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It has been 3 months since the accident which robbed him of his sight. It took him a month to get discharged, and 2 months to get used to his being blind."Are you sure you don't want to get an eye surgery?" Hanji asked as she opened the door for the grumpy male."The world's a shitty place so I don't really mind being blind," Levi grumbled as he felt for his coat rack. "I think I can manage.""Hmm...how about a guide dog?""The last guide dog I had ran away to god knows where," he sat on his couch, draping an arm over its frame. "The guide dogs helped me get used to the place faster, though.""That's because you're scary, study shows that dogs can sense danger." Hanji followed suit and sat beside him, handing him his take out coffee. "Anyways, are you planning to get another one?""No. They're noisy as fuck, not to mention the mess they make," Levi said with a snort. "Had to call the cleaners for the first week.""Well....I trained a dog in case this happens!""Hanji--""Come on give it a shot! I named him Mike! He has a great sense of smell just like the Mike we know! Besides it's on me, no need to pay," she got up from her seat and headed for the stereo."Your hands better be clean.""It is! Geez! Just wanted to play some music," Hanji bent over in order to turn the stereo on. "Oh this song is ni--""No."She puffed her cheek, not like he could see. She jumped to another station, which was currently playing Let it Go. "Heeey!!""No.""Come on! It's from Frozen!""I've had enough of that 'Let it Go' junk. Shit played everywhere I went yesterday," Levi said as he sipped his coffee."How about Harlem--""No.""Bab--""No.""Gang-""No.""...""No.""I didn't even say anything this time!" Hanji waved her arms in mild frustration."I know you're thinking of playing that shitty Barney song again," he said."You don't have any interest in any songs yet you have a stereo, what's up with that?" She said as she jumped from station to station."Wait."She turned to look at him, not sure if she heard him right. "Hm?""Go back.""Oh? Alright then," she paused to listen to the song playing. "Oh, it's this guy!""Mm?" Levi crossed his legs, tapping his fingers on the couch's fabric."He's a new guy, he works for Shiganshina Records. This is his debut song," Hanji explained, wagging her finger even though it's quite useless. "What was his name again? Ah! Eren Jaeger!""This brat's not bad.""He sure is, considering you actually listened to his song," she chuckled. "I actually bought a cd of his a few days back to give his songs a shot. I could lend it to you if you want.""Do what you want.""Pfft! Just be honest with yourself already!""Shut up," he threw a cushion on her face, temporarily silencing her giggling."Geez, your aim's getting better and better."He acknowledged the compliment with a scoff.A week passes and Hanji stays true to her word and gave him the newbie singer's demo cd. She sat beside her blind friend after popping the cd in the stereo. "Hmmm...this song's called Dead on Arrival.""Hnn..." Levi listened to the lyrics with his enhanced hearing abilities.Even without his sight it feels like he could see a whole new world just by listening to this brat's singing. The kid's English was pretty good considering the fact that he's German.The image the singer painted in his mind was vivid. It wasn't like anything he saw when he still had his eyesight. Before he knew it, the last song listed on the cd case had already finished."You really like his songs," Hanji finally broke the silence. The magic was over. He didn't bother voicing his irritation, he wanted to preserve the singer's painting in his mind.After discovering Levi's interest in Eren's songs, she decided dragging him to the boy's concert. Which was his first and last. The shorter male simply detested the crowd. The endless squealing and screaming overpowered the singer's voice--the image generated in his mind wasn't pleasant."What did the brat look like?""He has messy brown hair, his eyes are amazing though! It changes color depending on the lighting!""You sure it's not contacts or some shit like that?" Levi stuffed his hands in his pockets."No? He didn't take breaks to wear different contacts on stage in front of the crowd," Hanji said with a huff. "Are you up for one of his next concerts?""No.""Aww? Why not?""Shitty teenage girls and their powerful lungs," Levi grumbled."I see," she chuckled. "Ooh! We're here!""Not going in.""Aww why not?" Hanji pouted, arms rested on her waist."Your clinic's filthy and the animals are too noisy," Levi said, crossing his arms."Fiiiiiiine, suit yourself," he let out an exasperated sigh after hearing the door click accompanied with sound of bells tinkling. He settled with standing a few steps away from the door to give way to potential customers.He looked up in idle boredom, not like he can see the sky or Hanji's shitty clinic's sign. Soon he started replaying the tune of 'Reluctant Heroes' in his mind, ignoring the harsh sound of sneakers scratching the pavement.Step. Step. Step. STEP.His brow twitched as the sound of footsteps got louder and louder. It's as if it was heading his wa--"Fuck!"His training in the force helped him stay on his feet, the other on the other hand landed on his bum, judging by the loud thud."Shit! I'm sorry I didn't mean to--I wasn't looking where I was going!" He could hear the guy shuffle to his feet.Levi tilted his head to the side, recognizing the voice, "You're...Eren Jaeger, aren't you?""What? N-no! How did you--I...please don't tell anyone...""Hn..." Levi turned to look away. "A blind man can see better than you, keep your eyes on the road."Eren let out a sigh, "I already said I'm sorry.""Heeeyo! Levi I got the dog! Hm~?" she paused, dog in her arms."Who's this? Am I interrupting something?""Uhh--!""It's the Jaeger kid," Levi replied, lolling his head to the side."Oh?""Wha--you said you wouldn't tell!" Eren glared daggers at the shorter male."I didn't promise anything, brat," the man headed towards the bespectacled woman and took the dog's leash from her. "What took you so long, shitty glasses?""Sorry about that, hehe! There was a customer when I got in," she said as she fixed her eyes on the brunette before her. He was wearing a black baseball cap, sun glasses, a plain t-shirt and a slightly worn out jeans. "What's with the get up, though? You looked different in the concert."Eren let out a sigh, "I was running away from some fans so I wore this disguise," he removed his cap to rake his hair before putting it back on. His eyes unconsciously followed the shorter man as the latter sat on the bench nearby, scratching the dog behind its ears."You must be a real lady killer then! Ah, before I forget, my name is Hanji, and this grumpy man here is Levi. We went to your concert earlier," the woman shamelessly clasped his hands with hers. "Your songs were amazing.""T-thanks! Um...M-Miss Hanji!""This one's not bad..." Levi said under his breath."Isn't that great, Levi? Mike seems to like you too," Hanji grinned. "Anyway, Levi here was really interested in your songs, you should be proud! He's a total grouch and wouldn't listen to any of the songs on the stereo until we suddenly came across yours.""Tch.""You liked my songs?" Eren waited for the man to reply, holding his breath when the man let out a sigh."They weren't half bad.""See? He admits it!""Shut up, shitty glasses.""Um, Hanji, there's someone on the phone who wants to speak with you," Moblit nervously looked at the two men before him. "I'll be borrowing my wife first, is that alright, Levi?""Go ahead, Berner," Levi said, not bothering to look at the dirty blonde."Please give Levi some company while I'm gone, okay? He gets pretty lone--" Hanji paused to pick the bean bag up. "You were really serious about throwing bean bags at me! And your aim's getting really better! Ahah!""Hmph.""We have to treat your face, get inside," Moblit let out a sigh as he gently pushed his wife by the shoulders. Flashing the two males a sheepish grin as they entered the animal clinic. Silence engulfed the two almost instantaneously."Are you planning to keep standing there like an idiot or are you going to sit down?" Levi uncharacteristically broke the silence as he lifted the dog and placed it on his lap. "I don't really give a shit if you decide to leave, you're not really obliged to stay, anyway."Mike barked when the bench creaked as Eren took a seat right beside its new owner. "Sitting with a stranger beats getting chased by crazy fans," he said as if to justify his decision."Hn..."Silence."So...you really liked my songs...?" Eren played with his fingers, unused to talking to strangers(grumpy ones especially)."You're asking a stupid question," the man replied. "You really are a newbie.""Yeah but...what I mean is..." the singer paused to gather his thoughts, continuing after a sigh. "It's just that I get this feeling that my 'fans' only like me cause of my looks and not my singing. Their voices almost overpowered mine so I had to exert more effort just to make mine louder. I'm a singer, not a model, I'll end up damaging my vocal chords if this goes on."'And you're telling a blind man this...' Levi sighed, "As I said earlier, your songs weren't bad. Each of them had their own stories to tell, but if you put them all together, you'll realize that they're all connected."Eren's eyes widened. "They are! You actually noticed! Did you listen to all of them?""I did.""You know...you're the first to actually notice that they're connected, other than some friends of mine," the brunette looked at his hands, a sad smile graced his face. "It makes me happy to know that at least one fan noticed.""Hey...""Hm?" Eren tilted his head a bit to get a clearer view of the man's face."Do you know what this dog is for?" Levi asked as he gently rested his hand on Mike's head."Um...a companion? You're awfully scary, after all," the brunette froze when Levi let out a sigh."Mike is no ordinary dog. He's a service dog.""A service dog? The one that helps blind people?" Eren tilted his head. "Wait...you're blind?!""...Yes," Levi gave the dog a pat, earning a satisfied bark. "You sound surprised.""You didn't seem like it! I mean you looked like you knew where you were going," Eren said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Were you...blind since birth or...""Used to be in the police force, ran into some troublesome guy and got shards of glass in my eyes during an explosion." Why was he telling the singer this? He himself doesn't know. "Obviously I can't work as an officer anymore so I was dismissed and was rewarded for my past achievements accordingly.""And you didn't get an eye surgery or transplant or something? You should be able to afford that, right?""The world's a shitty place, the very existence of criminals proves that it is," Levi let out a sigh, as unwanted memories flashed in his mind. "Losing my sight made my life much more tolerable.""...What made you bring your blindness up?" Eren looked down, not pleased with the man's earlier statement. "There's got to be a reason.""You're right..." Levi looked up. "It's your songs.""What?" the brunette's head perked up, boring holes on the man's face."Your songs..." the raven started, looking up at the sky before continuing, "...they showed me a world I have never seen before. And it's not just the songs, it's not just the stories..."Eren's eyes widened at that statement, his dissatisfaction earlier disappeared."The world you created was beautiful.""You think a world with giant man-eating monsters is beautiful?" he leaned a little closer to the man, pursing his lips as he waited for his answer.A soft hum escaped the raven's lips before he redirected his gaze to the brunette's direction. "Why do you think our world has criminals and all that shit?""Hmm..." Eren furrowed his brows. "It's because we have too much freedom, isn't it?""Yes, we have too much freedom," he patted Mike, receiving another satisfied bark. "Even if we have rules, not everyone follows it because their sense of freedom is too strong. Not even the lawmakers can bring them down."The singer swallowed, unsure of what to say."In your world, humanity is trapped like cattle, unable to experience true freedom. And together they fight in order to obtain their freedom," Levi said. "Try picturing yourself living in your world, how would you feel after finally obtaining said freedom?"Eren closed his eyes, picturing himself in the world he created. "I won't be able to put my feelings into words.""Exactly." The raven nodded, "It's that desire to be free...it's what makes your world beautiful.""But in order to achieve that, we'll need to make a lot of sacrifices and decisions. Especially in a cruel world like this," the singer said, his forehead creasing."No one knows how their choices would turn out. The only thing we can do is believe that we won't regret the choice we made," Levi said.Eren balled the fists on his lap. This man beside him...it's as if he's already experienced living in the crazy world in his songs. Just when he was about to speak, his phone rang. He contemplated whether he should answer it or not."Answer it already, it's too noisy," said Levi, idly stroking Mike's head."Okay...please excuse me for a while," Eren got on his feet and went out of Levi's hearing range before answering his phone. Once the call ended, he jogged back to where Levi was. "I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly. My manager's--""I told you earlier that you weren't obliged to stay yet you stayed," the raven sighed. "Go. You still have a career to work on.""Yeah...I'll be on my way then," Eren hesitantly walked away, unsure if he was doing the right thing.A few minutes after Eren left, Hanji unceremoniously exited her clinic. "I saw Eren leave, did something happen?""His manager gave him a call," Levi replied, placing Mike on the ground."I see..." Hanji trailed off. "It's a shame that we weren't able talk some more. I like him.""You're married," the raven stated as he got off the bench."I didn't mean it that way!" Hanji said, giving Levi a light smack on the shoulder. "Anyway, it's about time we get you home, right?""Yeah."
---------------------------------------------"Where were you, Eren? Did you get caught?" Mikasa asked as she inspected his face in case of unwanted kiss marks. Mikasa Ackerman. She is his manager as well as his body guard(not that he needed one, he used to take self defense lessons back in Germany). Other than that, he views her as his older sister since their ages weren't that far apart in the first place. "I did, by two people to be exact," Eren replied, prying her hands away from his face."Did they touch you anywhere? They didn't kiss you, did they?" she grabbed him by the shoulders. "You're still new, it's bad if a scandal were to--""Relax. They're not fan girls. One of them's a man, actually. They're just...um...some fans who aren't crazy? And no one was there besides the two of them." Eren explained as he removed his shades. "They're actually nice people.""I see...it's fine as long as they didn't touch you anywhere off limits," Mikasa pulled back, sighing in relief."Hey Armin," the brunette leaned forward, making sure the blonde could hear him."Yes?"
Armin Arlert. He's a smart young man who befriended Eren almost instantaneously. He was the one composing Eren's songs. Eren doesn't need a song writer since he was the one writing his own lyrics. That didn't stop him from consulting the blonde whenever he couldn't think of a word that fit the rest of his lyrics. English wasn't his first language after all."Are you ready to compose a new song?" Eren grinned when he felt the blonde stiffen.Armin swiftly turned to look at the singer. "A new song?! Are you serious?!""Yeah! I've thought of some lyrics--a song isn't a song if it doesn't have a tune, you know!" the brunette said."I was worried that you'd stop writing!" Armin was tempted to unstrap his seatbelt and throw himself at the singer. "Lately you were talking about quitting--I was afraid that you would! I love the songs you write!""I love your songs too," Mikasa said with a nod. "Did anything inspire you to write along the way?"Eren pulled back and rubbed his nape--a nervous habit of his."Actually...""Yeah?" Armin tried to lean closer. Mr. Diedrich was nice enough to mind his business as he drove them back to their hotel."I mentioned this guy earlier. He was the first one who blew my cover--and get this, he's actually blind!" Eren beamed."I've heard of that before. They say that if you lose one of your senses, the rest of your senses get sharper as if to make up for the lack of one sensory organ," Armin said, interested. "What about that man?""Apparently, that guy listened to all of my songs. We talked about them and he told me that my songs showed him a different world," Eren continued. "He said that world was beautiful.""Didn't the story behind your songs contain giant monsters? The ones described in 'Dead on Arrival'," Mikasa tilted her head questioningly."I didn't get him at first either, but he explained it to me afterwards," Eren paused as he tried to remember their conversation. "I can't remember the exact words he used, but it's like he's experienced living in my world before. That, in itself is amazing. Before I knew it, I was inspired to write a song. The song that would complement 'Crimson Bow and Arrow'!""He seems like a great guy." Armin said, resting on his seat. "I'm looking forward to read your lyrics, I want to work on the song immediately.""I'm itching to write right now," Eren messed his own hair."Do you think we could meet up with that man?" Mikasa asked."Ah...I forgot to ask for his contact number, damn it!" Eren planted his face at the back of Armin's headrest. "Now that I think about it...why would he give me his contact number, in the first place?""Maybe you could call him out during an interview?" Armin suggested."Huh? Isn't that too extreme?" Eren stared at the headrest as though it was the blonde. "To call out someone in public...""Any other bright ideas then?"The brunette wrinkled his nose, he could practically see the smug face Armin was making. "Armin, you...'"We're here," Ian said as he parked the vehicle."Thank you, Mr. Diedrich," Mikasa said before getting out the vehicle.Eren and Armin followed suit. The singer made sure to put his disguise on before entering the hotel.Eren didn't waste any time going to his hotel room, he took a refreshing bath as he thought of the perfect title to go with the lyrics he had in mind."I got it," he smiled as he remembered the raven haired man's face.
The Wings of Freedom.

