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Eren swiped angrily at his tear filled eyes as he stormed out of the house, ignoring his mother's pleas for him to come back inside. A part of him wanted to listen to her and sit back down to their family dinner like nothing had even happened, but he always did that. He couldn't do it this time, knowing he'd probably punch his father in the throat if he went back inside. He could only take so much ridiculing from the man.
He didn't know where he was going to go so late at night in thirty degree weather, but anywhere other than his house was a good start. Twenty-five minutes later, he found himself at the park where he used to play during his childhood. He probably should have found someplace indoors to break down, given that it had begun snowing again, but he was still too upset at his father to think with a clear mind.
He studied just as fucking hard as his sister did and even had a part time job to pay for his classes, but none of that mattered when his father thought his major was laughable. She was trying to become a doctor, just like their father and Eren was happy for her, but he didn't want to follow the same path as them. He wanted to be a photographer, to travel the world and capture all its natural beauty in his camera lens.
He'd always been fascinated by the camera his mother used to capture his childhood pictures with and would beg her repeatedly until she finally taught him how to use it. There was something about capturing a moment or a place on camera that didn't quite measure up to anything else. She understood his dream better than anyone and was his biggest supporter as he worked towards his major, but not even she was enough to change Grisha's mind.
His phone buzzing in his pocket pulled him from his thoughts but he ignored it, knowing it'd either be his mother begging him to come home or his father lecturing him about his childish tantrum. He knew they'd eventually start calling him, however once they saw he wasn't playing around this time about coming back, they'd hopefully leave him alone.
There was a small gazebo across from the park with some benches and Eren collapsed onto one of the wooden seats, all of the frustration from his visit finally overwhelming him and he sobbed into his mitten covered hands.
For as long as he could remember, every visit left him in tears at one point or another, and he wasn't sure he could take it anymore. The first time he'd fought with his father about his major, it had been exciting and he felt like a rebel for going against his father's wishes to do something for himself. But now, Eren just wanted the man to see how much he was in love with photography and that this was what he wanted.
He shivered as a biting breeze blew over him, stinging his tear streaked cheeks, and he pulled his jacket tighter around himself. He needed to find someplace warm for the night, since he most definitely planned to avoid his family. Once he'd done that, then he'd allow himself more time to cry over his problems. Shivering in his jacket, he stood up and began shuffling towards the park entrance that lead farther into town, knowing there was a motel nearby he'd be able to stay at.
A quick glance at his phone screen showed nine messages from his mother and four from his father. He considered answering his mother, if only to quell her worries, however he was tired of always trying to please them. He nearly dropped his phone when his feet skidded on the sidewalk, which was a little icier than he'd been anticipating.
Despite how cautiously he'd been trying to move across the park, his next step landed him on another patch of ice and before he'd even realized what had happened, his world was completely turned around as he slipped. One moment he was standing and in the next moment his head slammed into the pavement.
~
Levi was passing by the park on his way to his car when he first heard the ringtone. He squinted into the dimly lit area, trying to see who the ringing phone belonged to. He glanced up the street, where his car was parked, and then back into the park, where the mystery phone was still ringing. With an annoyed grumbled, he pulled his hood up over his head to block out the cold and trudged into the park.
He stopped when he came upon a dark bundle in the middle of the dimly lit sidewalk and his eyes widened when he realized it was someone who'd fallen. Abandoning all previous caution, he hurriedly knelt down and turned them over, immediately noting the deep scrape on the brunet's forehead. "Shit, kid are you alright? Hey!"
The sound of a ringtone startled him and he jumped as the device began buzzing on the icy pavement several feet from him. He definitely wasn't going to answer it, not in the mood to try to explain himself or this mystery person's predicament, especially given the idiot had seemingly managed to injure himself. However, if he was going to be of any help, Levi would need some kind of clarification as to why this guy was out in the park by himself in the middle of the night.
He picked up the phone and turned the now slightly cracked screen on, reading through the numerous text notifications. He noted that the tone of them was urgent, meaning whatever had gone on in the brunet's life that night was no joke.
