"Erwin…" Levi was hoarse by now, clearly he had been crying for a while. Erwin kept his arms wrapped around Levi's shoulders.

"He's awake."

Erwin felt his mouth open but couldn't speak. Why hadn't he just told him earlier?

"I tried to tell you on the phone but you didn't hear. I was kind of in a rush to talk to him, the nurse is checking him over now. Most of his injuries have healed. He's better, Erwin, he's sitting up and talking." For the first time in six weeks, Levi smiled at him. An honest, true smile filled with happiness, hope, relief, and, what Erwin saw the most, love. Genuine, pure, true love. His gut backflipped and he held Levi's shoulder to push him back.

"Then why are you hugging me, when you could be hugging him?" Erwin's smile was sincere, but maybe not entirely so. But Levi saw nothing. He nodded and returned to Carla's side, gripping her shoulder.

"Carla, this is Erwin. He's a dear friend of mine; he's been keeping me going this past while." He ushered Erwin forward, and he took Carla's extended hand.

"Thank you for helping him, Erwin. God knows we both needed it!" she laughed lightly, and he could tell it was a first in a while for her too. Erwin smiled at her.

"What are friends for?" at that, he glanced at Levi. "Would either of you like a coffee? Tea maybe?" They both nodded. Levi didn't have to tell him, he knew how Levi took his tea, Carla recited her coffee order and Erwin left.

Just as he exited, two nurses were wheeling Eren's bed back in, followed by Nile.

"Well Mrs. Jeager, Mr. Ackerman, he has made a full recovery. It's amazing what the human body can do, isn't it?" At those words, Carla started crying again. Tears of uncontaminated joy. Nile merely nodded and smiled. However, she was embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry" the words were so unclear, but they knew what she meant. "I'm just so happy"

"I understand. If any of my kids was in this position, I would be just like you. We will be keeping him for another few days, we have to keep an eye on him. But everything seems in perfect order, now just to catch up." Nile smiled and nodded as he and the two nurses left. Carla gripped Eren's hand and squeezed it.

"Eren. Eren Eren Eren." Her tears started again. "I'm so sorry, I just…" her words were undecipherable and she tried to excuse herself for a moment.
"No." Eren's first word since he came back into the room. She looked at him, confused. Levi shared her uncertainty. "Mom, did they find who did this?"

She shook her head slowly. "We were waiting to see if you remembered anything before we brought it up."

"Dad."

"He's on his way from work." She smiled, and Eren's face paled.
"Mom no, no no, he did this. It was dad that hit me, him, his friend, they just…" Eren began shaking, but pushed her hand away. "Mom, they beat me, they kicked me, punched me, they did everything, one guy…" Eren looked embarrassed, no, disgusted. "…he shoved his penis in my mouth…they…" Eren started sniffling, wiping his eyes with his non drip-occupied hand. "They did this because I'm gay." Carla's jaw was slack and in a moment it was stiff. Her teeth ground together. Levi was furious but somehow, when he saw her, he knew his anger couldn't match hers.

"You're sure it was him?"

"Yes, I begged him to stop mom…" Eren looked at the sheets, looking almost sorry for betraying his father.

Levi took out his phone and sent a quick message to Farlan and Isabel.

Eren woke up. Said Grisha and friends did it.

He tucked his phone away and reached to grip Eren's hand.

"He will pay for this, Eren." It was the first time their eyes met since he came back in. "We will make sure of it."
"I will make sure of it myself." Carla looked almost demonic. Her left hand gripped the sheets hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. Her jaw was still clenched. Levi's phone buzzed.

We got footage with his friends talking about it. They were bragging in a bar amongst themselves. Been passed on to a cop who is willing to accept that as evidence and encourage the force over. Does Carla know?
Levi tapped out a response, ignoring Eren's questioning gaze.

Yes, she's furious. Thanks guys, owe you one.
He set his phone back, intent on focusing on Eren. He ran his thumb over the back of Eren's hand and opened his mouth to speak.

Just as the door opened.

They all stiffened and turned.

"Sorry I took so long, the queue was packed" Erwin walked in, balancing a tea and two coffees in a holder. He set it down on Eren's locker.

"Good to see you awake Eren, I've heard so much about you." Erwin smiled and Eren nodded, clearly oblivious. "Sorry, I'm Erwin, a friend of Levi's." Eren nodded again.

Carla's jaw was still tense, and even thought she was drinking her coffee, she was gripping her cup just a little too hard.

"Mom, you're going to burn yourself…"

She looked down and shook her head, placing the coffee back on the holder.

"Sorry, dear. I am just so angry right now. I can't believe he would do this to you…"

"What are you going to do?"

At that moment, only one thing rang true.

Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.

Grisha walked in the door, and before Erwin, Eren or Levi could stop her, Carla was on her feet.

Somehow, he ignored it.

"Eren, you're awake."

"You BASTARD!" Carla was marching across the room to him, and a confused look crossed his face. "You think you can just walk back in here like nothing happened?! You are disgusting, you're vile, disgusting, horrible, how dare you?!" The final question was punctuated with a loud slap as her hand connected with Grisha's cheek. "Get out, get out of this room, and out of my house. If I ever see you again, I swear I will not hesistate to murder you."

"Carla what are you talking about?" He looked furious, and the first place he looked was Levi.