------------------------------------------

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Hey Levi! Check this out! Eren's on TV!""And?" the man grunted, he was in the middle of his morning coffee when Hanji decided that it was a great idea to drop by his place so early in the morning."This is just a replay from last night," Hanji replied as she munched on her toast. "Looks like he's being interviewed about his new song."Levi quirked a brow, "New song?""Shhh! Just listen!""Tch."
'Mr. Jaeger, I've heard some rumors that you were planning to end your singing career even though you've just started. Can you shed some light on this matter?'
Levi lets out a soft hum before taking another sip of his coffee, remembering his conversation with the brat. Come to think of it, it has been two months.
'Well...I'm not really sure where they heard it from but yeah, it's true.'
"He's really an honest boy, Eren, I mean," Hanji said, eyes not leaving the screen."I suppose so," the raven idly comments, giving his coffee a stir. "That's what separates him from the other shitty idols.""Ahh...I get what you mean."
'It is?'

'Yeah. I guess it's not much of a rumor now, is it?'

'I guess not. So...your new song is entitled um...'The Wings of Freedom', what made you write this song when you were so inclined to quitting?'

'Actually, I was inspired by this man whom I've met a few months ago. My schedule was packed after my meeting with him so I couldn't release this song earlier. We're still working on it, actually. You could also say this song is dedicated to him.'

'Oh? A close friend of yours?'

'Haha, not exactly! He's a stranger to me, I've only spoken to him once. You could call it a fateful encounter or something like that.'

'I see! So, what made you dedicate a song to a stranger?'

'Let's see...if I remember correctly, I was running away from my fans after my concert.'

'You were running--were you able to escape them?'

'Haha yeah! I managed to, somehow. The women in this country is a force to be reckoned with.'

'Oh! That's right you're from Germany!'

'I haven't experienced anything like this back at home. I almost had a heart attack. Hahaha.'

'It's a good thing you didn't, then! A lot of idols experienced this, don't worry.'

'I guess so...How do they even manage to survive? I need some pointers about this, it's exhausting!'

'We'll give you some pointers after the show. So, what happened after you managed to escape?'

'I was wearing a disguise while I was running, I don't really know the city that much back then so I kept running aimlessly until I bumped into this guy.'
Levi's brow twitched, which, unfortunately didn't go unnoticed especially since he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. Even though his eyes were closed, his eyebrows never fail to tell Hanji what he was feeling. Fortunately the woman decided to be a good person and said nothing. She turns her head back to the television, missing some parts of the conversation already.
'...it was really awkward at first. It's a miracle that we managed to start a conversation, actually.'

'What was it about, if I may ask?'

'It was about my songs. Frankly speaking, I didn't expect him to be the type to listen to my songs since he has this really scary aura around him.'
"Pfft!""Shut up."
'So, what inspired you?'

'The man said something really interesting that day, it never left my mind. And just like that, I was inspired to write a new song. Unfortunately, I forgot to thank him for that time.'

'You didn't have his contact number?'
'Yeah, about that...I also forgot to ask for it. Then again he's blind... But I really want to thank him, not just for inspiring me to sing again, but because I stopped thinking about  quitting after we had that conversation.'
'Okay we definitely need to thank this man! It would have been a shame if you quit, Mr. Jaeger.'

'Ahah, that's what my manager said.'
Levi rolled his eyes, "Two-faced bitch."He couldn't see the interviewer's face but the tone of her voice was enough to give him a good idea what type of person she is. Being blind has its perks."Now, now, don't you think Eren's being cute?" she was trying too hard to stifle her laughter. "And you didn't ask for his contact number--even though you're a loyal fan of his! Ow!"A low growl escaped the man's throat."Just how many bean bags do you have?" Hanji rubbed the back of her head as she swiped the aforemention bean bag from the floor."Do you want to find out?""No thanks I'm good!"
'Is it really okay for me to say it here?'

'Yeah! If he's a fan of yours he'd definitely watch this interview.'

'You sure? Is it really alright?'

'It's really fine! Go ahead!'

'Okay, if you say so. Um...If you're watching this right now, I want to say thank you very much, Levi!'

-APPLAUSE-
"Pfffthahahaha!""I swear to god I'm going to shove these bean bags down your throat.""Don't forget to cook the beans!" the bespectacled woman laughed as she effortlessly dodged the incoming bean bag.
'Before we end this show, could you give us a sample of your new song?'

