shutting the door to the cold air.

"Miss me?" Levi quipped.

"Always."

They smiled at one another as Levi stripped out of his coat and scarf. "Is food ready? I'm knackered and starving! A terminal combination."

Eren rolled his eyes and swatted Levi's shoulder. "You're a dickhead. Mum said it should be ready by four, so we can just laze about for a bit."

Wrinkling his nose, Levi ran a hand through his hair. "I may need to take a shower to be honest. You don't mind lending me a towel do you?"

Eren shook his head, feeling a little disappointed that he couldn't have Levi all to himself. "Sure I'll grab you one and some clean clothes."

.

Stepping out of the shower, Levi felt the dull ache in his muscles relax a little more. Training had been intense and he needed to burn through some of his agitated energy from the past few days. He hadn't spent any time on his phone just in case his parents called or text, not that he expected them too, but it also meant he missed out on messages from his friends. He'd have to tell them what happened when he went in on Monday.

Wrapping a towel around his waist and using another to dry himself off, he wiped an arc across the mirror and pulled a face at his reflection. Flushed from the hot shower and his wet, black hair spiked up all over the place, he really was no one's first choice for a friend, let alone a boyfriend. The tattoo's down his back and on his left arm confirmed that. He was trying so hard to make a good impression with Eren's family and it was getting under his skin a little. Getting on speaking terms with the sister had been a chore to start with.

He hadn't really spoken much to either, except for the odd time he asked Eren's mum -Carla, was it? -where something was or if he could have a drink.

He had a sinking feeling that the dinner this afternoon was going to be a get-to-know-you sort of deal, and he was shitting himself thinking about it. There were a lot of things he didn't tell people, things that only Farlan and Issy knew. He hadn't even gotten to that point with Eren yet. He was trying to put himself out there, he really was, but whenever he opened his mouth, or thought about physically breaking down his walls, something made him freeze.

He sighed and combed his hair out of his eyes.

He didn't want to get used to holding Eren's hand and then, one day, not being able to do that sort of thing anymore. He'd given-in and cuddled with the brat in the blanket pile the last two nights, and he knew that as soon as he was back in his own bed, he'd miss it. He didn't like missing things. It left him feeling restless and agitated, which often came about in the body of insults and hostility.

Maybe Isabel wasn't the only one with abandonment issues?

Grimacing one last time at his reflection, he rinsed his mouth and changed into more of Eren's clothes. They hung off him but he wasn't too fussed about that. He was more knotted up about spending quality time with Eren's entire family. Taking deep breaths, he located a hairdryer under the sink and quickly blitzed his hair until it was feather-soft and shiny. He slotted the metal bar back into his earlobe and the other piercings where they belonged.

At least he looked somewhat presentable.

With one last look at his reflection, Levi left the bathroom and went downstairs just as Carla called out, "DINNER'S READY!"

.

So far, dinner had been going well. Levi was glad he wasn't a picky eater as Carla had prepared a variety of Indian inspired dishes. He was a little surprised, Sunday roast's were the norm at his house, however Carla had married a man who detested roast dinners. Not that anyone was complaining! The conversation was flowing fairly easily as well. Levi didn't feel any spotlights on his own head until he went to help himself to his second portion of food.

"So, Levi, what subjects are you studying at college?"

Ah, at least it was an easy question, nothing too daunting.

"I'm studying chemistry, biology and maths and do some extra-curricular in the music department," Levi said. "My friends and I have a band and we use the school's studio to record our sets."

"That's a unique combination," Grisha said with a faint smile. "What do you plan to go into once you graduate?"

"I plan on going to a Uni where I can study forensic sciences," Levi stated as calmly as possible. Was it getting warm in here? He felt Eren's eyes burning into his skull. "Eventually, I'd like to get a job with the Met Police, analysing crime scenes and things like that."

It had been a long time since he'd told his little fantasy out loud to someone.

"Have you been looking into any placements in the medical field? There are surely many jobs in both, and you'd be doubly likely to get the job if you had some previous placement training."

Levi nodded, "The universities tend to have summer placements and a lot of the courses involve hands-on experience."

"I can only imagine what those placements are like," Grisha said wistfully. "If you ever want to have more hands-on experience, let me know. We have a lab that runs various blood tests to detect abnormalities. Very basic sort of stuff, however if you'd like, I could put in a word for you to have a week placement in the summer?"

Mikasa and Eren's mouths dropped.

Carla chuckled, "That's a wonderful idea. Imagine how much better it'd look on your application when you tell them you've already assisted in a lab. It was so easy for us, getting experience for any old job. No matter what it was, it counted towards the next one. But now ..." she sighed and shook her head.

"Oh it's awful now!" Mikasa chimed in. "You need fifteen years experience to get an unpaid internship gig. And it won't even be in the field you're interested in."

"And that's before you've even sat through A-levels," Levi agreed. "Nowadays, they seem to want you to have worked in an identical role to the one you're applying to, for at least a few years to show you're dedicated. It's a bit sh -uh -rubbish, to be honest."

