Chapter Twenty: Home Sweet Home Part 1
The satisfying sound of bacon hitting the hot pan, sizzling and emitting its enticing aroma filled the Friday morning air. Levi flipped a few of the pieces, getting them evenly done and flawlessly crispy before shutting off the burner and plating the freshly cooked slices alongside the fluffy pancakes and perfectly scrambled eggs. He set the dishes on the table and covered them after clearing away the small mess of dishes that accumulated from breakfast making, then started towards his guest bedroom, which he was considering renaming Eren's room, since she seemed to use it more often than not as of late.
He rapped lightly on the door, then entered when no sound or protest was made. He couldn't help the small smile when he saw her prone form, sprawled out wildly on the bed, hair its usual disheveled mess and limbs tangled in the disarray of spotless, white sheets. Levi walked over and ran his hand along her slumbering face, lightly caressing her cheek with the back of his forefinger, then moved to brush her unruly chocolate locks aside for a better view of her sleeping face. He would never openly admit it, but moments like these were quickly becoming one of his favorite parts of their relationship- the nights she'd stay up too late studying in the library and she'd miss her train home, or misplace her keys and have to call him, or show up at his office contritely, along with profuse and what he deemed unnecessary apologies, asking if she could stay with him for the night or for a ride home. It'd been so rampant during the past two weeks, no thanks to midterms, that he'd put his foot down and simply asked her to spend the last week of midterms with him. He wouldn't bother her because he had his own grading to do and she wouldn't bother him because she had five classes to study for.
It had worked out surprisingly well for them, and Levi found great relief in knowing that Eren was at least eating decent meals and getting the necessary rest to do well on her exams- since he of course prepared most of their meals himself. It'd been so long since he'd been in a routine of caring for needs other than his own; it was something that he found quite relaxing- almost enjoyable- having Eren around brought about a certain peace he'd been unaware he was missing, and it wasn't something he was ready to let go of, certainly not anytime soon.
After admiring her lightly snoozing form a few more moments, he decided it was about time she got up so they could enjoy their breakfast before it got cold. She could go back to sleep when she finished, her last exam was Thursday, so she'd earned all the rest she could get, but he didn't want her to sleep the entire day away without eating at least one meal. He mentally cursed about having to leave to give his last exam and wished that his class had voted to have their midterm Wednesday and get off earlier.
"Eren," he called austerely, some annoyance at his class had seeped into his tone, "wake up, it's time for breakfast." He noticed movement under her lids and sat down on the edge of the bed hoping the gentle bouncing movement would help further rouse her. He called her once more, only with a softer tone.
"Nngh…" Eren groaned and rolled over to her side, facing away from Levi, "…" She huffed and readjusted to a more comfortable position, ready to disregard the man on her bed and get back to the colorful dream she'd been having of riding horseback through a dense, and beautiful forest; countless numbers of trees with dark, supple green leaves all around her while the sunlight filtered through, warming and illuminating the dilapidated cobblestone path.
"Eren?" Levi leaned over her, amused by the somewhat childish protest to leave her dream world. When her breathing evened out again, and the slight tension between her brows had settled, Levi sighed, admitting his silent defeat and weakness for her sleeping face. He stood and managed to wrestle the sheets into a more uniform covering over her, then left the room as quietly as possible, disappointed that he would be eating alone, but also pleased that she was resting well.
A half hour later and his plate was cleared, cleaned, and put away, along with the other dirtied dishes, the counters were wiped down to his standards and Levi was in his closet, reluctantly dressing himself for the last class to give his exam to.
Before he left, he peeked back into the room to see that Eren was still sleeping soundly, then with one final glance, he left and headed towards the university, all the while a small, and uncharacteristic smile that both excited and alarmed his students remained on his lips.
The following morning, Eren regretted that she'd slept the whole of Friday away as she loaded the last of her bags into the back of Levi's coupe; she didn't even get to say bye to Armin or Mikasa before they left on their trip. They'd chosen to do the 'alternative' spring break, which was basically a weeklong trip to some place in the states that was in grave need of volunteers or positivity, every year they went somewhere different to help homeless shelters, aid in volunteer projects, help build homes, or spend time with lower income and impoverished children who just needed someone to listen to or encourage them. It was something that they'd both done their freshman year and since then, it'd become a short lived tradition for the duo, and they'd hoped that it would become something all three of them could enjoy together but Eren had to turn down the offer, since she'd already promised herself to Levi for the vast majority of spring break.
