Eren

It took him about twenty minutes to get to Levi's house. As usual, he called Armin to ask for help to deactivate the alarm. Eren walked through the back gate, then run through the well-tended garden, full of flowers and trees. He passed the bench where he and Levi were sitting one evening and talking. It seemed like it was a long time ago, so many things happened after this...

The glass door leading to the house opened easily under his pressure. He quickly moved them to the side and stepped inside.

"Levi?!" He called, looking around the dark kitchen. Maybe the detective wasn't here?

Eren moved on. He walked through another door and entered the corridor that joined the lounge. A large, oblong lamp cast a pale light all around, but it was the only sign of life in the apartment. There was no sign of Levi anywhere. The door to the bedroom was open. The boy noticed the detective's bed from a distance, as he had expected, it was empty.

"Levi?" Eren swiveled in place, feeling the panic filling him. If Ackerman wasn't here, he must have been in the hospital. Did that mean he was hurt? Was he even alive?

How was he going to find out?

"Could you please be quiet?" Suddenly a tired voice asked.

Eren widened his eyes. He took a few steps forward, entering the interior of the living room. He saw Levi sitting comfortably on the couch, his legs resting on the glass table. The man wore dark slacks and a gray buttoned shirt that was open halfway down to reveal the chest. The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows. Right in front of him was a half-filled glass of whiskey and an almost empty bottle.

Yaeger breathed a sigh of relief. Levi was alive, nothing has happened to him. But the anxiety didn't completely disappear from his heart. Since Levi was here, that meant...

"Erwin and Hanji... What about them?" The boy asked, coming closer.

Levi snorted ironically. He tossed his head back, resting his neck on the couch. He closed his eyes and replied:

"Why don't you ask your father?".

Eren sat on the sofa next to the detective. The boy felt the faint smell of alcohol. Apparently, Levi wasn't idle. To be fair, Eren wasn't any better, he also drank heavily that evening, but he sobered up already. He was too concerned.

"Please, tell me what you know. Are they okay? Will they make it?".

"I think they'll be fine" Levi shrugged. His voice was slightly hoarse. He spoke slowly, still not opening his eyes completely. "But... Hanji lost her eye. Erwin almost lost his right arm. He hasn't regained consciousness yet. We have to wait".

Eren's eyes widened and he was silent for a moment. Then he also leaned against the sofa, sitting comfortably and spreading his legs. He shook his head in disbelief.

"How is this even possible? I didn't know anything about it".

"Apparently Grisha doesn't quite trust you, at least not entirely" Levi replied, his voice still hoarse. He gently lifted his eyelids and looked at Eren. "He's more furious than we thought. You know, that load was meant for me. Somehow they managed to install the explosives in my car, then activated them from a distance. I'm afraid that Grisha has a spy among the police force".

"I don't know anything about any spy... I'll try to find out, I promise" Eren decided and looked back at Levi. "What happens now?".

"Well... I can't do much yet. I'm still suspended. But someone has to question Xavier. Our supervisor will probably appoint someone in replacement. I have to wait for now".

Eren turned his head to look ahead. They were both silent for a while.

"Did you eat anything?" The boy finally asked. Levi pointed to the nearly empty bottle.

"If that counts as a meal, then yes".

"You should eat, you know?" Eren said, then rose from his seat. "What do you want?"

"I'm not hungry…" Levi muttered, then reached for the glass. "I have everything I need".

"At least have some snack" Eren was going through kitchen cupboards. Eventually he found something he thought was fit. He returned to Levi with a packet of peanuts. He opened them and set them on the table. "At least eat this".

Levi ignored the snack, he took a few sips of whiskey instead. Suddenly the man said:

"You know, if you really want to do something for me, you can..." Eren looked quickly at Levi, waiting for the command. "...water the flowers".

The boy grimaced slightly, as if hoping for something else. After a while, he turned in place and approached the plants standing in front of the window. He reached for a small watering can, which turned out to be full.

"Just water the zamioculcas and sansevieria, I guess it's about time. You can also pick off any dead leaves if you notice any" Ackerman suggested.

Eren raised his eyebrows and turned to look at the detective, as if the man was speaking to him in a foreign language.

"What should I water...?".

Levi's mouth twitched slightly, as if suppressing a smile.

"I mean, those big plants".

Eren looked back at the flowers. He did as the detective had advised, watered the plants, and picked up some dead leaves. Levi said nothing, he just watched the boy's movements in silence. Eren put the watering can in its place after the job was done. He put his hands on his hips, smug, then returned to the man and dropped onto the sofa next to him.

