Stand By You.

Chapter 8.

"So what time are we meeting?" Eren asked, fluffing up his damp hair in the bathroom mirror.
"You guys are meeting at eight." Marco answered, softly giggling.
"What's so funny?" Eren asked, smiling.
"Oh, just Jean being Jean." He said. He moved the phone away from his ear, lightly pushing his husband away. "I'm on the phone."
"And I'm on you." Jean smirked, kissing his neck again, lightly sucking.
"Tell him him that I'm picking him up, not Erwin." Eren said, listening as Marco continued to giggled before gasping.
"W-will do." He said softly.
"I'll let you go because from the sounds of it Jean can't wait anymore." Eren chuckled.
The sound of scuffling and a small shriek echoed through the phone. "You got that right." Jean suddenly said.
"What happened to Marco?" Eren laughed.
"Oh, I've got him pinned down beneath me." Jean answered happily.
Eren laughed again. "Okay, I'll be going so you can be doing-"
"Eren fucking Jaeger don't you dare even think about finishing that sentence!" Levi yelled from the bedroom.
"So, yeah I guess I'll be going too." Jean smirked.
"You heard that?" Eren chuckled.
"Marco fucking heard it." Jean laughed.
"Alright, bye." Eren said, smiling.
"Bye." Jean said, hanging up.
Eren walked back into the bedroom, catching a pillow that Levi threw at him. Eren chuckled and
threw it back before running and jumping on the bed, pulling Levi up and onto his lap, making the smaller squeal in happiness.
"Rude."
"What? It was Jean."
"But it was about Marco." Levi replied, slapping him up the back of the head.
"Oooh, protective over Mr Kirschtein now, are we?" Eren teased, quickly catching Levi's hands before he could slap him again.
"Yes, me and Marco have been having an intimate relationship behind yours and Jean's back though I'm sure neither of you would be disappointed to hear that."
Eren smirked. "Hell fucking no!"
Levi managed to push Eren down, straddling the brunette as he brushed a few stray strands of hair from his eyes, smiling as Eren's hands travelled up his thighs and came to a rest on his hips.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Levi asked.
"I should but can't I enjoy the view just for a few more minutes." Eren smiled.
"Sure you can it's called take a picture, it'll last longer." Levi smirked.
Eren gently flipped them over, holding Levi as he straddled the smaller of the two. "The real thing is much more appreciated."
"Bastard!"
Eren laughed, leaning down and kissing Levi softly, releasing his slender wrists so he could hold hold his waist, pulling him closer. Levi snaked his arms over Eren's shoulders, wrapping them around his neck as he pulled them closer. Eren slowly deepened the kiss, loving the feeling of his husbands lips on his, the pair melting into each other's touch.
"You need to get ready." Levi murmured as they pulled away, looking up into Eren's ocean green eyes.
"I know." He said softly. He slid off of Levi, grabbing his black skinnies and white shirt quickly getting dressed. He slipped his converse on, smiling softly to himself when he felt Levi watching him.
"Have a good night." Levi said, getting up and handing Eren his black blazer.
"You too. Jean said that Marco will be here at about eight fifteen and Armin should be here at about eight twenty." The brunette said, taking the blazer.
Levi nodded as he followed Eren downstairs, crossing his arms over his chest, holding the door as Eren opened it.
"If you're not feeling well then tell Marco and Armin, they'll look after you until I'm back okay but if you really aren't well get them to call me and I'll be back here as fast as I can." Eren said.
"Don't worry. I should be okay." Levi smiled at Eren's concern. He was cute when he worried, especially when it was over Levi.
"Okay. I'll see you.. in the morning probably." He said, gently taking Levi's chin in his thumb and pointer finger and pressing a sweet kiss to his lips.
"I love you." Levi said as Eren began walking to his car. "Have fun."
"I love you too." Eren called back, waving.
Levi waved back, watching as Eren drove away to Jean and Marco's house before shutting the door and going upstairs to change. He didn't really fancy having guests over when all he was wearing was black boxers and Eren's white shirt which was massive on him.
