Home Again

"Oh my god, Sasha! You're such an awesome cook!" Eren's voice was muffled as he spoke around a mouthful of fish taco.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Brat!" Levi scolded. "Nobody wants to have to see or feel bits of poorly masticated food spitting everywhere."

Eren swallowed noisily. "I didn't spit one crumb out!"

"That's not the point!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, MOM," Eren snarked.

Erwin chuckled. "It's good to have everyone home again."

Hange, who'd been literally vibrating in their seat couldn't contain their excitement any longer. "So, what'd you find? Anything useful? Was there a laboratory? Were there rats and spiders? What di-mmmph!"

"If you'd shut it, maybe we could tell you," Levi said testily after placing his hand firmly over their mouth. "And if you dare lick my hand, I won't tell you shit." He felt them grin under his hand, but nothing more. "You gonna keep your yap shut?" They nodded. He withdrew his hand and was pleasantly surprised by the silence that followed as he got up to go retrieve the backpacks he and Eren had carried all the way from Shiganshina. "For once, this wasn't a wild goose chase. We gained more information in this one trip than we have in all the years we've been hunting Titan combined."

He placed the laptop, data cards, hard drive and the flip phone with the book & file photos in front of a practically drooling Hange, and the printouts of the book and Grisha's files in front of Erwin. "Don't know what's on the laptop, drive and cards. Didn't have time to look through Grisha's files either. But that Book of Titan is a fucking scary as shit read."

"So, you found the basement," Erwin surmised.

"We did. All this stuff was laid out on a table with a letter just waiting for Eren. Oddly enough, Eren's key was actually necessary for us to get in." Levi proceeded to tell everything that had occurred during their travels, Eren filling in the gaps and telling what he remembered about his father's letter.

Erwin frowned. "It disturbs me how easily they were able to track you two. Even more disturbing is how they found you in the underground like they did."

"The fact that Titan has been asking for the key may mean that the knew the lab entrance was there but had no way to unlock it," Levi guessed. "It's possible they were just waiting for us to come and unlock it for them."

"So now that Eren's key is no longer necessary, he's free to come home," Mikasa assumed.

"Not a chance," Armin responded. "You're forgetting what Grisha said about Eren's DNA. We have to function on the premise that Titan knows about Grisha's experiments on Eren and will still want to get ahold of him."

"I'm afraid Armin's right," Erwin agreed. "It's highly likely that they still want to get their hands on Eren. Armin and Mikasa will continue to stay with Hange, while Eren will stay here with Levi."

Mikasa glared. "Why can't he stay with Hange too? If Eren stays here, then I'm staying here too."

"Fat chance, kiddo," Levi snapped. "One brat on my hands is more than enough. He's staying here because this facility is far more secure than Hange's apartment. Albeit, Titan would likely get lost forever if they tried to search for anyone in that disaster area Hange calls an apartment."

"Heeeey!" Hange whined in a mock-hurt tone. "It's not that bad . . . not since the last time you deep cleaned it."

"Tch! I had to call animal control to take away the sabre-tooth dust bunnies! And I'm pretty sure that was a wooly mammoth I found under your bed," Levi accused. "How the fuck anyone can live in such filth is beyond me."

"You know you love me."

"Tch!"

"You said you had a chance to read the book, Levi. Care to summarize?" Erwin interrupted.

"Not really. Like I said, scary as fuck reading. Don't think Eren even got through 4 pages."

Eren visibly shuddered. "I don't see how anyone would actually believe that fanatical bullshit!"

"Me neither. But most fanatical leaders tend to be very charismatic and convincing," Levi replied. "And anyone feeling outcast or left out will just want to belong and feel like they're contributing, so they are easily convinced to join these radical cults. And that's just what this is; a cult." There was no mistaking the haunted look in his eyes, which stared blankly at the table's surface as he continued. "It starts off almost like a Greek myth, but then it all goes sideways. It states that all humanity is fallen and is inferior to what it once was. The Titans abandoned their true power and immortality to pursue love with the weaker, but more sexual and instinctual Nephilim. Each generation became weaker than the last until all humanity was but a shell of what the Titans had once been."