[mum]
Eren, sweetie please come home.
[mum]
I will talk to your father.
[mum]
I won't let him bother you again, Eren.
[mum]
Answer your phone. Please!
[Grisha]
Eren, stop your tantrum and come home.
[Grisha]
Now. Or there will be consequences.
Levi figured Grisha was the brunet's father, given his mother referenced him, however he didn't like what these messages were implying. Maybe it was his own abusive childhood reminding him, but he didn't want Grisha getting his hands on the brunet again.
Levi couldn't see any obvious injuries of abuse, but he knew from experience that didn't mean shit; for all he knew, there could be multiple injuries and bruises beneath the boy's jacket. If his father was abusive and Levi brought this boy to a hospital, they would most likely just call his parents, which would definitely make things worse in the end.
Having made up his mind, Levi knelt down and scooped the brunet off the icy sidewalk, carrying him the short distance to his car. He would take care of the brunet tonight, then ask him about his predicament in the morning when he woke.
~
Eren had no idea where he was when he woke up, only that he was laying in a bed and the last place he remembered being certainly hadn't been a bed. When he got out of bed, he found that he was dressed in an entirely new pair of clothes, most of which were slightly too small for him, and this only made him more fearful of where he was.
He quietly crept out of his room and towards the stairs, hoping he could sneak a glance of whoever had kidnapped him. However, he stumbled as he reached the last step and cursed loudly when he almost cracked his already injured head on the wall in front of him.
"So you're finally awake? I'm in the kitchen, brat."
Knowing there was no longer in point in trying to be stealthy, he begrudgingly followed the sound of the male voice and found a raven haired man sitting at the counter, reading a newspaper. He looked up when Eren entered the kitchen, sharp grey eyes studying him intensely.
"How are you feeling?"
Eren swallowed nervously and snuck a glance around, trying to make sense of where he was and where the exits were in case he needed to make a quick escape. "My..... my head hurts a little. Umm.... who are you?"
"My name is Levi. I found you unconscious in the park on my way home from work yesterday and, given your predicament, I wasn't about to let you go home. So I brought you back here and cleaned up the scrape on your forehead."
"My p-predicament?" Eren appreciated the help he'd been given, knowing how many other people would have easily left him there, but he didn't understand why the man hadn't simply dropped him off at the hospital.
"You're over eighteen right?" When Eren nodded, Levi turned around to face him and crossed his arms over his chest, studying the boy in front of him. "If you need help, I have someone on the police force who could get involved."
"E-excuse me?" Eren wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly and stared wide eyed at Levi in confusion. Just what did this man think was going on in his life? "The police!?"
"Your father. He's the abusive type?"
In an instant it clicked for Eren and his gratitude towards the man increased by a tenfold, even if the man's assumption wasn't totally accurate. "No, its nothing like that. My father may be a giant dickhead, but he's never hit me before."
Levi could feel his face grow warm as he recounted just how much he'd overreacted when he thought the brunet across from him was being abused. Which wasn't even the case as it turns out and he hid his burning face behind his paper, clicking his tongue in annoyance when Eren snickered at him. "Shut up."
"Sorry, your concern was cute. I do appreciate you for helping me last night though. I hate to think of what could have happened." He opened his mouth to continue that thought, but his stomach rumbled loudly, earning a chuckle from Levi. And he only laughed harder when Eren's cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment.
"I take it you'd like some breakfast?" When he received a sheepish nod, he stood up and grabbed a mug from one of the cabinets to fill with tea. After setting it down in front of Eren, he got the eggs from the fridge and set to work. "How do you like your eggs?"
"Over easy, please." He didn't miss the way Levi's nose wrinkled in distaste and copied the man's earlier action of clicking his tongue. "You got a problem with that?"
"Yes, that's absolutely disgusting. The yolks are so runny, you might as well be eating the eggs raw." It only took him a couple of minutes and then he set a plate down in front of Eren with two eggs cooked perfectly over easy. "Bon appétit. Give me a minute and I'll make some toast, too."
