Cherishing You [Chp8]

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Cherishing You

Genre: Drama | Romance | AU | Brocest | Modern Days

Rating: M

Pairing: (mainly) Rivaille x Eren, and some other pairing which will be added as the story progressing.

Summary: Having separated from his brother ever since he was a baby, Eren didn't remember the face of his older brother aside from his baby photos. He soon found himself slowly attached to the new guy who appeared in his family's bakery during the first day of his moving.

A/N: Hi everyone, I’m so sorry for the long absent of this fic… Anyway… I hope you still remember the previous chapters where Levi got tangled in the mess of Isabel’s case and Eren who starting to want more attention from Levi. Here, I update again, so hopefully you guys will like this new update… I don’t want the story to end, yet I also want to get down to the climax xDD So… I decided to let Levi choose and reveal the truth right in front of his eyes.

And hooray for romance in this chp xD Again, this is a Romance – Drama fic. I’ll try to keep on that track because there’s a bit of mystery left to be revealed.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin, but this fanfiction is mine. ©AsakuraHannah

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"Can't you sleep in the guest room? Seriously, you are not a child that needs company." He pursed his lips together, obviously not happy.

"You are the one who told me to stay the night. At least I want to have some chat like a sleepover usually has, unless you are too old for that." Levi pinched his cheek.

"Hey, ouch!" The brunet protested when he felt the pain. He rubbed his sore cheek, hissing at the lingering pain.

"I hope you took a bath properly before you got into my bed, you little shit." Levi closed his eyes, making Eren groan at the lack of communication.

"Can't we have a talk? About anything..."

"Sleep, idiot. There's nothing to talk about nor is there something that you need to bother yourself with." Levi mumbled, huffing without opening his eyes. Eren stared at his face, those eyelashes seemed so long. His features were handsome in some way that Eren couldn't put a word into. That frown which usually appeared between his brows slowly ceased away. Eren couldn't help but blushing at the close-up look in front of him. The boy sighed and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead on Levi's chest. Levi opened his eyes slightly to stare down at him. Like a child that needed comfort, the older man gave in, he slowly circled his arm around Eren's waist, pulling him closer. Those green eyes went wide, throwing Levi an unexpected look.

"Sleep." That was the only word that came from that pristine mouth of his. Eren flushed and closed his eyes.

'Did Levi know? It couldn't be... right?'' How could he sleep if Levi was hugging him like that. Eren didn’t find sleep until a few hours later.

A young boy slowly opened his eyes when he heard a faint cry from the other side of the bed. His eyes shot open when he realized it was his brother's cries, Levi quickly propped himself up. He looked to his side, once again, those enticing green eyes were puddled with tears. He gave a yawn and walked over to Eren's crib his mother had purposely put beside his bed. He lifted Eren out from his crib, rocking him in his arms to calm him down.

"Eren, don't cry Eren. Remember what I always told you? Your beautiful green eyes will be spoiled by tears. Did you have a nightmare?" The raven cooed him as the baby wiggled in his arms, sobbing ceased. Levi's lips curled up once his brother stopped crying, burying his face into his pajama. Levi patted his head, obviously relieved when Eren stopped crying.

"Did he have a nightmare?" Carla slurred, walked into the room with her sleepy face.

"He stopped crying, go back to sleep, Mom. It's alright." Levi mumbled, smiling down to Eren who was staring at him questioningly . Carla smiled, she rubbed her oldest son's head.

"It's amazing how he listens to you, Rivaille..."

"Iai!" Eren called, poking on his older brother neck. Carla chuckled.

"I'll warm the milk for him to go back to sleep."

"Iai?" Those big green eyes stared at him in confusion.

"Eren..."

"Rivaille..." Eren mumbled, slowly opening his eyes, blinking in the middle of the dark room. He came face to face with Levi who was gazing closely at him.

“You were crying in your sleep.” Levi stated once the boy groggily sat up.

Eren blinked his tears away, realizing that, indeed, he had been crying in his sleep. He rubbed his eyes, trying to act as natural as he could.

