Chapter 24

Levi feels Eren emerge from his bedroom before he sees him, the younger man coming up behind him and resting his chin on Levi's shoulder as he cooks. Levi chews his lip hard, willing away the word vomit threatening overspill at any second.

"That smells delicious." Eren sighs longingly, "I think you're in the wrong profession."

"Tch, considering you burn rice, it's no surprise my average cooking skills are impressive to you brat."

"Hey, unlike some people I'm still young, plenty of time to become a perfect little housewife." Eren states petulantly, attempting to steal blocks of cheese from the chopping board on the kitchen counter.

"Keep your filthy hands off and get the fuck out!" Levi scolds him, lightly smacking his hand away and shoving him in the direction of the living room. Eren laughs heartily and plops himself down on the couch.

Eren ends up watching some horror TV show that makes him yelp loudly every so often until Levi finishes up in the kitchen, handing him his plate of food before taking a seat on the armchair opposite. Eren quirks an eyebrow at Levi questioningly.

"What are you doing all the way over there? You always sit here, and you need to come and protect me!" Eren says around a mouthful of spaghetti, Levi rolls his eyes.

"I'm fine here. If it's scaring you so much just watch something else, dumbass." Levi retorts with no real bite, his head a million miles away as Eren whimpers at a particularly disgusting gore scene playing on the screen.

As he absentmindedly plays around with the strands of spaghetti on his plate, Levi replays Eren's earlier, secret words in his head over and over on a loop.

I think you knew how amazing he was just by looking into his eyes once…

He's etched his way into your life and into your heart, and now you wouldn't have it any other way…

You look at him with all the love and affection in your heart, and he gives it right back to you tenfold. What I wouldn't give for that…

Is there any way this could all just be a big misunderstanding? Maybe Eren's misplaced hero worship is what's caused him to say all those things? Or that could be his way of expressing platonic affection? Eren constantly calls him honey, handsome and sweetheart…. but it's not, it's Rogue that always calls him those things….

There's just no way around it, no denying it, and no more making excuses either. Eren has feelings for him….and that thought alone terrifies him. Terrifies him…. because the idea itself is not all that terrifying.

"Levi!" Eren screeches, kicking the coffee table hard in the process of flailing around after the most recent jump scare manages to frighten the life out of him, "Oww! Stupid. Fucking. Table!"

"Jesus Eren, give me a fucking heart attack why don't you?!" Levi exclaims, laying his plate on the table and putting a hand on his chest, glowering at the boy in the process.

"Who cares about that?! I think I'm bleeding, damn that hurt like a bitch!" Eren complains, clutching at his right ankle and wincing in pain. Levi sighs and leaves to get the first aid kit from their shared bathroom.

Once he retrieves it, he sits on the couch, gently grabs Eren's ankle and lays his leg over both of his own. After rolling down Eren's sock enough to see where he's been hurt, he wipes away the blood running freely from the small wound and sticks a band-aid in place.

"You're such an idiot, should leave you to bleed out and die alone." Levi grumbles as he pats Eren's knee and begins packing away the remaining contents of the first aid bag.

"Yeah, but you'd miss me if you did that." Eren teases with a grin, "We're gonna need more band-aids soon."

"That's your own fault, I must have patched you up at least thirty times by now." Levi says pointedly.

"So, I'm a little clumsy, shoot me. And besides, you've needed my help a couple times." Eren argues, kicking Levi in the side with his uninjured foot. Levi simply lifts the leg as he stands, placing it softly back on the couch as he takes the almost empty plates back to the kitchen for washing.

"You put one band-aid on me, one time, after I cut myself chopping when you were distracting me no less. Not exactly the same thing now is it?" Levi asks sarcastically as he throws the left-over food in the trash, beginning to clean their used dishes and Kaya's empty baby bottles. Eren hobbles into the kitchen after him to pour himself a drink.

"We can't all be 'medically trained' now can we Levi? You have to admit it does come in handy."

"Can't imagine what you ever did without me, brat." Levi remarks as he looks over at Eren, who's watching him with an odd expression on his face, hearts practically dancing in his vibrant eyes.

"Neither can I."

The air begins to become thick again, as Eren's stare threatens to knock the wind out of Levi, he almost smashes the plate he's been scrubbing to an inch of its life. He steadies himself before he sets it down, before grabbing a dishtowel to begin drying it.

Eren moves closer and pinches the towel out of Levi's grasp, "Here, let me. You wash and I'll dry."

