His Promise [Riren/Ereri Fanfic]

Epilogue: Home

Levi sat on the low ledge of the long window sill in the large front room of the Student Union with his left knee bent and his right leg dangling comfortably over the side. He sighed contentedly. Eren lay snuggled between his legs, his boyfriend's long legs stretched out in front of him. In his left hand Eren held a book balanced against Levi's leg. Every couple of minutes, Levi used his right hand to turn to the next page. Levi's left hand lay across Eren's chest, his fingers steepled between the ones on Eren's right hand. Levi's chin rested on Eren's soft hair, which smelled of rosemary and some generic citrusy scent that Levi found quite pleasing. Levi wasn't typically a fan of such extreme PDA but Eren was ... persuasive...in this area and the Union was all but deserted, anyway.

Tomorrow was the last day of midterms and most students had already abandoned the University for either home or warmer climes. Levi was never in a hurry to go "home" (being that he didn't have a home to go back to and rarely had business in the big city) but he had stayed on campus because Eren had convinced him (through an alternating series of begging, cajoling, and guilting) to spend the holiday break at the Yeager residence instead of with the Hanji's this year. Since Levi usually drove Zoe to and from school and he was sparing Eren and Mikasa a 6 hour bus ride to the city he was obliged to hang out for 3 days after his last exam. He was not looking forward to a four and a half hour roadtrip with Zoe and Mikasa when he couldn't even drive his own car (his leg still hurt when he had to drive any kind of long distance.) He checked the clock tower. Mikasa and Four Eyes should be there with their stuff any minute. He fought to stay awake but Eren's gentle snoring was too much to withstand...like everything else about him. With his cheek snuggled against Eren's hair, Levi fell fast asleep.

•°☆°•

Zoe crossed the Union toting her overstuffed backpack and Vera Bradley duffel bag, the pattern a chaotic cacophony of colors, like her personality. When she caught sight of Levi and Eren she dumped her stuff in a heap, whipped out her cell phone and hit the record button.

"We are now viewing the rare, conjoined boyfriend pretzel, asleep in its natural habitat."

She took a wide shot and then zoomed in on both of their faces and finally their interlaced fingers. Seeing them together like this, completely at ease and so obviously in love made Zoe's heart do a funny little flip in her chest. It might in time help heal the trauma of having lost them both. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and thought of her own unhappy ending. A long time ago Moblit had died for her. In a flash of fire he had saved her life and was gone. She didn't even have anything left to bury. For the last two years she had been content to be his friend; just knowing that he was alive and happy had been enough. Lately she had sensed a change in him and wanted to respond. Her advice to Levi had stuck in her throat. She was being a coward and she knew it. After everything they had all been through, she knew well that life held no garauntees.

Mikasa walked up behind her and raised her eyebrows. She grumbled.

"I can't believe I have to live with this until the middle of January."

Zoe, turned to Mikasa grinning. She had always enjoyed annoying this snippy, sullen girl. She would make sure to turn the quirk up to full blast for the drive home.

"I'll take them any time."

Mikasa sighed.

"Are you kidding? Carla would kill me if I did anything to upset the apple cart. She's even more in love with Levi than this idiot."

Eren stirred and slitted a side-eye glare at his adopted sister.

"Who are you calling an idiot, shrew?"

Mikasa whirled to karate chop Eren's larynx and found her wrist gripped with crushing strength in a move that was too quick for her to even see. When she met Levi's steel grey eyes he didn't say anything, he didn't need to. The intent was clear, no harm would come to Eren that he was capable of preventing. She averted her gaze and nodded, backing up a step when he released her. She resumed her grumbling from a safe distance.