“I… it’s rare that I dream of my brother…” Eren chuckled slightly, smiling down into his lap. Levi stared at him, waiting for a sign of continuation. Eren’s green eyes seemed to be glowing for a moment in the middle of the luminescent moonlight through the half opened curtain. His gaze slowly crept towards Levi,doubt obvious in those shining orbs.

“I’m not sure if you want to listen to my childhood story at this hour.” Eren chuckled slightly, half smiling before wiping up his tears away. “I’m such a baby.” The brunet whispered.

“Rivaille…” The word made Eren’s eyes widened in surprise, he stared at him for a long moment.

“Rivaille… is you brother…?” That frown could be seen in the middle of the dark, as if searching for a hidden truth. Eren slowly nodded.

“Yeah? Did I call out his name in my sleep? I’m sorry I woke you up.” The way the raven haired man sat still made him wonder if he’d made an unintentional mistake.

“Nothing to be sorry for. I was just curious about it. Go back to sleep, you’ll need more rest so that you won’t fall asleep tomorrow in class.” Eren obeyed his crush. The brunet rolled on the blankets, gazing at Levi’s back with wonder. His eyelids slowly getting heavy, the last thing he saw was Levi’s back, no longer cuddled up and warm breaths against his forehead gone.

Levi stared at the document that he’d brought home. He stared at it for a long time. The photo of a young boy at the age of twelve. Not thirteen. He remembered the time when he was thirteen years old, awake in a hospital bed, surrounded with white and wrapped in bandages on his forehead. He remembered nothing but his name. He remembered the noises outside the ward, he remembered the cries and the shouts which were subdued due to the conveniently sound proof walls. He remember waiting for his family. His only baby brother, which he so clearly remembered. His vibrant green eyes.

Levi clutched his head painfully as a headache attacked as a vision appeared into his mind. The baby in his arms, the baby in his dreams. Those big green eyes that were spoiled by tears. He remembered his dreams. He had dreamt of his baby brother. Those eyes which looked just like Eren’s.

Eren. His brother.

The name is the same as the way Hanji called it.

The name is the same as the document he brought.

Rivaille Jaeger.

Eren Jaeger.

Eren’s brother had passed away.

Levi is still alive.

Soon, the document was torn apart.

“Levi?” Levi raised his head, surprised when he found Eren staring at him questioningly from the entrance of the kitchen. Their eyes stared at each other. Levi cleared his throat.

“Finished your breakfast?” Levi asked and rose to his feet right after he threw the document into the trash can. Eren eyed the trash for a moment before he nodded.

“Let’s go.” The brunet said with a smile on his face, eyeing Levi who stood before him with a poker face. The taller man ran his hand through his brown locks, messing it slightly, his only mission to annoy. Eren yelled and wiped his hand away.

“Leave my hair alone, old man!” Levi snorted and walked out to the room.

‘Brother, huh? What a coincidence. He’s just similar…’

Armin stared at the calendar he was holding, marking the dates as he continued checking on his appointments and classes. They were sitting on the field, not far from the school’s building. School had just closed its door and the sound of the water from the lake nearby was enough for them to be lulled into sleep, had Armin not been busy scribbling on his calendar and notepad. He blinked when he heard another sigh come from his best friend. He cocked his eyebrow and stared right into his green eyes. Eren stared at him, did the same to the shorted blond and groaned. He lay down on the grass after a loud groan, curling into a ball in a childish manner.

“You know, just how many times you have sighed today?” Armin stated in annoyance.

“Leeeeave it alone, Armin.”

“I don’t like it when you don’t share what’s on your mind, yet you keep sighing non-stop.” The blond carefully pressed the last words, obviously irritated. Eren turned to lie on his back, staring at the sun which had started setting.

“Have you been thinking about that Levi guy again?”

“What will you do if your crush only sees you as a brother?” Eren suddenly blurts out. “The more I think about it, the more frustrated I become. I don’t know what to do…”

“What’s so hard about telling him the truth?” Armin rolled his eyes, closed his book and stood up straight. “Beside, Eren, you are too caught up on him that you forgot what day is it tomorrow.” Eren looked at him questioningly. Armin gave him a disbelieving look. “Saturday, Eren!” The look made Eren snap out of his stupor.