'Oh sure! I can do that.'
Everyone went silent. Eren's singing his song a capella, his voice slightly echoed in the man's home, filling the silence. Levi clicked his tongue, the song ended too soon--as expected of a sample. The painting in his mind never finished, much to his dismay. The lyrics, however, didn't disappoint."Isn't it nice? He wrote a song with you in mind," Hanji commented. "Oh! It's not over yet!"
'I still want to thank you in person so...I hope you can meet me in Shiganshina Records tomorrow. I think I'll be there the whole day, and I'm looking forward to seeing you there!'
"...This was last night's recording..." Hanji trailed off. "Are you going?""No.""Come on! He's looking forward to seeing you again!""You already ruined my morning," he let out an exasperated sigh."He'll be crushed if you don't go," Hanji said with a pout. Well, that's just his guess, anyway."What the fuck are you doing here anyway?" Levi proceeded to the sink to wash his mug."Me? Oh! I'm here to drag you to Shiganshina Records."The clock's ticking grew louder and louder as each minute passed. It was Mike's barking that snapped him back to reality, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he placed the mug back in the sink. Hanji's cackling contributed to his growing migraine."You had this all planned, didn't you...?""Yup!""Taking advantage of my disability...""You're the one who didn't want to get your eyes fixed! You've brought this upon yourself, Levi," Hanji grinned. "Besides, you're not exactly harmless even with your condition.""Tch.""We could take Mike out for a walk while we're at it! It's not good if he stays cooped up in your home."Come to think of it, the dog didn't screw anything up on its first day--something that's happened for the first time. He wasn't noisy and only barks when necessary. Guess the shitty glasses was right about him being Mike's animal counterpart.Ah, that's right, Hanji was the one who trained this dog. As expected of the woman in charge of training police dogs back in the force. Be it a beagle or a chihuahua, Hanji can transform any mutt into police dogs...or guide dogs.Levi crouched down and gave the golden retriever a pat. The dog barked with satisfaction. He didn't get any guide dogs from Hanji at first due to the fact that she's mentally unhinged(not entirely). Heh. Guess she trained Mike with his preferences in mind.He sighed, "Fine. Just so I can give Mike my thanks.""D'aww you're getting attached to Mikey~ Gwaugh!" Nailed a bean bag to her face."I'm going to take a shower, you wash your own plate. You better be finished the moment I come back," Levi left no room for arguments as he got up the stairs without assistance. Mike followed suit."Yes, sir~" she chimed as she hopped off her seat, swiping her plate and other evidence on the table that proved her guilty of eating in his home. "Some things never change," she mused to herself.----------------------------------------------"His composer?""Yeah! He gave me a call in the clinic last night. Apparently Eren told him that he met you in front of my animal clinic," Hanji replied. "He called to help him make sure you're coming.""Tch. Letting a brat give you orders like that...""He's 20, I don't think he counts as a brat, same goes for Eren," she chuckled."They're still brats to me," he snorted."Armin's quite the genius, I could have passed him off for a young professor," Hanji continued. "That's his name by the way--Armin Arlert.""Arlel--tch. Damn brats with complicated names..." the raven muttered."Just takes some practice to say his name right." the woman let out another chuckle. "Oh! Looks like we're here! Thanks to the shortcut Armin gave me, it only took us half an hour to arrive.The raven only replied with a grunt, which was then followed by a bark."Awwww, don't you worry, I'm sure they'll let Mike in since you're blind.""I didn't say anything, shitty glasses," Levi snapped."We've been partners for eight years, I know you like the back of my hand," the woman said, moving a few steps to the left to avoid having her foot crushed by Levi's. "Easy, boy! We're going in now."----------------------------------------------------"Eren, I've been meaning to ask you this..." Mikasa trailed off, fumbling with the hem of her scarf."Hm? What is it, Mikasa?" the brunette tilted his head to the side, he was in the middle of his break when his manager broke the silence."About last night's interview...who is this Levi?" she continued, looking him in the eye."He's the guy I told you two about! I'm still wondering if he watched the interview--I still think it was too flashy," Eren straightened his back. "Why'd you ask? Is there a chance you know him?""Well...""There are many Levis in the world, we can't be sure if the Levi you know is the one Eren met," Armin stated as he gathered his sheet music. "Well, we'll know if he decides to come. I think we still have a few week's time before we start shooting your music video.""We don't have to finish the music video right away, do we? I mean, Crimson Bow and Arrow took up 2 months of our time, can't we loosen up even just for today?" Eren said with a sigh.Both males looked up at Mikasa expectantly."I suppose we can...""Excuse me, Ms. Ackerman? You're called to the office, the boss wants to see you," Dieter called. "He wants you there in about 15 minutes."The ravenette let out a sigh, "I'll be there. We'll continue our chat later.""Alright. See ya later Mikasa," Eren said with a grin. The ravenette flashed the two a gentle smile before making her way out the door."Hm...let's go over your new song while we wait, shall we?" Armin was the first to break the silence."Yeah," Eren smiled at his lyrics sheet.The blonde took a seat opposite to Eren's and made himself comfortable before speaking. "Can you sing the sample for me again?""Hm? I don't mind, but I still haven't thought of the tune for the rest of the lyrics," the brunette said with a huff, rubbing his nape. A very old habit he can't break."That's why I want to hear it again, I'll help you out," Armin smiled as he grabbed another copy of the song's lyrics sheet. "Judging from the lyrics it's a victory song, right?""Yes, something like that," Eren loved how his friend's eyes would come to life whenever he's excited. "I'll start now.""Alright."Eren took in a deep breath before beginning, remembering the tune he had in mind and started singing.
"O, mein Freund!

Jetzt hier ist ein Sieg.

Dies ist der erste Gloria.

O, mein Freund!

Feiern wir diesen Sieg, für den nächsten Kampf!

"It was a pointless death."

Nobody should say that…

Till we’re down to the last man…

Der Feind ist grausam… Wir bringen…

Der Feind ist riesig… Wir springen…

With glory in our hands, we sing of victory, bearing the wings of freedom upon our backs

