A Lifetime Friendship (ErenxLevi)

Chapter 6: Forgiveness and Boners

Well, I'm posting a third chapter today, just because I can. I was halfway through writing this when I got tired, so I'm sorry if the end kinda sucks...
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After what happened at Levi's house, Eren began to distance himself. He still went over to Levi's house, still told him all he knew and did, but when Levi would try to cuddle up to Eren, the brunet found a way to wiggle of it by getting up or claiming to have to do something, and then kept himself at a physical distance.

Each time Eren did this, Levi only grew more and more worried, and when he tried to ask Eren about it, Eren brushed off the question or made up something to try and quell the raven's worries; it only served the strengthen them.

Finally, Levi couldn't take it. When Eren came to his house that afternoon, he tackled him into a bear hug on the couch and pinned him there, not allowing Eren up unless he spilled what was on his mind.

"Levi, let me up! Please, this is beginning to hurt!"

"Then tell me why you're avoiding me! Tell me why you suddenly act so uncomfortable when I try to touch you!" Levi raised his voice, tone filled with desperation and hurt. Eren stopped struggling against Levi, looking up at his face. It almost looked as if the raven was about to cry, grey eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears. "Dammit, Eren, you're my best friend, I don't want to lose you. Fuck Petra, fuck Erd and Gunther, fuck Aurou! You're the only real one that matters, so why are you acting like this!? We've never lied to each other, we've never kept anything from one another, so why now!?"

Eren looked up at the boy over him, the raven's expression striking him right in the gut. He felt terrible, he hasn't known that he really meant so much to the other, and that his recent actions were having that big of an effect on him.

"I'm sorry, Levi," he apologized in a rough voice, feeling his own tears well up in his eyes, the guilt of his actions suddenly weighing on him. God, why had he acted like such a dick!? He and Levi had never fought before! Sure, there had been little senseless banters, but it was solved almost as soon as it had been started. It had never been like this. "It's just I felt like I was intruding on your relationship with Petra. I mean, yeah, we always cuddled up on the couch when I was with Jean, but dammit, Levi, you've had sex with her! Wouldn't something like cuddling be something that you do with someone you care about deeply!?"

Levi stared at Eren a moment, trying to process the brunet's words. He huffed a sigh, loosening his grip on Eren and falling onto his chest. "You dumbass," he muttered, shaking his head. "You're making such a big deal over nothing. Yes, I cuddle with Petra, but that's different. She's my girlfriend, and you're my best friend. In my world, you're more important than she is. Eren, we've done this since we were kids, back in fucking kindergarten. I'm still gonna do even if I'm in a relationship with someone." He paused, shaking his head again. "You don't realize how much I care about you, do you?"

Eren was silent, processing the raven's words. Had he really meant so much to Levi? Had he never realized it before? Instead of saying something, he wrapped his arms around the small body on him, burying his face in said person's neck. "Fuck, I'm sorry Levi. I fucked up, and I never meant to worry you."

Levi huffed a sigh of relief, melting into the familiar warmth. "Yeah, you fucked up." He gave a breathy chuckle. "But I forgive you, you little shit. Plus," he paused, lifting his head to look at Eren, "Petra kinda knows I do this with you."

"What!?"

-x-

Eren: Happy six months, Levi! Tell Petra I said hi and congrats!

Levi: who would've thought you, of all people, would remember what today is

Eren. Lol, well one of us had to remember!

-x-

"Hey, that new indoor pool opened up a couple of weeks ago," Levi started, grabbing Eren's attention. "Do you want to go down there and swim?"

Eren thought for a moment. He had heard from a few people at school that it was a nice, big pool, not to mention it was heated, always a plus in the chilly month of November. He finally gave a nod. "Yeah, that sounds nice. Who all's going?"

"Well," Levi paused, quickly counting up on his fingers, "just us two, because Petra is gone to her grandparents this weekend, Erd and Gunther are out of town together, and Aurou said he just doesn't want to go, so just us."

Eren smiled; it had been a while since the two of them got out to do something together, and swimming would actually be nice. "Sweet, I'm going to grab my swimsuit, I think you still have one you left over here, want me to get it?"

Levi nodded, standing off the couch and stretching, yawning lazily. "Yeah, I'll go get our towels and put them in a bag, along with a change of clothes if need be."

Eren quickly hopped up off the couch, running back to his room and grabbing the swimsuits and a couple pairs of goggles, before bringing them back to Levi, who was in the laundry room. "Here's the suits, grabbed some goggles as well, ready to go?"

Levi finished packing everything up before slinging the bag over his shoulder and grabbing a jacket. "Yep, let's go."

-x-

When they arrived at the pool, there was only a few people there, a couple of kids playing by themselves at the shallow end, a parent watching them from a plastic table set up, and two teenage girls sitting on the opposite side of the pool on phones.

Eren followed Levi into the changing room, where he quickly stripped down and slid on his trunks. Turning back to Levi, he froze.

Levi had just finished taking off his shoes and jacket, stuffing them into one of the empty cubby holes, and was sliding his shirt off in a seemingly slow motion for Eren. Eren had never really noticed how built Levi was, and the way that he was wiping away imaginary dust drew Eren's eyes to his muscles like flies to honey. When a pale hand reached down to unclasp the button on Levi's black jeans, Eren had to quickly turn away, feeling his face heat up and blood beginning to flow to his nether regions.

Wait.

What the hell!?!

Since when did Eren's heart speed up from seeing Levi shirtless!? He'd seen Levi naked countless times, so why was now any different?! His heard sped up even more when the raven's pants suddenly found their way onto the bench Eren was standing by, and he felt his face heat up more. He couldn't keep his eyes from sneaking a peek back at Levi again, which proved to be a big mistake, as he got an eyeful of a perfectly rounded ass as they slid into swim trunks. Suddenly the room felt to stuffy, and he felt too hot in all the wrong places.

"Um, I'm going go ahead and get in the water now!" Eren said quickly, and nearly ran out of the changing room, leaving no time for Levi to reply.

Eren slid in to the pool almost just as fast, not really feeling the water until it came up to his chest and he stopped. Why the hell was he just checking out Levi!? And why LEVI!? Levi was his best friend, who was, ahem, STRAIGHT AND TAKEN. He needed to get his mind off of Levi, but it kept replaying that image of Levi's naked rump bent over slightly and- shit now he's popped an unwelcome boner.

Fuck.

Fuck!

Who in their right mind pops boners over their friends? And, their best friend at that! Eren felt like dying right then and there, as he slowly slid under the water in complete embarrassment.

A tap on his shoulder made him jump, enough to brig him fully back above the surface. He turned his head slightly, and, again, his mind when back to what happened just a few moments ago when Levi was standing beside him. "Um," he began, "I need to use the bathroom, I'll be right back." An excuse, because he was sporting a hard-on and needed to care for it immediately, the nearly lukewarm water not doing anything to help.

Levi lifted a thin eyebrow at that, but said nothing as the brunet moved past him to get out of the pool. Watching Eren as he got out of the pool, he suddenly noticed with wide eyes why the brunet was excusing himself to the restroom.

Shit, this was bad.

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Woo, this has officially become my longest fic ever (chapter wise). Many more chapters to come, and Ereri beginning to come into play! Also, we are now officially in the present! Whoop!!