Levi had never known that the ocean was just behind Eren's house. The city of Sina seemed like it was further away from the coast- but here he was, standing in front of it. The raven took a long breath, and tried to engrave the scene in his mind.

Owning property by the coast must really take a toll on the mansion. Did the Jaegers really have enough money to pay for so many renovations and repairs? If so, they were richer than Levi could've imagined. If Eren's father earned so much from being a doctor, then Grisha had to be a really fucking talented doctor. Master Jaeger could've also inherited it from his father… but little to nothing was known about the family from before Grisha's rise to the top of society.

The raven wondered if Eren knew anything about his family's past, besides the fact that they were filthy rich.

Levi didn't want to think too much about that, though. The vast and endless ocean was right there, waiting for him.

"I didn't know you had enough money to buy the ocean, too!"

Levi let go of Eren's soft hand and sprinted towards the sea.

"Levi! Wait!" The raven almost didn't notice Eren's calls. The wind flowing through his hair and the salty air transported him somewhere else- somewhere he could be free to live how he wanted to.

Levi needed this.

The raven continued to run, feet kicking up sand that flew into Eren's face as the brunette chased after him. Levi's feet started sinking into the wet sand, and eventually hit the cold water, making him shiver. The raven turned around and saw Eren charging towards him. Quickly, Levi slid out of the way and witnessed the brunette's sad efforts to stop himself from falling face-first into the ocean. Eren made a small splash on impact; little droplets landed on Levi's pale skin, stinging as they ran down his face. That brat could always find a way to annoy him.

"Oi! Eren," the raven exclaimed in an annoyed tone, "make sure to not splash me too much." Levi was frantically wiping off the salty water. He reminded Eren of a cat, hissing at water and grooming itself like crazy.

"It's just some water. Are you afraid of it?" Eren asked teasingly. Levi's face reddened, and Eren took this as a sign of confirmation. The brunette bent over, catching Levi's attention, and placed his hand in the water. He pushed his hand through the ocean towards Levi, sending a tall wall of water to the raven.

The expression Levi made right before the water hit him was priceless.

Eren burst out in laughter when he saw the raven afterward. Levi's hair was plastered to his skin, framing the raven's annoyed eyes. Levi gave the brunette a sharp death-glare.

"You asked for it, brat."

With incredible speed, Levi circled Eren, splashing him over and over again with saltwater. The brunette tried to cover himself with his arms, but Levi was absolutely merciless.

When Levi was sure Eren was soaked, the raven stepped out of the water and ran onto the shore. He stood still and waited for Eren to notice him.

The brunette no longer felt Levi's presence next to him. He opened his eyes and lifted an arm to move away his bangs, which were now hanging over his emerald-green eyes and obstructing his vision.

Levi was standing above him on a small rise, smiling. The raven's face looked completely different from before- he was squinting, and his cheeks rose a bit, highlighting his heart-shaped face. Eren could barely see him, but the brunette could almost swear Levi had dimples.

Motivated to go towards the raven, Eren began to stumble towards Levi, trying to get out of the small basin he had made while getting bombarded with jets of water. He had some trouble, though, as his feet kept sinking into the sand with each step.

One of Eren's feet got pulled in too deep, and the brunette lost his balance. He tried to regain it by placing his hands on the ground, but sadly, there was no ground to grab on to. He touched the sandy bottom, but sank in even more; part of Eren's face was now submerged in saltwater.

Eren struggled to move, but made no progress at all. He tried to sit up; luckily, this action was successful. Yes, half of him was underwater, but he wasn't in danger of drowning.

Eren looked in front of him, and realized he was facing the ocean. It seemed endless- the horizon showed no sign of ending. The brunette stared out into it, mesmerized by the enormity of it all.

Soon, he heard small splashes heading towards him from behind, and was greeted by a pair of small, lithe feet.

"I really hope I won't have to save you every single time you get yourself into a shitty situation."

Smooth hands grabbed Eren's upper body, and pulled him up and out of the water. Then, he was turned around forcefully, eventually facing the silver-eyed man.

"Thanks, Levi. I would've been stuck there for a while if it wasn't for you."