Mikasa was less than thrilled, but Eren promised next year she would join them, and that somewhat placated her aggression towards a certain professor. Though Eren, with the help of Armin, made sure to keep either party from running into each other or even being in the same room for more than five minutes, lest any battles began.
Levi shut the trunk and headed around to the passenger side to let Eren in before returning to the driver's seat; once they were settled, he set off towards the airport. To be perfectly honest, they could drive there, his home was only one state over, but he didn't like thought of putting all that mileage on his car, nor did he want to mess with a rental while his was in the shop for an oil change and who knows what else from taking the road trip. Though it was tempting to arrive a day late to his mother's soiree.
The ride was silent all the way to the airport, a light tension still apparent. Eren had agreed to go with him for this circus ride-though more likely wreck-waiting to happen, but Levi conveniently neglected to tell her that they'd be flying there; he also failed to mention that their tickets had already been bought and paid for, along with the hotel he booked two weeks prior. It goes without saying that Eren was a little miffed by all these expenses, and absolutely insisted on paying him back. It also goes without saying that Levi vehemently refused, which ultimately resulted in the awkward, somewhat uncomfortable air that now, even as they check in, continues to settle around them.
The sparse exchange of words continued all the way through the ride, and into their hotel room, Levi's now due to his growing regret over his decision to come home, let alone bring Eren along. Eren's silence on the other hand, became the result of her awe at the hotel; she was completely taken by the beauty of the room and the view, so much that she momentarily forgot why she was even annoyed to begin with.
She stood on the balcony, overlooking the snow white beach, and cerulean waters cast orange by the dimming glow of the setting sun, painting the sky pink, purple, and mandarin, "This is incredible Levi." Those four words were all it to took to ease the tension from his shoulders. He glided through the balcony door and stood next to Eren, leaning a bit too heavily on the railing, admiring the view alongside her. As the sky turned dark, he recalled the night when he'd actually met Eren, his first impression of her hadn't been the best, but he found himself incredibly taken by her smile, and that curious glint, the thirst for life in those large, innocent eyes.
He realized he'd been caught staring when he noticed Eren's nervous flinching, something he'd learned either meant she was hiding something or she wanted to say something but was thinking of the most intelligent way of wording it.
"You're staring." Though finding intelligent ways of wording things was not really one of her strong points.
"How observant of you." Levi stated boredly, making no attempt to look away.
"Why…? Um, is something on your mind?" The pressure of being alone with a man in a hotel a state away from home finally started to set in.
Levi smirked, he considered easing her tension, but she'd been as much of an ass today as he had, so he figured messing with her for a little would be fair game. "Are you actually thinking about the words coming out of your mouth, because it seems like your brain is playing on the losing side of this game."
The eye roll and slight puff of her cheeks were enough to tell Levi that he'd won, and successfully chased whatever tension remained away. He hadn't intended for the comment to get Eren bent out of shape, so continued on after letting out quiet puff of amused breath, "There is something actually," he returned his gaze to the darkened waters, the lights of the hotel were the only thing lighting up the cold night air, "on my mind that is."
"Oh?" Eren prompted.
"I was thinking about the night we first met, and actually got to speaking with each other, you're just as fun to tease now as you were then," he shot her another smirk, mirth dancing in his eyes at her change in posture, "to think that four months ago we were nothing more than strangers, and tomorrow you're meeting my parents."
"It is kinda funny isn't it…who knew?" Eren was turned towards the beach, question posed to the chilly night air.
Levi reached over and took her hand in his, enjoying the faint blush on her cheeks from the chilly night breeze, he pressed his lips lightly to her knuckle and intertwined their fingers, "Maybe in another four months I'll get to meet your parents too." It wasn't meant to be serious, just a playful statement, left to pass by along with the breeze, but Eren stiffened momentarily and Levi would be damned if he didn't notice it. He recalled Eren's previous behaviors at the mention of her deceased mother, and decided that it was something better left for her come forth with, he had no right to pry into matters he knew so little of; though he wished with increasing voracity everyday that there were fewer and fewer things that he didn't know about Eren, but as they spent more time together, the young woman who he originally pegged as an honest and somewhat ruddy open book, seemed to have a few torn pages and even more tightly sealed sections.
