A/N: Hi guys! :D So excited that I could get this chapter going!

Sorry that the last chapter was kind of sad, but hopefully this one will make up for it! Thank you so much for your reviews and support! ^-^

Ah, btw, I forgot to do this before, but better late that never... Kids... DON'T DO ANYTHING JUST BECAUSE YOU READ IT FROM THIS FIC AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE COOL! By anything I mean breaking into someone's house, letting someone without a license or permit drive a vehicle, kicking a person's butt, driving like Eren did, etc., etc.. I know rules can be tiring but some of them actually exist for a reason. ^ ^"

And also, credits to Danni Tran and Anna for Hanji's "I knew it I knew it" and the "demon of the road" part respectively. XD so sorry I used your comments without permission and kept forgetting to do this...

Now onto the chapter! (Oh what the heck, you guys probably skipped over this anyway, I wouldn't blame you!) XD

Despite the fact that he could now speak, Eren could only stare at Levi, utterly dumbfounded.

"..."

"...I thought you got your voice back already." Levi remarked, having already resumed his usual stoic expression. "Why are you just floating there gaping like a retarded monkey? Did becoming a fish shrink your brain too?"

Still shell-shocked, Eren shook his head slowly. "No... no... Levi, what are you saying? What are you saying!? You're-you're confused right now! You're not thinking clearly!"

Levi gave a scornful scoff in response. "I've never thought more clearly in my life. You just caught me off guard." Seizing a handful of the merman's hair, Levi kissed Eren without warning, green eyes going wide as he plundered the slightly salty mouth. Eren's slightly salty mouth. This was still Eren. His Eren.

The man finally pulled back only to drag Eren flush against him, breathing into his wet hair. This was still Eren. Eren's scent. Eren's eyes. Eren's displeased and uncomfortable expression. Eren. "Eren... I lo-"

"N-NO!" Eren nearly screamed, his eyes going even wider in panic. "Levi, DON'T! I'm a monster! A freak! I don't deserve-"

"Shut it, brat." Levi interrupted sharply, his face too close to Eren's. "You just put me through hell and worst in the last few minutes and you think being a fucking merman will get you off the hook!? Well, it won't, goddamn it, Eren! Don't try to fuck with me!"

Eren began to tremble, still grasping for words. "Levi... you're not serious!"

Levi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just try me." He wrapped his arms around Eren again and placed a surprisingly soft kiss on the side of his forehead. "Eren, come home with me now."

"Levi-"

"That was an order, by the way, not a request."

"LEVI!" Eren shrieked, as if his exclamation would make the human see sense. "Have you gone crazy!? There's no way we can be together now! We are different SPECIES!"

"And I don't give a fuck. Now let's go." With that, Levi promptly lifted Eren half out of the water, giving a slight grunt as he did. "Gah... you're heavier as a mermaid, brat..."

Eren practically shrieked in terror. "What- STOP! Levi! Put me down! THINK, Levi! With me like this, you won't be able to have a normal life! I want you to enjoy a normal life like you should! I don't want to burden you down like this!"

"I don't enjoy life period." Levi shot back, a hint of anger present in his voice. "So come home with me."

The brunet shook his head desperately. "You say that, Levi, but you're not thinking about what happens later! How on ocean will we live!?"

"Don't be stupid, Eren, you'll live in my bath tub." The black-haired man stated, as if it were obvious.

"Wha- But... but I won't be able to be with you all the time!" Eren protested, tugging feebly at Levi's arms. "And... and... I won't be able to sleep with you!"

Levi tilted his head thoughtfully. "...Then I'll get you a portable bath tub so I can take you everywhere. And if you really want to sleep together, then I can just put on a diving suit and climb in the bath tub with you."

"You won't be able to go out with me!"

"...Eren, are you honestly ignoring the fact that I've been staying in my house like a hermit or are you just fucking stupid?"

"We..." Eren suddenly blushed deeply, looking away from Levi. "We won't even be able to sleep together... that is... ...sex..."

Levi glared at him before leaning over and biting Eren's ear, earning a surprised yelp from the brunet. "L-LEVI!?"

