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

WARNING: This chapter contains some homophobic language. I apologise in advance if anyone finds this upsetting.

Every Rose Has its Thorns

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Eren and Levi were slowly becoming a little more comfortable with being publically affectionate with one another. Primarily, Eren was enjoying being able to hug the short goth guy or was overjoyed when Levi would lean up in his heavy boots and catch his lip between his teeth. There were always the barely concealed whispers from whoever was nearby, but Eren always reasoned that it would be the same if a straight couple was sucking face in the corridor. People just loved to gossip, and they weren't keen to hide it. Not that he particularly cared.

Levi was used to the whispers and the side glances. The moment he'd stepped through those gates on the first day of school decked out in tartan jeans and DocMartens and a buzzcut, the whispers had been hot on his heels. The piercings and tattoos he'd accumulated over the years didn't help his case, but he had grown a thick skin from living with his parents so a few snide rumours around the school was nothing he couldn't handle. Besides, he could attest that at least a third of said rumours were true, if slightly exaggerated.

Eren, however, wasn't used to being in the spotlight.

Whenever they were together and Eren had his arm slung over Levi's shoulders, or they were simply walking close together, he would catch other students glaring at them. Levi, being the ever-rebellious little shit that he was, would push the limits even more just to give these onlookers the middle finger -and sometimes he would just literally give them the middle finger. Other times when he would catch their eye, he would glare at them. Some would flush at having been caught and go about their own business. Others would stare back definitely and make ruder gestures in retaliation.

It was a petty game, but one Levi knew well.

He was also glad that his fellow goths seemed to keep an eye on Eren whenever the two of them weren't together. It helped Levi to keep tabs on who could potentially cause trouble for his boyfriend. The one thing he wouldn't stand for, is if one of these dickhead bullies even went near Eren. For now, they were keeping to themselves, but sooner or later one of them would break from the shadows and go in for the kill. Levi needed to be ready for when that happened.

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It was a Tuesday afternoon when it happened.

Eren was just twirling the combination for his locker into place when he heard the loud voices of a group of guys coming up the corridor. He stepped a little closer to his locker, not wanting to get in their way; he just wanted to dump his books and then head to lunch to see Armin and Mikasa before his free period. The voices grew louder but Eren was hardly paying attention to it. He felt the shadow and bodyheat of the group as they drew nearer –He was slammed roughly against his locker, the door banging roughly at the back of his head.

"Fuck! Shit!" he cursed, dropping his bag and hunching over gripping his head.

Peering up he watched the group of guys passing through a set of double doors leading to the cafeteria. A few of them glanced back at him and made rude gestures with their hands and mouths. It made the flush creeping up Erens neck head up even more. He felt himself burn with embarrassment as he bent down to pick up his back. He refused to let the tears take hold as he rubbed the soreness of his head. He tried to take deeper breaths to calm himself, but it was hard.

It had come out of nowhere.

He had never been made to feel like a target before now. It wasn't even as though half of those guys were taller than him. Yet now he felt intimiated and cowed. He tried to shrug it off, an isolated incident, nothing to worry about and yet -something about it now weighed in his gut. It was unsettling.

A hand touched his shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his skin. His back smacked against his open locker. He winced as the metal stabbed him.

"You okay?"

Green eyes focused on the mousy-haired teen before him; tall, lanky, with a narrow face and pale eyes. He had a metal bar through one eyebrow and a clutcher of narrow black rings going up his right ear. He frowned at Eren, folding his arms across his chest. Eren was too stunned to react to the goth standing beside him, his skinny jeans making his legs look even longer.

"Sorry uh … I just … they …"

"Yes, I saw what they did." Pale eyes stared at the closed doors where the group had gone through. "If they try shit like that again, you just come and tell one of us okay? We've got your back."

"Er thanks, Farlan, but I don't really need a bodyguard. Or a … group of bodyguards."

Farlan rolled his eyes, "It's not about bodyguarding you, Eren. It's about not taking anyone's shit, especially that lot. Do you think any of them even try anything with Levi anymore?" Eren shook his head. "Well, that's because Levi beat the shit out of a good few of them on his own. Despite hating the very way he walks, they don't start with him anymore."

"Shit, I didn't know," Eren murmured with wide eyes. "How badly did they get beaten up that they backed off?"