“Rivaille’s day…” Eren whispered to himself.

“What? Why aren’t we going to the cemetery like usually?” Eren’s protest could be heard several miles away. Mikasa stayed silent while Carla shook her head.

“Eren… you have to understand that we can’t keep closing the shop like this, even if it’s just for one day. Besides, once all the flowers and bouquets we got from the people in town have finished arriving, we’ll put them on the graveyard tomorrow.” Carla ignored her daughter’s frown.

“Mom, can’t you just…” Mikasa got cut in by Eren’s cursing.

“I just don’t understand you, parents… Who cares about townsfolk’s? They can go to the Cemetery today and put the flowers by themselves!” Eren muttered and shook his head. He ran out of the door, almost crashing into Levi who was taking a turn toward his store.

“Watch it, brat. Why are you in such a haste?” The taller guy grimaced and brushed off dirt by patting on his polo shirt.

“The shop is closed today, you better not go in.” Eren forced the man away by pulling him by the hand. Levi stumbled on his feet, obviously confused and annoyed at the same time being dragged around all of the sudden.

“You know, this is not a way to ask someone out for a date. You have a lot to learn.” Levi retracted his hand, wiggling his eyebrow. Eren’s red face was enough to make Levi stun.

“I didn’t- I mean…”

“I’m kidding, chill out.” Levi snorted and shrugged. The way Eren stared at him was enough to make him wince.

“I know I’m just a kid, just someone you treat like a brother… but… Can you please stop joking around? If you didn’t mean it, don’t say it like that.” Eren threw one last look before turning around and sprinted away. Levi sighed, rubbing his nape and shook his head. He had never been good when doing something like this. That boy was obviously attracted to him. He knew very well that Eren might even have a crush just by the way he reacted around him. The brat was too easy to read, as much as it annoyed Levi. He was more than an adult, he knew how teenagers like Eren were basically like open books. Especially when he’s good at reading people’s behaviors since he himself is a psychiatrist. Except for love problems.

“I’m bad at handling this stuff.” He cursed silently.

“Handling what?” A feminine voice made Levi look behind him. A girl a little younger than his age stared at him accusingly as if he was the cause of Eren’s behavior.

“Nothing… actually, your brother said your store is closed today, is that true?” The woman whom he remembered as Mikasa sighed softly and shook her head.

“It’s should be closed, but not today. Not anymore and not from today onwards. It’s just a family matter. But if you want to come inside, get in. You’ve become a regular just by walking into the store every morning for a cup of coffee and some bread.” Mikasa invited him in. Levi followed her inside without any word, ignoring Eren who had run out to nowhere.

“Can’t handle your caffeine?” Mikasa mumbled, working on the coffee mixer Grisha had prepared for the routine. Levi shook his head and sighed as he sat down on the empty stool.

“No, it’s about your… brother…” Levi replied, unaware of how overprotective Mikasa was towards Eren.

“Stay away from my brother.” The girl suddenly pursed her lips, glaring at him from the distance she stood in front of the coffee maker. Their eyes met and Levi shrugged.

“He’s the one who keeps following me like a dog wagging his tail.” He didn’t flinch when Mikasa slammed down the glass near his arm.

“My brother is not a dog, nor should you pay this much attention to him. I need to tell you this so that you don’t give him any hopes if you don’t mean anything you are doing.” Levi stared into the girl’s raging eyes, a heavy atmosphere around them seemed to be getting colder by the minutes. Eren’s words rang back in his ears.

“…Can you please stop joking around? If you didn’t mean it, don’t say it like that.”

“He is younger beyond my age, I had told him that, but he won’t listen. Is that supposed to be my fault?” Mikasa frowned, she gave a huge sigh and massaged her temple.

“Eren is such a hard-headed one. You should completely tell him if he is an eyesore or just let him reach you. He stayed at your place several times already, coming home with the brightest of smiles on his face and that stupid look as if he adores you dearly. What’s holding you back? Just because of your age? I mean, I’m over-protective towards him, I can’t believe I’m letting you decide. Either you take it or leave it. Don’t be so confusing.”