He turned back to the stove and began making an omelette for himself. While it was cooking, he grabbed the bread from the fridge and dropped a couple of slices into the toaster that sat near the stove.
It only took a couple of minutes and, when everything was done, Levi turned the stove off, poured them both some more tea, and took his place in the seat next to Eren. "So if your father isn't abusive, what's your story then? Your parents seemed pretty upset last night."
Eren's giddy mood immediately melted away as the current bane of his existence was brought up and he absentmindedly traced a finger around the rim of his mug. He knew the topic couldn't have been avoided forever, but that didn't mean he was looking forward to this conversation or going back to his parents house.
"I am working towards a major in photography right now. It has always been my dream to travel the world and capture it in pictures. The cultures, the people, and especially the beauty of nature. Nothing else even comes close. I.... I want to see it all!" His cheeks grew red as he realized Levi was staring at him, the corners of his lips turned up in a small smile, and Eren shyly glanced down at the mug of tea in his hands. "What?"
"Nothing. I've just never heard anyone describe photography so passionately before. Makes me want to experience it too."
"I wish my father could see it that way."
"If your father can't see how dedicated you are, even after an outburst like that, then he can piss off. You are passionate about it, Eren, and a fire for something like that doesn't just go away."
"You seem to speak from experience."
"I do. When I was younger, my mother used to paint. She loved it more than anything in the world and it showed in her artwork. She took inspiration from the world around her, despite how shitty life could be sometimes, and put it on canvas."
"Does she still paint? I'd love to see some of her work sometime." Eren swallowed hard as Levi's expression grew sad and, returning his gaze to the mug in his hands, he immediately realized where he'd fucked up. "Oh, shit. I.... I'm sorry. Me and my big mouth."
"Don't be, Eren. You didn't know. It was a long time ago and she is in a much better place now." He got up from the counter, taking their plates to the sink, and began the process of washing them. "Some of her paintings are hanging in the living room if you wanna see them."
Trying to forget how big a fool hed just made of himself, Eren quickly departed to the living room, grateful that Levi hadn't been offended by his inability to read social cues. He could be pretty thickheaded sometimes and was slow when it came to reading between the lines, something his mother had often teased him about before he went to college.
However, the guilt of it disappeared the moment Eren stepped into Levi's living room and his breath caught in his throat. The paintings on the wall were all of park scenes, reminding Eren of his childhood park, with a myriad of bright, warm colors. He took his time, studying each one and, though the color scheme was the same, it worked so well and Eren found himself falling in love with every painting.
The last one hung on the wall by the fireplace, however the picture frames on the mantle caught Eren's eye instead. Making his way over, he carefully picked the closest frame up to look at it. A child version of Levi was grinning at the camera, his small arms wrapped around a woman who Eren assumed was his mother. She wasn't looking at the camera, but instead at the small boy in her arms, her eyes glowing with warm love and pride. She shared a lot of her looks with him, given they both had the same pale skin, piercing grey eyes, and inky black hair.
"Careful with that. Its an old picture frame and an even older photo."
Eren hadn't even heard Levi come up behind him and, as his cheeks flushed with heat, he quickly set the frame back down in it's place on the mantle. "You look just like her, you know. Kindhearted and beautiful."
He hadn't meant to say beautiful, but it slipped out before he could stop talking and he quickly averted his gaze from Levi's, though he could see a hint of a blush on the man's cheeks from the corner of his eye.
"Thank you. Kind isn't usually the word first word people associate with me. Neither is..... beautiful. Asshole is more like it."
Eren had to laugh at that one. "You don't seem like an asshole. Maybe its just your face."
~
Eren clenched the fabric of his jacket in his fists and took a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to go inside his parents house.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Eren frantically shook his head, fighting back a blush at the questions his mother would have for him if Levi came in with him. "No, I've already burdened you enough. Its okay."