Farlan combed his fringe out of his eyes. "It was pretty bad. One of the guys was off school for a week and at least two of them needed their arms in casts and stitches."

"What happened to Levi?"

"He ended up with stitches. He has a few scars dotted about which are fairly easy to spot."

Eren flushed, suddenly realising at that moment that he and Levi had never been fully naked together. Hell, they're barely even been half-naked together, and it had almost always been in the dark. He swallowed thickly, not entirely sure why that bothered him so much. He had never been naked with his boyfriend, not even when they'd been in Levi's bed, in his house, entirely alone. If he had seen the scars he could have asked, and then he'd know that little bit more about his boyfriend.
Fumbling wit the cuff of his hoodie, he closed his locker, spinning the dial of the padlock back to zero and then grabbing his back from the floor.

"You er … coming to lunch?" he asked Farlan awkwardly. He also just realised that the goths rarely ate in the cafeteria. In fact, he had no idea if they even ate on campus. Bloody hell, did he just never talk to Levi about anything?

Farlan shook his head. "No, I'm meeting Issy down the road for something to eat."

"Okay," Eren shifted awkwardly. "Thank you for checking in to see if I was okay,"

Farlan gave a grin, "Anytime. If anything like that happens again, just let me know."

"I don't need you getting into fights on my behalf," Eren half-joked.

"I wouldn't dream of such a thing!" Farlan scoffed before smirking. "I'd just set Issy on them."

Eren stared dumbfounded as Farlan disappeared out into the courtyard his long jacket billowing a little behind him. Shaking himself back to the moment, he realised that he'd been standing there like an idiot for about ten minutes. Turning on his heel, he hesitantly made his way towards the cafeteria, knowing full-well that Mikasa was probably worrying herself sick as to where he'd disappeared to this time.

Once he'd paid for his lunch, he spotted Armin's shock of bright blonde hair in the sea of students and carefully picked his way over to their table. Thankfully, they'd saved a seat for him. Mikasa was in the middle of talking to Annie, a girl from her psychology class, but she still managed to give her little brother a questioning frown as he settled into his seat. He gave her a too-big grin and started to eat his food, his eyes glazing over as though not really present.

She resolved to talk to him about it later.

When the bell chimed and everyone was gathering their things to get to their next lesson, Eren decided that he was going to head to the library to tackle his latest Chemistry assignment. As they walked into the corridor, Eren tapped Armin on the shoulder. "Are we still up for the gym after your last lesson?"

"Yeah, it finishes at 3pm. I can meet you down in the gym if you like?"

"Yeah, my class finishes at half past, so you can warm-up a little before I get there."

"Sounds good!"

Eren watched his friend disappear into the stairwell. He had managed to dodge Mikasa cornering him, which was a blessing as he'd seen the anxious frowns she'd been shooting him throughout lunch.

Ducking into the library, Eren found his usual table empty at the back of the room and settled himself down with the relevant books open in front of him. He put his headphones on and was content to work while listening to his music. He smelled him before he felt his presence; the faint hint of cigarette smoke mixed with Lynx. He barely registered it before he felt the headphones being slipped off and a black-clad arm snaking its way around his shoulders.

"Hello lover," was purred into his ear, before sharp teeth nipped at his lobe. Shiver raced down his spine.

"Hello sexy," he grinned, tipping his head to the side and stealing a kiss.

Levi smirked, kissed him back before pulling out the chair beside him and sitting in it, his eyes never leaving Eren's. "I've missed you today. Cannot believe Eyebrows tried to 'have a word with me' after class. Tch."

"I missed you too," Eren grinned, taking Levi's hand in his own under the table and lacing their fingers together. "You stil want to come over this weekend?"

"That's what I came here to talk about actually," Levi smirked. "My parents are pissing off for the weekend, probably trying to rekindle something of the barren wasteland that is their marriage, so I'll have the house all to myself."

"Until when? Monday?"

"Yep!" his smirk grew even wider. "So, do you think your parents would let you come and stay?"

"That depends," Eren shrugged, feeling himself blush a little. "You won't be having any druggy raves or orgies, will you?"

"Well not NOW," he sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. He grinned and flicked Eren's cheek. "Of course not, prat. I'll probably have a few friends over Saturday night, if you like, but it'll hardly get rowdy."

"But we'd get most of the time to ourselves, right?"