"It was quite satisfying. Is there something else I can do for you?".

Levi shook his head.

"You better take care of yourself, kid. I don't need your concern" The man set the glass back on the table, then rested his hands on the sofa. After a moment he turned his face at Eren and looked at him a little more closely. "Where were you? Some kind of a party or what?".

"Yes, it was the banquet. We were all together there, with Grisha".

"I can guess you didn't liked it".

"Yes. Pretty much".

Eren saw Levi's hand was still resting on the sofa right next to him. It was so close… He hesitated for a moment, but then moved his own hand in that direction. Their fingers gently touched.

Levi looked down, but didn't react in any way. Eren didn't know if the detective didn't mind or maybe he didn't care anymore. Ackerman suddenly spoke up:

"What did you do to yourself?" He asked softly. "You hurt your hands again, here".

This time it was Levi who touched Eren's hand gently. He stroked the small scratches with unusual concern, frowning slightly.

"Did you have a fight with someone?".

The boy widened his eyes. The memories of this evening came back to him. He remembered suddenly how Zeke had provoked him into a fight. It was just like that time, when he had to beat up that drug dealer he met while picking up the cash. No, a fight was a misnomer, because his opponent was in a losing position. The man couldn't even defend himself. Yes, that guy wanted to hurt Mikasa, he was a fucking asshole and he deserved to be punished, but... Not like that.

Eren opened his mouth, not sure what to say. He felt ashamed of what he did. He was self-disgust.

"Yes... I-I have a fight" He muttered, unable to say anything else. Well, to be fair, it wasn't quite true. He just didn't want Levi to know what had happened. He didn't want Levi to think less of him.

Levi sighed softly.

"Well, because of this whole sick situation sometimes we have to do things we're not proud of. Don't worry" The detective said, as if for some reason he had guessed Eren's fear perfectly. Then he leaned onto the backrest of the sofa. Eren did the same.

Their hands still rested in the same place, clasped together. There was silence again, broken only by the ticking of the clock. Finally Levi moved slightly and withdrew his hand.

"You should go back to your place, Eren. As you may have noticed, I'm a total mess today. I'm not gonna lie to you, I got a little hammered..." Levi snorted softly. "But, in my defense, I was suspended. So, don't judge me".

"Levi, it's okay, really. But I think you should finish for now" Eren said, and suddenly lifted the corner of his mouth slightly. Maybe it wasn't the right time, but he couldn't help but to tell his usual joke. "So much liquor compared with your weight... It's a bit too much for your body, don't you think?".

He widened his eyes at another soft, short snort from Levi, which sounded a bit like a chuckle. He felt as if he had misheard. Could it be that Ackerman really did laugh? Was it just his imagination?

"Here's Eren, the master of sharp humor, the conqueror of boredom and sadness" The man said ironically, then sat up straight. He wanted to get up, but his body refused to obey him.

His head fell on something what was closest to him, and it was Eren's arm.

"I think you really should go to bed" The boy said, but he didn't move even a millimeter. He felt a light weight on his shoulder, where Levi rested his head. It was an extremely pleasant feeling.

"Well, I'm about to go…" Levi muttered, closing his eyes. "You have a really comfy arm, you know?".

"You're drunk. Everything would be comfy for you now" Eren announced, smiling happily. Then, before Levi could protest, the boy grabbed his hand and tossed the man's arm around his neck. Then he stood up, dragging the man with him and helping him to stand. "Okay, let's go. Can you do it?".

"Of course I can... You can let me go..." Ackerman wanted to go on his own, but he didn't quite succeed. Eren led him into the bedroom, supporting him just in case. Levi collapsed onto the soft sheets, lying on his back and immediately closing his eyes. "Oh, much better now. The world stopped spinning".

"Can I help you with anything else?" Eren asked, sitting on the bed next to the man. "Maybe I should get you a bowl? Or a glass of water? How about helping you with that?".

The boy reached to Levi's pants, but the detective grabbed his hands and frowned.

"You perv! What are you doing?".

"What?" Eren blinked in surprise. "I just wanted to help you undress! We're both men, you don't have to be shy. Anyway, you are perv yourself! What on earth were you thinking?" Eren withdrew his hands, but couldn't help but smile slightly. Levi shot him a half-conscious, menacing stare.

"I recently told you we're cool, so let it stay that way" Levi muttered, looking into Eren's eyes. The boy was silent for a moment, feeling a slight twinge of remorse.

"What happened then, in that club, won't happen again. I was just fooling around. I should tell that guy to butt out...".