"Then I'll just make you give me blowjobs forever. Do you know what that is?"

"I DO AND I AM NOT DOING THAT FOREVER!"

"Tch, what a troublesome brat you are. Then I'll just get Hanji to operate on you and give you legs and all the stuff between them."

Eren tried bringing up a more serious concern. "Levi... now that I'm a mermaid, I won't be able to age. I'll just stay the same way for a hundred years and then turn into sea foam, while you'll grow old in front of me and die and I can't, I can't, I can't-"

Levi thumbed away the tears appearing in Eren's eyes. "Then I'll get Hanji to elongate my life for a hundred years too, and find a way to keep myself looking young until then."

"S-stupid Levi! That's not even possible!"

Levi simply stared straight into Eren's face. "I love you, Eren, so I'll make it happen even if it is impossible."

Eren finally settled for letting out a scream of frustration. "Have you gone crazy, Levi!? Do you know how much of a mess I'll cause?"

"I don't care."

Eren's face went from blushing to paling. "You HAVE gone crazy, Levi... and it's all my fault..."

Levi rested his forehead against Eren's. "Then fucking take responsibility and let me bring you home, Eren."

The merman stared back at him, frightened by the intensity of Levi's gaze. "I... what if I don't want to come home?"

"Do you honestly not want to?" Levi asked, his eyes barely blinking.

"Y... yes! Of course I don't want to!" Eren turned his head away in a sudden burst of anger. "Now that I am once again a merman, I have no business with the human world! There is a reason why I was made a merman, and I will not fight it any longer! So please, Levi, let me go! Now!"

Levi only tightened his grip on Eren. "Is that really true?"

"How many times do you need to ask!?"

Levi's glare intensified. "If it's true, shitty brat, then why the hell aren't you pushing me away?"

Eren visibly gulped at the question, but still refused to meet the grey gaze. "I... I am still weak in my merman form. I haven't gotten fully used to swimming again. That's all."

"Bullshit! Eren." One of Levi's hands grasped Eren's chin, forcing the brunet to look up at him. "I know who your father was."

"E-eh!? What do you mean, Le-"

"Erwin found his journal when he was looking for people that could have possibly been related to you." Levi explained, loosening his grip on Eren's chin to caress his cheek instead. "He met your mother the same way I met you. Then she went into the ocean to save him, like you did."

Eren could only give him another blank stare, unable to process everything he had just heard.

Undeterred by Eren's silence, Levi continued to caress his cheek. "Eren... do you really want to become like your mother? Crying out my name at night when you think nobody can hear you? Eren, just be with me and be happy. You know, Eren, I haven't been happy for most of my life. I've always been somewhat of an unfeeling, uncaring, grumpy person with a shitty attitude of I-don't-give-a-fuck. It's not like I had any reason to be like that, it was just the way I was, and I didn't think anything was wrong with that. ...But..."

Levi halted. "But... after I met you, I... I actually... well... you actually make me feel... ungrumpy."

"...ungrumpy?"

"Yes."

"Is that a big deal?"

"Yes."

The brunet's hand slowly crept up to cover Levi's. "...Levi, did you really feel that bad when you couldn't find me?"

Closing his eyes, Levi nodded, brushing his lips against Eren's shoulder. "I thought I was going to lose my mind. I thought I was hallucinating when I first saw you. You don't know how happy I was to be able to have you here again, Eren... And I know it's fucking weird because, really, I haven't known you for any more than a few days. But apparently, a few days was all you needed to completely fuck up my life."

"...I..." Eren's voice trembled with badly hidden anguish as he hung his head. "I was also very happy. I was so happy when you came in the water for me, Levi. I was so so happy when you told me you wouldn't leave me, even if I was a merman! But I was so afraid! I am still so afraid!"

"There's no need to be afraid, Eren." Levi assured calmly. "We're not doing anything wrong, and I won't ever change my mind. I have a feeling we've both been unhappy for most of our lives, so let's just fuck all logic and be fucking happy right now."

