Crack of Sunlight (Ereri/Riren)

•~Chapter Twenty Five~•

*hands out wine and miralax to go with the cheese*

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"She's kidding. This is a joke, right?"

"What do you mean? I think you look great."

"Tch."

The brunet beamed from behind him, his teeth shining in the reflection of the mirror. The raven bore a hardened scowl, both at his own reflection and the brat behind him. He didn't look 'great', he looked ridiculous. Day already going downhill, he wanted nothing more than to go back to bed.

"C'mon, Levi. You only have to wear it for a few hours, and then you can burn it or whatever," Eren reasoned. "You know it'll make her happy to see you in it."

"Whatever," he muttered. "Just do my hair."

Still smiling happily, Eren centered himself behind the shorter man and took the bottle of gel from the counter. He popped it open and squeezed the gooey substance into his palm to spread it between his hands and then reach around to the front of Levi's head, working it into his hair by tugging it back and slicking it down. He was careful to follow the edge of his undercut to make it look neat and precise. The entire time, Levi's scowl never faded or faltered.

Chuckling, Eren said, "Your face is gonna get stuck like that."

"Good," muttered the raven.

"Awh, come on," Eren said, sliding his gooey hands around Levi's waist to reach the sink and wash them. Levi pressed back against him. "You should be happy today. Your sister's getting married."

"Yeah, I think I'd be a lot more enthusiastic if I didn't have to walk her down the damn aisle..." He seized the bottle of gel from the counter for a distraction, pretending to read the ingredients as if it would make the flush in his cheeks subside.

"Shouldn't that make you more excited?" Eren lowered his head to rest his chin on Levi's shoulder, squeezing his waist gently.

"Why should it?"

"Stop being so pessimistic," Eren murmured, nuzzling into his roses. "You're the only blood-related family she has left...so it makes sense for you to do it."

"Sure." He set the bottle back down and lifted his gaze back to their reflection.

He remembered Alex asking him to do it. She'd showed up to the apartment out of the blue one afternoon, saying she had business to take care of, requested that she speak to him alone, and sat him down in the living room.

"I have a big favor to ask of you," she began.

Levi narrowed his eyes in further suspicion than he'd already been feeling. "What?"

"Before I ask, I just want you to know you can say no. We can find someone else to do it."

"Out with it, Alex."

"I want you to walk me down the aisle when I get married."

He'd stared at her for a second as if she'd just spoken pig Latin or Dutch or something.

"Seriously? Why me?"

"Because you're my family. My brother. And since our parents are evidently out of the question, I thought you should do it. Like I said, you can say no. It's probably not your most ideal thing to do, and I wouldn't blame you or be mad, I was just hoping-"

"Yeah, I'll do it," he cut in. Whether it was to shut her up or because he actually wanted to do it, he didn't know at the moment.

"Are you sure?"