"What am I talking about?! I am talking about you beating-no, assaulting our son! He almost died, Grisha! And you could have lived with it! You would have been content, that's who you are, you're disgusting, you're pure evil! You almost killed your own son!" Carla's screeching had drawn some attention with a nurse poking her head in the door. Erwin stepped back. "Excuse me for a moment." He slipped out while the two resumed their fight.

"We're through, you're nothing but scum and I want you out of my house and out of my life! We are getting a divorce!" Her screams bounced off the walls, and Levi suddenly understood why people feared mother bears.

"Carla, please, calm down, you're wrong."

"No, she's not. I remember everything." Eren finally spoke, though his face was white with utter terror. "I remember you and your friends and I told her."

"You brat-"
Another slap filled the silence.

"Don't you dare speak to my son like that!" Grisha's temper finally took over and he gripped Carla's wrists.

"No! He is the disgusting one! Do you know what he does?! He lets that man fuck him, he sucks dick, he is everything that is wrong!"

Levi rose as Carla wriggled in his grasp.

"He's wrong? You beat your own son into a coma, you cowardly filth! You think he's wrong for who he loves yet you can justify putting him into a coma? You're sick. You're sick, and twisted, you don't deserve a son, you don't deserve to live!"
At that moment, she got free of his grasp, and somehow, as if it had been set up, she turned and grabbed the black coffee that had been forgotten and threw it at Grisha. He screamed in response to the burning liquid.
"Get out!" with her final scream, the door opened, and three police officers filed in, followed by Erwin.

"Grisha Jeager, you're under arrest for Grievous Bodily Harm upon Eren Jeager." As the police cuffed Grisha, Erwin made his way to Levi.

"How…?"

"I called them when I left, I knew it was needed."

Levi looked up at Erwin with silent thanks and he nodded in return. Carla who had returned to her normal state, joined them.

"I am so sorry you had to see that."

"That was pretty amazing, mom." Eren spoke from behind them.

"He deserved it…and more." She shook her head. "He has been arrested and there's proof, it's fine, he will get what he deserves."

Months later, after a long trial and a lot of counselling for Eren, he did get what he deserved. 8 years in prison. No one would be able to bail him out either. In a separate trial brought up against the men who had joined him, Farlan and Isabel had provided enough evidence to the questionable police officer that they had also been convicted with sentences between 6 and 8 years. The officer herself, a wonderful person named Hanji Zoe(Levi should have known she'd get in somehow) managed to convince her superiors of their crimes and they were held to trial with Farlan and Isabel giving evidence and Eren to identify them.

After the conviction of his father, however, Eren was still unsure about moving home. These past months living with Levi had been so comforting, and the friendship between his boyfriend and his mother made life easier.

The day after the sentencing, Mikasa and Armin came over. They had yet to tell him about many of the things that had happened while he was in a coma. They gathered around Levi's living room coffee table with cups of tea, just like before.

"What happened with you and Annie?" Mikasa looked at him rather blankly.
"Annie and I stopped with our experimenting and just told the guys we liked that we liked them. She and Berthold are doing pretty well under Reiner's watchful eye." Mikasa smiled at the thought.

"And you? Who did you like?"

"Marco Bodt."
Eren's jaw dropped.

"What? No way! That…that's so random! "
"Not really, he's a nice guy and we had history together. He's smart, attractive and…well I like freckles." She shrugged. "But Armin has better news."

Armin blushed at the statement.

"Mikasa…"

"What is it, Armin? Is it Jean, what did he do?" Eren was already frowning

"No! No, it's nothing like that!" Armin attempted to calm his friend, who waited for the explanation.

"W-well, we're fine, great, very very extremely good…" Armin twisted his hands beneath the table and Eren raised an eyebrow. Mikasa was smirking however.

"This is still new information Armin, you promised to tell him everything."

"Well...we…he…" Armin took a breath. "Jean proposed to me last week"

"WHAT?!" Eren's hands slammed against the table.

"Yeah, he even gave me a ring!" Armin gushed, shoving his left hand across the table.

"We've been living together for a while, and will be continuing when we start college." Armin beamed.
"I…Armin I am so happy for you!" Eren ran around the small table to give Armin a tight hug.

"Now my news is boring." Mikasa chuckled.

Eren stopped. His friends were so happy now. And he was happy too. He smiled again and pulled them both in for a hug.

"I love you guys."

A few hours later, Eren was at the over, glancing in on the chicken when he heard the door click. For a moment he panicked, that wasn't uncommon nowadays. Then a voice rang through the halls.

"Honey, I'm – What are you cooking, it smells delicious?" Levi strolled into the room, draping his coat over the back of the chair and joining Eren.

"S'just chicken." Eren wrapped his arms around Levi and kissed his head.

"Good, I like your chicken. How was your day?" Levi pecked his cheek lightly before moving to set the table.

"Good, I found out Mikasa and Marco are going out and Armin is engaged!"

"Oh, what, no way." The sarcasm was strong in Levi's voice but Eren could see him smirking.

"I'm the last to know, aren't I?"

"Pretty much. But to be fair, you've been busy."

In silence, they set the table and set food onto plates. It had become comfortable here.

Even as they ate, they barely spoke, conversation waited until after dinner every night.

By the time, they were curled up on the couch watching some random soap that had come on, Levi had his head on Eren's chest and Eren's fingers played idly with Levi's hair.

"You need a hair cut."

"Sure thing, wife." His speech was muffled. Eren chuckled.
"Not yet."

"Eventually though." Eren shivered at the thought.

"Hey Eren?"
"Mmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Levi."