It must have been almost a month since that night where they stayed up playing monopoly, and Eren was starting to see more and more of the Levi he knew. He had started talking less, but he seemed almost happier that way. If you could call any of his emotions happiness that is. Eren had done his best to do anything Levi asked and he hoped that maybe he could learn a bit more about Levi, figure out how to help him. It was almost dinner time and Eren was sitting at the table, watching Levi cook. Levi seemed to like cooking, he did almost every meal. But he never cooked without a glass if scotch in his hand, and that made Eren wonder. He had noticed that Levi tended to drink a lot, but he hadn't put much thought into it until he started truly wanting to help Levi, rather than just escape.

He stood, walking over to see what Levi was doing, he couldn't explain why but he really enjoyed watching the older man cook. Today it looked like he was making something simple, a pot of pasta boiled and Levi was stirring a skillet full of sauce on the stove.

"Do you want something?" Levi asked the same thing he always asked when Eren came to watch him cook. He took a sip from his glass, knowing exactly what the boy would say.

"No, just watching." Eren said, the same thing he always said when Levi asked. He glanced at the glass in Levi's hand, wondering if this was the culprit for Levi kidnapping him. He thought back, Levi did drink a lot, but not all the time. Eren shook those thoughts from his head, it would be better for Levi to cut down on his drinking but Eren doubted that was the main problem.

"Oi. You want something to drink? You've been staring at my glass for a bit." Levi said a few minutes later when Eren's gaze still hadn't shifted. Eren jumped as if he had been shocked, that was weird, the boy usually didn't zone out like that. Levi stepped away from the stove and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard. He swung open the fridge and put a few ice cubes in the glass before pulling the bottle of scotch off the top of the fridge and pouring some into the glass. He held it up at eye level to make sure it wasn't too much before turning to Eren. Eren watched, a little dumbfounded until the glass was shoved into his hand.

"Uh. You didn't have to, I'm fine." Eren tried to say, attempting to hand the glass back to Levi.

"Drink." Levi ordered, downing the rest of his drink before stepping back to watch what the boy would do.

Eren gulped, he had never been much of a drinker, in fact he had never had anything stronger than a beer before but he might as well give it a shot. Maybe he could figure out why Levi liked this stuff so much. With that in mind Eren raised the glass to his lips and took a large gulp, regretting it instantly as he coughed, setting the glass down as he gripped the counter, his eyes squeezing shut from the harsh sting.

"What the hell?" Eren asked in between coughs. The liquid burned and Eren was sure he didn't like it, not one bit. He didn't even get a chance to taste anything he was too focused on the strong burn that he could still feel running down his throat. Why did Levi like this stuff? Beer was not necessarily the tastiest but it was not nearly as painful and vile as this stuff. His eyes slowly opened in shock when he heard a chuckle. Was that Levi? Was he... Laughing? Eren had never heard the man laugh before, it was a little rough, but Eren loved it.

"Too strong for you?" Levi teased, picking up Eren's still half full glass. He hadn't seen a reaction like that in a long time and it was definitely a sight to see. Levi couldn't resist chuckling at the boy, it was cute how his face had scrunched up, Levi wanted to see more of a cute Eren like that. That was what he has decided. He would work to see more of Eren's cute side.

"Why do you drink that? Its nasty." Eren said, the burn in his throat having had subsided a bit by now.

"Its an acquired taste." Levi said, sipping at Eren's glass "and you aren't supposed to gulp it down like that. You need to sip it." He explained, offering the glass to Eren again.

"Uh... No thanks. I'd rather not try that again." He said, "but... Should you really be drinking that much?" Eren was a bit worried that Levi had drank his own glass and was now finishing off Eren's. It seemed a bit much, Eren worried if the older man would get sick.

"I can handle my alcohol." Levi said curtly before turning back to the stove and continuing to cook. Eren guessed that was fairly normal, Levi wasn't one to talk too much. He pulled out plates and set them at the table, a fork, spoon, and knife on top of a napkin on the left hand side. Levi had made it very clear how he liked his place at the table to be set. Eren thought it was a bit much set up for food, but it made Levi happy, so Eren did it. There weren't that many rules that Levi had set, though he was very particular about how clean and tidy things were kept, so Eren tried his best. He wasn't as worried about Levi leaving anymore, Eren knew he was doing alright at following the rules, he knew Levi wouldn't abandon him without reason.

Eren found he didn't mind being here as much as he did when he was first taken. Was taken even the right word? Eren had entered the house willingly, so had he really been taken? He considered that as he set the table, taking a step back to let Levi serve the food when he was done. Eren took a seat, next to Levi. He wasn't sure when he had started sitting next to the man instead of across from him, but he had, and he found he didn't mind sitting so close to the man. Levi wasn't the nicest, but Eren realized thats one if the things he liked about him. He liked Levi's gruff features, he liked his horrible jokes, he liked being around Levi. He liked Levi, both Levi's he knew. It was at that exact moment Eren dropped his fork full of pasta and stared at his lap. Did he really? Did Eren really love the Levi that had been keeping him captive? Yes. He did. He was ready to admit that as he stared at his lap, Levi staring at him with confusion.