Not wanting to go back on his word, he took a deep breath and opened the car door. The walk up the driveway was much shorter than he would have like and it was only seconds later that he unlocked the front door. His father, who was sitting on the couch, looked up and his mother poked her head out of the kitchen. He felt bad for the huge grin that crossed her face, given that he didn't plan on staying.
"I.... I'm not staying, mom. I only came back for some clothes. And my camera."
"Eren, sweetheart. Your father and I wanted to apologize for last night. We know that you came to visit us to get away from school and we don't mean to bother you. Right, Grisha?"
Eren rolled his eyes when his father nodded, knowing that'd be the most he would probably get from the man, even with his mother's pushing. "Its fine. I honestly can't wait to get back and start classes again. Photography is fun."
"I still think you would be better off in medical school."
Eren stopped at the staircase, his hand inches from the railing. He knew he should just walk upstairs and get his stuff, but his previous irritation with his father flared back up. He whirled back around and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared his father down yet again. "Well that's too fucking bad, isn't it?"
Carla's eyes nervously flicked back and forth, from her son to her husband, who'd risen from his chair. Grisha's eyes narrowed at the curse words thrown his way and took another step forward. "I think you're forgetting who's house you're in, son. I'd watch your tone if I were you."
"Or what? You gonna ground me, dad? Take away my phone? Ban me from going to parties with my friends? Oh, yeah. You can't cause I'm a grown ass adult now."
"You sure don't act like it."
"I don't act like it? ME?! Are you fucking serious right now, dad! You're fucking joking! I have spent almost two fucking years, slaving away at school and at my job to get this major. Trying to make you proud. But you are too much of a selfish prick to see how damn good I'm doing. And you are telling ME to act like an adult." The look on his father's face only got more irritated, but seeing as his mother didn't want to step in, Eren was going to draw the line. This was his last stand and his father could either accept it or step the fuck out of Eren's way. "My major is photography and I have done nothing but excel at it, despite what you keep saying. If you can't accept the fact that you are wrong, then you can.... you can just go to fucking hell, you piece of shit!"
"Carla, escort Eren to the front door."
His mother hadn't moved from where she had been hovering in the kitchen doorway and, knowing it was going to be a losing battle, tried to placate them both to avoid anymore conflict. "But, sweetheart, dinner is-"
"Carla! Our ungrateful son needs to be taught a lesson. I will not have him disrespecting us like this." When Carla still didn't move, Grisha stormed across the room and grabbed Eren by his upper arm, practically dragging him towards the front door.
"Get off of me, dad!" As he was tossed out the front door, he flipped his father off. "Fucking asshole! If you're kicking me out, give me my stuff back."
It only took a couple of minutes for Grisha to get his things and his bags were shoved into Eren's arms, forcefully enough to send him stumbling down the steps and onto the driveway. As he searched through them, he realized the most important piece of his life was missing. "Hey, where's my fucking camera, dad?!"
"To hell with that damn camera. That's what started this mess."
It was like watching a film in slow motion as his eyes followed his father's hand, the one that had his camera in it. He heard himself screaming as his beloved camera shattered on the sidewalk and his vision grew red as he lunged for his father. His mother attempted to break up their scuffle, most likely to avoid being reported to the police by their neighbors, but she was nowhere near strong enough to pull them apart. "You bastard! You broke my fucking camera. Do you have any idea how important it was to me?"
"If you'd just went to medical school like your sister, you wouldn't have ended up in this mess. I will not have my son end up on the streets because he thinks his major will be useful."
Eren was shoved backwards and, as he missed a step, gasped as he felt himself free falling down the porch steps, however the impact he was waiting for never came. Two arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back and he let himself be dragged a safe distance away from the porch, where his father was still glaring at him.
"Eren. Hey, it's okay. I've got you." As much as Eren had said he didn't want to burden him, Levi's concern had skyrocketed once the yelling had begun. Both men definitely had impressive voices, but when Grisha had dragged Eren out of the house, it'd been the final straw for Levi and he'd hurried out of the car just in time to see the man hurl Eren's camera off the porch. "I thought you said he wasn't abusive."
