I don't own SnK

"Learn to love with all your heart and accept the unlovable side of others. For anyone can love a rose, but it takes a great heart to include the thorns."
-Anonymous.

~Chapter Seven: Loving A Rose with Its Thorns~

The fact that Levi was late made Eren worry.

The brunet was awake at six in the morning sharp, expecting that he would hear his doorbell at the exact time. Levi liked to be punctual and since he was making Eren's lunches, the younger man thought that setting his alarm clock to full blast at six in the morning would somehow show even half of his appreciation to the lawyer's home-cooked meal. And it was a feat, really, because Eren never woke up early for someone else's sake.

So hearing silence at the start of the sunrise was unusual. It prompted him to climb out of his bed and walk to the foyer, just to pace around anxiously. His couch caught his eyes, remembering the time he spent with Levi watching comedy movies and falling asleep together as if they had been doing those since forever.

It made him giddy thinking about it, but it didn't erase the cloud of worry enveloping his heart.

His train of thoughts led to his recalling of his father's key, which somehow manifested right in front of his apartment two weeks ago. Eren and Levi tensely joked around that maybe it was his dad's ghost visiting him, though, the former knew better than a slight trick of imagination could do this phenomenon. The object now hung around his neck with a silver chain that he found randomly lying in his drawer, cold and stinging as if a constant reminder of the dread he felt upon receiving the key.

It was like a message.

Ding Dong!

The sound tore him from his reverie and the green-eyed lad jumped, halting in his step, before he fled through the hallway and pulling the door with so much unnecessary force that the knob could've had been severed from it.

"Levi!" he called out, expecting to meet those familiar fierce silver eyes, but he faced Mike.

Mike who was supposed to be his boss and who was supposed to be opening the shop in a matter of an hour. Mike who was supposedly a FBI agent but was selling cakes and bread instead. Mike who stood up as his friend or brother or father in any given circumstance that Eren was grateful for.

However, he wasn't feeling grateful at the moment. The hole in his chest was enlarging, threatening to cut off the air in his lungs.

"Sorry. I'm probably the person you least expected to come," the baker said sheepishly, an apologetic smile on his face and it only made the brunet feel bad. But he was right that he was definitely not expecting his presence in his apartment.

"Is something wrong?" Eren asked, finally noticing that Mike was sweating furiously as if he had been running ten miles to get to the younger man's place.

"Eren," Mike said, his voice was turning dangerously serious and low enough to the point that Eren assumed that Mike was going to tell him something private. He was about to offer him to go inside when he noticed how his boss shifted around uncomfortably. The brunet audibly gasped, eyes falling on the arm that was in a cast behind that big jacket that swallowed Mike's frame, something that should be deemed impossible since the blonde had this huge built comparable to a former soldier.

"W-What happened?"

The older man's eyes locked on his teal eyes and hesitation surfaced before he finally spoke, "Eren, do you mind watching the shop for a week? I have...stuff to do. Ymir will be there to help you when it's not your shift. Hitch will assist with the baking, and you guys will only need to work for three or four days."

Mike completely dodged the question.

There was plea in his voice; a silent plea for his employee not to ask anything, like it was for his own good. Eren wondered if the "stuff" that Mike had to do was related to the whole FBI business, which was most likely the case by how Mike's guard was up. He was more alert than usual. The younger didn't want to question it, so he bit the inside of his cheek and allowed the older man to have a sigh of relief.

"It's no problem, Captain."

"Thank you, Eren. Thank you."

"I would like...to ask you about—" he trailed off, openly staring at the peeking blue cast around Mike's arm. The older man seemed to notice this and Eren was glad that he didn't attempt to cover it up because it meant that Mike didn't intend to hide it from him. Or did he?

"An accident," he simply said. It was an answer that barely satisfied the brunet's curiosity, but he knew better than to pry on other people's business, especially if it was bound to be troublesome and could potentially put his life on danger.

"Oi, brat."

That deep voice came from the right side of the hallway and Eren poked his head out immediately to make sure that he wasn't merely hearing things. And indeed, Levi was there, slightly panting even though his face told him nothing about his rush to get there.