Clenching our resolve to our hearts, we tear through the spiral of foolishness

Let us dance in the clear skies—

Flügel der Freiheit!"
Eren rubbed his nape once more, "That's all I got for now. How was it?"Armin replied with an applause, "I think we're going to need the same choir we hired for Crimson Bow and Arrow."The brunette chuckled at the suggestion, "Yeah. I can't handle all of this alone. Especially since it's suppose to complement Crimson Bow and Arrow, any more suggestions?""Well...the tune at the beginning sounded a lot like La Marseillaise, you know, the French National Anthem? It's ironic that you sang it with German lyrics," Armin replied."It does? I thought it fit well so..." Eren sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have done that...""No, no! It really fits! I was just thinking out loud," the blonde interjected. "Let's give it a shot, this time I'll accompany you with my organ, hold on."Silence."It doesn't sound bad! Not at all," Eren grinned."I have an idea for this part here," Armin had his blonde hair tied into a ponytail to prevent it from obscuring his view. The brunette looked down and read the lines where the blonde's index finger was."What about it?" he asked, eyes locking with his friend's."You said it's supposed to complement Crimson Bow and Arrow, right?" Watching Eren nod, he continued. "Let's have the tune of Crimson Bow and Arrow play for this part. I think it will sound good.""Hmm...let me give it a shot."They started from the top."Holy shit..." Eren exchanged looks with Armin. "Holy shit Armin you're a genius! All we need now is the choir and making the song!""We're almost done," the blonde grinned. "Alright, let's go over the rest of the lyrics.""Yeah!"It was nice seeing his friend pumped up, Armin didn't bother hiding his smile as he redirected his gaze to his sheet music and began writing down music notes. They were starting to get into it when sounds of barking suddenly disrupted the peace between the two. Their heads whipped around as they searched for the source of the noise."A dog? Pets aren't allowed here, right?" Armin mumbled to himself."I know you're excited to be in a new environment, I am too!""Don't encourage him shitty glasses. Mike, stay!"Eren immediately got up his seat, recognizing the voices. "They're here!"The door dangerously swung open, followed by an enthusiastic outburst and barks."I'm sorry we took so long, Armin! Levi here got in a teensie weensie trouble with the security guard so--""You really came! Mike too!" Eren engulfed the golden retriever in a hug, laughing gently as it licked his cheek affectionately. "It's been a while, Mrs. Hanji and Mr. Levi," he smiled."Oh you, just call me Hanji!" she beamed. "And it sure has.""Nice to meet you two, I'm Armin Arlert," the blonde got up from his seat and bowed. "I'm Eren's friend and composer.""Hello there! Thanks for the short cut, you saved us the trouble," Hanji walked over to him and shook his hand."Not at all, it's a pleasure to meet you in person Miss Hanji, and...Mister Levi?" Armin tilted his head, waiting for the man's reaction. His smile widened a little when the raven gave him a nod."Were you in the middle of rehearsing?" Hanji asked as she took in her surroundings."We were working on the rest of the song's tune," the blonde replied. "We're almost finished.""Oi, Hanji.""Yes?" All of their attentions were directed to the raven haired man."What does Arlel--Arlert look like?" Hanji didn't bother stifling her laughter, which earned her another bean bag on the face. Startling both the singer and composer."Okay, okay!" she waited for her laughter to die down before speaking. "Let's see, he has blonde hair that reaches his shoulders. His eyes are not that different from Erwin's. their eyebrows are not too far apart either.""A mushroom head, huh," Levi muttered. Armin let out a gentle laughter, "It's the first time someone called me that. He sure is the character, Eren.""He is," Eren snickered when he saw the man grimace. "And um...Hanji? You mentioned something about getting in trouble with the security guard?""Oh! Yes, I believe I did," she said, clapping her hands. "You see, he used to be one of our coworkers in the police department.""You mean Nile? As in Nile Dawk?" the singer couldn't believe his ears. "If he was with you guys then what's he doing here?""The shitty pig pissed his pants after a certain mission, ran home to his wife and quit," Levi scoffed. "He had the guts to act high and mighty just cause I can't see his shitty face.""That's weird, he told us he left cause of a injury," Armin mused."You mean that scar on his face?" Hanji chimed in. "That was actually a result of one of his quarrels with his wife.""Still, he usually looks at us with disdain as if we're not worth his words. What did you do to piss him off?" Eren asked, intrigued."Nothing out of the ordinary," Levi shrugged. "Just greeted him just like the old times.""Pfft! Levi means he flipped him off..." Hanji cackled. "...while chanting a long string of insults."Eren burst out laughing, Armin laughed too, but not as loud as the two brunettes. Levi on the other hand remained silent."It's...a few minutes before ten, anyone feel like eating?" Armin suggested once their laughted died down."We already ate," Levi replied before Hanji could."Armin and I haven't eaten yet," Eren sheepishly grinned. "Is it alright if I asked you to accompany us? If you want to order anything it would be on me.""We can pay for ourselves, damn brat," the raven snapped. Mike left Eren's side and ran to his master's side. They had almost forgotten about the dog's existence due to the silence that threatened to suffocate them."I'll take it as a yes then," Armin said. "You should go send Mikasa a text, tell her we'll be in the hotel's restaurant--Rose.""Ahh, sure." Eren fumbled with his phone, wondering if it was just his imagination when he 'saw' Levi's brows twitch once his manager's name was mentioned. He shrugged it off after sending the text and changed into his disguise.They were fetched by the driver Ian Diedrich, the three chattered away as though they were long lost friends while Levi settled for listening to the sounds that's NOT the other three's conversation. The car's purr, the sound of the tires rubbing against the asphalt's rough surface.And before he knew it, they reached their destination and was currently getting dragged away. It was a new environment so he didn't mind getting dragged by Hanji, for once. Mike had to stay out this time.  He listened to the two young men decide what they're having for lunch. There was one thing bothering him though. Surely the Mikasa they meant was someone else, right? That would be too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it?---------------------------------------"...Uncle Levi?"Damn the universe and its shitty sense of humor."Uncle?" Eren echoed, eyes wide.The raven tilted his head, trying to register the voice in his mind. "Ah, well if it isn't little Mikasa.""If only you can see yourself, uncle. You're quite the midget," the ravenette remarked. "Before I forget, good morning Mrs. Zoe.""You can call me Hanji, no need to be so formal," the bespectacled brunette laughed with a dismissive wave.Dry laughter escaped the man's lips, "I'll let one slide considering the fact that I can't see shit.""You were the one who didn't want to get a surgery, uncle," Mikasa said."Told ya, Levi," Hanji snickered, earning another bean bag to her face.Eren stood there agape, snapping out of his reverie after feeling an arm rest on his shoulder."There are indeed more than one Levis in the world and what are the odds that the one standing here with us would be Mikasa's uncle?" Armin let out a soft chuckle."Okay, how come I don't know about this?" Eren asked, resting his palm over his utterly confused face."You do, if you remember... Seven months ago I took a few days off to visit my uncle," the ravenette tilted her head to Levi's direction. "This is him.""So you're...Levi Ackerman?" the singer shot the raven haired man a dumbfounded look, not like the other could see his face right now."Someone give this guy a cookie," Levi snorted."You didn't exactly introduce yourself properly, Levi," Hanji chortled. "Who are you to react that way?""What Hanji-said!"The others shared their own experiences as they ate, save for Levi and Mikasa. They were both content with just listening, though Levi's patience has been wearing thin especially when Hanji started sharing their past when they were still in the force. What stopped him from hitting the woman, however, was the bewildered sounds Eren made.How did Hanji describe him again? Brown hair and greenish blue eyes? Or was it bluish green? Ah, screw it. The details were too few for him to work with so picturing the singer's facial expression was out of the question."I never pegged you for a badass!" Eren's voice never betrayed the excitement he was feeling at that moment. "You sound like a character from an action movie!"Levi scoffed, "I don't. For one thing, movies are overrated and exaggerated. Too much explosions, too much dialogues. Hell, some even screwed up the blood splatter. It looked like it belonged to a Saw movie and not a cop movie.""And yet you still watched the--" he smacked her behind her head before she could finish her sentence, earning gentle laughter from the two young men. A feeling of satisfaction bloomed in his chest when he heard a soft chuckle escaping his niece's lips."Don't be so mean to Ms. Zoe, uncle," Mikasa said."Yeah! Listen to your niece!" He could practically hear Hanji pout while she spoke. "I mean, how could you know about those production failures if you didn't watch them?""As far as I remember, you were the one who dragged me to do a marathon of that stupid detective movie, shitty glasses," Levi hissed."Come on it wasn't that bad! But that still doesn't change the fact that you paid attention to it!" the woman retorted."She has a point," Armin nodded.Their conversation went on and on and Levi had to order himself a cup of tea to distract himself. He stiffened when he felt Hanji shake his arm."We're going now, are you finished with your tea?" she asked."Yeah," he set his teacup back down before standing up.Hanji, Armin and Mikasa volunteered to pick Mike up: Hanji, because she loves the dog to bits. Armin, because he's Armin. And Mikasa, because she's curious about the dog. It was just Eren and Levi waiting for a cab to take them back to Shiganshina Records. Eren broke the silence as soon as the others were earshot."You're...really not going to get a surgery? For your eyes?" he started, Levi could sense the caution in the singer's voice."I thought we had this conversation before, Eren," Levi surprised himself when he suddenly blurted the young man's name. Since when did they get so close? He'll never know. Not allowing the other to sense his shock, he regained his composure before continuing, "The world is a cruel and shitty place. Like I said two months ago, losing my sight made my life more tolerable.""But...you sounded like you enjoyed your time back then," Eren mumbled.Silence.Levi sighed, he didn't mind the silence one bit. In fact, he enjoyed i--"Make a deal with me."Spoke too soon."A deal?" the man quirked a brow, tilting his head to the side to let Eren see his face."Yeah, a deal," the brunette took a deep breath. "I'm going to work my ass off and become humanity's best singer.""Humanity, huh..." Levi turned his head to look forward. "And...? What happens after that?""You're going to get an eye surgery once I become Humanity's best," Eren's voice had this confidence, determination, followed by an air of finality. "It won't be easy but I will do everything I can!"The brat was serious.It was too interesting for him to reject, he doubt the singer would let him off the hook if he rejects him. So he saves himself the trouble by nodding."Deal."Eren let out a whoop, "You gave me your word! There's no turning back!""I know, brat. I wasn't born yesterday," Levi snapped, his words carried no malice and he knows that Eren knows. "If it makes you feel better, I'll say it. If Eren becomes Humanity's Best, I'll get a fucking eye surgery. Happy?""You have no idea! You won't regret it!" the singer was practically jumping now."Regret what?" the raven turned his head to look at the young man. Silently urging him to answer."I'll show you that the world can still be beautiful!" Eren sounded dreamy when he mentioned the word 'beautiful'. As though he was recalling a wonderful memory."Arrogant, aren't we?""It's not arrogance! I know I can become the best if I try hard enough, just you wait, Levi!"Even when hours passed, Eren's words echoed in the blind man's mind. His sheer determination was admirable, but being the best isn't child's play. It would take him years to achieve. He might crumble from the pressure and quit his career altogether, but somewhere deep down, Levi hoped that Eren would succeed.Hope.Eren carried Levi's hope. Even when he left the city to go to another country to expand his singing career.One year. Two years. Three years..."What?" Levi's brows furrowed, surely he heard his niece wrong. His niece had called him all the way from Japan.Mikasa sighed, "For the last time, uncle...Eren's officially Humanity's Best.  And if I remember your age correctly, you're still far too young to have hearing problems."Silence.Levi covered his mouth with a palm, trying to hide his growing smile from Mike.He did it. The little shit really did it.
"Uncle Levi? Are you alright?"
He regained his composure, marveling at how calm his voice sounded."Peachy."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Three years.
It took me three years to reach my goal. I was officially Humanity’s Best the moment it was announced during the Sina Music Awards that took place a few months ago. Does he know? Does he still remember our deal?I shook my head.Levi is a man of his word, at least that’s what Mikasa told me. No, I know he’s a man of his word. I sighed, shaking my head once more.There’s no use thinking of these things, I’m going back to New York in a month’s time after finishing some work anyway. My date of arrival is on March 31, a day after my birthday. It’s going to be March 30 once I set foot on New York though.The quirks of time zones weren’t exactly unwelcome since I get to celebrate my birthday twice. One in Japan and another in New York.Armin had already left for New York after receiving an urgent call from Shiganshina Records. He had been making a lot of calls to New York two months ago so I just had him pack up and go after the New Year’s party. Mikasa and I can handle the rest without him, he should give us more credit, seriously.It had been a while since I came to Japan. Japan was the first country I visited after making the bet with Levi, but it’s not the only country I set foot on. Besides Germany and America, I’ve visited other countries like the Philippines, Italy, France and more. And I loved each and every country. All of them had beautiful beaches. Each one had its own unique qualities that made it distinctly beautiful.Even though I promised myself I’d stop thinking about Levi, I just can’t help but be curious, you know? Did he get a surgery? What were his first words after opening his eyes? And speaking of his eyes…what color were they?I’m a little bothered right now, actually.I kept thinking of him whenever I’m free the past three years and that’s not good. What if I’m—"Eren."My head perked up at the call of my name. “Hm?”"You have an international call…it’s from New York," Mikasa had a phone in her hand, hearing ‘New York’ come out of her mouth I immediately shot out of my seat and grabbed the phone. A sigh escaped her lips before she left me to my own devices. I shrugged it off and pressed the phone to my ear."Hello?"
"EREN! HEY!!!"
I almost dropped the phone at the sudden outburst. Not wanting to damage my ears any further, I put the phone on speaker and placed it on the table before I flopped on the couch with a laugh. “Warn me next time, Hanji!”
"Oh! Sorry! It’s because it’s raining pretty hard here, so I have to make my voice louder!"
Now that she mentioned it, I could hear the rain in the background, sounds like it was raining heavily back in New York. “Don’t worry I have the phone on speaker now. How have you been?”
"I’m doing great! Sawney’s cute as always, he resembles his father a lot. You should have seen Moblit’s face when he took our cute little Sawney in his arms. He was in tears!"
Oh right. I almost forgot the fact that Hanji gave birth to a healthy baby boy two years ago. She sent me a photo of him and he really did share some of Moblit’s features. His dirty blonde hair being one of them. Levi was in the background talking with Moblit, he still had his sunglasses on when the photo was taken. My curiosity spiked up once again. I shook my head, realizing that Hanji had started rambling about a lot of things and I missed a lot of info already.
"….anyway! Congrats on becoming Humanity’s Best! You deserved the title. Oh! By the way, have you heard it from Mikasa?"
"Huh? Heard what from Mikasa? And thanks!" Heard what from Mikasa? Was she hiding something from me? How come she didn’t tell me? Various thoughts crossed my mind and I decided to shake it off. I’ll get my answers from Hanji soon.
"She didn’t tell you? That’s a surprise! I actually expected her to beat me to it!"
"Tell me what, exactly?" Okay, I’m terribly curious right now.
"Weeeeeeell…I guess I’ll do the honors of telling you then! Hey, guess what!"
"…What?""Levi had an eye surgery! He just got home today and it started raining heavily which got him in a pissy mood."My heart skipped a few beats after hearing the news. Levi remembered our deal. He kept his word. And more importantly…he can see again. “That’s great! How are his eyes?” I didn’t bother hiding my excitement cause I really was, and am, excited.
"He didn’t take his bandages off yet. But he’ll take them off next month!"
'Next month', I gulped. 'I'll be back in New York next month…'
"I heard from Armin that you’re coming back to New York! When? TELL ME! Sawney wants to meet his super famous uncle!"
I chuckled. When Sawney was born, Hanji already made me one of his uncles even if I wasn’t there to see him. “I’ll be back next month on March 30. It’s supposed to be March 31 but…you know how time zones work.”
"March 30! It’s your birthday right? We should celebrate once you arrive!"
That put a smile to my face, I find it weird how New York was more of a home to me than Germany was. It’s not that I hate Germany but…I’ve met a lot of people who mean a lot to me here in New York. And home is where I make it."That sounds great."Hanji and I spoke for another hour or so before we ended the call. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t talk to Levi but listening to Hanji’s stories of the past few years made me feel like I was there to experience it for myself. She told me everything in detail, after all.
"We’ll have to make the surprise REALLY BIG! Since it’s been a while since you’ve been to New York. We’ll make it a Happy Birthday and Welcome Back Celebration! Expect a very big surprise from us! Haha! Well, I’ll see you in a month, Eren! It’s great hearing from you again. Take care!"
