I don't own SnK

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."

— James Baldwin

~Chapter Sixteen: Hometown~

"How was it?" Levi asked the first thing Eren came into his door.

It was their routine now—Eren would always drop by the lawyer's house, sometimes with a duffle bag of clothes, after his class, but today was the day that the student would finally stop being one. Why? Well, because it was already summer break.

The brunet looked a bit forlorn and he could tell by how Levi's face fell down the slightest that he convinced him with his acting. He placed his Converse shoes on the rack by the entryway (something that Levi reminded him every single time he came over) before settling down on the couch where the raven was standing by. He slouched a bit, seemingly upset but he was just really trying hard not to laugh. He'd learned not to look at his boyfriend whenever he was trying to hide something from him because he was definitely not the good liar around.

"There's always next time, brat. If you just let me, I'll fucking pay every penny for next semester—"

He couldn't hold it in. He laughed so hard, wheezing out a "I PASSED!"

"You…" Before Levi could grab a hold of him, Eren dodged the arm that swiped above his head. He knew that his lover would retaliate someway, and he wasn't going to have any of that. Nuh uh. So, he did every five-year-old would do.

Run.

The young man already knew his way around the raven's house after his constant visits. He'd been to his room many times, sometimes, just to cuddle with him or talk to each other until both of them fell asleep. And 'pristine' wouldn't even cut for its description. Those were the precious memories that he'd built with Levi—after he finally gave up on his other objective. He wanted to spoil Levi and be spoiled in return, to love him and to be loved, and to take care of him and be taken care of. It was the future that Eren wanted with the best person he had in his life.

He ran to the kitchen, knowing fully well that his boyfriend was on his trail and that he would catch up to him soon. The green-eyed lad used the island in the middle of the kitchen and grabbed the sides of it as Levi came into his view. He tried to feign to run to the right and went to the left instead, but the raven was having none of that. The older man was faster than he was, despite Eren being nine years younger than he was. He always forgot that Levi was better at almost everything than he was—cooking, strength, speed, and his success in life just in general. Thinking that your partner was in a higher standard than you were ought to be frustrating, but not to Eren. He was always proud of his lover, to the point that sometimes he felt undeserving of him.

But he loved Levi too much to let go. He already loved him this much to the point that he couldn't envision any other future without him in it.

"You brat!" the grey-eyed man yelled out as he grabbed Eren's arm before the latter could even attempt to escape from him. He pulled the brunet to him with such force that the younger almost toppled backwards if not for the strong chest that his back was pressed upon. The gesture was quick at making his blood rush to his face and the heat that was spreading into his body was immediate when his short-stack propped his chin on Eren's shoulder.

"Le-Levi?" he squeaked, blushing full-force.

"Mhm?" the man hummed, and oh, the sound of his voice. It almost made the brunet's knees turn into a pile of goo. He bit his bottom lip, knowing that his boyfriend would react intensely if he were to see him do that, so he was glad that he wasn't facing him. He would not let Levi do anything hot in the middle of the day, for Pete's sake!

"LEVI~!"

The couple both snapped their heads towards the shrilly voice that was becoming louder and louder. The raven forcibly detangled his arm around the younger—it was really hard to let go—and he was sure that Eren felt the same by the groan that escaped from his mouth when the warm body against him disappeared. That, or he wasn't really just ready to face a 5'6" spring of joy. Or madness, really.

Hanji Zoe came into view a second later; her glasses were almost falling down the bridge of her nose and her now long hair was in ponytail. The woman was wearing plaid shirt and jeans shorts, which reminded Eren how hot it was outside and he was glad that Levi wasn't going to be anal about turning on the AC (perhaps, the lawyer was too indifferent about his electric bills).

"Did I… interrupt something? You're not relieving some sexual tension in the kitchen, are you?!" She exclaimed dramatically, the amusement in her eyes was dancing too wildly, which clearly indicated how much she loved teasing the couple. And this made Eren recall the days she pestered him about his relationship with Levi and how did that—Levi getting into a relationship—happen in the very first place.

Apparently, Eren was Levi's first relationship in years. And by years, he meant ten longass years.

Needless to say, the young man was ecstatic. He might not have been the older male's first lover but it felt like it by how Levi reacted around him, by what they were together—a whole.