"Ah. Eren's friend?" Mike acknowledged him. Levi walked closer to them, his gaze instantly finding the cast that was hidden in Mike's jacket.

"Rough work?" he simply asked, face was emotionless and the young lad knew that Levi was somehow calculating the situation under his means.

However, Mike's guard was unassailable. He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously, "You could say that."

Eren could tell that Levi was gonna say something more but his boss was quick to act, deliberately cutting off the unspoken question before he could ask him about it.

"I really need to go now. Sorry for troubling you, Eren, and thank you."

"It really is no problem," the younger insisted, smiling to Mike. There was that nagging thought in his mind, that Mike could've had just texted him or called him on his phone, but the man himself had oddly turned up in his apartment instead.

His employer turned on his heels, eyes falling on Levi who was still a few feet away from Eren. Mike then shifted those panicked eyes to Eren, who was the only one who saw the change in him, and he whispered to him, "Please, be careful, Eren." And he was gone.

His stomach dropped and he felt that hollow gap in his chest, threatening to cave in any moment since that day. The key pressed upon his skin had spread the coldness in him, making him want to buckle and just hide away. It didn't take a genius to know that there was a storm coming their—his—way. But seeing that worried expression on Levi willed him to show a smile and shake all his apprehension away for now.

I'll deal with it when the time comes.

"How long have you known that guy?" Levi asked him once they got to his car.

The brunet buckled his seatbelt and leaned into the warmth of the leather seat behind him. The lawyer had ushered him out of his apartment after he made sure that he was wearing clean clothes, which he barely had time to pick so he went with the dark blue long-sleeve on top of the stack in his drawer, and some jeans. Levi reprimanded him about washing his face and getting rid of his morning breath first thing he wakes up, and Eren had rolled his eyes at how the shorter man seemed to act like a mom.

Or a wife.

And now they were suddenly on their way to Levi's law firm, another unexpected event that the younger man didn't foresee. Gee, and I thought I would be watching anime. Can't really complain if I get to spend time with Levi.

"Two years," Eren answered. He then added after a heartbeat of silence, "Why?"

Levi didn't provide any explanation and the brunet thought if that was the end of the discussion, which he highly doubt because the gray-eyed man had this look of confusion on his face, eyebrows meeting on the center of his forehead and a frown upon his lips. Eren wanted to get the atmosphere a bit lighter, but he couldn't help but remember Mike's pleading request before he left the building.

"Please, be careful, Eren."

"He's not someone suspicious?" It was meant to be a statement, but Levi made it a question and the teal-eyed lad quickly replied.

"No, he's not. He's been taking care of me and if he wasn't there, I'd probably asking people from their cars for loose change or something." The feelings of appreciation was presented in his voice and the shorter man didn't miss it.

"Then, gotta thank him for that. But him showing up like that is really making me fucking uneasy," Levi gritted out, hands were tense on the wheel and a look of concentration was in his eyes.

Eren wanted to say that he shouldn't mind it, but he would be lying if he said that it wasn't making him agitated, too. It was like Mike knew something that they did not know about, like he could read it on Eren's face but the young man himself couldn't see it. It was unsettling.

Scary.

He unknowingly gripped the key around his neck and his companion saw this. Levi leaned slowly towards Eren and he took the brunet's hand in his own, caressing it with soft touches, making ticklish circles on the skin.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I woke up late for the first time in years and it's making me fucking restless. I should ask Petra for coffee," Levi said, though it seemed like he was convincing himself instead of Eren, and he also said the last sentence like an afterthought. The former, nonetheless, smiled at his effort and squeeze Levi's hand. He never would've expected that it would be this man who could bring him comfort and reassurance at times like this, instead of his two close friends. Spending time with him and getting to know him couldn't make the brunet any happier.

"Yeah."

Levi then sped away, and all the while, intertwining his fingers with Eren's to sooth him off his worries. And the younger was more than glad to shove the foreboding thoughts at the back of his mind.

"EREN~!"