"I... I..." Eren swallowed before raising his head, his face fearful and determined and full of emotion. "I want to be with Levi! More than anything! Levi! LEVI! I love you! Please don't leave me!"

Levi snorted before letting go of Eren's face and opening his arms wide. "How many times do you need me to fucking say it, brat!"

His green eyes full of pain, Eren threw himself into Levi's arms, trying and failing to hold back his sobs. "Levi... Levi... I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you so much-"

Levi immediately clutched Eren even tighter, quietly muttering uncharacteristically sweet words to him between chaste kisses.

"A-ah, Levi, what are we going to do!?"

"Shhhh, it'll be all right." The black-haired man murmured, his voice partially muffled by Eren's hair. "Eren, I want you to take me to the sea witch. Maybe she'll make you human if you give up your voice again."

Eren shook his head a second time, trying desperately to steady his voice. "N-no, Levi, she's not like that, you don't know her! If Annie sees that I've fallen in love, which she will, she'll claim that my love is the best part of me and she'll take that away! Or she'll claim that I need Levi's heart or blood or something to become human! Or she'll make me human again but turn you into a merman!"

"...The sea witch's name is Annie?" Levi mused, stroking Eren's hair. "Hm. Sounds pretty mundane for a sea witch if you ask me."

"TH-THAT'S all you have to say!?"

Levi shrugged. "You know, brat, your voice is really annoying. It's loud and screechy and won't stop." He tucked a loose strand of wet hair behind Eren's ear. "It really suits you."

Reddening once more, Eren suddenly seemed very interest something below the surface. "Th-that's... really mean of you, Levi."

"I know."

"I have a feeling something like that really shouldn't make me happy... Ugh, I'm such a weirdo..."

"I know." Levi moved to kiss him again, but Eren placed a hand on his chest, the other wiping furiously at his eyes.

"I... I don't understand, Levi! I love you so much, why can't we be the same species!?"

"...Stop crying like that, brat, I'm not that much of a sadist." Levi pressed another kiss to Eren's temple.

"Urgh... I'm not crying..." The brunet muttered as the pale arms continued to grasp him comfortingly.

"Eren, stop crying like that. No matter what, I'll find a way for you to be human again."

"But what if you can't!?" Eren wailed into Levi's shoulder, his tail flapping wildly.

"Shut up. Don't underestimate me. I will. But if I really can't..." Levi rubbed Eren's back soothingly. "Then I'll find a way to become a merperson."

Eren attempted to chuckle weakly. "P-please don't do that, Levi, grumpy mermen aren't that popular..."

"Hmph. Sure didn't stop you from falling in LOVE with me."

"Aaaaaaaah!" Eren let go of Levi to clutch his head in embarrassment. "I shouldn't have wrote that! It was so lame!"

"It was." Levi agreed nonchalantly. "But it's the truth. Now, Eren, will you take me to the sea witch or should we just go home like this? If it's the second option, mind you, I need to be careful not to let anyone see your big ass tail..."

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's neck, blinking at him wearily. "To be honest, Levi, I really don't want to go Annie. She scares me and I don't want you to have to be around her. The only reason why I want to become human now is so that I can be with Levi."

Levi kissed his cheek. "Just because you're part fish doesn't mean you can't still be with me, brat. It'll just make things a hell of a lot more inconvenient."

"Levi, I want you to take me home."

"Then I will." Levi promptly lifted Eren again, starting to turn back towards the shore before the merman interrupted him again.

"I want a confession, Levi."

"...huh?"

"I want Levi to declare his love for me." Eren stated, a slight grin forming on his tear-stained face. "Then I'll come home with Levi."

"..." Levi could feel his eye twitch. "...didn't I already say that I loved you, stupid brat!?"

Eren gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Yes, you did, Levi, several times. But you always do it in such a... unromantic way." The brunet explained, making a small face of displeasure as he did.

"...because I'm a total fucking romantic." Levi would have thrown his hands up in sheer frustration if he hadn't been holding Eren. "What the hell do you want, shitty brat!? A declaration of marriage or something?"