"Why? You want me all to yourself, hm?" Levi purred, leaning closer. Every buckle and chain he wore clinked as he moved, the chair creaking a little. Every sound seemed magnified in the library; Eren could swear even his heartbeat was reverberating off the walls. "Do you want me to do some wicked, wicked things to you, Eren?"

"Fuck …" he hissed, squeezing Levi's hand tightly. "Yes, so badly!"

Levi chuckled, "Then you'd better make sure to tell your parents you're coming to mine Friday night."

"I'll make sure of it," Eren grinned, leaning down to kiss him.

Later that night, Eren arrived home feeling flushed and exhausted. His mind was whirring form the work-out he'd done. He hated cardio and had left Armin to his own devices on the treadmill, deciding to do some weights instead. Now he felt like jelly all over. As he lugged his gym bag up to his room, he grimaced at the thought of going back there the following evening. Maybe he would just do some lighter weights of work on his legs instead of his arms?

After a quick shower he changed into some clean, dry clothes and dried his hair before he was called down to dinner. After relaxing and watching a bit of T.V. with his family, Eren excused himself to go and do his homework.
Pulling his door closed, he sprawled out on his bed, ignoring his textbooks waiting on his desk, and dug his phone out of his pocket. He scrolled until he found Levi's name and pressed the call button.

"You cannot miss me already?" Levi drawled by way of greeting.

"Sorry, guilty," Eren grinned.

"So, what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Can I not miss my boyfriend when I barely got to see him all day?"

"I suppose it might be possible."

Eren rolled his eyes. "Hey Levi, I was wondering …"

"About?"

"Are you um … Are you sure you want me to go to the prom with you?" he asked in a rush, his heart thumping loudly in his ears.

There was a rustling sound. "Why else would I have asked you?"

"I mean … what if people give us shit for it?"

"That's just part of life, I'm afraid, kid," Levi sighed. "Not everyone is going to agree with our choices. Sure, we can be loud and proud and all that shit, but it doesn't mean everyone has to like it or agree with it. It sure as hell doesn't mean everyone is going to tolerate it like a grown-up. That's not how real life works."

Eren hummed.

"But if you meant about getting into a physical fight … I wouldn't let that happen. It's a big night, my last night as a college student. I want to be able to enjoy myself. I hadn't anticipated having a boyfriend to go with but … I'm -well, I'm glad."

Eren allowed himself a small smile. "I'm glad, too."

"So, what brought this on so suddenly?"

For a brief moment, Eren entertained the idea of telling Levi about what had happened earlier, at his locker. How that group of guys had shoved him so hard against the metal, he'd gotten a small brownish bruise appear on his skin. Shaking the heavy feeling to one side he shrugged. "Nothing, really, just me over-thinking and being a bit paranoid," he tried to laugh. "Like you said, it's sort of a big night for you so I don't want there to be any issues."

"If there's something on your mind, kid, just say it."

"No, like I said, just over-thinking."

"Okay well I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Oh! Uh … sure, yeah, see you tomorrow."

Levi hung up.
Eren was left staring at his phone, before he groaned and dropped his head into his hands. He tossed his phone onto his pillow in an exasperated manner.

"Way to go, Eren, you fucking coward."

Feeling anxious, he dropped back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling until he fell asleep.

~0~

Wednesday's at the school gym always seemed to be that little bit more crowded than usual. Eren didn't get it. Surely people would be busier in the middle of the week? He supposed he couldn't really complain, because it meant that by going to the gym at this time on a Wednesday afternoon, he was able to join in with Farlan and Levi and do some sparring with the boxing gloves. Eren had initially started off with Armin on the treadmill to warm himself up, but as soon as Farlan had come in and spotted Eren, he'd asked if he wanted to join.

Thankfully, Armin didn't begrudge him his hatred for cardio.

He enjoyed being in the room with the punching bags; they had to rotate with a few other people, rotating in the spaces that held the hand-pads, and the punching bags as well as boxing gloves just to spar with one another. Farlan may have had the advantage of height on the both of them, but on the other hand, Levi was fast! Eren was just trying to keep whomever he was sparring with at the time, from smacking him in the face. It was a lot easier when he got to hide behind the large pads and just take the weight of the kick.

The burst of adrenaline felt amazing, as though it was what he was missing all week. He'd gotten pretty slack in going to the karate club on the weekends with Mikasa, so going to the gym was his way of making up for the lack of exercise. If he kept up at this pace, he might be able to be as strong as Farlan within the year.