"I'll get dressed and head to the store and get a bottle of wine or something." He said to himself whilst pulling out black skinnies, a white top with Batman on and his blue cardigan. He quickly changed before sorting his hair out and slipping his converse on. He locked up and walked to his car, thinking up a mental list of things he could get.
~*~
"I'm serious! If you had to choose, like there's no alternative, what would you choose to do; be a stripper or be a pole dancer?" Erwin asked, leaning back in his deck chair. He'd taken Jean and Eren to the woods tonight for a few beers and some time together just as friends and not police officers.
Jean seemed to think whilst Eren laughed. "Aren't they technically the same thing?" Eren said, smirking.
"No, because in one you're stripping and in the other you're not. Both dancing but only one contains nudity, kinda." Jean explained.
"Okay, so if I didn't have a choice then probably.. pole dancer." Eren answered.
"Nah, I'd go for stripper." Jean said, taking a sip of his drink as he and Eren looked to Erwin, awaiting his answer.
"Me? I'd go for stripper too." He said whilst drinking his beer.
"Really? Why a stripper?" Jean asked as Eren raised an eyebrow.
"Because I've got the body for stripping and not pole dancing unlike you and Eren." Erwin answered.
Eren spluttered over his drinking, laughing at the look on Jean's face until the ash brown haired man rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
"Okay, if you had to choose between Levi being a pole dancer or stripper what would you choose?" Jean asked.
Eren suddenly stopped laughing, thinking the question over in his head. "Probably... a pole dancer. Save the better shows for the privacy of our home." He smirked.
Erwin laughed, as Jean smiled, nodding in agreement. "Okay, I agree with you there. I would definitely have Marco as a pole dancer."
"Didn't Marco do exotic dancing though?" Erwin asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure I heard you or him mention something like that." Eren added.
"He used to work in a club and because of his body shape they made him dance for people's entertainment. They called it exotic dancing because he wore "exotic clothing"." Jean said, drinking.
"Marco? Exotic clothing?" Erwin asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Marco's got quite slim legs for a guy so he used to wear black short shorts, not short enough to show off his ass though, and a black long sleeved shirt. He looked cute though. He wore cowboy boots too." Jean smiled at the memories.
"That's how you guys met, right? At Marco's work." Eren said, leaning back in his chair as he and Erwin looked to Jean.
"Yeah, I was a rookie cop, fresh out of the academy. I had a week left in Boston and then I was being transferred to Maria, where we are now. Anyway, a few of the other cadets who I'd graduated with said we ought to go out and celebrate, that sort of thing. I wasn't too fussed and so we ended up in this bar, Paradise Bay, they played good music and their prices weren't too bad plus it was one of the only bars that served decent cocktails. We went in, got a table, got drinks and were talking and just having a good time when a voice announced that they had a special show tonight. The dancers came out, four men and five women and they were all stunning but Marco.. he really stood out from the way he looked to the way he moved. I just couldn't take my eyes off him. I never believed in love at first sight but Marco.. he changed that. Anyway, they left the stage after several songs and I didn't see him for the rest of the night. When we left we all got separate taxis home and I was the last one left waiting for mine. It was cold, I remember, really cold, I was just about to go across the street and grab a coffee when I heard someone scream. I turned, looking around to see if I could see where it had come from when I heard someone scream 'let me go'. I ran to the voice, finding two men in an alleyway. They were pinning someone down. Luckily, I'd brought my gun and badge that night and my police instincts immediately kicked in. I ran over, managing to get the men off their victim but unfortunately they escaped before I could make an arrest. It didn't bother me as long as the person they'd attacked was okay. When I turned round to make sure the person was okay it was Marco. He was terrified, laying on the ground, shaking like a leaf. He only had his shorts and shirt on so I removed my hoody and wrapped it around him. I took him back to my apartment and got him calm and warm and a couple weeks later we were dating and have been ever since."