"That would be nice, Levi, thank you!" Eren said cheerfully, ignoring the sarcasm that had been dripping from Levi's words.

"..."

"...NO." Levi replied adamantly, his face stone. "Like hell I am doing that!"

"Then I won't be coming home with Levi!"

"Shut up! You're coming home with me whether you like it or not!"

His arms still hooked around Levi's neck, Eren gazed at him beseechingly. "Levi, pleasssssssssse!?"

"...FUCK." The writer swore, glaring hard at the sky. "What the hell do they even say at marriages!?"

"Oh, I think I know!" Eren chirped happily. "I saw lots of weddings on boats in the ocean!"

"I'm sure you did, fucking brat..." Levi muttered sourly.

Eren chose to ignore him, flipping his fins thoughtfully. "Hmm, how did it go... I, Eren Yeager, will love you, Levi, for the rest of my life... when you're sick and when you're healthy... when you're happy and even when you're grumpy... when you're mean and when you're mad... ...what else is there?"

"...I'm pretty damn sure that's not what you say, Eren."

"Then say it yourself, Levi!"

"I WILL NOT!" Levi stormed, fuming in anger. "Do you have any idea, you shitty brat, of how much that will KILL my character!? Do you have any idea of how much of my character you're killing now!? Do you have any idea of how much of my character you've killed already!?"

"..." Eren tilted his head innocently. "I don't think I understood most of what you just said, Levi."

"Grrrrrrrrrr..." Levi rested his chin on Eren's shoulder. "Goddamn you, Eren, I cannot believe I am actually going to do this."

"Eheehee, you will, Levi!? That makes me very happy!"

"Shut the fuck up, you brat..."

"..."

"..."

"...Levi, when are you going to-"

"I will! Just..." Levi lifted his head, grimacing as if in pain. "All right... fine... let's just get this stupid thing over with."

The merman and human were respectively too giddy and too grumpy to notice that the water behind them began acting strangely.

"...so..." Levi began awkwardly. "I... Levi..."

"Yes?" Eren asked eagerly.

"...don't rush it. Damn it, Eren, you made me lose my place."

"I did not! Levi is just trying to stall!" Eren argued before noticing something gray coming up behind Levi. Something that looked suspiciously like... A SHARK!?

"All... right... let me start over again..." Levi took another deep breath. "I..."

Yes, Eren realized, it was a shark swimming to Levi. A shark with its mouth wide open and teeth bared. And swimming fast. Very fast.

"I, Levi... will... love... you... Eren Yeager..." Levi managed to choke out chunkily before Eren suddenly ducked out of his arms, giving the shark a quick but powerful punch to the nose and smashing its head with his tail for good measure.

THWACK! BAM!

The poor shark quickly sank to the ground, knocked out.

Levi, not having seen anything, turned around, looking at Eren in confused indignation. "Jeez, brat, what the hell are you doing!? If you were going to get this embarrassed, then you shouldn't have asked me to do this in the damn first place!"

"N-no, Levi, you don't understand! That's-"

"Argh, just let me finish!" Levi growled, his hands slamming down to clench Eren's bare shoulders. "Anyway... I will love you for the rest of my fucking life... um... shit, what comes next... to have and to hold?"

Eren spotted another shark, and, panicking, broke free of Levi's grasp and also punched the second shark, this time with so much force that the shark's head actually flew off.

"And- Eren, where the heck did you go!?" Levi whirled around to see Eren shaking in terror, the shark's bleeding corpse had already sunk into the ocean. "...get back here! Anyway, as I was saying, to have and to hold, from this day-"

"YEEEEEEAAAAAGGGGGGH!" Eren screamed, hitting yet another shark out of the way, sending it flying across the water and out of Levi's sight.

"Eren!? Calm the hell down! I'm fucking nervous too!"

"Levi, no, stop, we need to get out of here-"

"Damn it, Eren, I can't stop now! I'll feel even more stupid than I already do! Anyway... to have and to hold, from this day... yeah... for better, for worse-" This time, part of the rocky cliff tumbled down into the sea, headed straight for Levi's head-

Eren gaped in horror. "LEVVIIIIIIIIII!" Still not knowing what was going on, Levi waded over to Eren, the rock just barely missing him and splashing into the water.

