There's some kind of unknown buzz coursing through Levi's body. He marches out the red pillared library and into the clouding over light of day, having finished applying to the waiting list for a house. He finds it a little pointless, seeing as he's going to be going to a hostel.
But then again, Eren did only say it was temporary, that he might not even get to stay in Trost…
The new housing officer he met the day he returned the form council office told him that it was temporary as well, and on top of that; she explained what kind of benefits he could apply for, where he was likely to go and they talked about his life story again. The housing officer, Emily, said that she thought the Smiths were sweet and 'very kind people' for helping him out and that Levi was "an intelligent young man".
But really, if Levi was actually intelligent, he might actually have a decent career like Hanji's teaching for disabled children and Mike's sculpting commissions and Erwin's freaking assistant manager status.
But no; Levi is stuck as a cashier, earning a mere £120 a week. If even that. Levi almost cried when he saw the price of the rent for some of the hostels that are in Trost. All of them were more than his wages, but thankfully he can apply for housing benefit which pays for it until he finds a full time job.
Since he's living with Erwin and gets paid that little amount for his part time job; Erwin completely pays for the rent, but Levi chips in for food (not that he actually eats a lot of it) and buys his own drinks and clothes. Whenever he can though, Levi saves up what little he has in order to achieve his 2014 goal and Erwin always insists on buying him stuff.
With the online application, he was able to pick the houses in Trost only, so he can stay here with Eren (there's no way he's going to let them be separated by any kind of distance, regardless of what he's offered).
He ambles along the red-purple pavement, glancing over the deserted expanse of grass called Maria Park, the children's play area peeking out just ever so slightly over the small hill that hides it, and finds that his gaze lands on a small group of men crowding beside the pond. A duck innocently waddles up to them from the pond in the hopes of food, only to be shooed away.
It was by luck that Erwin didn't pick him up today (i.e. Erwin was told to fuck off so that Levi could concentrate in peace at the library, by himself) and Levi finds that he's glad that the blonde's absence allows for Levi to delve into the world of spontaneity and tune in further to that buzz that makes him feel alive and ready for all kinds of shit.
Ever since finishing (read: failing) his exams in May 2007 Levi's life has lacked the routine he used to rely on as an anchor and since then his life has become much more interesting.
Well, if becoming a bin man and doing other odd jobs and then being taken hostage by your close-to-being brother and finally meeting the love of your life in said town of being held hostage all counts as being interesting, that is…
Oh, and add 'getting involved in a fight' to that list.
"YOU GIANT PEST!"
Yeah. Ready for "all kinds of shit". He retracts that statement.
Eren's war cry echoes throughout the park as he shouts and starts throwing punches. At least, Levi assumes that it's Eren because no-one else he's ever met has eyes that gleaming shade of green or that odd an accent. (Except for Hanji… Levi barely understands him half the time, though he's damn ugly and his eyes are hazel)
There's four other guys circling around Eren, Levi counts as he runs over to the gathering at the pond. All of them are taller than Eren and yet he's the one madly trying to put up a fight, while the rest of them try to hold him back.
They think they can restrain Eren like that? Hold him powerless so they can take advantage of his weakness?
Think again, assholes.
Levi's not actually the best in fights. After all, his gang were all about theft, subtlety and running away from angry victims and shop keepers. But nevertheless, Levi sprints right up to them and drop kicks the one restraining Eren by the arms as he squirms and bares his teeth like a snarling wolf.
It's all a blur after that. Someone grabs his forearm, which he manages to twist out of their grip and pins their arm round their back while Eren pivots out the caging arms, brown hair shining as he spins, and skilfully punches-hell, is he poking them with the tips of his fingers?-the guys ahead of him in the stomach and neck like he knows exactly what he's doing.
Oh yeah; Eren told Mikasa on the phone that he was a black belt in Taekwondo. Wow. He can sure as hell taekwondo Levi any day. But maybe now's not the time to pop a boner.
Levi pushes the guy he was holding back to the ground (fucking filthy and wet mud, ugh. How the hell will he get that stain out? There's goes his boner), straddles the man's back and grabs his leg up so that he'll stretch a muscle dangerously.
Just as Levi starts asking "Why the hell were ya picking on Eren?!" and grabbing the guy's greasy brown hair to turn his face, he gets a boot to the face and everything goes black.
He can't concentrate on anything from the searing pain in his face that makes his teeth feel like they're only glued there and makes his eyes sting with salt water. The rest of his body goes limp and suddenly he's on the ground, the other guy moving underneath him, stands and kicks Levi in the ribs so that he quietly whines in agony.
Levi grits his teeth, blood soaring to his fist in a burning rage, and he somehow manages to blindly stumble up and punch the douche in the face, grabbing his hair again so he can knee the fucking dirtbag in the stomach while the other three watch on the ground with blank expressions and Eren rushes over to him.
But he can't see them, not really, and it isn't enough even when the guy drops, limply staying vertical due to Levi's grip on his hair until he drops like the piece of shit down a toilet that he is.
He's kneeling before Levi who kicks his face in, darkly colouring one side of his face with grotesque bruises that had better last a fucking lifetime (and not the UK version of lifetime which is only thirty years for prison time, but something more like eighty years) and he hears the crack of one of his crooked yellow teeth breaking and flying away into the long green grass.
