Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

•~Chapter Thirteen~•

A couple weeks passed and the two got into an easy groove of life. Business in the shop picked back up almost too easily for Levi, and he was beginning to drag in clients by what seemed like the boatload. Eren worked when Reiner needed him, and Levi was almost always there at the same time, either tattooing or working on his commissions. He started to improve greatly, apparent to not only the eyes of everyone in the shop (which, on many occasions, included Alex), but people of the outside world, too, and he was starting to get booked up for the entire summer and making loads of money. They all were - even Alex, who started learning to give piercings under her fiancé's capable wing not too long after Levi got out of rehab. Eren helped each of them put together a portfolio and was unofficially 'hired' as the photographer after one of them finished a piece.

On his days off, Eren would visit his mom and continue learning to cook under her wing, or help her with yard work. He'd spend time with his sister, too, who was on summer break and when she wasn't busy volunteering or spending time with her own friends. Eren himself kept in touch with his friends, as well. The semester had ended for all of them and they had the summer off, freeing up their time a bit more.

Reiner made it a point to give Eren time off where Levi had it, too. The raven wasn't allowed to work more than twenty-five hours a week, seeing as he was still recovering and still had a long way to go. He continued therapy, of course, and on the morning of May 18th, he got the call from the rehabilitation center with the results of his bloodwork. The two were in the middle of getting ready for work when his phone rang. Eren had paced anxiously while Levi talked on the phone, easily keeping up a poker face so Eren had no clue as to whether it was good or bad news. Once he hung up, Levi had snatched his hand to stop his pacing.

"Calm down," he said.

"What did they say?" Eren asked anxiously.

"No STDs," he confirmed.

"But?" Eren asked, feeling it was needed.

"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning to be checked for blood clots and such."

"What is and such?"

"Lung disease, liver disease, infections, et cetera."

Those words only served to amplify Eren's anxiety. Levi's soft lips on his were the sole thing that kept the full on panic attack away, something that baffled Eren. Never had anything been successful in shutting his anxiety down like that until that moment.

"How are you so calm about that?" he asked.

Levi's words, though sharp, came solemnly. "I've expected much worse consequences than what I've gotten so far, Eren. Eight years of drug abuse doesn't come without a price."

Eren swallowed hard. Levi was too right, and though he'd known it, he hated the thought of him having to deal with any type of consequence for it.

The appointment went as planned and resulted in Levi ending up with three more bottles of pills - one to help digestion, a blood-thinner to get rid of several minor clots they found, and the last for a lung disease commonly found in smokers. None of it was fatal, but to Eren it seemed everything seemed to be adding up more and more. He was afraid of what Levi's limit was and how close he might be to it.

Presently, the two were in the shop on a rainy evening - Eren working on something on the computer for Reiner and Levi in his corner concentrating on a commission. Reiner himself was pulling his coat on, getting ready to depart.

"Alright guys, don't work too hard. And don't forget to lock up. I'm outta here."

Levi didn't so much as look up while Eren said a "see ya" without taking his eyes from the screen. With a chuckle, Reiner left, leaving the shop virtually silent for a while. Eventually, Levi couldn't take the ringing in his ears any longer and went over to the stereo, inserted a CD, and pressed play, essentially drowning out the sound of the rain outside. Halfway through the first song, Eren decided his eyes burned too badly to continue staring at a screen, so he saved his work and shut the computer off to join Levi at his work station. By the third song, he noticed the order to be eerily familiar.