Those Three Words
Summary: All the three word phrases Eren and Levi said to/about each other as their relationship changes and gives them a whole new meaning.
33. Are you sure? (Not canon, Eren to Levi about leaving Paradis and traveling the world) (Eren) (Levi POV)
For the tenth anniversary since the Rumbling, Eren asked Levi a question the older man was honestly expecting a long time ago.
"Do you want to see the world with me?"
It's something both of them had been wanting to do long before they learned the secrets of Titans and their entire race. It's been part of their dream, their search for freedom for so long that it might have, at some point, even become synonymous. In a way, it still was, but freedom meant so much more these days.
Yet that part of their dreams of freedom remained unexplored.
Eren had a whole list of things he wanted to see.
Levi just wanted to breathe clean air, away from other humans and pollution, away from the stench of cities and milling bodies.
The world has moved on. Their friends have pretty much moved on, too. After all, castles with no central heating which was spreading over the island wasn't a good nor safe environment to raise kids and with Mikasa and Jean already waiting on kid number three, the castle was usually pretty abandoned save for the two of them. Connie had long since settled down in his old hometown. He was probably waiting for a kid of his own by now, since he hasn't been by to visit in a while. Historia was busy running the country and Armin and Annie have, indeed, set off into the world already, as Eldia's ambassadors. Reiner had taken up training young soldiers, Onyankopon had never moved out to Paradis to begin with and only occasionally visited, Gabi and Falco were married and still in the honeymoon phase, just enjoying marital bliss. Even Zeke had settled down with Pieck of all people and didn't bother Eren and Levi as much, if ever at this point, for which they were grateful.
But everyone was moving on with their lives, enjoying this new peace, and here they were, Eren and Levi, living in a ghost castle instead of following their dreams. The world out there was still huge, still bigger than anything Levi could have imagined.
And he'd have Eren by his side, so it ought to be eventful, chaotic and overall wonderful.
And there was nothing else tying him down to Paradis anymore.
He didn't see a reason to stall this trip any longer.
"Are you sure?" Eren asked him as they finished up their preparations for the trip, covering everything in the castle with a white sheet so at least some dust won't end up on the furniture and they've have just a little less to deep-clean if they ever come back here.
"Why wouldn't I be sure, Eren?" Levi looked over his shoulder to his lover and former subordinate. "We've already explored all there was to explore on Paradis. And people have probably already forgotten what we look like outside of this island, so we would just have to lie about our names when we have to interact with people. The peace has been solid for a couple of years now and Eldia is currently the strongest military presence this side of the continent. The island is safe and we haven't been needed for years, which, really, thank fuck. So why stay here, when Scouts were never meant to stay within the Walls? And sure, the Walls themselves are gone, but should that mean we let anything else become our limits, our boundaries?"
"No, I meant, uh, going with me," Eren corrected. "About that ... Are you sure? Do you really want to go with me?"
Levi gave him a deadpan look that he hoped conveyed just how stupid he found the brunet in that moment. "Who else would I go with? Chin up, idiot. You're not that bad. Now hurry up. It was you who insisted on no teary goodbyes and we'll miss the window of opportunity if you dillydally any longer. Chop to it!"
"Sir, yes sir!"