Levi had recently gotten off of the train, stopping at Shiganshina Station, and walked from there to the Jaeger estate.

The raven started down the cement pathway towards the large, gray mansion that stood before him. It was on a hill, and he could never afford a carriage. At least he got a good workout, though.

The shock of this morning began to fade away as he neared the Jaeger mansion. Soon, he'd get to see Eren, smiling and being the brightest in the room. The brat could always make him forget about everything that went wrong in his life. Just feeling those fiery green eyes on the back of his head was enough to make him shiver. When Eren talked for hours on end about owning his father's property, it was really fucking annoying. But it made Levi happy to see Eren so passionate about something- the only things Eren liked was playing absurd new sports, one of which he named "hockey", talking too much, and learning about how rich his father was. The brat was actually very skilled in rough sports, but didn't enjoy learning the details he needed to play with others in a field. This "hockey" game seemed similar to the many other rough sports, but involved ice and other expensive equipment that the filthy rich Master Jaeger bought for his spoiled son. At least Eren enjoyed himself when he was playing.

Other than showing Levi how to play this dangerous sport, Eren also blabbed on about how one day, he'd get to have his father's theatre, and be able to put on his own plays. Eren always became very excited when he talked about putting on shows. He even showed Levi some of his screenplays, complete with short musical numbers- the boy was incredibly talented in music. He played the piano.

Eren was an amazing pianist, even though he rarely liked to admit it. Levi taught the young man when his mother stepped in to work for him.

Levi stepped up to the beautiful, grand doors. He used the clamp, adorned with an eagle-head, to notify Master Jaeger of his presence.

The weather had been cloudy all morning, but the sky suddenly cleared as Master Jaeger opened the doors. A ray crawled up to Levi's face, warming it a bit. The raven welcomed the sudden outburst of light around him. As Grisha Jaeger opened the doors, the light faded away as suddenly as it appeared.

The head of the household was dressed in a well-pressed brown suit, with a tan dress shirt underneath. His pants were some unrecognizable dark color, and his shoes were unusually bulky and large. Levi decided to greet him semi-formally, looking at his choice of clothing today.

"Good morning, Master Jaeger. I apologize for not bringing Mrs. Ackerman with me today. She is ill and I will work for her from now on."

"Ah, yes. As expected of an Ackerman, taking on his mother's job along with his own. You do know you will get paid no more than you already are, yes?"

"Yes, Master Jaeger. "

Levi had to focus on looking more presentable than he really was. His dirty dress shirt and ragged vest didn't make him look very neat- he didn't feel very good about himself at the moment, either. Losing his mother sure was taking a toll on his confidence; Levi could barely manage to stand up straight.

They walked into the grand, marble-covered entryway, and then made a right towards a long corridor, in which the room he and his mother always worked in was. The corridor had red carpeting with cream-colored walls, and there was a series of doors that led to a variety of different rooms. Levi stepped into his work took for today.

The walls were adorned with templates for the most expensive clothing the Jaeger family owned. There was one medium-sized window that only showed tree leaves, as it was covered by the willow tree right outside it. There was a rack of mannequins used for creating dresses and other clothing. Some of those mannequins were occupied by the large number of unfinished dresses that belonged to Mistress Carla. Levi took in the sight of the clean room, before it was covered in string and fabric were strewn all over the place. Yes, he loved cleanliness, but Levi was a very disorganized person, especially when he was working. As long as it was all clean and disinfected, he was fine.

Grisha stepped up in front of him and turned to face the raven.

"Well then, today you'll be working on the clothing that was started by your mother last Sunday. Carla ordered a couple of new dresses- and some new additions to Eren's closet. Make sure those are finished and well-done."

Levi nodded, and walked into the room for tailors, taking in what he had to do that day.

"Also, Levi," Grisha sent a menacing glare towards the young raven, "be sure not to make mistakes, especially on Eren's clothing."

"Yes, sir." Levi felt a wave of confusion rush over him. Master Jaeger was rarely this stern- and a death glare like that could only be achieved by someone as fierce as his mother.

With a sigh, Grisha walked away, his large boots thudding against the marble floors of the mansion.

As soon as the sound of Master Jaeger's boots faded away, Levi plopped down onto the floor. The handbag on his shoulder slipped and fell to the ground, spilling out its contents.

Levi turned his head to see what he had to grab for work today and caught a glimpse of something he had never seen before.

It was a picture of his mother in a long, flowing, violet dress, holding an infant with squinting slate-gray eyes.

Levi got a sudden rush of inspiration to make a new dress.

Levi was sewing a dress for Mistress Carla to add to her infinite collection. It was a long, royal purple dress with short ruffled sleeves, a flowing veil and lilac-colored embroidery on the hem and as trim. It required much precision when creating the embroidered sections, and without his mother to give hints, it was a challenge.