Levi nods and they fall into a routine together, Eren making the odd casual mark here and there about Kaya or their plans for the next few days, Eren isn't due to go back into the club until the next Saturday and it's one of Eren's last performances before he announces his resignation as a regular at Maria's. It's also the time of the month were visiting queens come to perform too, and Levi knows Eren is nervous after the cocaine incident last time, even if he won't admit it himself. But rest assured, Eren will not be made to feel cornered and uncomfortable like that again, Levi will make sure of it.

"Hey! You're splashing me!" Eren complains, swatting Levi's wrist and giggling cheerfully. In truth, Levi hadn't even realised he was doing it, but he smirks playfully in Eren's direction anyway, continuing his task without a word.

When Levi's almost finished up with the final dish, Eren points to the hem of his T-shirt.

"Levi, you've soaked yourself, and you have sauce all over your shirt, it needs to be washed. Lift your arms up." Eren demands, already clutching the bottom of Levi's soft, grey T-shirt, biting his lip as he pulls the fabric over the older man's head.

Levi fights the action for a couple of seconds only before allowing the shirt to be removed from his body, leaving him bare chested with Goosebumps rising and littering his snowy pale skin, whether they're from the cold or Eren's hungry gaze, Levi can't quite tell.

"It's cold…." Levi attempts, his voice barely a whisper, and Eren stifles a soft titter.

"It's about 80 degrees in here."

"Still…." Levi trails off, watching as Eren scans him up and down, mismatched eyes running wild over the hard muscles and soft texture of Levi's body, breath hitching every so often as he finds a new place to admire. Levi awkwardly clears his throat to bring Eren's attention back to his face, uncertain on whether his expression shows the indifference he's trying desperately to convey.

Eren gives him a shy smile, and tentatively brings his hands up, slowly moving his long fingers towards Levi's slim waist. At the lack of protest from the man himself, Eren takes this as his cue to place both hands on him, his touch featherlight and cool.

"You've put on a little weight recently." Eren comments softly, "You're not as thin as you used to be."

"Been eating good, you give me a reason to cook every night. Not to mention Marco and Sasha trying to fatten me up as well." Levi says with a hint of amusement, trying tremendously not to stutter as Eren's touch burns his bare skin from the inside out.

"Don't get me wrong, you're definitely not getting fat, not by any stretch of the word. But you're definitely filling out." Eren remarks, shakily running his fingers from Levi's waist, across the expanse of his rock-hard abs and up before laying his palms flat on defined pecs, "Especially here."

Levi is sure Eren can feel his heart hammering in his chest at this point, but he can't bring himself to care, instead finding himself enamoured at the sight of Eren's tiny pink tongue peaking out from the corner of his lips and long eyelashes fluttering open and closed, giving the younger man an almost inebriated look. It's raw, meant for Levi's eyes only, and it's exciting.

They stand together in the kitchen, in complete silence, the only sounds coming from the forgotten TV show in the living room, the ticking of the clock on the wall of the kitchen and their deep, heavy breaths that keep them grounded to the spot. Neither of them knows what time it is, neither of them caring enough to look away and check. But the sun that had been hanging high in the sky all day, has long since disappeared into a starlit sky.

With a steadying breath and sheer determination, Eren begins rubbing his fingers in little circles over Levi's chest, the skin prickling in his wake, leaving Levi involuntarily shivering at the contact, his eyes blown wide like saucers as Eren moves the runs the pads of fingers over his pebbled nipples.

Levi lets out a pained sound somewhere between a gasp and a whimper. Eren catches his blushing red face in one of his palms and tilts his chin up so their eyes lock and breaths mingle.

"Levi."

"Eren."

"Tell me to stop…. tell me to apologise." Eren whispers and leans in close as Levi lets his eyes flutter shut….

And the shrill screeching coming through on the baby monitor makes them snap back to their senses and spring apart faster than lightning. Eren almost slips and falls on the floor in his haste to get away, only catching himself by grabbing on to the kitchen counter just in the nick of time.

"Kaya!" Eren all but shouts, "Kaya's here! She'll need fed…. or changed…. or burped. So, um, yeah…. I'll go do that now…. where's her bag? Have you seen her bag? No, because it's in my room…. I'll get it…. okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow…. or today, whatever…. Goodnight!"