"I didn't think he was. But I guess I was wrong." His father paled at that word, abusive, and opened his mouth as if he wanted to argue. But given what all had just taken place, it would be hard to deny the accusation. At any other time, Eren would have taken it as a victory. But after the explosive fight they'd just had, he wasn't feeling victorious. He felt like he'd just hit rock bottom.
All the anger drained out of Eren as he stared at his broken camera, the one he had spent almost four grand on when his mother's broke, the one he'd been saving up for a year for. As much as he didn't want to cry in front of Levi, his breakdown for this visit was long overdue and he burst into hysterical tears right in his parents driveway. Levi's arms tightened around him and he could hear his parents having a shouting match, but none of it mattered with Eren's prized possession in pieces at his feet.
He wasn't sure how long he'd sat there, but when he looked up, his father had gone back inside and his mother had just finished putting his bags into Levi's car. Levi, on the other hand, was still cradling Eren in his arms. Not having moved since catching him during his fall.
"Umm... Eren, sweetie." His mother was standing a few feet away, watching them while she nervously fiddled with the hem of her sweater. "Why have you never introduced us to your boyfriend?"
Levi chose to not say anything and, the small smile on his face grew by the second, as he watched Eren's cheeks flush a fierce shade of red.
"He's not my boyfriend, mom. He's a friend."
"Oh, got it. A friend." She winked at Levi, who snickered as Eren covered his face and groaned in embarrassment. "Mom, it's not like that, I swear."
"Of course it's not." She helped them up from the ground and lead the way back to Levi's car. "I'm sorry about your camera, sweetie. I know how much it meant to you."
"I won't be able to get a new one, mom. What am I gonna do?" As scenarios of how the rest of the school year would play out ran through his head, hot tears of frustration sprang to his eyes once more. "I can't afford a new one. I had to save up for months to get that one."
"We'll figure something out. Maybe I can convince your father to-"
"NO! I'm sorry, mom. Its just.... fuck him, okay. He's the whole reason my camera is broken. Besides, I doubt he'll want to buy me a new one or even loan me the money for one."
"Even so, I'll talk to him." She pulled him in for a tight hug and did the same to Levi, before giving each of them a kiss to the forehead. "Will you need money for a hotel, sweetie?"
Eren opened his mouth to answer, but before he could get a single word out, Levi spoke up for him. "No, that's quite alright, Mrs. Jaeger. He will be staying with me."
Eren couldn't remember the last time he had seen his mother smile quite so wide before and it was clear just how much she approved of Levi.
"Oh, Levi. Such a gentleman. And please, after what happened today, sweetie, that's Carla to you."
"The pleasure is all mine, Carla."
The brunette woman glanced over her shoulder at the house, before turning back to the two men in front of her. Eren recognized the sad glint in her eyes and quickly shook his head. "We both know I shouldn't, mom."
"I know. I just wanted one nice family dinner while you were here. But it seems like it's still not going to happen." She pulled Eren in for another tight hug, peppering kisses all over his forehead, much to her son's embarrassment. "I'll miss you so much, Eren. My little boy. Don't be a stranger and bring Levi with you, the next time you visit."
As soon as she'd finished saying goodbye, Eren made his escape to the car to let Levi get his share of Carla's smothering affections.
After he'd bid Carla farewell, along with a promise to treat his "boyfriend" well, he joined Eren in the car. "So I take it your mother likes me."
Eren let out an embarrassed laugh and gave Levi a sheepish smile. "I mean, she called you sweetie, so welcome to the family. It can be a real shitshow sometimes."
"Not to worry. I've seen worse. So how about we take your mind off of today and I take you to dinner?"
He said it so smoothly that Eren wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly the first time and he blushed at the knowing smile on Levi's face, happy that at least one good thing came out of his shitty visit home. "It sounds like a date."