"Yeah, you take care too. Tell Levi I said hi." I heard a noise of approval before hearing the phone beep, telling me that the conversation was indeed over. One month never felt this long until now.I want to go back to New York as soon as possible…—————————-Eren’s P.O.V End——————————"They’re at the hotel waiting for us. They reserved Hall Maria for the celebration," Mikasa said as she handed me my luggage."Hall Maria? If I remember correctly, that’s the biggest hall used for special occassions, right?" Eren gave the ravenette a silent thank you as she handed him more of his belongings, one being a bag full of sweets for Hanji’s niece, Sasha. They had met on Skype when Hanji was hospitalized, Sasha just happened to be there while he and the woman were speaking. She was really surprised to discover the fact that her aunt knows a famous singer like him.He’s not one to boast, but he was happy to learn the fact that she loves his music. He ended up promising to buy her some treats once he returns to New York, which was two years after their first meeting."Your birthday is special, Eren," Mikasa smiled as she got her luggage. "And Hanji said we’ll have a lot of guests.""Haha, I guess you’re right about that…" the singer chuckled as he put his trusty shades on. "We better hurry before anyone recognizes us.""Right," she flagged down a cab and carefully placed their belongings in the trunk.The ride from the airport to the hotel was approximately an hour or so. His heart started beating faster and faster as they got closer. What did they have in store for him? He wonders. Reserving Hall Maria is expensive, did they really have that much guests?It was currently six in the evening. He and Mikasa were aware of the welcome back party slash birthday party taking place the moment of their arrival, so they made sure to dress their best before they got on the plane. They didn’t have to worry about being tired since they had a nice rest during the ride back to New York."I’ve sent Armin a text. He says he’ll meet us on the parking lot," Mikasa reported as she placed her phone back in her purse. "Are you feeling okay, Eren?""Me? Oh um, I’m fine! Just excited, that’s all," Eren flashed her a smile. "Even though I already celebrated my birthday in Japan, I still can’t help but feel excited especially when everyone’s going to be here."She cracked another smile, “I’m excited too. Mrs. Zoe said something about a really big surprise.”"She told you too, huh? Crap…I’m twice as excited right now!" He turned to look out the window, passing by establishments both familiar and unfamiliar to him. Has it really been three years?"Eren."Mikasa’s voice snapped him out of his reverie, “Yeah?”"We’re here," she said, her eyes soften. It was clear that she shared the same sentiments with him. "Armin’s waiting for us inside.""Oh! Sorry ‘bout that," he chuckled, he was about to take his wallet out when she stopped him, telling him that she already took care of the payment."Um, excuse me?" Their heads turned to look at the driver who seemed to be searching for something. "You’re Eren Jaeger, right?"Eren’s eyes widened, he didn’t expect the man to hand him a notepad and a pen. He looked up at him, confused."Ahh…you see, it’s my daughter’s birthday today but I couldn’t afford to buy her anything because I got hospitalized a few months ago and that’s where all our money went," He raked his hair(or what’s left of it) with a hand before turning to look back at the singer. "She’s a really big fan of yours. I couldn’t afford to buy her a ticket to one of your concerts so when I realized that you’re my passenger right now, I wanted to take the opportunity to get your autograph…I hope you don’t mind…"He looked down at the blank notepad and back to the man before flashing him a grin, “Actually, it’s my birthday today too.” He chuckled when the man’s eyes widened as he signed the notepad before handing it back to him. “I’m sorry I can’t get her anything, your daughter seemed like she deserved something more than my name signed on paper. May I ask for your name? Your daughter’s, too.”"Ness. Dita Ness," the man’s eyes shone as though he were a little kid in a candy store. "My daughter’s name is Nifa. T-thank you so much.""I’m not really satisfied with giving someone a signed paper as a gift, and I was hoping that you’d give me your address, Mr. Ness. Is that alright?" Mikasa huffed, a smile present on her face. This wasn’t the first time Eren did something like this, so she took the liberty of getting out of the cab to take their luggage out of the trunk.Eren got out of the cab, pocketing a tiny slip of paper which had the cab driver’s address on it, no doubt. That man, Dita Ness, had left the parking lot happy, that’s for sure. Like every other parent whose children who enjoy Eren’s songs, they didn’t expect Eren to be…him. So earnest and natural, that’s what Mikasa liked about the brunette. He wasn’t one to put up an act, he couldn’t lie even if he wanted to."Sorry about that," the singer was all grins as he helped his manager carry the rest of the luggage back to the hotel. She only flashed him a gentle smile and nodded, she knows that he understands her. It’s okay."Eren! Mikasa! You’re here!"Armin had engulfed his two friends in a tight hug. He was wearing a formal yet casual outfit that consisted of a pair of black slacks, a white tee a black hoodie, and brown laced boots. He also had his hair tied in a neat ponytail. “The others are waiting upstairs, the party’s going to start soon, we better hurry!”"Uhh…what are we going to do about the luggage?" Eren took a deep breath once Armin pulled away.The blonde flashed him a smile, “Don’t worry, we reserved a room for you. It’s our old room, you’ll know where to find it. You know where Hall Maria is, right?”Mikasa nodded, “Do you have something planned? You seem like you’re in a hurry.”He looked down and fumbled with his fingers, “Yeah, actually I am. I’m one of the emcees tonight, I have to go back and help with the sound system. In the mean time you two can freshen up. The party starts at eight.”Eren smiled, “Alright. We should get going now, we only have an hour. I’ll see you in Maria?”Armin nodded, “Okay. Don’t take too long, alright?”"Yeah, yeah. Time’s not getting slower, you better get going Armin," the brunette chuckled, earning a fond smile from his manager."Let’s go," she said, nodding.———————————————They didn’t bother unpacking their things upon reaching their destination, Armin saved them some time by handing them the key card to their room. They spent a few minutes marveling at the fact that the room didn’t change much. They snapped out of their little trance after hearing a door slam from afar.It was very cold in Japan so he and Mikasa left wearing coats, New York’s not much different. It was still snowing for both countries after all. The cold wasn’t entirely unwelcome, though. In fact, Eren loved it.Mikasa left Eren’s side to retouch her makeup in the bathroom. She wasn’t one to wear makeup but she said Eren’s birthday is a special occasion so today was an exception. While Mikasa was busy fixing herself in the bathroom, Eren was lining their luggage against the wall. He tossed his cream colored trench coat on the bed afterwards, revealing his outfit underneath.His outfit consisted of a teal muffler, a black turtleneck with long sleeves, and black slacks complemented by a pair of black dress shoes. He tossed his muffler right beside his trench coat and unzipped one of his luggage, taking out a white tuxedo coat and was in the process of buttoning it after skipping the first two buttons.Mikasa came out of the bathroom three minutes later. Her makeup was light and complemented her features. And in contrast to his black turtleneck, she was wearing a white one, her trademark red scarf wrapped around her neck since she’s quite sensitive to the cold. Like him, she was wearing a pair of black slacks, her red heels perfectly matching her scarf."Are you ready?""Ah, almost. My hair is—" He was a little astonished to find her in front of him in a span of ten seconds to rest her index finger on his lips."—Fine," she smiled as she finished the brunette’s sentence for him. "No matter how many times you groom it, it won’t stay in place."Eren let out a huff, he knew she was right but couldn’t help but feel a little perturbed. “Okay, if you say so,” he shrugged, a grin replaced his scowl. “We better get going.”She nodded, remembering to lock the door before they left for Hall Maria. One thing’s for sure, they underestimated Hanji. When she said there’d be a lot of guests, they didnt expect her to invite the whole world to the party. Okay maybe that last part was exaggerated but still!Mikasa was about to pull him to a table when he heard someone call his name, making him turn around."EREN! MIKASA!" a familiar voice called. His eyes practically sparkled once he recognized the voice’s owner."SASHA!" he grinned, his voice matching her voice’s level of intensity. Mikasa turned around, acknowledging the aforementioned teen’s presence with a nod, a gentle smile present on her face."Sasha, it’s been a while," the ravenette regarded the teen fondly.The shorter brunette practically threw her weight on Eren, earning a chuckle from him. He patted her head fondly as he spoke, “Oh wow, your hair’s even longer than I remember! It’s nice to finally meet you in person!”"Yeah!" She pulled back with a grin, "Soooooooo~ Where are my promised sweets?!" her eyes sparkled at the mention of food. "You didn’t forget about your promise, did you?""No," Eren laughed gently, "No I didn’t. Mikasa made sure I wouldn’t.""They’re in our room at the moment, we can give them to you after the celebration," Mikasa suggested with a smile."Yay!" Sasha cheered, "That’s a promise~!""By the way…" he trailed off, looking around. "Is Connie here?""Yeah! We’re over here, come on! Follow me," Sasha grabbed both of their hands and led them to a table closest to the balcony. "Connie! Hey! Over here!!!"A short teen stood up and started waving his arms frantically, “HEEEEY!!!”Eren chuckled when he found out Connie was serious about keeping his buzz cut. Connie used to have a full head of hair, he had to shave it after losing a bet to Sasha. He was one of those people who didn’t believe Sasha that they chatted with each other on Skype through Hanji. He nearly lost it when he found out his food crazed best friend was telling the truth when he visited Sasha’s aunt with her.Once they were close enough, they got a better look at the other two people occupying the seats. One was a blonde haired teen with sideburns, the other was a girl with silky black hair kept in low pigtails."Whoa! Sasha wasn’t kidding!" the blonde spoke up, catching all their attention."Like I said," Connie smugly started. "Sasha, and I are pretty tight with Eren!"Sasha turned to face him, a smug grin present on her face. “Hehe! That’s right! But you didn’t believe in us!”"P-pleased to meet you E-Eren! My name is Mina. Mina Carolina. And I’m a big fan of yours!" the girl with pig tails spoke up, fumbling with her bag and got out a pen and a pad of paper. "I-if it’s not too much, may I ask for your autograph?"He flashed her a smile, “Relax, I won’t bite. You don’t have to act so formal,” he spoke as he signed the pad before handing it back to her."Y-yes, thank you!" Mina didnt bother hiding the happiness she felt as she held the notepad close to her heart. "Oh right! Happy birthday! Thanks for having us here, I honestly didn’t expect Sasha to invite us to your party…"Eren’s smile grew wider, “Thanks. But you shouldn’t be thanking me since I didn’t know about the party until Sasha’s aunt told me about it last month! Even I didn’t expect it.” He chuckled."I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be rude, but I haven’t introduced myself," the blonde spoke up, extending a hand. "I’m Thomas Wagner, Mina’s boyfriend. You’re a pretty okay guy.""Thomas, huh. I think Connie mentioned you before while I was Skyping with Hanji. Or was it Sasha?" said Eren as he gave Thomas’ hand a firm shake. "Nice to meet you.""It’s both actually, we told you about them before," Connie linked his arms with Sasha as he spoke. "You know, the overprotective boyfriend and head over heels fan of yours? This is them."Thomas sputtered, “O-overprotective?! I’m not overprotective! What else did you two tell him?!”Mina on the other hand didn’t deny the fact that she is indeed, in love with Eren’s music so she stayed quiet. Giggling at her boyfriend’s antics.Sasha burst out laughing, “You’re so overprotective! You were so against Mina going to Eren’s concert and buying his posters cause you thought she’d get whisked away by his charm.”Thomas turned beet red at the brunette’s words, whether it was from anger or embarrassment, Eren couldn’t tell. But that didn’t stop him from laughing at the teenagers. It reminded him a lot of his days in high school. It wasn’t that great but it wasn’t bad either."Look, I’m not being overprotective! I just don’t want my girlfriend to admire a guy who might end up like Justin Bieber. I mean, look at his fans and how he treats them!" Thomas said with a huff. "I’m actually relieved to find out Eren’s a great guy."Eren laughed, “I thought all Americans loved Justin! I don’t like him either, I actually thought not liking him was a crime here so I didn’t say anything.”"That’s right! You’re from Germany so you don’t know…!" Mina chirped."Well, rest assured that if ever you get bashed by his fans once they find out you don’t like him, you have our backs," Thomas grinned."Not just ours though, you basically have the whole world’s back!" Connie said with a nod."Haha, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind," the singer looked at them fondly. He had just met all of them in person and he can’t help but feel attached to them already. The fact that they treated him like he was one of them and not some celebrity made him happy.Come to think of it Hanji and Levi were like them too. Maybe that’s why he enjoyed their company after literally running into them. Well, into Levi. Speaking of which…where were they?"Hey Sasha," Eren leaned a little closer to the teen, "Where’s Hanji?""Oh, Aunt Hanji? She was here earlier, I’m not really sure where she is, though," Sasha replied as she took the seat between Connie and Eren. "The last time I checked she was talking with her police friends."Eren tilted his head, “The police…? You think Erwin would be here, Mikasa?”The ravenette pursed her lips, deep in thought. “Most probably. He was there during one of your Skype chats with Hanji during her pregnancy, was he not?”"You mean Captain America? Yeah I think I saw him here," Connie shrugged. "I heard from Sasha that he was one of Mrs. Zoe’s best buds in the force so I think it’s kinda expected that they invited him here.""True," Eren chuckled at the ‘Captain America’ comment. Now that Connie mentioned it, Erwin does look like Captain America’s splitting image.Sasha smacked the table as she laughed, ignoring the looks the other guests were giving her. “Oh my god, Connie!”"What? Admit it, he looks—no, is Steve Rogers!” the aforementioned male snapped at the brunette.Not wanting to interrupt the teens and their conversation, Eren tuned out the noise from their table and started looking around. It was his first time going to Hall Maria, and he was still awestruck at the fact that it can accommodate about one or two thousand people. Possibly more. That’s why it’s usually used for big conferences, or so he heard. Looking around, there were plenty of familiar faces.Shiganshina Records is one of the biggest recording company in the world, and there are a lot of successful singers under its name, Historia Reiss, also known as the “Goddess” of Shiganshina, being one of them.Speaking of Krista(Historia is just her stage name), the petite idol was waving at his direction. Ymir, her manager in tow.Mikasa noticed him wave back and leaned closer to his ear, “You go talk to them. I’ll keep them company.” She whispered, nodding her head to the teenagers’ direction."I won’t take long," Eren whispered back before making his way for the short blonde. "Krista! Ymir! It’s been a while," he grinned."It really has," Krista smiled, "Happy Birthday and Welcome Back, Eren!"Ymir snorted, her trademark smirk present as she spoke, “Well if it isn’t ol’ Humanity’s Best.”"Ymir!" the idol pouted. "It’s been years since we got to talk to Eren, be nice!""Yeah, yeah." The freckled brunette chuckled, giving Krista a pat. She made her way to Eren and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "You did a great job, congratulations.""Thanks. Speaking of which, will Reiner and Bertholdt be here?" Eren asked, looking around. "I heard they’ve been pretty busy while I was away.""That’s what she said," Ymir scoffed, earning a nudge from the petite blonde. "Fine, fine. I’m not their manager so I don’t know their schedules. But as far as I remember, they’re back in the country. Not sure if they’re in New York though.""Reiner said they’ll come if they can make it on time," Krista added."I see. It’s really been a while, I can’t believe I’m back in New York actually," Eren chuckled. "Honestly, this feels like a dream.""Cherish it while you can, ‘cause you’re about to wake up," Ymir says as she moves to her right, pulling Krista next to her.Before Eren could ask, he felt a strong force hit him from the back like a bullet train late for an appointment. He thought he’d end up on the floor when arms latched themselves around his torso and kept him in place."EREN!!! YOU’RE FINALLY HERE!"His ears nearly went deaf at the voice’s sheer intensity, he couldn’t tell who the owner of the voice was since his ears were still ringing. He caught Ymir mouthing ‘See you later’ and left with a hesitant Krista.Just when he was about to reply, he was whipped around and was face to face with an overly enthusiastic brunette clad in a purple dress."H-Hanji!" he managed to squeak out before getting trapped in another back breaking hug."Oh my it seems you got a little taller~!" Hanji chimed. "Ah, right! We brought Sawney along, wanna see him? I’m sure you do—"Nailed by a bean bag on the cheek.Hanji’s grip on the singer gradually loosens as she slowly slides down, rubbing her aching cheek."You trying to kill the brat, shitty glasses?"Eren’s eyes landed on a familiar figure. Was his voice always that deep? Maybe he just forgot how he sounded because of they’re lack of communication the past few years. That must be it. And instead of shades, he had bandages over his eyes this time. The raven was clad in a black dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up till his elbow, a white vest and black slacks."L-Levi…""Yo, Eren. It’s been a while," Levi said, raising a hand before using that same hand to yank Hanji back to a standing position. "You left your husband with your own brat the moment you saw Eren, what’s wrong with you?""But I see them everydaaaaaay and Eren just got baaaaaack," Hanji whined. "And it’s been years. Years I tell you!"Levi snorted, “I can’t believe he chose to marry you of all people.”"Psssh what do you know about marriage, Grumpy?” the bespectacled woman ended her statement by sticking her tongue out.Their little exchange was interrupted by Eren’s growing laughter. “I’m sorry,” he pauses to laugh some more. “It’s just that I missed you guys, even your arguments.”"Eren."The singer’s head perked up at the mention of his name, “Hm?”Levi took a few steps forward and ruffled the brunette’s hair fondly. “Congratulations, brat. You worked hard.”Eren looked down, cheeks slightly flushed, “T-thanks. That means a lot to me.”"Well then—!"The sound of someone tapping on a microphone interrupted the bespectacled woman from speaking and grabbed her attention. And from the looks of it, it got everyone’s attention as well.