And as quick as the moment occurred, it's gone as Eren shuts his bedroom door with a still screaming Kaya on the inside. Levi has half a mind to follow him but decides against it as he hears the boy coo away to the baby in the safety of his room. For the second time tonight, Levi is left all alone and wondering what the hell he's going to do.

Around thirty minutes later, Levi knows exactly what to do, knows he should have done it a long time ago, before tonight, before he divulged the details of his past to Eren, before he started looking at Rogue in a more than friendly sense, before he agreed to move in or be a friend, before he began feeling his entire world changing. He picks up his cellphone, and searches for the number he needs before hitting the call button. The phone rings twice before the person on the other end answers, and Levi begins speaking.

"It's me…. Can you come to Shiganshina as soon as physically possible?... No, nothing like that, I just have to discuss something with you…. it is important but it really should be face to face…. Next Saturday? It'll take that long?... No, I understand, I'll see you then…. Bye."

"You two almost KISSED?! And you waited a full damn week to tell us!" Mikasa exclaims, gesturing between herself and Armin who, to his credit, looks far less surprised by the revelation than his adoptive sister does.

"It's not like I was keeping it a secret, I just didn't know what to say about it or how you'd handle it for that matter. It's not that long ago you wanted his guts for garters, Mika." Eren says pointedly, tilting his head to emphasise his point as Mikasa shrugs.

"Well, he deserved it back then. And don't think you're getting out of this Eren! Have you told Mom yet?"

"Told Mom what?! There's nothing to tell! We had a weird moment in the kitchen last week, I lost my cool, felt him up a little and tried to kiss him, but we got interrupted. Nothing more." Eren insists, and Armin wrinkles his nose.

"Did you really have to mention that you felt him up? He's still my Ex-Boss, you know?" Armin complains, sipping on the cup of coffee Eren had made for him upon arrival.

"Hey, I've had to hear all about your wild sexcapades with Annie enough times. I would have preferred not to hear about all of those." Eren remarks.

"I second that." Mikasa adds with a grimace, to which Armin rolls his eyes and responds, "Back to the original point, where does that leave you two now?"

Eren has to really think before he can answer the question, because if he tells the truth, Mikasa will worry and warn him to be wary. But if he lies, Armin will see right through him and demand the truthful answer anyway.

"I don't know." He answers honestly, "Nothing has really happened since then, in fact we've barely talked really. He drives me to where I need to go, gives me updates on my schedule from Annie and eats with me at night before going to bed. Other than that, nothing has changed, and I'm not sure what that means."

"Look Eren, maybe it doesn't mean anything, but it could also mean that he doesn't necessarily want anything to change." Mikasa reasons, "You two are friends, right? And from what I've heard, Levi doesn't make friends easily, it's a big step for him. A big step that he's willing taken and now, now you almost kiss him. That's a lot in a very short space of time. Maybe it's too much for him."

"Not necessarily." Armin interjects, "I won't pretend to know what's going on in Levi's head, but I have known him for a while, and at his worst too. You know what he's been through as well as I do, and how scary something like this will have been for him. But, I've also seen the way you two are together, I noticed it as soon as I arrived home. I've never seen him so open with somebody before, he was never that way with me, the squad or even Hange from what I remember. I think you're special to him."

"You can't just say things like that Arm! God, now I'm even more confused." Eren complains, banging his head against the dining table the trio are sitting at, over and over again.

"Stop that!" Mikasa warns, "Sit up for a second."

Eren reluctantly obliges and stares forlornly into his quickly emptying coffee mug.

"Eren, nobody can tell you what you want or what to do, and I'm guessing that even if we did you would just ignore us anyway." Mikasa says with a smile, "So, don't be getting caught up in what we think, you have to do what you want to do. What do you really want to do?"

"Whatever you decide, we'll support you." Armin confirms, placing a pale gentle hand on his best friend's tanned one. Eren takes a deep breath before raising his head.

"I want to kiss him. I want to kiss him properly and I want him to be mine. I should tell him, I have to tell him." Eren says, nodding to himself determinedly and squeezing Armin's hand as his friend smiles warmly back at him.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go and tell him!" Armin urges, but Eren shakes his head.

"No, I have to do this right, it has to be done properly. I'll tell him tonight, later, when we get back home from the club. I don't want to corner him, but I want him to be comfortable. But I will do it tonight, I have to. I promise I will. Wish me luck!"

They do, and the three of them share a warm group hug, not unlike the ones they used to have growing up together as children before pulling apart but still sitting huddled close together.