"...I don't know what's wrong with you today but I'll just keep going. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, some other shit-"

"SERIOUSLY, LEVI, STOP!"

"In sickness and in health-" Still clueless about the entire situation, Levi clamped his arms around Eren again so the merman couldn't move away.

The water began swirling dangerously around them before suddenly turning into a miniature typhoon around them. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-"

"To love and to cherish-"

The typhoon got stronger-

"UNTIL WE FUCKING DIE!" Levi yelled the last bit, looking just as panicked as Eren but for entirely different reasons.

Miraculously, right after he said the words, the ocean suddenly calmed, leaving them drifting almost peacefully in the sea water.

"..."

"..."

"...that was painfully humiliating." Levi swore, hugging Eren tightly. "PLEASE never make me do that again, Eren."

"...uh..."

"I mean it. I was so embarrassed there could have been a fucking typhoon behind me and I wouldn't have noticed." Levi glanced at Eren sullenly. "...you don't even seem that happy."

Eren finally embraced Levi back, still shocked about what had just happened. "I am just... surprised." The merman took a few wary seconds to ensure that no more dangers were approaching them before smiling brightly and kissing Levi on the cheek. "Thank you, Levi!"

"Whatever, brat." The man suddenly scooped Eren back up, the brunet letting out a small exclamation of surprise. "I'll be lugging you home now."

Eren pouted slightly. "When Levi says that, I feel so heavy."

"That's because you are."

"Hey-" Eren suddenly froze, his indignation turning to shock again.

Levi blinked down at him inquiringly. "Hmm? Eren? What's wrong now?"

Not responding, Eren just stared out farther into the water, his eyes wide in disbelief. "It can't be..."

Thoroughly confused, Levi glanced in the same direction.

"...eh?"

The deeper water was a richer, darker blue, but it was still easy to see the dark shape that broke its surface silently.

"What the-"

Eren's hands slid off of Levi's neck in shock. "Mi... Mikasa?" He whispered quietly.

As if responding to his voice, the dark shape rose slightly, now easily identifiable as the head of a young woman, wisps of her black hair floating as sea water dripped from her fair, Oriental features. A gold circle on her head, she fixed her large dark eyes on Eren with an unreadable expression.

"...you..." The merman began haltingly, as if he wasn't sure of what to say. "You've... you've become ruler, I see. A good thing for the merpeople."

Mikasa said nothing at first, not helping the already-easily-sensed tension in the air. If he looked hard enough, Levi was able to see the faint silhouette of a dark tail in the water.

"...Eren. You would have been a better choice." The mermaid's voice sounded as flat as her expression.

Eren's face twisted into a bitter smile again. "Don't talk nonsense. Of course I would not have been."

Mikasa simply continued to stare at him, her eyes now betraying a hint of emotion. "Why are you doing this? Talking in a language of humans as if it was your own? Risking your life to save one? Declaring that you love one? Would you really go with him, Eren? As a merman?"

"...Mikasa..." Eren moved to slip out of Levi's arms. Instantly, Levi grabbed him back, his grey eyes smoldering at Mikasa. It took a minute or two of Eren holding his hand and muttering reassuring words before the man reluctantly loosened his grip, allowing Eren to swim out towards the mermaid.

Eren paused a short distance across from Mikasa, swallowing nervously. "I... I know, it's crazy. It must be a big shock for you to see what I've become. But..." He reached out to hesitantly touch her cheek. "Levi is my world now. If he's not there, I... I can't breathe. Can you understand?"

Her facade finally breaking, Mikasa lashed her tail in response, but didn't push away Eren's hand. "Of course I do!" She hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes flaming in anger and tears. "You were my world, Eren! I couldn't breathe when you were gone!"

