Band- It College Years

By your side

     Eren POV
The box was heavy in my arms. I struggled to get it through the small door. My larger frame didn’t help either. Suddenly hands touched mine.
“I got it let go!” A grouchy voice stated. I let go. There was a slight oaf sound as the box dropped about a foot. It fell into the arms of my boyfriend. I chuckled turning away. The room behind him was going to give him nightmares, I was sure. I dodged a girl caring two boxes. She apologized. I smiled.
“No worries.” I saw her blue eyes widen. I smirked a little as I took the top box. “Where are these going?” I asked.
“Oh, um, end of the hall.” She stammered. I turned leading the way down. She called me to the correct door. I went in, setting the box down. Another girl was in there. She only had a tank top and boxers on. I turned away.
“Um, thank you for helping me.” The first girl said.
“Yeah, no problem.” I backed toward the door.
“Which room is yours?” she asked edging in so I couldn’t escape. I chuckled.
“None, just helping my best friend move in.” I explained. I waited. In my head I was counting. I knew he had seen me walk back past the door. The girl pouted.
“Oh, but, um what’s your major?” she asked.
“Gay!” Came the crotchety voice from behind her. “He’s mine, paws off!” Levi reached past her to grab my wrist.
“Sorry, he’s a little obsessive.” I waved to the girl. “She was pretty.” I fought to keep the smile from my face. I was thrust up against the wall in Armin’s room.
“It was your decision to not attend college.” He told me. I wrapped my arms around his waist.
“I know that.” I chuckled, Bending to kiss the tip of his nose.
“This is my room, knock that off!” Armin warned me. I laughed.
“Did we get everything now?” I asked. Armin nodded as he scanned the room. It was your typical college dorm room. This was a two bed occupancy in a Co Ed dorm.  
“Yeah, we’re good. How about lunch?” he asked smirking as he met my eyes. My boyfriend twitched.
“You are NOT leaving it like this?” he shivered slipping from my arms.
“But, I’m hungry.” Armin pouted. Levi shook. I giggled. Armin laughed.
“I’m murdering you both!” Levi snarled. A pretty girl with ash blonde hair stopped to lean against the door frame.
“Really, Levi, it’s not that bad. It can wait an hour.” Petra, Armin’s girlfriend, and Levi’s ex, stated.
“Oh, look I think that’s him.” A voice from the hall stated.
“Wow, he’s tall!”.
“Omg, those eyes!”
Levi growled. “I am going to lock you in the fucking closet!” he hissed at me.
“Is that why you are refusing to feed us?” I asked. I caught his hand. Swinging him around I pushed him toward Petra. She giggled continuing the momentum to get him out of the room. Armin dove through the door behind me. He locked it, tossing me the key. I dodged two girls to reach the stairs. Levi snarled at me as I ran down them.
Armin’s room was in the middle of the hall, right before a large open spaced balcony. Huge floor to ceiling windows shined light up to a curved banister. There were twin couches facing each other. I had no sooner reached the first floor when my boyfriend came diving at me off of the landing.
I had to rescue a girl who stood stunned looking up at him. Yanking her into my arms to keep Levi from landing on her, I laughed.
“Yeah, you should see what he does to my drums.” I said, a smirk playing with my lips.
“Oh, you’re a drummer?” the first girl asked. The one I helped carry the box for. She was on the steps, right in front of Armin and Petra. She was small, blonde hair blue eyes, pretty heart shaped face.
Her roommate was taller. Dark hair and at least had pants on now, as she glared at me. “Krista, come on.” The brunette said. I snapped my fingers.
“That’s why you looked familiar. You tried out for my band!” I cried. I held out a hand. “I’m Eren Yeager, drummer of the Wings of freedom!” I introduced myself. She smiled.
“Oh, right that hot guy got the lead singer spot. He was so good!” she agreed. She turned a smiling face to Levi. “By the way, this is my girlfriend Ymir.” They were holding hands. She marched up to Levi. Stage whispering she covered her mouth to shield Ymir, but we all heard what she said.
“She’s gay too. Lesbian, I’m bi.” She waved to Levi walking away. Armin and I had to turn away from each other to keep from laughing. I felt a knee knock the back of mine. I fell forward, catching hold of a tall brunette guy walking by.
“Oh, hey there?” he grinned.
“Hi.” I smirked  I was yanked backward.
“STOP FLIRTING WITH EVERYONE YOU SEE!” Levi yelled in my face.
“How is saying hi, flirting?” I demanded. He slapped me in the chest as he stormed away. I waved to the guy. Armin and Petra fell into step beside me as I yanked my furious little ankle bitter to me. We headed out into the afternoon sunlight.
“Oh, you managed to drag him away from the mess?” Erwin asked. He was a police detective. Since helping me rescue Levi from a life of a crime boss, he had befriended all of us.
“Barely, and only by flirting with a couple of girls.” I grinned. Mikasa snorted. My adoptive sister was leaning against the side of the truck.  She was dating a girl named Annie who also, coincidently had tried out for our lead singer position. It was how the two met.