"Time!" Farlan called out.

Eren stopped where he had been sparring with Levi and glanced over at the tall blonde. His cheeks were flushed, his skin sweaty and there was a greyish semicircle under his eyes where his leftover eyeliner had smudged a little. Eren felt a little relieved, he was starting to flag a little too.

"You're such a wuss!" Levi snapped as Farlan gave him the middle finger. Levi rolled his eyes before turning back to Eren. "Do you want to carry on or do you want to hit the showers with Farlan?"

"Er …" he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I wouldn't mind stopping to be honest … if that's okay with you?"

Levi shrugged. "You can go. I'll just hit-up the punching bag for a bit."

"Thanks babe," Eren smiled with relief, before reaching out and giving Levi's shoulder a squeeze as he walked past.

Levi tensed a little but gave a tight smile back as he watched Eren gathered his towel and waterbottle from the bench by the door. Turning back to the punching bag, he loosened a knot in his neck and got ready to punch.

Eren was crossing the main floor of the gym towards the showers, when a heavy hand jabbed him in the chest. He staggered back with a grunt. The guys standing before him weren't necessarily large, but their defined muscles and flushed faces were somewhat intimidating. Eren tightened his grip on his waterbottle.

"Where do you think you're going?" one of them sneered.

"To take a quick shower before my next class," Eren said. "Why, is there a problem?"

"Yeah, we don't want a fag staring at our dicks while we're trying to get clean."

Eren felt his body flush with embarrassment. It had never entered his mind to check-out other guys in the showers. Not to mention, if any of the guys decided to parade around for everyone to see their dicks, then it was really on them for flaunting it, not for the people who happened to look.
His ears burned, and he averted his gaze.

"I just want to take a shower," Eren said, trying not to grit his teeth. "You lot won't even be in there, so it doesn't matter, does it?"

"And what about those poor sods in there already, eh?" a broad blonde sneered. "You gonna go in and perv on his dick instead?"

"Look I just -Hey!" he yelped as he was shoved back hard, his back colliding with a weights bench. "What the fuck?"

It was in that moment that Eren became aware that most other members of the gym -the ones who weren't listening to their music or off in their own little worlds -had stopped what they were doing to stare. Breathing heavily, Eren glanced around at the strangers' faces, feeling the humiliation staining his skin.
No one stepped forward to intervene.
Shifting back onto his feet, Eren was just getting his bearings and testing the weight on his ankle which felt a little tender, when he was shoved back again, this time landing on his side with a yelp of pain. His chest had hit the very end of the weight bench.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Eren peered up. Standing in the doorway to the adjoining room was Levi, gloves still on and looking murderous. No one answered, but Eren watched the lower half of the jocks bodies tense and turn towards Levi.

"I said, what the fuck is going on here?" Levi spat again.

"Just letting this kid know that there are some places his kind can't go?"

"His kind?" Levi's voice lowered, his steely gaze growing colder. "What exactly do you mean by that, Logan?"

The blonde guy -Logan -narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I know you. You're this kid's fuckbuddy. You're as queer as they come!"

Levi took a step or two into the room, his cold gaze unnerving as he stared dead ahead into Logan's eyes. "Need I remind you how many stitches this fag gave you, Logan? How does it feel to have your shapeless arse handed to you by a prissy little princess like me? Can't even take on someone half your size? How pathetic are you?"

Eren felt ill as he watched the exchange. He slowly got to his feet, his ankle feeling a little battered, but thankfully it could still take his weight. He wanted this to stop. So what if he stank the rest of the day and had to wait until he got home to shower? Just as he was about to admit defeat and drag his boyfriend away, Logan went for Levi. Eren had barely formed the warning in his mouth as he watched Levi dodge the attack and piston his knee straight into Logan's gut. The blonde yelled in pain before doubling over on his side, clutching his abdomen.

Levi stared down at him, his face stoic.

Everyone watched in stunned silence.

Then all Hell broke loose.

It wasn't really a fair fight, five against one, so Eren hurried to Levi's side, getting in as many pushbacks, jabs and leg-sweeps in there as possible. He didn't want to hurt anyone, personally, it was just to get them out of the way. That wasn't to say that he didn't take a swift punch to the jaw that made his teeth clatter in his mouth.