"Shut up, four-eyes," Levi hissed, sounding irritated but Eren knew better. As much as annoying the redhead seemed to be, she was really important in the lawyer's life. He could testify to that by how amused his boyfriend looked like whenever he talked about his two close friends. Eren knew the feeling; as much as overbearing Mikasa and Armin could be at times, they were the people who brought him back to the surface when he was struggling in the past.

Hanji merely laughed and she walked up to them so casually like she hadn't commented something inappropriate about the couple just a second ago.

"I swear it was so hard getting used to this ever-so-loving Levi Ackerman who, by the way, could almost turn everyone who looked at him into shish-kebab," she said thoughtfully. She propped her elbows on the counter, her chin resting on her palm, as she stared at Eren. He scrunched his eyebrows before lifting one up, as if to ask what?

"You're good for Levi. Hell, you two are perfect together." The subject of the discussion was getting the pitcher of water from his refrigerator, and he almost dropped it when he heard that from his friend. He sharply turned to them, as Eren watched closely for his reaction, and Levi glared at Hanji. But the thing was it wasn't even convincing because his face was turning pink. It made the woman snicker in entertainment.

"Stop your yapping, Zoe. Why are you even here?" he grumbled, smoothing down his expression before he could embarrass himself further. But it was already too late—Eren was close to turning red himself because Levi is so goddamned cute. Dang it!

"I was going to ask you about your work. I heard that you're going on a vacation again!"

He rolled his eyes at her and simply said, "I'm going to Lyon."

"HAH?!" she yelled out. "What?! Why am I not informed of this?!"

"Because you don't know when to fucking shut up—" The short man didn't even get to finish his sentence before Hanji interrupted him "oh-so-rudely".

"Are you bringing Eren?" she asked excitedly, eyes darting between the raven and the brunet alternatively. At the mention of his name, the younger blushed and looked at Levi, waiting for him to be the one to give the answer to the overly hyped woman.

"Yes, I am."

"OH MY GOD! I wanna go!" she screamed enthusiastically, making both men in the kitchen cringe at the sound. A vein could've had popped in Levi's temple and the urge to kick his so-called-friend was growing stronger by every word she uttered.

"No way in hell I would allow that," he deadpanned, rubbing his ear.

She gasped and slammed her hands on the counter. "What! Why not?!"

"One person with undying energy is enough. I don't need to babysit two," Levi stated as a matter-of-fact.

Confusion must have had shown on Eren's face because what his boyfriend just said didn't really make sense to him, unless he was talking about him. Levi was better at reading the younger's emotions, but before he could answer his unspoken question, Hanji had already continued her incessant whining.

"Aw, c'mon! Isabel will be so glad to see me!"

"No means no."

"But I won't have anything to do this summer!"

"Hang out with Erwin then."

At the mention of the blonde, she groaned loudly as if the suggestion was repulsive as a slimy old bug. "Bushy Brows is no fun to hang out with!"

"Pfft." Eren accidentally let out a strangled noise, trying to stifle the bubble of laughter that escaped from his lips. He slightly paled; he knew that Erwin Smith would not take it well if he were to laugh at those godly eyebrows of his. Seeing the stares that he gained from the other two, he smiled sheepishly, albeit nervously, to them.

"You have to admit that those eyebrows are goddamned thick," Levi told him with a smirk. Never in his imagination had he heard the grey-eyed man make fun of that intimidating FBI agent. Years of friendship probably do it.

"I told Erwin that I would pluck his eyebrows for him, but he adamantly refused!" Hanji said indignantly, and the image in Eren's head was too much for him that he burst out laughing. He couldn't handle the possibility that Erwin would obediently sit tight in front of Hanji while she plucked his eyebrows. What killed his laughter was another picture of the said man but with thin eyebrows; it made him shudder. That was a bit… disturbing.

"You'll pluck all his facial hair out," Levi said as if he knew that would, without a doubt, happen. And the idea of Erwin, the man he somewhat feared, with no eyebrows sent the brunet doubling in laughter again.

"I should've recorded Eren's reaction. It's better than I thought," the woman commented cheekily. She joined the younger in the laughter that filled the area, and Levi became a laughing mess a moment after.

