The Ereri Project!

Apartment (Blind)

"How do you know this entire way without your eyes?" Levi asks.

Eren shrugs. "Got used to it, I guess. My sister used to walk this way with me every day so I don't really need my eyes as long as I don't forget this thing." He gestures with his walking stick.

"I mean, I can't cross the street alone - Mikasa would kill me if I tried - but going around the corner to get coffee by myself is fine."

"So you just live with your sister?"

"Mmhm. She's always been really overprotective of me so when I started writing, she became my editor and found an agent for me and when I wanted to move in the city, she came with me."

"Don't you ever just wanna be by yourself?"

"I get coffee by myself."

"I mean living."

He shrugs. "It's not a big deal, I mean, our apartment's big enough that we can kind of keep to ourselves and she's an editor full time so both of us are usually working when we're home together anyway."

Eren leads Levi inside his apartment building and into the elevator, pressing the button for the ninth floor. "This place is really nice," Levi says, examining the painting on the back wall of the elevator; a rose garden.

"It was the only place we looked at that Mikasa wasn't just sneering at everything."

Levi furrows his eyebrows. "How could you tell she was sneering?"

Eren shrugs. "I just could."

"Hm."

The doors open and Eren walks out first, leading Levi to room 9B.

Eren opens the door and Levi isn't sure why, but he feels surprised at how normal the place looks.

The main living room area is surprisingly huge, with two plush looking couches and a wooden coffee table in the center, and two big desks with computers set up on them on opposite sides and corners of the room.

Instead of a TV, there's a rather impressive stereo system set up near the couches. On the wall to the right of the front door, is another door that leads to Eren's bedroom.

Behind the living room is the kitchen and beside it is a small hallway that leads directly into the bathroom with Mikasa's room off to one side.

"Welcome to casa de Jaeger," Eren says cheekily, dropping himself onto one of the couches. "Make yourself comfortable, do you want a drink?"

Levi looks around before sitting on the couch across the Eren. "No, I'm good."

"Eren?"

Eren sits up and faces the direction of the hallway. From the bedroom walks a tall, definitely Asian girl who looks like she works out about as much as Levi wishes he did. "Hey Mikasa," Eren says, smiling.

"That's your sister?" Levi asks.

"Hm?" Eren's expression is confused. "Did I forget to mention she was adopted?"

"Yes you did," Levi says, still examining her, she's glaring at him.

"Eren, who is this?" she asks, sitting beside her brother.

"Mikasa, this is Levi. Levi, Mikasa."

"Levi," she drawls. "This is the guy who's been sitting with you when you get your coffee? He's shorter than I expected."

Levi makes a face but doesn't comment before Eren laughs. "He's a sweet guy though," Eren replies. "I think you two'll get along well."

Mikasa is still glaring at Levi, even as Eren stands up and walks to the kitchen. "What do you two want for lunch? I'm feeling frozen pizza."

"Fine by me," Levi replies.

"Me too," Mikasa says.

"Mikasa, why don't you put some music on," Eren says as he prepares their lunch.

Mikasa gets up and goes to the stereo, flipping through the CD sitting beside it for two or three minutes before picking something.

"So, Levi," she says as the opening song begins. Levi doesn't recognize it. "Eren tells me you're a teacher?"

"A professor, but I've been taking over slowly as the administrator for the History Department."

"History, huh?"

"I've always had an interest in it."

"I've never had a good mind for remember dates," she replies. "But reading, I've always had a knack for that."

"You're an editor, right?"

She nods. "I wanted to be a writer but I don't quite have Eren's imagination."

Eren nods from the kitchen. "When we were kids, if we played house with our friends she always wanted to be the sister. I always wanted to be the dad, of course."

Levi chuckles and Mikasa smiles. "Armin was usually the mom, right?"

"Unless Sasha wanted to be, then he was usually the baby."

"Who's Armin?" Levi asks.

"My friend who owns a bookstore," Eren replies.

"Ah."

Eren wipes his hands after the pizza goes in the oven. "You two talk amongst yourselves, I have to go to the bathroom."

As soon as the door's closed, Mikasa is leaning forward, staring at Levi. "Listen," she says. "My brother acts like a tough guy but you're literally the first person Eren's met since before high school that he's had any interest in."

Levi blinks at her. "Seriously?"

"He doesn't like most people because he thinks they act too touchy about his blindness, our friend Armin and I are probably two of the only people he's ever open with anymore and it's not good for him. So," she sighs. "I dunno, can you try to be good to him?"

Levi leans back in his seat. "There aren't that many people I'm open with either," he says, keeping his gaze locked down the hallway. "But if it's for him, I could definitely make the exception."

Eren walks out of the bathroom. "Whoa," he says. "I'm feeling some tension."

Mikasa's staring at Levi, her expression surprised. It shifts into a gentle smile and she sits back. "No, everything's fine," she says.

"Good," Eren says, sitting beside Levi, purposely reaching out and taking his hand. "Because I may have neglected to mention that Levi's also my boyfriend."

Mikasa is glaring at him again.

Eren laughs at the way Levi tenses up immediately. "How did you not mention that before?"

Eren wears a cheeky grin. "Because I know she won't kill me if you're here as a witness."

Mikasa crosses her arms and leans back. At the look Levi gives her, she shrugs. "He's right, I won't."

With that, Eren kisses Levi on the cheek and Mikasa stands up, walking to her room again. "I'm gonna call Armin and tell him how much of a liar you are," she says, smirking slightly.

Eren grins at Levi. "She approves," he says happily.

"That's what approval looks like?"

"If she disapproved, she'd still be sitting here."

"I hope to God your parents are this intense."

Eren stands back up, walking to the kitchen. "Just my mom."

Levi runs his hand over his face.