Levi looked at the boy for a moment, then closed his eyes.

"Eren, I don't care. Do what you want. Anyway, nothing happened, you weren't undercover. You're not a cop, you don't have specific rules you have to follow. It's not your job, it's your life. I don't even want to imagine what it must feel like. It's just… Well, I have to say it out loud. Nothing will happen between us, Eren" Levi confessed, lifting his eyelids and looking at the boy. "I can offer you my friendship and my trust, nothing more".

Eren stared into the gray-blue eyes, trying to see what he was looking for and what he needed now. Levi, however, closed his eyes again, not giving him a chance. He also turned his back to him.

"Now, let me sleep, brat".

"All right..." The boy agreed, looking at the detective's back.

Of course, he wouldn't be himself if he just left. Though that would probably be the smartest thing.

He did something completely different. He laid down on the bed and nestled against Levi's back, closing his eyes. He could smell the man up close. It was a mixture of men's deodorant, peppermint shampoo, and some floral cream, plus the scent of his skin and hair. He hardly smelled alcohol anymore. Eren inhaled the fragrance, fearing Levi would push him away in a moment, indignant.

The man, however, only shifted uneasily, as if he was aware that something was wrong. After a while he said in a low, hoarse voice:

"Are you still here? Apparently you didn't understand anything I was saying".

"I'll be leaving in a moment" Eren confessed, hugging Levi's back even tighter. "Give me just a second..."

Ackerman sighed, but didn't pull away. So they laid still, breathing slowly, surrounded by silence and twilight. The darkness was scattered by the moon outside the window and the pale light of the lamp coming from the living room. Eren felt as if he had fallen asleep for a moment, which should hardly surprise him. He had a hard day behind him, and it must have been already midnight.

Some movement woke him up. Eren lifted his eyelids to see Levi turned to face him. They looked into each other's eyes, closely. There was silence, neither of them spoke. Their hands were lying next to each other again. Eren moved his fingers and reached for Levi's hand, gently stroking the man's soft skin. The boy stared into bright, tired eyes, unable to look away. He knew he shouldn't be here, he knew Levi probably wished he was already alone… but he couldn't leave. He needed this man, he needed that closeness, especially after what happened today.

He could only imagine how the detective would react if he told him about today's incident, about how he vented his anger on a stranger. Would he lose confidence in him?

Would he say that he is no different from Zeke? From Grisha?

"Something's bothering you" Levi said, staring into the boy's eyes. "What is it? Is it about Erwin and Hanji, or something else?".

Eren bit his lip. He didn't take his eyes off Levi's bright gaze. He didn't want to spoil this moment, he didn't want this closeness between them to end. Therefore he had to answer honestly.

"I'm afraid I'm the same as them" He finally said, choosing his words carefully. He didn't tell anyone about his fears. He thought Armin and Mikasa wouldn't understand him. Why did he confide in this particular man? Eren didn't get it at all, but he couldn't stop now. He continued. "I'm afraid I'm the same as Zeke and Grisha. Today some stranger wanted to hurt Mikasa. Zeke found him and told me to beat him up. No... I decided it myself" Eren widened his eyes slightly. "I wanted it myself. I punched that fucker in the face, over and over, without taking a break, unable to stop. I liked it. I wanted to hurt him, I wanted him to suffer. Levi... I'm... I'm no different than them, right?".

Though Levi's gaze was still not totally conscious, the man shook his head in surprising sobriety. Then he moved his hand and grabbed Eren's hand. His touch was warm and gentle.

"You're not like them" The detective said in a hoarse whisper. His voice was calm, as if talking about something he was sure of. "And that is because you realize what you have done. Because you regret it. We live in such a world that every now and then we have to do something that we're not proud of… But that doesn't define us. You are a good man, Eren. Don't ever change".

The boy fell silent, surprised by this confession, as well as by the certainty that emanated from Levi's words. He looked into the detective's tired eyes, then shifted his gaze to their hands, which were still touching. Eren was unable to move, he didn't want this moment to end.

Suddenly, he saw Ackerman closed his eyes and sighed softly. The man was on the verge of sleep.

Yaeger moved a little closer. He wrapped his arms around Levi's waist and cuddled up to the man, ignoring the possible consequences that could await for him after such audacious behavior. But Ackerman did nothing. He didn't push him away, he didn't hit him, he didn't start calling him names. He just muttered something incomprehensible and then apparently fell asleep.