"Eren? Are you okay?" Levi's voice pierced through Eren's thoughts, brining him back to earth. Eren looked up at Levi with a large smile.

"I'm fine Levi." He said before going back to eating, waiting until Levi looked away and did the same before returning to his thoughts.

So he loved Levi. He loved the person he was stuck with. That didn't sound so bad when he thought about it. If he was going to be stuck somewhere, wasn't it better to be with someone he loved? It was better, much better than being stuck with someone you hated, and now Eren was faced with another dilemma. Did he tell Levi? Did he tell Levi that he loved him? Would that change things? Eren didn't really want anything about his daily life here to change, but he didn't want to keep this a secret. In fact now that he knew he doubted he'd even be able to keep it a secret. Did Levi even like him back? Eren shook his head, of course Levi liked him back. Levi had kidnapped him for fucks sake, of course he liked him. Eren stood as he had finished his dinner, rinsing the plate in the sink before putting it into the dishwasher.

Levi stared at the boy, he seemed so zoned out recently, and it made him worried a bit. Eren was usually so attentive and alert, but recently he had been so distant and it almost seemed like his mind was always elsewhere. It annoyed Levi, he much preferred when Eren talked to him, when Eren paid attention to him. When Eren seemed like he cared. Now Eren barely said anything, he just thought and watched Levi. Not that Levi minded Eren watching him, he found it endearing, but he liked it more when Eren talked, that beautiful voice, so full of emotion and like a gentle stream. His voice was probably one of Levi's favourite things about Eren and he hated that he was barely hearing it lately. He watched as Eren sat down on the couch, he still seemed to be lost in thought. Levi stood, pulling open the fridge he searched all the way to the back, he was never much of a beer drinker but after seeing Eren's reaction to scotch he figured the boy was more used to a lighter drink, and given how young he was Levi figured he must be a beer drinker. He finally finds one, Hanji must have left it there a while back, he hopes it was still good. He pulled it out, standing as he grabbed the half gone glass of scotch in his other hand before sitting himself down next to Eren.

"Here." He said, shoving the beer towards Eren as he took a sip of his scotch. Eren took the beer, staring at it in surprise.

"Uh. Thanks. I thought you didn't drink beer." Eren said as he opened the can, taking a sip. It wasn't bad, it was certainly something Eren was more used to, and he appreciated Levi's attempt to make him more comfortable, even if the beer was probably pretty old. Eren glanced at Levi when he heard the older man snort.

"Of course I don't drink beer. Why would I? Not strong enough." He said as he sipped at the scotch, glad that he had managed to somewhat start a conversation with the brunette.

"Well thanks. You were searching pretty hard for this." Eren said, staring at the can. He felt a bit awkward sitting here next to Levi, but that was preposterous, they sat next to each other all the time. The fact that Eren felt awkward now was insane. But Eren knew why, he knew why he felt so awkward next to Levi, he knew why he would start blushing if he met eyes with the older man, because Eren finally knew how he felt, he had admitted it to himself when he was coherent, when he wasn't half asleep, when he knew what he was saying. That realization that he loved Levi had reduced Eren Jaeger into a blushing middle schooler, and he hated it.

Levi stared at the boy, he had hoped that maybe he would open up a bit, tell Levi what had gotten him so distant, but he was just sitting there. Staring at his can. It annoyed Levi even more, at least he was trying! Levi was doing his best to keep the love of his life happy. Levi was doing his best to talk, to cook, to stay up and check on him, but Eren was still being so distant. He had had enough, Levi downed the rest of the scotch, slamming the glass on the table as he turned to Eren.

"Tell. Me. What's. Wrong." Levi demanded, each word clear yet harsh, he refused to take this any longer, he needed to know what was wrong with Eren. Why he wouldn't talk, why he was so distant, and most of all why wouldn't he look at Levi with those beautiful eyes Levi loved so much. Levi had to know, because he hated when his green eyed beauty was so far away even when they were next to each other. He kept his gaze on Eren as the boy jumped, he seemed surprised by Levi's question, but he still wouldn't look at his captor, Eren was still beIng distant. Levi hated it. He grabbed Eren's arm and yanked his body to look at him, staring at the younger man, repeating his question in the same harsh tone, refusing to let go until he was answered.

"Levi! Nothings wrong!" Eren averted his eyes, a slight blush on his cheeks as he said his next words.

"I-I love you!"

Levi stared at the boy, his eyes widening in surprise. Did Eren really just say that? Did Eren really just reveal that? Was this some kind of sick joke? Levi couldn't believe that it had worked so quickly. He couldn't believe that it was Stockholm Syndrome yet. Which could only mean one thing, Eren was serious. Eren loved him. Levi released Eren's arm slowly as he leaned forward, going in for a kiss, just inches from his green eyed beauty. Before he was interrupted by a sharp knocking on the door.

"Levi! I have someone here who needs to see Eren~!" A singsong like voice said from the other side of the door. Levi paused, he knew that voice, it was Hanji. But what did they want? Who did they have? Did they plan to take the love of his life away?

"Eren. Go into the bedroom, I'm giving you permission to lock that door. Now."