"Now, enough about me." Eren says suddenly, "So tell us Mikasa, did you and Erwin bump uglies after your date?"

"EREN!"

In a little yet busy café, half way across town, Levi sits in a booth and waits for his companion to arrive.

He's already blasted through one black cup of coffee and is debating whether or not to request another before the glass door swings open and the bell dings, signalling the arrival of another customer.

A large hand is raised in greeting towards Levi before the man makes his way over and manoeuvres himself into the booth, and into the seat directly across from where Levi is sitting, rigid and stone-faced.

"Erwin." Levi greets coldly, "You're late. We said 1pm, Eren needs to be at the club for 4."

"My apologies, my flight was delayed, and traffic was worse than expected." Erwin apologises, removing his jacket and placing on the seat next to him.

He's about to say something else, however a young waitress comes to their table and takes their orders, another black coffee for Levi and a Latte for Erwin with extra milk and 3 sugars (Levi has to wrinkle his nose in distate at the notion of such sweet coffee) and comes back with them a few minutes later as the men idly chatter until she leaves them be.

"Now Levi, what was so urgent and required my attention, but couldn't be said over the phone?" Erwin asks, thick eyebrows raised in question as he stirs sugar into his coffee with his good hand.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush Erwin, it's about my contract." Levi confirms, "I want out."

Erwin is silent for a beat, "I see, and why would that be?"

"Cut the shit Erwin, I shouldn't need some bullshit reason or permission slip to get out of a job, we've been through this enough times at this point. The job isn't working out for me anymore, and I want out. That's the whole of it." Levi folds his arms petulantly and looks to Erwin expectantly.

"Wow Levi, you know what? I expected much better than this from you." Erwin says, shaking his head and eyes downcast to the table.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it's supposed to mean, Levi. You're so frightened of your own feelings, you're running away from them. I thought you were better than that."

"What the fuck are you talking about shitbrows?!"

"You're the one who needs to cut the shit, Levi. You know fine well that I'm talking about Eren." Levi freezes, "Yeah, it doesn't take a genius to see that there's something between the two of you, and I'm not talking about puppy love or a misplaced crush on the kid's part. I know you Levi, and I know when you're cutting off your nose to spite your face. I've sat and watched you do it before, said nothing and let you do what you're gonna do because you're too pigheaded to listen to anybody around you. But not this time, I'm not going to just sit here and watch you throw away what could potentially be the best thing that's ever happened to you."

"And what do you know Erwin, huh?! You ran away from the only woman you've ever loved in your life because she wanted to marry you!"

"And I regret that decision every single day of my life! Look what happened Levi, she met somebody else, somebody willing to give her everything she deserved in life. And me? I'm alone at 36 years old, no children, no legacy and nobody to grow old with. I don't want to see that happen to you, Levi."

"That's for me to decide, you bastard! This is my life, and friend or not, you don't get to tell me how to live it. I don't have feelings for Eren. Sure, I found Rogue attractive in a purely physical sense and I was fond of her, maybe a little too fond and that's on me, but the kid's gotten the wrong idea and it's making me uncomfortable, so I need to get out before he gets hurt. That's all this is." Levi insists, unsure at this point of who he's trying to convince, himself or Erwin.

Erwin sighs, "Okay Levi, you keep telling yourself that, whatever helps you sleep at night. I'll file the paperwork for you when I get back to Trost, but for now, I'm going to see Mikasa and you have to tell Eren yourself. After all this time, you owe him that much at least."

Levi considers arguing the point but decides against it when he sees the unwavering look Erwin is fixing him with.

"Fine, I'll tell him myself. When are you going back to Trost?" Levi asks curiously.

"Tomorrow night, I'll be back in the office Monday morning. If you change your mind, you know my number and where to find me." Erwin says as he stands and begins shrugging on his jacket.

"I won't, but thank you Erwin." Levi says honestly, "I really appreciate this."

"I just hope that you know what you're doing. When are you going to tell him?" Erwin asks, looking just as solemn and stone-faced as Levi had when he arrived.

"Tonight, I'll tell him tonight when we get home. He should be somewhere he feels comfortable when I break the news." Levi confirms, before staring sadly down at his phone, at the stupid wallpaper he set a number of weeks back.

The picture of Eren grinning madly at the camera, arm slung around Levi's shoulder as he himself looked on at the boy with disdain, the smallest hint of a smirk painting his lips.