Levi took a swallow of water before continuing. "Here's where shit goes sideways. Roughly a hundred years ago, a goddess took pity on the weakened race that we now call humanity and spoke to a 'prophet' called Alexander Harrington. In a nutshell, the goddess, Maria Rosina, told her 'prophet' humanity could restore their Titan powers and immortality and take their rightful place in the universe once again. It talks about repairing the 'Spiral Staircase', which likely means our DNA. It also talks about most of humanity not being worthy of the Titans' powers, and that many will perish for the good of the restoration. There is some sort of 'purge' that is spoken of to eliminate the weak and a war to eliminate those who would foolishly try to stop the return to humanities 'original' state. Once the Spiral Staircase is repaired and the weak and foolish eliminated, the Titans will again rule the world free of the temptations of the Nephilim. It took those dipshits 152 pages to say that. There's a lot of shit about the Spiral Staircase within each person and how to repair it and how there will be many failures and roadblocks and shit. What was scary was how accurately the whole 'prophecy' has been so far. Even Grisha and Eren are mentioned, though not by name. Eren is referred to as 'The Coordinate' who holds the key to the Spiral Staircase." Levi shook his head in disbelief. "Weird as fuck, I tell you."

Eren was pale and trembling and the others looked shell-shocked. "It would seem that Armin was correct," Erwin said at length. "Titan is still going to want to get their hands on Eren."

"If I kill myself, then this whole fiasco would end, because they'd lose their key," Eren surmised.

"Not a fucking chance!" Levi snapped. "Don't even think about such a shitty thing! Besides, in case you forgot Grisha's letter, you can't die."

Eren suddenly placed his hand over his mouth as he let out a choked sob and tears began running down his face. "I-I don't wanna l-l-live for-forever!" he stuttered in anguish. Mikasa leaned over to try to comfort Eren, but he seemed not to notice as he suddenly turned and threw himself at Levi, sobbing onto the startled man's shoulder.

Levi, usually so expressionless, looked like a deer in the headlights. He had no idea what to do other than wrap his arm around the sobbing young man while Mikasa glared daggers at him and the others looked just as lost as he did.

Only Hange seemed unaffected. "You know," they said at length, when Eren's sobs finally quieted to sniffles. "Grisha made the changes to Eren's DNA after he was born. That should mean that those changes can be undone. If I can fine the exact sequence of DNA that makes Eren immortal, I can find a way to neutralize it and make him mortal again."

"God, I hope so," Eren whimpered.

Levi ruffled Eren's hair before standing up. "Listen, it's been a longer than fuck day following a longer than fuck week. I think Eren and I have earned a couple of days of sleep while the rest of you go through all that shit we brought in."

"Good idea," Erwin agreed. "Hange, you go through the hard drive, data cards and laptop. Ymir, Christa, you and the others go through the files and see what you can find out from them. We'll reconvene tomorrow night. Levi, Eren, you two are get some rest. I don't want to see either of you until the night after tomorrow, understood?"

Levi stretched and headed towards the elevator. "You'll get no argument from me." He never turned to look at them as he stepped into the elevator, but he could tell that the others were all staring at him in open mouthed shock. "I know. It's quite a shock. But that should tell you exactly what a shit week I've had. Eren, come up whenever you're ready. Don't worry about waking me."

As soon as Levi was gone and the others gathering up everything to head home for the day, Mikasa grabbed Eren by the arm and dragged him to the other side of the room. "Mika! What's going on? What are you . . ."

"Why him?" she hissed

"What?"

"Why him? I was right there beside you, ready to hold you, but you turned to him!"

Eren was shocked to see tears in her stormy eyes. "Mikasa, I . . ."

"How could you choose that evil little pipsqueak over me? Can't you see? He's turning you against me! I agree that I was smothering you before, but now you won't even turn to me for comfort! I love you, Eren. He'll never be able to give you that! He'll never love you like I do! He's not even capable of love!"

Eren's eyes widened with sudden understanding, then lowered to the floor. "Mika. I'm sorry. I never realized you felt like that about me. I guess my friends are right when they tell me I'm more than a little dense." Eren heaved a sigh as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. First the week from hell of constant running and finding out he was immortal and the key to making humanity immortal, and now his sister tells him she's in love with him. He was at a loss as to how to respond. I just can't win. No matter what I say, she's gonna get hurt. "I'm so sorry, Mikasa. But I just don't feel the same way. You're a wonderful sister, and one of my best friends. I love you as a sister and best friend, but that's all. I'm so sorry. I just can't change how I feel."

Mikasa pulled her scarf up over her nose, tears falling a little heavier. "I was afraid of that," she whispered. She then leaned in and hugged him. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have put you in such an awkward position." A moment later she released him, a befuddled frown on her face. "Buy why him? I mean, what do you see in such a short, rude and angry thing?"