Eren didn't know when exactly Farlan joined the brawl; his hair a little damp from the shower and wearing fresh clothes, but he dropped his bag the instant he came out of the changing rooms and immediately grabbed one of the jocks in front of him, twisted the guys arms behind his back and kicked him out of the way, before going straight for the guy who had clocked Eren's jaw.

The fight itself probably didn't last that long, and someone must have run to get a member of staff, because most of the gym-jocks were hobbling away to get cleaned up. Levi shoved the last guy against the wall, where he slid down onto the floor, panting heavily. Levi was just turning away when three members of staff came.

"What is going on here?!"

Eren was about to open his mouth -if his thumping heart would allow him to speak -when Levi let out a howl of pain. He collapsed to the floor, hunching over his leg. Eren swivelled around just in time to see the mixed-race guy drop a weight to the floor beside his leg.

Eren rushed to Levi's side as two members of staff went to the mix-raced guy -was his name Terrance? -and started shouting at him for his 'disgraceful behaviour'. Eren was barely paying attention as the adrenaline ebbed out of Levi and his face contorted with pain.

"Fuck, I'm sorry, I didn't see him!" Eren gushed, wanting to hold Levi, but he didn't want to touch the leg in case it caused more pain. "Should I call someone?"

"I'll call an ambulance!" Farlan offered, digging his phone out.

"I've already done it," the third member -Ms. Marsden -stated. "This is going to have to go in front of the headmaster for what's happened. I'd like to get your statements as soon as possible."

"Can't you pull CCTV footage?" Farlan asked, nodding towards the security cameras.

"Yes, but it always helps if your version of events match-up," Ms. Marsden stated. "I'll go get some ice, you two try and get him upright and into a chair or on one of the benches."

They waited for the other two members of staff to escort Terrance, Logan and the rest of their little gang out of the room. Most of them three glares through the glass windows towards Farlan and Eren, but neither of them was really paying attention. Once they were alone, they hauled Levi upright and helped him hobble over to one of the wooden benches. Levi grimaced and grunted, his face sweaty and pale. Faint grey smudges rimmed his eyes.

Ms. Marsden arrived a few minutes later with some ice. She knelt down and eased Levi's trainer and sock off before setting a bag of ice against his swollen ankle.

"Fuck!" he cursed. "That fucking hurts!"

Ms. Marsden didn't admonish him for his language. She must reason that he had every cause to curse. Clearing her throat, she let her eyes scan the rest of the room. "Looks like everyone else scarpered as soon as things turned nasty."

Eren glanced around the room. How had he not noticed that everyone else had slipped out? Armin had gone too, was he okay? Eren wasn't entirely surprised; as much as Armin liked to come to the gym and work on himself, he wouldn't necessarily be a valued asset in a fist-fight. He was glad his friend had gotten away to safety.

Levi shifted in pain, grabbing onto Eren's arm and burying his face against the teen's shoulder. "Jesus, that son of a bitch clubbed me with a weight!"

"Do you want to give me your statements now, while we wait for the ambulance?" Ms. Marsden asked. "That way I can take it to the headmaster as soon as you go."

They did. Ms. Marsden recorded the whole thing on her phone. Eren obviously had the most to say and when questioned, Levi ground out his answers through gritted teeth and hisses of pain. Farlan interjected as the end, stating he was just coming out from his shower when he'd heard the commotion and stepped in to help.

"Thank you, boys," Ms. Marsden pocketed her phone. "Levi, you may have to spend the next week off school, depending on what the hospital says. I can send a message to your professors and have their e-mail your assignments and homework to you."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Eren gave Levi a comforting squeeze around the shoulders, his own body quaking a little as a seed of fear took root in his mind. Before he could think on it any further, two parademics came in with a gurney.

"We're here for a Mr. Ackerman?"

"Over here, gentlemen," Ms. Marsden stood aside.

Eren felt a physically pain through his heart as Levi unwound himself from his side and allowed the paramedics to help him hobble up onto the gurney. They threw a blanket over his legs and offered him an oxygen mask, which he tutted at and waved away. As they started to wheel him out, Eren stood up.

"Can I -can I go with him?"

"I'm afraid not, son," one of the paramedics gave him a sad smile.

"I'll be fine, brat," Levi sighed, without looking up at him. "They're need to do scans and run some tests. You'll be waiting on your own anyway and then I'll get picked up. Honestly, go home, get some rest, I'll text you."