He leaned forward, high enough to place to a chaste kiss to the side of her mouth before turning and leading them both back into the hotel room, "It's getting late, what do you say we turn in for the night…I can tell you right now that tomorrow, you'll appreciate the extra sleep."
Eren forced a small smile and nodded, following Levi into the room, and then indicated that she wanted her hand back from his intimate grasp. Levi complied, albeit reluctantly, then headed for his bag to finish unpacking. "Feel free to shower first," he directed over his shoulder, setting his pristinely folded garments into one of the top drawers.
"Alright," Eren nodded and gathered her toiletries, ready to escape the new tension that had settled in the room. A half hour later she emerged feeling refreshed, and bee lined straight for the bed; it was only after Levi had finished showering that she noticed what had been bothering her about the room—there was only one bed—then she felt a bounce on the mattress and slight dip an alarmingly short distance from her body.
Eren shot up, almost too quickly and scooted further to the edge of the bed.
"What the-sorry, did I wake you?" Levi was propped up on one arm, damp hair clinging to the sides of his face in way that made him look even younger, his eyes were narrowed slightly, like he just opened them and a yawn escaped before Eren could speak her protests, a little wetness formed at the edge of his eyes and she could tell he was exhausted, much more than he'd led her to believe.
Eren shook her head, but stayed upright, teetering on the edge of the mattress. Levi raised a thin, questioning brow before scrunching them both back down in an expression that was scowl-like in nature, but much too soft to be considered a full blown grimace. "Don't tell me you didn't notice there was only one bed." It was not a question, Levi simple shook his head and rolled over, reaching for the lamp and flipping the switch, shrouding them in complete darkness, save for the faint rays of moonlight that shone through the gaps in the curtains.
When Eren made no move to settle, Levi huffed and his tired voice broke through the silence, "Tomorrow is going to be a long day, I suggest you get over it and go to sleep or go sleep on the sofa," she watched his pale arm pop out from under the covers and point towards the little lounger in the corner, "and don't worry, I'm not going to try anything. I thought by now you'd realize that, sorry for assuming."
Eren felt embarrassed, thinking that Levi would try and force her into doing anything with him, she shook her head and slowly sank back down under the covers. An apology was on the tip of her tongue, but all came out was a whispered, "Goodnight."
After a few moments of even more awkward silence, Levi's voice chimed through the room, "Don't worry about it," as if he'd heard her thoughts, "goodnight Eren, sleep well."
Moments later, the two were both sound asleep, comfortably sharing a bed for the first time.
"You don't have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable, do you understand?" Levi's tone was stern, his face devoid of any emotion while he took as long as possible to find the perfect spot to park in the above ground parking garage outside the mall; his mother decided to have brunch at his favorite pizza restaurant as a teen.
"Mhmm," Eren mumbled absently, her thoughts were on so many things other than Levi's reckless abandon for driving, though, since they were in a rental, he'd at least stayed within 10 over the speed limit, she silently prayed that he would quickly park so she could set her feet on stable ground again. She tried to focus on everything but the inevitable meeting of Dr. and Mrs. Ackerman.
"Eren."
She hadn't registered that the car was stopped; he'd been parked for the better part of three minutes now, staring in silence, waiting for Eren to catch the breath Levi knew she was too afraid to take.
The light nudge to her shoulder was what woke her out of her negative train of thoughts, 'What if they don't like me, what if I say something stupid, what if they think I'm stupid…or that I'm just using him…'
"Hmm? Are we there already?" She looked around and smiled sheepishly when she noticed the car was indeed parked, and they'd arrived at their destination in one piece; whether or not Eren would remain in one piece after this visit was a whole other ballgame.
"It's not too late to refuse the invitation. If you want to, I'll turn around right now and head back to the hotel; we can spend the rest of the week on the beach and not worry about any of this." Though his voice remained steady, Eren could see the faintest hint of uncertainty in his eyes, like he was begging for her to make the decision.
Feeling flattered, and strangely enough, annoyed by this statement, Eren looked him in the eye and took one hand in hers, "We're already here, how bad would it look if we just ran away now?" She let a small smile show, "Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
That reassurance was the last push Levi needed to move forward, he grasped her hand a bit tighter for a moment before releasing it and exiting the car. Moments later, the two were walking side by side towards the bistro, and soon they were being directed to their seats.