"Mic test. Mic test. One, two, three."

It got his undivided attention after his mind realized that it was Armin’s voice that resounded from the speakers."Oh it’s Armin!" Hanji grinned.

"Okay. Hello everyone, my name is Armin Arlert and I’m one of your emcees for tonight. I would like to inform everyone that the party’s about to begin. Tonight, we’ll be having a band perform to provide entertainment.

Eren blinked, “A band? What for?”"Pfft, you think we’d let you sing on your birthday? That’s what you’ve been doing the past few years! Think of this as a vacation!" Hanji says as she patted his back."You should have expected something likes this from Hanji," Levi comments, earning a smack on his shoulder.

"I’m sure all of you have questions concerning the band, the band’s name is No Name. The band was created for this specific occasion as the members are guests for this party as well. There would be other performers from Shiganshina Records but No Name will be playing most of the night."

Well, that explains why he hasn’t heard of the band before. But who would start one for his sake? As far as he knows the other song artists are too busy to be working on something like this."Oh, we better get going, Eren," the bespectacled woman says. "I need to pick something up from Moblit. You go ahead and join the others in the table.""Ah, right! See you at the table then?" Eren replied, waving at the departing duo. Levi was mumbling profanities as Hanji dragged him farther and farther from the singer.

"The band will take a few minutes to prepare. For the mean time please sit back and relax. Thank you."

"Hey Eren, where’d Aunt Hanji go?" Sasha asked, leaning closer to him."She said she wanted to pick something up from Mr. Berner," he replied."Ohhhh, she must mean Sawney," she grinned. "He’s such a cutie, he reminds me of a baked potato."
B-baked potato?!
"Ewwgh Sash, don’t tell me you’re planning to eat your cousin," Connie grimaced."Shut it watermelon head," Sasha snickered. "You don’t see me eating you!""W-watermelon head?!"In contrast to the bickering duo, Mina and Thomas kept to themselves and admired their surroundings in silence. Mikasa tapped him on the shoulder lightly to grab his attention."How’s uncle?" she asks."Oh, Levi? Well, he seems well. He still has his bandages on, though," Eren replied as he rubbed the back of his neck—a nervous habit he can’t seem to break.She smiled, leaning in her seat, “I see. I haven’t spoken to him in a while…”"Yeah—" Eren was about to turn his head upon hearing the high pitch shriek of the microphone when Mikasa grabbed his arm. "Mikasa?""Ymir and I talked for a while, she invited us to hang out with the others later after the party," she paused to make sure he was listening. "You’re coming, right?""Oh! Uhh…sure. I need to give Sasha her souvenirs first," he says. A little suspicious of Mikasa’s actions but decided to shrug it off.

"The party’s going to start now. Thanks for waiting everyone! And now, we give you No Name!"

The ravenette didn’t stop him from turning his head this time.He spotted Armin move to his spot behind his trusty organ. He was right behind a brown haired man—woman clad in a black suit and had bandages over her eyes.Across his blonde friend was a strawberry blonde woman whom he recognizes to be Petra Ral, a world renown pianist. The blonde man behind the drum set sported a mustache and a beard, and just like the brunette he wore a black suit and had bandages over his eyes.His breath hitched when his eyes landed on the lead singer. Everything clicked the moment he recognized him. It was Levi. And instead of his outfit earlier, he wore a black suit and his bandages stayed on.The other was Hanji no doubt, judging by the way she’s grinning as she lightly strummed her bass guitar.Levi took a few steps forward and grabbed the mic stand, he paused to scan the room. Which was ridiculous considering the fact that he has bandages on. The raven took a deep breath and so did Eren.

"Kneel, pigs."

Is this what Hanji meant by surprise? Because he definitely didn’t see this one coming. He was the only one in the dark all this time.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Four years later...
"And then what happened?""He was just getting to that part, Izzy," Farlan said with a huff. "You seriously need to be more patient.""It wouldn't hurt to ask, stupid!" Isabel said, sticking her tongue out."Why you Izzy--""No fighting you two," I say as I gently patted their heads. "Uncle Levi's tired from work, he'll get angry if you wake him up.""...Sorry." both children said in unison.I chuckled. Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church.Speaking of which, it's been a few years since we started going out, Levi went back to the force while I took a break from my career. It wasn't anything dramatic, really. I just thought that it was time to make way for the new stars so they can shine their brightest.Just like how I did.Right now I'm watching over Levi's niece, Isabel and her friend, Farlan. Both of their parents are busy with work so they didn't have anyone to watch over them.Farlan's parents weren't normally this busy, but they had important matters to attend to today. So he decided to hang around a little while longer since his parents would be picking him up some time after dinner.Isabel's parents on the other hand, are on the same force Levi was in, which explains how they knew him. Both are currently out of the country due to a business trip that would last 2 whole months. Until then, Isabel will be living with us. Not that I mind. Izzy's a really sweet child. She reminded me a lot of myself when I was her age. In this case, ten.I didn't expect her to cling to me during our first meeting, though. To think that she was also a fan of mine...what a surprise it was.Isabel's a very energetic child so I have to distract her from trashing our home. I'm sure Levi wouldn't like that. I decided to give Isabel some singing lessons to prevent such disaster from happening. We're currently taking a break from lessons which somehow led to a story session. Not that I mind since it distracts the children anyway.While Isabel looked up to me, Farlan on the other hand looked up to Levi. He dreamed of becoming just like him when he grows up.And needless to say, Isabel adores her uncle and the thought of him dating her idol excites her to no end."S-so...what happened next?" Farlan was the first to break the silence."Yeah! Tell us what happened!" Isabel followed suit."Okay, okay. Let's see...if I remember correctly, the next thing that happened was..."--------------------------------------
I stood up from my seat as the crowd's loud applause dominated Hall Maria while No Name owned the stage during their first performance. They told me all about their plans during their first break.