Levi cocked his head. "Were you really stuck? Or were you just waiting for your knight in shining armor to save you again?"

Eren looked away and nodded, silently confirming Levi's thoughts.

"Let's get out of here and dry up."

Levi took Eren's hand and walked up to the dry sand, pulling Eren out of the water after himself. They climbed up the small hill that lay before the sea, which was now tinted purple.

Eren seated himself on top of the hill, but Levi stood for a while longer while looking out towards the horizon. After letting out a sigh, the raven sat down.

The sun was casting red and pink light over the beach, shading the men's faces pink.

"Levi."

The raven responded with a grunt, not taking his eyes off of the sunset.

"Your face changes completely when you smile."

Suddenly, Levi blushed. He lowered his head and mumbled. "Thank you, Eren." The raven continued to look at the landscape. When the sun began to irritate his eyes, Levi pulled his knees towards his torso, hugging them, and wedged his head in the space between his knees.

Eren observed these movements, and grinned. Today, he'd seen Levi's softer side. The raven was capable of smiling, blushing, and making his heart flutter, too- from what, he didn't know. Even curling up into a ball made him feel a rush of affection for Levi. He was seemed so small and vulnerable now, even though he acted cold and emotionless at times.

The brunette turned his head back towards the ocean. He and Levi were dripping wet, and the sun was setting. He was sure he'd get questioned by his father, but Eren could easily make a lie. Lying about Levi would be harder, on the other hand. He left his job, broke rules about where he could go in the mansion, and made physical contact with Eren- all of this could get him fired.

A quiet, soft snore interrupted Eren's train of thought. He turned to face Levi, and was surprised to find the raven sleeping.

Levi was leaning forward in what seemed like an uncomfortable position. Eren tugged the raven towards his chest so he was in a better position. Levi was now leaning against Eren, his head on the brunette's collarbone between his shoulder and chest.

Eren pulled Levi closer, wrapping his arms around the sleeping man. The raven pressed his face into Eren's chest, taking in his warmth. Eren could make out a pleasant expression on Levi's face, which included a small, toothless smile. Levi was just so cute, Eren's heart couldn't take it. He placed his chin atop the raven's head, and sighed.

The sky was now a shade of dark mauve. Levi's quiet breathing was like calming background music, accompanied by the whistling wind.

As the sky lost its last streak of color and succumbed to darkness, the air turned cold along with the wind.

A particularly chilly gust made Levi shiver and wake up. His eyelids fluttered against the damp fabric of Eren's cotton shirt. Levi immediately became aware of his surrounding once he sensed the warm, intoxicating scent of pine and cinnamon. The raven was tempted to cuddle Eren some more, but his worries overpowered this impulse. He sat up and pushed himself away from the brunette, who looked confused. His confusion immediately melted into a peaceful, slightly teasing expression that made Eren's eyes soften.

"It was nice while it lasted." The brunette laughed to himself.

Levi blushed furiously. "Don't go thinking it'll happen again soon, Eren. I rarely let my guard down so much." He tried to cover up his embarrassment. Levi didn't think Eren would betray him or try to kill him in his sleep, but he could never be too cautious. The day had started with a shock, and Eren had numbed Levi's pain. Without pain, Levi was less alert and aware of his problems. This was definitely a problem- but Levi didn't want Eren to be the problem.

With a grunt, Levi tried getting up, but his legs had fallen asleep.

"Shit! First I fall asleep, and now my fucking legs are broken!" Levi was getting more frustrated by the second. It was late, and he wasn't sure how his job as the Jaeger family's tailor was going to turn out.

Eren observed him as the raven stepped forward, wobbling. He smirked, and offered to help.

"I don't need any of your help, dammit!"

Eren stood up, towering over the raven. He looked down on Levi's face with a smug grin. "Would you like me to carry you?"

Levi was amazed at the brunette's kindness. Nobody had really cared for his wellbeing this much.

The raven knew how stubborn he could be when he was frustrated, so he decided to accept Eren's offer.

Eren slipped one hand under Levi's knees, and the other under the raven's arms. Levi wrapped his arms around Eren's neck, pulling his head down. He leaned towards the brunette's face, and whispered in his ear.