Oh, God. Erwin would kill them if he were to hear them talking about him.

Somewhere in an arcade building, the said blonde man sneezed loudly, catching Mike's attention.

"Summer cold?"

Erwin shrugged, eyes narrowing as he replied, "I have a feeling that those two are talking about me."

"Huh?"

The airport was bustling with people, children were behind their parents, and the workers were checking what they needed to check from the incoming passengers. Eren was waiting for Levi to come back from the restroom, guarding their baggage, which contained the necessities they needed for their month of vacation. The excitement that was shooting in the brunet's veins was too much, and he was glad that he didn't have his dose of caffeine this morning or else. He felt so exhilarated by the idea of traveling, especially with his boyfriend when he hadn't even went anywhere out of the country since he was a kid. He still couldn't believe that he would be able to go home with Levi to his home country—he was going to introduce Eren to where he grew up! The idea made him grin so big that he thought it would take permanent residence on his face. When the older man came back, he had to cover that smile on him with his hand. Levi merely raised one eyebrow.

"Ready?"

The younger removed his hand from his face, revealing his big smile to his lover and letting him see how excited and happy he was. They had planned this for weeks, and even if Eren was worried at first because the bakery would be one less person to handle the shop, Mike had assured him that Ymir and the others would be enough for one month. Mike had also somehow reassured him about the other matter, even though Eren was still worried; he insisted that he should go and enjoy himself. Levi also took some weeks off his work but he would be bringing some of it to France, too. Letting his work pile up as a lawyer would be too much to handle, even for Levi. And Eren had to convince him that getting at least six hours of sleep was a must, and his boyfriend finally acquiesce to his suggestion. The younger would even offer up some of his help if deemed necessary, really.

"Yup," he replied, bouncing off the seat that he was sitting on. He grabbed their bags and Levi took them away from him, insisting that he could carry both despite Eren's protests. He really felt spoiled by the older male, and it made him want to spoil him in return. France would definitely be the way to romance the life out of the lawyer, and he planned just that.

They boarded the plane and as Eren sat beside the window, he couldn't help but feel fascinated by the fact that he was actually leaving his sanctuary, the place that he lived in for years, with Levi. It was too unrealistic, but the warmth that Levi provided him as he intertwined their fingers together had said otherwise.

This was real.

And Eren couldn't be any happier in the presence of the love of his life.

If Eren thought that the takeoff was fucking thrilling, the landing was ten times more exhilarating to the point that he thought his heart would jump out of his chest. Levi laughed at him a few times because he couldn't "wipe that eat-shitting grin off his face" and he was too elated to actually retort to that.

The structure of the airport fascinated him, and all the scenery that he witness from the moment he took a sit on the plane up to that moment made him want to grab some paints and work on an art piece right there. He was vaguely aware that his boyfriend was wearing a small smile while staring at him, which Eren didn't mind because he was too distracted. He could tell that Levi was amused by how he was reacting to his new surroundings, and Eren loved every bits of it. This was where Levi grew up, and I will get to see it.

They took the cab and his amazement didn't die down because he just heard Levi speak his native language, which something he really loved about him. He still could remember the day he first spoke French to him and it was probably the worst or the best moment of his life—he couldn't decide, really, because he knew there was something deep behind those words, and he really, really wanted to know what those exact words were. In English, please.

As they traveled from the airport, Eren rolled down the windows and his eyes darted outside. He could feel the warm breeze hitting his face but he couldn't care less because what he was seeing right now was definitely captivating. Tall buildings—most were of Romanesque while the others were modern looking—loomed ahead and the brunet craned his neck to see where in the sky were they headed. It was very different from the glass-paned edifices in the city where he grew up in. Art was practically embedded in this city—in this very country—where the Renaissance first boomed. Right before his brain could wander to what he learned from his art history class, his ears caught the foreign conversation that Levi was having with the cab driver. He, of course, didn't understand any of it, but he couldn't help but smile big Levi who turned his head to him just in time.

"He's asking if we're tourists. I'm not, but you definitely are," he told the younger.

"And you're gonna be my tour guide, right?" Eren asked, though there was really need for that question because he already knew what the grey-eyed man would say.