Levi stood from his seat, taking a huge gulp of the coffee and put the half-empty glass on the table.

“I’m not good with this stuff, but I guess I can do what I think is right.”

“He’s going to Shiganshina Cemetery, visiting his brother’s grave.” Mikasa replied shortly. The man waved his hand and walked out from the store with a smirk on his lips.

Trost… Everything happened in Trost. The bus accident, Isabel’s case. Levi found himself wondering if his memory was also related to Trost district. Sometimes, he was drowning inside his dreams which he tended to forget the time he woke up. Having recalled the dream after a few days while spacing out, he wonder to himself if he should remember his forgotten memory or not. A part of him wanted to know the truth while the other seemed to just walk away and forget about the past. His forgotten family, his forgotten home and his forgotten baby brother whom he couldn’t even remember the name. he often called out his name inside his dreams, but he couldn’t completely remember the whole scenes from his dreams.

Under the big tree near the entrance of the cemetery, sat a young boy who had the same eye colors as his baby brother. Levi stared at Eren’s back without any words, legs moving to the direction where Eren sat.

“Why did you follow me?” Eren asked after Levi sat besides him without asking permission.

“Because I thought you might need someone to be with.”

“They ditched his grave this year, I just don’t understand what’s gotten inside their heads, but I’m visiting my brother and will keep on visiting him.”

“That you do.” Levi confirmed, eyes not leaving the grave’s name.

Rivaille, age 12, past away from the bus accident in Trost frontier.

“Your brother got into a bus accident, huh? To that Trost District. You told me about this the other day…”

“At the age of twelve, yea.” Eren mumbled. Levi’s finger traced the name, somehow there was a pang of sadness coming over him.

“Every year we visited the grave and went to Trost to put the flowers on that place where the bus collided with the gasoline truck. Today I… went there alone because my parents suddenly…” Eren shook his head, not believing that his family refused to visit the grave of his brother.

“Whatever reason they have, I can’t forgive them.” Eren mumbled, sniffling silently and wiped the track of tears from his cheek. A big warm hand patted his dark brown locks, pulling his head to rest on his shoulder. Eren snuggled closer to him, smiling a bit.

“I’m sorry for my tantrum just now.” Levi shook his head and pulled the boy closer, scooting over to wrap his arms around Eren’s.

“I shouldn’t have confused you.” Eren looked him in the eyes. Those big green eyes glistened with longing; his now calloused hands touched Levi’s cheeks, pulling him down for a kiss. The older man knew he was asking permission by pausing his movement, Levi complied and pressing his lips against Eren’s quivered ones. They kissed slowly tasting each other’s warmth, Levi testing the water before kissing him more forcefully. The younger boy moaned softly at the force of their lips touching hungrily. Eren peeked before him to watch Levi’s face so close to his, flushing in embarrassment with the voice he just let out. Slowly, he pushed Levi off of him. Levi broke the kiss with a pop sound, smirking down at the flushing boy.

“We… we’re in front of my brother’s…”

“Let him see that you are mine now.” Who cares about the same name, I’m me. I’m Levi, not Rivaille.

“Let’s get going… I’ve poured my heart to Rivaille…” Eren meekly stood up after getting out of the warmth embrace. Levi raised an eyebrow.

“You sure act shyly not in the time you should be.” Levi snorted and stood up.

“Uhhm… shut up. I… I actually want you to meet Rivaille, I’ll show you the photos later. Right now, let’s get going. I’m starving…”

“So, we get to have a real date now?” Chuckling, he messed up Eren’s hair, earning a scowl from the boy who he just claimed the first kiss from.

To be continue…

Notes:

So the brocest starts now horraaay~  Thank you for my beloved beta, who keep on helping me, no, seriously girl, you are lovely because you’ve help me a lot and have lots of patient for me and my turtle update <3
 
Next Chp preview:
“I’m going to Trost.” Eren looked at Levi surprised.
Eren bit his lips when Levi pushed him against the tree, the man could be so demanding at a time.