I felt so stupid after learning that they've been planning this ever since the Sina Music Awards. The part where Levi and Mikasa haven't spoken in a while was a lie, almost everything was. The only thing true was the fact that it was all for me.

I asked Levi if he could take his bandages off, but he said that putting it on wasn't as easy as taking it off and No Name was going to perform most of the night, so taking it off was out of the question. I was a little disappointed, but they threw this party for me so I might as well enjoy myself. I didn't drink much since that never ends well. But still, it felt strange having the whole crew of Shiganshina Records throw me a party, but Mr. Pixis was known for his eccentricity so I should have known better.

Thomas and Mina excused themselves around 10 in the evening since that was the latest Mina's father would allow her to stay out. Sasha and Connie on the other hand helped themselves to the buffet. I don’t blame them, the food was great. Even so, I spent most of my time on the balcony since the air felt nice. I don’t know how much time had passed while I was there. It was when Mikasa called my attention did I realize that it was a couple of minutes before midnight.
-------------------------------------------"What is it, Mikasa?" Eren asked, turning away from the view of the city. "Need me for something?""Not exactly, but..." she nodded her head towards the party’s direction. "I think you should listen to No Name’s last performance for the night. Armin’s joining them again.""Armin, huh… I’m starting to think he’s been hanging out with them more than he does with us," he trailed off, a smile on his face as he looked back at the night sky. "Alright, I'll be there."Tonight was a night filled with surprises, he wasn’t sure what to expect anymore especially since its the final performance. Would there be poppers? Fireworks in the sky, maybe? He doesn't know, but he'll never know if he doesn't go. He realized he missed the first few parts of Hanji's impromptu speech, but he was relieved that he only missed the introduction.

"...No Name was the band we formed in our high school years, and from the first song till the song before now, those were the songs we performed back in the day. All of which were written by Levi, Mike and I. Armin and Petra helped us revive the first song we’ve ever played together as a band and it was amazing working with them. But not even a revival could compare to our next and last song."