Eren's eyes widened. "Wait. You think I'm in love with him?"

"It's pretty obvious."

He looked deflated. "I guess it's because after all the time I've spent around him, I've gotten to see glimpses of what he's really like. He's actually very kind and selfless, but he's afraid to let anyone get close to him or let himself get close to others. He just wants to protect everyone even if he has to do it all by himself, no matter what the cost."

"So, it's not just about his ass then?"

"What?! No! I mean, he's got a great ass, but that's just icing on the cake."

"Fine. I'm not happy about it, but Mom always said that one can't help who they fall I love with, so I'll accept it and support you," Mikasa said.

"Thanks, Mika. And thanks for being honest with me . . . and making me honest with myself."

Mikasa nodded in reply as Eren stretched and yawned loudly. "Well, like Levi said, it's been a shit week, so I'm gonna go to bed. Have a good night."

Eren headed up in the elevator and stepped out into Levi's apartment before it hit him. Wait. Why am I up here? I should be down on the sofa . . . I mean, I know he told me to come up, but . . .

He glanced around and found Levi curled up in a Papas An chair in the corner. Eren frowned.

"You just gonna stand there like a bump all night?"

Eren jumped in surprise. "Sorry. Thought you were asleep."

"Not yet. Bathroom's down the other end. Don't make a mess."

"But . . . you should be in your bed, not in a cramped chair," Eren protested.

Levi finally opened his eyes. "It's more comfortable than you think."

"I'll sleep down on the sofa."

"The others will keep you awake."

Eren's frown deepened. "Fine. But your bed is huge. It's like it was made to hold three Erwins in it. I really don't see why we can't share it. I won't try anything if that's what your worried about."

Levi sighed. "I'm more worried about what I'll do to you. I have nightmares and tend to lash out when I come out of them. Clawed Erwin across the chest one night."

Eren replied with a smug smirk. "I can't die, remember. I heal within minutes."

"That doesn't mean hurting you is in any way acceptable!" Levi snapped.

"I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I'm just saying that you should sleep in your own bed. We've shared sleeping arrangements for the past week. I'm not dead or hurt in anyway. You have better self control than you give yourself credit for. I'm not afraid of you. I trust you," Eren reasoned.

Levi stood from the chair and stretched. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"I would never," Eren said. "I'm just gonna shower before bed." Just as he reached the bathroom door, a thought struck him. "Wait, you scratched Erwin when waking up . . . you've slept with him?"

"Hange too," Levi replied. "I'm not celibate."

Eren almost choked, his face turning instantly red. "I meant sleep, not sex!"

"Well I've done both with both of them – at the same time on occasion. It's a stressful job and sex is a great way to blow off steam and de-stress."

"So, you're gay? But is Hange a guy?" Now Eren was just confused.

Levi rolled his eyes. "I'm pansexual. As long as they're a decent adult human being and still breathing, they're fair game. Giving pleasure to and receiving pleasure from another is not about sex or even gender. It's about being human. Most people have a preference regarding sex or gender. I do not. Never have. Now are there any other pressing concerns regarding my sexuality, or can I go to sleep now?"

Eren, now very red in the face mumbled a "Sorry" as turned and walked into the bathroom to shower.

It was very warm. Almost too warm . . . almost. Levi was more comfortable than he'd been in a very long time, if ever. Before he could analyze his current condition any further, sleep again pulled him under. He didn't know how much time had passed when he again began to wake up. He was again aware of warmth and comfort. He became aware of a soft, warm breeze intermittently ruffling the hair atop his head. As he slowly woke up further, he became aware that he was entangled with another body and that the breeze was someone's breath. Funny. I don't remember sleeping with Hange or Erwin last night. He opened his bleary eyes and found himself looking at someone's neck and collarbones. The chest beneath his hand wasn't soft enough to be Hange, and nowhere near muscled enough to be Erwin.

He was so comfortable that he didn't bother thinking about it further for several minutes as he allowed full wakefulness to take hold. Then he remembered the previous night and his conversation with Eren. He lifted his head quickly from under the person's chin to look at them properly. Dammit! What is wrong with me? Since when did I get so friggin' soft? What is with this kid? He scolded himself as he looked down at Eren's sleepy face as the young man stirred awake.

"Mornin'," Eren grinned sleepily up at him as he stretched.

Levi scrambled out of the bed and stood for a moment looking down at the stretching and yawning student. He then sighed and ran a hand through his sleep mussed hair as he glanced at his clock. His eyes widened as he realized how long he'd slept.