Without another word, he was wheeled out.

Eren sighed as he watched the ambulance pull away out of the window. Ms. Marsden turned to both Farlan and Eren and sighed. "I think you two boys should just head on home. I'll notify your professors, but I'd imagine your nerves are a little jangled right now. Take Levi's advice. Go home, get some rest. Meanwhile, I need to go and speak with the headmaster."

They watched her walk away. Farlan turned towards Eren with a frown. "If you want to have a quick shower, I'll wait for you."

Eren felt numb, his eyes still looking out of the window where the ambulance had been. He felt hollow, the adrenaline and fear having leeched everything else out of him.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Thanks."

~0~

Eren recalled the entire incident that night at dinner with his family. Mikasa was livid, threatening to go after each and everyone of those thugs, and insisting that the next time Eren even thinks about going to the gym for a work-out, he needs to let her know immediately. Even if she had a class going, she vowed to rush to his side if anything started up. While he appreciated the sentiment, it wouldn't go for her grades to slip in anyone class just because she felt she needed to protect him. Besides, he'd said, Levi Farlan had been there.

He felt jittery the moment he got back from college. He still hadn't heard from Levi and it was bordering on four hours since he'd been taken away in an ambulance. His mum had assured him that this was nothing to worry about but worry he did.

Once everyone had turned in for the night, Eren paced his room back and forth, ignoring his homework and practically tearing his hair out. He kept checking the time on his phone, logged on and off social media to see if Levi had been online at any point. He was disappointed no matter which way he turned. Eventually he decided to try and read in bed.

It wasn't until around 12:30am that his phone screen lit up with Levi's number. Eren swiped to answer.

"Oh my God, I've been worried sick! Are you okay? Is it broken? What happened? Why didn't you respond?"

"Wow, calm it, kid," Levi sighed. Eren immediately felt guilty at just how wrung-out his boyfriend sounded.

"Sorry," he mumbled, slumping back onto his pillows. "I've just been over-thinking, I guess. Worst case scenario and all that."

"I can tell."

Eren hummed, fidgeting a little with his duvet. Levi remained silent. "So … What did the doctors say?"

"That it was a miracle no bones where shattered," Levi intoned. "I have a fracture and a lot of bruising, which means I have to wear a stupid boot and have crutches for about six weeks."

"Holy shit …" Eren breathed. "And um … did you let school know?"

"Y-e-s, they know. I have until next Friday off to 'rest'. All my work is going to be e-mailed to me."

"Do you … do you still think it's a good idea that I come over this weekend to see you? I don't want to inconvenience you when you've got a bad leg."

"Of course, I want you here," Levi groused. "With this shitty leg, I can't very well go out and enterain myself."

"Charming," Eren smiled.

"You adore it."

"I do. So, did your parents come and get you from school? I can barely keep up with what hours they're working these days."

"Dad came."

"Did it … not go well on the ride home?" Eren hedged.

"No. It did not. He gave me a lecture about how gay people bring this shit onto themselves and I'm a prime example as to why being out and proud isn't a good thing, especially at my age."

"Ah shit, your parents get worse the more I hear about them, and I already know how much they suck."

Levi hummed in agreement. "Yeah well. Another day and a half and I'll get a reprieve from their BS."

"Want me to come right after school?"

"The sooner you get here, the happier I'll be."

"You? Happy? Who are you and what have you done with Levi?"

Levi chuckled. "Hilarious." Suddenly, he yawned long and loud and when he spoke again, his voice sounded even more distorted and tired down the phone. "Listen babe, I need to get some sleep. All that noise and bright lights have made me feel like shit. I didn't even get to shower …"

Eren felt his insides twist into knots with worry. 'Calm down,' he told himself. 'Levi is home and safe now. That's all that matters. Showers can wait.'

"Uh … Levi?"

"Hm?"

"If you need anything … Even just to talk … you can call me, okay?"

"Thanks kid. I'll try and remember that."

"Oh yeah -sure! Don't feel obligated or anything, it was just a suggestion. I'm sure you can also call Farlan or Issy or -"

"Eren?"

"I -y-yes?"

"Sweet dreams."

"I -um -y-yeah you too."

A/N: I hope you enjoy the update! How is lockdown 7.5 treating everyone? x