Due to some issues with Levi and his uncle, I hadn’t been aware of my sisters love life. But the two had started dating while I recovered senior year. They now lived off campus in a small studio apartment owned by Annie’s uncle.  They had moved in at the beginning of summer, right after graduation.
“OK, lunch then we can get Armin settled.” Erwin decided. We waited as he parked his truck, beside Levi’s motorcycle. I had chosen to ride behind my smaller boyfriend instead of bringing my own bike. We all walked together to were a string of restaurants lined an outdoor seating area.
“Hey, we saved a table!” A long faced teen waved at us. I grinned waving back with the hand Levi wasn’t hiding. Jean was my bands manager. His boyfriend Marco sat happily beside him. Marco had come down with some mysterious illness. He had left the band to go to another country for treatment. It helped. Although he was cured, he still had some issues.
Like the fact he now tired more easily than the rest of us. His heart would race if he over exerted himself. Other small things would pop up and we just dealt with it. He was still our friend. Him and Levi shared the singing for our band.
Since deciding to attend college, Marco had told Levi he didn’t want to sing that much. He would do special shows, like holidays or something. Levi was OK with it all. Connie, our sound guy had recently become single. His girlfriend Sasha had decided they should date other people while in their first year of college. So, why was she glued to his side right now? I chuckled. I was sure they would be getting back together.
Armin was our lead guitarist with Mikasa being our bassist. That made up the wings of freedom. I had the crest tattooed on my chest. It covered up a horrific scar. Seeing the crest there, did a lot for my healing mind. Also, having Levi back.
We went into a fast food Mexican place. It didn’t take us long to get through the line. Soon we were all sitting together at the table. I saw Krista walk by, she was alone.
“Hey, Krista you should get Ymir and sit with us.” I called. The girl blinked at me. She changed direction to walk up to us.
“Um, sorry but I’m not Krista.” We all looked at her like she had three heads. She giggled. “Krista is my twin. I’m Historia.” She introduced herself.
“Are you on the gay spectrum?” Connie asked. Historia smiled.
“Nope, I’m straight.” She offered up. Connie jumped up. I pulled Historia over to me as Sasha hit Connie with her empty tray the two were fighting again.
“Sorry, they broke up to see other people in college.” I examined the whole stupid idea to her. “By the way, I’m Eren. This is my boyfriend. Levi…” I introduced everyone. She stated she was happy to have met us. I gave her a flyer for our upcoming show.
 Annie’s uncle worked at the school with security. They had gotten us a gig during the freshman orientation to play a set of two. That led to us getting a gig to play at parents weekend. It would be in three wees. Historia said she would love to come. She waved goodbye and blended back into the crowd.
I glanced over to where Erwin was now sitting between a pissed off Sasha and a beaten up Connie. I laughed. “You guys aren’t even going to survive the first week let alone a year.” I muttered. Connie glared but Erwin’s glare was worse.
Once lunch was over we went to Armin’s room. Connie was rooming with him. He had moved in three days ago with Jean and Marco’s help. Now we pitched in to unpack Armin’s stuff. Levi ordered us around. Within an hour it was all set up. I gathered the boxes to toss into the dumpster out back.
As I was walking, alone up to it, a shadow passed over head. This was in an alley, so everything went dark. I stuttered to a stop,  my heartbeat racing. I tried to breathe. The boxes slipped from my numb fingers. That night was always waiting to pull me back into it.
I didn’t hear anyone speak to me. A hand touched my shoulder. I cried out, flinching away. I slammed my back into the wall, as I tried to breathe. It wasn’t real. I wasn’t still there. Levi was back after leaving me half dead in a hospital room.
“EREN, EREN!” Someone was screaming my name.
“He was freaking out, I tried to help.” Another voice stated.
“It’s OK, I’m going to get Levi.”
“Eren?” I was shook. Blinking I caught the arms holding me. Looking into those warm brown eyes I breathed in. He drew in deep breaths with me.
“You ok?” Marco asked. I nodded.
“Sorry.” I whispered.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, brat. I keep telling you that.” Levi was in my arms his forehead pressed to mine. I hugged him, burying my face in his neck. The world was alright. I had him back.
We left the college and drove the forty five minutes home. I held Levi’s hand the entire way. Once back at our place, I trudged up the steps as Levi locked the garage door. I had a shed now to store my band gear in. Mom was happy to have her garage back. Levi and I lived together in the apartment above the garage. Dad wasn’t thrilled to have a gay son and a bisexual adoptive daughter. At least he was trying to be more supportive, even if he was a little gruff with my boyfriend.
“Hey, you ok?” Levi asked closing the door. I smiled at him.
“Yeah, it was stupid, just…” I shook my head. We made dinner together, then Levi had to work on something for a client. I was apprenticing with him at his tattoo shop. We curled up in bed. Him with his sketch pad and me with a book. Levi settled against my stomach as I curved around him. I fell asleep before he was done with his design.