"You know, I remember the very first time Marco told me that story. He couldn't stop smiling or blushing once." Erwin smiled.
A smile appeared on Jean's face, not just any smile but a proud smile. "Yeah. I remember when I met his family and he met mine and they asked 'how did you two meet?'. He was so eager and happy to tell them. He told my mom that I'm his 'knight in a police uniform'. She loves him, my mom, she really does."
"We see at the wedding. She really does like him, your whole family does. It's hard not too." Eren smiled. "Which is why Levi wants to ask Marco if he'll be the godfather of the baby."
Jean's eyes widened. "Really? Eren, that will mean so much to him and you don't know how much it means to me. I know we've never got a long but I'd like to start over, be good friends and not constantly be bickering."
Eren smiled and held his hand out, shaking his and Jean's. "So would I."
"Another beer guys?" Erwin asked them, smiling.
"Sure why not." Eren said as Jean nodded.
"A toast." Jean said, standing. "To our three amazing husbands, without whom we wouldn't have the great friendship we have."
"I'll drink to that." Eren said.
"As will I." Erwin agreed, the three clinching beer bottles.
"Does make me wonder what Armin, Levi and Marco are up to though."
~*~
"So come on Levi, how did you and Eren meet?" Marco asked, taking the cup of tea Levi handed him.
Since their husbands had gone out for the night, the three of them had decided to get together and were now sat on Levi and Eren's bed, in their pyjamas, talking.
Levi chuckled softly and sat down on the bed, crossing his legs as he placed his tea on the bedside table. "You really want to know?" He asked.
"Yes!" Marco and Armin said simultaneously.
"Okay, so Eren and I met in New York. I was there working on my last case before I was coming here to Maria to settle down and work. I had just finished my last files and handed them in when a heavy downpour began. I didn't have my umbrella or coat so the moment I stepped foot outside I was drenched. As I was crossing the road this car came swerving round the corner and suddenly just lost control. I was bound to be hit and just as the car should have collided with me I was flung to the ground. I was in so much shock I could barely register that the car had been able to stop and the driver was asking if I was okay. Someone had run out in the middle of the road and grabbed me just before the car hit me. That someone was Eren. I remember I was shaking, trembling so badly from shock and cold. Eren took his blazer and coat off, wrapping them both around me as an ambulance was called and he sat there with me, holding me, whispering calming things, rubbing my arm all until the ambulance arrived. He came with me to the hospital, waited until I had been checked over. I had to stay the night in case I became ill from the cold or if my shock got any worse and Eren stayed with me then. When I woke up he was sat in the chair, smiling whilst holding a bunch of flowers in his hand. He'd seen me working around the police station and had wanted to ask for my number but never got the chance. He said how when I left that day he came after me because I forgot my credentials and as he ran left he see the car hurtling towards me and ran out, saving my life. I wasn't aloud to be released from hospital until later that evening when I was given the all clear and he stayed with me the entire day. We talked and watched a few movies and Eren just sat behind me, cuddling me the entire day. I found out he was heading home to Maria and I went on to tell him that's where I was moving too. We met up two weeks after I returned to Maria and got coffee. He asked me out after that and well we began dating, then got married and well here we are today. Two years strong and a baby on the way."
Marco and Armin smiled.
"I think it's romantic. It's almost like destiny that you two should meet." Armin said.
"Yes because nearly getting hit by a car only to have my ass saved is destiny." Levi chuckled.
"I thought you two met way before that? When you guys were teens?" Marco asked.
"Yeah, that's what Eren said." Armin added.
"We did. He was 14 and I was 16. We dated for a year before my father got a job in New York and I unfortunately was dragged along. I lived there until I was 20 which was when I met Eren again. He didn't recognise me until I was almost killed." Levi explained.
"That explains it." Marco said, smiling.
"Yeah." Armin said as he drank his tea.
They fell silent, smiling as they looked at each other. "I wonder what our husbands are doing."