Levi stopped dead in his tracks when they followed the waitress around the corner. No. Oh. Hell. Fucking. No. His father sat, intently searching the menu while his mother sat to his right, smiling widely with hands moving animatedly as she talked to the three other women seated around the table. He would have grabbed Eren's hand and stormed through back towards the rental if she hadn't stopped him with her hesitant, but reassuring smile. She shook her head and continued towards the table, acting as if nothing was amiss and that she wasn't resisting the strong urge to nibble on her bottom lip.
Once they were past the point of no return, Levi's father stood and was the first to greet the somewhat surprised couple.
"Levi, you're finally here, it's been too long since you've been home son," the large man surprised Eren when he stood up, he easily towered a foot and half over Levi and it was almost comical seeing them stand next to each other. He had very robust, angular features and Eren had a hard time believing that was his biological father, if it wasn't for the strikingly pale blue eyes, almost identical to Levi's own, she wouldn't have been surprised if Levi was his adopted son. It was then that oldest of the women, who Eren presumed was his mother, stood and followed in suit with his father, she was far shorter with a petite, delicate frame and long, peppered hair that looked just as silky as Levi's, her features were demure and though she was well into her late sixties, Eren could tell that she was once a breathtaking beauty, 'She is definitely where he gets his looks from.'
Having become caught up in seeing his parents for the first time, Eren hardly registered that they'd greeted their son and ushered him over to the table, leaving her standing awkwardly waiting to be introduced…or even noticed. After thirty more awkward seconds of limbo, she moved over into the intimate family space, already feeling the earth being tilled for the seed of dislike soon to be planted for his parents.
"Are you lost dear?"
"Ah no actually I'm here with-" he cut her off
"No, she's not lost. Mother, Father, I'd like you to meet Eren."
"Hello, it's great to finally meet you both, I've heard so many wonderful things." Eren managed her most genuine smile as she reached out to shake his father's hands, then his mother's, who was reluctant to return the gesture—well reluctant is putting it nicely.
The annoyance and surprise at seeing her well accomplished son with such a young looking woman—girl rather—practically slapped Eren in the face as she spoke, "Oh, that's funny, because he never mentioned a thing about you. Eren, was it?" She turned to shoot an icy glare at Levi, whose face remained impassive.
"Ah, yes ma'am, it's a pleasure," Eren tried her best to smile, just as ready to end the awkward handshake as much as Levi's mother was unwilling to return it.
"Hmm. I'm sure." The dark eyed woman returned to her seat.
Eren wanted nothing more than ask what the obvious problem this woman seemed to have with her was, but out of respect for Levi, and to be fair, he did warn her and offer plenty of opportunities to keep this from happening, she simply swallowed her pride and waited for the waiter to bring her a chair.
After a few seconds of standing, though it seemed more like hours to Eren with how tense the air had become, the three women began to introduce themselves, though Eren hardly paid them any attention, she was sure that at least one of them was named Marah, or maybe it was Mina, she couldn't bring herself to care.
Levi had offered Eren his seat, but when she politely declined, he chose to stand with her and wait until the waiter brought her chair. Soon all seven were seated and ready to order, once their entrée's were ordered, and their drinks and appetizers brought, a thin veil of icy silence fell back over the party.
Levi's father tried to break the ice that had settled over the table after the waiter had come by to check on them again, "So, Eren, I understand you're one of Levi's students, but I didn't quite catch what it is that you're studying."
He caught her mid-bite on a stuffed mushroom lathered in white truffle sauce, she simply smiled and nodded, mouth too full to reply immediately; she sent a pleading look to Levi who'd been oddly silent considering these were his parents.
"Sadly, I haven't had the pleasure to teach her in my classroom, but she is a psychology student." His face remained unchanged while Eren quickly downed an unhealthy amount of water.
Smiling, whether genuine or not Eren herself couldn't have said, she confirmed her scholastic interests. While Levi's father continued to entertain Eren, he was much more amiable than his wife, which Eren came to find out was named Leanne; his mother continued to pay Eren as little attention as possible, she focused on playing up the benefits of having an established, mature woman by his side would be over any other alternative. Once their food arrived, a new silence fell over the table as each member opted to focus more on ridding themselves of their hunger, rather than paying either Leanne or the twiddle triplets any more attention.