Petra's shrill reached Eren's ears just as he stepped inside the lobby, and the petite young woman behind the reception desk jumped at the sight of the young man. Gunther and Erd were with her, bent over the desk and were talking to Petra before she called out to Eren. He started to go to them when Levi stopped him by grabbing his wrist. The shorter man was looking at his team who seemed to be gushing over something and it made him twitch.

"Please, don't indulge their stupidity any further and avoid answering questions you don't like to answer," he told him with lack of enthusiasm. The brunet knew that Levi had to have his coffee at that moment.

Petra, who seemed ready to greet and pacify the irritated lawyer, walked up to them with a sheepish smile on her beautiful face and a cup of coffee in her hand. She was wearing a blue shirt with ruffles tucked into her black pencil skirt. It was no wonder that Eren felt a little jealous when the said woman was comfortably joking around with Levi. Well, not that he had any right to be jealous when him and Levi actually didn't have anything official going on, like maybe Levi asking him out? The thought merely made the young adult sigh.

"Good morning, Corporal. Good morning, Eren. I'm assuming that you have your sketchbook with you?" the brunette asked, and Eren smiled at her, lifting his hand that was preoccupied with the black, leather bound object.

"Have it with me," he replied. Petra handed the coffee to her boss who eagerly took and brought it upon his lips. The action made the brunet a little distracted because he was right in front of Levi, whose pale neck was now exposed to him as he took a careful gulp of his morning wakeup.

"You're showing them to us, right?" Petra interjected his thoughts that were obviously not innocent. The green-eyed lad swallowed hard and gave the woman a half smile. He could only wish that she didn't see him ogling at Levi.

"Sure."

She proceeded to drag him away by taking a hold of his forearm, and Eren yelped when Levi tugged him back by his collar.

"W-What the hell?!" He exclaimed, a bit caught off guard. The raven stared at him for a few seconds—three, tense and painful seconds—before he slowly loosened his hold on the younger's shirt. His long fingers found themselves peeling Petra's hand away from the brunet's arm, and the woman blinked a couple of times before her cheeks colored red. And she bursted out laughing.

"O-Oh my god! You're so possessive, holy crap!" The assistant would've had found herself kicked if not for the fact that Levi could actually control his violent urges, which were entirely reserved for those who had the guts to make fun of him. Petra was already prancing away from them, though, before the lawyer could spew out some morning-stressed profanity to her.

Eren couldn't get himself to stop grinning, though. While he was wallowing in his own thoughts about his real relationship with Levi, the older man seemed to show him what he needed the most. His affections were obvious indications that he was very much interested in the brunet and the feelings were indisputably mutual. It made him wonder why did it seem like Levi was waiting for something though, because last week when he asked Eren if he could kiss him was a very bold move on his part. But he ended up just getting one on his cheek again. Why is he holding back? Is he doubting his feelings for me? Or my feelings for him, for that matter? Are we gonna be forever flirting? What if he falls for another person? Ah, crap—

"Sorry, I can't be with you until my break. But we'll go out for lunch later, okay?" Levi said, breaking the young man's train of thoughts. This gray-eyed man seemed to have the best timing to intercept his thinking when it was going to the bad direction, and he silently hoped that Levi didn't have some kind of a mind-reading power. That would be hella embarrassing.

"It's okay. I'll wait for you, and besides I agreed to come with you today. It's not my first time here, Levi," Eren reminded him. Levi breathed out a sigh before unlatching his hand from his arm that was originally gripped by Petra a while ago.

"Okay. Have fun, I guess. Those idiots are good at entertaining people, so you can count on them. Probably." His voice held no irritation, but he sounded a little less lethargic so maybe the caffeine was starting to kick in.

Eren gave him a lopsided smile and crossed his arms before remarking, "Yeah, they'll probably be more entertaining than a bundle of joy like you."

It was Levi's turn to roll his eyes at him and it just made the younger chuckle. "Shut up."

"Well, do your best. Don't work too hard."

"Yeah, yeah. See you later, brat." He swiveled around and started walking to the elevators.