The spotlight focused on Armin as he made his way down the stairs, wireless microphone in his hand. The other guests made a path for him as he headed straight for the brunette."A-Armin?" The only response he got from the blonde was a smile."Normally this usually comes first when it comes to birthday parties, but tonight is special. We want this to be a birthday you'll always remember," Armin took a deep breath and nodded towards the stage. Hanji and Levi started singing first, followed by Armin and Mikasa, who was just standing right behind Eren. Soon the other singers working under Shiganshina Records joined in as they sang Happy Birthday to Eren.Two other voices joined in the middle of the song, two voices he hasn't heard for a while but he knows so well. The lights went dim, spotlights focusing on two people he didn’t notice before, standing right beside Levi.His eyes widened and before he knew it, he started running up the stage, engulfing his parents in a hug. Cutting them off from their singing, but the others continued."I see that you're still a crybaby, Eren," Carla cooed as she patted his head.Eren backed away as he vigorously wiped his tears away with his sleeve. "I'm--I'm not crying!""I told you he didn’t change much, dear. It’s as if he never left Germany at all," Grisha chuckled, ruffling his son’s hair. "Happy birthday, son."It was a tear jerking reunion, it was the best birthday he could ever have. When he was still a newbie, he had time to contact his parents. But as he got more popular he got busier and busier, even if his parents understood that he had his reasons, it didn’t stop him from feeling guilty. His father was a surgeon and his mother, a teacher. He didn’t want to be selfish and tell them to come visit him in New York since they were just as busy as he was. And to think they’d be here for his 23rd birthday…He bonded with his parents, sharing his adventures as a singer. It felt good speaking in his mother tongue, it gave him a sense of familiarity. He was happy, so happy that the initial shock he felt didn’t go away. And so he excused himself to get some fresh air, letting his parents enjoy the rest of their party. He was quite surprised to see someone else in the balcony."Hey," he called.Levi looked over his shoulder, "Ah, it’s just you." He turned to look at what’s in front of him, "Finished bonding with your parents?"Eren stood beside the raven haired man, looking up the sky, "Yeah. I’m just here for some fresh air, I still couldn’t get over all that shock.""That’s Hanji for you," Levi replied. "But it seems that Arlert is just as devious as her, maybe at the same level as Erwin.""Mr. Smith? Really?" Eren’s eyes widened in bewilderment. "He didn’t seem like the devious type though..."Levi scoffed, "That’s what he wants you to think.""So Captain America isn’t exactly Captain America?" the brunette idly asked, resting his arms on the balcony railings. He heard Levi snort, but he didn’t say anything. The silence prompted him to look up at night sky, watching the stars twinkle. "The stars are beautiful tonight.""Is that so?"The brunette let out a huff as he turned to look at the man beside him, "I’m serious. You should see it." He returned his gaze to the sky, his breath hitched when he saw a shooting star. "...You don’t know what you’re missing."The silence that followed was a comfortable one. Eren didn’t expect it to break so soon though, especially if it’s the man beside him doing the breaking."It’s...not bad.""What?"Eren turned to look at the man, who just happened to look at him at the same time. His breath hitched for the second time as his emerald orbs stared into Levi’s steel blue ones. He wasn’t sure if he was just imagining the equally surprised look on Levi’s face since it disappeared as quick as it came. But if there’s one thing he’s a hundred percent sure of at the moment, it’s the fact that Levi can see again. And he’s looking right at him.Levi was the first to look away, clearing his throat before speaking, "What?"The brunette looked away to hide his embarrassment, "N-nothing. I didn’t expect you to remove your bandages so..." he inwardly cursed his current manner of speaking."Ahh..." unlike the brunette, the raven had already regained his composure. "I’m done for the night so I don’t have a reason to keep this thing on anymore." He replied, referring to the bandages now loosely wrapped around his neck."Oh...right," Eren dared looking at the raven again. "Your eyes look nice." Nice? What the fuck’s wrong with you, Eren?! They're gorgeous, not nice!"These aren’t mine," Levi turned to face him as he spoke, index finger pointed at his eye. "I had a transplant since my eyes were beyond repair. I was born with gray eyes in case you were wondering.""Well, I'm sure your eyes were just as pretty as your eyes now," the brunette replied without thinking, only to blush in embarrassment after realizing what he just said. Shit. Holy shit! What the fuck did I just say?!The raven chuckled, "My eyes are nothing special compared to yours."Eren quirked a brow, "What makes you say that? Having green eyes isn’t that uncommon.""I suppose so," Levi returned his gaze to the stars. "Hanji told me that your eyes change color depending on the lighting. I was skeptical at first, but now I believe her.""Huh? They do?" Eren cupped his face. T-they do that? Really? "W-what color are they now?"His question prompted the other man to walk a few steps towards him before leaning closer and closer to his face. Close enough to feel the raven's breath on his lips. He found himself unable to break away from Levi's gaze. His heart was beating too fast to his liking, his throat got uncomfortably dry and he was starting to consider jumping off the balcony just to get rid of the strange feeling in his gut."Blue."
Huh?
"What?""Your eyes," Levi leaned his back against the railings. "Right now they're blue.""Woah...I never knew they did that until now..." Eren said in awe, his earlier embarrassment temporarily forgotten.Levi snorts at his reaction, "I can tell."They started catching up after years of not seeing each other. That was how he found out that Levi got his sight back around the second week of January since he had the operation on the last week of December. Which was just two weeks after the Sina Music Awards. The fact that he and Ms. Petra Ral were classmates in high school was a shocker. But all in all, the party ended on a happy note.Reiner and Bertholdt made it to the party, Annie, a close friend of theirs turned out to be an officer working under Erwin so they were more than happy to see her there. His parents are staying in the room next to his and lastly, Sasha finally got the promised souvenirs(sweets) from him. Levi offered his niece to stay at his place so it was just Armin and Eren in the hotel room. Once they finally managed to assure Mikasa that they’ll be alright, they bid each and everyone good night and went on their separate ways.---------------------------------------------"It looks like her flight finally took a toll on her, at least she had fun at the party," Hanji says, looking over her shoulder. Sawney was sleeping peacefully in her arms while Moblit was the one driving them all home."I can say the same thing to your niece," Levi says with a snort. "...passing out after stuffing her face senseless with sweets.""It just means they taste good," she chuckled."What about Baldy over here?" the raven referred to the teen with the buzz cut with a look of disdain, more specifically his drool."Ah, both Connie and Sasha are staying over at our place. They’re currently on their spring break," Moblit replied."Spring break...yet it’s still snowing out," Levi murmured, looking out the window."Yeah, it doesn't always snow on March but what can we do?" Hanji says, looking out the window as well. "So....Levi, I saw you and Eren having a rather...intimate chat earlier. How'd it go?"Moblit managed to hit the breaks on time before he crashed into the car in front of them during a red light. "You were watching them?!""Calm down Moblit, dear," Hanji had the gall to laugh it off. "I’m just looking after my grumpy midget of a friend here.""Hanji…" The poor man looked like he wanted to have a break down. Levi almost felt sorry for him, but even if these two idiots act like this, they’re actually a happily married couple. He knows just as much.Watching the lights turn green, Levi sighed after realizing that the driver was still preoccupied with his wife. "Berner, the light’s green now.""A-ah, right. Sorry..."Once Moblit's attention was back on the road, Levi's attention went back to the traffic lights.They were green.Green like the color of Eren’s eyes.But it’s not the same. Nothing can compare to Eren’s eyes. He’s seen the singer on different magazine covers and none of them captured the sheer intensity of his eye color. Tonight was the first time he saw Eren’s eyes up close, it wasn’t the green he hoped to see, but it was just as beautiful.Levi leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes as he recalled the memory of them talking on the balcony. The way Eren’s bright eyes widened when their eyes met. The way he tensed up when he got closer and closer. Not to mention the way Eren’s eyes sparkled when he answered his question.Fuck, he just used Eren’s innocent question as an excuse to take a better look at his eyes. This is bad. For him to resort to underhanded methods like this…he’s got it bad. He's got it real bad."Levi? We're here," Moblit's voice snapped him out of his internal battle.Levi gave him a nod before tapping his niece's arm which was (thankfully) enough to wake her up. "We're already here."While Mikasa went straight to bed, the raven on the other hand had other plans. He fixed himself a cup of tea after changing into more comfortable clothes which comprised of a white sweater and black track pants. He sat himself on his couch, sipping on his tea as he recollected his thoughts. He picked his phone up after finishing his drink, he searched for Eren in his contacts.That’s right...They exchanged numbers after their conversation, right before the party ended. Levi’s brows knitted together as he thought of what to send. Would he still be up at this time? More importantly, what was he trying to achieve by sending the brunette a text? He continued this internal battle until his phone started vibrating. Who the hell would send him a text this late?Eren. That’s who.Levi took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He’s a 34 year old man, not a fucking teenager. He already passed that stage ages ago, get your act together!He felt like a total idiot after reading the text.Eren: Hi.That’s it. Just hi. He got all worked up just for this. Slightly annoyed, he sent him a quick reply.Levi: What the hell are you doing still up?The reply came as quick as the first message.Eren: I can’t sleep.Before he could even type out a reply, Eren surprised him with another message.Eren: Σ(|||▽||| ) Fuck! Did I wake you up?Levi: What the fuck’s up with that face? And no. I wasn’t asleep to begin with.Eren: Ah...that’s good. Oh, it’s just something I picked up during my stay in Japan. They have a LOT of these things it’s insane!Japan. Of course.Levi typed another quick response before getting out of his seat to take care of his cup.Levi: I see. So, what are you doing texting me this late?His phone vibrated in his pocket while he was washing his cup along with the plates left behind earlier(he would have worked on them if only Hanji didn’t drag him out of his home a few hours ago). He checked the message after making sure that his hands were dry, his back leaning against the kitchen island.Eren: I just wanted someone to talk to. To you know...just pass the time with.He quirked a brow at that.Levi: What would you have done if I was asleep?This time it took the brunette a while to reply. He was probably thinking of what to say. Just when Levi thought that he gave up on replying, his phone vibrated.Eren: I don’t know...I was actually hoping that you were still up? Knowing Mikasa she’s probably out cold right now.Levi: Mikasa’s in a fucking coma if you’d ask me. How come you’re still up when she’s so dead beat?Eren: I’ve been having a hard time going to sleep nowadays. I usually go out and take a walk but… (; _ _ )Levi: But…?Eren: But...I usually go with Armin, but he’s tired from planning the party so I didn’t want to bother him. I was hoping if...you would accompany me?He didn’t realize that a few minutes had already passed when his phone notified him Å another text.Eren: It’s okay if you don’t want to. I’ll just have to come up with another solution… Sorry for bothering you. Good night Levi. (o　_ _)o ｚｚＺLevi hit the call button and bolted to his room to change into his jeans, snatch a black winter coat from his closet, and lastly a scarf which he hastily wrapped around his neck. He was in the middle of putting his winter boots on when Eren picked up.
"Lev--"
"Meet me at the ground floor, I’m picking you up," he stood up and grabbed his wallet and car keys from his drawer. Getting his driver's license renewed last month was currently the best decision he's ever made within the past few months.
"P-pick me up? What for?"
"I’m taking you out for a cup of coffee. I know this place called Inocencio. It’s a cafe that’s open 24/7, it’s not that far," Levi jumped off the porch, skipping all the steps and went straight to his garage. Being fit has its perks. "Your ass better be there by the time I reach the hotel."He didn’t give the singer the chance to reply when he ended their call, tossing his phone on the passenger seat. It's been a while since he drove this fast.-------------------------------------------------Eren practically threw himself at his luggage, searching for clothes that would best suit the weather."Where are you going?" Armin asked, a little curious after the call earlier.First Eren was disappointed that Levi didn't reply to his text, next, he almost dropped his phone on the floor when Levi called, and now he's desperately digging through his clothes. What was going on?"He's taking me out for a cup of coffee," Eren replied as he threw his shirt off, replacing it with a white sweater. He hopped into his jeans and grabbed a brown coat from his luggage."Coffee? This late?!""He knows a cafe that's not too far from here," the brunette replied as he stomped his feet to make sure that his boots were on tightly. He was about to walk out the door when Armin called his attention."Do you have your wallet with you?""I have it," Eren flashed him a smile, "Thanks for everything, Armin."And with that said, he left for the elevator, leaving his blonde friend smiling to himself.Eren didn't have to wait too long. Ten minutes had already passed when Levi entered the hotel. Their eyes locking on to each other."You ready?"He didn't realize that he was holding breath."Yeah."It turns out the cafe really wasn't that far from the hotel, which is why Levi parked his car in the hotel's parking lot and decided to walk their way there. The walk itself was nice and peaceful.When they got there, they were greeted by a blonde man named Angelo Aaltonen, the owner of the cafe. He was a bit of an eccentric in an endearing way. Just like Hanji. Levi was a regular at this cafe so he knew the menu like the back of his hand. Eren ordered a caramel latte while the other ordered black coffee.They talked about anything and everything, be it Eren’s life in Germany or Levi’s life while he was still in the force(which is bad ass as hell, by the way). They left the cafe around 2:30 in the morning, talking more while they were on their way back to the hotel. They bid each other goodnight before going on their separate ways.After that day, going to the cafe at 1 o’clock on the dot became an unspoken promise between the two. Day after day they met in the same cafe without fail. No one knew of this arrangement except for Armin and eventually, Mikasa, but the latter decided to feign ignorance for the sake of her uncle.As they continued their meetings, they got to know more of each other. Their likes, their dislikes, even the smallest details matter to them. Their meetings continued on for a year, Levi had joined the force again during this time. Despite their busy schedules, they still managed to go to the cafe without fail.And one fateful night, Levi finally asked him out.-------------------------------------------------------"That’s so romantic!" Isabel squealed, jumping up and down."You’ve been dating for three years?" Farlan asks in awe. "Isn’t that really long?"Eren chuckled, "Yeah. Actually, we’re still--""...Eren."Eren swiftly turn around to take a good look of his lover, "Ah, sorry, did we wake you up?""No, it’s about time I woke up anyway," the raven says as he made his way towards the brunette and kissed him on the cheek.  "...and it’s about time we prepared dinner. Farlan’s parents are on their way."Eren turned his attention to the wall clock, "Oh shit you’re right!" He was about to jog his way to the kitchen when he remembered something. "Don’t tell your parents I said it in front of you guys, got it?"Isabel and Farlan snickered before replying, "Got it!"Levi followed the brunette with his eyes, redirecting his attention to the children once his lover’s back completely disappeared into the kitchen. "Did you two behave? Did you give Eren any trouble?"Farlan saluted, standing straight, "Yes, sir! We didn’t cause Eren any trouble, Izzy even ate her veggies...most of them!""I did my best but I just can’t stand broccoli..." Isabel whined.The raven chuckled as he patted the children, "Good job soldiers--"'FUCK!'
CLANG!
'I’m okay! I’m okay! Don’t worry!'Levi didn’t miss a beat when he made his way for the kitchen, leaving the children to stare blankly after him.'Levi, I said I'm okay!''Like I'll risk having you get hurt. Move over, I'll handle the slicing. You go take out the rest of the ingredients.'...Fine.'The children snickered to each other, freezing when Levi peeked out of the kitchen, "Isabel, Farlan, go set the table while Eren and I prepare dinner.""Yes, sir!" the two reply in unison.Farlan’s parents arrived half an hour after dinner, they left after thanking the couple for taking good care of their son. Isabel got ready for bed after seeing her friend off, remembering to brush her teeth before going to sleep. Eren tucked the girl in her bed and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before exiting her room."What have you been telling them?" Levi asked, looking over his shoulder. He was currently sitting on the couch organizing some files."I was just telling them how we met, that’s all," Eren replied as he sat next to his lover. "It wasn’t exactly a short story, so we ended up using the rest of the afternoon.""I suppose," Levi murmured, his brows knitting together as he searched for a certain file."Need any help?" Eren laughed gently when the raven let out an affirmative grunt.They settled into comfortable silence as they worked on the files together. Time started flying by then, it was already 1 o’clock by the time he checked the wall clock. "Coffee?""Yeah."There was one tiny detail that Eren unintentionally left out earlier: he and Levi never stopped going to Inocencio even when they started living together. But ever since Isabel moved in with them last month, they couldn’t just leave her in the house alone, it’s dangerous. And waking her up at one in the morning is not an option, so they decided to just drink coffee at home. Old habits die hard.Eren rested his head on the raven’s shoulder after finishing his coffee. "I heard Mikasa’s getting married to one of your subordinates.""...Who?""Hanji.""I’ll fucking kill her later," Levi sighed, raking his hair with a hand. "Yeah, it’s Kirschtein.""Jean? It’s about time," Eren and Jean didn’t get along at first. It all started with the brunette catching him on the act of checking out his manager’s ass. Levi obviously caught wind of it and disciplined the younger officer. After realizing that Jean really held feelings for Mikasa, they started getting along. It wasn’t easy convincing her uncle though, especially after Mikasa told him that she liked Jean too."Yeah," Levi murmured before kissing the crown of Eren’s head. "...it’s about time."…….……………. "...Did you say something, Levi?" Eren asked, looking up at the man.Levi leaned down to kiss him, having the most tender expression on his face when he pulled back. "I said, 'Marry me, Eren.'"Green eyes widened in shock, tears welling up in his eyes when the raven presented him a ring and slipped it on his left ring finger."Your response…?""Yes…yes!" Eren cried as he engulfed him in a hug. "Of course I’ll marry you..."Little did they know that they were being watched by a pair of green eyes. Isabel retreated back to her room, a smile evident on her face. -------------------------The Future-------------------------- 
'We heard that you attended former Humanity’s Best, Eren Jaeger’s wedding last month?'

'Oh yes! It was absolutely beautiful. Being able to sing on the same stage as him is a dream come true!'

'It’s a wonder how you managed to attend such a big event despite your busy schedule.'

'He went through the trouble of personally inviting me to his wedding so I made time. I idolize him very much, even now!'

'Oh! Is there a particular reason why?'

'There is! Back when I was still in high school, my father promised me a ticket to Eren’s concert for my birthday. He got into an accident so the money went to the hospital bills so we couldn’t afford Eren’s ticket any more. My father’s just a taxi driver after all.'

'Ahh...what happened after that?'

'Haha… by some strange luck, Eren was his passenger, on my birthday too! My father asked for his autograph while Eren asked for address. Both of us were confused at first, especially when his manager dropped by our place the next day. She told us that Eren had a busy day so she came in his stead. I didn’t expect to receive so much gifts on my birthday!'

'What were they?'

'His autograph, teddies, and all of his albums! It was the best day of my life, I almost fainted on the spot.'

'That’s amazing! Oh dear our time is almost up, it’s an honor having you here with us Ms. Nifa.'

'I had fun today as well.'

'May we ask you to sing one last song before we end our show?'

'Sure thing.'

'Once again, we bring you, Super Idol Nifa!'