He had completed most of the other dresses his mother had started last week- a short, bright orange one with a veil, a navy dress with white accents that drooped to the floor, and a dark, red wine-colored dress that had a large collar. Now he had time to work on his new design. He'd made a written plan that he took from a previous dress plan that was similar to the one he was making now. It included most of Mistress Carla's measurements, which helped him complete the plan much faster.

He thought of this new creation with pride. It was almost exactly like his mother's dress. Levi was sure she would have been proud of him if she'd seen it.

Levi was getting along well until he heard soft music coming from the entryway to the mansion.

It was very faint, and Levi wanted to hear more. He decided to leave the dress for later- it could be finished that afternoon if he worked quickly. Levi left and walked out of the room with walls lined with clothing stands, and into the corridor that led to the entryway.

When you entered the Jaeger mansion, you were greeted by two grand staircases that led to one huge dining hall. The floor was white marble, and the walls glistened from the daily cleaning done by servants. A large chandelier hung high above the people who always stood below it as they entered the beautiful mansion. Levi stepped into this area, and began to figure out where the music was coming from. There was no piano in the entryway, to his disappointment.

The music was coming from the top of the staircases.

Levi and his mother had been denied access to the stairs, and anything above them. They were only allowed to stay in the tailor's room and walk around in the entryway.

The raven didn't think about the consequences he might face if he walked up the stairs. He only cared about the music now.

Luckily for Levi, there were no servants around today, besides the maids, who were currently tending to the Master and Mistress's every need.

He ran up the stairs, being careful not to slip on the marble steps. Levi began to get tired very quickly- not having much food really did have its effects on even the most resilient.

As he neared the top of the stairs, he started to see a grand piano in the dining hall. It was ebony-colored and shined in the light of the chandelier. And sitting there, hunched over the keys with his fingers moving furiously, was Eren.

He wasn't sitting up proudly with a calm and collected look on his face, playing smoothly and with grace. In fact, Eren was the exact opposite. The boy was slouching down while his face was red, strained and looking very frustrated. His fingers pounded the keys, creating terribly loud noises that Levi couldn't believe he mistook for music.

Levi slowly walked up to the young brunette, careful not to startle him. Anger seemed to float around Eren as Levi stepped closer. The raven's heart raced as he put his hand on the brunette's shoulder- from fear or from happiness, Levi did not know. He thought about uttering Eren's name, but the boy turned around before Levi could even try.

"What is it?!"

Eren's voice was filled with annoyance, along with a hint of sadness. His eyes were burning like two lit-up emeralds, but immediately became dark and cloudy. "Levi… I'm sorry…"

He folded his arms on top of the keys, making a horrible combination of notes. Eren then rested his head on top of his arms, and let the sounds fade away. He wanted to hide the tears that had been welling up ever since he found out about what could happen to his family.

Levi could do nothing but watch as Eren broke down right in front of him. The raven sat down beside him and placed his hand on the brunette's back, saying some words of assurance. He knew the brunette was very fragile at the moment, and didn't dare to anger him.

Levi began to pet Eren's hair, brushing strands away from the young man's tear-soaked face. Eren noticed this, and lifted his head. He moved picked up Levi's hand and moved it away from his face, eventually placing it down. Eren then looked at Levi with large, watery eyes and apologized.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Levi. It's just that so much happened in one day…" He wiped his eyes with his arm.

Immediately, Levi cupped Eren's face with his hands, and gently removed one to stroke the crying boy's hair. "Tell me everything, Eren. I'll listen."

Levi knew this could potentially get him fired, but he saw how desperate Eren was for someone to comfort him and listen.

"My mother got into a carriage accident early in the morning. She was going to an art expo when the carriage swerved and tipped over; at least that's what I hear. From what Father says, she's being cared for in her room by Dr. Alert and himself. I hope my father is a good enough doctor to help Mother. But the possibility of her death is just too much." Eren said all of this in a gravelly voice, and was trying extremely hard not to cry. Levi, of course, noticed this, and didn't stop his comforting gestures.

"It's alright, Eren. You don't need to be mad at the world. You just have to notice the good." Levi leaned in and whispered in Eren's ear. "Don't forget that people care about you, brat." The raven hugged the young brunette, and felt Eren immediately loosen up and begin to cry.

Many people of Eren's age hated being comforted in this way, but Eren was an exception- he seemed to crave it. The brunette buried his face between Levi's neck and shoulder, taking in his calming but commanding scent of black tea and sandalwood.

The thought occurred to Levi that Eren's father wouldn't even consider hugging his son, and his poor mother was unable to. Levi wanted to give Eren all of the happiness on the planet right now, and this was the only way Levi could do it at the moment.

As Eren shook with sobs, whining every once in a while and soaking Levi's dress shirt in tears, Levi decided to tell Eren about his similar tragedy.

"Eren, I want you to know that I lost my mother today, in the middle of the night."

Eren's removed himself from his perch on Levi's shoulder. With wide eyes and a genuinely sad expression, he hugged Levi much harder than anytime before.