"Yup. See you later, Levi," Eren said, the words were lost in the sudden crowd of people flowing into the lobby. It seemed like Levi heard him though, despite being yards away from him, because he lifted a hand and gave Eren a gentle wave.

And the teal-eyed young man returned to his newfound friends with a smile plastered on his face.

"Wow, that's amazing! I never knew that you drew Levi!"

"Holy shit, Eren. That's Lower East Side Gallery?"

"That's amazing! Draw me next!"

There was enough flattering to drown Eren behind the reception desk. Gunter, Erd, and Petra had been flipping through the pages of his sketchbook for the past couple of hours. They had been interrupted more than three times by people asking for necessary information or just by a certain individual who looked suspiciously a certain lawyer-wannabe. His name was Oluo; dirty blond hair with undercut, really small hazel eyes and failed attempt with course language. The older man was obviously interested in Petra and it made Eren wonder if he couldn't get any more noticeable about that matter, or the other one—which practically screamed that he idolized Levi way too much. The brunet had to shake away the jabs aimed by him, like calling him a "brat" and whatnot, because he felt bad. He felt bad because the poor man would never ever be able to impersonate Levi. Nope. Not even one percent.

And the laughter that followed suit after his departure from the lobby had been a proof of that. Oh, and Petra also knew that Oluo was trying to hit on her.

Gunter and Erd were called a few times upstairs and they came back, chatting away with the group. The young man couldn't help but feel funny because a college student like him was hanging out with a bunch of adults who seemed to know a lot more immature ways to poke fun of random people coming in than him. Telling them that he could make fun of Levi was obviously off the list, because it seemed like the idea was too absurd and too frightening for them to even think about.

Then, he showed them a picture on his phone. His painting of Levi, Jiyuu no Tsubasa, to be exact. And they began their shower of compliments and open eye-gawking at the image.

"I'm so jealous of your artistic talents! I can't draw for my life!" Petra whined, sounding childish and the student bashfully scratched the back of his head.

"I-I'm not really—" A glare from her snapped my mouth shut.

"I don't know why, but it seemed like those who have unbelievable skills like this are pretty adamant in denying their sacred talents. Like, please, shut up. Just draw," she deadpanned.

"The painting suits Corporal though," Erd said thoughtfully. They all agreed on that.

"I just saw this in a dream. It gave me the idea and I started working on it," Eren told them.

Petra looked at him with sparkles in her eyes. "Pretty amazing. I wish my dreams can bring me my hidden abilities, too!"

"I think being an assistant suits you better. Go yell at Oluo or something. Maybe you should say 'yes' to his proposal while you're on it," Gunther commented, snickering.

"Hey! Wh—"

"Are you guys done bickering like children or are you going to give Eren back to me?"

The sudden intrusion of the deep voice made them all turn to the front of the desk; they were bending down to the ground while Eren's sketchbook was resting on Petra's black swiveling chair. Now, it seemed like Levi was three feet taller than them and they didn't hide their clumsy smiles on their faces.

"It's not lunch yet, though?" Eren said, head tilting to the side in confusion. And Levi did NOT think how adorable the gesture was or the sudden urge to tear the young man away from those imbeciles. And he was certainly NOT jealous that the so-called members of his squad managed to spend time with Eren when he couldn't lift his ass off his office chair because of the amount of work left on his desk.

Levi sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and he was sure that a certain person who owned those Caribbean blue-green eyes was the cause of it. He told him, "I want you to come with me. Maybe you can help me sort out some papers or something."

The brunet stood up and was followed by the three adults who had some impish grins on their faces. Before they could have the chance to open their mouth and blabber some unnecessary shit, Levi went around the desk and yanked Eren away from them.

"Let's go."

"O-Okay." The young man didn't forget his sketchbook, and if there was something that Levi was smug about, it was the fact that he was the first to see that precious book. Or maybe Armin, or Mikasa. But still.

He just pulled Eren away from there, but Petra just helped herself with a little remark.

"Go get him, tiger!"

The lawyer would've had chucked a stapler towards them if he had the chance to grab it.

