Stand By You.

Chapter 14

Previously on Stand By You..

All seemed lost as Eren ran down with Erwin and Mike and see Levi stood before Black Mask, his gun raised and ready. No, this wasn't meant to happen, Eren thought in a panic, this can't be happening... No was prepared when a gun was fired and a body hit the floor.

Silence descended upon everyone as the gun shot echoed around them, time itself seemed to have slowed down. Black Mask stared straight into Levi's eyes, cold and pure hatred blazing in them before he fell to the ground dead. Petra lowered her gun, her own amber eyes blazing with fury.
"Like I said, I'm not afraid to get blood on my hands." She growled.
Time seemed to return to normal as Levi fell to his knees, crying as he stared at the dead body of the man who had nearly killed him twice. Eren ran over to him, pulling him close as he rocked his husband, just as grateful that it was all over.
"Let me go! Release me now you son of a bitch!" Grisha yelled as Erwin and Mike dragged him out of the house and to the waiting police car. "Don't think this is over Levi! You will pay for this, you little shit!"
"Shut the fuck up, Grisha!" Mikasa yelled. "All Levi has ever done to Eren is make him happy and let him be who he truly is without having to worry! He loves Eren. Something you should but obviously don't do."
"You little bitch! Defending that worthless fucking excuse of a human! I don't care what he--" Grisha was cut off by Mike when the man threw him to the waiting police officers, anger blazing in his blue eyes.
"We don't care what you think! Now shut your fucking mouth before my fists shuts it for you!" Mike growled.
Grisha only narrowed his eyes, glaring up at Erwin and Mike, the pair looking down at Grisha with nothing but hatred.
"Take this piece of shit away." Erwin barked, the officers nodding as they got Grisha into the back seat of the police car.
Once they'd driven off with Grisha a weight seemed to lift from everyone's shoulders, the panic and worry that had been hanging over them like a dark cloud suddenly disappeared, rays of hope shining through.
It was over, it was finally over..
"He's gone, Levi and he's never coming back! Ever! The bastards gone straight to hell where he belongs. Don't worry sweetheart, I'm always here and I'm always going to be here for you." Eren whispered, silent tears streaming down his cheeks as he soothed his husband, calming him down the best he could.
"You promise?" Levi whispered, looking at Eren and wiping his eyes.
"On my life." Eren whispered back, wiping Levi's tear with his thumbs. "I promise, on my life and soul that for as long as I'm by your side I will never let a repeat of this happen ever."
Levi interlocked their hands, entwining their fingers so that their weeding rings touched. "I love you Eren. I love you so much and the fact you'd give your life for me.. I can't even begin to explain my gratitude."
"Then express your gratitude by staying by my side and being mine till our dying day." Eren said, smiling at the man he loved.
Levi smiled back, kissing Eren softly. "Till our dying day.."
~*~
"Eren?"
The brunette male looked up from preparing the Mediterranean chicken salad, Levi's current favourite dinner, as he placed the knife down.
"Yeah!"
"Have you seen my black cardigan?" Levi appeared in the door way of the kitchen and Eren couldn't help but to smile at the sight of him. Black skinny jeans, his Tokyo Ghoul shirt and blue converse.
"Yep, it's on the back of that chair." Eren said, pointing to where it hung.
"Thanks." Levi grabbed it and slipped it on, taking his black satchel from where it sat by his desk and slinging it over his shoulder. "I'll see you later." He said, walking to Eren and kissing him softly.
"Okay and tell Marco that he and Jean are coming here for dinner tonight. Jean is coming over to help me prepare whilst you two are off out." Eren said.
Levi nodded, grabbing his car keys. "Okay. Love you."
"Love you too." Eren called back, listening as the front door shut.
Levi walked to his car and got in, starting the engine before driving off to Maria Mall where he would be meeting Marco. On arrival to the Mall Levi met Marco outside of Starbucks, where they secretly took the piss out of 'typical teenage girls' drinking it like there's no tomorrow before they decided to head off and look around.
"So what are you thinking of getting Eren for your anniversary?" Marco asked, looking around Hot Topic.
"I have no clue which is why I was hoping you could help me." Levi sighed, browsing through the band tops.
"Well, why don't we go get something to eat? We can return and look around after." Marco suggested, walking over to Levi.
"Yeah. I can never think on an empty stomach." He said, walking out of the store and over to the café within the lunch area.
"Hey, can we go to that diner where you can sit at the bar?" Marco asked, face lighting up in a bright smile.
"Yes we can freckles." Levi said, laughing at his enthusiasm.
They walked in and took their seats at the bar before a waiter came and took their order for drinks. The man, however, seemed to seriously dislike Marco for every time he looked at the freckled male he would glare like Marco was the bane of his existence.
"I take it you don't know him?" Levi said quietly.
"I've never even seen the man until now." Marco said softly.
Both men turned their heads when they heard someone call out 'Marco Bodt' but neither could see who was doing it or where it was coming from. They shrugged and turned back round to find their drinks had been placed down for them.
"Funny. I don't remember hearing the guy serve them." Levi muttered.