Levi only stops when Eren crashes into his undamaged side and pushes him away from the scene, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along the grassy field like their lives depend on it.
But it's not like it does. When Levi looks back, the group of guys are just staring back at them in shock and point blank horror, like they scarcely missed being hit by a bullet. But by now they know that Levi is way more dangerous than any damn fucking bullet.
Or, he would be dangerous, but there's a warmth trickling down his face that he licks absentmindedly until he dry heaves at the taste, feels the acid scorching his throat as he tries to gag, and a man with barely kept sobs that leak through his wheezing pants, dragging Levi to find a place to hide.
Over the field, past a bunch of big ass pine trees, past the red library, past the other library that got burned down but is still there as a boarded up, vandalised landmark, and towards the unfenced corner of a cathedral that stands separate from the rest of the ruins.
Levi hisses as the sandstone scrapes his shins and Eren gestures for him to climb up, nudging his foot with his hand to give him a boost up (and no it's not because Levi's short and can't reach high enough).
He walks along a tightrope of stone to a platform, swaying in dizziness from the blood and collapses onto the grey area, shuffling along with a low groan so that Eren can climb up too. They both fall, backs hitting the concrete platform with a thud.
"What the ever loving fuck just happened?" Levi pants, wincing as he tries to turn to face Eren and instead just stares up at the darkening spring sky.
Eren pauses for a while, controlling his breathing, before hesitantly chuckling. "W-we won a fight."
"And why were we fighting?"
"Well, I was just showing them what's what and you came in from absolutely nowhere and beat the shit out of that guy. You would've killed him if I hadn't stopped you."
Are they back to square one where Eren is terrified of Levi? No, no they're not, they're at level minus one because Levi's kind of scared for Eren. Maybe even a little scared of Eren, as weird as that might be. Eren looked hot when he was fighting… but also beautiful in a terrifying kind of way.
"'Showing them what's what'?"
Levi lifts a hand to his face, immediately regretting the decision when he pulls it away to see his pale fingers dripping crimson. He shudders violently. Blood is something he can't really handle. Even more so than mould.
He gags again in an attempt to keep the metal stench from affecting his stomach, despite already feeling the acid in his throat, and squeezes his eyes shut, focusing on his own ragged breathing. Eren's is even worse and his voice cracks when he hurriedly speaks again.
"Yeah, they were like, 'You look like a 'no voter'. M-mind if you h-help us hand out these leaflets telling people why they sh-shouldn't vote yes? And then I was like 'Yeah but I'm a yes voter' and they just said 'O-oh well, we'll change your mind s-soon enough' as though they're all together and going to make the world a… a fucking better place and it just PISSED ME OFF!"
Eren gasps after shouting, growling deep in his throat and Levi looks from the corner of his eyes to see Eren with his arm covering his sniffling mouth and nose, tears streaming alarmingly quickly down his contorted face. Levi gulps audibly, unsure of who's to blame in this situation, but Eren doesn't hear.
"C-come on Lee-Levi. I'll take ye hame so we can wash your f-face, I'm so sorry, I wasnae thinking'-"
"Aw wheest, let's just go you wankpiece." Levi snaps at him because the blood is going in his eye and it's making him really uncomfortable. But even so, Eren helps him down without another word, sniffling all the while and pouting to stop his mouth from trembling.
It occurs to Levi after a few minutes of stumbling along a putty coloured pavement that he isn't headed in the direction of his house. His eyes close as he realises they're going to Eren's house.
At some point the realises that the darkness he sees isn't from behind his eyes, and that it's from the leather of the interior of a black porche. Captain America is looming over him, ducking his head beneath the open car door. Levi whines childishly and finishes with a drawn out groan of despair.
"Aw shite." He'd been this close to seeing Eren's house!
"It's okay. You're fine now. Eren told me what happened." his blonde eyebrows burrow. "Are you sure it's safe to be around that kid? You don't know who he is and who he hangs around with. And if he attracts trouble like this, then-"
"He brought me to his house." Levi reaches to touch his face, finds no blood and sighs in relief, flushing at the sound. "He even cleaned my face. Erwin, he cleaned my face."
Levi straightens up, and catches a glimpse of himself in the rear-view mirror. His eyes widen. "It's up to my standards, holy shit."
There's a few bandages on his head and plasters on his face, but you can't even see the shadow of the blood peering through and holy hell is Levi thankful for that. He can feel the antiseptic burning a little, but only so much that it keeps him awake and alert.
"Did I pass out?"
"Yeah. Eren carried you and called me. He also wants to know what a 'wankpiece' is. I didn't really have the heart to tell him you were insulting him so I just told him you were talking nonsense."
Levi rolls his eyes, thankful that it doesn't hurt to do so.
"Whatever. I'm gonna be sleeping this off in your Wanking Chariot tonight though. You can have the Puke Couch." Erwin just shakes his head and sits in he driver's seat.
That night, Levi pretty much crawls- fully clothed, mud and all- into Erwin's bed in exhaustion, too tired to even remember about his secretly kept calendar under the couch cushion and falls asleep without writing in it. However, his last thought before he goes to sleep is:
"Does beating people up with Eren count as bonding?"