Eren knew that the next day the man would probably be furious with him and that he had probably exceeded the limit of the closeness set by the detective, but he didn't move away. He hoped Levi needed this as much as he did.

Anyway, it's not like he would dare to do anything more. Of course he wouldn't...

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Eren felt a rush of desire. It's funny how he hadn't thought of this closeness in such terms so far, at least not during this evening. He was happy with just being close to Levi, and he couldn't remember the last time he felt as safe as he was right now.

He opened his eyes and looked at the calm, handsome face. He could see the man's smooth, pale skin. He could see slightly parted lips as well as a long, delicate neck. He looked lower, his eyes lingering to the naked chest, exposed by the unbuttoned shirt. Eren sighed inwardly. He wanted so bad to touch that skin, to place a kiss on that bright, smooth body, to passionately press his lips against that delightfully open mouth. But he knew it wouldn't be fair, not when Levi was practically unconscious.

He only allowed himself to hug the man tighter. Eren wrapped his arms around the detective, lifting himself up gently and pressing his body against Levi's. He snuggled into the man's neck. He heard the detective sighed softly in his sleep. The boy also felt the man's hands hugged him gently. Levi moved a little and his fingers tightened on the fabric of Eren's shirt.

Yaeger wondered if it was an unconscious gesture caused by passing out or tiredness, or was Levi doing it voluntarily, of his own free will?

No, he shouldn't get any hopes up. Certainly it was completely accidental. Levi would hug anyone who would be here now, in his place. It wouldn't matter whether it would be him, Hanji or Erwin...

The boy still remembered whose name Levi said that last time they were laying in this bed. "Erwin?"

Maybe this time it was the same? Maybe Levi wished deep down Erwin was here right now and that he was the one who was hugging him? Eren knew it was ridiculous, but he couldn't help it: he felt the pure, primal jealousy that burnt his insides. The fact Levi thought about Smith right after waking up, was disheartening. Yaeger had no idea what was between the two of them, but it looked like it was something intimate.

He wished he was the one Levi would think of after waking up. He considered Erwin to be an extraordinary lucky guy.

The boy closed his eyes. He pressed his lips against Levi's neck, although he did it very softly. His touch was very subtle, almost impalpable. He wouldn't allowed himself to do anything more right now. Levi sighed quietly in his sleep. Eren was touching the soft skin with his lips for a moment longer, then rested his head on the pillow without moving away. He fell asleep, holding Levi in a tight embrace. He was so close he could feel the man's heartbeat and hear his calm breathing.

He couldn't remember the last time he slept so well.

Armin

Armin jumped when he heard a loud knock on the door.

He frowned, not knowing who it might be. Eren always knocked twice, fairly calmly. The Owl quickly banged his knuckles on the door, knocking on it several times and a little chaotically. Annie, on the other hand, usually knocked three times at regular intervals in the most organized manner. So who might have wanted to visit him first thing in the morning? Could it be the police?

The boy closed the laptop and quickly looked around his room. Two mugs and two plates were on the counter next to the computer, he forgot to carry them to the kitchen beforehand, but decided he would take care of it later. He headed down the hall, hearing the knocking again. He smoothed the fabric of the blue sweatshirt he was wearing.

He opened the door and widened his eyes to see Zeke Yaeger in front of him.

"Hello there" The man said and without waiting for an invitation he walked inside. Armin watched, speechless, as Zeke looked around inside. "I'm here just for a moment, I just wanted to see how are you doing".

Annie followed Zeke into the apartment. She nodded when she saw Armin, then crossed her arms over her chest. The boy smiled slightly at her, but then he looked back at Yaeger. He had no idea what the man was doing here ...

"Er... Can I help you?" The boy asked, scratching the top of his head. Zeke didn't answer, turned on his feet and entered Armin's room, which served as both a bedroom and a studio. Arlert widened his eyes, it was too much. "Hey!".

He followed Yaeger into the room, not quite sure if he's allowed to do anything. He didn't want to overdo it, but he also couldn't stand idly when the man completely ignored his right to privacy.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Armin asked with a slight frown on his forehead.

"Eren's not here?" Zeke wanted to know. He looked around the whole room, and then at the end his eyes stopped at the boy. Zeke took a few steps towards him, waiting for an answer.

Armin hesitated.

He knew that a lot depended on this answer.

Eren asked him last night to help him turn off the security system in that detective Ackerman's house. It meant that they had to met. This in turn meant that Zeke couldn't have known about it.

"You're late a little. He has just left" Armin said, shrugging his shoulders and relaxing. He had to look laid back for Zeke to believe him.