"Don't you dare drop me."

Eren shivered and nodded. Levi was surprisingly light, which made it easy for the brunette to carry him. They headed towards the mansion, and pushed through the willow grove where they had escaped that morning.

Levi was frustrated with his situation, but quickly accepted his defeat. Being carried by Eren wasn't too bad. He got to feel the rise and fall of the brunette's chest as he clung to Eren. It was actually very comfortable; Levi was getting used to being carried, and started nodding off. He was extremely tired after today, and Eren was so warm and soft…

The smell of the ocean had faded away, and the area was dark and musty. Eren stopped moving. The brunette lowered his arms a bit, and Levi whined.

"You like being carried now, Levi?"

The raven grunted, grabbing Eren's shirt and squeezing it with his fists. "Don't drop me yet."

With a small laugh, Eren gently placed Levi's feet on the ground. After making sure the raven was steady, Eren let go of Levi, leaving just a hand on the small of his back. "Can you stand?"

Levi nodded, and took in his surroundings as his silver eyes adjusted to the dark, revealing that they were back at the bottom of the basement.

Eren started walking up the stairs, and paused, turning to face Levi. he reached out his arm, and the raven took his hand without hesitation. Navigating the dark stairwell made Levi feel uneasy, but Eren eased that fear.

They reached the top of the stairs without tripping or stumbling. As they appeared out from the stairwell, Eren froze.

A young woman with black hair that reached to her shoulders was sitting at the piano. On closer inspection, Levi saw that she was wearing a dark red scarf, and was sitting up straight.

"That's my sister, Mikasa," Eren whispered. He seemed nervous, as if the woman would attack him on sight.

Still holding Levi's hand, Eren inched closer towards Mikasa. He let go of Levi's hand and walked up to her, leaning in towards her face. Levi felt a wave of fear, but quickly realized that Eren was only checking if she was awake.

Eren mouthed, "she's asleep," giving Levi the all-clear to go to him.

Levi was about to say something, but Eren stopped him by pressing a finger against his lips. The raven was startled by this gesture, but knew Eren wasn't implying anything besides staying quiet. The brunette began walking down the large marble stairways, paying special attention to how much noise his shoes made. Levi did the same, holding on to the marble railings to steady himself. Once they reached the bottom, Eren ran towards the front doors. The brunette pulled them open while letting out a grunt, and swung them open far enough to let Levi out. They ran outside, and stood on the front steps while the doors shut behind them.

"Thank you for comforting me, Levi. It really made a difference." Eren smiled nervously and rubbed his neck.

Levi leaned in and hugged Eren. The raven moved his hand to the side of Eren's neck, leaned back, and looked him in the eyes.

"I never thought I'd get to see the ocean in person, or get carried by such a handsome brat."

Levi just realized what he had said. Was this because of Eren? Was he affecting his behavior?

Eren smiled gently, placing his hand over Levi's. "And I'm happy that I got to know you a bit more."

Levi felt let down. He had made such a bold statement, and was given something so average. The raven hid his disappointment, and continued the conversation as if he hadn't just worded his thoughts. "I'll see you tomorrow, Eren."

Levi turned around, stepping onto the cement path that led from the Jaeger mansion to the most populated area of Shiganshina. He began speed-walking, trying to leave his embarrassment behind.

He was stopped one more time by the brat. "I can't wait to see your beautiful face again, Levi!" Eren was waving furiously, grinning from ear to ear. Pale moonlight illuminated Eren's bright, glowing eyes, visible even from so far away.

Levi's heart raced. Did Eren really mean it?

The raven denied Eren's words, making himself believe it was just a slip of the tongue.

But his soul knew that Eren wasn't just messing with him.

As Levi walked down the path, he realized that he didn't know what to do. He could visit Shiganshina Station and go back to Sina, and face his home. But Levi was also capable of spending the night on the streets of Shiganshina- he'd done it before when his mother had to work through the night.

The raven decided to go home. He could see what Kenny was up to at his house.

With a slower pace than before, Levi headed to Shiganshina Station, towards home.

But it felt like home was behind him, where he left the green-eyed man.