Be My Salvation (Ereri/Riren)

XXVII

The flow of this chapter is a little weird imo, but I don't care that much due to the overload of fluff. ♥

Sorry it took so long to get this up, but it's almost 6K words so I hope that makes up for it~

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Over the course of the next several months, it was rare that Levi wasn't on Eren's mind. Most dreams he recalled upon waking consisted of him in some form, and his waking thoughts were hardly different. Nights continued to feel a bit lonelier without him, but it was more of a bittersweet solitude than a painful one.

On every trip Petra took to visit Levi to check up on him, Eren accompanied. Every month he felt he anticipated it more than the last despite the date never being completely consistent. Internally he counted down the months, weeks, and days until Thanksgiving break when Levi would come home again and spend an entire, full six days with them again, and at some points it felt like the only thing keeping him going.

As usual for him, he passed the time reading, studying, doing chores, playing with the animals, and playing video games with Marco. Through most of this, he knew it was just passing time, filling it up with distractions until Levi's Thanksgiving break rolled around. But as long as it kept him going and kept his thoughts away from the future past those six days, it was enough.

The morning they were supposed to go pick him up, Eren felt like a little kid on Christmas because he was the first one up, not-so-patiently pacing the sunroom waiting for everyone else. When Petra found him, she only grinned and recruited him to help make breakfast.

"We're leaving right after breakfast, right?" he whispered to her over a pan of frying hash browns.

The woman chuckled. She paused in chopping green peppers to squeeze him around the shoulders. "Of course, sweetheart."

Breakfast seemed to last a lifetime; Eren had never been so impatient for something in his entire life - not even when he'd been waiting to bring Zoë home, and that had him questioning just how much Levi meant to him the entire time he was scarfing down his eggs and hash browns. He readily volunteered to help with the dishes to get them done quicker and, to his fortune, he and Petra were on their way down the road soon after.

~

Levi awaited their arrival on a bench not far from the front entrance of the boys' dorm, shaded by a tree that had nearly completely shed its leaves for winter. Said leaves scattered around the grass and sidewalk beneath where the tree was rooted. The day was on the warmer side, much to his preference.

He'd been flipping through a book - one on the list of Eren's favorites - as he waited when a new shadow appeared in the corner of his eye and the bench beneath him shifted slightly. He glanced up to find none other than Eren, bright eyes, wide smile and all sitting beside him. He leaned in, eyes directed at the book.

"I'll Give You the Sun, huh?" he murmured.

"Hello to you, too," Levi said, letting the book fall close.

"Hey," Eren chuckled. "Ready to go?" He nodded toward the parking lot. Levi's eyes followed to see Petra's car idling beside the curb.

"Yup," he said, reaching for his bag. The two rose to their feet, and before Levi could head for the car, Eren's arms encircled his shoulders, hugging him with all his might.

Levi couldn't deny himself a small smile as he returned the embrace, reveling in the feeling of Eren's soft warmth, in his sweet scent and the comfortable familiarity of him. And, admittedly enjoying the butterflies that came along with his presence.

"C'mon, kid," Levi murmured, tugging back a little. "Petra's waiting."

"Oops," Eren chuckled. Resisting the urge to take Levi's hand, they headed back toward the car.