Carla and Grisha exchanged a look with the twitch of a smile.

Levi swallowed thickly. His skin felt too hot.

"So when do you plan on going home, Levi?" Carla asked gently, trying not to sound as though she wanted the dark-haired teen to leave. "Not that we don't like having you here, but aren't your parents worried about you?"

Levi shrugged. "I honestly wouldn't know, Mrs. Jaeger."

"Carla."

"C-Carla," he amended. "I was planning on going back tomorrow after school. They both work late shifts a lot, so I probably won't see them."

Eren's parents looked as though they wanted to say something, but Eren thankfully cut across preemptively.

"Can you help me prep for a Chemistry quiz?"

"Sure," Levi felt his shoulders relax. "When is it?"

"Thursday, I think. Mr. Smith is making sure we're not asleep in his lessons."

Levi smirked. "Ah, Ol' Eyebrows. Sure, I'll help you revise. He's lucky I enjoy his classes at all, the way he barks orders like a Sergeant."

"He was in the army, once, wasn't he?" Mikasa frowned. "I'm sure there's a photo in his office of him decked out in his uniform."

"Do you do well in your classes, Levi?" Grisha asked.

"Yes, I'm at the top of most of them."

"Ah, excellent. Well maybe having you around more often will rub off on these two layabouts."

"Hey!"

"Oi! Dad you can't say that!"

"Yes I can, considering how last-minute you two can be with your homework." Grisha grinned at his kids before turning back to Levi. "Seriously, though, I'm not than happy for you to come by. Just let us know beforehand."

Levi nodded.

"Keep in mind what I said about the summer placement. I think it'll help."

"Thank you, sir. That's very kind."

"Grisha, please."

"Thank you, Grisha."

"Okay!" Carla stood up and started stacking the empty plates. "Who's for cheesecake?"

.

Everyone was in bed by 11pm. Eren and Levi were camped out on the floor of his bedroom, their nest of blankets brought up from downstairs. It would be less hassle for everyone, namely Carla, first thing in the morning. They were lying on their sides, talking in hushed voices, their legs brushing whenever they shifted in the blankets.

"So you think your dad likes me?" Levi asked in a monotone whisper, his frown the only indication that he was nervous about the impression he'd left over the weekend.

"My dad said you can call him by his first name," Eren beamed. "That's a win in my books."

Levi felt so relieved. He didn't let it show, but the lightness he felt was almost overwhelming. "So, your parents like me? Weird."

"As much as I wasn't expecting any of this to happen, I'm glad that it did. Getting it out the way and all that."

"Mhm," he cocked an eyebrow at Eren. "Don't try and pull that shit on me, kid. You were shitting bricks as much as me."

"Well it's fine now!" Eren hissed, barely able to contain his grin. "They like you! So does Mika, pretty much."

Levi rolled his eyes.

"You know who else likes you?"

"Who?"

"Me."

"Eurgh you're gross."

"How is it gross that I like my boyfriend, hm?" Eren teased, poking Levi in the side.

The older teen squirmed, still pulling a mildly disgusted face. "If you're not careful, I'm gonna catch feelings off you."

"Oh, so you don't have feelings already?" Eren pouted, leaning closer. "What about if I do this?" He pressed a lingering kiss to Levi's jaw.

He huffed and rolled his eyes.

"No? How about this?" He pressed a chaste kiss to Levi's mouth.

"Sorry kid," the goth smirked.

Eren accepted the challenge. "This?" He bit on Levi's bottom lip, sucking it gently.

Levi almost moaned, but caught himself just in time. "Look who's being brave."

"Maybe I'll be braver ... if you admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That you like me?"

"Mmmmmm I don't know about that," Levi smirked even wider. "You're not that persuasive."

Eren leaned over and pressed himself against the older teen, his heart doing somersaults as he ran his fingers up Levi's thigh and scratched his nails along the bulge in the borrowed bottoms.

"Maybe I'm liking you a bit more," Levi ground out through clenched teeth. He could feel his dick twitching as wanted to drag the kid closer, feel his hot body pressing against his own. "I'd like you more if you were a good boy and kissed me."

"Are you begging me?" Eren asked, incredulously.

Levi scoffed. "Don't be a prat. I like you, okay? I fucking like you a lot you maddening little shit."

"Ooooh lots of swearing in there. Not sure if that counts."

"Ah! Just shut up and kiss me, you tease!"

Eren laughed as Levi grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down into a smoldering kiss. They slotted together amidst the blanket, Levi's hand knotting through his hair as they devoured one another, rutting and writhing until the early hours of the morning.

A/N: I'm so sorry this update took a lot longer than it should have done. I have a lot of costume orders, comic con to prep for and my sewing machine is being temperamental! Great combination, eh? I hope this chapter helps to make up for it a little and as of today I am officially making this story a RATED M just to be on the safe side x