"I am so, so sorry to hear that…" his voice trailed off as Eren watched Levi burst into tears. Eren listened for a while- such a sad sound didn't deserve to exist. Levi shouldn't have to lose his mother. None of this should have happened. Levi shouldn't even be above the stairs, much less hugging Eren while they poured out their feelings.

Levi took some deep breaths and continued talking. "So I know how you feel, Eren. If there's any way in which I can help you, then feel free to call me over. I am but a tailor, but I'm also a human being who can somewhat express their emotions to others."

The corners of Eren's mouth rose a bit. It wasn't a full smile, but it was enough to lift his mood. Levi was usually so calm and collected. Seeing his face red and blotchy was a gorgeous sight, completely different from his constantly stoic expression on a backdrop of porcelain skin.

Eren was starting to feel a little better about the whole situation. Seeing Levi crawl out of his emotionless masks was very rare, since he was always so focused on his work. But Eren knew this was because of Levi's terrible loss. The situation his mother was in no longer felt significant to him. Levi and his happiness was important now.

The brunette's tears were drying, but the occasional tear kept running down Levi's cheek.

"Thank you for listening to me, Levi. It... really made a difference." Eren lifted his hand and caught a tear that slipped out of Levi's slate-gray eyes.

The raven lifted his head and looked around. Then he realized where he was. Eren was drying his tears while he rested in the brunette's arms. They were sitting on the piano bench, which was at the top of the stairs.

The stairs.

"I really fucked up, didn't I."

Eren didn't understand the statement. He raised one eyebrow and made a barely-noticeable pout. Levi found this very adorable, and almost smiled. "I'm past the stairs. You can see that, right, brat?"

Eren heard footsteps coming from the entryway. They were fast paced- and getting very close.

"We have to go." Eren grabbed Levi's wrist as he cursed under his breath. He dragged the raven along with him and ran through the dining hall, and turned right, towards a huge, dark stairwell. The brunette tried running down the stairs, but tripped and made the rest of the journey in one large jump. Levi was close behind him, sliding down on his ass and getting dust all over his black pants.

Because of his fall, Eren lost Levi's hand.

"Oh my god. Holy shit… Levi, are you hurt? Where are you?" Eren's voice strained a bit, and became weaker. "Levi?" The brunette felt a familiar wave of sadness build up in his throat as his eyes watered.

A small hand patted Eren on the head, and another grabbed his shoulder. The brunette felt Levi use his body as a weight to keep himself steady while getting up. "Don't start crying again, you shitty brat. I'm not dead yet- just a bruise or two."

"Thank god. I was starting to get worried." Eren blushed, embarrassed.

Levi heard the brunette, but couldn't find him. He brushed up against Eren while he searched for the brunette's hand to hold on to. The raven's hands moved along the young man's lean arms, feeling for a hand. They were both panting from the fall, moving air around. Levi got a whiff of some of Eren's cologne. It mainly consisted of pine and citrus, but had a hint of cinnamon that Levi absolutely loved, making him audibly sigh with pleasure. Levi's warm breath touched Eren's neck, and he felt his skin tingle. The brunette thought about Levi sucking on his neck and wrapping his legs around Eren's waist, keeping him down and kissing him senseless, while reaching down with his gorgeous, small hands…

Eren was surprised with how far his thoughts had gone. He was grateful for the darkness of the stairwell- he didn't want Levi to notice his flushed face or embarrassed expression.

Levi finally found Eren's warm hand and grasped it like it was water in a desert. "Are we going to sit here and breath in each other's scents in this cramped stairwell until we die?"

Levi's voice brought Eren back to reality. "Uh, yes. We just need to find the wooden door that should be at the bottom of the stairs. It's probably on the left wall. Push it if you find it." They simultaneously turned left and felt around for a wooden surface until Levi's nails scraped against something.

"I think it's here." He moved his left leg towards Eren, moving it against Eren's waist. "Stand back, brat." Eren let go of the raven's hand and went so far back that he touched the wall opposite of the wooden door.

Levi fucking kicked open the door.

The smell of leaves and saltwater flooded their noses. There wasn't much light coming in through the doors because of the willow grove covering the area. Eren ran back to Levi and grabbed his hand again without paying attention to their intertwined fingers. "That was honestly awesome, Levi." The brunette's smile stretched from ear to ear.

"Thanks, Eren. But don't start thinking I'm some immortal god."

Eren smirked. He was actually starting to see Levi as an unbreakable superhuman- he dealt with his mother's death much better than Eren had with just a small tragedy. He even went to work and interacted with people. Eren barely spoke to anyone that morning, not even his sister, Mikasa.

Eren pushed twigs and leafy branches out of the way, but Levi crawled under most of them. The brunette hardly ever noticed how short Levi was, but it was clearly noticeable now.

They emerged from the dense willow grove, still hand-in-hand. The sound of waves crashing against the shore and gulls flying over their heads enveloped them.

Levi's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

"You have enough money to own the ocean, too?!"

Eren couldn't hold on to the raven's hand tight enough to prevent him from running full-speed towards the salty expanse of water.