"Yeah? Are you sure?" Zeke asked, squinting dangerously. He approached Armin a little more, carefully looking into his eyes. The boy nodded.

"Yeah. See? We had breakfast together" Arlert confessed, then pointed to two mugs and two plates on the desk. Suddenly his own uncleanliness seemed to be the best thing in the world. "I haven't even had time to wash the dishes yet".

Zeke looked that way and his lips twitched slightly. Then he sighed and walked past Armin as if he had lost interest in the boy already.

"Okay, there's nothing for me here. I'm off then. Annie will take you with her, our old man wants to see you" Zeke grunted, then left the apartment.

Armin watched after the man for a moment, as if he still couldn't quite believe whether Yaeger was really here or he just imagined it. What that was about? Was Zeke suspecting Eren of something? Did he want to check on him? Or maybe he was worried about him? No, definitely it coudn't be that last thing...

The boy quickly looked back at the blond girl, who was still standing in his corridor. She watched him silently, apparently waiting for him to be ready to go. Armin blushed slightly, then pointed at his laptop.

"I'll just get my stuff and we can go!" He called, heading back to the bedroom. He packed the computer and a few other things, then went back to the girl waiting for him. "Okay, I'm ready".

"Great" Annie muttered, then headed for the door.

"Wait!" Armin called after her, reaching out and grabbing her sleeve. Annie frowned and looked at him, quickly taking her hand away from his reach. "Sorry... I just wanted to tell you something, while we're in safe place. Well, relatively safe".

"What?" The girl asked, standing straight and fixing Armin intently. The boy swallowed and then said:

"It's about your father. Grisha recently wanted me to find something on him. You know, to dig up some dirt, find something that Grisha could use against him... Of course, I didn't do it. I reported to Grisha that your father was clean. Then, Yaeger told me to find something on you... But I didn't do that either, I just wanted you to know.

Annie raised her eyebrows. She stared at the boy for a moment without saying anything. She looked as if her mind was working frantically on what she heard and as if she was wondering what she should do next. Finally she twitched slightly and frowned.

"We better get going. Grisha is expecting you" She said quietly, and turned around.

"Wait... Did you hear what I said?" Armin followed her, tossing his laptop bag over his shoulder. "Grisha wants to have something on you..."

"Yes, I've heard! Well done, you just reinvented the wheel. I would never have guessed" Leonhartd looked at Arlert reluctantly. "He's my boss, and that's what bosses do. I don't need your protection. Are you coming or not?".

The girl left the apartment and started down the stairs. Armin stood motionless for a moment, not understanding what had just happened. He decided he would think about it later.

After a while he was sitting next to Annie in the passenger seat, staring silently at the windshield. The blonde didn't say anything either. She drove the car and seemed thoughtful.

Armin came to the conclusion that he did as much as he could. He told her about the threat. What the girl would do with this information was up to her. There was nothing else he could do...

The boy suddenly sat up straight, staring at the side mirror.

"Annie?".

"What?" The girl asked angrily. She glanced at Armin, but noticing his concerned, pale face, frowned slightly. She had to understand that something was wrong. "What's going on?".

"I think that this car has been following us for some time".

Annie looked in the rearview mirror, she didn't seem convinced.

"And? It's normal, we're in the center of the city. You can't avoid it".

"Yes, but the same car was parked in front of the tenement house where I live".

The girl bit her lip lightly. Suddenly she turned into a side street that was less traveled. She did it to check if Armin was right. A mysterious car appeared followed them. Armin looked at Annie worriedly.

"I was right. Do you have any additional weapons?".

"What?" Annie asked, looking at the boy like he was being ridiculous. "You don't need any weapons, I have one and I won't give it to you. Besides, I'll get us out of here...".

They found themselves at a crossroads, a green light flashed in front of them. Still, another car came around the bend, racing towards them at dizzying speed. Armin widened his eyes, trying to shield the girl with himself, but it was too late. They heard the gun shots. The car passed them, slowing down immediately and turning in place to follow them.

"Annie?" Armin looked at the blonde and suddenly widened his eyes. He saw a stain of blood on the girl's t-shirt.

Leonhardt looked at it in surprise, but then she floored it, causing the car to move forward.

"It's nothing, we're out of here..." The girl muttered, but her face suddenly paled. The fingers that had gripped the steering wheel a moment ago released it as if she had lost all her strength.

Armin quickly grabbed the steering wheel, glancing fearfully at the blonde.

"Annie? Can you hear me? Annie!" He shouted, but it was too late.

The girl lose consciousness.