Eren sat up and looked at him funny. "What's wrong, Levi?"

In his astonishment, Levi actually answered the question honest and unfiltered. "I just slept for almost 20 hours," he breathed in awe. "I've never slept that long before. Not even after sex."

Poor Eren just blushed, having no idea how to respond to that. Levi however, was wondering what had made the difference. I never sleep more than three to four hours unless I've had sex. I've had weeks a lot worse than this last one but didn't sleep this much afterwards. The only difference this time is that I had Eren beside me. I wish I knew what was so goddamned special about this kid.

The next few days were spent with mostly training. Eren's hand-to-hand combat skills were rapidly improving. He spent the rest of his time working on his thesis. Even so, Eren was going a little stir-crazy being cooped up in Scout headquarters all the time. But, after what happened the last time he just left on his own, he wasn't keen on trying it again.

Eren wasn't the only one with cabin fever. It was decided by Erwin at Armin's suggestion, that in order to throw off Titan, that Levi should also remain out of sight to make them believe that he and Eren were still trying to find a way back to Mitras. As much as Levi hated it, he had to admit that "the blond coconut" and "old Eyebrows" both had a point. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm going bat-shit crazy here," Levi stated out of the blue as he paced the common room.

Eren, who had been deep in his research, nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden, and seemingly random statement. "Um . . . okay?"

Levi turned to look at the befuddled student. "See? Just proves my point," he drawled, his face as bored and expressionless as ever.

Eren stretched, his back popping as he did so. "Too much time hunched over this laptop. I'm glad Hange gave me this one, since I can't use my own. Still, I'm going crazy being stuck in here all the time too. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss going to classes. Even the ones that require me to get up before the sun!"

"That is bad," Levi agreed. "My problem is that I'm realizing just how fucking boring my life is. All I do is fight crime and sleep. I don't have any hobbies. I don't like TV. I don't watch movies. I can't stand playing board games or cards. Computer games are boring. I've already read everything available here, including all that Titan shit we brought back. I can't really cook anything. I really don't do anything."

"Have you tried gardening?" Eren suggested.

"Where do you suggest I put a garden in here?"

"Pots. You could try a potted geranium. Pothos plants are easy to grow. Spider plants too. They have bazillions of babies all the time, so you can fill a room with them in no time. You could even have a kitchen garden. Potted herbs are great for cooking with."

"You're talking to a man that killed a cactus. You know what that means, don't you? I'm even less nurturing than a desert."

Eren started chuckling. "How did you kill a cactus?"

"I think I drowned it."

Eren burst out laughing. "Gotta say, that's a new one!" Once he calmed down, he made another suggestion. "You know a lot about the outdoors. You know all about wild plants and animals. You also know a lot about survival. You could teach survival training courses. People pay a lot of money for that kind of thing and experience. Once this whole Titan mess is over, you should try it. I mean, I learned a ton just during the few days we were hiking across the mountains. I'd love to learn more."

Levi stood there for a moment, trying to think of a reason to shoot the younger's suggestion, but the idea actually had merit and he found the possibilities to be interesting. "Huh. Not bad, kid. Not bad at all."

"For now, though, maybe we could play Cards Against Humanity? Pretty sure you'll like this card game."

Eren was right. Levi loved it.

Days soon became weeks with no signs of increased Titan activity and no progress in tracking down their leader. Mikasa had fully recovered, and shocked everyone in the Scouts, but none more so than Levi, when she asked Levi to train her. Levi decided that if Armin was going to be stuck hanging around Hange all the time, then perhaps it would be wise to train him as well. It felt good to be doing something besides sitting around all day as he started training Eren, Armin & Mikasa all together full time. Having Mikasa spar against Eren and Armin quickly taught her to control her strength.

Looks were deceiving when it came to Armin. Looking deceptively delicate, Armin was surprisingly agile and quick. More importantly, his observation skills combined with his strategic brilliance to create a surprising force to be reckoned with. Though lacking in brute strength, Armin often beat both Mikasa and Eren on wit alone. The blond's strength and stamina rapidly increased. After only a month of training, he could run almost 5 miles on the treadmill without looking or sounding like he was about to die.

Levi started calling Armin 'dandelion'. When Mikasa angrily questioned Levi about it, he explained, "Frankly, I was expecting him to be a fragile as a daffodil. Turns out the kid is a tougher than nails dandelion."