"Do I have a choice, brat?" Levi smiled, and the brunet was glad that his lover looked very carefree right now without the load of paperwork to weigh on his mind.

The young man rested his head on the other's shoulder and raised their interlaced fingers before peppering the pale skin with feathery and loud-smacking kisses. He felt a deep rumble off the older male's chest and Eren stopped with his ministration to look at him. He grinned at the relaxed expression that Levi had on his face before descending down his lips.

"I love you," he murmured against his lips and he could feel Levi smile. He knew that he would be able to hear those words back from him, but he didn't know when. On the other hand, he also knew that Levi was full of surprises. A surprise attack would definitely cause his heart to beat faster for him. And he couldn't wait for that day.

For now, he was content with this—with him pressed against him and with their hearts humming simultaneously for each other.

This was really the break that both of them needed, and Eren was looking forward to the weeks that they would spend here in this city.

They were dropped off in front of an ivory house. It was definitely not as big as Levi's but it seemed like it could fit five members of a family—it looked so cozy. Eren didn't know how long had he been standing there looking like a gaping fish, and Levi prompted him to move forward, towards the red gates. The raven opened them and both of them stepped inside the premises, with Eren trying not to trip. The grass looked freshly mowed and different flowers were blooming in little pots along the lining of the front lawn. Levi was moving to the wooden door and he pulled out a key from the little luggage that he was pulling behind (Eren insisted to carry his own bag with such great effort that Levi finally let him). He successfully opened it, but not before looking back over his shoulder.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked, not really sounding impatient but more entertained, like he knew how awestruck Eren was.

"Y-Yeah!" He hurried after him, carrying the big bag he had, and the couple walked inside the house.

It wasn't anything extravagant like what he was used to seeing at Levi's house, but the interior was definitely warm. It was the kind of warmth that a family would give inside a house—a home. He took off his shoes at the entrance and he stepped into the hallway where Levi bounded. His eyes caught the photographs on the walls of the slightly narrow hallway, seeing a picture of dark-haired woman sitting on a chair and a blond-haired man standing straight behind her. On her lap was a boy, a young child whose hair was of the same color as the woman and was showing a small smile on his little face. He wasn't aware that he was smiling, too, until Levi intercepted his thoughts.

"What are you looking at, kid?"

"Mhm. Are they your parents, Levi?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes." The raven joined him in the hallway and Eren glanced down at him.

"Your mother looks beautiful," he breathed out.

"'Looked', Eren. She's not…" he trailed off, a flash of pain suddenly passed by his face but it was gone the second Eren blinked. Levi told him that it didn't matter anymore, but Eren knew—he knew that the pain didn't and wouldn't go away.

He placed his arm around his boyfriend's shoulder and kissed his temple. "She's still alive, though. Am I right?"

He recalled that night that Levi told him that his mother would always be in his heart—alive and well. He didn't foresee that he would be saying the same thing to the man who told him that, but he was more than happy to offer him the same comfort that he always sought of every now and then.

"You're right," Levi said; the tension on his body was leaving and Eren used the opportunity to plant a chaste kiss on his lips. He spoke again. "Her name is Amelia."

The younger repeated the name in his mind like he was afraid that he would forget it—the name of one of the most important persons in Levi's life—and he felt like it was just right to say something back to him.

"That is a beautiful name. My mother's name is Carla. A lot of people say that I look like her," the brunet said.

"Yeah, you do. Even if she was younger in the picture you showed me, your resemblance is kinda too spot-on," Levi agreed.

"Well, you certainly looked like your mother. I can also see the Ackerman in you. Man, Ackermans have intimidating auras around them." Eren let a lopsided smile grace upon his face and Levi snorted at him.

"You make is sound like I don't have that kind of an aura."

"Well, you certainly look like a cat—or a kitten—ow!" He yelped when a slight jab in his rib sent slight pain to him. He smirked at Levi who glared at him in warning, but Eren knew that teasing the older male would be a pastime that he would never get bored of.

"And you're like a puppy," Levi retorted with a playful smirk. Eren rolled his eyes at him before he let himself be pulled into the true interior of the house. And he could already feel like Levi was welcoming him into his own sanctuary—his home.