Leanne didn't openly attack Eren until it was time to pay and both Levi and his father pulled out their wallets. Levi insisted that he paid for both his and Eren's meal without a seconds thought, while his mother insisted that he also pay for one of the other women as well, it was only fair. The extraordinarily short dispute was over within seconds when his father spoke up, "Leanne. Enough." His voice was stern, any of the earlier lightness now gone. His tone was enough to bring silence to the whole table, which stretched on until the waiter came to ask how the check would be split. Levi shot him a challenging look, but seemed to concede under his father's gaze.
Dr. Ackerman paid for everyone and with nothing more an a few whispered words of thanks, Levi and Eren were out in the parking lot and heading back towards the hotel.
"Believe me or not, that could have gone much worse," Levi started the moment the door to their room was closed.
"Really? Cause I can't help but think your mother hates me." Her tone was devoid of any amusement, all the aggression she'd held in during that dreadful excuse of a lunch was seeping out of the half-ass dam she'd constructed, ready to burst at any moment.
She was outside on the balcony again, enjoying the afternoon sea breeze, the ocean looked incredibly inviting and she wished she'd remembered to pack her swimsuit. Levi stood in the doorway, admiring her silhouette against the backdrop of cerulean waters and the snow white sand spotted with many beach goers.
"We can still just have a private vacation," he mused, closing the distance between them in a backwards hug, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, "You can go the beach and get a nice tan while I turn into a lobster," he paused to listen to her chuckle, though he hadn't intended that statement as a joke, he was deadly serious, no matter how hard he'd tried growing up, he could never tan, sadly, just like his mother, he would turn a glaring red and be unpleasant and untouchable for days following overexposure to the sun, "there's also a few local shopping strips…or if you want to do something more exciting, Miami is only an hour drive away."
He lightly pressed his lips to the nape of her neck and smirked against the sensitive skin at the delicious shiver that ran down her spine.
"The beach sounds wonderful," she was a little breathless, "I think we should do a little shopping first." She wiggled her hips and Levi loosed his grip enough for her to turn around and face him, her cheeks were alight with fire and her pupils blown just enough to excite Levi, "But maybe later," she added, swooping in to capture his lips while he slowly guided them back into the room.
Seconds later Eren was sprawled out on her back with Levi's weight comfortably atop her while they continuously attacked each other's mouths and whatever else they could reach, there were some teeth involved, which Levi quickly learned was an incredibly erotic turn-on for Eren, one he happily indulged.
What happened nearly a month ago in the front seat of his car was more than they'd ever done together, neither party regretted the act, but a silent agreement was made the days following that their relationship, at least at this point, would never overreach that boundary again. Despite her willingness to please him, Levi knew that Eren would later appreciate the slow moving pace of their relationship, that and he wasn't entirely sure that she could handle a much more intimate and physical relationship beyond their occasional make out sessions, and for the most part, fully clothed grinding fests. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, be it emotionally or physically, but it didn't stop his thoughts from wandering to what it would be like to take her—would she be loud or quiet, want it fast and rough or slow and steady—from how her tongue was dancing so aggressively between his lips, he imagined she'd leave nail marks down his back while he pounded her welcoming and lithe body mercilessly into the mattress.
He bit her bottom lip and let out a breathy sigh of satisfaction when she moaned quietly, he continued his onslaught on her lips, jaw, and neck while his hands settled on her hips, rubbing small circles with his thumbs on the soft tissue between her abdomen and the top of her pelvis. Soon the breathless, wanton noises that filled the room were replaced with Eren's subdued laughter and the low hum of Levi's voice. He'd managed to find another of her sensitive spots and their necking session had turned into an impromptu massage session.
Eren lay clutching a pillow, ass towards the ceiling in nothing but a thin tank top and the shortest shorts Levi had ever seen her wear while he, in an equally thin tank, gently kneaded the tension from her shoulders and lower back. Eren fell into a semi-conscious state and her shoulders began to slump while her breathing evened out. He moved his attention down her legs, to her calves and finally to each foot, every so often blowing a puff of air to keep her roused from the tickling sensation. Soon he was finished and he made his way back up to her lightly snoozing form.
He admired the gentle rise and fall of her back, and slowly trailed his eyes down dip of her back to the perfect curve of her ass, silently debating the ethics behind whether or not a 'cheek' massage would be appropriate. He leaned down and kissed along her nape, pulling her body closer to his by wrapping an arm around her waist.
They fell into a light afternoon nap like that, Eren hugging the pillow for dear life while Levi was lazily draped around her, his breath coming out in warm puffs against her nape.