Eren stroked her cheek sadly. "I know, I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to leave like that. But I couldn't risk staying. I couldn't bring myself to kill any more humans, and I would have endangered everyone, especially you and Armin. You still stayed strong and kept going without me, and I'm proud of you for being able to do that-"

"Then you can keep going without him!" Mikasa interrupted, clutching Eren's hand desperately. "Please, Eren! Don't go with him! Come back to us!"

Levi, not taking his eyes off the two merpeople, started involuntarily.

Still smiling, Eren embraced Mikasa with his other arm, holding her close. "Mikasa, I'm sorry. You deserved better than me."

The mermaid only shook her head, hugging Eren back tightly.

"...didn't you love me? Even just a little bit?"

Eren's eyes snapped open at the words as he jerked back to look Mikasa in the face. "Of course I did! I love you even now! But... even if I'm a merman now... I still want to be with Levi. No matter what I tell myself, no matter how crazy I am... I think I still belong with him."

"...I'm sorry..." Mikasa whispered quietly, leaning her head against Eren's shoulder. "I caused it. The earthquake. And the sharks."

"Ah..." Eren blinked before nodding wearily in resignation. "I should have known that was you."

"Are you angry?"

"Just a little. But I understand." Eren kissed the top of Mikasa's head gently. "I know I can never make up for abandoning you, Mikasa. But if it's possible, let me visit you and the others from time to time from now on. I missed you too, you know."

Mikasa remained silent, while Levi frowned impatiently from behind.

"..." In a sudden swift motion, Mikasa raised herself above Eren, her black hair swinging wildly as it broke free of the water's surface.

"Mi-Mikasa!?" Eren exclaimed, bewildered. "Your hair! Why is it so short!?"

Mikasa only clenched something in her hand. "Eren. This one is different. You'll have legs no matter what you do, so you better come back to me every once in a while." With that, she brutally shoved the object into the brunet's mouth, causing him to choke and sputter.

"Eren!?" Inwardly panicking, Levi swam quickly towards the merman. Mikasa suddenly disappeared, her tail splashing back into the water.

Not caring about the mermaid, Levi hastily pulled Eren into his arms. "Eren? Are you all right? What did she do to you?" How could Levi have been so stupid, he should have never left Eren alone with that thing-

His eyes nearly popping out of his head, Eren could only gasp and choke, his whole body shaking as if he was having a seizure. "Eren!" Not knowing what to do, Levi grasped his hand, his mind whirling in fear.

Squeezing Levi's hand back as hard as he could, Eren suddenly threw his head and screamed. "EEEEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

It was the last sound he ever made.

Levi nearly fell down, partly from the force of Eren's scream, and partly because he had heard that scream before. On a cloudy morning that now seemed eons ago.

A moment later, Levi realized that he was now holding legs, not a tail, and Eren was panting slightly against him, limp from pain, his eyes gazing at Levi incredulously.

They stared at each other blankly for several minutes. Then Eren's face erupted into a smile, the smile that sent Levi's common sense over the edge, and Levi was suddenly lifting Eren into the air.

Eren was still smiling like crazy, clinging to Levi's neck in a death grip, while Levi haphazardly made their way back to the beach, falling down in the water several times and getting back up to run around with Eren in circles. They ended up falling awkwardly on the sand, their bodies still half in the water, Eren touching Levi's face, smiling and laughing.

No sound escaped his lips, but Levi couldn't care less because Eren looked too damn happy, and that made Levi too damn happy as well, and he found himself actually laughing too before kissing Eren messily on the mouth.

There was a loud burst of barking from a distance away, and soon Bean was on the beach with them, bounding around happily while Levi lifted Eren up into the air again, the two grinning and laughing like the joyful lovestruck fools they were.

...Oh man, I felt like I was writing m-preg when Eren was getting his legs back. XD Sorry that he didn't come up from the water with a sparkly dress like Ariel. The thought of Levi holding Eren and running in circles with him was just a lot more appealing than Levi just twirling Eren around. ^O^

Ah, and this will NOT be the last chapter, there is still more to come! Unfortunately, it might take me a long time to update, as I will be starting classes come Monday. X( I'll try my best, though...

Reviews make me run around and be happy! Like Bean! XD