"Tougher than nails dandelion? Aren't dandelions easily crushed?" Eren questioned.

"Not really," Levi replied. "Think about it. Dandelions are the most hated weed in the world. Why? Because they are the toughest, most persistent, most resilient plants on the planet. They're impossible to get rid of. You can pull them. You can burn them. You can poison them. You can dig them up and eat them. The tenacious little shits just keep coming back. All it takes is the tiniest bit of root. Just the tiniest seed that floats delicately on the wind becomes the toughest weed on earth. I've seen the damn things blooming in friggin' January or growing out of tiny cracks in cement."

Mikasa frowned in thought, then said cheekily, "So, basically, you're calling Armin an annoying weed."

Armin and Eren both snorted out a laugh. Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's all you got out of what I said? The humble dandelion is God's way of giving dignity to weeds. They are a member of the lettuce family, and, like lettuce, are edible. Dug up in the spring, the leaves and roots are good both raw and cooked. They can be used to make wine and vinegar. The flowers are also good in salads and in baking. They are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. The plants themselves can hold soil and prevent erosion. The pollen and nectar are both vital food sources to bees and many other animals. A weed? The dandelion is tough, but also very useful. Sounds a little like your friend here, doesn't it?"

Mikasa and Eren both regarded Armin thoughtfully, while the poor blond stood there turning red with embarrassment. "I guess I've always really underestimated you, Arm," Eren said at length. "I'm really sorry."

"I never thought of myself like that either," Armin muttered bashfully.

"Being under-confident is every bit as dangerous as being over-confident. Don't underestimate yourself," Levi told them. "Of equal importance, you now know that others underestimate you, so you can use that to your advantage."

Mikasa opened her mouth to say something, but never got the chance since Hange exploded into the gym and bellowed excitedly, "I FOUND IT!"

Eren and Armin looked like they wanted to dive for cover. Mikasa and Levi both turned to the loud intrusion with matching bored expressions. "And what, exactly, did you find that is worth scaring the shit out of everyone with your screaming, Four Eyes?" Levi asked in a bored tone.

"I found the gene that makes Eren immortal!" Hange exclaimed. "More importantly, I know how to switch it off! I can infect him with a virus that will latch on to that specific DNA sequence and disable it. I can make him mortal agai- OOMPH!"

Hange never got to finish their sentence as Eren collided with them and wrapped them in a crushing hug. "Oh my god, Hange! Thank you so much! You saved my life!" Seconds later, everyone fell silent as a foreign sound echoed in the gym. Eren and Hange looked each other in the eye for a moment, then both turned to look at Levi, eyes wide and jaws hanging open. Armin's, and even Mikasa's usually expressionless face had looks of consternation.

Levi couldn't even begin to explain why the sight of Hange getting a taste of their own medicine struck him so funny in that moment. It was likely the combination of the sound of their "OOMPH" combined with their eyes bugging out of their sockets, amplified by the goggles they were currently wearing. Whatever the reason, the man was almost doubled over with laughter. "I would pay to see that again!" he guffawed.

"Oh, my gawd! Is Levi laughing? Hell must have frozen over! I should run upstairs and witness the pigs flying!" Hange teased.

Levi flipped them off as he tried to catch his breath. "Fuck you! Now you know what it's like for us when you try to tackle-hug us."

Armin was trying to suppress his chuckling. "The look on your face when Eren impacted was priceless," he agreed.

Levi was already serious again. "How fast can you get that virus made? It might be prudent to have a large supply on hand in cast Titan figures out a way to activate that immortality gene."

"I've already got a small amount; enough to inject Eren with. I can create enough to inoculate all of Mitras within about a month, given the proper facilities."

"We should talk to Eyebrows about letting Pixie Dust in on this," Levi contemplated. "That old codger has connections everywhere and can probably get you into a Garrison facility where you can mass produce that virus. If Titan develops a serum that can make people into the monsters their book describes, we're gonna need a lot of your cure."

"Right," Hange agreed. "Eren, I can give you the injection any time you're ready."

Eren's brow furrowed in thought. "I need to think about it. My first impulse was to have you give to me right away, but . . . if I get it now, and I get killed before Titan is eradicated . . . I mean . . . I want to fight Titan. I want to wipe them from the face of the Earth. I can't do that if I'm dead. I just . . . I need to think about this first."

Mikasa looked at him funny. "What happened to my hot-headed brother who always jumps in head first?"

"Titan happened," Eren said flatly.