Levi told him that his parents bought the house because they fell in love at first sight with it. He had a thoughtful look as he told Eren tales about his childhood, resisting the puppy-dog-eyes that Eren put up when he asked some embarrassing stories or baby pictures of him—he'd admitted that he'd rather let Hanji travel with him than to submit to Eren's humiliating requests. The brunet understood the term 'privacy', of course, but when one photo album under the center table suddenly caught his eyes (while Levi was in the bathroom), he lost to his temptation.

And, oh, how incredibly precious it was to see a little Levi sucking his thumb. Don't even get him started with the way the raven was wearing a cravat, looking all aristocrat at such a young age. There was one when he was on his dad's shoulders, laughing with a cotton candy in his hand. The next picture topped all of them.

Oh my God, Levi used to cross-dress?! Holy—

"Brat." That voice certainly cut off his thoughts and made his eyes snap towards the source of the growing mass of evil, but it wasn't enough to wipe off that grin that threatened to split his face. Man, it was really hard not to laugh. Seeing a mini-Levi in a polka-dotted dress with little pigtails was enough for him to lose a month's blood supply. It was just priceless.

Levi was on him in three strides and he pounced on him while Eren did his best to make use of his long limbs and get the album out of the short man's reach. He really was thankful for his extra height at the moment. The raven clawed at his shirt, and he cringed when he heard a painful ziiip. Oh, for Pete's sake, he was wearing his favorite shirt! Before they knew it, the older male was already straddling him on the couch; he was hip-to-hip, chest-to-chest, and face-to-face with the younger. They were too busy wrestling with each other that they didn't even heard the telltale sound of a door opening and closing. The photo album dropped from Eren's grasp with a loud thud on the floor and he was about to reach forward to grab it again but Levi held his shoulders with a vice grip, forcing him to face him. It was a moment after that they finally realized what compromising position they were in, and before they could even react—or blush for that matter—they both heard a couple of gasps.

"Levi?!"

And that was Eren's first awkward meeting with Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church.

They were sitting at the dining table and by 'they" Eren meant him, the petite redhead, and the pale brown-haired man. Levi was making coffee and a tea for himself, even though Eren told him that he would do it. He merely gave him a strange look and the brunette had to sit down with the two strangers who came out of nowhere at such a perfect timing. He recalled how Levi suddenly froze and became beet red in a matter of two seconds. It was amusing to no end and he would have enjoyed that reaction if not for the fact that he was also just as red as he was.

"I'm Isabel, Levi's sister! Or what I told everyone else. I heard from Hanji that Levi is coming here with his boyfriend, so me and Farlan rushed here." That earned a snort from Levi who was muttering I'll kill that four-eyed freak. "Are you Levi's lover?" the girl asked him innocently, blinking at him as if she was analyzing him thoroughly and it honestly made him squirm a bit.

"U-Uhm. Y-Yeah," he stuttered out, cursing inwardly because he was way off his first impression.

"You're Eren then? I'm Farlan. We're both Levi's close friends, almost like siblings, really, like what Isabel said." The guy told him with a gentle smile. He seemed to be more relaxed than the redhead who seemed to be bouncing on her seat with excitement that was reflected upon those startling green eyes. They reminded Eren of his own eyes, which was more bluish-green or something like that because no one could really point out what exact color they were. However, Isabel's were like green green. They were fascinating and he itched to paint or use color pencils at that moment. On the other hand, Farlan had gray eyes but they weren't similar to Levi's because the latter had blue-tinged on them; they were beautiful nonetheless. Eye color indeed never ceased to astonish him.

"Y-Yes, I'm Eren."

"Levi hasn't told you much about us, huh?" he asked, sparing a look at the raven who went rigid at the question. He was still at the counter and Eren wondered how much was he going to take in making the drinks. Should he just help him?

"He mentioned you a couple of times before."

"Eh?! Big Bro just mentioned us a couple of times?!" Isabel shrieked and she was fast getting out of her seat before she jumped on Levi's back. Eren spluttered, surprised at the actions of the young woman, and Farlan merely gave out a smirk that said yup, deserve that.

"I-Isabel! Get off!"

"No!"

"You…!"

"Why didn't you ever tell Eren everything?! Are you ashamed of us, Big Bro?!"

