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Levi couldn't wit much longer for this boring-ass meeting to be over with. His mind felt heavy with his own thoughts and he had a lot he needed to get done before the sun began to set. How could he prepare for tonight if Erwin wouldn't shut the fuck up? Everyone already knew everything Erwin was droning on about, and Levi was continuously growing impatient. As Erwin continued talking about next month's plans and strategies, Levi began to get lost in his thoughts again. Hanji scooted her way over to him, interested in what the grumpy man was thinking about. She leaned onto the table, cupping her cheek into her palm and tilting her head sideways. She gave Levi a knowing look.
"Are you nervous for tonight? That isn't like you." She quietly whispered, staring at him. Levi turned to glare at her, attempting to mask his emotions. He ultimately failed, though. Hanji wasn't one to give up when she wanted answers, and so she began to bounce her leg up and down, making more noise than what was needed or accepted. Levi sighed, exasperated by her shenanigans.
"I'm not nervous." He answered, flatly. The lie only prompted her to scoot closer to him, grinning wildly.
"That's a damn lie and we both know it. Now try again!" She chirped. Levi rubbed his face with his hands, not wanting to have to talk about this. It was more than mildly annoying that nobody could get anything past Hanji. The raven-haired man looked up to the front of the room to see if Erwin was done yet. Of course, he had no such luck. There was no getting out of this conversation. He turned his attention back to Hanji.
"I just.. I want tonight to go smoothly. That's all." Levi finally admitted. Hanji nodded, knowing how important tonight was to Levi. Levi was her best friend in this shitty world, and she knew him the absolute best. There wasn't a lot Levi cared for, so when he did care about something, he usually cared with the entirety of his heart. It made sense to her why her friend was so stressed about tonight.
"No matter what happens, or how tonight goes, Eren will always care for you." She reassured him, patting his shoulder.
Levi rolled his eyes and moved slightly away from her. Before he could offer his rebuttal, Erwin announced that the meeting was officially over. Levi stood up quickly and took off to his bedroom. Once inside his room, he quickly began to pack one of his bags. When he was finished putting the contents into the bag he made his way towards the trainees' hallway. He glanced around to make sure nobody was near, and then he slipped a note into the crack under Eren's door. Now that he was done with that, he left and walked to his favorite spot. He began setting it up, being careful with the way he decorated. He didn't want to overdo it but he also wanted to make sure it was enough to make Eren smile.
Once he was finished, he admired his handiwork. He had laid out a blanket of his on the ground and had surrounded the blanket with candles. He lit the candles and smiled to himself, hoping Eren would appreciate his efforts. Now that the scenery was perfect there was nothing left to do than to wait for Eren to arrive.
The sound of crunching leaves and a twig snapping pulled Levi out of his thoughts. He quickly stood up and turned around just in time to see Eren coming down through the pathway of trees. He hurried over to greet Eren near the opening. His breathing hitched and his heart started beating faster as his eyes met with the younger brunette's. Eren paused cautiously as soon as he was right in front of his Captain.
"Corporal, you wanted to see me?" Eren quietly asked, fidgeting with his hands nervously.
"Yes. Come, follow me." The raven-haired man gently took Eren's arm and lightly pulled, guiding the younger man through the trees. When they rounded the corner Levi heard Eren gasp. Eren took in everything at once. His eyes wandered from the candles, to the makeshift bed, and back to Levi. His awe was apparent and it made Levi feel warm.
"Um, Captain.. What is all of this?" Eren gestured wildly. Levi couldn't help but inch closer to the younger man. It was instinct for him now. He took Eren's hand into his own and led him to the blanket. They sat down, facing one another. Eren waited patiently for the Captain to speak. It was minutes before the older man could find the words he was so desperately searching for.
"Eren," Levi started, breath shaking and hands trembling. Eren squeezed Levi's hands into his, encouraging him to continue. Levi decided to try again. "This is the place where I go when I need to clear my head. It's where I come when I need some peace, or when I'm trying to make some sense of the world we live in."
Eren slowly nodded his head, trying to understand what his Corporal was getting at. The raven-haired man understood Eren's confusion and realized he was going to have to be blunt and direct. Eren was never skilled in deciphering Levi's cryptic words. His cluelessness was one of the things Levi adored about him. Levi cupped the brunette's cheeks.
"This is the most important place to me. I've never shown this place to anyone. I brought you here because you're the most important person to me." Levi breathed out, leaning his forehead against Eren's. Eren's gorgeous green eyes began to shimmer in the candlelight, and Levi noticed that Eren's eyes were welling with tears. He gently pulled away. He began to wipe the tears away.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." The Corporal began apologizing, which only made Eren giggle. He grabbed the back of Levi's neck and pulled him closer.
"No, you idiot. These are happy tears. I'm so happy right now, Levi." Eren laughed with a wide grin. The sight of Eren's stunning smile only helped to reaffirm Levi's feelings for the younger man. At that moment, Levi fell in love with him all over again. "But why now, Captain?"
"We've been seeing each other for a while now. I know that I haven't been very honest with you about my feelings, and I was aware that you were starting to get anxious about it." Levi explained. "To be honest, I was getting anxious, too. I didn't want to let this go on any longer without you knowing how I feel about you."
Eren nodded, staring into sharp blue eyes. He finally knew what Levi was trying to say. He didn't think Levi would actually be able to say it, so he settled with laying down and patting the spot next to him. Levi laid down beside him, taking Eren into his arms. The brunette rested his head into his Captain's shoulder, snuggling in as close as he possibly could. They laid like this for what felt like hours. Levi ran one set of fingers through Eren's soft, messy hair while the other set of fingers traced his back. After some time, Eren rolled onto his back and pointed upwards. Levi followed the younger man's gaze. They admired the brightly-shining stars. Levi thought to himself that they wouldn't get another perfect moment like this for a long time. He rolled onto his side, admiring Eren. Eren felt Levi's intense staring and rolled over to face him.
"Nothing in this world lasts forever, but I would stop time for you if I could. I love you, Eren. Stay with me for as long as we can be together." Levi confessed. Eren began to cry happily again, nodding his head. He inched closer to his partner, taking him into his arms.
"Of course I will. I love you, too." Eren cried into Levi's chest. They hugged for some time.
Eventually they composed themselves, but they weren't able to stop smiling. They laid back down and stargazed for the remainder of the night, holding one another the entire time. They finally felt complete.