Forever and Always

Chapter 60 - Good Sleep

We left the car and made our way up to the apartment, both of us lost in some sort of phantasmagorical daydream. We were both in the clouds, flying high above our day to day life. The air felt like a mist, and when we opened the apartment, closing and locking the door behind us, Levi turned and looked at me, grinning a dopey grin, both of us drunk on each other's sudden presence. It was a certain kind of euphoria, being with him again with any degree of permanence.

"Ya know, when Petra offered you a beer, I was about to stomp my ass out of the room and bitch slap the drink outta your hands," he chuckled. "I'm proud of you, Eren."

"Oh, uh, thanks," I murmured quietly, still totally zoned out.

"No, I'm really proud of you. So, new brother, huh?" He asked, sitting on the couch once our shoes were off. I sat down next to him, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me onto his lap, another playful smile on his lips. He leaned up and kissed me quickly. "Do you like him?"

"He seems nice enough. I've just been avoiding the house cuz it's awkward as hell. Kas has Poppy."

"I know. I've been texting with her since yesterday," he murmured. "She knew I was in town."

"Rude. So Kas gets to know, but I don't?"

"I mean, I was busy trying to surprise you, so yeah. Told your mom, too."

"That's nice. I haven't spoken to her since last night."

"I'm sorry, Love. She feels bad, ya know?"

"But not bad enough to tell us the truth."

"How do you think Zeke feels?"

"Worse," I consented, my voice a small mutter while he started rubbing circles into my waist with his cold thumb.

"Just give it some time. The waves will settle."

"I know, it's just too much for me, right now. And for the record, Petra is one of the worst liars I've ever met."

"Yeah, I know. She sucks at it. At least she didn't fully give it away."

"I was too upset to notice that she was being shady, but now that I'm less psyched out, I'm realizing what a shitty liar that woman is."

"Oh my God, it was bad back in New York," he shook his head, letting out a sigh.

"I bet," I giggled, planting another kiss on his lips, when he started to use his fingernails to tickle my back. "You're the best."

"I know," he winked, giving me another kiss. "No, actually, you're the best, Love. I love you more than anything."

"Thanks Levi. I love you more."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Depends on how you plan on testing that," I smirked, torn between ruining the moment with sex or continuing to cuddle on the couch with him.

"I'll do whatever you want me to," he grinned. "You get to call the shots tonight. If that means snuggling all night, I am so there."

"Well in that case," I beamed, wrapping my arms around his neck, and burying my face into his shoulder. I smelled the old leather of his bomber jacket mixing with the smell of stale Cubans, and a scent that was uniquely Levi. I clung tightly to him, feeling safe and at home in his arms. "Wanna potentially lose the clothes and snuggle in your bed and watch Rick and Morty? I am so fucking tired."

"You had me at Rick and Morty, Love. I love you so fuckin' much. I used to watch that show all the fuckin' time," he snorted, standing up and helping me to my feet as well. We slowly, cheerfully ambled our way to his bedroom. Levi shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the low bedpost while I took my shirt off. He took his black band tee shirt off and stripped himself of his shredded jeans. I did the same until I was in nothing but my underwear. Hey eyed my briefs skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Seriously?"

"Hey, don't hate, dude," I muttered, crawling between the sheets. "Sorry if I don't wear the color of my soul or something."

"Oh yeah? Cuz I'm pretty sure that wearing Leonardo on your dick is pretty telling of your soul," he snorted, crawling into the bed next to me, his leg cooling off mine as I sat next to him, wrapping my arms around him again.

"Um, actually that would be Michelangelo. Love you, though."

"As if that makes it better than Leonardo on your dick. Whatever," he scoffed playfully folding his arms at me. "Ya know this is nice." He was fiddling with his roku on his thirty five inch television. He found Hulu as I turned and kissed his cheek.

"What's nice?" I asked, hugging him closer to me, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"This. Being with you. All but naked, but neither of us really expecting sex to come from it. Just enjoying each other's company, ya know?"

I paused for a moment, thinking about what he had just said. "Huh. Yeah, it is. It's nice. Being with you. I love you."

"I love you," he smiled, hitting the play button on an episode of his favorite stoner show. "Oh my fucking God, it's my favorite episode." I smirked at him and flicked an eyebrow. "Pickle Rick!" he shouted, throwing his casted fist into the air. We settled into each other, both of us letting out a long sigh. We watched old reruns of Rick and Morty for several hours before he fell asleep, and I laid there, watching him get more rest than he had conceivably gotten in months.