"Okay... So what are we doing here? Or better yet, what am I doing here?" Eren asked, utterly at loss as he watched Levi went to the love seat that adorned his little office on the fourth floor. The older man had his legs crossed and his arm stretched on the sofa. His eyebrow was raised and the brunet took that as a sign that he should be sitting next to him than standing there looking like a lost child.

"I just wanna relax for a few minutes. Or maybe half an hour."

Levi was on the other end of the couch, and he managed to tackle the distance that the young man had put on between them by sitting on the other side, by unceremoniously swinging his legs around and falling back with his head softly hitting Eren's lap. The teal-eyed lad squeaked in surprise and he rigidly put his hands on either side of his thighs, not knowing where else to put them when the black-haired man was occupying his lap.

"W-What are you doing?" he stammered, full-out embarrassed at their current position. Levi was lying with his head on Eren's lap, for heaven's sake!

"Gonna take a nap. Wake me up." And that was it. He was out cold.

"I thought you woke up late... Did you actually manage to sleep at all?" the brunet mumbled under his breath, eyes settling on the man lying on him. He couldn't fight down the blush that threaten to attack his face but one look at those closed eyes and the serene face of Levi managed to calm him down. He was unmoving except from the becoming steady rise and fall of his chest. Eren took the moment to observe and memorize the older man's features further more. He already knew that Levi's face was smooth, unblemished and unscarred, and those lips were soft as evidence of the few times they were pressed upon the brunette's cheek or forehead. His jet-black hair looked so soft and he had the desire to touch them and play with them between his fingers.

He couldn't help himself. He did just that.

His touches were feathery light, not wanting to rouse the man who could turn grumpy in one wrong shake, and he could feel the heat from his body right on his thighs. The fact that Levi could sleep and show his invulnerable state to Eren was the only key he could ask for. Levi trusted him.

There used to be only two important people in his life before, Mikasa and Armin, after his mom died. After the accident, the Ackermans took him in like he was their own child and he couldn't be any more grateful to their family. He wholeheartedly trusted them. But he couldn't do it to others. Jean came close because he was one of his friends whom he knew he longest, and the fact that they dated should be taken in account, as well. Eren realized then that there was no real feelings between them, and that they were merely in love with the idea of falling in love. Or maybe Eren was just in love with the idea of building a trust between people. He obviously couldn't do it with Jean.

But he had that inkling that he could trust Levi.

Eren never felt that strong attraction for anyone before. Their first meeting wasn't the greatest but it was the most exhilarating touch of his life, and the start of the many beginnings. But if there were beginnings, there would be endings too, right? Putting your heart out there and offering it to someone was easier to be said than done. Especially when Eren Jaeger couldn't even begin to trust himself. He didn't want to hurt anyone, especially not Levi, but he wanted that connection with him. Badly.

The electrifying sparks between them weren't enough. Those innocent kisses weren't fiery enough. And those gazes weren't long enough.

Eren wanted Levi to only look at him, to tell him that he would be there for him, to kiss him goodnights and good mornings. He wanted to be there for him, too, when he's tired or has that childish impulse to see the brunette. He wanted to support Levi, help him with his job and visit him when he has shitty mornings like this one. He wanted him to smile more and turn those scowls upwards whenever he sees him. He wanted him to know how much he meant to him at that point. He wanted to fall in love with him more.

Yes, he was irrevocably falling in love with Levi. And he could no longer deny it. He wanted to be with him.

He wanted them to be together.

"Please, be careful, Eren."

Mike's warning suddenly startled him out of his thoughts, making him reel in pain. Levi was suddenly becoming a little doubly and Eren realized that his sight was just getting a bit woozy, like the feeling of suddenly getting up after you just woke up. He was unaware that his caresses on that raven hair had stopped, or the fact that his hands were slightly trembling. One of them found the key touching his chest, seemingly burning hot when he touched it. He grasped it anyway and the searing feeling stopped, and he realized that it was just his mind overreacting.

No, his mind was definitely reacting to something. And soon voices started filling his head, familiar and unforgivingly trying to remind him of something.

"I love you, Eren. Always and forever."

"Mom."

"MOM!"