"H-HAH?! Are you an idiot?"

Few more curses and struggles played out before Eren and he heard Farlan laugh across from him. He didn't need to look at him because the man spoke anyway.

"Mmm. I'd never thought that Levi would be ashamed of his past. I think it's just one of his insecurities," Farlan said. Eren finally turned to him and he continued, "You see—"

"LEVI WAS A THUG!" Isabel shouted, still clinging on the short man's back like koala. The sight was really hilarious because Levi was trying to bounce her off him but she had him in such a clutch that Eren knew it would leave angry, red marks around the man's neck. But what Isabel shouted was far more shocking.

"Huh?"

Farlan gave him a sheepish look before shrugging. Eren pieced the new information together, something that he was getting good at, and he gasped loudly. He swiveled to look at Levi who was definitely not looking at him.

"You three broke laws? You were a thug? Uh, when was this?" he asked, tone went a bit higher because of his growing curiosity.

"You, brat!" Levi let out a final cry before he grabbed Isabel, swiping her around him like she didn't weigh a hundred pounds, and she shrieked with that ear-ringing sound. He carried her bridal style before he said, "I'm dropping you in three…two…"

"Okay, okay!" She jumped off him, landing gracefully on her feet, and stuck her tongue out to the older male. He seemed pissed enough to glare at her but the girl seemed to be immune to it already and she simply sauntered back to her seat next to Eren. The brunet jumped when his lover sat beside Farlan, placing the cups of coffee and tea with a little force more than necessary.

Before he let go of the metal tray, Eren took that chance to place a reassuring hand on Levi's. His eyes softened, which somehow eased the tension in the room, before he nodded to him. The short woman was about to gush at that; the brunet could practically see the teasing grin that was about to surface on her face.

"That's not something I would discuss with the two idiots here," Levi stated.

Isabel pouted, like she wasn't affected by the mood-change. "But you have to tell Eren those stories! We spent a lot of time together!"

"Yes, yes, Isabel. All in due time," the grey-eyed man reassured her.

Eren bit his tongue; he was gonna tell them that he was actually a delinquent in high school, something not far off from being a 'thug'—frighteningly close to it, really, or maybe even worse. If Levi was willing to tell him his story, then Eren would too. But not now.

"Levi may be a hardheaded fool at times, but it seems like you're the good medicine for him, Eren," Farlan told him. Levi merely looked away and Isabel grinned.

"When we heard that he's dating someone, we knew that we had to meet him. And wow," she gasped out. "Eren, you're beautiful. He wasn't lying about that."

"Eh? H-He called me…" The brunet couldn't even finish his sentence as he proceeded to blush from head to toe.

"Yup. Levi is so honest," Farlan said with a teasing edge in his tone. Levi huffed in his seat; his cheeks were turning rosy pink.

"Shut up," he grumbled quietly, clearly embarrassed.

And that was when the two friends bombarded Eren with questions, which definitely reminded him of a certain glasses-woman who might be an ocean away from them. They didn't fail to further embarrass Levi who gave up after the third attempt of making them shut up about stories of their childhood.

He'd learned that Farlan and Isabel were the ones who were there for Levi when he was dubbed anti-social in elementary school. They played, studied, and got in trouble together. They were also the ones who were there for their short-stack when he lost his parents in high school, which something that Eren sympathize with. They didn't, however, continued the story after that, glancing at Levi as if to cue him in but the brunet didn't get to hear it. His lover probably preferred to talk about such private things alone with him, and Eren wouldn't complain because he wanted that as much as the other did.

He realized that Levi was far from whom he seemed to be when they first met—isolated, emotionless, and independent—because he was certainly the opposite of that character. He had friends he relied on, he laughed, smiled, and cried with them, and he definitely had a heart that practically glowed when he was happy. He thanked the heavens that Isabel and Farlan were there for him, because he knew the pain of being alone.

And he'd never let Levi experience that. No, he would never leave him.

The very reason of that was because Eren loved him. He loved him damn too much. And he was more than willing to show him that in any form, in any way, in any words.

A/N: Aaaahhh! I know so many unanswered questions but! You'll find out more in later chapters. Let the couple have their lovey-dovey time~!
-CrimsonHazelEyes/Snowberry