"Neither do I." Marco said.
They shrugged and decided not to get food and just have the drinks instead, not wanting to ruin the meal their husbands were currently preparing. Once they had finished their drinks they left, continuing around the shops in search of an anniversary gift for Eren and a little something for their husbands each.
"So, I hear Erwin is deciding to do another barbecue and stay over again." Marco said.
"Yeah, he and Armin said that because it's warmer we can actually sleep outside in the garden and not in their conservatory."
The freckled male laughed. "Yeah but it was fun even with your night terror though that frightened the absolutely life out of me."
It was Levi's turn to laugh. "I think I frightened the life out of everybody. I did say to Eren that if we stay he needs to warn them but no he said, you won't have another night terror whilst surrounded by our family, he said. So I had a night terror that night, I did."
Marco couldn't help but snicker quietly before he burst out laughing at Levi imitating Eren. "Why the hell would he think you wouldn't have one just because you're surrounded by us?"
"I still ask myself that question today. What possessed him to think that is beyond me but you know it was going to happen whether we told you all I suffer or I not."
Marco raised an eyebrow at Levi. "Really?"
"Yeah. After the whole ordeal with nearly dying I was absolutely terrified of what could happen if he were to ever find me. So my mind took the memories of when I was held at gunpoint by Black Mask and added new, more frightening scenarios which, evidently, turned into night terrors." Levi told him.
"Oh my god. So have you had any night terrors recently over the kidnapping or near death once again?"
Levi shook his head. "Not really. Well, tell a lie, I have been woken up several times by Eren because I've either been crying in my sleep or talking, well, yelling really. I've got them under control as far as the night terrors go."
"Well, I'm glad that you're past the worst because just seeing you screaming and crying, begging for someone who wasn't even there to let you go absolutely terrified me. When Eren and Erwin took you inside to calm you down we were talking about what we'd seen and we just couldn't put into words the fear and panic we felt for you."
Levi gave Marco a small smile. "Thanks. It's nice to know that I have such caring friends like you guys."
"Family, Levi, not friends but family. Because that's what families do, they look out for each other and help the others when they need it." He said, smiling.
"That is very true. I'm glad to have you guys as my family then. I don't know what I'd do without you guys or Eren for that matter. I'd be lost without him." Levi said, a relaxed smile on his face as Eren swept through his mind.
"You two were destined to be together, you know that?" Marco asked.
"No, I didn't know that but I'm glad I do now. Thanks Marco. Sometime I don't know what I'd do without you." Levi said, laughing softly.
"Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you. You've given me a whole new meaning to life now. I have a baby who is my responsibility should the occasion ever arise and I couldn't be more happier to be he or she's godfather." Marco said softly.
Levi pulled him into a hug. "Well now I'm glad we chose you. I always know you're there should I ever need you."
Marco hugged him back. "I'll always be here should you ever need me. Come on, let's go find Eren's gift."
"Let's go."
Soon they'd found Eren's gift, a silver heart with the date they were married and a small inscription that Levi had no clue as to what it said as Marco had chosen it for him. The pair were walking around different shops, looking at things when Levi noticed Marco had stopped.
"See something for Jean?" He asked, turning around to face Marco.
His eyes widened at the sight of the freckled male. He was pale and sweating, signs that something was clearly wrong.
"Marco, hey, you okay?" Levi asked, walking over to him. He placed his bags down, taking Marco's and putting them by his. "Marco?"
"I-I'm f-fine.." He said, trembling. "Just a d-dizzy sp-spell.."
Levi frowned. Something's wrong, something's not right, he thought.
"Marco sit down for a minute, I'll see if I can find a medic or something." He said, gently taking Marco's arm.
The younger male suddenly groaned in protest, his vision blurring before he collapsed in Levi's arms, the smaller male quickly catching him.
"Marco!" He screamed, drawing people's attention.
A man ran over and quickly took Marco out of Levi's arms, laying him down as people rushed over to see if they could help.
"Marco! Marco, wake up, please!" Levi begged, crying as he watched the man check over Marco's vitals.
"I need an ambulance! His pulse is weak!" The man said.
Levi felt his own heart skip a beat as a medic from within the mall rushed over. He vaguely heard someone calling an ambulance.
"Sir, can you hear me? Are you okay?" The medic asked Levi.
"I-I'm fine.." He said, trembling in fear as he watched another medic wrap a blanket around Marco.
"Is he your husband?" He medic asked.
"N-no.. He's my friend. His husband is with my husband." Levi answered as paramedics rushed in.
"Okay." He said as they loaded Marco onto a stretcher. The medic quickly pulled the paramedic aside, pulling Levi towards them.
"This young man is to go with you, he's the only one with him who knows who he is and what happened." The medic said.
The paramedic nodded and began rushing Marco to the ambulance whilst the other helped Levi. Please, Marco, please, be okay. I can't lose you, not now, please...