There was that painful yet familiar ringing in his ears, rattling his insides and shaking away any coherent thoughts in his brain, and he instinctively grabbed both sides of his head with his hands. He bit his lower lip to keep him from screaming in pain, a throbbing agony was drumming against his ears and his temples. The loopy feeling that he got was worse on that second time around and he could feel his eyeballs rolling back. He gave in to the pain, no longer able to hold back that unmistakably groan of torment. He was shaking, and Levi snapped his eyes open, narrowing at first before widening in shock and alert, before he sat up.

"Eren?!" He gasped out, obviously surprised to be awoken that way. He slid closer to Eren until there was no distance left between them, and he proceeded to rub the brunet's back and gently turning his face towards the older man by grabbing his chin.

"Tell me what to do." Those were simple words yet the concern and panic were there.

"J-Just give me a sec."

The oppressive pain was over and Eren dropped his arms, like his energy was suddenly sucked out of him just by grasping on his ears. There was still throbbing but it soon turned dull, like a siren that just passed and yet its sound could still be heard. The ringing was becoming small and he wondered how did Levi's voice got through that ear-splitting shrill. His shoulders slumped and he noticed how hard he was breathing, like the oxygen had suddenly been denied from his lungs and now they were given access again. Levi was still not talking, but his eyebrows were furrowed and his gray eyes were focused on the young man. He decided to talk now since it was mostly gone—the pain that had yet again penetrate his whole being.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." Eren sounded exhausted and he grimaced. He knew that Levi caught on the tone and he spoke after what seemed like an eternity.

"Didn't mean to wake me? You looked like you were dying! I swear if that was some prank—"

"No," the teal-eyed lad interrupted. He hesitated but the worried look that Levi was shooting at him prompted him to say the truth. "It's...It's an episode."

"What..? Why? Anxiety attacks? How often? How do you feel right now? Please, tell me if you need to be taken to the hospital because I won't waste a goddamn second and I'll carry you out of this damn building."

Eren blinked. That was the first time that Levi fired some rapid questions and a statement in the mix. The agitation presented in his voice meant that he was genuinely concerned, and the brunet really couldn't blame him because witnessing someone have a some kind of an attack out of the blue would probably scare the shit out of him, too. Especially if he was someone he cared about.

"...Maybe I didn't get enough sleep or coffee?" he offered, but when Levi narrowed his eyes on him, he knew that he wouldn't let the topic go. Or maybe not.

"I'm not gonna force you to tell me anything. I...I was just...worried," he admitted. Those gray eyes were downcast and Eren felt a stab in his chest because he hated that expression on Levi—a disappointed and defeated look on him—and he hated that he was the one who put it there.

"I'm sorry. It's just that..." he paused and the young man knew that Levi would tell him not to force himself to say something but Eren knew that he had to. He wanted to. So he put it to test. He wanted to know if he could place his trust on Levi.

"That's the third time it happened. The first time was the night after I lost my mom."

Levi's eyes flickered with emotions and they passed each other one by one; anguish, sorrow, and regret. Eren's breath hitched on his throat. No. He's gonna pity me. He's gonna tell me "I'm sorry." His response will be the same as the others.

Two arms pulled him gently forward and his arms awkwardly fell on those broad shoulders. His face was pressed upon a hard chest and the deep rumble told him that it was Levi's heartbeat, as if silently stomping and weeping in pain. Hands began stroking his chestnut brown hair and rubbing his head softly, like he was saying, "It's okay."

A few moments passed before the older spoke.

"I regret that I wasn't there for you. I wish I could have been there for you." Levi's voice trembled the slightest and it sprung tears in the younger's eyes.

And for the first time in five years, Eren really wanted to cry. He wanted to let it all out and open himself to someone. He wanted to trust Levi.

But the fear of losing him gnawed him from the inside, rendering him unable to admit that glaring fact in his heart.

That he truly cared for him.

That he loved him.

A/N: Okay, intense emotions. Well, I hope you like the development. No rush, but we're getting there XD Thank you for being patient with me (considering that I'm typing like three stories at the same time LOL). Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop by a review :)
-CrimsonHazelEyes